7th, and Mr. Spencer in the evening; and on the Monday evening we had our public meeting. The attendance on the Sabbath morning was good; in the evening the place was full, and so it was at the public meeting. The people of the town are many of them gone to the Diggings;' but the land being rich and productive, it will probably increase in value, and continue to yield its stores of golden grain when the gold at the 'Diggings' is exhausted. We were delighted to see the rich crops on the banks of the Hanter.' It was just mid-harvest; some were reaping, and some bearing home their sheaves; and we could not help thinking, that while we were oppressed with heat under a brilliant Italian sky, our friends at home were, probably, shut up in their fire-heated rooms, or braving the chill blasts of winter." We are unable, at present, to furnish a complete list of the proceeds of the various Missionary collections made by the Christian friends in the Colonies on this occasion; but the following amounts have been reported: From Rev. Dr. Ross's Congregation, Sydney, (upwards of) £90 0 0 with other sums not yet specifically announced. In addition to these contributions in aid of the Society's general funds, the kind friends in the Colonies have, as the preceding correspondence shows, pledged themselves to support a number of Native Agents in the islands of Polynesia. On the 1st of January the John Williams left Sydney, and proceeded on her voyage to Tahiti, where, as we have elsewhere announced, she arrived on the 15th of the following month. MADAGASCAR. IN our Number for December, 1851, a detailed account was given of the fiery persecution that had again broken out in this unhappy island, and of the despotic and cruel measures adopted by the Queen and her ministers, with a view, if possible, to the extirpation of the Christian faith. These measures, it may be scarcely necessary to state, have proved abortive. The Malagasy Christians, unawed by the retrospect of past sufferings, and the view of surrounding perils, remain firm in their allegiance to their Divine Lord; and, though compelled to flee from place to place, or to assemble in little groups and in secret haunts, in order to escape the vigilance of their merciless foes, the God whom they have so faithfully served continues to be their stay and refuge, and, in his good providence, enables them to take sweet counsel together, and to hold occasional correspondence with distant and sympathizing friends, Our friend the Rev. David Griffiths, formerly of the Madagascar Mission, has received a letter from David Johns (Andrianabo), one of the Malagasy refugees residing at Mauritius, dated March 17th ult., inclos ing another, recently transmitted by some of his pious countrymen in Madagascar. From David Johns's letter it appears that Ranavalona, the Queen, still lives and reigns; but she is desirous of resigning her government in favour of her son and heir, the excellent Prince Rakotoseheno, though the object has hitherto failed of accomplishment, through the opposition of Rainiharo, the commander-in-chief. It is further stated that the Prince is making rapid progress in the Christian religion, and continues to favour and defend his persecuted countrymen as far as it is in his power. The letter inclosed by David Johns, bearing date Madagascar, 19th November, 1851, has been translated by Mr. Griffiths, and is as follows: TO DAVID JOHNS ANDRIANABO, AND HIS "We received your letter, dated on the 24th of October, 1851, informing us of the sympathies of the ministers of the churches, and of all our Christian friends, with us in our persecutions, for which we rejoice and thank God. How glad we were when we received the letters and packages,-forty-two books, six quires of paper, and the bottle of ink,-which you sent us by Mr. Zamety. All came safe to hand. You cannot imagine how thankful we felt to God on that day, for his blessing and great mercy in enabling you to send us those things, for we are thirsting and hungering for the bread of life. Thanks be to God, because he hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Blessed be His holy name, for He hath opened a way for us to correspond with one another. As to the papers of Rakotoseheno (the Queen's son), and the marks which we mutually agreed upon, we have not any except those which we packed up as they came from the capital, and that we sent you by Mr. Zamety. The Christians in the interior have a mark like the one we have by ns. It was made for the purpose of receiving any packages sent us by our friends on the other side of the waters. We will write to them to inquire whether they have changed the mark, and as soon as we receive their answer, we will send it you by the first vessel that leaves our port for the Mauritius. And this also we tell you, our three brothers sent us the large book that is bound, which contains an account of each tribe of every district complete, and the names of our friends that suffered and endangered their lives on the 7th of November, 1851. But all the rest of our persecuted friends are stationed at the different military posts on the island and around the coast, and we hear that they are at liberty to go about. Blessed be the God that retains power over all things. We thank you, our friends, even all of you, for writing to us. It is owing to the Divine blessing that we have this joy and happiness of corresponding with one another. May you live, and be happy, and be blessed of God! May our Lord Jesus Christ bring us to see one another's face in the flesh again! And this also we tell you, beloved friends, that we have written to you, and begged of you to send us some medicines. Send us some, if you can procure any; for by these, under the blessing of God, our bodily diseases will be removed. "Beg of the Rev. J. J. Le Brun to send us a large number of Bibles, Testaments, and Hymn-books. But remember the way we have adopted to send them to the capital. We put them in cases, or small casks, filled up with eatables. Adopt the same way in sending them to us. Put them in the bottom of cases with bottles, or casks with eatables, place small bars of iron across, and fill up the case with eatables. We would remind you of John, chap. xv. 16-20, whenever you intend sending us anything. May you live happy, and be blessed of God! We salute you, three in family, and all our friends with you. May you live long, and be happy, and be blessed of God, say Jeremiah, Joshua, and Zarab, and all the Christians here." DEATH OF THE REV. JAMES READ. In our last Number only, we gave insertion to a letter from the venerable subject of this notice, announcing the pleasing circumstances under which he had resumed his labours at Eiland's Post, a branch of the Kat River Settlement. That letter, written apparently in his usual health and spirits, bore date 26th March, and on the 8th May the voice which had so long pleaded for Christ among the sons of Africa was silent in the grave. The immediate cause of Mr. Read's death, which took place at Eiland's Post, after an illness of five or six days, was fever, followed by inflammation of the heart; and we have the satisfaction to add, that the closing scene of his eventful life was cheered by the presence and affectionate attentions of nearly the whole of his numerous family. Our excellent friend died as, during an unusually protracted career, he had lived,-in "the high places of the field." He approved himself a thoroughly devoted Missionary. From the period of his first landing on the shores of Africa, he identified himself with the interests of the aborigines, and, while labouring in season and out of season to promote their social and spiritual elevation, he never ceased to advocate their just claim to a participation in the privileges of citizenship. In the prosecution of these objects, he unavoidably rendered himself obnoxious to reproach and calumny from those who have been systematically opposed to the advancement of the coloured races; and had our departed friend been vulnerable to such attacks, the vigilance of his assailants would not have failed to discover, in the recent disastrous events at the Kat River Settlement, some plausible ground for his inculpation. But, happily, the proofs of Mr. Read's attachment to the principles of loyalty and social order are not less abundant and conclusive than are the evidences of his life-long zeal in the promotion of the temporal and spiritual welfare of those classes which formed the more peculiar objects of his ministerial care. The memory of the just is blessed; and it is our unhesitating conviction, that when time shall be allowed for Truth to lift up her voice amidst the strife of tongues, the character and labours of our departed friend will be amply vindicated, and that, in the day of final recompense, the God in whom he confided will bring forth his righteousness as the light, and his judgment as the noonday. The following additional particulars will be interesting to many of our readers : The late Mr. Read was born at Abridge, near Epping, in the county of Essex, 3rd December, 1777; consequently, at the time of his decease, he was in his 75th year. In August, 1798, he was accepted as a Missionary of the Society, and, in accordance with his original appointment, sailed in the Duff, in November following, for the South Seas; but that ship having been boarded and taken by the Bonaparte, a French privateer, off Rio Janeiro, Mr. Read, with his fellowpassengers, returned to England. On being designated to the South African Mission, Mr. Read again left England on 10th May, 1800, and landed in the colony 15th September following; joined Dr. Vanderkemp at Graaf Reinet in 1801; commenced the Kuruman Mission in 1817, and removed to Philipton, Kat River, in 1829, with which settlement he continued to be associated to the close of his life. ARRIVALS IN ENGLAND. Mrs. Johnston and children, from Vizagapatam, East Indies, April 12. Mrs. Lockhart and children, from Shanghae, China, May 1. Rev. T. L. Lessel, from Berhampore, East Indies, accompanied by Mrs. Woollaston, widow of the late Rev. M. W. Woollaston, of Mirzapore, May 20. Mrs. Livingston and children, from the Cape of Good Hope, June 23. 0 10 0 0 10 0 2 0 10 0 Mr. F. Lambourne.. 0 10 0 Small Sums 0 16 6 0 17 0 082 110 070 Annual Sermons... 23 6 6 0 10 0 Collection for the S. Public Meeting .... 11 10 158 14 Juvenile Association. 2 17 2 0 12 0 Miss Adams....... Master Arnold... 1 0 0 Miss Blenkarn.... Holywell Mount. 100 Master T. E. Blen- Miss Smith Collection Lecture by Rev. C. 31 3 6 0 Mr. Alder......... 063 Mrs. Allen.. 030 2 Mrs. Beek.... 037 Mrs. Burgess 030 Master Baxter... 030 155 6 0 Miss Ball... 026 Mr. Boyle... 074 Mrs. Beale 0 4 10 |