The Day and Evening Schools are in an improving state. The Lord's work is going on among the people. Eight were added to the Church, on Tuesday; and there are eight more, whom I shall soon admit on trial for Easter. Divine Worship is regularly observed, morning and evening, every day; and four times every Sabbath: on Week-days, the attendance is middling; on Sundays, very large. And here I would, with Samuel, erect my Eben-Ezer, and repeat, after him, with all my heart, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us ! Mr. Düring's state of health was, however, so infirm, at the date of the last advices, that his temporary return to this country was found necessary. The Committee trust, that, as in the case of Mr. Johnson, his return for a season may be the means of renewing his strength for future labours*. Wilberforce. The Inhabitants of this place amounted, by the last return, to 409; and the Scholars to 90: these consisted of 20 Boys, 20 Girls, and 50 Men and Lads. About 80 Adults had been baptized, and from 20 to 30 were Communicants. A Missionary Association contributed, last year, the sum of 67. 19s. 2d. : The Committee are concerned to add, that the late Superintendant, having suffered himself to be imposed upon by designing men, notwithstanding the friendly warnings of his Brethren, had been brought into pecuniary embarassment. It had been found necessary to remove him from a charge, which cannot be successfully administered without a vigilant exercise of prudence and firmness. * Mr. Düring, with Mrs. Düring and their two Children, arrived at Liverpool, on the 16th of July, in the Fletcher, Captain Robinson; having left Sierra Leone on the 3d of May. Mrs. Johnson's state of health requiring her return, she accompanied them. Mrs. Lisk's sickness, mentioned at p. 68, so increased, that it became necessary for her to return home. Mr. Lisk accompanying her, they embarked on the 12th of March, in the James, Captain Smith. Mr. Lisk landed at Portsmouth on the 25th of June; but Mrs. Lisk was no more to see her native country: she departed, in calm resignation to the Divine Will, only the evening preceding the ship's arrival. As a temporary arrangement, till further help should arrive from home, the Native Teacher, William Davis, had been put in charge of the Settlement. He was to keep School, Daily Morning and Evening Prayer, and Divine Service on Sundays. SHERBRO COUNTRY. The favourable prospects that were opening on this part of Western Africa, were adverted to in the last Report and it was stated that William Tamba, from whose Journal the Committee then selected some very interesting passages, was preparing to undertake a second journey. In the Spring of last year, he accordingly renewed his labours. Having first accompanied the Agents of the American Colonization Society to Grand Bassa, he was landed by them on the Plantains; and, from these islands, revisited most of the places where he had been before, renewing his instructions and scattering the rays of Divine Light on a benighted people. About six weeks were spent in this journey, from the latter part of April to the beginning of June. In several places they had forgotten the Sunday; but, in most of them, the remembrance of it had been preserved. The prevalence of Polygamy is every where an obstacle to the reception of the Gospel: the minds of the people are, however, under an evident preparation*. The Journal of this Native Labourer thus concludes I have had many fears and troubles; some behind, and some before. Sometimes I did not know what to do. But the Lord's Word comforted me. He He says, Be not afraid of their faces, for I will be with thee. Oh that I did know more of the Lord Jesus Christ! Do, my Brethren, pray for me, that the Lord may teach me to know myself more and more, and to know the Word of God more. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all! Amen. The Members will, doubtless, make it their earnest prayer to God, that He would be pleased to raise up * The Journal of William Tamba has been printed, since the Anniversary, at pp. 325-329 of the Missionary Register for August. a multitude of Native Labourers, endued with this spirit. The exertions of Mr. George Caulker, Chief of the Plantains, for the benefit of his country, were stated in the last Report. In reference to this subject, and to the advantages which a Missionary would enjoy under his protection, Mr. Nyländer writes, in August I wish to acquaint you with Mr. George Caulker's diligence in his translations, and his continued desire to have a Missionary stationed at his place. His brother Stephen is now with him, and teaches a School of about 20 Boys, both in Bullom and English: they are now making use of my Bullom SpellingBook, until another (in the Sherbro Bullom) shall be published. I am now printing about 40 Hymns in Bullom, for the use of Mr. Caulker's School:, they were translated by him, and have the English on the opposite side. The Rev. Mr. Andrus, the American Missionary, visited Mr. G. Caulker's place, and thought it a very desirable spot for a Missionary Settlement: he expressed his particular wish to settle there, if the Church Missionary Society did not occupy it; as he considered that a Missionary would be safe under Mr. Caulker's protection-that Mr. G. Caulker is not only a friend to Missionaries, but is preparing the way for them by his School and his Translations and that the place is so near the mainland, that excursions may be made to great advantage under the influence of Mr. G. Caulker, who is much respected there. Mr. Andrus had been down to the Bassa Country; but on his return to this place, or shortly after, was removed from this transitory life into the mansions of eternal bliss. By the little acquaintance which I had with him, I have reason to believe that he was a sincere Christian: and I beg to present his thoughts of the Plantains, as a Missionary Station, to the consideration of the Committee. The Committee have determined to make early provision for occupying the Plantains as a Missionary Station. In the mean time, Stephen Caulker is proceeding much to their satisfaction: Daily Prayer is kept, morning and evening, in a small Place of Worship; and the Scholars have made such progress, that several of them can read fluently. The Morning and Evening Services, mentioned in the last Report, have been printed and forwarded to Africa. The Committee will conclude this review of the West-Africa Mission, in the words of Mr. Düring, at the close of the year: : How little did we think, three or four years ago, that we should see such days in Africa! Many have been the trials, which the Society's servants and the Mission at large have laboured under, but all are richly rewarded. Every Mission has had its peculiar difficulty; yet where is there one that has tried more than this, the faith of successive Labourers, and of a large Community of Christians?-and that for a period of at least sixteen years! But it is certain, where the Lord has a great work to be done, those whom he has chosen as the instruments must be tried; and, in such a manner, that, in the end, His glory will appear most conspicuous. This I firmly believe to be the case now with us. The arrival of His Excellency the Governor, from his visit home, contributed not a little to place the improvement of the people in its just light. So long as we are daily spectators of things around us, gradual improvements do not strike us. It remains no longer dubious, whether our endeavours have been successful: it has pleased God to bless them very remarkably. When you have read all the communications respecting every thing that has occurred here, you will rejoice with us, and thank the Lord our God for the great things which He has done for us, and that our labour has not been in vain. MEDITERRANEAN MISSION. The principal events connected with the Mediterranean Mission, up to the period of Mr. Jowett's return to England, were fully detailed in the last Report. Many deliberations were held with Mr. Jowett while in this country, on the most promising means of carrying the Society's plans into effect; and the Committee cannot but anticipate, under the Divine Blessing, the most beneficial results to the spiritual welfare of the people for whom he labours. Dr. Naudi has been employed on the translation into Italian of an English Commentary on the Scriptures; and Giuseppe Cannolo, the translator of the Scriptures into Maltese, has proceeded in the Old Testament as far as the end of the First Book of Chronicles. The Gospel of St. John, in Maltese and English, in parallel columns, has been printed in this country; and copies sent to Malta for distribution, at present chiefly among persons capable of forming a judgment of the Maltese, in order to the rendering of the translation as perfect as practicable. On the subject of this Mission, so increasingly interesting to all who long for the repairing of those desolations which have been spread over the Ancient Christian Churches, the Committee refer the Members to the Volume of "Christian Researches in the Me-, diterranean," stated in the last Report to be in preparation: it was left by Mr. Jowett for the press, and has just appeared. From the time of Mr. Jowett's arrival in the Mediterranean in the year 1815, to his departure on his visit home in the year 1820, he assiduously employed himself in collecting materials, for laying such information before the Society respecting the scene of his labours, as might serve both to stimulate and direct its future exertions. The communications from him which have been already made public, have awakened great interest in the revival of those Ancient Churches, through which we ourselves received the Lively Oracles of God; not only for their own sake, but with the hope of their becoming efficient Labourers, in the conversion of Mahomedans and Heathens. Besides these communications, à large collection of materials has been accumulated, no part of which has been laid before the Society. From all these, Mr. Jowett has prepared the Volume in question, which cannot fail, under the Divine Blessing, of greatly strengthening and extending the interest already taken in this Mission. An extract from an Advertisement which the Committee have prefixed to this Volume, will explain to the Members the nature and value of its contents*: The chief Contents of this Volume are here subjoined, as they will show the wide field of Research which has been entered on : STATE OF CHRISTIANS, JEWS, AND MAHOMEDANS ROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN... CHRISTIANS: Four principal classes of Professed Christians-the Superstitious, the Hypocri tical, |