shown that the experiment was wisely made. Whilst conducting the worship of his family, and the business of his school, Mr. Burns has made a proficiency in the language to which, in equal time, few of his predecessors have attained, and his occasional perambulations among the islanders have encouraged him, in the strength of the Lord, to adventure a new and important essay. His present position and intentions are explained in a letter addressed to the Convener. [This letter will be found in another page of the "Messenger."]

In recording this communication, the Committee would, first of all, express the hope that ere long their countrymen at Hong-Kong may find another to occupy the place which Mr. Burns has filled so cheerfully and so faithfully. A ministry among the British residents in such a colony is a post of sufficient influence to requite the labours of the most fervent evangelist; and, as they have sent a renewed appeal to the Free Church of Scotland, and have showed their readiness to contribute largely to the support of a Gospel ministry, we trust that they may soon be supplied with an able and efficient pastor.

At the same time, all the brethren must perceive the importance of the step which our esteemed missionary has taken. It is a ground of abundant thankfulness that he has so speedily found himself in a position to take that step; and doubtless that gracious Master who has been with his servant hitherto will help and strengthen him still. We gladly record the conviction that our beloved brother and his work have hitherto occupied a chief place in the intercessions of our congregations and families; and now has come the crisis when sympathetic friends and devout well-wishers are called to labour in prayer mightily. And if our zeal for God's glory and our faith in a Saviour omnipotent and omnipresent are only equal to the emergency, we doubt not that He who sent his disciples as lambs in the midst of wolves, and who said, "Lo, I am with you always," and who promised to give them a mouth and wisdom, will attend our brother in his arduous expedition, and will brighten his path with prosperity.

Before receiving the foregoing letter, the mind of your Committee was earnestly directed to a subject on which the Church has yet given forth no judgment. When Mr. Burns accepted the Synod's call, no

scheme for the conduct of the Mission had been matured, and he entered on his work fettered by no instructions, and restricted to no programme of procedure. And the Synod has no reason to regret that it left to its first missionary ample freedom to observe and gather information for himself, and then act on his own prayerful discretion. But as the Synod may now be called in the providence of God to make farther appointments; as it will be needful that the Church's missionaries, in order to their effective co-operation, should clearly understand the Church's mind; and as many new elements of fact and opinion have been supplied by Mr. Burns himself, and other Chinese labourers, during the last two years, the time seems to have arrived when the Church should consider the best method, and the most appropriate locality, for future operations.

And, first of all, reflection and fresh information convince your Committee more and more, that of all missionary fields, China pre-eminently demands a NATIVE AGENCY. The acquisition of its language is a feat of which few foreigners can boast; whilst, on the other hand, experience shows that its docile and intelligent sons are capable of being educated into admirable teachers and catechists. That mission is doubtless the happiest which has its quiver best filled with these young men; and towards this object we submit that our Church's efforts should more and more converge. In most districts it is found that the natives snatch up religious books and tracts with the utmost avidity, and it is easy to assemble large congregations of orderly and respectful listeners. But for these very reasons, it becomes a matter of more profound anxiety to be provided with zealous and well-instructed natives, whom the missionaries may employ as interpreters in the first instance, and as assistant ministers by and by; and who, in penetrating the interior, and distributing Bibles and tracts, possess facilities which no European missionary can ever hope to enjoy.

And parallel with this is your Committee's persuasion, that your missionary staff will be most efficient if organized on the model of our own ecclesiatical polity. If three missionaries would make a missionary college, they might also constitute a missionary presbytery. And when you advert to the distance of the station, the emergencies which constantly arise in the progress of a mission, demanding

prompt decision and immediate action, and the local peculiarities of which no superintending body at home can adequately judge, it seems very desirable that our agents should possess extensive powers of self-guidance and self-government. For this purpose no scheme appears so promising as the constitutional method of creating a Presbytery on the spot, in which the brethren might meet to take counsel from time to time,-of course amenable to the Synod, and empowered in cases of difficulty to refer to the Synod, or to the Synod's Mission Committee.

From this it will be gathered, that in the view of your Committee, the Church should aim at the appointment of at least three missionaries, and in selecting these, next to their Evangelistic fervour, should have especial reference to their teaching aptitude.

Another subject has received the attention of your Committee, namely, the choice of a locality. They think it needful to determine this point thus early, from the fact, that each province of China speaks a dialect so distinct as virtually to form a separate language, insomuch that a European perfecting himself in the dialect spoken at Hong-Kong, would be scarcely intelligible to a Chinaman beyond the limits of Canton province. And on a comparison of the six accessible stations, viz., Hong-Kong, and the five open ports, your Committee are disposed to recommend Amoy, for the following, among other, reasons:

1. Its population is large, the island containing 400,000 inhabitants, and the city of Chang-Chau, on the neighbouring mainland, numbering more than a million. Besides, as a principal sea-port, it affords peculiar facilities for intercourse with other places.

2. Unlike some other open ports, for example, Canton, its inhabitants are friendly, and well-affected to Europeans.

3. Unlike some others, for instance, Shanghae, where the agents of missionary societies have been obliged to build not only chapels, but their own private dwellings,-houses can be hired for school premises, and for the dwellings of the missionaries.

4. The agents of the societies at Amoy are hitherto comparatively few, so that we should be less apt to enter upon other men's labours, or intersect other men's line of procedure.

During the bygone year the Committee have had their attention earnestly di

rected to the appointment of another Chinese missionary, and they have now the satisfaction to report that three months ago they received a letter from Dr. James Young, at Hong-Kong, offering his services; and now that the Committee have made all the inquiry in their power regarding Dr. Young's qualifications, they believe that they are fully warranted in recommending it to the Synod to accept his offer of service. And firmly persuaded as the Committee are of the piety and missionary devotedness of Dr. Young, they have every reason to hope, that, should the Synod confirm his appointment, he will prove a zealous and able evangelist.

CORFU.

It will be in the remembrance of the Synod, that Mr. Charteris fulfils a twofold function at Corfu. He is the pastor of the Presbyterian congregation, and missionary to the Jewish population there.

During the past year the Presbyterian congregation has been accommodated with the use of the large room in the Castle in which courts-martial are held; and for this important and valuable boon the best thanks of the Synod are due to the gallant and courteous Commandant of the garrison.

And by an arrangement with the Church of England chaplain, it is now provided that the funerals of Presbyterian soldiers and civilians shall be conducted by Mr. Charteris, after the usages of the Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Charteris has found an interesting and important field of labour in the military hospital, and some of the cases which he has there attended have afforded him much encouragement; and once and again he has received letters of fervent gratitude from relatives at home, acknowledging the benefits received from his ministrations by their sick and dying kindred.

Besides his two diets of worship, Mr. Charteris conducts a Sabbath-school each Lord's-day morning, and a prayer-meeting every Tuesday evening. In his labours he is aided by an estimable elder, and it is gratifying to find, among more decided tokens of success, that a strong esprit de corps is spreading in the little Presbyterian community of the island. psalmody is led by one of the artillery, and in order to do the fuller justice to the psalms and paraphrases, a number of soldiers meet twice a week to practise

The

Ceaseless demands are made on the missionary's strength and time and patience by his Jewish neighbours; and many most instructive specimens of his reasonings and disputations has he sent home in his various letters. This most arduous department of his work Mr. Charteris has been enabled to conduct with admirable tact and prudence and faithfulness. But the Spirit is not yet poured out from on high, and with a few hopeful exceptions, his visitors continue pragmatical, disingenuous, and unmoved. A more encouraging scene is presented in the schools. These are well attended. Miss Mackenzie numbers about thirty scholars in her day-school, and in the evening-school Mr. Charteris and his assistant have an equal number of boys and young men. We earnestly hope that the affectionate and Scriptural instructions there imparted may prove the wisdom and power of God to the salvation of Israel's sons and daughters.

During the bygone year, Mr. Charteris has taken a deep interest and an active part in a movement which promises to bring over to evangelical Christianity several young priests and students of the Greek persuasion in Zante. Betwixt its Greek inquirers, its British soldiery, and its numerous Jews, this island would require-could such be obtained-a missionary as versatile, and for varied labours as willing, as Mr. Charteris himself.

Ecclesiastical Notices.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.-The Rev. W. Blackwood delivered the first of a series of Lectures on scientific subjects, intended to be given by various gentlemen in connexion with our Church and under the auspices of the Newcastle and Gateshead English Presbyterian Sabbathschool Association," on Tuesday evening, March 20th, and a second by adjournment on the 27th March. The subject was Astronomy, which was effectively illustrated by a powerful phantasmagoria, with numerous interesting views. On Thursday evening, April 12th, Dr. Mathewson delivered the third lecture, on Respiration, illustrated by numerous diagrams. These Lectures, designed for the

SOUTHAMPTON.-There is now a considerable population of Scotchmen in this flourishing town, chiefly engineers and mechanics, drawn together by the large steam-ship establishments. Early last winter they organized themselves into a congregation, and for several months they were supplied with preaching each Sabbath afternoon by the Rev. Messrs. Pullar and Maclaren, two esteemed Dissenting ministers. But having obtained the sanction of London Presbytery, public worship was commenced in the Victoriarooms on the last Sabbath of March, by Mr. Ross, and has since been kept up in succession by Messrs. Weir, Lorimer, Chalmers, Hamilton, and Cousin. The commodious hall is filled by a most intelligent and respectable audience; and under the auspices of Mr. Lamb and Mr. Balmain, with their zealous coadjutors in the Committee, we trust that ere long this interesting congregation will be provided with a place of worship and a stated pastor. Few localities can supply a field so attractive to a devoted evangelist. The town contains a large population. It is now the great thoroughfare to the Indies, East and West, and, attracted by its mild atmosphere and lovely scenery, its neighbourhood is the abode of many refined and influential families from all parts of the empire; whilst there is abundant room for twice as many places of evangelical worship as it yet contains.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CONGLETON.-On Wednesday evening, the 11th April, a soirée of the friends of the Presbyterian Church in Congleton was held, in the large School-room, Kinseystreet. The attendance was very respectable. After tea, Mr. Freeman (in the absence of Mr. Warrington, the exMayor, who had been expected to preside) took the chair. The Meeting was then addressed by the Rev. J. Speers, of Stafford; Mr. Chetwynd, elder, from Hanley; W. Warrington, Esq.; Rev. Mr. Prosser, Primitive Methodist; Rev. William Henderson, at present preaching in Congleton, and Mr. Broadhurst. The different speakers were listened to throughout with deep interest and attention. We