on the Bengal Establishment, newly arrived, have been appointed as follows: Mr. Fisher, at Chinsurah; Mr. Garbett, to the Upper Provinces.The Rev. Messrs. Krauss and Lipp of the Church Mission have been appointed to the Krishnagar station.-Rev. Mr. Innes takes charge of the Central Seminary of the Church Mission at Mirzapur.-We regret to hear that our good friend the Rev. G. Pearce will not be able, for the present at least, to return to this country: Mrs. Pearce leaves this month for England on this account.

2. THE JEWS.

It affords us sincere pleasure to announce that an association has been formed in Calcutta for the purpose of seeking the conversion of the Jews resident in Calcutta. The Society has already employed one agent, a converted Israelite, a man of much piety, integrity and activity. The number of Jews resident in Calcutta at present is very great, upwards we believe of 1000. We shall be happy to forward any donations to the managers of the Society.

3. THE BOMBAY GOVERNMENT AND THE COURT OF DIRECTORS. We understand that the Court of Directors have reproved the Honorable Mr. Farish as the head of the Bombay Government for the sanction he has given to the efforts of Christian missionaries. The reproof was called forth by the presentation of a petition of certain natives on this subject. Nothing can be more injudicious or unchristian than such a line of conduct. We shall wait for more ample information before we offer any further remarks on this subject.

4. THE DURGA PUJA.

We gather from every quarter that the attendance both of Christians and Natives at the Durga festival has been much less on this than on any previous occasion. This is very cheering, and it is indeed encouraging to the friends of Missions to proceed in the good work in which they are engaged. We regret to find that even a few nominal Christians found their way to the nautches; still they were but a few and will we doubt not be less on each successive occasion until the disgusting exhibitions shall cease to be. Immense sums of money have, we regret to hear, been expended by the Bábus on the saturnalia; we trust they will soon be anxious to devote equally large sums to the purposes of education and other measures which shall tend to elevate, and not degrade, their countrymen.

5.-FEMALE SLAVERY.

While the public mind is agitated on the subject of East Indian Slavery, we would endeavour to turn the tide of its sympathy most directly towards the subject of female slavery in particular. Whatever may be the differences of opinion on the nature and extent of the sufferings of the male slaves, there can be but one opinion as to the vast extent and degrading influence of female slavery throughout the whole of India. It is one of the foulest blots on our rule in India that it should exist in all its hideous deformity. After a rule of so many years, slavery and prostitution (in its worst because involuntary form) are terms which must

ever be associated with the slave state of every female in India. We trust that now the mind of Government has ceased to be exercised about conquest that they will endeavour to remove many of those evils which afflict and degrade India in her social relations, and that amongst the first, though difficult it be, they will not fail to grapple with the subject of slavery, and especially to break the fetters which bind the female slave to her proud, lustful and oppressive lord. India will never be regenerated, humanly speaking, until her females are raised from their present degradation to an equality with the women of other lands, and the mass of the females will never be raised to that level so long as the Bábus can replenish their harems and zenanas with female slaves. This is a matter which might with great propriety be taken up by the advocates of female education and improvement.

6.-OPIUM.

The trade in Opium is still carried on in China with great vigor, that is, on the coast. One clipper has been attacked by Chinese junks and miraculously escaped capture. The Governor Lin has addressed an edict to the Queen of England, in which, omitting all bombast and hyperbole, there is contained much sound sense, true goodness, and merciful political economy. We wish a Christian Government would profit by the heathen's advice. We regret to learn from the Christian Advocate and equally from a correspondent of our own, that the Government are and have been in the habit of sanctioning the sale of this abominable drug in their own provinces. This is positively disgraceful and sinful in the highest degree, it would be unworthy any even the most miserable political power, but it is truly lamentable in a Government, professedly enlightened and humane-to increase its exchequer at the expense of the morals and strength of its subjects. We trust this sanction will at once

cease.

7. THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

During the past month the following movements have taken place in connexion with the Episcopal Church in this city. The Lord Bishop laid the foundation stone of the New Cathedral in the presence of a large concourse of people. His Lordship has also consecrated the Native Church at Mirzapur with the title of Trinity Church. An ordination was held at the Cathedral on the day on which his Lordship left Calcutta for the Upper Provinces. Two persons were ordained, one a priest the other a deacon. The Rev. T. Sandys baptized eight young lads at the Mirzapur Chapel, on Thursday the 24th instant, in the presence of several friends to the natives, and the children and Native Christians of the establishment. May the Lord bless all these movements to his glory.

8.-CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

The Auxiliary Church Missionary Society held its anniversary during the month in the Old Church Rooms. The Bishop occupied the chair. The Report read by the Rev. F. Wybrow was, we understand, a very faithful document and deeply interesting to the friends of Missions. We hope to notice it in an early number. We regret to learn that the meeting was but thinly attended. When will the Christian community in India

be stirred up to take a deeper interest in the actual operations of Missions in this dark land. Here is the anniversary of a mission connected with the most numerous and wealthy body of Christians in India attended by some 60 or 70 people. Proh pudor! we speak this to your shame, oh ye Christians of Calcutta.

9.-NEW ARMENIAN TRACT.

We have had put into our hands a curious but excellent tract in the Armenian language entitled, The Heart of Man the Temple of the Lord, or the Devil's workshop. It is illustrated by plates exhibiting the progress of religion in the heart. It is we understand a well written and useful tract, and may with confidence be circulated amongst the Armenian community.

10. THE CAUSE OF CHRIST AT ALLAHABAD.

It affords us very great pleasure to announce that the friends of the Redeemer at Allahabad have determined to erect a place of worship at that station. This has long been a desideratum at this important station, and one which we know it has been the ardent desire of some resident there to effect, and having now obtained a settled ministry it is their anxious desire to rear a house fitted for the service of the Lord. The cost we understand will not exceed 4000 Company's rupees, and though the greatest economy will be exercised in raising the structure and every effort has been made to raise that sum at Allahabad, we are sorry to learn, although one individual has generously for himself and household subscribed 1000 Company's rupees towards the object, the sum requisite for the completion of the building, cannot be realized on the spot. We are confident the friends of Christ in India will aid their brethren at Allahabad in their laudable desire to rear a house for God, and it will afford us sincere pleasure to be the medium for forwarding any aid for this purpose to those interested in the business.

11. THE CALCUTTA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL BOOK SOCIETY.

In answer to several inquiries respecting the operations of the Christian School Book Society, we would observe the Society is progressing. At the last meeting of the Committee it was resolved to proceed at once to the compilation and printing of the most needed school books, and to adopt others already well known and in popular use by Christian schools; and also for the present, until the fullest information and the most approved works can be obtained from Europe and America, to adopt and recommend to Christian schools in India such books as may be best adapted for this country connected with the higher branches of education. A Sub-committee for carrying this object into effect has been appointed, and several gentlemen have engaged to undertake the compilation of the most needed works, with a view to the production of an uniform edition of school books from the lowest to the highest grades of instruction. We believe a list of the works adopted, or about to be printed, which are for the present recommended and can be obtained through the Society, will soon be in circulation. The Secretaries will be happy to receive any communications or suggestions on the subject from the friends of education throughout India.

12.-MISSIONS IN ORISSA.

To the Editors of the Calcutta Christian Observer.

GENTLEMEN,

In looking over the Supplement to the Calcutta Christian Observer for September 1839, I observed that in the account of the General Baptist Mission in Urissá, it is stated, that the principal stations in which the missionaries, Mr. Lacey, Mr. Sutton, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Stubbins, and Mr. Wilkinson and several native teachers, exert their influence, are Katak, Purí, Bálásor, Barhampur, and Midnápur. I beg to say that as far as Bálásor is concerned the above paragraph is a mistake, and as our friends in America will see that it contradicts the Reports we have given of Bálásor, I will just state that an American F. M. Baptist Mission was commenced at this place about two years since by Messrs. Phillips and Noyes*.

Urissá presents an extensive field which we fear will not be occupied for many years. On the south there is no missionary station nearer than Katak, about 100 miles; and on the north none nearer than Midnápur, 70 miles. The adjacent villages are numerous, and some are large enough for missionary stations. I might also remark that the country is bounded on the west by the Mohun Bunse, a country inhabited by Uriyas, Santals and Bhoeas. The Santals are a people who have no books, no images, no priests and no temples, and their worship, like that of the Coles, consists in sacrificing fowls, and at the same time invoking the sun which they hold to be the brightest emblem of the Deity. They have a language peculiar to themselves that materially differs from any other eastern dialect. The Bhúeas are much like the Santals, only their language is different, being the same as that used by the Coles at Sambulpur. Both of these classes are very numerous, and from what I have seen of them, I should suppose them promising subjects for missionary labour.

Since our residence here a chapel for English and Uriya preaching has been erected, and most of the Europeans attend English worship every Sabbath evening, also sit with us at the Lord's table.

We have a small boarding-school under the charge of a native convert, also schools of bazar children in our compounds, containing about 100 boys, who are taught the word of God and the elementary studies in their own language.

Several have been baptized, amongst whom was one very respectable and intelligent native of the Rajput caste. He was led to the Saviour about two months since through the instrumentality of bazar preaching. He brought with him a wife and four children, and we trust he will prove useful as a native preacher. We hope to have a re-inforcement before the close of the ensuing cold season, as we have received encouragement to that effect from our society. The harvest in Urissá is indeed great and labourers are few; hence may all our brethren join us in praying the Lord of the harvest to send forth many faithful labourers into this part of his heritage.

I understand the quantity of opium sold in this zilla is 71 seers per month, at the rate of 31 Rs. a seer. This is sold by Government to the native who will contract for the largest quantity. The habit of eating

*We regret that any error should have crept into the report, but we adopted it from a London periodical in a great measure, and were not in possession of data to correct, nor space to enlarge. We willingly insert the correction of our Correspondent.-ED.

Almost every

opium is growing upon the people to an alarming extent. man, woman and child are more or less addicted to it, and unless something is soon done to check the evil we shall not be able to find house servants ere long, and without pretending to any gift of prophecy we may venture to say Government will not find their revenue. Will not some of your correspondents discuss this subject and try to suggest some method for the destruction of the evil?"

13.-MOVEMENTS IN THE PARSÍ COMMUNITY AT BOMBAY.

We have lately been happy to observe amongst a large portion of the Pársí community, a right understanding of the late decision of the Supreme Court in the case of the converts to Christianity, as supporting the sacred interests both of civil and religious liberty, and as mitigating that tyranny which has been long exercised over ingenuous and liberal minds, by those who wish to see the chains of caste and superstition eternally rivetted on their countrymen. We have been sorry to learn, however, that there are still some persons of note, who wish, if possible, to put an end to the teaching of `Christianity to the natives, and who, with this view, are in no degree scrupulous about the use of the grossest misrepresentations which can be imagined. Our counsel to them, is, Beware. Let them take care, lest their ignorance or wilful violation of the first principles of law, lead to the total destruction of the honour which is now accorded to them both by their countrymen and Europeans. They ought to remember that the right to propagate religion, by doctrine and moral suasion, is an essential part of religious liberty, as well as the right to practise religion. They ought to see that it is philanthropy, and not selfishness, which leads Christians to desire their conversion, and to spend so much of their worldly substance, and mental energy, and spiritual anxiety for the accomplishment of the object. While they see no violence or deceit resorted to, to effect a change of faith, they should avoid the practice, or threat, or appearance of it, to secure a maintenance of present belief. While they scruple not themselves to decry the religion of the Bible, they should not object to others seeking to uphold it. While they extol the Vendidád to the skies, they should not complain when others examine its claims. They only betray the weakness of the cause of Zoroaster, when they shrink from comparing it with that of Christ.

We intend, as soon as possible, still more closely to review the native press than we have for some time done; and we shall take care that our criticisms go forth among the natives in a vernacular, as well as an English form.-Christian Spectator.

14. MR. POYNDER ON THE IDOLATRIES OF INDIA.

That indefatigable advocate of India's best interests Mr. Poynder never ceases to lay hold of any circumstance that can either nearly or remotely affect the subject at issue. The following is but another proof of his tact and zeal in the great and good cause.

"Mr. Poynder has published the following letter in a morning paper:

When Mr. Weeding, the East India proprietor, suggested, on Wednesday, that the offering made by the Governor General of India, in a heathen temple, was possibly made by the heathen Prince who took him there, he evinced his ignorance of what is constantly going on through