(weight) of lime juice would have prevented the fatality; for want of a knowledge of the remedy a man dies! "We have, in the above, treated the subject but slightly, yet are fearful our readers may think we have written too much already. We will therefore only add, in conclusion, that we had tested our prescriptions by previous experimental practising upon goats, &c. and that subsequently, many individuals who had been bitten by snakes, in following the same course, have been cured. It is therefore our design, at a convenient season, to discuss this subject more at length in a separate treatise. Meanwhile the hints thrown out may be serviceable." It will not escape the reader that this intelligent writer had readily detected the impostures of the race of snake-charmers who prey so largely upon an ignorant and superstitious people, sucking life to themselves by pretending to extract the poison of death from others. The gradual advance now making by the educated native population, towards disengaging themselves from the many trammels of an heri ditary superstition that has for ages operated so injuriously upon the civil and physical condition, as well as upon the moral and religious interests of the Hindus, is matter of sincere rejoicing. The tractate on snake-bite is a practical proof that the progress of inquiry will ere long extend itself into every department of useful art and science, as well as of policy, religion and domestic economy. CINSURENSIS. Missionary and Religious Entelligence. 1.-MISSIONARY AND ECCLESIASTICAL MOVEMENTS. Since our last the following movements have occurred in the Mission circle. The Rev. G. Parsons of the Baptist Mission has removed to Monghyr.-The Rev. J. Phillips of the same has proceeded to the Upper Provinces, for the purpose of establishing a Central Mission at one of its most important stations.-The Bishop has visited Krishnaghur, and baptized and confirmed some of the new converts. The foundation stone of a new Mission settlement was laid by his Lordship. He had expressed himself very much satisfied with the state of the converts.-The Pastor of the brethren of the Patna Mission has arrived in Calcutta, for the purpose of greeting a number of German brethren who have just arrived in Calcutta for the Mission at Patna.-The Rev. Dr. Hæberlin and lady have arrived at Bombay en route to Calcutta: they may be expected in all December.-Rev. R. DeRodt has left Calcutta on a long Missionary tour in the interior.-The Rev. H. Greenwood, H. C. Chaplain, died at the Bishop's palace, during the month, aged 55 years. 2.-NEW WORK ON FEMALE EDUCATION. We are happy to learn that a new and interesting work has just appeared on Female Education in India by Mrs. Priscilla Chapman, formerly of the Central School, Calcutta. We have not yet had an oppor tunity of perusing the work, but we doubt not that it is worthy the subject on which it treats, from the known zeal, talents and piety of the author. We shall take an early opportunity of noticing its contents. 3.-MALCOM ON MISSIONS. A new work on Eastern Missions has just appeared by the Rev. H. Malcom, the deputation from the Baptist Society in the United States. The work contains some interesting statements; but, as will be the case with persons travelling hastily through Mission fields and with pre-conceived notions of men and measures, it abounds with inaccuracies and incorrect impressions. We hope to notice it more at length in an early number. 4.-NEW WORKS ON THE MAHOMEDAN CONTROVERSY. The works which have been for some time past in preparation on the great subject of the christian faith in Persia by the Rev. G. Pffander of the Basle Mission, have at length been completed and are ready for distribution, and can be had at the Tract Depository. They merit an extensive and judicious circulation. The subjects treated of are the Divinity of Christ, the Trinity, Comparison between Christianity and Moslemism; Important scriptures, collated with a view to answer popular objections, and other important subjects. 5.-ARMENIAN TESTAMENT. A beautiful edition of the New Testament in Armenian, translated by the German Missionaries at Shushee, has just been carried through the Baptist Mission Press, by Rev. C. C. Aratoon. It is a beautiful specimen of typography, and will, we trust, be a great blessing to the Armenian community. 6.-GOVERNMENT CONNEXION WITH IDOLATRY. This important subject is likely soon to be brought to a satisfactory conclusion; the Bishop of London has mooted the question in the House of Lords, and obtained the object of his motion; viz. the production of official documents, correspondence, &c. &c. on the subject. Sir Chas. Forbes with a chivalry most remarkable, undertook to defend the native character which the Bishop of London, in the course of his speech, had stated was not of the most veracious order. Sir Charles must have been singularly fortunate in his circle, to have found as a general rule the natives of India as fully to be depended on in their testimony as the inhabitants of Britain. Perhaps, it is one of the most extraordinary signs of the times that a gentleman, who has lived in the midst of this people for many years, should declare them to be remarkable for their veracity. That there are honorable exceptions to the general rule we are ready to believe, and we rejoice in the fact; but we deem as a general rule that the natives of India are vastly addicted to deviate from truth. Happy indeed shall we be to find that we are deceived, not by flimsy and disputable statements, but by the evidence of our own senses and experience. 7.-OPIUM AND CHINA. In another part of our miscellany will be found a letter from our correspondent in China, containing a very severe rebuke to us for a strongly expressed opinion concerning the extinction of the Opium Trade. We can assure him that we regret as deeply as he can do, the existence in any form of this odious traffic; we relied upon the information of public documents and other highly respectable sources of information which did certainly go to prove that legally the trade was extinct, not from any meritorious act on the part of this Government, but owing to the prompt and efficient acts of the Chinese themselves. We feel obliged for the very accurate information which we have always received from SIWEL, and can assure him that his communications will ever be acceptable: the error he falls into is in not informing us more frequently. The trade is now, we think, except as carried on in the most determinedly contraband manner, checked. That the Chinese Government should suppress it at once and under present circumstances is as imposible as that they should be taught humility, but they have checked it. It would appear from our correspondent's letter, as well as from the public papers, that lives have been sacrificed and war commenced on account of this traffic, and yet with all this the Indian Government continue to grow, sell and export the drug surely this war against the laws of Heaven and China cannot continue to be waged with impunity much longer. May God interpose and save the nations from the horrors of war in such a cause. 8. SINGAPORE. We are truly thankful to observe any indications that the night of toil among the Malay inhabitants of the Straits is beginning to be succeeded by the morning of success. A letter from the Rev. A. Stronach (who has recently removed to Pinang) says, "There seems a spirit of inquiry excited among the Malays at Singapore. For a considerable time past from 8 to 14 of them have been regular in their attendance on Malay preaching on the Lord's-day morning; and the number is still increasing. One of these persons, formerly a Muhammadan, who had been employed in teaching our wives, and who, through the blessing of God on their conversations with him, has been led to serious considerations in regard to his salvation, and after having been further instructed by Mr. Keasberry, was lately baptized, thus having in the midst of his friends openly avowed his rejection of Muhammadanism and his reception of the religion of Christ." 9. THE BIBLE-TURKEY AND GREECE. Calcutta, Nov. 23rd, 1839. DEAR SIRS, J. WENGER. It is probably known to many of our readers, that during the last three years, the Greek church has uniformly opposed the distribution of the sacred scriptures. A proclamation vying in bitterness with the most bigoted bulls ever issued from Rome, was published in 1836, by the Patriarch of Constantinople, ordering both the clergy and the laity to collect and destroy all books distributed by Missionaries. As the Greek Bishops in Turkey possess great secular power, they were able to comply with these wicked injunctions to a very great extent; and besides a vast num ber of school-books, several hundred copies of the word of God were publicly delivered to the flames. But in the little kingdom of Greece, which now is independent both of the Sultan and the Patriarch, such violent proceedings would not be resorted to for any length of time, because the energy of the government soon put a stop to them; as, however, there exists in that country a numerous class of people, who, together with the majority of the clergy, are either attached to the old state of things in religion, or favourable to the political influence of Russia, whilst the enlightened part of the community entertain more liberal views both of religion and politics, a controversy has lately arisen, in which, among many other matters, the comparative authority of the Sacred Scriptures and of the Fathers is warmly discussed. One party, of which the eloquent Economos is the spokesman, firmly asserts the superior excellency of the Greek church over every other, and the duty of maintaining unaltered all her traditions and institutions. The other party, weaker as to power and numbers, but exercising a greater influence over the minds of the Greeks, is represented by Pharmakides, the secretary of the Synod, and by Professor Bambas, one of the very first scholars of modern Athens, who has for the last eight years been engaged in translating the Bible into the language now spoken by his countrymen. Several pamphlets have appeared on both sides of the question, which, although they contain much that is of a personal or political character, yet are highly interesting signs of intellectual vigour and (at least in the case of Professor Bambas) proofs of the existence of a warm and pure desire to enlighten the Greek nation on the all-prevailing subject of religion. These remarks seemed necessary for the proper introduction of the following short extract from a letter, written by the Rev. H. D. Leeves, agent of the B. and F. Bible Society, and dated Athens, June 3rd, 1839. "Our religious war continues. The Patriarch has issued new orders to burn and destroy all books, English and American. The Armenians have also become violent and persecuting in Turkey. All are now against the Missionaries in Turkey. But there is an under current. Here Economos has published his review of Bambas's last pamphlet. It discusses all the questions in dispute relative to the scriptures. He lauds other translations, but denies the necessity of making one into modern Greek ; he exalts the Septuagint as the standard, and likens the present masoretic Hebrew text to a clipt, worn out coin, which has lost its clearness and authority. Pharmakides is writing in reply, and so, they say, is Bambas. The former is determined to overwhelm his adversary, and expose him, as utterly inconsistent with himself, and unworthy of credit; which he has the means of doing." Your readers will be glad in addition to be informed, that for upwards of a year lectures on the Hebrew language have been delivered in the University of Athens. 10.-LETTER FROM THE DEPUTATION OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND TO THE JEWS IN PALESTINE. The following letter will, we are confident, be read with interest; it is from the deputation of the Assembly of the Church of Scotland to Palestine, dated Alexandria. My dear Sir, I write you from Alexandria, at which we arrived on Monday last, the 13th, in all safety and comfort. Hitherto our way has opened on us as we advanced, as if the Lord had been sending his angel before us to prepare a place. For not only are all of us well and our us. journeyings pleasant, but we have found kind friends to refresh and aid This has been the case here as much as any where. On our arrival we were informed that three cases, suspected to be plague, had occurred at Alexandria that very day. An announcement like this excites in Europeans no apprehension whatever in regard to personal danger; but it has the disagreeable effect of subjecting every individual who leaves the town after that date, to a quarantine of perhaps twenty days, ere he can enter any other city of another country. Accordingly, we were in great apprehensions of being delayed in our purpose of proceeding immediately to Palestine; but the kindness of the British Consul, Mr. Larkins, relieved us from this fear. He showed us the possibility of passing the frontier at El Arish, before the quarantine regulations could be established there, if we chose to set out without delay, and instead of visiting Cairo, take the route by Damietta. We did not hesitate to follow his suggestion; and in consequence, we start from this place to-morrow morning. We shall begin then to know by experience, the necessity of imitating the patriarchs, who, in their journeyings rose up early in the morning,' and got on their way. We carry our provisions with us, such as bread, rice, dates, and also tents, which we are to pitch every day before noon, resting for some hours, and then in the cool of the day travelling onwards some hours farther, till we pitch again for the night. Our proposed route is by Damietta to Gaza, thence eastward to Hebron, and so to Jerusalem. The journey to Gaza may occupy about twelve days. We have reason to hope that before we reach Jerusalem, the plague there may be so abated as to throw no obstacle in the way, not only of our entering the city, but also entering into intercourse with the Jews. But these are prospective movements, the issues of which are entirely in the hands of our God. We were reading Deut. viii. at our morning worship to-day; and the same God will put under us his everlasting arms, blessing those that seek to carry blessing to Israel. The "Mr. M'Cheyne wrote you a sketch of our way as far as Malta. associations of Malta are interesting in reference to the object of our mission, because the scene of some of the sufferings and trials, as well as labours of Paul, who, though a Hebrew of the Hebrews,' whose heart's desire was to see Israel saved, yet came to us Gentiles with the message of salvation. The Lord raise up some one from the Gentiles to be an Apostle to the Jews! At Malta we found there were very few resident Jews, and little known regarding these few. But several individuals gave us useful information; among others, an English clergyman, who, with his lady, had just returned from Palestine. From him we learned that the number of Jews in Palestine is much smaller than is generally asserted, and that they are wretched in the extreme. "On leaving this island, which we did on the 8th of May, we sailed over a calm and pleasant sea to Syra, one of the Greek islands, passing many places famous in history. At Syra, at which we touched for a few hours, we visited the excellent and interesting schools established by the Church Missionary Society for the native Greeks. There are about 600 boys and girls in attendance, instructed in useful knowledge and in the word of eternal life. We trust the Lord will prosper the labours of Mr. Kildner, and his fellow-labourers in this work. Before leaving the island we wrote to an individual in Corfu, to whom we had introductions, requesting full information as to the state of the Jews there. We had been informed that there were five thousand in that island. In Greece, generally, Jews are rarely found, because of the deep antipathy that has prevailed hitherto between them and the Greeks. Can there be any reference to this, as a seed of future events, in Zechariah ix. 12, Thy sons, O Zion, |