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PROSPECTS OF NATIVE FEMALE EDUCATION.

WE learn from the Bombay papers that a Parsee gentleman has confided his daughter to the care of a Christian lady for educational purposes. Such an act cannot be too highly applauded, and we do sincerely trust he will be but one of many who will avail themselves of the devoted zeal of the many educated Christian ladies who are prepared to afford to the higher orders of native females the benefits of an enlightened education. On this side of India we believe there is scarcely an instance of the kind: notwithstanding the advance of education amongst the male part of the community, we know of none who have yet had courage enough to commit the education of their daughters to the keeping of devoted, intelligent, and educated Christian ladies. The argument which has hitherto been employed to fence off more enlarged efforts in the

work of female education has been, Educate the men. The men are, at least many of them, educated; but what have they done, or what are they doing, for the education of the female portion of the community? We call upon our native contemporaries to move in this matter, to rise above the petty prejudices of their subscribers, and to endeavour to lead the way in this, one of the principal means for the reformation of India. Educate and elevate the females, and the men will necessarily and inevitably be raised to their proper position in society; but if you allow the women of India to remain ignorant and depressed, the men, be they ever so educated, must and will still grovel in the dust. May the example of the Parsee gentleman find many imitators in the Hindoo community throughout India!-Calcutta Christian Advocate.

MAY MEETING IN THE SAMOAS. (Extract of a letter from the Rev. Thomas Slatyer, Tutuila.) Deep impression produced by a Missionary

sermon.

MAY 26, 1842.-To-day we held our May
meeting. The whole island, so far as it is
"lotu," was convened on the occasion, at
Leone. We deferred commencing the meet-
ing for some little time, on account of the
heavy rains in the early morning. I made
arrangements previously with Teava, to hold
a meeting in the great house, with the mul-
titude that could not get into the chapel,
which was far too small, though 1,200 or
1,300 were crowded into it. The text from
which I preached was, "And I, if I be lifted
up, will draw all men unto me." A delight-
ful earnestness of attention was manifested;
marks of deep feeling were observable in
many; and the countenances of some of
the more devoted of the teachers seemed
to say,
"Here am I, send me to erect the
standard of his blessed Cross." To myself,
and I trust to all, it was a deeply interest-
ing occasion.

Offerings for the spread of the Gospel.

After the service the people dispersed; and, according to Samoan fashion, prepared and partook of their repast, during which several short speeches were made, referring chiefly to the subject on which their attention had been engaged. We now perceived that we could not do more to-day than collect the contributions, such being a work of time, and requiring to be done in an orderly manner. We now proceeded to the great house, to receive the offerings: the plan was for each village and town to come separately and in order; we receiving their parcels of arrow-root, and packing them on

one side to make room for the next. It was highly gratifying to see the families, consisting of old and young, down to quite little children, bringing their arrow-root to the treasury of the Lord. At length the multitude having brought their offerings, the church-members agreeably surprised us by approaching, each with his or her parcel of arrow-root, larger by half than the parcels generally brought; and, in addition, many of them bore baskets beautifully worked with siapo, and fine mats.

I was affected by the manner in which they offered these tributes of their gratitude, their countenances seeming to say, "Ah! Lord, what is this mite to thy infinite love?" The fact that they had so far exceeded others in their contributions, led me to think that they felt, that, having had much forgiven, they owed much. What would be the result, if the spontaneous plan of these poor Samoan Christians were universally acted upon by the Church, and the amount of contributions presented by all Christians united in church-fellowship, at least doubled that of those not in the church? Would not the result be a more speedy approach to the contemplated 100,0007.?

The collection of contributions having ended, I addressed a few words to the people. I could not but hope that this day, so encouraging to us all, might bear its share of influence, though but small, in advancing the object for which Jesus died and reigns above. The quantity of arrow-root collected was, on weighing, found to be 1,522 lbs.

Gratifying character of the public meeting. On the following morning we assembled at seven o'clock, to hold the public meeting; that is, a meeting for speeches. The chapel was, as the day before, densely crowded within, and, in addition, on every side without; all appeared deeply interested in the object of the meeting. After singing and prayer, I opened with a short address, pointing out the leading objects of our assembling together, and expressed my hope that the speakers, whoever they might be, would endeavour to stir us up in this glorious work. Our plan is not to appoint and announce speakers, but to leave it to those who may feel induced to stand up; but, though thus left open, none but persons of moral character and influence ventured to address the auditory. I can only generally say, the speeches were character

ised by great earnestness; some by no mean degree of thought; and occasionally deep feeling vented itself in tears on the utterance by some of the speakers of affecting sentiments, while the countenances of all bespoke deep interest in the proceedings of the morning. On the whole it was a most cheering meeting-felt so I believe by all. The speakers were eight in number, teachers and converted Chiefs mostly, and the meeting lasted about three hours, without any apparent diminution of interest. Afterwards the people dispersed to all parts of the island, having, I trust, been truly benefited by the services they had attended. Subsequently to the May meeting, we were favoured with seasons of more than usual solemnity, when the Word seemed to take a still deeper hold of the minds of the people.

.

DEATH OF THE NATIVE CHIEF MALIETOA.
(From Rev. C. Hardie, Savaii, Feb. 9, 1842.)

Natural character of the Chief. When we arrived at Samoa, in June, 1836, we found Malietoa and several of the members of his family at Sagana, on Upolu, living with the people of that place, who adhered to him as their Chief. He made Sagana his principal residence up to his last illness. But he frequently visited Sapapalii, and made short stays. These visits were more frequent and protracted during the early part of the mission. He was always very friendly towards us, and frequently loaded us with the most extravagant flattery. His love of power, and his desire to be and to appear great, were excessive. So far as mere talking is valuable, he would dispense his favours, and dispose of the property and services of others, in the most liberal and lordly manner. For instance, pointing to the boundary of his land, he would say to me, “All this land is yours-you may do with it as you please. If you want work done, you have only to tell the people to do it; if you want food, tell them to bring it; if you want fish, you have only to say the word, and they shall be brought." These things, I could easily perceive, were not at his disposal; and, while I thanked him for his good wishes and kind attentions, I gave him to understand that my desire in coming among them was not to obtain land, or exact unnecessary and unwilling labour from the people, but to live among them on terms of mutual kindness, and to labour for their present, but especially for their eternal good.

His temporary opposition to the Gospel.

As the word of God obtained influence

among the people, his visits were less frequent and protracted-evidently showing that his mind was disaffected to its spirituality and its claims. When his family in Sapapalii embraced the gospel, and made a decided stand against the wicked customs and practices of their former ignorance, he was exasperated, and used every means that either cunning or intimidation could devise, to bring them to compliance with his ambitious and wicked desires. But it was all in vain. They stood out manfully against what they were taught was fatally injurious to his and their own spiritual interests, and several instances of their patient endurance of mockery and threatening, and their opposition to the obscene and brutalizing practices of heathenism, might be furnished.

Serious impressions under affliction.

On

Malietoa regarded his last illness as a visitation from God on account of his sins, and mentioned particularly his evil-speaking against me, for he regarded me as the person who had influenced his family not to comply with his sinful wishes. His weakness increasing, and there being no hope of his recovery, he was brought, according to the custom of Samoa, from Sagana to Sapapalii, his own land, to die there. his arrival, I visited him. He was extremely weak. I spoke kindly but faithfully to him. He made little reply, for he was unable. Several times I gave him medicine, by which he partially recovered, and was able to go out a little. But his weakness ultimately increased, and he was confined to his bed, where I had frequent opportunities of conversing with him, and exhorting him, as a

great sinner, to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus.

Conduct in the prospect of death.

His brother Taimalelagi, and other church members belonging to his family, frequently conversed and prayed with him. He confessed he had been a great sinner, encouraged them to tell him wherein he was wrong, and said he wished to give up all evil, and seek salvation through Jesus. When he thought his end was approaching, he put away all his wives (of whom he then had four) except one, assembled his family, and distributed among them his titles and property. His family and adherents, and many others, came from all parts of Savaii, Manono, and Upolu, to visit him in his sickness, bringing presents with them. Excepting those who had embraced the gospel, they would all have crowded into the house of the dying Chief, and, as is the custom in Samoa, have filled his ears with vile speeches, and loaded him with fulsome and extravagant flattery, for the most part in order to obtain property either then or at his decease. This, however, was positively prohibited by his family and the leading persons of the land. Only one or two persons from each place were permitted to enter the house. These were either Chiefs or heads of families.

Death of the Chief.

A few days after this meeting, Talavau came to me in great haste, and said his father was dying. I hastened to his house, and found the aged Chief lying quite motionless, and breathing at long intervals, evidently quite insensible to all around him. I gazed upon him for a few moments, and then addressed his sorrowing family on the solemnity of death, and the necessity of a speedy preparation for it by repentance, and faith in the Son of God! I reminded them that their dying relative had requested me to dissuade them from following his evil example, and exhort them to attend to the word of God. All were solemnised, and some of them wept much. I then knelt down and prayed with them, but the ears of the aged Chief no more heard the voice of prayer and friendship-his hand no more returned affection's pressure-his eyes were closed to human sympathy-life gently stole away, imperceptibly and without a struggle. So ended the mortal life of Malietoa, on May 11, 1841. That he died a true penitent and believer in Jesus Christ, I can hardly believe. His case is with God, and there we leave it-to be revealed in another world.

Interment of the Chief according to Christian custom-Former mode of burial in Samoa. His mortal remains were put in a properly

made coffin, and respectfully interred on his own land in Sapapalii. A square of stones, twenty feet long, by ten feet broad, neatly built, and raised about three feet, marks the place. No heathen customs obtruded their wild, unhallowed, and revolting ceremonies on the solemnities of his sepulture. The dead was solemnly committed to his kindred dust, and the living were admonished and exhorted to prepare for the solemn change, which must leave them either in endless happiness, or woe. But for the gospel of Jesus, the body of the departed Chief would, immediately on his death, have been placed on a frame-work of wood, and two or three women with it, and carried through the different lands on the shoulders of the people; as the ungovernable multitude, shouting and wailing hideously, beating their heads with stones and clubs, or wildly brandishing their war-instruments, and hurling their spears, strove incessantly who should carry him. The body would have then been placed in a piece of scooped wood, and kept in the house till completely putrefied. There it would have been attended for many days by females compassionating the dead, and either abstaining from food altogether, or being fed by others-feeding themselves being a sacred prohibition.

It was also customary, on such occasions, for the different lands to divide into parties, and successively join in single combat with the root of the cocoa-nut tree, frequently inflicting serious injury on each other, and sometimes death. Another custom was, on the death of a Chief, for his family to collect property to be distributed among his adherents and others, who, in order to obtain it, lavished their lying and extravagant praises and blasphemous flatteries on the departed Chief-the whole affair being connected with many other great and glaring evils, inimical alike to the present and future happiness of the parties concerned.

But none of these things attended the death of Malietoa. The crowds who came from different parts on the occasion did all they could to oppose the gospel, and to induce its converts to compliance with former heathen customs, but they departed completely disappointed, and sufficiently angry with the gospel and the missionary. Some of the most persevering opposers, however, were heard to say, "It is no use to oppose the word of God any more, for it has triumphed; and we, who have hitherto raised our proud heads like the towering cocoa-nut tree on the beach, but whose roots are incessantly being loosened by the waves till it falls prostrate, will also be brought down by the power of God." Indeed the influence of this firm stand made by the church and people here in favour of the gospel, has been very beneficial, salutary,

and extensive. These facts may serve to show some of the evils of heathenism which stand in the way of the gospel, and

also something of the temptations, difficulties, and opposition with which converts have still to contend.

SOUTH AFRICA.

STATE AND PROGRESS OF THE KURUMAN MISSION.
(From Rev. David Livingston, July 18, 1842.

General estimate of the work.
A PERIOD of twelve months has nearly
elapsed since my arrival in the country of
the Bechuanas; and though, during that
time, ample opportunities have been afforded
me for ascertaining the real state of this
Mission, I have not until now felt it my
duty to make any definite statement to the
Directors respecting the amount of good
which, by the Divine blessing on the de-
voted labours of the Missionaries, has been
effected among the Bechuanas.

Until lately, too, I was not fully aware of the proper point from which to view the improvement which has taken place. We must not only be conversant with the present condition of the Bechuana converts, .but we must be intimately acquainted with other tribes sunk low in the same depths of degradation from which the former have been raised, before we can appreciate the magnitude of the change. On my arrival from England, the condition of the converts presented to me many features of pleasing interest. But not until after I had visited the tribes in the interior-the facsimiles of what these converts were-was I able to see, in all their greatness, the wonderful works of the Lord. The contrast between their former and present state is most striking, and it forces on my mind with greater power than ever the conviction, that the Gospel has lost none of its pristine efficacy. It is still, thanks be to the Lord! the power of God unto salvation; and the evidences of that power which I am now witnessing, will, I believe, make me cherish higher ideas than ever of the efficacy of the instrument with which we are intrusted for turning the nations to God.

Extent and growth of spiritual religion. The number of those who give good evidence of a decided change of heart, when compared with the amount of population on the station, is very great; and we are delighted to behold, from time to time, large additions made to it; including many whom we scarcely expected to see made trophies of grace. These accessions comprise not only the young and vigorous; but the old and grey-headed, whose hearts had been subjected to a long course of induration, have also come forward professing their determination to devote

even their eleventh hour to the service of Him who died for them. The Lord is, indeed, doing great things amongst us, and our hearts rejoice in the works of His hands. I can the more freely bear testimony to the mighty effects which have followed and do still follow the faithful labours of my elder brethren in this place, as my instrumentality has in no way contributed to the result; and, from my knowledge of the character of Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Edwards, I believe, in their communication to the Directors, they must always have kept considerably within what they might have said of the progress of the cause of Christ through their instrumentality.

Actual and probable results of infant education.

One of the most pleasant features of the Mission is the progress made by the children in the infant school, under Mrs. Edwards. Formed and carried on from its commencement almost entirely by herself, it shows what an amount of influence may be exerted over a country by the devotedness of a single individual. The parents form a great contrast with their fellowcountrymen still in darkness, and it is nearly as great between them and their children. Indeed the intelligent expression of countenance visible even to strangers, and their amount of knowledge, would almost lead one to fancy they belonged to another species; and I have no hesitation in asserting that, if the efficient tuition of their instructress is continued to them, there will be as much difference between the intellectual developement of children and parents, as we see between the physical developement of our agricultural and town population in England. I look to the infant-school with peculiar satisfaction, for it furnishes me with the hope that many with hearts embued by piety, and minds capable of being stored with knowledge, will spring up from it, and go forth to make known in distant regions the unsearchable riches of Christ.

It is with much pleasure I thus bear my humble testimony to the efficiency of the brethren who have preceded me in this part of the Missionary field, and while I magnify the grace manifested both in and through them, I pray to be enabled to walk

with humility and zeal in their footsteps. May the same power which supported them, ever uphold and cause me to be faithful! Growth of the church in Christian graces.

The church is in a most flourishing condition, and though there are still some points in the character of the converts which require the exercise of charity and forbearance in us, a visible improvement is going on. It is not a stand-still church. It is making progress against the world, and, in several instances, the truth has be

gun to prevail over their selfish national character. Of this I have had a cheering illustration in the conduct, upon a late occasion, of the person who guided my wagon into the interior on one of my journeys, for when I paid him eighteen dollars as wages, he immediately laid down twelve of them as his subscription to the Auxiliary Missionary Society. May the Holy Spirit be poured out on us more abundantly, so that the spirit of benevolence may be increased, and all the dark places of the interior may soon feel its blessed effects!

MISSIONARY LABOURS IN THE BECHUANA COUNTRY.

(From Rev. D. Livingston,

Singular situation of a native town. AFTER leaving the Bamangwato, I proceeded on a visit to the Bakaa tribe. These people live on a very high range of dark coloured, naked basaltic rocks, which lie close upon the right nearly the whole way from the Bamangwato. When we arrived opposite the part where the villages are built, we turned suddenly round, and began to ascend by a narrow ravine, or rather cleft in the rock, down which there rushes a large stream of water. By this path we attain an elevation of three or four hundred feet above the valley, and enter a flat area covered with trees; bare rocks rising up perpendicularly on all sides, except at the narrow doorway by which we enter. Directly in front, the rocks rise nearly 700 feet high; and on the top of them we now perceive, perched like eagles' nests, the little huts of the Bakaa. We began to climb aloft towards them, and frequently looked upward, expecting every moment to see a crowd of natives gazing down upon us, and waiting our arrival. But we ascended in silence, and when on the top, although so near the houses, we gazed around on the strange scene, with no one to disturb our emotions. Conscience was at work amongst the people, as I shall presently explain.

Security of the tribe against external

danger.

We found that the curious and deep basin, from which we had ascended, was but one of a great number all similarly formed: some were as large as Finsbury Circus, others of smaller dimensions; and the rocks, as a whole, presented the most singular appearance I ever beheld, strongly resembling the pews of a church on a gigantic scale. They are rent and split in every direction, and their sides are covered by huge angular blocks which have slipped down only a short distance from the places

Kuruman, July 3, 1842.)

whence they had been detached. In rolling, or rather sliding downwards, they have impinged, in some places, on each other and the rocks below, where considerable rents run into the body of the rock; thus forming considerable cavities, which are used by the Bakaa as retreats when in danger from their enemies.

The cavern that I entered, received, on one occasion, nearly all the inhabitants of a village, and the powerful Chief Masilikatsi was completely foiled in his attempts to destroy them. None of his people could gain admission, for the entrance has to be performed in a crawling attitude, and when once in, a dozen men could stand and defend the passage against the ingress of one individual, and he so situated. The attempts of the enemy to suffocate them were also in vain, for the rents in the rock are so numerous, that the Bakaa breathed with freedom notwithstanding the smoke.

Power of conscience among the heathen.

These people have a bad name among all the other tribes, and I believe they fully deserve it; for a few years ago, it is said, they destroyed, by poisoning both his water and food, the second white man that ever visited them. He was a trader, and when he, with two of his people, fell victims to the treachery of the Bakaa, a fourth still lingered under the effects of the poison; but they put a leathern thong round his neck and finished him. They burned the wagons for the sake of the iron-work, and devoured the oxen.

As I happened to be the first European who had visited them since this deed of darkness, their consciences loudly accused them; and when I came into the town, the whole of them fled my presence, except the Chief and two attendants. These were in the usual place of meeting, and in their faces they had evident signs of perturbation, such as I never saw in black countenances

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