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OUR readers will have heard with extreme pain of the recent losses sustained by this Society and the public, in the death of both of the chaplains of Sierra Leone (Mr. Flood and Mr. Palmer) and three of the Society's benevolent agents in that colony, namely, Mr. Bunyer, a schoolmaster in Freetown; Mr. Schemel, a recently appointed missionary; and Mr. Johnson, whose name is familiar to every friend of Africa. The communications received by the Society respecting the last hours of all these individuals shew how cheerfully they suffered, and with what peace and joy they quitted their earthly labours for their never-ending reward; and gladly should we record them for the edification of our readers; but the length of the details obliges us to confine our notice to the case of Mr. Johnson, whose diligent labours, and the remarkable success with which it pleased God to crown them, have called forth great and well-deserved sympathy and regret for his loss from all who knew how to appreciate the worth of this truly apostolic missionary. He Mr. Johnson expired after embarking on his passage to Europe, with a view chiefly to arrange some domestic concerns. He was most anxious to return to Affica in September or October, that he might not lose any part of the dry season. embarked on the 26th of April, on board the Betsey and Ann, captain M'Clough. In this vessel, Mr. Düring and his family had returned from England: the captain who then commanded her died on the 1st of April. Mr. Johnson had in charge Mr. Düring's daughter-his only surviving child. A young native woman, one of Mr. Johnson's communicants, accompa nied them to take care of the child: and in the afflicting scene which soon followed, this native Christian administered to his comfort, and received his dying advice and his closing testimony for the faith of his Saviour. On Tuesday, the third day after they sailed, his sickness began. On Wednesday, the fever increased, and he thought his end was near. On Thursday, a blister was put on his chest, to relieve his pains; but he continued to grow worse. On Friday, he could not turn in bed: hiccough came on; and he said to his mourning convert, "I think I cannot live.' On Saturday, the day of his death, in the intervals of his delirium, he called for David Noah, his active and laborious assistant, and for his friend Mr. Düring, and endeavoured to tell them what he had to say before he died. He expressed his earnest wish to see his wife, who is in England; and encouraged his attendant, bidding her not to fear, and giving her directions how to proceed on her arrival in London. He then desired her to read to him the twenty-third Psalm: when she had read it, he said, "I am going to die: pray for me." He charged her to take especial care of Mr. Düring's little girl, and to desire the Society to send a good minister to Regent's Town as quickly as possible. He added-"If I am not able to go back, you must tell David Noah to do his duty; and if Noah say, 'Because Massa dead I can do nothing,' he must pray, and God will help him, and so we shall meet in heaven." His last intelligible words were "I cannot live! God calls me, and I shall go to him this night!" Thus died this eminent instrument of the Divine goodness to many hundreds of the once most degraded and wretched sons and daughters of Africa! His last thoughts were given to his beloved charge at Regent's Town. He had addressed a letter to them after his embarkation. The effect of this letter, and the state of the people, will be seen in an extract from a communication from Mr. Norman addressed to Mr. Johnson, and sent after him to England :— "The people behave well, and attend the means of grace as usual: we have not had a single palaver of any consequence since you left us. "Some had prophesied, that, as soon as you left us, the people would not be kept in order; but that they would prove that it was only the fear of you that influenced them but I rejoice in being certain, that it is those principles of our holy religion, which you have endeavoured to inculcate, : that keep them orderly and quiet: yes, it is that 'grace of God which bringeth salvation,' and which teaches your beloved people 'to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts,' and enables them to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this wicked world.' OnSaturday evening I read to them part of the letter which you wrote from the Betsey and Ann; in particular, that part which related to the children. They were much affected: and I am happy to add that your exhortation was not lost upon them; for we had, on the Monday after, a large increase in both schools." One of the last documents which reached England from Mr. Johnson, is his report at Lady-Day last, addressed to the Quarterly Meeting of Chaplains and Missionaries, of the state of the settlement which is now bereaved of his paternal vigilance and care. This report will afford a succinct view of the progress of the work which so entirely engaged his heart, and in which he was made an instrument of so much good. “Lady-Day, 1823. "Dear Brethren-Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ! "Again it has pleased the Lord our God to spare us to labour in his vineyard, and to prosper us in the work of love which he has given us to do. It is true, I have suffered and continue to suffer much from ophthalmia; but I trust that even this is among the 'all things that shall work together for good." "As respects Regent's Town, the work of the Lord is proceeding as before. Divine service has been regularly attended by the communicants and the other inhabitants. The schools continue to improve. We have had several additions to our congregation and the schools, by the arrival of slave vessels; and our population now amounts to upward of 2000 persons. The people behave quietly and orderly, so that we have very few palavers, indeed less than ever before. "I stated, in my last, that we had fifty candidates under trial and instruction, for the holy ordinance of baptism; one of them, a woman, has since died in the faith; and another, a man, has been excluded for improper conduct: the remaining fortyeight, will, if it please our gracious God, be baptized on Easter Sunday. "The youths in the seminary continue to walk worthy of the high vocation wherewith they are called.' They have made considerable progress in their studies, and promise well for future usefulness: indeed their conduct is such, that I think it my duty to notice it in the present report. "The number of scholars is as follows: Boys residing in the school house, 195 Boys residing with their parents... 56 Girls residing in the school house, 180 -251 -230 Men's evening school.....................551 27 Total scholars...... 1079 "There are 710 persons who can read. "The number of the communicants, with the addition of the 48 candidates mentioned above, will be about 450. "Our last anniversary of the Regent'sTown Branch Missionary Association was very interesting. The collection after the meeting amounted to 101. 6s. Old. "The new people receive half rice and half cocoa or cassada. Since October last, 7470 bushels of cassada and 1421 bushels of cocoa have been issued; and there is now enough in the people's farms to supply them with half rations throughout the year. "The new road to the sea is nearly completed. Some of the people have begun to trade in the country: one canoe has been purchased, and another hired for that purpose: one man has already delivered 2 tons and 16 bushels of rice. The fishery has commenced, and promises to become a permanent benefit to the town. "May the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the Triune and our Covenant Jehovah, be praised for His continual mercies toward us, in carrying on this glorious work! And may He be pleased to keep us humble at the foot of the Cross!" Mr. Norman remarks on this report"You will be much encouraged by Brother Johnson's last quarterly report. feel it my duty to add my testimony to it; for I am certain, after more than two years' close observation and constant intercourse with the people of this town, that much more than he has written might be said with truth." VISIT TO THE SYRIAN CHRIS I TIANS. A Field Officer of Cavalry has lately published a 66 Diary of a Tour through Southern India in 1821 and 1822," in which he gives an account of a visit to the Syrian Church, from which we extract the following interesting particulars. In the midst of much ignorance and declension, the Syrian Church, under the influence of British piety and benevolence, bids fair, by the blessing of God, to rise from its slumbers, and to become both a pure and a flourishing part of the great Christian community. May our prayers and diligent exertions be increasingly employed to produce this auspicious result! "After a five hours' sail and row, we came in sight of the several houses of the missionaries at Cotym, erected on some rising grounds, at no great distance from each other; and, soon after, we discovered an ancient church on our right hand, in a romantic situation among the trees, and slightly elevated above the valley, through which flows the stream that we were ascending. A little further to the left, and in the valley, was the Syrian college. "I landed about half a mile from Mr. Fenn's house, and proceeded toward it on foot; but, before I entered his grounds, he came himself to meet me, and gave me a Christian welcome. He, with Messrs. Bailey and Baker, are clergymen of the Church of England, sent out by its peculiar Missionary Society, to the Syrians of Malabar. I hope to pass nearly a fortnight in this very interesting country. "Feb. 20, 1821.-I accompanied Messrs. Fenn and Baker to the Syrian church, at the village of Cotym, where we found them employed in celebrating their religious rites; and preparing for a feast, in commemoration of an ancient bishop from Antioch, who, after having rendered them essential services, died, and was buried there. The feast, at least, was in imitation of better times; for it consisted in large quantities of rice and other food for all the poor who chose to come for it. "On arriving at the church, the Metropolitan, Mar Dionysius, received us in a small room leading into it, and serving as the habitation of one of its catanars. The Metran's appearance is pleasing and dignified, and his address good; he seems to be about forty, or forty-two years of agehas a fine countenance, (evidently not of Indian origin,) expressive of mild good sense; yet with a meek, subdued look, which instantaneouslybespeaks our natural sympathy and affection. He received me with kindness, shaking me by the hand: and I hope my manner expressed the respect which I felt for all that I had heard of his real worth. After a short conversation, we went up stairs into a gallery, which overlooked the interior of the church, and in which we found Alexandreas, one of the most respectable catanars, who almost immediately alluded to the great loss which the Syrians had sustained in the retirement of their revered protector, Colonel Munro, from public affairs. In the mean time, the people were assembling for Divine Worship. The performance of it very much resembled that of the Romish superstitions; but, toward the close, I was delighted to find that they read a portion of the New Testament, in Malayalim, the vernacular tongue of the Syrians, and the people appeared to listen with much attention. The church was small, but was completely filled. There were no images, but there were some wretched daubs of painting over the altar. From the communion table descended a few steps, on which candlesticks were placed; and on the centre of the uppermost step stood a wooden crucifix, the foot of which was concealed by a glory, apparently of solid silver. "All the missionaries and their ladies dined this evening with Mr. and Mrs. Fenn, and I was a delighted spectator of their mutual cordiality and Christian friendship. It seems, indeed, a peculiar blessing from the Almighty to this fallen church, that those whom, I hope without being presumptuous, we may venture to regard as sent to be His honoured instruments in restoring her to her pristine faith, should be all unquestionably pious men: surely it is an earnest that His blessing will attend their labours. "In order to prevent confusion, and increase their mutual efficiency, they have, at Mr. Fenn's suggestion, each taken a separate line of usefulness. Mr. Fenn superintends the college and its concerns; Mr. Baker, the schools; and Mr. Bailey translates, preaches, and visits the churches. By this excellent regulation, each becomes better master of the business in his own appointed line-no one interferes with another's pursuits and all things are conducted with unbroken harmony. their suggestions, acting on the gradually increasing light of his own mind. Some few ameliorations have been already effected; and, among them, one very important one-the marriage of a large body of the catanars. In these improvements, the Metran modestly declines any share of merit; openly attributing all to the friendly counsel of the missionaries, and acknowledging his own ignorance, and earnest desire of further light and instruction. He personally resides in the college; and, every evening, regularly questions the students as to what they have been learning during the day. "The Syrian Clergy seem to have all a great veneration for the name of Buchanan; though, for two or three years after he left them, they quite execrated his memory, in consequence of their hearing no news of their ancient and only complete copy of the Holy Scriptures in manuscript, which they permitted him to take away, under a promise of sending them the same book in print. Until the printed Scriptures arrived, they imagined he had been deceiving them; but when they had diligently compared them with the numerous fragments which they still possessed, and found them minutely exact copies, their joy and veneration far exceeded the abhorrence which they had lately expressed toward their benefactor. "Feb. 21, 1821.-Mr. Fenn conducted me, this morning, to the college. It is a handsome building for this country; and well adapted to its purpose. There are, at present, fourteen students, destined for the sacred ministry; besides a considerable number of boys, selected from the church schools, and sent here to finish their education. The whole is yet in its infancy, having been but fifteen months in action; but I have seldom seen a better promise of future success than it pre sents. "At Chenganoor, we found, on inquiry, that they had not yet established any school, assigning extreme poverty as the cause: however, after a little conversation, they consented to receive a schoolmaster; and twenty principal householders agreed to contribute each four chuckrams per month, as his salary. One will consequently be sent from Cotym, or from some other place. "Feb. 24, 1821.-We continued our trip up the river, as far as Covencherri. This church is beautifully situated among wild scenery of hills and woods, and is kept clean and neat. Inside was a wooden image of St. Thomas, the first which I had noticed among them; and, on remarking to the catanars how sorry I was to see it there, they told me that it had been formerly put there by the Roman Catholics, and had not been removed since; but, that as they did not put the slightest value on it, they would have it removed immediately. I learned afterwards that they were all superstitiously afraid of laying hands on it, for the purpose of removal; till one, bolder or wiser than the rest, shewed them the example. of the catanars called the attention of the people to a letter from the Metropolitan, forbidding a certain individual, who had been guilty of some offence, the entrance of any church for the present. It is, in fact, a temporary excommunication. "We staid here but a short time; and returned two miles down the stream to Maramanna, to breakfast. The banks of the river, and all the scenery between these two places, were truly romantic. The principal catanar of Maramanna is a very respectable man; much in the habit, we were told, of family prayer: and his nephew, also a catanar, and malpan (or Doctor of Divinity), is a young man of abilities, and esteemed among his countrymen. We had a good deal of conversation with him, in which he shewed good sense, and some knowledge of Scripture. He says he is very anxious to learn English, and means shortly to go to the college for that purpose. "We reached Mavelicari a little before dark. We are lodged in a gallery, over the west end of the church; and it is by no means an uncomfortable apartment. The people here, as at all the villages, received us in a body, with every demonstration of kindness, and expressions of gratitude for our visit. "Feb. 25, 1821.-We remained here to-day, to keep the Sabbath When the Syrian Divine Service of the day was over, in which, for the first time, the PRAYERS, as well as the portions of Scripture, were read in the Malayalim tongue, Mr. Bailey went through a part of the English Liturgy in the same language; and then preached a short sermon to them, on the ninth verse of the fourth chapter of the First Epistle of St. John. During the sermon, contrary to their usual custom, they were all attention, and crowded one upon another, in order to get nearer to the preacher. The catanars appeared particularly struck, as much with the novelty as with the interest of the scene; for this was the first sermon which they had ever heard, it not being the custom among them to preach. But Mr. Bailey has exhorted them to commence ; and I trust, in time, they will: as yet, most of them are too ignorant themselves of the Scripture to do so. "The men and women are always in separate parts of the church; but, with this exception, there is little decorum. Nevertheless, it was very remarkable how different the attention of the people was during the Malayalim prayers, from what they evinced during the few prayers which were yet recited in Syriac. The translation of our Liturgy into Malayalim is nearly completed. "Several of the Syrians called on Mr. Bailey in the afternoon: and one or two of them, entering on the subject of his sermon, recapitulated to him the whole scope of it; and observed, how much happier their brethren at Cotym were, who would have such frequent opportunities of hearing him preach. "Previous to quitting Mavelicari, we had much interesting conversation with the catanar who had read the prayers in Malayalim, on religious topics. "Feb. 28, 1821.-Munro island is a piece of ground, about eight miles N. E. from Quilon, given by the Rance of Travancore, for the support of the Syrian college; and the gift was one of the last public acts due to the influence of the benevolent Colonel Munro, by whose name the island is to be called in future, at the Ranee's own desire. "We could not leave Munro Island yesterday until past eleven, owing to the delays of our boatmen; and it took us nearly 24 hours to return to Cotym. In the afternoon, I went to visit Mr. Baker's school, which is evidently in good order, and well attended to; but has not yet been a sufficient time established, to produce any thing remarkable. Several of the boys, however, shewed marks of intelligence; and, above all, of willingness to learn. I was surprised to see two little girls among them, as that is quite a novelty in India. "March 1.-We dined with Mr. Bailey; and, in the evening, the Metropolitan came to us in state; which he had kindly consented to do, in order to afford me the gratification of seeing him in his pontifical robes. He wears a mitre on these occasions; and the pastoral crook, or crozier, is carried before him. The latter is of a very ancient form, having the top ornamented with gold, and the staff made of "Soon after the sermon was ended, one polished black wood, with a stripe of silver |