GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE PRESENT STATE OF THE MISSIONS SUPPORTED BY THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY. OTABEITE. The attention of the Society was first directed to this and other islands of the great Pacific Ocean. Their first Missionaries, about twenty in number, landed at Otaheite March 6, 1797. Additional Missionaries have since been sent. The great difficulties which attend the conveyance of needful supplies to this very distant island, and the want of a regular correspondence with the Missionaries, have subjected them to much disappointment, and to many painful privations. They have, nevertheless, persevered in the instruction of the natives; and their endeavours to instruct the children and youth are promising. The commercial intercourse between Otaheile and New South Wales is increasing, and it is hoped that additional facilities will be afforded for more frequent communications with the Missionaries: and that opportunities will be presented for their visiting other islands. Some of the Caffres also who frequently visit Bethelsdorp, discover an increasing wish for religious instruction, and ask, why they are so neglected? The reason is, that the Missionaries are not yet allowed by the gorerument of the colony to extend their labours to that country. Dr. Vander Kemp, within the last three years, has purchased the liberty of seven persons, at the expense of eight hundred pounds or more of his own private property. Orange River. This station is occupied by Messrs. Anderson, Kramer, and Janz; they civilize the people by teaching them to build houses and cultivate the land; by preaching the gospel, teaching them to read, and catechising them: they have met with considerable success. Seventeen persons have been baptized; and the Lord's supper was administered, for the first time in that wilderness, on Christmas-day, 1807. The natives have suffered much from the small-pox, but the introduction of the vaccine inoculation has stopped its progress, and promises to eradicate that destructive disease. Namaquas.-The very remote situation of the Namaquas, admits but rarely of intercourse with the Cape; but, it appears that this Mission was going on well, and that there were prospects of much usefulness. Graaf Reinet.-Mr. Kicherer, who was obliged to abandon the promising station at Zak River, on account of the sterility of the country, has accepted the pastoral charge of the Dutch church at Graaf Reinet, where he preaches to Christians, and to numerous Heathen who reside at that płace, or resort to it. ASIA. Vizagapatam.-The Missionaries, Cran and Desgranges, are diligently employed in the instruction of the Heathen in the Gospel. They have made a considerable progress in the Telinga language, and have begun to translate the Evangelists into it: they have also printed and circulated short catechisms, and other tracts, for the natives, in which they are now assisted by Anandarayer, (a Bramin,) who has been, in a very remarkable manner, converted. They preach every Lord's-day, in the Fort, to the Europeans; and superintend some large schools which they have raised of native children. Tinevelly. Mr. Ringeltaube is constantly engaged in visiting the small congregations of native professing Christians, scattered over a large tract of country; he also embraces every opportunity of instructing the Heathen. Negapatam.-Mr. Vos, who was driven from Ceylon, has accepted of an appointment to the Dutch church at Negapatam. In this godas, and five Mahometan mosques. great city there are seventy-five Heathen pa Students, Mr. Pritchett and Mr. Brain, have Birman Empire.-Two of the Misssionary lately been sent with a view of occupying an important station in the great and populous Hands, accompanies them to India, designed country of the Birmans.--Another, Mr. to commence a Mission at Seringapatam. Ceylon. The Missionaries, Errhardt and Palm, (together with Mr. Read, who was an assistant to Mr. Vos,) continue their exertions in this island. China. Mr. Morrison arrived at the place of his destination in September, 1807, when he immediately entered, with the greatest alacrity, on the Herculean task of acquiring the Chinese language; in which he had made a considerable progress in England. MISSION TO THE JEWS. For several years past, the Society, have used their endeavours to awaken the attention of this people to the Gospel. Their chief instrument in this attempt was Mr. Frey, a converted Jew from Germany, who, after spending several years in their seminary at Gosport, was supported by the Society, in Tobago. Mr. Elliot has obtained permission to preach to the negroes on many of the estates, and numbers of them have discovered the greatest readiness to receive instruction. Demarara. To this populous colony, the Society was invited to send a Missionary, by Mr. Post, a planter, of Dutch extraction, settled on the estate cailed Le Resouvenir. Mr. Wray commenced his labours among the negroes, and others, Feb. 1803, with an uncommon degree of encouragement. The number of slaves who attend from surrounding places continually increasing, it was soon found necessary to build a chapel for their accommodation. This was quickly effected by the zeal, and, in great part, at the expence, of Mr. Post, whose generous exertions in favour of the cause have cost him, in little more than a year, nearly a thousand pounds-several Europeans, and persons of colour, have likewise contributed. Many gentlemen who were at first adverse to the instruction of the slaves, with the managers of several estates, have borne a solemn testimony, in writing, to the happy change that has taken place in the morals of the slaves, and especially in their attention to their work; so that the coercion of the whip was rendered needless. Twenty adults had been baptized, after due instruction and satisfactory evidence of the influence of truth for their conduct; and several more were in a state of preparation. Receipts and Disbursements, from May 1, 1808, to May 1, 1809. FIFTH REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. The Bible Society at Basle, dated October 1808; expresses the most cordial and grateful thanks, for assistance in promoting an edition of the German Bible by standing types. The New Testament, which, some months before, had issued from the press, had received the fullest approbation of these to whom it had been sent. The Old Testament would be completed by the end of the year; demands for this Bible were numerous. A company of active Christians in Basie had determined to print an edition of the New Testament, for the Grison Mountaineers, who have a peculiar dialect; to be gratuitously distributed, or sold at a very chcap rate. Former editions of the New Testament have become so scarce among them, that a copy is rarely to be procured, and only ata very exorbitant price:Secondly, they had supplied the Protestants in different parts of the interior of France with a considerable number of French Bibles at reduced prices, and the returns of such sale had enabled the Basle Society to undertake a new edition of the New Testament in French. A set of stereo-type plates, now preparing in England, intended for the use of the Society at Basle, will materially assist in the design. The rapid circulation of the Bohemian Bible at Berlin, has greatly exceeded the expectations of the Bible Society at Berlin. It was finished only at Michaelmas, 1807: and, although the Prostestant Congregations using that language, in Bohemia and Silesia, da not exceed fifty, the whole edition of 3000 copies (92 only excepted) had been sold, or gratuitously distributed, within a period of fif teen months. The Committee, has assisted an edition of the Polish Bible, by three successive donations, amounting in the whole to £800. The Society at Berlin, encouraged by this liberal grant, determined to increase their impression from 5,000 to 8,000 copies of the Polish Bible entire, and 2,000 extra New Testaments. A new Association is formed at Stockholm, under the sanction of the King and Privy Council, with the designation of the " Evan gelical Society." The object of this Insti tution is twofold-the circulation of the Scriptures, and the distribution of Religious Tracts; each object will have its separate fund. Various parts of Sweden, were in great want of Bibles: but from the pressure of the times, and the impoverished state of the country, they could not entertain the smallest expectation of procuring, for some years, the requisite types, the Committee have been induced to grant £300, in aid of the fund, for the purpose of printing the Swedish Bible on standing types. The Ministers of the United Brethren at Sarepta, encouraged by the grant of 600 rubles, and a promise of further assistance, had commenced the Translation of St. Matthew's Gospel into the Kalmuc language. A Bible Society has been formed in Philadelphta, for the purpose of distributing the Scriptures in Pennsylvania, and, in those portions of the States of Jersey and Delaware which are contiguous to Pensylvania;" with an ulterior view of producing similar establishments throughout the several States in the American Union. A donation of £200 has been made to it. In support of such works, the Committee has resolved to appropriate for three successive years, an annual sum of £1,000.- 500 English Bibles and 1,000 English Testaments, consigned to India, had proved most seasonable. A further supply of English Bibles and Testaments is determined on. Editions of the New Testament in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, have been published. Others in Dutch, Danish, and modern Greek, are in the press. With respect to the edition of the New Testament in modern Greek, the prospect of an extensive circulation of it is very encourag ing, particularly among the Greeks dispersed throughout the Turkish Empire, and a large population of the same people at Smyrna, amounting to fifty or sixty thousand families, amongst whom scarcely a single copy of the New Testament was to be found. This work will have the advantage of a correspondent original Text in parallel columns. Measures are taken for printing in the north of Sweden, 5,000 copies of the New Testament in the Lapland language. A number of Bibles and Testaments for the use of the German Colonies on the Wolga, have been distributed, and received with joy and gratitude. A further supply has been required. The types and paper presented by the Society to the Missionaries at Karass, for an edition of the Scriptures in Turkish, have escaped the casualties to which they were so peculiarly exposed, and have also reached the place of their destination. Copies of the Scriptures, have been sent for sale, or gratuitous distribution, as might be expedient, to the East Indies; to the Coast of the Mediterranean; to Quebec, Halifax, and Prince Edward's Island, in North America to the West Indies and Spanish Main; to Gibraltar; to the Cape of Good Hope; to Madeira; and to Stockholm. Another very considerable edition of the Weish. Testament has been printed at the expense of the Society. Several copies, both of the Bible and New Testament, in English, have been sent to the Isle of Man, for sale at the reduced prices. The Naval and Military Bible Society has been accommodated with copies of the ScripThe accidental arrival of a Spanish frigate, tures at the cost prices, to a very considerable during the course of last year, afforded a grati- amount. Large supplies have also been furfying proof, of the disposition of the Span-nished on similar terms, to the Hibernian iards to receive copies of the New Testament. Bible Society, the Cork Bible Society, and The earnestness with which the men of the the Wigan Bible Society. ship solicited copies, the joy expressed by their Countenances and actions in receiving them, and their immediate application to the perusal of them, afforded unequivocal demonstra tion of the high value which they set upon the gift. Several of the officers of the ship, and about 300 of the men, were present at The zealous and effectual manner in which the Bible Society at Reading has been constituted, the distinguished patronage which it has obtained, (the Bishop of Salisbury, one of the Vice Presidents, having accepted the Presidency of it ;) and finally, the liberality and union so unanimously manifested in its . support, entitle its promoters and contributors to the respect and gratitude of the parent institution. Another Auxiliary Institution is formed at Nottingham, under the designation of " the Bible Society of Nottingham and its Vicinity." THE GATHERER. I am but a Gatherer and Disposer of other Men's The several Congregations in the connexion of the late Rev. J. Wesley, are entitled, I. to the acknowledgments of the Society, for various collections, amounting in the whole to £1278. 16s. Old-presented, in their names, by the Rev. Dr. Adam Clarke.--The sum of £1,000. three per cent. Consol. Ann. has been transferred into the names of the Trustees of the British and Foreign Bible Society, being a Donation from Mrs. Aun Scott, relict of the late Rev. Jonathan Scott, of Matlock. No. XI. Revenue of William the Conqueror. The settled and regular revenue of William of Normandy, exclusive of presents, fines, and various contingencies, amounted to one thousand sixty pounds sterling, thirty shillings and three half-pence a day.This is an im mense revenue, for the pound sterling in the Conqueror's reign was a pound weight of silver, and therefore contained more than three times as much silver as a pound sterling at this day, therefore the suni here mentioned, of 10601. 30s. 1d. or 10611. 10s. 14 must have contained more silver than 3184!. 109. 41d. or, in round numbers, 31851. sterling, contain at this day. Therefore the king's revenue for the whole year must have been, 365 times 31851. or, 1,162,5251. sterling of our present money. And, if we suppose the value of money at that time to have been only about 20 times as great as it is in the present period, so that an ounce of silver would have bought only twenty times as much bread. or corn, or meat, as it will at this day (which I take to be a very reasonable and moderate supposition, and rather under than over the true difference of the value of money then and now), this revenue will have been equivalent 23,250,5001. a year at this day. Our author to a revenue of 20 times 1,162,525, or, tells us that this revenue was the regular, fixyear, till otherwise ordered. The Rev. Pres-ed, or permanent revenue of king William, bytery at Paisley have also unanimously appointed a Collection to be made for the same object, within the bounds of their extensive Presbytery. Upwards of £700, have been received from the Presbytery of Glasgow,-A Society instituted at Greenock, for the professed object of circulating the Holy Scriptures in places where they are most wanted, and for assisting other Societies who have the same views, has presented a donation of fifty guineas.-A fourth donation of £90 has been received from the Association established in London for aiding the funds of our Institution. The Rev. the Presbytery of Glasgow, after solemn deliberation, unanimously appointed an annual Collection to be made at all the Churches and Chapels within their bounds, on or before the last Sabbath of July each The annual loss on books supplied by the Society at reduced prices, which has been unavoidably increased in consequence of the enhanced value of paper, cannot be estimated at less than £1000. arising from his settled rents in England, er justis reditibus, and was exclusive of the presents made to him on various occasions, and the fines paid him by criminals, as compositions or commutations for the punishments of their crimes, reatuum redemptioni bus (which in those times were very numerous and very great, and must have produced a very great sum of money), and various other contingent profits which contributed to fill the royal treasury. If this account is true, LONDON SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRIS. King William must have enjoyed a revenue TIANITY AMONG THE JEWS. equivalent to twenty-seven or twenty-eight millions of pounds sterling per annum at this The sum collected at the religious services day. This seems to be hardly credible; and in behalf of this society, on May 22, was yet from the minute exactness with which £170. 2s. 1d. This society has lately ad- the author states the permanent part of the vertised a premium of thirty guineas, as an king's revenue to be 10611. 10s. 11. per diem, inducement to literary men for the best refu- one would be apt to think he spoke from some tation of the late Mr. David Levi's "Dis-known and approved account of it.—Baren sertations on the Prophecies "-to be produced Maseres. within the course of the year 1809. It is their intention that it be submitted to men eminent in literature before publication. We understand that they have several other instructive works in contemplation. For further particulars on the relative value of money, and English coin, compare Panorama, Vol. IV. p. 332. *Ordericus Vitalis. Alfred the Great's Winchester Record-the original Doomsday-Book. It was in the fourth or fifth year of the Conqueror's reign that the famous survey of the kingdom which is contained in Doomsday book was begun to be made. King Alfred, about two hundred years before this, had also caused a general survey of all England to be made, and a record of it in writing to be kept at Winchester, which was the chief town of the kingdom of Wessex, to which Alfred had succeeded by an hereditary succession of long standing, and which was the most powerful and distinguished of all the seven kingdoms into which England had, till some few years before that time, been divided. This roll or record, made by King Alfred, obtained the name of the Winchester Roll, from the place in which it was deposited: and it contained a description of the kingdom according to the districts into which King Alfred had caused it to be divided for the better Government of it, and preservation of the peace throughout it, to wit, counties, hundreds, and tythings; but it did not contain an account of the several quantities of land possessed by the several tenants of the crown, or principal land-holders of the kingdom, as the record made afterwards by King William did. This last record was likewise called by King William the Winchester Roll, on account of its resemblance to the former roll, which had been made by King Alfred, and had been called by that name. But, by reason of its great extent and minuteness, in setting down the quantities of every man's land, with the different kinds of it, whether arable or pasture, or woodland, &c. and of its great importance in ascertaining and determining men's claims, this latter record obtained among the English the significant name of Doomsday-Book, as being (as I understand the author to mean) of the same importance in settling the claims of all men in the kingdom, the great and rich as well as the poor, to their possessions in this world, as the final judgment of mankind at the last day will be in determining their future condition of happiness or misery in the other world. It appears likewise by this passage of Ingulphus, that this survey of the kingdom made by King William's order, was made from the accounts given by select persons in every district, who were called to gether by the king's commissioners, and required to inform them (probably upon oath, like jurymen upon inquisitions of various kinds of all the particulars that were to be recorded; and we likewise are told that these spective districts, but sometimes represented them as less, both in the rents or profits arising from them, and in the extent of ground they consisted of, than they really were.Baron Maseres. Rapid Growth of Carrots, by Order of St. Sylvester. The Gatherer takes the liberty of calling the attention of our British agriculturists, to a principle which seems hitherto to have escaped their attention; that of causing vegetables to grow with unusual celerity, as well as to admirable flavour and perfection. As it is possible that this suggestion may raise the wonder of some, and perhaps stagger the belief of others, he begs leave to submit an example in which the undertaking was crowned with success. In fact the secret consists in procuring seed of the requisite properties, and in knowing how to commence the operation: for, as has been wisely observed, dans telles affaires c'est le premier pas qui coûte. A traveller in Italy gives the following instance of the fact. Speaking of the Abbey of Bernadine, on the top of Mount Soracte, or St. Sylvester, near Rome, he says: "One of the Monks led me into a small garden, which he told me was the place, whither S. Sylvester retired himself, during the persecution, which afflicted the church in his time, and that there he wrought that great miracle, whereof mention is made in his life, viz that some of the emperour's men being come to look for him, the Saint had a desire to entertain them; but having nothing wherewith, he sent a deacon that served him, to sow some carrots in the garden; and having about an hour after ordered some of them to be taken up for dinner, his men went in a way of mockery and derision to him, but were extremely surprized, when being come at the place where the carrot seed had been sowed, they found very fair and large carrots, of an admirable good taste, and which served for a dinner to his guests. The Monk told me, that this miracle had in some sort been continued ever since; for that the carrots, that were sown in that garden, retain an extraordinary pleasant taste. Upon his telling me so, I made bold to pick up one of them out of the ground, and having scraped it with my knife, I tasted it, by way of devotion; but finding it of a very flat taste; I threw it away. Hold, Sir, said the Religious, they are not to be caten so, they must be boiled, and drest with good oil, or good lutter, and good spices. We have a cook that knows how to dress them admirably well." Some of these roots thus dressed, were served to our traveller at his dinner, and he speaks of their cookery in terms of the hignest approbation. |