ON THE QUEEN SENDING A BIBLE TO THE KING OF THERE was many a gift for the new-made king, There was many a rare and precious thing, There were costly robes, there were jewels sheen, But a gift that was sent by England's Queen It is pleasant to see the rich things of earth, And man hath wrought works of priceless worth, One thing alone to the human heart One thing alone can peace impart 'Tis the word of the King of kings. Of thy actions good and kind; In mansion fine and humble cot, Has prayer been made for thee. We feel that Victoria's name is praised Thou hast touched a chord of loyal love They shall bless their own good king, And eyes that are moist with feeling's tears, Where, in thine own hand, thy name appears, ww THE DAKOTAS. A LETTER from Dr. Williamson, dated Traverse-des-Sioux, September 8, gives the particulars of his escape, with his family, from the scenes of plunder and massacre, having been warned, guarded, and aided, by the Christian Indians. He remained at his house until he feared that he was seriously endangering these friends, as well as his own life, by so doing, and then left, Tuesday night, August 19. He indignantly repels the charge that the Christian Indians were helpers, and even leaders, in the uprising. Nothing, he says, could be farther from the truth. "Near the Upper Agency, where the Mission had most influence, as yet it is not known that more than one man was killed, and he when attempting to shoot the Indians. More than one hundred are known to have escaped 24 A CONTRAST. FEB. unhurt, all through the aid of Christian Indians." He mentions the murder of Mr. A. W. Huggins, at his own house, near Lac-qui-Parle, by an Indian from another village. Mr. Huggins was the son of a former member of the Mission, had been a teacher under Government for several years, was a good man, had the welfare of the Indians much at heart, and would have been protected by his neighbours, but they were from Mr. Riggs wrote from Fort Ridgely, September 10 (where he was as chaplain, with the military force)" Messengers from Yellow Medicine report all the Mission buildings burned except the Hazelwood church-spared at the solicitation of our people." It is supposed, he says, that the Indians have between one and two hundred prisoners, "most of whom are treated pretty well, but they are watched." A CONTRAST. IN June 1857, a British force of nearly 2000 men, European and native, besides civilians, women and children, were shut up in the Residency at Lucknow, while the city around was filled with masses of armed insurgents, eager for their destruction, and resolved, if possible, on compassing it; and there they had to stand at bay, until relieved by Havelock's little force on September 25th. But though this had been happily accomplished, still the united body was not strong enough to leave the Residency and commence a march towards Cawnpore. The siege, therefore, was turned into a blockade, until November 16th, when Lord Clyde, driving away the masses of the enemy, extricated the beleaguered force, and, retiring to Cawnpore, evacuated for a season the Province of Oude. It was a disheartening moment when the old veterans, in the silence of midnight, withdrew stealthily from the houses and barricades where, for some months, they had been, by God's mercy, so wonderfully preserved from the wrath of a fierce and powerful enemy. Let us look into Lucknow as it is now. War has ceased. British power is once more established there; and so thoroughly changed is the condition of affairs in little more than four years, that there is not in India a more loyal province. Christian Missionaries are there peacefully pursuing their labours. Nor is there any part of India where they meet with so many and respectful hearers. "There is a peculiar feature in bazaar preaching here," writes one of our Missionaries, "which one does not meet with elsewhere, namely, the attention daily given by crowds of people to the preaching of the Gospel. We have more especially two preaching-places, where several persons assemble before we come, who wait for us, and feel disappointed if at any time we should be prevented from preaching on the accustomed day. Moreover, we have often addressed large congregations of the Mohammedans and Hindus, more than 200 in number, who listened with such decorum, that they may be favourably compared to many congregations in Europe." The Missionaries, moreover, are invited to the houses of the people, and have thus opportunities of holding important conversations with them. There has also been gathered together a little Christian flock of 85 persons, of whom 17 are communicants. Let us pray for a rapid spread of God's saving truth in this lately-rebellious and still wicked city. THE Tunguses, or Tungusians, are a tribe of Manchoo Tartars, who roam over a great extent of north-eastern Asia, from the Yenisei to the Lena. They are only one of many Tartar tribes dispersed over these dreary regions, and are known by different names. They are of middle stature, 26 THE TUNGUSES. [MARCH, slender, and extremely active, with lively smiling countenances, small eyes, and dark hair. Their dress is nearly the same as that of other Tartar nations, and consists of trowsers of the rein-deer skin, with the hair inside, and stockings and boots of the same animal, the latter made from the legs; a waistcoat and jacket, also of leather, sometimes lined with white foxes' or hares' skins; and lastly, a single or double frock, with the hair in and outside, the two leather sides being together. A warm cap and large gloves, with a guard for the chest, made of white fox skin, and a comforter round the neck, of squirrels' tails, complete the costume. An axe, a knife, wooden spoon, and kettle, constitute their only utensils; and a pipe of tobacco, with a glass of spirits, their highest luxury. Their tents are composed of a few poles stuck in the ground, tied together at the top, and covered chiefly with the inside bark of the larch, rendered pliable by holding it over the steam of boiling water and smoke. They keep great numbers of rein-deer, one individual having sometimes more than a thousand. The winter in these dreary regions lasts for eight months, during two whole months of which the sun is hid from sight. Then the snow rises as high as the houses, the wind blows strong enough to knock you off your legs, and the frost cuts short your breathing. The summer lasts two months, but it is one long day, during which the inhabitants see always the sun in the horizon. Then the waters of the great rivers supply an abundance of unrivalled fish. As they have no salt, they bury their fish in trenches, and the frost preserves much of it for their use in winter. These poor people live in dread of evil spirits, whom they are ever endeavouring to propitiate, and in this consists their religion. The spirit of the forest is their special dread—a demon whom they imagine to be possessed of unlimited power. To him offerings are suspended from the branches of the trees; extemporaneous songs chanted to conciliate him; while at supper, the first spoonful is invariably thrown into the firc to secure a sound sleep for the genius of the place. The Greek priests have baptized many of these people, but, under a new name, they retain the old superstitions. The Tunguses are characteristically honest and friendly, robbery being considered as unpardonable. A traveller describes himself as witness of their hospitality and improvidence, for they seem to have no thought of the future, and therefore rapidly share what they have killed. Yet it is strange that nothing will induce them to kill a rein-deer for their own consumption, until they have been eight days without food: the act is then considered justifiable. They bear fatigue, cold, and privations to an extraordinary degree. They are sensible of, and thankful for, kind treatment, but will permit no one to abuse them. To strike a Tungusian is indeed a great crime, and often leads to fatal consequences, as, in that case, they do not consider their word as sacred, but justifiable to be broken. They are exceedingly irascible, and can be done nothing with but by good words. Yakoutsk is the chief town of the government, in which the Tunguses are found. It consists of seven churches and 400 wooden houses of one storey, with a bazaar, round which all the shops are placed. There is a 1863.] MISSIONARY PROGRESS AT CALCUTTA. 27 monastery and an hospital. It stands on a bleak plain along the bank of the river Lena, one of the finest streams in the world, being ten miles and a half broad in the winter and four miles in the summer, and from its sources to its entrance into the frozen sea, pursuing a course of 4000 miles. MISSIONARY PROGRESS AT CALCUTTA. In a recent letter, the Rev. J. Vaughan, our Missionary at Calcutta, communicates to us various items of encouraging intelligence, which will be found grouped together in the following extract During the year I have had the happiness to baptize four adult converts. The case of one interested me much. He was the dewan (steward) to a Christian gentleman living at Serampore. One morning he came to me desiring instruction, with a view to baptism. I asked his history; and he replied that he had, from time to time, heard something about Christianity in his master's house. For two or three years he had been dwelling on the subject. He had opened his mind to no one before; but he felt so anxious and wretched of late, that he could not properly discharge the duties of his position: he had therefore asked the lady to give him his discharge. Two members of our church were employed in the same house directed by them, he had found his way to me. I The story was so strange that I felt a suspicion as to his motives. assured him that I would write to his mistress, and inquire into the case; and that, if it turned out correct, I should be most happy to give him instruction; but that no help whatever of a temporal kind could be afforded. He replied, that his only concern was for salvation, and that, as for money, he needed none he had a deposit in the bank. Whilst he was speaking he seemed much excited, and at last he staggered and fell down in a swoon. I had him carried into the house, where, after a while, he revived. I found that he had fainted from sheer exhaustion: the distress of his mind had been such, that for three or four days he had scarcely touched food. Having obtained from his mistress a full corroboration of his statement, I at once placed him under instruction. He took employment with a gentleman in Calcutta; and, after a probation of four months, he was baptized last June. Bongshee is, I have no hesitation in saying, a humble, earnest, devoted follower of Jesus. Jadunath,* I am thankful to say, continues to walk worthy of his vocation. The meekness of his character, and the consistency of his deportment, are very pleasing to witness. His brothers, who were violently opposed to his baptism, are now fully reconciled to him, and many are the opportunities which he has enjoyed of commending the truth to their consciences; nor are his example and exhortations without fruit. One of his brothers already admits his conviction, that, "if there be a true religion on earth, it is Christianity." But another has got much further: he has been diligently reading the Bible; and he lately expressed to Jadunath his entire belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. His brother is older than Jadunath. I well * Vide "Church Missionary Gleaner," Dec. 1860, p. 135. |