FAR DISTANT MISSIONS. 77 death," to use the expression of the chaplain there, "being fixed on Jesus." The officer by whom Moosa had been employed to transcribe the Persian New Testament, and who is still living, on referring to his journals, amid many entries connected with the stirring events of the day, found the following, which will show how early the truth made itself heard in the heart and conscience of Moosa-"Moosa, the Jew, came to-day with Luke nearly completed. We set to work correcting Matthew's Gospel, he reading out. On coming to the twenty fifth verse of the twenty-seventh chapter, he remarked that he had been reflecting much as to the cause of his people (who knew the true God, and who were his people in a peculiar sense) having no king and no country, and being spread over the face of the whole earth. He said he could not but believe that this was the result of their having crucified the Lord, and having prayed that his blood might be on them and their children. I was much struck with this remark, which was made without any observation on my part." He more than once declared, before his conversion, that until he became acquainted with the British officers in Affghanistan, he had been accustomed to identify Christianity with idolatry, his previous acquaintance with that religion having been through the medium of Roman Catholics, Armenians, and members of the Greek church; and that the idea of gross idolatry being associated in the minds of the Jews of Central Asia with the religion of Jesus, was, as far as he could see, the most insurmountable obstacle to their reception of the Gospel. Of these two brothers, Moosa and Ibrahim, it may be truly said, and in a double sense, "the one has been taken, and the other left," for there is reason to believe that the surviving one still continues in unbelief. His day of grace is, however, still prolonged. May he yet be brought to know the truth as it is in Jesus! FAR-DISTANT MISSIONS. FAR, far away, 2000 miles and upwards from the Red-River Settlement, and toward the shores of the Arctic Sea, are placed, among the Indian tribes of North-west America, two Missionaries of our Society. They are not at the same station, but separated by a distance of nearly 500 miles. The nearest of them, the Rev. W. W. Kirkby, is at Fort Simpson, on the great Mackenzie River, where it is joined by the River of the Mountains. Various tribes of the great Chipewyan nation lie around, in whose evangelization our Missionary is employed. The other post is Fort Youcon, on the great Youcon River, which has its sources westward of the Rocky Mountains, and which, flowing westward after a course of many hundred miles, falls into the Behring's Sea, which divides America from Asia. At this remote station the Rev. R. M'Donald has been residing since August 1862. The Indians amongst whom he labours are the Kutchin or Loucheux Indians, a different race from the Chipewyans. Thus our Missionaries around Lake Winnipeg, southward toward the American frontier, are at work amongst the Crees and Chipewyans, who 78 FAR-DISTANT MISSIONS. belong to the Indian nation Eythinyuwuk; at Fort Simpson they are labouring amongst the tribes of another nation, the Tinné, or Chipewyans; at Fort Youcon, amongst a third and numerous nation, the Kutchin or Loucheux; while from these two latter posts, and also at those stations which are around Hudson's Bay, a fourth nation is met, the Esquimaux or Inuit. Amongst the Crees a Christian work has been accomplished of considerable magnitude. Little communities of Christian Indians have been raised up, and these are to be found at the Indian Settlement, Red River; Moose Fort, St. James's Bay; Fairford, Manitoba; Devon, on the Saskatchewan ; Stanley, on the Mississippi; and this more settled work is the basis from whence our Missionaries have been pushed forward into the more distant places. We cannot speak in this paper of all these nations. fore select one, the Kutchin, or Loucheux. We shall there These Indians are an athletic and fine-looking race, considerably above the average stature, many of them being six feet high, and well proportioned. They have black hair, fine sparkling eyes, regular teeth, and a lighter complexion than other Indians. They paint their faces, on occasions of ceremony, with red clay and black lead. Their clothes are formed of deer-skin, decorated with fancy beads and dyed porcupine quills. As in other Indian tribes, the women are the drudges, the men reserving themselves for hunting, fishing, and war, and leaving domestic occupations of all kinds to the women. They collect the firewood, assist the dogs in hauling the sledges, bring in snow to melt for water. In summer they dry the meat or fish that are to be preserved for winter use. Each family possesses a deer-skin tent or lodge, the skins used in winter being prepared without removing the hair, that the cold may be better shut out. A winter encampment is usually made in a grove of fir-trees. The tents are formed in a semi-circular shape over flexible willow-poles. In this they differ from the natives eastward of the Rocky Mountains, whose tents are made like cones on stiff poles meeting at the top. The Kutchin are probably of the same stock with the Indians of Queen Charlotte's Island, and Observatory Inlet on the British Columbian coast. We trust that Mr. Duncan and Mr. M'Donald will exchange notes as to the languages of their respective tribes. It would be interesting if they should be found to have an affinity. The means of intercommunication may soon be afforded them. This Youcon district has been hitherto little known; but now a telegraph line of communication is being contemplated between America and Asia, which, beginning at San Francisco, California, shall advance through British Columbia, and, penetrating the obscure territories of the Youcon and its tributaries, as a submarine line cross Behring's Straits, so as to unite with the Russian lines at the mouth of the Amoor. We are happy to say that Mr. M'Donald has much encouragement amongst the Kutchin. The Roman-Catholic priests endeavoured to get hold of them, but in vain. Around the Protestant Missionary, however, they eagerly flock, and desire to receive instruction from him. GREAT FIRE AT ABBEOKUTA. THE "Iwe Irohin" of February 3 acquaints us with the details of this calamity, which, it will be seen, has caused much destruction of property, and some loss of life We are accustomed in Abbeokuta to expect, about this season of the year, to see a large part of the town destroyed by fire; the low thatched roofs, the heat of the weather, and the dry north-east wind that often blows, lay a train, which the carelessness of some one individual is sure to kindle, and so cause a conflagration. The natives use precautions to make such fires as harmless as possible: they ceil their rooms by laying joists in the clay walls over which a flooring of bamboo is laid, on which is placed a larger one of clay, which is well beaten, and all cracks filled up. When a fire occurs, all their property is put into these ceiled rooms, and the house left. Should the ceilings be strong and tight, the fire merely burns off the roof; but if the ceiling should be rotten through age, eaten by the white ants, or otherwise imperfect, it is burnt, and the property deposited under it destroyed. The natives, to lessen the risk of fire, make their roofs as light as possible, choosing light rather than durable materials. The town-crier is often sent round the town to warn the inhabitants to be careful with fire. These precautions are inadequate, for several fires occur yearly, attended with great loss of life and property. On Sunday, the 22nd ult., between eight and nine o'clock, a fire commenced somewhere near the Kobbity market, said to have been caused by the discharge of a musket; a strong north-east wind harmattan was blowing-a strong gusty wind, almost a tornado, so dry, that patches of grass growing about the streets crackled under the feet when stepped Our school bell had rung, and people were getting ready for school, when a dense body of black smoke was seen to arise, happily for us to the westward. We thought it nearer than it proved to be: we saw the red flames darting upward, but we heard nothing but the wind bending and swaying the leaves and branches of trees about, making a noise that could be mistaken for the roar of a great fire, Deep concern was shown by every one, and a watchful eye was put on all domestic fires lest a spark should by any accident be blown up to the roof. Usually, when any thing happens in the thickly inhabited part of the town, we hear, as it were, the sound of rushing waters rising and falling with the wind, and sometimes the shouts of men and the cries of women, borne by a stronger gust of wind, or echoed by the neighbouring rock; but now no sound of voices or fire was heard, but fresh columns of black smoke and red flames playing about showed the continuance and extension of the conflagration. Scarcely any one attended school: they had gone to help their friends, or were keeping watch over their houses. Our church service was but poorly attended, and one and another were called out, too surely indicating the extension of the work of destruction, and that the property of persons, thought beyond danger, was now involved in the general ruin. on. The townships of Owu, Oba, and Igbore, were the first to suffer. The fire then passed over the Oba hill and between it and the Owu hill, 80 POETRY. I WANT TO GO HOME. destroying our Church Missionary station at Owu: both houses and church were burnt down. Laying waste the premises and property of various merchants, it burnt down the Wesleyan chapel at Ogbe, and, traversing the intervening townships, made its way to Aro gate, where it consumed almost all the property of Europeans, goods and produce: even the iron house of the West-African Company afforded no protection to the property stored in it. The skill and energy of the European and other civilized residents at Abbeokuta were exerted in vain. So rapid and destructive was the spread of the devouring element, that not even the clothes of those living in the quarters visited by it were saved. These calamities are not without a lesson. Cyclones in India, devastating fires in Abbeokuta, these surely are designed to arouse the heathen from their apathy, and convince them what need they have to turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Abbeokuta is not without the Gospel. The Missionaries and their message are well known, but the masses of the people have not received it. Some fifty perished in the flames. Does not the Lord seem to say-" Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish ?” I WANT TO GO HOME. I WANT to go home, for I'm weary here; I want to go home, for my Saviour's there, And his presence I love, and have sought in prayer: I want to go home, to know it all- To saints when they're safely brought to heaven. I want to go home, but I must wait Till my Lord shall open the prison gate; ORDINATION AT MEERUT. THE Bishop of Calcutta, in the course of his visitation, reached Meerut on November 23rd of last year. The remainder of the week, from Wednesday to Sunday, was employed in examination of the candidates and ORDINATION AT MEERUT. 81 visiting the various Missionary posts around the city, such as Mulliana and Kunker Khera. On Thursday morning, Nov. 23, his lordship confirmed seventy-three native candidates at St. Paul's Mission Chapel in the Cantonment. The Litany was read by the Rev. Joseph Jacob, native pastor of Bareilly, the harmonium was played by a little native boy, and the hymns were sung by the native Christians, and the whole service, with the bishop's earnest address to the candidates, was conducted in Hindustanee. The sight was a very gratifying one, and testified to the reality of the unobtrusive work which the Church Missionary Society is carrying on. On Sunday morning, before the commencement of divine service, the bishop went to see St. John's Sunday school, and expressed himself much gratified at the sight of such a number of young persons assembled for religious instruction. There were seventy-two children present, distributed into classes, taught by eleven teachers; and before they broke up the bishop addressed some words of kind encouragement both to the pupils and their instructors, after which, a hymn having been sung, his lordship closed the school with a collect and the blessing. The Morning service commenced at eleven o'clock, at which time a large congregation had an opportunity of witnessing the impressive ceremony of ordination. There were ten candidates, nine of whom were to be admitted to the office of priest, and one to that of deacon. The bishop pronounced the bidding prayer, and proceeded to give a very earnest and impressive sermon from the latter part of Col. i. 10" Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." latter part of his address was more particularly directed to the candidates, to whom he briefly and impressively exhibited the leading requirements of an efficient ministry. On the termination of the sermon, the bishop went inside the communion rails, when his chaplain successively presented to him the candidates for the respective orders of deacon and priest, after which the Litany and communion service were read, the usual questions were asked of those about to be ordained, and the remainder of the service was proceeded with. One interesting feature in this ordination remains to be noticed. The candidates included four native pastors, three of whom have been for some time in charge of native-Christian congregations in Martindell, Benares, and Bareilly, the fourth being employed as a Missionary by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Delhi. This bringing together, for the sacred purpose of ordination, European and native candidates, visibly illustrated the identity of their labours, and suggested naturally the sentiment of St. Paul, that in Christianity "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free" but that they are all one. The morning service terminated with the holy communion, which was partaken of by the newly-ordained clergy and a large number of the congregation. The names of the Church Missionary candidates ordained were, Rev. F. Wathen, B.A., Wadham College, Oxford, Umritsur; Rev. T. R. Wade, Peshawur; Rev. C. E. Vines, B.A., Trinity College, Cambridge, Agra; Rev. Joseph Jacob, Cowiegunj, Bareilly; Rev. Tulshi Paul, Martindell, Dehra Dhoon; Rev. Davey Solomon, Benares. |