wards of twenty thousand-a small number compared with the vast multitude who live in a state of moral darkness under the brilliant sun of the Spice Islands. A laudable beginning has, however, been made by the Dutch to enlighten the minds of the natives. In Amboyna and Banda, British missionaries have been settled ever since the year 1814. They made it their first care to supply the place of teachers to the long-neglected congregations, to which belonged about eighteen thousand Christians, and to procure for them Bibles in their native languages printed at Calcutta. In Amboyna itself a Bible Society has been formed for the circulation of the sacred Scriptures, which in 1815 collected four thousand dollars for that purpose. There are also seminaries for training up young men as schoolmasters for the neighbouring islands, and as assistants to the missionaries sent out by the Netherlands Missionary Society to Amboyna, Banda, Bouro, Celebes, Seram, Kaybobo, Ternate, and Timor; and a printing-press has been established to facilitate their operations. The attention of that society begins also to be directed to some of those islands which are not subjects to the Netherlands government. and to which labourers will probably be despatched as soon as they can be spared.

"The state of Christianity is more flourishing, to outward appearances at least, in the Manilla or Philipine islands. This is chiefly owing to the efforts that have been made for some centuries past by the great missionary institutions at Rome. So far back as in the year 1721, the rich and populous capital, Manilla, containing about ninety thousand inhabitants, was erected into the see of an archbishop, who has under him three episcopal dioceses. The missionaries were indefatigable in extending the ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the ten thousand islands of the Philippine

Archipelago; but they seemed to be more solicitous to swell the number than to enlighten the minds of their proselytes. Thus the Augustine friars boasted, in the year 1734, that they had converted and baptized the whole nation of the Isinagas; yet accounts were afterwards received, that the savages had risen, plundered the convents, carried off the sacred utensils, and forced the Christians to betake themselves to the mountains to save their miserable lives. This insecurity continued in some of the islands down to the nineteenth century. In the mountainous Bagabag, one of the Philippines, there were in 1819 about thirteen hundred converts under the direction of friars preachers: but none of them could stir a mile from the fort without running the risk of being surprised and murdered by the savage Sporrotai, who dwell in the interior of the country, and are reported to drink the blood of their enemies and to decorate their huts with their skulls."

AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL

UNION.

The number of publications for the year amounts to 887,990; making the number of copies of works printed by the society during five years 6,089,990. The number of schools is 5,901; of teachers, 52,663; of scholars, 349,202; shewing an increase during the year of 19,907 teachers, and 89,546 scholars. The society estimate the whole number of children in Christendom now receiving Sunday-school instruction at 1,567,000.

The 52,663 teachers, in connexion with the society, if paid for their labours at the rate of thirty-three cents a week, which was the established sum when Sundayschool teachers, as at the first, were paid, their compensasion would amount to nine hundred and three thousand six hundred and ninety-seven dollars annually.

THE HON. EX-PRESIDENT JAY. WE extract from an American publication the following interesting notice of the Honourable and truly venerable John Jay, who recently expired at his residence of Bedford, in the State of New York, at the advanced age of 84 years.

"Among the great men which this country has produced, very few have risen to a degree of eminence and excellence equal to that of this distinguished patriot and statesman. Mr. Jay was a descendant from one of the Huguenot families, which

fled from France at the revocation of the edict of Nantz, and sought a refuge in the colony of New York from the persecutions which followed that iniquitous and sanguinary measure. His distinguished political career does not come within the especial province of a religious paper, any further than it embodied and evinced the noblest principles of Christian purity and firmness.

"After he left the chief magistracy of the State, Mr. Jay relinquished all public employment; and for more than twenty years past he has resided on his estate in West Chester county, in strict retirement,

and in the full enjoyment of domestic peace and happiness. Here his mind has been engaged on subjects of infinitely greater importance than the turmoils of politics, and the rise and fall of nations. Deeply imbued from early life with the principles of the Christian religion, and viewing them as the source of all that is desirable in this life, and of all that we hope for in the life to come, that great subject has engrossed his thoughts, and occupied his attention for many years past to a degree rarely found among politicians and statesmen. After the death of his venerable friend and fellow-patriot of the same age, the Hon. Elias Boudinot, another descendant from the Huguenots, Mr. Jay was appointed President of the American Bible Society-an institution in which he took the deepest interest, and for whose prosperity he laboured and prayed with the most fervent and unceasing devotion. About a year before his death, in consequence of his great age and growing infirmities, he resigned that office, and was succeeded by the present worthy and dignified incumbent, the Hon. Richard Varick.

During his retirement, the duties of piety towards God have been mingled with those of the parent and friend; and the delightful retreat of Bedford, for a quarter of a century, has beheld this aged patriot, bending in deep humility and prostration of spirit, before the cross of his Divine Master-the great Redeemer of men."

The above brief account does not mention the denomination of Christians to which Mr. Jay belonged; but we believe we are correct in affirming, that he was from conviction an attached friend to Episcopacy; and this in a country where, far from receiving peculiar honours, it is, or has been, subjected to public reproach, from a supposed connexion with monarchical government on the one hand, and Popery on the other. His son, Mr. William Jay, did great service to the Bible Society among the members of the Episcopal connexion, by a pamphlet addressed to Bishop Hobart, who had opposed that institution. We will only add to the present notice, a remark which Dr. Dwight made respecting ex-president Jay: "His private life, even in the view of his enemies, has not been soiled with a single spot." Of how few persons can such a testimony be truly recorded!

ELIZA, AN INDIAN WOMAN.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. THE following interesting account of an Indian woman was drawn up some months since by a Missionary at Mackinaw. The humble servant of Christ to whom it relates, was then still feebly lingering on this

side the haven of her eternal rest; but was so rapidly verging towards it, that this account may without hesitation be inserted under the title of an Obituary.

Mackinaw is a fortified village, romantically situated on an island in the straits which connect Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. In summer it is the resort of many fur traders, and often of four or five thousand Indians. A mission family was stationed there by the United States Missionary Society in 1823. Numbers of children have been received into the schools, and trained in religious habits; nor has fruit been wanting among the adult nations, as the following narrative will shew. W. R. B.

"The Indian name of Eliza was O-dahbe-tuh-ghe-zhe-go-quai, signifying in English, the Midway-sky-woman, or the place of the sun at noon. She was born about three hundred miles up the south shore of Lake Superior; and is by blood of the Ojibeway tribe. She does not know her age, but is probably not far from forty-five years old.

"Being of influential connections (her uncle was a principal chief,) she was selected to become an interpreter of dreams. This took place when she was probably about sixteen or seventeen years old. Her merits for this rank or honour must,according to the superstition of her tribe, be decided by her living ten days in a separate lodge, without any other nourishment than a little water each night. She faithfully observed the prescribed abstinence, although it nearly cost her her life. Her bodily strength was almost exhausted; and on being brought out of the lodge, and probably being too plentifully fed, she became ill, and did not recover for several months. And yet, of her own accord, soon after, she fasted nine days more. From this time she was considered an extraordinary being. The clan would not permit her to work; but, provided with a wigwam of distinction, she constantly received from them the best of their food and clothing. She was also furnished with a large otter-skin, or medicine-sack, stored with every necessary article, either for magical cure of the sick, or for interpreting dreams. This sack, which she carefully preserved, was her badge of honour; and in all their medicine dances she was greatest among the great; one proof of which was taking the lead in drinking whiskey, by which means she became so excessively intemperate, that in some of these scenes she twice lost her sack, which, with the death of her children, and the neglect of the Indians, so dispirited her that she abandoned herself to every vice. About nine years ago she lost another child, the third of four. Then for a while she listened to advice, and stopped drinking. But it was not long before she was allured away into the woods by an Indian man

times till nearly frozen. During most of that winter she felt such uneasiness of mind, that, not daring herself to look to God for mercy, because she was such a sinner, she felt it a relief to overhear the worship of others; as if God might possibly hear their prayers, though she was unworthy to be present.

and woman, where whiskey had been previously carried, and there they persuaded her to drink with them. In this drunken frolic the woman fell upon her and wounded her nose, which being the greatest disgrace, in her estimation, she could possibly suffer, for a long time her friends had to watch her to prevent her destroying her life. Once she tried to hang herself. At another time she threw herself into the lake, but an Indian caught her by the hair and drew her again into the canoe. After this she began to think that the unknown Indian, who as she supposed had the care of her life, was unwilling that she should kill herself, and she gave up all further attempts to effect it. Having but one child left, she remained sometimes on the island of Mackinaw, and sometimes on the main land, with no fixed object but to get whiskey by every possible means.

"I first became acquainted with her about five years ago. Soon after our family was open to receive children, I one day met her boy, and on ascertaining who he was, I went with an interpreter to the lodge of the mother. A wretchedly destitute and miserable scene we witnessed. At that time no persuasion could induce her to let me have her son. But going the second time, and the boy himself being willing, she at length reluctantly gave her consent. The following spring, more out of pity than for our convenience, I employed her, first in the kitchen, and afterward at the sugar-camp, on condition that she would drink no whiskey and conduct herself properly. By much counsel and care she did so much better than my fears, that I finally told her, that, provided she would be steady and do such work as she was able, she might have a home with us. From that time, I believe, she was never intoxicated more than three or four times.

"About three years since her serious attention to religion commenced, but for some time was very fluctuating, While under the sound of instruction she would be affected, sometimes to tears. For several years, during the hours of the Sunday-school, we have had a separate school for Indian women and others, for the purpose of reading and explaining the Scriptures, and distributing tracts. At these meetings Eliza was often affected; though afterwards, as she says, she would throw the subject off and become in a measure indifferent. Again, impressed

with the idea that there could be no mercy for such a creature as she was, and the thought of her religious state making her unhappy, she would avoid being present at the meetings, or family worship. Yet she says she often felt so strong a desire to hear the sound of prayer and singing, that she has gone to the door and remained there as long as she thought she could without being discovered-some

"During the spring, while at the sugar camp, she was greatly distressed. When gathering sap, she often had thoughts like these: Here I am going the same round daily from tree to tree, and can find no relief; I must always carry this wicked heart, and when I die be miserable for ever. A pious Indian woman who had charge of the sugar camp, used to converse with her; and after praying, would perhaps ask her if she did not feel the importance of joining in heart with her. She said she did: and though there was to her mind no prospect of ever being better, yet she would, as she says, forget herself, and feel strong desires for mercy. After her return, she thought that every one must look upon her condition as hopeless; and as before, she often staid away from Divine worship because she thought it unfit for her to be there. Most of the following summer she spent at the farm, where at times she seemed to awake to an affecting view of her religious state, and with such feelings that she would go off from the house and pray, and weep much alone: but for the most part she indulged in despair without

relief.

"The next autumn we had unusual sickness in the family, and Eliza, and her son Joseph, were left at the farm alone for two or three weeks. They also were both taken ill; and probably suffered somewhat for want of nursing, before we were aware of it and could bring them home. In reference to this time she says, that she thought with herself, that she had found no relief to her mind in our way, meaning that of Christians, and that she would again try her old way of medicine songs; and that she spent the greater part of several nights in songs and her former Indian mummery. After she was brought home she discontinued this; but she thinks she nearly lost all anxiety about her soul, and seemed to have no feeling further than to take care of her son. He spoke to her much; but she said she was like one who had lost her senses, and nothing seemed to move her feelings. A few days before Joseph's death, he had a long conversation with her; told her that he should die soon, and that he wanted her to promise him never to drink any more whiskey, to remain with the mission family, listen to their instructions, and pray every day to God: then, when she died, she would go to God with him. At first she told him that if he died she would die too. But Joseph said that was wrong; for that God only had a right to have her die when he saw fit. At length she promised him that