The

an important district, have been founded in Basuto land. preachers of the Gospel are generally loved and esteemed. The New Testament, printed in the idiom of the country, has been extensively circulated, with a collection of hymns and other religious books. We are happy to be able to offer to our readers some of the recent accounts sent by the French missionaries to the Parent Society.

The pastor of Beershebah, the Rev. S. Rolland, preaches every Sunday to a congregation of about 500 adults, of whom 326 partake of the Lord's supper. The number of recent converts on probation, previous to their being baptized, amounts to 125. Schools have always been in a very flourishing state on that station.

At Thaba-Bossion, the residence of the paramount chief, the Rev. Mr. Yousse preaches the Gospel to an audience varying between 350 and 400 hearers. The members of the church amount to 146. Among the new converts lately admitted, was a youth belonging to the despised race of the Bushmen. During a long time he listened with great attention to the preaching of the word, but found it very difficult to remember what he heard. This grieved him very much, and he once complained mournfully of it to a member of the church. "Thy heart," said his friend, "is like a pierced sack, which can keep nothing that is put into it. But the sack may be repaired pray the Lord to do it by his Holy Spirit." From that moment the poor Bushman prayed with more courage and perseverance, and his requests have been heard. Not only has he been enabled to understand fully the plan of salvation, but he has even succeeded in learning to read the holy Scriptures, and he rejoices the heart of the missionary by his Christian conduct.

Mr. Mabille, the missionary of Morijah, has the charge of a numerous flock, scattered over a very extensive district; 328 adults have been brought to the saving knowledge of Christ. The last report of that station contains a very edifying account of an aged member of the church. Mr. Mabille having passed unexpectedly through the village in which she resided, was told that she was very ill, and not expected to live long. He at once went to see her. Hearing his voice, she opened her eyes, and begged of her friends to turn her towards him. Peace was depicted on her face. Her countenance was that of a servant quietly awaiting the arrival of her Master. 66 Lemina," ," said the missionary, "do you know me?" "Yes, I know you; speak to me." "Whom are you expecting?" "The Lord Jesus.' "Will he come soon?" "Yes; he is very near." "What has he done for you?" "He has taken away all my sins on himself, and carried them all away. Since I have given myself to him, he has always guided and protected me. And now I shall soon be with him." Three days later a message brought to Mr. Mabille the news of the death of Lemina. An instant before her departure, her brother-in-law, who is also a believer, inquired whether she had anything to express. "I have nothing new to say,"

was the ready answer; "Jesus is always for me the one who has carried away my sins; what will you have more? I am going; I do not fear death." Very soon after, she exclaimed, "Heaven opens before me, full of glory! There is Heaven opened! I am entering into it!" These were her last words.

At Mekuatling, where there is a congregation of 400 hearers and 130 communicants, the Rev. Mr. Daumas is preparing for baptism a considerable number of recent converts. Among the members of the church, a man named Matike once astounded the missionary by the recital of a most wonderful deliverance; he was traveling in a desert with his wife and a friend, and compelled to spend the night in a place infested with lions. After having passed through the agonies of the most cruel apprehensions, they began to hope that no evil would befall them, when a lion pounced upon them, seized the friend of Matike, and began to tear him. The woman uttering shrieks of distress, the animal crushed her head in its mouth, and killed her. Poor Matike found himself under the corpse of his fellow-traveler, felt his blood trickle over his own body, and heard during a long time the monster gnawing upon him the mangled remains of its victim. Matike has lived many years after that escape, and he has endeavored to consecrate faithfully to the service of the Lord the life which had been so miraculously preserved. He died lately, and his last words to his friends were these: "Remember what the Lord has brought you through, what he has done for me, and be faithful in his service."

The Rev. Mr. Dyke, of Hermon, lately baptized sixteen adults. The attendance here is also excellent, being nearly 500 persons. The church members amount to 157, and their number will soon be increased, as no less than sixty-seven adults are in preparation for baptism. Among the persons lately received is an aged woman, almost deaf, and bent down by years. During many months she came regularly on foot to the station, from a distance of eight miles, to attend public worship. She could hear but little of what was said by the missionary, but she appeared happy in sitting with Christians, and seeing them pray and read the word of God. As soon as the service was concluded, she made a daughter of hers sit by her side, and repeat slowly and distinctly to her the instructions which had been delivered from the pulpit. One day, describing to Mr. Dyke the folly and wickedness of her former life, she ended by saying, "One mightier than I has overcome me. He, my conqueror, always young, always strong, has bound me to his service. I shall ever walk in his strength, for he is able to subdue my heart and to introduce me finally into glory."

If we were not obliged to restrain ourselves, much edifying and interesting information might be gleaned from the reports of the other stations, which, although less advanced than those we have mentioned, have all witnessed remarkable displays of the almighty grace of God.

The converted natives assist the missionaries in spreading the glad tidings of the Gospel every Sunday; many of them visit some of the villages of the district to which they belong, and avail themselves of all the opportunities of doing good and diffusing light that they meet with. Some of them have become very efficient schoolmasters and deacons.

·000

[From the Spirit of Missions.]

AFRICAN MISSIONS.

The following reports are copied from a recent number of the Cavalla Messenger, a paper published in our African Mission: Report from Cavalla Station to Cape Palmas Convocation, Dec. 26, 1862.

The services at Cavalla Station have been steadily maintained since the last meeting of Convocation. The missionary has not been interrupted once by sickness himself, nor has his faithful assistant, Rev. C. F. Jones. The regular routine here is: morning service, with a lecture on the Epistle and Gospel for the day, at half-past seven o'clock A. M.; a Grebo service, followed by a sermon from the missionary, and sometimes Mr. Jones, at halfpast ten o'clock; Sunday school in the afternoon, in which it is the happiness of the missionary to act as superintendent and teacher; and regular evening service, followed by a sermon by the missionary in the evening.

Rev. Mr. Jones preaches usually in Grebo, on Wednesday evenings, after the regular service.

On Thursday a service is held about noon in the missionary study, for the benefit of communicants living amongst the heathen.

It would be faithless to suppose that all these services have been in vain. We have good ground, indeed, for knowing that they have been blessed to the upbuilding of the church, and to bringing a few more within her sacred pale. The attendance on the part of the heathen is somewhat improved, and if they do not yield to the truth, they at least appear less opposed to it.

The missionary meeting has been held regularly on the first Wednesday in every month, and the missionary spirit, it is hoped, developed more and more. Even little children seem desirous to give something month by month, while the aggregate contributions of villagers, scholars, and the Female Sewing Society have averaged $24 60 per month. Besides occasional visits to Cavalla river, the missionary has been able to go once to Bohlen, preaching on the way, and once to Taboo within the past three months. From the former place and district, the superintendent will report. Of Taboo I am thankful to be able to report encouragingly. Mr. Minor retains six children under his influence, chiefly supporting them himself, while William Sparrow is their teacher. I found

the grounds and house in a neat and proper condition; but what was especially noticeable was the evident improvement of the superintendent and family in spirituality under the afflictions through which they have been called to pass in the war of their people with their neighbors. Mr. Minor remarked, as we talked over the prospects of the station: "We feel that God is with us."

It is with thankfulness that I am able to report that, through the friendly interposition of the Cavalla people, the difficulties which have been so long disturbing the mission station at Taboo and the Plabo tribe have been settled.

The semi-annual examinations were held at Cavalla on Thursday and Friday, 17th and 18th instant.

Connected with the boarding schools there are: girls, 29, boys, 18; day scholars, boys 6, girls, 6-total, 59. From Wotte, there were present of boys, 2; night schools in the heathen villages, 30; making a total of scholars, 91. The two night schools in the large town and Nyaro have been revived by the free-will effort of Mr. Charles Morgan and Edward Neufville, who have also charge of the boys' boarding school.

It is a pleasure to report favorably of these two young men, as also of the teacher and assistant of the girls' school. Edward Neufville is now an applicant to be received as a candidate for holy orders.

In the schools, as in the church at Cavalla, a respect and deference for those who "are over them in the Lord," has been one of the gratifying proofs of general progress in the Christian faith and practice.

The missionary has performed only one infant and three adult baptisms within the past three months; one person has died, our printer, William White. Brought into the mission at a very early age, he was always an amiable boy, and early made a profession of faith in Christ. Little sensibility and life were manifested, until the illness which proved fatal. Then his heart seemed to be softened. The Bible and its priceless truths were precious to him, and brought peace whether for life or death. God has pleased to grant him death, that he might truly live.

On the Sunday afterward two more scholars were baptized in the place of the dead; thus bringing to the recollection of many that the church below is only a school for the church above; and, further, that while Christians are ever passing away from the one to the other, God will ever bring a new and increasing accession; thus always preserving and giving life to his one Apostolic Church, "even unto the end of the world."

Statistics of the station for the year ending December 26: Communicants admitted, 5; transferred to other stations, 13; suspended, 5; died, 3; present number, 77. Baptisms: adult, 3; infant, 9— total, 12. Confirmations, 4; candidate for orders, 1; missionary collections, $136 91; alms, $20 27.

J. PAYNE.

[From the Spirit of Missions.]

YORUBA MISSION-WEST AFRICA.

We took occasion in a recent number to call attention to the cir cumstances of great peril in which the missionaries and others in Yoruba were placed.

The anxiety then expressed is in a measure, at least, relieved by the following statement copied from the February number of the Church Missionary Record:

The Committee of the Church Missionary Society take this opportunity of expressing their deep sense of the very wide-spread sympathy manifested, not only in England, but upon the continent of Europe, on behalf of their missionaries, under the threatened attack of the King of Dahomey. Not only has the appeal for prayer been responded to most cordially at parochial missionary meetings, but it has been recommended by many clergymen from the pulpit, and has formed a special subject of weekly intercession in many Christian families. Under these circumstances, they have great satisfaction in laying before their friends the following intelligence just received from the Yoruba Mission.

The committee learn that the state of the country, in consequence of the height of the rivers, has been such that it has been hitherto impossible to move an army across the country between Dahomey and Abbeokuta. In the mean time, Commodore Wilmot, in command of the West African squadron, accompanied by Capt. Luce and the surgeon of H. M. S. Brisk, has landed at Whydah, and gone up to Abomey, on a mission to the King of Dahomey. There is, therefore, much ground for hope that the threatened attack of the King of Dahomey upon Abbeokuta will be mercifully averted.

A letter dated Ibadan, September 5, 1862, has also arrived from the Rev. D. Hinderer, speaking of the great comfort which he and the beleaguered mission party had derived from the thought that so much prayer was being poured out for them by the church at home. He states that though to their multiplied trials had been added the death of Mr. Jefferies, one of the European catechists, through want of proper nourishment while prostrated by sickness, yet God, in an especial manner, had vouchsafed his protecting care over them, in that when they were in the greatest straits for want of cowries, a heathen woman, previously unknown to them, had come forward and furnished a supply for their wants. Hinderer expresses his " unspeakable joy that the town-bell has rung, indicative of a speedy opening of the road to Abbeokuta," so that he and the mission would be able to remove to Lagos. A still further ground of hope is the fact, that the Rev. J. A. Lamb, Secretary at Lagos, and Captain Davies, had received permission

Mr.