ing extract from a letter written by one of our Missionaries at Amritsar, the Rev. W. Clark, was placed in our hands.

On Friday last, as I was coming in from the city, I met in the dark, at my door, a native, well dressed, who had a letter for us. It proved to be from Mr. Matchett, our Missionary at Karachí, introducing a Christian gentleman, by name Abdullah. He had been a native judge at Karachi, and had just been baptized by Mr. Matchett. He has been an inquirer for eight years, and lately published several questions about Mahommedanism, and sent them to all the principal molwís of Delhi, Agra, &c. No man has ever been able to answer them. We asked him to tea with us, and I gave him a room, and he was my visitor from Saturday morning until Monday morning. I happened, a few days before, to have given his printed questions to my múnshí, and on Saturday morning I asked him whether he liked them, and what he thought of them. He said, "Oh, there is nothing in them: they are easily answered." I asked him if he could answer them. He said, "Easily, and I would do so at once if I could but see the writer. Í would answer them so that he could not say a word." He did not know that Abdullah was in the house, so I said, "Do you really mean to say that you would answer them if you saw the man?" He said, "Of course." I made him pronounce this half-a-dozen times, and then went out and told Abdullah, and brought him in and introduced him, and said, "Well, múnshí, here is Abdullah: now kindly answer his questions." "That Abdullah!" he cried; "that is not Abdullah! never, never! Abdullah is at Karachí;" at the same time looking horrified, and his lips quivering with emotion. "Yes, múnshí," I said, "that is Abdullah. Now for your answers, which you can give so easily." But he said it was all false; it was not Abdullah; and it was some time before he believed it. He then changed his tactics, and said, "Why, Sir, what is the use of arguing about religion, and what good ever comes of speaking about religion to persons of another religion?" So we could neither of us get a single word out of the old man.

Let us pray for this new convert, that he may prove humble and stedfast, and "be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season, and whose leaf shall not wither."

THE Laplanders occupy the extreme northern regions of Europe, which abut on the Icy Ocean. There are various classes of this singular people. In Swedish and Russian Lapland are found a numerous class of poor Laplanders, called Wood Laps, dwelling in forest districts: these are not entirely dependent on the reindeer, of which they have only a limited number, but subsist in a great measure on game and wild animals. In Norwegian Lapland there are no Laplanders of this description, there being but few forests. There they are divided into Fishing or Shore Laplanders, and the Reindeer or Mountain Laplanders.

Of these latter we shall speak more particularly. The summer and winter life of the Reindeer Laplanders are as diverse as possible. In summer he migrates to the coast by long journeys from the

interior, which is then so infested with gnats and other insects as excessively to persecute animals, especially the reindeer. He comes, moreover, to barter the skins, horns, and feathers, which he has amassed during the winter. But, above all, it is essential to the existence of the reindeer that once in the year they should drink the salt water. Amongst the numerous islands on the western coast the Laplander pitches his tent a rag of coarse cloth, supported by branched poles of birch.

In

At the commencement of September, before the snow falls, he sets out on his return to the interior, and an interesting sight it is to behold a large herd of perhaps a thousand deer swimming across the sound or strait which divides them from the continent, accompanied by several boats containing the fawns, and having such deer as are weak tied behind them. In the beginning of October the snow descends, and covers the face of the country; the days get shorter and shorter; and towards the end of November the sun disappears altogether for two long months, until about January the 26th, when at noon it just peeps above this wintry land, as if to reconnoitre, before it returns to give it day. Yet, these seasons are not without their beauty. In November the horizon is tinted with varied colours, for the sun is moving not far below it. another quarter of the firmament the moon shines with a clear light. A rich, luxuriant glow suffuses the heavens, and, when evening comes, the beautiful coruscations of the aurora play through the sky, now spanning the heavens with a splendid arch, now running along with inconceivable rapidity in a serpentine movement, and then dying away for a moment, only to burst out again in an overspreading sheet of fire. As winter deepens, candles, for the purpose of reading or writing, must be lighted at one o'clock in the day. The cold increases in intensity. Piercing winds raise thick clouds of snow-drift. Yet, in the midst of all this, the Mountain Laplander is satisfied with his rag of a tent, his only protection from the extreme cold. Its height is about six feet, and the whole circumference of the inside fifteen or eighteen feet. Into this are frequently crowded two families, besides dogs, the guardians of the herd, who, if they can find room, sometimes come in to the number of twenty. In the centre is the fire, a part of its smoke escaping by the aperture at the top of the tent, and the remainder filling all below with a dense cloud.

It is seldom that all the members of the family are present-one or more are without, tending the deer. Putting on their winter hoods, which completely cover head and shoulders, a hole being left for the face, they go forth with their snow-skates, at all hours, to guard the deer against wolves and other dangers. The women take their turn, and bear every hardship like the men.

Our engraving will give the best description of a Laplander's personal appearance and dress. The Mountain Lap in height is about five feet, or five feet two inches. He has small, elongated eyes, high cheekbones, a wide mouth, and a pointed chin, with little beard. The hair is generally brown or dark-coloured. They are spare, and in general illmade, but bony and muscular. They are exceedingly active, and capable of enduring great dangers and privations.

The Laplanders have ranked as a professedly Christian nation; yet old superstitions long lingered amongst them, and the dreaded diviningdrum continued to be used. A happy change has, however, taken place;

and we rejoice to be enabled to report the increase of vital godliness amongst the Laplanders. The Swedish Missionary Society was formed in 1835, and Telström was employed by that Society as a catechist amongst the Laps. Finding himself much obstructed in his efforts to benefit the adults, he opened a boarding-school for Lappish children, the results of which appeared in several young men, the fruit of his labours, who were qualified to commence similar operations in different parts of the country. This good work has been followed up by others, amongst the rest, by the Rector Læstadeus. Partly by conversation, partly by plain, sharp sermons, printed, and circulated in all directions, he has aroused the consciences of the people. They love to read, and forsake their former vices. A few years back the Lapland markets were scenes of dissipation. Their desire for brandy and other strong drinks was uncontrollable. Now, instead of their former foolish behaviour at the markets and places of gathering, they appear as sober and peaceful as if met in the churchyard preparatory to the services of the sanctuary. Very many instances have occurred of restitution being made to merchants by those who, when leading a vicious life, had stolen, or, by deception in trade, fraudulently possessed themselves of, their goods.

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DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT ABBEOKUTA.

ABBEOKUTA is subject to frequent fires of a very destructive character. The materials of the houses, their light and combustible roofs, thatched with grass, help the fire to spread, and it extends itself with wonderful rapidity, bidding defiance to the efforts of the inhabitants. A fearful conflagration, attended not only by loss of property, but of life, occurred in March last, of which our native catechist, Mr. T. King, gives us the following description

March 15, 1853–Of all the fires that have occurred in this town, that of to-day was the greatest. The rapidity that attended its progress, and the destruction of lives and property it occasioned, has no equal since the commencement of Abbeokuta, and may God in mercy never permit the like to happen any more! That more than two-thirds of the town was reduced to ashes, and that the number of houses consumed on this occasion was not less than a thousand, is not the opinion of certain individuals only, but is the general and concurrent assertion of everybody. And to affirm that not fewer than sixty persons perished in this calamity is no exaggeration whatever, besides many of whose recovery there is little hope. The fire having begun at Toko, near the rock Olumo, it consumed great part of that district and Ijemo, till it descended the range of Olumo, making a clean sweep of all Iporo, Ilawo Ijeun, Owu, Obba, Ika-in short, all the Gbagura, the densely-populated parts of the town. This fearful accident commenced about eleven A.M., and before three P.M. it had completed its horrible work. A very sharp and acute harmatan wind, which had been blowing about three days, greatly facilitated the progress of the fire. At its commencement, all our workmen and girls at Owu, and a great number of people that came out of their houses, stood viewing it in great anxiety of mind, hoping and praying it might not descend to the other side of the rocks, as all were fully convinced that, should that be the case, the calamity would be very appalling, and such at last it proved to be. Immediately when the fire was seen on the other side of the rocks, all of us instantly quitted the spot in confused dispersion, running homeward. The passage through the Kobiti, my only way home in this part of the town, became impassable, and I was obliged to turn my head to Mr. Crowther's quarter, the wind bearing the flakes so rapidly that the fearful leaps the fire made were almost incredible. While it was burning by the late Sodeke's house, on a sudden it was found at Owu hill, the central part of Igbagura. After it was all over, Mr. Crowther and I went to see the converts, who were the sufferers, as well as to ascertain how far the ravages extended. With the exception of the iron furnace-house, all the houses on that hill by our new Station were burnt up. Had our church and dwelling-house been already roofed, they might have unavoidably undergone the same fate. After visiting Lara, the elder chief of Owu, and many others, we came to Basorun's house, to ascertain whether the furniture of the brass gun in his place had escaped the fire, as it is a public property for protection. Fortunately, we found the gun with all its materials quite safe. From thence we visited Ogubonna. His house, which I had not the least expectation of being in the number, shared the same fate, though he did not suffer the loss of property, from having good ceiling.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT ABBEOKUTA.

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Besides those who perished in the attempt to save their property, there were many who were overtaken in their flight from the danger. The Apèna of Ido, a sick and infirm man, together with about four individuals who were trying to lead him away, perished. Others, who went to walk in the town, met with their unexpected and unhappy fate in some of the narrow lanes and roads, where the houses are too closely constructed. Some, having carried their children to the river side, and returning to the house to save some property, perished in that attempt; and the children, in going back to seek for their parents, were either suffocated by the smoke, or overtaken by the flames. Those who perished in endeavouring to save their orisas or idols, as well as their animals, were the most of the number. Of all those who died in this calamity, the case of two little children was very affecting. The parents happened to be absent from home. The younger one was sleeping in the house, and natural affection did not allow the other to run away without trying to awake her; but, alas! these poor children were not permitted to see their parents any more in this world. Sad case indeed! What a cause for thankfulness to our gracious God, that not a life was lost among our converts!

There is a fire from which we have all need to flee. "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." That is a fire. The Lord Himself so speaks of it-"Lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings." We are exhorted to flee from it-" Flee from the wrath to come;" nor need we be in ignorance where to find a hiding-place, for in Christ there is security. This is the work in which all true evangelists are employed, whether ministers at home or Missionaries abroad, in warning sinners of their danger, and exhorting them to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ala!s how many are like the Abbeokutans who perished in the fire. They have their idols, their besetting sins, the various objects which they have loved and served in the neglect of God, and these they cannot be prevailed upon to leave. If they could take these with them they would be content. The man would save himself, yet keep his idols too, and in that mad attempt what multitudes have perished! How many, who at times have seemed almost persuaded to escape: their eyes are open for an instant to their danger; but, lo! they also have their oriṣas, and while they hesitate they are lost.

How touching, also, the strong affection of the little girl who was unwilling to leave behind her younger sister. Alas! what a reproach to us that we do not make more vigorous efforts to save sinners, "pulling them out of the fire"-that we are not more ready to undergo privations and dangers in this good work, after the example of Christ. We have escaped ourselves, we have found deliverance in Christ; but there are others, many others, in the flames, and shall we not try to save them?

It is remarkable that none of the converts perished. No