AFRICAN SAILORS AT WOOLWICH DOCKYARD. 35 neither am I any stronger."-"Have you been reading in any of those books at your side?" "Yes, I have been reading until I am quite tired. I had only just put the book down when you came in."-"Then you love your books, if you are always reading in them." "Yes, I love my books. With any thing else I soon get tired; but with my books I don't get tired. I find that I understand more of what I read than ever I did before. It seems to me as if my Saviour were speaking to me through these books. I sometimes feel so happy, that I cannot explain to you how I feel, though at other times I feel very unhappy. I am not weary of God's correction. I know it is His hand. I am as happy and contented in this bed as when I was able to run about. Oct. 1-I was requested to see Thomas again. There were a good many people in the house, and Thomas was sitting up in his bed, reading one of the tracts. Putting down the tract, he said, "I have much pleasure in reading these books. The more I read and understand them, the more pleasure I find in them. I am waiting my time now. I don't think it can be very long." I asked him how he felt at the approach of death. He said, "I have not much fear of death now. I used to be so much afraid to die, that I was even afraid to speak of it; but now I am not so much afraid. I am waiting every day and every night. It may be this night." He said, moreover, "One thing especially troubles my mind-my debts. I am indebted to several people. To one I owe three skins, to another two, and to the Company I owe six. These debts are always before me. I cannot forget them." After encouraging and directing him to look to Jesus alone, and trust in nothing short of His merits for acceptance with God, I left the house. Oct. 12: Lord's-day-At morning service I observed a noise at the church-door, and saw Thomas Bell being brought into the church by four men. He felt himself a little better, as he told me afterwards, and envied our going to the church; so he begged of his friends to take him there. I addressed the congregation from Isaiah xliii. 2, 3. Nov. 6-Thomas Bell is getting better. Though he is not able to walk without using crutches, yet he is so anxious to learn, that, by the help of them, he crawls to the school door every morning. He can read very well, and write a little; but he wishes to know a little of arithmetic. Nov. 16: Lord's-day-Thomas is now able to come to church by means of his crutches. He attends the services regularly, and manifests the sincerity of his conversion by a consistent life. May he never be moved away from the hope of the gospel; but, as the "tree planted by the rivers of water," bring "forth his fruit in his season!" AFRICAN SAILORS AT WOOLWICH DOCKYARD. THE increased commerce and quickened communication which Britain now enjoys with the most distant countries, not unfrequently bring to our happy shores, from various nations, many heathen who are employed in navigating our vessels, and lending their aid to increase our enormous wealth. God, in His providence, has evidently designed, by this intercourse, that mutual benefit should be received and imparted. May this thought quicken our exertions for the future! "The night cometh, when 36 AFRICAN SAILORS AT WOOLWICH DOCKYARD. no man can work." We have lately had an opportunity of seeing nearly forty of the sable sons of Africa on board one of Her Majesty's ships in Woolwich Dockyard basin. They assisted to conduct the ship to this country, and thereby rendered valuable service to our navy. They are a fine, tall, robust, intelligent race of men, of various nations, yet all understanding and speaking sufficient English for the requirements of their position, and some of them having a slight knowledge of reading, which they had acquired from Europeans in their native land. But as respects that knowledge which "giveth understanding unto the simple," we fear but few traces were to be found. It was indeed an interesting sight to witness them, with their dark countenances, woolly hair, and bright sparkling eyes, seated in three rows in the cabin of Her Majesty's ship"Fairy," late in the evening, when a Secretary of our Society, and a Missionary from Africa, spoke to them concerning the things which make for our everlasting peace. The solemn service began by singing Bishop Heber's beautiful hymn, "From Greenland's icy mountains, in which some of the negroes joined most heartily-for they had heard the sweet songs of Sion from Missionaries in their native wilds-and prayer was offered to the God of heaven, through the only Mediator between God and man, for His presence and favour. The design of the Church Missionary Society, and the nature of the blessings it seeks to impart, were placed before them; and England's efforts for the good of the oppressed African races, and for the suppression of the wicked slavetrade, were made a topic for reflection and thanksgiving. A devoted Missionary from Africa, who had laboured in various parts of that sinbound country, then placed before them his own sphere of labour, and the benefit which had followed, when one arose and said, "Aha! I remember you telling us those things in Sierra Leone." A second broke silence, and remarked that he had "heard massa preach at Badagry." A third could not be restrained from uttering that he, too," had seen him in Africa." The hearts of these poor people seemed touched with the feelings of former associations, and a remembrance of that delightful intercourse which so often takes place betwixt the inquiring heathen and the faithful Missionary. They were, in conclusion, commended to God and His grace, and exhorted to make the best use of the time which God had given them, and the means placed within their reach. A school has been set on foot for their benefit, and Bibles, school-books, and tracts-furnished by the liberality of the Christian Knowledge Society and Religious-Tract Society-were shortly after sent down. Under the kind instruction of the chaplain of the dockyard, the naval schoolmaster, the engineer, and some Christian friends of the town, the black men have been daily diligent in acquiring both general knowledge and religious truth. They are now returning to their native land. May they be accompanied by the prayers of our readers; and may such future opportunities as occur be unceasingly used for God's glory, and the temporal and eternal benefit of our fellow-immortals journeying on to an eternity without beginning and without end! DEATH OF A MISSIONARY. "PRECIOUS in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." It is His gracious removal of His people from the trials and tribulations of this present life to be with Himself; and if there be joy at the conversion of a sinner, there is also joy when a believing soul is safely landed, out of the wreck of the body and the storms of this earthly life, on the shores of the heavenly Canaan. We, however, who remain behind, cast many a lingering look after them, when we see the posts of service, which they had diligently and faithfully occupied, left vacant. Our British-Guiana Mission is now in mourning, suffering under the bereavement of our young and promising Missionary, Lohrer. We have published from time to time, in the pages of the "Gleaner," interesting extracts from his journals-accounts of Missionary tours undertaken by him into the interior, with a view to the extension of gospel truth amongst the poor Indians. He now rests from those labours. His place here knows him no more; but he has a better place assigned to him in heaven. To us his loss is great, particularly in the feeble state of Mr. Bernau's health; while the peculiar circumstances of this Mission-in which opportunities contract instead of expanding-and the wide doors of usefulness which in other directions invite attention, discourage the hope that a successor will be appointed. The circumstances of our valued brother's death will be found in the following letter to the Lay Secretary, from our friend and correspondent at Demerara, W. B. Pollard, Esq. It is dated Demerara, Jan. 12, 1853 Your letter, enclosing one to Mr. Bernau, was received per packet, and sent down immediately to him. He has not yet returned it; but Lohrer, who had just come up to town, had an opportunity of perusing it before it was forwarded. He therein learned that the duty of conducting the Mission would in future devolve upon him. But other arrangements had already been made-he was required elsewhere: the Master called him, and he has quickly obeyed the summons. You doubtless are aware that the colony has been visited by yellow fever for some time past, but it has chiefly attacked persons who may have been but a short time in it; exceptions, however, have occurred, and our departed brother is one of them: he had what appeared to be a bilious attack on Saturday, but on Sunday more alarming symptoms showed themselves. On Monday night he was still worse, and yesterday, at six o'clock in the evening, he left us to join the Master whom he had served on earth. We inter his remains this afternoon, at four o'clock, beside those of the Rev. Mr. Bryce, in the churchyard of Christ Church; but as the packet goes at one o'clock, I have thought it due to the Committee to send this hastily-written letter, to apprise them of their loss and ours, and of the entire disarrangement of their plans in regard to the present removal of Mr. Bernau, whose health, I regret to say, is no better. Dear Lohrer was calm and peaceful to the last. About an hour before he died there were several spasms, but otherwise he suffered very little pain. At one time, INTENDED BAPTISM OF A HINDU LADY AT CALCUTTA. 39 when referring to his intended departure for Bartica on the Mondayall his business had been settled on the Friday before, and he had or ́dered the corial to meet him on Monday at Leguan, to which place he was to travel per steamer-and of his being prevented by sickness, I said, "All this is well;" and his quick reply was, "It could not be better." He told me at three yesterday that he had been thinking much of the change he was shortly to undergo, and we referred to several texts on the subject. A despatch had been sent off to Bartica on Monday morning, which arrived at eight on Tuesday. Mrs. Lohrer and her infant left immediately, and, by hard travelling, reached town this morning at nine, drenched with water, for it had been raining, and the sea was very rough; but I cannot describe her feelings on being informed of her affliction. I have not long since left her, prostrated with this overwhelming calamity. But you know that our sister is a woman of a meek and subdued spirit: she has been deeply taught in the school of Christ; and now that she has to do with realities, her faith does not fail her. Moreover, He who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb is looking on, and will not withhold His consolation in this her hour of anguish. She greatly needs the prayers, as I am sure she will have the sympathy, of all true Christians. INTENDED BAPTISM OF A HINDU LADY AT CALCUTTA. HINDU Society has always presented peculiar difficulties to the advance of the gospel. Around it the god of this world appears to have reared up some of his most laboured defences, and to have perfected a system of idolatry peculiarly well fitted to shut out the light of the gospel. In the most remote parts of the gloomy pile, and in those most difficult of access, the females of India had their place assigned them; and, knowing the powerful influence which they exercise as wives and mothers, he was the more careful to reserve this influence to himself. Many a husband has been held back from following his convictions by the entreaties of a wife; many a son has been turned aside by the tears and lamentations of a mother. But now we rejoice to find that even to this innermost and most secluded sphere of Satan's influence in India, the light of the gospel is beginning to penetrate, and that Hindu ladies are to be found with courage to brave the anger of heathen friends, and resist their persuasions, for the sake of Christ. There is a case of this kind going forward at present, in which we desire to interest our readers, and to bring out their sympathy and prayers. In order to present it clearly to them it will be necessary to go back to certain facts, which, although published in the "Church Missionary Intelligencer," have not had place in the pages of the "Gleaner." The Tagore family is one most influential and respectable in native society at Calcutta. Dwarkanath Tagore is the well-known name of a polished Hindu gentleman, who some years back visited England and other parts of Europe. A nephew of his embraced Christianity in 1850. The history of this gentleman, Gyandronath |