whence they were stolen. Efforts have also been made to give some industrial teaching to the elder boys; and two years ago Mr. Streeter reported by way of illustration, that some mason's work done by one of them was 66 first-rate, and such as would enable him to earn his living at Zanzibar." Each year some of them have been drafted from the school to manual employment; and we hope this important matter will in future receive still more attention. By means of the half-time system they might be got to work even before their simple school curriculum is over. Here we may introduce a few lines from a letter of Mr. Streeter's, dated July 17th last, referring to some very appreciative visitors : We also had one of H.M.S. London steam launches give us a call, in charge of Lieut. Cutfield, who, with his men, was delighted with the place. They went to the school, where Mr. Handford, who they thought must have worked very hard, as he has done, let the children read and sing to them. Of course these little black boys could beat the big white men, and they were so pleased that they were giving them some coppers; but I asked them not to do it, as it was not fair for the rest whom they had not heard, and they said, "True, sir." But, Jack Tar like, they were not to be beaten at the first shot; so they went outside and made a collection amongst themselves, and returned with 68. or 78., so that there should be something for all. After that we went round amongst the different cottages, and these tars thought the freed slaves were better off than themselves, which I said was in a sense correct, but what was the reason why? which led to a quiet talk. The services and classes on week-days and Sundays, and other agencies for Christian instruction, have been described in our pages several times: for instance, in Bishop Royston's most interesting report of his visit (Intelligencer, Dec. 1878); in a letter from the Rev. J. S. Knight, Chaplain of H.M.S. London (Intell., March 1880); and in Mr. Menzies' last Annual Letter (Intell., May 1880); and we need not further refer to them now. But some of the results of this teaching may be noticed. It will be remembered that there was a baptism of adult liberated slaves on Easter Day 1879, when 28 (and four elder girls) of them, after careful examination, and having given evidence of sincere faith in Christ and desire to lead godly lives, were solemnly admitted by Mr. Binns to the visible Church. Mr. Streeter wrote of them, in January 1880, eight months after, as follows: You will be glad to know that those twenty-eight freed slaves, then enrolled under the banner of the cross, have, with only two slight exceptions, proved, as far as I know, faithful to their profession, and their good example has not been without influencing many others, for they have been a little band on whom one could partly rely at various meetings, especially at their own room, where we have assembled daily throughout the year for half an hour's instruction; and it is nice to see some of the men stand their big jembys and calabash of water outside the door, and, after a hymn and prayers and a few words of encouragement, shoulder their things and off to their own day's labour. George David also goes on Friday evenings, and, besides, they come to my house one night in the week for a turn at A B C. On Easter Day 1880, nineteen more of the adult freed slaves, equally, we trust, true converts with the others, were baptized by Mr. Menzies. writes as follows:: For some months we had been looking forward to Easter, as the time when we might hope to add to the usual joy of the season one over and above in the He baptism of some more of the freed slaves, who had been carefully instructed during the year. Accordingly, on the Tuesday previous, eighteen from our class of inquirers were selected, who had given the best evidence of an earnest desire to follow the Lord Jesus, by regular attendance at the class and consistent lives. And these, in their own way, severally expressed faith in the Saviour, and a sincere wish to be baptized in His name. Those we did not feel able to accept were directed to sit on a bench a little apart and one of the women finding that she was excluded left the schoolroom and went home. She was afterwards found sitting in her house weeping, in great distress because she had not been accepted. I sent for her, and was so well pleased with her answers that I admitted her for baptism, so making our number nineteen. Her Christian name is Naomi. Of these nineteen adults there were six couples-husband and wife making public confession of their faith in Christ together. The others were also married men or women, but their partners had either already been baptized or were still unbaptized. On Easter Sunday, after a hearty morning service, thirty-four of our number partook of the Lord's Supper together. The congregation numbered 205. In the afternoon 240 were present in the church to witness the baptism of their friends. The service was in Swahili, in order that the candidates might the better understand the nature of the rite and be able to take an intel ligent interest in it. They stood around the Communion rails and replied to the questions in a loud, clear voice, and then knelt outside the rails to receive the outward sign of baptism at my hands, and a new name to commemorate the happy day that fixed their choice. They all looked very quiet, and impressed with the importance of the decision they had made. The men wore the European trousers and coat, which they are all desirous to have; and the women had a clean white cloth drawn neatly over the head, as it is worn in India. Many prayers have been offered for these people, both before and since their baptism. May the Lord keep them safe under His sheltering wings, and grant them daily grace to walk worthy of their high and holy calling! On the first Sunday after Easter the infant children of several of those baptized on Easter Day were baptized; and a few of the men and women, baptized by Mr. Binns last year, were allowed to stand as the sponsors of these little ones. This service was also very interesting. These infants, with two from Godoma, and the nineteen adults on Easter Day, represent twenty-nine baptisms in two weeks. May the Lord Jesus vouchsafe of His infinite mercy to receive them all into His everlasting kingdom in the day of His appearing in glory! Thus the seed so diligently sown by Mr. and Mrs. Price and Mr. and Mrs. Lamb, as well as by their successors and the Native catechists, has, through the grace of God the Holy Ghost, sprung up and borne fruit. The Sunday-school also, which is Mr. Streeter's especial share in the machinery of Christian instruction, can show, thank God, spiritual results. One Sunday, for example, he asked the children to try and write out little prayers of their own for their own use: The next Sunday I had nine brought. One was a collect, another a psalm, another from Church service, &c. One characteristic of a dear boy I copy exact : "O Lord, Almighty God, our Heavenly Father! help me to fight with devil, for the devil is too strong to me; forgive all my sins, take away my sinful heart, give me Thy Holy Spirit, lead me in Thy way, and when I die let my soul go to be with Thee for ever in Thy heavenly kingdom. O Lord! teach me to worship Thee, praise Thee, and serve Thee, and when I sleep I give my soul to Christ to keep. Take care of me this night. I done wrong many times; help me to do what is right. Hear me for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen." Remembering that these are written in English, and done entirely by themselves, it gives room to believe there is a work of grace going on in the hearts of many of the dear children. It is a treat to see them text-finding, and marking all principal ones. By-and-by we shall have, I trust, some really "precious Bibles." Mr. Streeter's letter of July 17th last mentions the death of two of the boys, of both of whom he has good reason to believe that they had learned to love the Saviour, and were but removed to the “ upper fold." After referring to his cook, one of the Bombay men, who had turned out a thief and had to be dismissed, he goes on: It is sweet to turn from such servants to another of my dear lads, Herbert Mabruki, who, after Luke's dismissal, became my headman, but after a short time he was taken with fever, which brought on abscess of the liver, and after a month's terrible suffering, in spite of all one who, as he said in his own letter to his old master, loved him like a son could do, he got weaker and weaker, and at last was called to our better home. His was a sweet sleep, for before going we had prayed and sung together, and he joined nicely, and told me he loved the Saviour, and was not afraid. By his life he has shown this, for after Mr. Menzies had spoken at the grave, I told the people, who were nearly all present, what a faithful servant he had been, how during two-and-half year's service I did not remember ever having occasion to speak an angry word to him, I never knew him do a wrong action or tell a lie, and that I believed the great wish of his heart was to love God and keep His commandments. I felt his loss much, for he was a trusting lad. He had told me of the little lassie whom he loved, but it would have been a waiting time, for she is the same sweet little maid who came to my house and cried when I was going on a journey. He had selected the spot he wished to build on, had three goats bought to help form a flock, and had over 27. saved up, giving me part of his wages every month; besides he had several other nice things, some of which he left to his best friend, who, alas! yet why do I say alas? never had them, for the very next day he climbed a large mango-tree, and when throwing fruit down to smaller children below, the bough gave way, and he fell some forty feet, and in less than an hour breathed his last, being quite unconscious all the time; and so we lost another beautiful character, for all speak well of him out of school, and Mr. Handford highly in. Ernest he was by name, and earnest in his efforts after good; and though not one of our brightest lads, he was one of our most trustworthy, and his quiet plodding ways soon bid fair to put him in the front rank. Several times he had been to me wanting to come and live with me, but I told him he must wait, as I had as many as I could manage; and once when writing his name he said he did not want a heathen name, Farigalla, he liked Ernest, could I not give him another to match? So we had a few quiet words, as we often had in the Sunday-school class, and he went away wishing for the better name to be enrolled on high. So we lost in a few hours two strong, bright, promising youths; but our hopes were raised thereby, believing them to have been heavenlyminded lads, and trained for the realms of the blest. Ernest did not have long to sing those sweet lines, "Oh, call my brother back to me;" for they were so-called brothers, and were the only two boys we had of their tribe, Wazaramo. We laid their bodies near each other: "Lovely and pleasant were they in their lives, and in death they were not divided." It was a sudden warning to all (no doubt needed, for we have not lost a school child for eighteen months) and a blow to many. The "idle and With all this, there is much in the colony to cause our brethren sorrow and anxiety. Neither Frere Town nor Kisulutini is a Garden of Eden. Mr. Streeter significantly refers to "the toddly-shops round the place, where some run up long scores, and Moabitish women in abundance." Bombay Africans in particular are described by Mr. Menzies as slovenly in their habits," and the women as "spending much of their time in gossiping from house to house and sleeping when they should be working opportunities which the devil is not slow to improve to their shame and hurt." The freed slaves, on the contrary, are "industrious and hard working." The Mission truly needs our continual intercessions; while its happy results on the whole call for unfeigned thanksgiving. We mentioned two months ago that both Frere Town and Kisulutini had been in imminent danger of attack from the Arab and Suahili slave-owners. It may be remembered that a similar alarm was experienced in Mr. Price's time. In May 1876, just after the Sultan's proclamation against the slavetrade and liberation of his own slaves, great excitement arose at Mombasa, really owing to those events, but finding its vent in threats of destroying the then young colony of Frere Town, whose influence was rightly fregarded as inimical to slavery and oppression of all kinds. Mr. Price was able to show the malcontents that he had always dealt fairly by them, and had not, as they alleged, harboured their runaway slaves; but notwithstanding this, a night attack on the settlement was organized, and (apparently) was, under God, only averted by the prompt interposition of the Wali of Mombasa, who sent thirty soldiers across the estuary at midnight to protect the Mission, and next day arrested the ringleaders of the disturbance. Much the same seems to have occurred in September last. Before, however, we refer further to the attack then threatened, we must give some letters which will lead up to it. At Rabai, as already mentioned, about half the people more or less connected with the Mission are fugitive slaves. About one hundred are recent runaways from Mombasa or the immediate neighbourhood; but the majority are from Giriama and other districts fifty miles and more away; and the two classes must be carefully distinguished. How the latter came at Rabai will be learned from the following letters; as also that the station was in some danger in consequence a year and a half ago. First, Mr. Binns writes: Rabai, October 5th, 1879. We have had some alarms here lately. You know, as I told you some time ago, we have a great many runaway slaves here from Giriama. They number now nearly one hundred. Their owners are rather incensed against me, for allowing them to remain here, and last week several of them came and demanded their slaves or else money in their stead. The answer I returned was, that all the slaves were at liberty to return if they wished; but I could not allow them to be taken by force from the Mission premises, where they had made sanctuary, neither could I give them money, as I had no authority or riches to redeem them. They said they would come and fight us, and take them by force. And all our people got ready for battle. I sent to Mr. Harris, and he got some soldiers sent by the Wali for our protection. Such an affair disturbed the peace of our little village not a little; but I am thankful to say that our Heavenly Father was watching over us, and He caused them to hear a rumour of war in their own country, and so they went away. I do not think they will do us any harm, as some of their own chiefs are against their coming. November 29th, 1879. You heard of the attack with which we were threatened by disappointed slave-owners, and from which we were mercifully preserved. It would have been a sad thing if our flourishing little village had been destroyed, with all the nice little houses which the people have built for themselves. Our people are easily excited, and they would sooner die than be caught by their former masters. For ourselves I have no fear, as I am convinced that our Heavenly Father will protect and take care of us. The Rabai tribe, amongst whom we are living, are friendly to us, and promised to help us in the late emergency. Those who trouble us most are coast Swahilis, who do not work, but live by cheating and stealing. They have begun upon the poor Rabais, and many of them have come to me to complain, but what can I do? Oh, for justice and truth in this dark land! These Swahilis dare not trouble our people, but they are constantly bringing false claims for slaves who live here. Even if the slave came from quite a different quarter, they will say that he was sold some time ago, but was not paid for. This is a common case with them, and we have proved, on more than one occasion, that Mr. Streeter further explains the November 1st, 1879. it is false. We can only look upward and pray that God will make His power known and felt in this dark place, and we must do our best to tell of His love for the poor benighted African. I trust we may not have any fighting, as it is not the work of a missionary to lead an attack, or to organize a defence. matter: I had not been here long before I heard of what is rather a serious matter. You will remember my telling you about the Jilore people wanting to settle at Rabai, and how they kept coming over, and now and then some runaways from Giriama. I rather remonstrated with Brother Binns about receiving the latter, but he took a different view of the matter, right as regards our feelings and what ought to be, but wrong I am afraid as regards present laws. One master came to claim one, I think it was first in Jones's time, but as he was a bad man, and would have killed him, we would not give him up, and he went away satisfied. Some months after others of his came, and he came to see Mr. Binns about them; but we did not see our way clear to having them bound before our eyes, and dragged away; if he could go and persuade them, well and good; but he could not, so went away. This was some six months back. appears he roused some other Wagiriama to come and take them by force, and while I was at Zanzibar some fifty It came, and the whole place was greatly These runaways have been diligently brought under Christian instruction by Mr. Binns and his helpers. They are invited every morning to prayer and exposition of Scripture; and special classes are held three days in the week, and on Sundays. More than a year ago Mr. Binns mentioned that seventy or eighty of them attended regularly and were very well-behaved, and some already appeared to be intelligently desirous of baptism. They seem industrious, too. Two years ago, in addition to the twenty or thirty houses of the old village of Kisulutini, three long streets had sprung up, stretching away in different directions, all the huts having been built by the fugitives themselves. The following extract from a private letter of Mr. Streeter's, dated last May, refers to these people at Rabai, and also mentions a typical case of receiving a fugitive woman at Frere Town, the narrative of which is as amusing as it is pathetic :- As the poor slaves pass through to the different coast towns (for we are on the king's highway), and see what our people are getting for themselves, yon may imagine their feelings. No wonder they run to us when their masters ill |