Metran or Bishop of the Syrian Church. The Syrians of Ranni at the time of my visit were so torn by faction that the only solution possible, in the opinion of the heathen magistrates, was to order the reforming party to hold the church for one week, and the non-reformers for the next. No. 3 is the portrait of a Syrian deacon of the ancient church at Neranam, said to have been built by St. Thomas, a most interesting old church, full of carved beams and other evidences of ancient grandeur; but one is full of sadness to see its present state of dirt and decay. The Syrians have seven ordinations before a man can become a full priest, and one often sees little boy deacons of twelve cassocked and tonsured. The priesthood is hereditary in certain families.

No. 8 is the sexton, or Kapiyar, of Neranam Church, and wears the usual lay dress.

No. 12 is a pretty little Syrian girl standing mermaidenwise in the water near our beat, not far from Talawadi. The ornaments on her neck are golden coins: spade sovereigns or Venetian ducats being often seen, with little gold pieces of native make between the larger ones. Our little friend rejoices in the sweet name of Mariam, or Akka, or Chachi. She has her ears bored, and they are now being stretched by coils of palm-leaf, a cruel freak of fashion against which a strong and practical protest is made by the wisest of our Native clergy. These dear little girls are such as you would see, kind reader, if you were to visit Mrs. Baker senior's school at Cottayam, established with the aid of the late Mrs. J. Fenn, of Blackheath, in 1820, and since carried on with affection and patience by Mrs. Baker, now the oldest veteran of India's Mission-workers. But in this school, or Mrs. Henry Baker's, or any of the boarding schools throughout the Mission, our little friend would have to don a white jacket, embroidered, after the fashion of the Syrians, with wondrous needlework round the neck opening, at the wrists, and up the sides. Button-hole and crewel stitches in Native silk thread like old gold look very effective on these white jackets, and the work is much admired in England.

Sketches 2 and 4 call to mind our Mission-work among the heathen, and, as it happens, represent phases of work among possibly the most degraded class in the known world, the "slaves" or Pulayans of Travancore. No. 2 represents the Rev. J. Caley, myself, and the Native horsekeeper (a Christian named Warugisa) crossing one of the paddy fields during the monsoon. On the rising ground in front is Peranturutti "church or prayer-house, in the Tiruwella, a district the object of our visit. It is a Sunday sketch, and reminds me of many a pleasant Sabbath, in the vacations of the Cambridge Nicholson Institution (our divinity college), spent with the Rev. J. Caley in his district, and generally utilised for visiting the little "slave" congregations scattered here and there among the rice fields and cocoanut plantations. One point to be made sure of in the catechising during the sermon, was whether the people grasped this truth of the Bible, that afflictions, diseases, and death came from God our heavenly Father, and not from the malice of evil spirits, as the heathen think. Mr. Caley used to lay great stress upon it.

No. 4 is a sketch taken by moonlight on the Pallam river just opposite the Bishop's landing-place. Mr. Cole, the Superintendent of the Mission press, and I were making a tour to see Malapalli Pastorate in a Native boat, and came across the dug-out with two men. Hailing them to give them some new tracts just printed, we were agreeably surprised to find that they were "brethren " of the Pallam congregation on their way to a prayer-meeting. The sketch was made while our boat was moored to the side, and our men were taking their rice" on the bank. As the night was chill the travellers are wearing rather more "cloths" (not clothes) than usual. My companion is stretching his legs on the bank and admiring the bright reflection of the moon in the waters of the flooded rice-fields beyond.

No. 5. Have my readers ever heard of a "church in a tiger jungle"? The Rev. J. H. Bishop, a good brother missionary of Trichur (once of Cottayam College) has been writing to Missionary Leaves for help for such a church. Well, here is a sketch taken eight years ago of this very church in its incipient state. As it was doorless and windowless in those days, the church bell, Bible, and Prayer-book had to be carried thither every Sunday morning, and so my sketch had delineated matters, but space did not allow of the sexton appearing in the GLEANER with his bell and books on his head. Pattikád, the name of this little station near Trichur, means tiger jungle, literally and euphemistically dog jungle.

Nos. 6 and 7 are two Mission bungalows, the former at Cottayam, built by the Rev. Benjamin Bailey, so well known as the translator of the Malayalam Bible and Prayer-book, &c., one of the famous Travancore triumviri, Bailey, Baker, and Fenn, who began the Mission to the Syrians in 1816, as the result of Claudius Buchanan's appeal. It has of late been the Principal's house for the Cambridge Nicholson Institution since 1857, and close by are the Institution, and the Model School with its 100 scholars. The tree to the right with branches at right angles to the stem is the silk-cotton tree.

The other bungalow, No. 7, is at Tiruwella, occupied by the Rev. F. Bower, and has for eleven years been the head-quarters of the Mavelikara Mission. Here the missionary has summoned his schoolmasters and layhelpers from time to time, and here the Native clergy have come for

advice, consultation, or friendship. Here under the same roof is the boarding-school for girls, and the little book and tract depôt for the convenience of the colporteurs and others; and in the compound or grounds surrounding the house is the boys' boarding-school, the slave school for training teachers of that class under the care of one of my divinity students, and last, but not least, the church of the district. Large and rather unfinished, it has a less happy appearance than the little village church of Caviur (No. 9), or Kapiur (the monkey town). I believe the congregation have tiled their little house of prayer since I sketched it.

No. 11 is the fine well-constructed church at Mavelikara, built in whole or in part by a legacy from Mrs. Hannah More. The famous Rev. Joseph Peet, father of the Southern District, Mavelikara, was the architect and builder. There used to be an obelisk in front of the west entrance, between it and the covered gateway of the sketch, on which were the letters of the sacred Hindu word OM or AUM, which symbolises the Hindu Triad, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, and the repetition of which is supposed to be all-powerful to facilitate absorption into the godhead-a mere annihilation. It can only be uttered or seen by Brahmans, as the other castes in Hinduism have no real part in things sacred. Under this word was the text in Malayalam, "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." So the obelisk was a defiance and a gospel. The slab, with inscription, is now in the porch of the church. The beautiful tall trees on each side the church, seen also peering above the roof of the Cottayam Mission-house, are the Australian casuarinas, sheoaks, or whip trees, well-known in India and Ceylon, and becoming quite a feature in the landscape, and, in Travancore, landmarks to the traveller, as they are always found near a Mission-house or public building, and are seen from a great distance. Under the shade of the tower lies all that was mortal of Rev. Joseph Peet, who returned to Mavelikara the last time, as he told the Committee, in order to be buried among his converts, and his death took place within a few months of his re-lauding in India. He left 3,000 spiritual children to mourn his loss.

Let our last sketch, No. 10, speak to us for the high caste Hindus, men and women. This is a portrait of a student in the matriculation class at Cottayam College. Many a time did Mr. Bishop and myself, in our alternate work in the Bible hour, day by day, impress upon Velu Pilla the way of the Gospel; but so far in vain. His kudumi, or sacred lock worn by the Malayalis, or western coast Hindus, in front, to keep them, says the legend, on this side India and distinguish them from other Hindus, proves that he is still devoted to the worship of the false gods of his country. I remember seeing in one of his class books a prayer in English, that the great God would help him and give him good luck to pass his examination. He did matriculate after much patient waiting.

"MR. LEAF.”

EAR EDITOR,-When travelling through the Chu-chee district last December, a man who had been baptized about a year before said to the catechist, Matthew Tai, "When you passed through my village last summer why did you not come and see me?" Matthew Tai answered, "I passed through in the night; besides, I did not know where your house was." The man answered, "You should have asked the first person you met where Tsang (Leaf), the disciple of Jesus, lived, and he would have told you. Every one knows the disciple of Jesus. There is no one else in the village worships Jesus but myself, and every one knows me."

When these words were said I was resting in Mr. Leaf's house during one of the long walks from one station to another (S-kya-n to Wang-dofang). I had never visited the village before, it not being on the road we usually travel by. The room in which we were sitting was full of Mr. Leaf's heathen neighbours, who evidently assented to the truth of his remarks. This man is not only the only Christian in his village, but he has to walk a long, long way to find any one like-minded with himself. Every Sunday he walks over one of the highest mountain passes in the district in order to worship with his brethren at S-kao-u. By thus not working on Sunday, he at once practically gives one-seventh of his small income to God. When once more we were walking on our way, I pondered much over this man's words, "Every one here knows the disciple of Jesus." Happy, thrice happy Mr. Leaf! although despised and spoken against for the Saviour's name sake now, the day is coming when the Saviour, before His Father and all the heavenly host, will confess that He knows you. Poor now, you will then be rich for ever. The poor cottage in the Chu-chee hills will be exchanged for the heavenly mansions, and the taunts and sneers of the heathen for the songs of the redeemed and the glories of heaven.

I would say in conclusion, pray for Mr. Leaf that he may be kept trusting in the Saviour, and that he may be the means of bringing many of his neighbours to the truth, so that he may no longer be able to say, "There is no one else worships Jesus in the village but myself." ARTHUR ELWIN.

HANG-CHOW, January 30th, 1883.

THE LATE MRS. CLARKE, OF NEW ZEALAND.

RIENDS of the C.M.S. in Norfolk will know well the name of the Rev. Henry Tacy, formerly Rector of Swanton Morley, who did great things in that county for the Society between thirty and forty years ago. In the early part of the century he was Curate of Wymondham, and the Rev. S. Gedge sends us the following as the substance of speech he once heard him deliver :

"When I was Curate of Wymondham there were in the schools a few children whose conduct remarkably distinguished them from the great body of their schoolfellows. It attracted the attention of the teachers and myself. I inquired carefully as to the probable cause of their superiority. I could not discover that their parents were distinguished above many others by piety, or that they had any peculiar advantages in their home training. At length, I found out that these children had said to one another, Mr. Tacy is always telling us that we must be converted if we would go to heaven; and that if we would be converted, we must pray to be converted; let us then meet together and ask God to convert us.' And so they had done, telling no one; only showing the result in their exemplary conduct. And these children grew up to be godly Christian men and women. And some of them were among the first missionaries to New Zealand."

Two of them, George Clarke and Martha Elizabeth Blomfield, who had formed a mutual attachment, prayed definitely that they might become husband and wife, and be sent to New Zealand as C.M.S. missionaries. God answered their prayer, and they sailed on April 20th, 1822. Mr. Clarke died seven years ago; Mrs. Clarke survived until December 8th last year, within three days of her 80th birthday. She and her husband were the first missionaries to occupy the afterwards well-known station of Waimate, which now gives its name to the Archdeaconry over which their son, Archdeacon E. B. Clarke, also a valued C.M.S. missionary, has presided for the last twelve years. The Auckland Church Gazette, which reports Mrs. Clarke's death, says:

Though of a quiet and retiring disposition, she on more than one occasion showed remarkable courage. Once her house was surrounded by cannibals who had set their minds on killing and eating a young slave girl. Mrs. Clarke hid the child under her bed, locked the door of the room, and with perfect self-possession forbade the savages to enter. For the last eight years of her life she was rendered utterly helpless by rheumatism, being quite unable even to feed herself. But though at times she endured severe pain, she never murmured. She was a living and very practical sermon, teaching by her life the lesson of cheerful submission, as she had formerly done that of activity in every good work.

The burial service was said in the Maori language, the greater part by a Maori, the Rev. Hare Peka Taua. This was at her own request. "I left my home," she said, "for the good of the Natives; I have spent my life amongst them; and I would like that they should carry me to the grave and read the service over me."

AN INCIDENT FROM TINNEVELLY. [The Rev. E. G. Punchard, late Principal of St. Augustine's College, Canterbury, writes as follows to the Secretaries of the Society :-]

AM sure you will be glad to read the enclosed extract, with reference to one of your C.M.S. converts. The letter has just been received by me from Mudalûr, near Satthankulam, Tinnevelly. Its writer, the Rev. H. B. Norman, S.P.G. missionary, is a young man of remarkable earnestness and piety, who was in my Indian class at St. Augustine's, Canterbury, in 1878-9. His devotion to India began as a boy, when he heard of the murder of his uncle (Mr. Chief Justice Norman), and I am confident of your good wishes for the furtherance of his noble work :

Yesterday (ie. February 16th, 1883), I was greatly encouraged by a man from a purely heathen village, which I visited a short time ago, coming to me and entreating me to accompany him to his village, and open a little prayer-house which he had built. As he came about noon, when the sun was very hot, I told him I would come at 5 P.M. Nothing, however, would induce him to go back to his village without me. we arrived at the place I found everything neatly arranged; a nice little house, which he called a church, built wholly of palmyra leaves; and better still, a little congregation of heathen people waiting for me.

When

Upon inquiry as to what had led him to come forward like this, and

express so great desire to become a Christian, I was told that fifteen years ago he had married a Christian girl from one of the C.M.S. villages-of course, only with heathen rites, and in direct disobedience to the Mission. There she had been living, forgotten by all her former friends, the life of a heathen, for fifteen long years-her children unbaptized, herself an alien from God. In the midst of all this darkness and sin, it would seem that some small voice whispered to her conscience some dear and precious truth she learnt in former days; and, though very ignorant (for, as she had not seen print for fifteen years, she could not read, and had forgotten almost all she ever knew), she has at length been able to induce her husband to become a Christian, and to bring others with him.

The little house they had built was crowded; and we set the place apart for God's service, by prayer. I have seldom had more willing listeners than this little heathen community, as in plain and simple language I told about the love of Christ in coming into the world and dying for them and for me. I trust, before long, they will all receive the rite of Holy Baptism, and become true members of Christ's Church.

LISTEN!

True Stories from Fuh-Chow.

BY A LADY MISSIONARY.

V.

E must ask those who have been so very much interested by the story of Mr. and Mrs. Ahok as it appeared in the GLEANER for February, to rejoice with us, and join us in praising God for what He has done for that family. It will be remembered, that at the end of page 22 these words occur: "Since then the father and three other members of the family have received baptism. And when I left, the daughter-in-law was a candidate for baptism, and the lady is, I believe, earnest, and will eventually become an out-and-out Christian." The mother still worshipped idols, and was angry if spoken to about Christianity, but now, here is a quotation from one of Mr. Ahok's last letters to me:

"I am happy to tell you that on the 18th June last, my mother, wife, and brother and his wife were baptized, and I hope that they will carry on Christian work to be worthy of true and earnest Christians. My brother's wife has a baby [boy] born a few days after [his mother's] baptism. The mother and the baby are both doing very well. I think it is a special gift from God. And I hope the baby may grow up to be the means of doing God's work, and a comfort to his parents. I have changed the Thursday meeting [Bible reading] to Friday. I have a meeting at my store every Wednesday, and monthly meeting at my house. Last Sunday I had a large society [gathering] at meeting at my house. There were about 40 present."

We can indeed ask all to rejoice over this letter. For it is true. But for some time Mr. Ahok had been very much exercised about closing his places of business on Sundays. None of his partners would agree to his closing, and very many times he came to talk over with me what he had better do. We held long consultations about it, and prayed together; also asked all the other Missionaries to pray about this. We all felt that it would be a very great thing for Mr. Ahok to do, and a very sure way of confessing Christ before men. Yet we could not lose sight of these facts, viz., Mr. Ahok has about a thousand employés in one place and another, "all eating my rice," as he said to me on one occasion. "If I close, my customers will go elsewhere. My partners will want to leave, and these people will be thrown out of employment. Many of them are married, and I do not like to think of the consequences to their families. I have spoken many times to my partners, but they will not agree." So things went on for about a year. In the letter quoted from above, he writes, "My store has not been closed on Sunday, because all my employés do not believe in God, and I hope that you will pray God to help me in bringing this important matter" (to a satisfactory ending).

We ought to have explained before that Mr. Ahok has joined, not the C.M.S. Native Church, but that of the American Episcopal Methodists, to whose influence, in part, his conversion, under God, was due.

At the last Conference before I left China, when the catechists met together for a week's consultation, prayer, &c., Mr. Ahok invited several of the most important to take food at his house, and consult together about closing the stores. This was entirely a Native meeting, and what I am about to relate was told me by Mr. Ahok afterwards. The catechists and Christians unanimously agreed that the "stores" (places of business) must be closed on Sundays-that it should be done slowly. First, an almanack should be drawn up, denoting on what days in the Chinese year the English Sunday would fall on, and such days to be duly marked and notice given that no business would be transacted on those days; but as many of the retail customers came from a distance, and as Mr. Ahok would not like to lose the custom of those who had hitherto so generously supported him, the stores would not be closed until this notice had been well circulated. The employés were to receive the same wages, but were to go to a place of Christian worship instead of serving behind the counter. If this was not agreed to they must leave. Mr. Ahok willingly took these proposals and submitted them to his partners, who still stood out against it. I remember well the following Saturday going to see him, and hearing him sadly say he did not know what to do. I told him he must be willing to lose his earthly goods if they stood between him and his obedience to God, and then I read our Saviour's own words in the Gospel of Mark ix. So I was not surprised to read the quotation you see above. But it stirred my heart to ask English friends to join me in praying that Mr. Ahok might be made willing to do whatever was right, even at a great sacrifice. And yesterday the answer came. The letter is dated "March 3rd, 1888," and contains these words: "My two stores are closed on Sundays, commencing from the beginning of the

ARCHDEACON VINCENT, OF MOOSE.

HE Bishop of Moosonee has appointed the Rev. Thomas Vincent, C.M.S. Missionary at Albany, Hudson's Bay, to the office of Archdeacon of Moose; and we give Mr. Vincent's portrait, which has been lying in our portfolio two or three years, waiting for a good opportunity for its insertion. Mr. Vincent is a Native clergyman in the sense of being born in the country, but he is of partly European descent. He has been for many years a zealous and laborious missionary. He formerly worked as a catechist under his present Bishop, then the Rev. John Horden, of Moose; and he was ordained in 1860 by Bishop Anderson of

Chinese new year. I continue to have Wednesday meeting at my store, and Friday meeting at my residence, and I hope God will lead me to do aright. At my family prayer I never omit to pray for you and your husband, and I hope you will often pray for me.'

I will ask all who read this to pray for that family-praise the Lord for what has been done. And, dear friends, not only pray but act. Those who cannot obey the call to "go"-Do you give of your substance till you feel it? Ask the Lord to show you what you may do to send out those who will enter these Chinese abodes, and take the Bread of Life to those shutin women. There is not one lady missionary to two million women yet!

M. FAGG.

Rupert's Land. Ever since then he has been stationed at Albany, a trading post on the west side of Hudson's Bay, 100 miles north of Moose; but his district is very extensive, and he has several times made long missionary journeys for the Bishop into other parts of the Moosonee Diocese. We give some extracts from his last Annual Letter to the Society::

ALBANY, HUDSON'S BAY, January 18th, 1883. Last January, 1882, I found myself in charge of the Moose Mission, until such time as our good Bishop would return to it. I returned to Albany immediately after Easter, so as to be present there at the opening of navigation. When the ice breaks up in the Albany River, we are exposed to great danger; but hitherto we have been mercifully preserved, yet our establishment suffered much damage from this very cause only two years ago.

In June I went to Moose again, walking along the coast. This was a most disagreeable trip; the snow had just melted; the water was as cold as ice, and we had to wade the whole distance, 100 miles, often, very often, with the water too deep to be agreeable. There I continued actively engaged until the end of June, when I found it necessary to take another run to Albany for a day or two, just to see how matters were progressing. This trip occupied seven days. Then it was necessary to see Rupert's House also, and the people of that place. Taking a passage in the company's schooner, we were soon there. I received a hearty welcome from all; saw a large number of the Indians, and was soon actively engaged among them. There also I had the pleasure of meeting the Mistasinnie and Nitchequan brigades. These parties had come from their distant homes to get their supplies from the coast. I felt as if I were among my own people; to the whole I am well known, having laboured among them frequently before. With so many about me, I was kept well employed. Most wished to talk to me of their difficulties and trials, and to receive a word of counsel and encouragement. Then there were services to be conducted daily in English and Indian; classes to be held; a number of infants to be baptized; one or two marriages to take place; books to be distributed; almanacks to be marked, and lastly, but not least to the Indian, a small treat of flour to be given.

Engaged thus, the most part of two weeks quickly passed away, and when the schooner was ready to sail I had to say farewell, and with many good wishes commend them to God and to the word of His grace. At

this moment this interesting people are scattered over a large extent of country; some distant from me at least 800 miles, where there is neither church nor house. Yet I believe that day after day prayer and praise ascend from many a wigwam to our common Father and our loving Saviour. What has the Gospel not done for these poor people, when it has brought to the hearts and homes of so many that joy and peace which passeth all understanding!

Returning to Moose, I continued to labour on until August. Early in September I returned to Albany, glad to take up my own work, and to be once more with my own people. Since then I have continued here, humbly trying to do the work of an evangelist.

We have just had a visit from our good Bishop, his stay extending over two weeks. We had a nice confirmation service before he left. The candidates, twenty-four in number, were carefully prepared and examined beforehand, and on the day appointed they came forward and took upon themselves the solemn vows and promises made for them at their baptism. Then, too, our communicants had an opportunity of partaking of the Saviour's body broken and His blood shed; our number was increased by two, who, coming forward, for the first time partook of this sacred feast. Although we have not been free from sickness during the past year, yet I thankfully record that there have not been many deaths. Our invalids, however, have all had the comforts of religion and the sweet promises of God's Word to cheer them all throughout.

I also most thankfully state that at this place the attendance of our people on their religious duties has been constant and regular; the house of God has been well attended; the singing and responses heartily joined in, and the plain explanations of God's Word listened to earnestly and reverently.

DEAR

Plants for Sale.

EAR MR. EDITOR,-Being anxious to help the C.M.S. as much as I can, and having been very successful in raising cinerarias, I have sown some in the hope that some of your readers may like to purchase them. We have had upwards of twenty varieties (Daniel's choicest strain), all very fine and some unusually large. I would send five seedlings post-free for 1s., and expect to have a few offsets, rather larger plants, which would be three for 1s. We have found them succeed either in greenhouse or window for winter and spring blooming. I have also some seedlings of the greenhouse variegated fern, pteris creta maculata, and of the fringed hart's tongue, which I would be glad to send at 4d. each, post-free.-Sincerely yours, South Yeo, Bideford, N. Devon.

M. P.

MOOSONEE.

LONE, lone land!

Circle the icy zone with pray'r,

Poor out your gold for the heralds there!
Care for them, plead for them! Harvests yield,
Send more labourers into the field,

To that lone land!

A silent land!

Send sweet speech of the Word of God
Through snowy silence,-o'er bloomless sod!
The Gospel story rings through our lands,
Send its music to those still strands,
That silent land!

An ice-bound land!

The crystal walls of the icebergs grand Guard the way to that desolate land. Vainly would foam of the dashing waves Tarnish the sheen of those emerald caves. The ice-bound land!

A dark, dark land!

The Indian prays for the world's glad Light,
Hold it forth in the heathen night!
Heralds of light and gladness plead,
"Send us forth for the heathen's need
To that dark land!"

A lone, lone land!

They heed not peril, nor toil, nor shame, They count not life to be dear to them! Shall we our worldly good withhold? Shall we keep back our silver and gold From that lone land?

CLARA THWAITES.

HOW TO USE MISSIONARY BOXES.-A lady, on leaving Belvedere in Kent, has returned to the Society six Missionary Boxes, five of which have been in use 14, 13, 6, 5, and 2 years respectively, and have produced altogether £236 19s. 8d. (Of the 6th there is no record.) They have been so carefully used that they can be put in order at the cost of a few pence and re-issued.

AT

THE MONTH.

T the recent Cambridge C.M.S. Anniversary, the Regius Professor of Divinity, Dr. Westcott, who presided, said: "I have lately had occasion to become intimately acquainted with the work done in the Society's College at Islington. I can but say that the admirable character and results of the teaching in that college make me thankful that men so prepared should be going out into the Mission field."

ON June 11th the C.M.S. Committee received the Bishop of Calcutta. There was a large attendance, including the Earl of Chichester, President, and several of the Vice-Presidents. The Bishop, in a very interesting speech, described what he had seen of C.M.S. Missions in India, and referred to several important questions connected with their organisation and development.

ON the same day the Rev. W. Allan, who has returned from Palestine, gave a most interesting account of the Society's Missions there, praising especially the schools in the towns and villages, most of which are doing a remarkable work in instructing the people in the truths of Scripture.

WE omitted to state last month that Mr. W. E. Oliphant, of St. John's Hall, Highbury, who has been accepted by the Society for missionary work, was ordained, with the Islington students, by the Bishop of London, at his Trinity Ordination on May 20th. He has, however, taken a curacy under the Rev. H. W. Webb-Peploe, for a year, before going out to the Mission field.

THE Islington men lately ordained have been assigned as follows: the Rev. J. W. Handford to Frere Town, where he has already done such excellent work; the Rev. T. Harding to Lagos; the Rev. A. W. Cotton to Sindh; the Rev. T. Holden to Peshawar; the Rev. M. N. S. Atkinson to the Koi Mission; the Rev. J. B. Panes to the Telugu Mission; and the Rev. J. W. Tims to the Blackfoot Mission, Saskatchewan.

THE REV. R. T. Dowbiggin has sailed to rejoin the Ceylon Mission, and the Rev. J. Hines the Saskatchewan Mission. The Rev. J. W. Tims, also appointed to Saskatchewan (as above mentioned), has likewise left England for his distant post.

THE Rev. William L. Groves, B.A., of Pembroke College, Cambridge, formerly Curate of Whitechapel, afterwards Chaplain to Bishop Burdon at Hong-Kong, and latterly Acting-chaplain at Shanghai, has offered himself to the Society for missionary work in China, and has been appointed for the present to assist the Rev. J. C. Hoare at the Ningpo College.

THE Rev. G. Litchfield, late of the Nyanza Mission, has been appointed to the Bheel Mission, Rajputana. The Bheels are the wild hill tribe for whose evangelisation the Rev. C. S. Thompson was sent out three years ago on a special benefaction of £1,000 for the purpose from the Rev. E. H. Bickersteth. The Mission having now been taken on the General Fund, Mr. Bickersteth has given another £1,000 to provide a second missionary, which has been supplemented by additional gifts from Mr. Joseph Hoare and other friends.

WE greatly regret to say that the Rev. T. Phillips, the English Secretary of the Niger Mission, has been compelled to come home on account of illness. The Rev. J. Hannington, of the Nyanza Mission, whose proposed return home was mentioned last month, was brought safely down to the coast, and has now arrived in England. His devotion to the work, and his patience and courage under sufferings and privations of all kinds have been most remarkable; and we are indeed thankful that he has been preserved to reach this country. The following missionaries have also lately come to England, in addition to those mentioned in previous numbers: the Rev. W. A. Roberts, from Western India; the Rev. T. R. Hodgson, from Jabalpur; the Revs. F. W. N. Alexander and E. N. Hodges, from the Telugu Mission; the Rev. M. G. Goldsmith, from Madras; the Rev. J. Allcock, from Ceylon; the Rev. R. Shann, from Mid-China; the Rev. F. Bellamy, from Palestine.

A PORTRAIT of the late Principal of the C.M. College, the Rev. W. II. Barlow, B.D., has been painted by Mr. J. Edgar Williams, and was formally presented to the College by the subscribers at a meeting held on

May 21st. The presentation was made by Mr. Alexander Beattie, J.P., and by the Rev. J. W. Handford, senior student, and the gift was suitably acknowledged by the present Principal, the Rev. T. W. Drury, M.A. The portrait has given great satisfaction.

The Henry Wright steamer arrived at Port Said, en route for East Africa, on May 28th. She had proved herself an admirable sea-boat in all respects.

A NEW station of the East Africa Mission has been established in the Teita country, seventy or eighty miles inland from Mombasa. Mr. J. A. Wray is located there, on the western side of a mountain 5,000 feet high.

INTERESTING letters have been received from the Rev. P. O'Flaherty and Mr. Mackay, in Uganda, up to November 19th. All was going on well. The principal event was the abandonment of Uganda by the French Romanist missionaries, who had all left.

ANOTHER of the Society's old missionaries has been taken to his rest, the Rev. C. H. Blumhardt. He was a native of Wurtemberg, and was educated at the Basle Missionary Seminary, and the C.M. College at Islington; and he was ordained by Bishop Blomfield in 1834. In 1836 he sailed for Abyssinia, whence he was expelled in 1838 with Krapf and Isenberg. He was then transferred to India, and laboured in the Krishnagar Mission from 1839 to 1877, when he finally retired after forty years' service. His son, the Rev. E. K. Blumhardt, was also a C.M.S. missionary for nine years, and his daughter married Dr. Dyson, late Principal of the Cathedral Mission College, Calcutta, and now Senior Tutor in the Islington College.

A MISSION BOARD has been established in New Zealand, comprising the three Bishops of Auckland, Waiapu, and Wellington; Archdeacons Clarke and Williams (Secretary); the Revs. R. Burrows and S. Williams; and Messrs. Larkins, Clarke, and Tanner, to administer the Society's grant to the Mission and the revenue from the Society's lands in the island; and an arrangement has been made for a yearly diminution of the former, and for its cessation at the end of twenty years, subject to the personal claims of individual missionaries on the Society. The scheme has been cordially welcomed in New Zealand.

BISHOP RIDLEY, of Caledonia, held his first Confirmation on March 9th, at Kincolith, where the Rev. T. Dunn, formerly of Ceylon, is now stationed. Thirteen women and twelve men were confirmed.

READERS of the present series of the GLEANER from the commencement will remember a remarkable narrative in the very first number, January, 1874, of an attempt by Mr. Downes (since known as Dr. Downes, of Kashmir), to penetrate into Kafiristan, the mountainous country north-east of Afghanistan. Mr. Hughes, of Peshawar, now writes that his Native evangelist, Syud Shah, has lately gone into that country, preaching the Gospel as he went, and brought back with him a young Kafir to be educated.

THE number of baptisms in Fuh-Kien in 1882 was-adults, 184; children, 109. The Christian adherents are now 4,454, an increase of 355 in the year. Among the converts mentioned is one man who is a fruit of Dr. Taylor's medical work, having come to him to be operated on for diseased jaw, and having, while under his care, heard and believed the message of salvation. This man "is very earnestly endeavouring to make known God's love in Christ Jesus," and he has already brought in his brother and a fellow-workman to be candidates for baptism.

RECEIVED:-"Thank-offering from a servant, for the fitting up of the Henry Wright steamer, with the prayer that God's blessing will rest upon the labours of the faithful workers in that part of His vineyard." 10s. Also, "M." for the same object, 10s. For the General Fund, a Country Schoolmaster, 10s. Thank-offering for answer to prayer, £1 1s. Od.

We have received from Miss V. M. Skinner some more of her admirable "Friendly Letters," published by Jarrold & Sons. Our space is too limited for us to notice much even of C.M.S. work that ought not to be passed over; so that we are obliged to refrain from enlarging our borders and naming many other excellent agencies for good at home and abroad which have our hearty sympathy. But we must just mention these Letters. The last one is addressed to Nurses.