five years in Africa. Most of the time he was alone; but the Rev. G. Litchfield was with him for some months in 1880; and on Sept. 2nd last year, the last new Nyanza party arrived, two of its members, the Revs. J. Blackburn and W. J. Edmonds, being commissioned to strengthen the Uyui Mission. But although man proposes, God disposes; and while Mr. Copplestone is in England, news comes that Mr. Edmonds also is coming home sick. Mr. Blackburn, too, had already been obliged to come down to the coast to take care of Mr. Hannington, the leader of the whole party, who was dangerously ill; but he, we trust, is back again by this time.

Is it not a sure sign of God's favour and blessing that, notwithstanding changes and disappointments like these, the Nyanza Mission, both in Uganda itself and at these intermediate posts, is still carried on in faith and patience,

and not without fruit? So far, Uyui has been the most unpromising of the stations. The chief, though not personally unfriendly, will not allow the children to come to school; and the people are truly "of the earth, earthy." But so much the more reason for perseverance and prayer. For the souls of the Wa

THE MONTH.

WE were sorry to go to press last month without the announcement of the appointment of the Rev. A. W. Poole to the Japan Bishopric; but we could not put it in print until the Archbishop's official intimation had been received, and this came just too late for the GLEANER, though in time for the C.M. Intelligencer. An article on the subject, with a portrait of Mr. Poole, will be found on another page.

THE Duke of Marlborough, whose sudden death on July 5th caused such general regret, was a Vice-President of the C.M.S., and had been so since 1856.

ON July 3rd, the C.M.S. Committee received Bishop Caldwell, the veteran S.P.G. missionary in Tinnevelly, and superintendent of that society's missions there. He gave a most interesting account of the progress of the Gospel among the Tamil population. Referring to his brother Bishop, Dr. Sargent of the C.M.S., he said, "We have worked together, walked together, prayed together, but never quarrelled with each other." He bore high testimony to the C.M.S. educational institutions, particularly the High School at Palamcotta formerly carried on by Mr. Cruickshanks, the blind old master who was instrumental in the conversion of Mr. Satthianadhan and others, and expressed a hope that the new S.P.G. College at Tuticorin would be carried on upon the model of that school and of the Noble High School at Masulipatam.

ON the same day, Governor Havelock, of Sierra Leone, attended the Committee, and gave valuable information regarding that colony and its Christian population, particularly as to the education provided, towards which the Government are now going to give grants-in-aid.

Ar the same meeting, the Rev. J. Hannington was received on his return from Central Africa, and touched all hearts by his simple recital of his journeys, trials, and sufferings. Dr. Downes, of Kashmir, was also present, and gave a full account of the Medical Mission there.

ON July 9th, the Committee received Archdeacon Farler, of the Universities' Mission in Usambara, East Africa, who gave an interesting account of his own work, and spoke very warmly of several of the C.M.S. missionaries.

DR. E. J. BAXTER, of Mpwapwa, is in England for a short time, and gives an encouraging account of missionary prospects in Usagara and Ugogo. The Rev. J. S. Doxey has also arrived from the Punjab; the Rev. V. Faulkner from Yoruba; and Archdeacon Crowther from the Niger.

THE Rev. J. Hamilton, the Society's Association Secretary for Hants, Berks, Bucks, and Oxon, and formerly missionary at Sierra Leone, has gone out to the Niger as English Secretary, in the place of the Rev. T. Phillips, who has come home ill. He is accompanied by a young medical missionary, Dr. Percy Brown.

THE meeting of the Royal Geographical Society on June 25th was an interesting one from a C.M.S. point of view. The paper read was written by Mr. Last, our missionary at Mamboia, East Africa (see preceding page), and described his visit to the Masai, the powerful and muchdreaded tribe which occupies a large stretch of country between Mombasa and the Victoria Nyanza, and which has hitherto prevented all advance in that direction. The paper was read to the meeting by Sir John Kirk, the British Political Agent at Zanzibar. Dr. Baxter, of Mpwapwa, was also present, and spoke of his visit to another section of the same people. Archdeacon Farler, of the Universities' Mission, followed, and then Mr. R. N. Cust, a member of the Geographical Council and also of the C.M.S. Committee, spoke, referring sympathetically to Mr. Last's recent loss of his wife. The Chairman, General Rigby, who was formerly Consul at Zanzibar, concluded with some personal reminiscences of Rebmann, the C.M.S. missionary who was for so many years alone in East Africa.

THE Bishop of Lahore has been visiting Persia on his way from India to England. At the request of the C.M.S. Committee, the Bishop of London gave him a commission to exercise episcopal functions in that country; and he confirmed 67 Native Christians of Dr. Bruce's congre

gation on May 18th, and on the 20th admitted the excellent Armenian assistant, Minasakan George, to deacon's orders. This is the first Anglican confirmation and ordination in Persia; and it will cause much joy to the

many friends in all parts of England and Ireland who have listened to Dr. Bruce's fervent appeals for that "wilderness" and "desert," as he was so fond of calling it.

THE Henry Wright steamer had a successful voyage as far as Aden; but between that port and Zanzibar her progress was so impeded by the monsoon that at length her coal was exhausted, and it being impossible to sail southward against that wind, she had to put back to Aden for a few weeks.

Ir is reported that King Mtesa is dead. Our latest letters from Uganda are dated Feb. 28th, and he was then as usual. Mr. O'Flaherty and Mr. Mackay were well, and things generally prosperous. Visitors and inquirers were numerous, and one priest of the luhari (spirit of the Lake) had cast off his charms and ornaments, and avowed himself a believer in Christ. Mtesa and the chiefs had been much excited by the news of the English campaign in Egypt. The reinforcing party had been delayed by many difficulties; but Mr. Ashe was leaving Kagei for Uganda in Mtesa's canoes on April 4th.

THE Punjab Native Church Council held its annual meeting last Christmas, not, as usual, in the city of Amritsar, but in the village of Jhandiala, where Miss Clay, the devoted honorary missionary of the C.E.Z.M.S., has her head-quarters, and also the itinerant Native missionary employed by the Council, the Rev. Mian Sadiq. The Bishop of Lahore was present, and preached the opening sermon. The subjects and readers of papers were-Village Schools, by the Rev. Mian Sadiq; On the Appointment and Examination of Catechists, by Mr. Chandu Lall; Evangelistic Services, "with singing, and possibly with instrumental music," by the Rev. Imad-ud-din and Mr. Mya Das; What is the best way to make the Church independent? by Mr. (now the Rev.) T. Edwards.

THE work among the Paharis of the Rajmahal hills, Bengal, has given the Rev. A. Stark much encouragement. In November six whole villages renounced idolatry and placed themselves formally under Christian instruction. In January of this year some of the more advanced were baptized, including the devil-priest himself, who, on being asked what he had done with his demons, replied, "I have buried them, and told them to come near me no more." What did they say?" "Say," he exclaimed ; "what can stones say?" The Pahâris, Mr. Stark says, are "a people more ready to receive the Gospel than any I know in India, or it may be in the whole world." There are 95,000 of them, according to the Census of 1881. They are "a savage and uncultivated race, immersed in drunkenness and almost every other vice," yet" a very simple and trusting people, with unbounded confidence in the goodwill of the English."

THE C.M.S. Lay Workers' Union for London has held a series of interesting monthly meetings from January to July. On the last two occasions the Rev. A. H. Arden gave a most graphic description of Hindu idolatry, and the Rev. W. Allan an animated account of his recent visit to the C.M.S. Missions in Palestine. The number of members of the Union is now 160, and several are actively preparing to give lectures and addresses to Juvenile Associations and in Sunday-schools.

A LADIES' Church Missionary Union has been formed in Norfolk "(1) to promote the general interests of the C.M.S. by reading about its Missions, by giving towards its support, by working for it, and by daily praying to God for a blessing on its labours; (2) to afford opportunities for meeting periodically to receive information on the work of the Society at home and abroad; to create a bond of union between the friends of the Society, and to enlist the sympathy and co-operation of others; to take counsel together as to the best means of deepening and increasing the interest in missionary work." The Dowager Lady Buxton is President, and Miss Buxton Secretary; and there will be a lady secretary for each of the thirty-one deaneries in the county. The idea is an admirable one, and we should rejoice to see it followed in other counties.

RECEIVED:-Thank-offering for Egypt, 10s. ; for the Henry Wright steamer, from "A sometime school-girl member of his congregation," 2s. 6d.

....

MISSIONARY ALMANACK.

N. M. 1st 2.14 p.m. F. Q. 9th.... 6.38 p.m.

September.

F. M. 16th.... 9.41 p.m. L. Q. 23rd....12.51 p.m.

THE FAITHFULNESS AND TRUTH OF GOD. 1S A God of truth, Deu. 32. 4. The faithful God, Deu. 7. 9.

[Is. 25. 1. 2S 15th aft. Trin. Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth,

M. 2 Ki. 18. 1 Cor. 12. 1-28. E. 2 Ki. 19, or 23. 1-31. Mk. 6. 1-14.

3 M Bp. Bowen con.,'57. O send out Thy light and Thy truth, Ps. 43.3. 4 T 1st freed slaves rec. Frere Town, 1875. That they might know 5 WI am the Truth, Jo. 14. 6. [Thee the only true God, Jo. 17. 3. 6 T The only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, Jo. 1. 14. 7 F Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness. Rev. 1. 5.

8 S

When the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into all [truth, Jo. 16. 13. 9 S 16th aft. Trin. This is the true God, and eternal life, 1 Jo. 5. 20. M. 2 Chr. 36. 2 Cor. 1. 1-23. E. Neh. 1 & 2. 1-9, or 8. Mk. 9. 30. 10 M A good thing...to show forth Thy faithfulness every night, Ps.92.1. 11 T French and Stuart sailed for India, 1850. Lead me in Thy truth, 12 W Mercy and truth shall go before thy face, Ps. 89. 14. [Ps. 25. 5. 13 T All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, Ps. 25. 10. [5.20. 14 F 1st bapt. in N. Z.,'25, and on Niger, '62. In Him that is true, 1 Jo. 15 S God is faithful, by whom ye were called to the fellowship of [His Son, 1 Co. 1. 9. 16 S 17th aft. Trin. Ember Wk. I will walk in Thy truth, Ps. 86. 11. 17 M The King of heaven, all whose works are truth, Dan. 4. 37. 18 T In Thy faithfulness answer me, Ps. 143. 1.

M. Jer. 5. 2 Cor. 8. E. Jer. 22 or 35. Mk. 13. 14.

19 W Bp. Crowther captured at Idda, 1867. Let Thy truth continually 20 T His truth shall be thy shield, Ps. 91. 4. [preserve me, Ps. 40. 11. 21 F St. Matthew. Faithful is He that calleth you, 1 Th. 5. 24. 22 S Bps. Stuart and Sargent's 1st ord., 1878. I have not hid Thy [truth from the great congregation, Ps. 40. 10. 23 S 18th aft. Trin. I will not suffer My faithfulness to fail, Ps. 89. 33. M. Jer. 38. Gal. 2. E. Ez. 2, or 13. J-17. Lu. 1. 26-57. 24 MJ. T. Tucker d., 1866. I have declared Thy faithfulness, Ps. 40. 10. 25 T Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me, Ps. 119. 75.

26 W Bp. Wm. Williams ord, 1824. With my mouth will I make known 27 T Thy word is truth, Jo. 17. 7. [Thy faithfulness, Ps. 89. 1. 28 F 1st C.M.S. bapt. in China, 1851. Sanctify them thro' Thy truth, [Jo. 17. 17. 29 S St. Mich, and all Angels. (The angel) saith unto me, These are [the true sayings of God, Rev. 19. 9. 30 S 19th aft. Trin. There hath not failed one word of all His good [promise, 1 K. 8. 56. M. Ez. 14. Eph. 1. E. Ez. 18, or 24. 15. Lu. 4. 16.

MORE JERSEY BREEZES.

VIII. Our Daily Difficulties.

"Touched with the feeling of our infirmities."-Heb. iv. 15. ELIGION does not alter temperament. The grave will not grow gay, nor the gay grave, because of the new-felt influence. And yet to awake to the truth and beauty of life is to experience a change as great and striking as that between new and old, between light and darkness, or even between life and death. Allowing this, how is it that times pass over us when our day grows dark and dreary? Why do causes so trivial trouble the spirit's peace and mar the health of the countenance? Let us search out some of the reasons for our nameless depression. It should be discouraged. It clogs the soul and belies our best resolutions. To discover the extent of an evil is also to define its limits.

To many, the weather is a spell more powerful than they care to allow. Pitiless rain, impenetrable fog, drifting snow, make their heart weary and their hands hang down. They then take refuge in any excuse for petulance or moody listlessness. Yet our command is-Rejoice in the Lord alway. It may help us to remember how the rain is rejoiced over in the Bible, as one of the Lord's choicest blessings. Without it, where would be the merry streams, the freshing fountains, and the glassy lakes? Is it not pleasant to reflect that all things wherein is life may drink of the crystal drops of the River of God, which is full of

water? In the arid desert or the parched pasture-land, traveller and shepherd would give much for the good gift which is making us querulous and sad. Again, our "rainy day" in the physical or the moral world is, to multitudes, a day of sunshine. While we sit brooding within, children are chasing gay butterflies among sweet flowers, and happy birds sing as they soar through the cloudless ether. Let us look more on "the things of others." A light of duty shines on every day for all. Let us look up for guidance; back to count our Ebenezers; around to see into whose life we can pour salve, or send a ray of help and comfort; let us, especially, look forward, for to us the end of all things is at hand, and in the grave there is no more work for head or heart. A cheerful temper is a constant hymn to God, and "He meeteth him that rejoiceth" amid circumstances the reverse of enlivening. Once we believe our Heavenly Father to "know best," our daily difficulties will vanish as dew. If things went smoothly, where would be life's discipline?

For some of us it may be found in the trying tastes and tempers of those who dwell with us and whom we dearly love. When no tender cause draws out our real feeling, how apt we are to forget that a soft answer turneth away wrath, and that grievous words stir up anger. There is a Divine Peacemaker who loves to make men to be of one mind in a house. To Him let us open our grief. Is one of our senses impaired-one of our limbs fractured? Has some keen personal affliction brought us very low? The "all things" which work together for our good are of many a shape and hue. Let us contrast the trials of others with our own. "How much worse it might have been" is true philosophy. And we shall find "cheerfulness and gratitude to God unfailing averters of mischiefs." We shall wish by-and-by that we had trusted Him more and grieved His Spirit less. How easy to preach, how hard to practise!

The difficulties of the Gospel missionary must be legion, his trials well-nigh overwhelming. Yet there is always help in looking up. Those who are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might shall overcome. Every formidable stone of hindrance shall be "rolled away" just at the right moment. Who could enumerate life's difficulties, or number the ways and means by which they are conquered? Enough has been said to enable us who sympathise to grasp the right hand of fellowship, and cheer each other as we breast the rugged hill. It is "to him that overcometh" that every grand gift is promised. Let us take courage; let us lessen our troubles by sweet humility. And hereafter, we, who understand the loving kindness of the Lord, shall have learnt how to praise Him even for our difficulties. A. M. V.

THE BISHOP OF LAHORE IN PERSIA.

N the GLEANER of July last year there was a deeply interesting narrative, by Dr. Bruce, of the C.M.S. Mission in Persia. We should like our readers to look back to that number and refresh their memories; and then we are sure they will rejoice to read the letter we now print from Bishop French, of Lahore, describing his recent visit to that country.

Members of the Church of England in foreign countries where there is no Anglican Bishop are regarded as under the episcopal care of the Bishop of London. It is he, for instance, who licences English chaplains at Paris and other places on the Continent. The Church Missionary Society, therefore, being aware that the Bishop of Lahore was about to come to England, and having ascertained that he would be willing to pay a visit to

Persia on the way, applied to the Bishop of London to give him a commission to perform episcopal duties while there for the C.M.S. Mission; and as the Diocese of Lahore is the nearest Anglican diocese to Persia, its Bishop seemed the most suitable man for the purpose. The Bishop of London readily concurred, and Dr. French accordingly went from Karachi, at the mouth of the Indus, to Bushire on the Persian Gulf, and thence by Shiraz and over the mountains to Ispahan. Dr. Bruce and Dr. Hoernle, our two missionaries, are at Julfa, the Armenian suburb of that city. Bishop French writes as follows:

I spent full sixteen days in Ispahan. The visit to our beloved friends and brethren has been most refreshing and cheering to myself, though it coincided with an outbreak of rather unusual opposition on the part of the great Sheikh, who has naturally been alarmed and aggravated by finding that the disposition grows to hear and receive the Word of Godespecially in the way of purchasing books-and he has tried to presume on his importance and ecclesiastical rank by attempting to forbid the sale of Bibles, as well as that of Dr. Pfander's books. He has, however, acted beyond his power in this matter; moreover, Islam itself is not united in the opposition to the Bible, and even in Ispahan city, men of not less rank and influence than the Sheikh will take no part in stopping Bible sales, as likely to tend rather to bring Mohammedanism to disgrace and

discomfiture.

The work among the Persians at Ispahan in the way of conversation and discussion was not so interesting as at Shiraz, perhaps. Mullahs and inquirers came; in twos and threes sometimes; but not, as is sometimes the case, in swarms. There were Jews, Babis, Mohammedans, whether

Soofies or others.

Dr. Bruce is, for the present, declining to receive inquirers to baptism till he has fullest proof of them that they will not deny Christ, if crossquestioned. The whole history of the Babi sect, as well as that of the

early Persian Church, shows that perhaps no people is better able to add to the martyr-rolls, if conviction be deep and strong enough, and one feels assured that time, and God's grace, and the tendency of the Government to yield to the growing cry for religious liberty, will solve this knotty question by degrees, and we must wait on in faith and patience, in prayer and steady labour.

Meantime, inquiry appears to me almost more genuinely alive than in India. More mullahs and moojtahids seem nearer to yielding their longer space of time, in India. The sale of Bibles I have seen, and fearhearts to the Saviour than I have seen in the same space, and much less, open acceptance of them, by mullahs especially, has astonished me.

Dr. Bruce thinks that my visit to Ispahan has made, for the present at least, a marked difference in the relations of the Armenian bishop and priests to our Church Missions. The Bishop and some of his brethren were most courteous and civil. We dined at the Bishop's, and he dined with us; and many interesting questions were started as subjects of conversation. I tried, in preaching and otherwise, to explain the position which, in the main, your Society and our Church at large (the late Archbishop, among others) have desired to see maintained among these Churches and people.

The confirmation of sixty-seven persons was held on Friday, May 18th, before a large congregation; and the ordination of Minas to the diaconate on Trinity Sunday, before a crowded church. The interest felt was clearly great. I preached on both occasions at length in Persian; and I can only praise God that my long and never-discontinued studies of Persian, from my first entrance on the missionary work in India, have qualified me, beyond my expectation, to preach and converse in that language. I owe yourselves and the Committee, under God, more thanks than I can express, for furnishing me with this privileged opportunity of being the Church's representative and yours,-my Master's, I trust, most of all. All along the road from Bushire to this place God has been pleased to meet me, and put a word in my mouth to speak for Him.

I have a very excellent catechist with me, in the Bible Society's employ,

who is never weary of gathering audiences to speak his heart out to. Another of their agents (George) is most promising, and hopes diligently to read for holy orders. Minas is not a highly educated man, but preaches impressively in Armenian, and may be said to have "purchased to himself a good degree" by his various helpful efforts in school and pastoral work ever since the Mission was started.

Our two larger pictures speak for themselves. The small one is from a sketch by Miss Read, of the Society for Promoting Female Education in the East, who went out with Dr. and Mrs. Bruce last autumn. She writes thus in the Female Missionary Intelligencer :

Mrs. Bruce travelled in a kajavah, half-swung, half-balanced on a mule, and Miss Bruce and I took it in turns to sit in the opposite kajavah, and to ride a pony. Kajavahs are the most uncomfortable things imaginable. Miss Bruce and I both thought we should be sea-sick-for the first hour or two we were in it; but, when we got accustomed to the motion, and to some plans for stowing our legs away, we got on much better; I even went to sleep for a while, one or two hot days.

I took a rough sketch of the kajavahs, as they appeared when perched up on the mule one day, when we were waiting to get in. They are so difficult to get into, that they must certainly have been invented by some Persian frogs, or grasshoppers, in Antediluvian times!

HOW LADIES TRAVEL IN PERSIA.

PRIZE DAY AT THE CHILDREN'S HOME. HURSDAY, July 19, was Prize Day at the Missionaries' Children's Home, and a large company assembled at the Home in Highbury Grove. Sir John Kennaway presided, and the special address to the children was given by the Rev. F. A. C. Lillingston, Vicar of St. Barnabas', Holloway. The Revs. Prebendary Wilson and S. Gedge also took part, and the Rev. J. Allcock, of Ceylon, spoke as representing the parents, his son being the head boy in the school. The chief prizes were taken by him, and by Beatrice Cowley, Ethel Bruce, and Adelaide Sheldon. The Report, read by the Rev. A. J. P. Shepherd, the Director, gave a highly favourable account of the recent examinations, and of the general character of the children; and mentioned that some response had already been made to the appeal for leaving scholarships. A Hoare scholarship is to be competed for next year; and another gentleman has given a sum equivalent to the value of a scholarship lately gained by his son elsewhere. Mr. Sydney Gedge has given the Home his nomination to Christ's Hospital. There are now ninety children in the Home; and none who are interested in them or their parents can fail to be grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd for their efficient and loving care of the little ones.