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OUR FRIENDS AT PETERBOROUGH AND ITS VICINITY.

or Pantheistic forms of belief. Hence the necessity for the promulgation of Christian knowledge and principles, and prayer for the Spirit of God to bring home the word to the soul.

In conclusion, the Bishop, as Chairman, gave notice of an Address by Colonel Rowlandson, especially directed to the young, the next day, at the Corn Exchange. The Colonel was listened to with earnest attention on that occasion by a large gathering of young people, and much, we trust, was carried away in the memory to bear the fruit of action in after life.

Meetings were held in the neighbouring villages during the week. At Eye, on Tuesday, one of the most interesting features was the number of Missionary-boxes brought in, evincing the general interest and feeling kept up during all the year, especially in the minds of the young.

The same was observed at Orton Waterville, the next night, where Colonel Rowlandson also attended, and kept a crowded room (the hall of the old Manor House, the largest room that could be found in the village) in deep and never-flagging attention, even of the little children, for a considerable time. And it was no wonder, for his words went from the heart to the heart. But there is one peculiar and novel source of income here which really deserves special notice, and which shows how from little means great results may be attained, and that with ever-increasing cheerful Missionary interest as the work goes on. One of the items of collection here was 137. 3s., which had been obtained during the year by the sale of flowers, chiefly in penny bunches, made up every week with much artistic skill (and it is wonderful how love draws out our powers), and sold by ready and cheerful agents-the market-woman, the postman, the Rector's daughter, &c.—and so readily bought up that not a bunch ever came back unsold. The flowers are collected, not from one garden only, but from many, both in the villages and outside. And it is exceedingly pleasant to see the children coming in, in troops almost, in the merry spring time, with joyous faces bringing in their bunches of violets and primroses and orchises, collected in the fields and woods about. They each receive a little printed card, with a picture on it (a Missionary subject generally), which provides them with a fresh thought for that week, and these cards they usually put up in their cottage rooms. who shall say what good and blessed results may come from this simple means of enlisting the sympathies of the young, and keeping up their interest in such a loving and loveable employment. And so, at the Missionary Meeting, they who have "an interest in the concern" want to know, and so does the market-woman, and the postman too, what is the result of the year's pleasant work, and to be told how it is likely to be blessed of God to the poor heathen, and to themselves too. It is a cheerful coming together. The Indian diagrams hang round the walls, and as the Colonel proceeds in his narratives, his eye catches something in one of them here, or another there, which realizes the scene; and it is really specially exciting to see how quickly all eyes, little and great, are turned in the direction to which the speaker points in order to fix attention on the contrast between the dark and degraded state of the poor heathen, and the bright and exalted condition of the Gospel-taught Englishman, and therefore his duty and his privilege to hold up the

And

TRIP TO THE SHERBRO BY THE REV. A. MENZIES.

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light to others. The Missionary Meeting is always considered a gala day, and looked forward to with much excitement beforehand, and talked over with much interest afterwards. These results are attained by the united co-operation of many, the wives and children of clergy and laity having their hearts and hands engaged in it. And it is pleasant indeed to hear how cheerfully and heartily they all join in singing their usual opening Missionary hymn (Heber's), and the Doxology at the close.

Subjoined is a list of the items of collection for this village, as some of them are suggestive. The story of the origin of that of "The May Garland" is told in the "Church Missionary Juvenile Instructor" for 1858, page 175, and another of "Pigeons" will be offered soon. Oh that the youth of our land may be early led to learn to love the Lord their God with all their heart, and their neighbour, heathen or home, as themselves.

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TRIP TO THE SHERBRO BY THE REV. A. MENZIES. THE Sherbro is a new Mission commenced amongst the heathen Africans of the Sherbro country, lying to the south of the SierraLeone colony. It is worked by a native clergyman and catechist; and is occasionally visited by our European Missionaries from the colony. The Rev. A. Menzies relates the rough weather encountered on one of these expeditions.

A few details of a memorable trip to the Sherbro may be interesting to you. The trip was without question one of the most trying and hazardous ever undertaken. Our party were fifteen in number, including boatmen, and we left Freetown under very propitious circumstances. But these did not last. The boat had barely reached the Cape when a head-wind, with a drenching rain, accompanied by heavy squalls, met us, and to this inclement weather we were exposed for several hours, till forced to put in to shore to rest for the night. Next morning, starting early with the tide, the boat, under oars, made some considerable progress, the sea being calm, and the sun shining brightly. But, alas for us! this was not of long continuance. Three hours sufficed to bring down upon our hapless party a terrific tornado, and for an hour we were exposed to torrents of rain and a gale of wind that drove us out to sea and wet us to the skin, and this in a boat barely thirty feet long. Without any boasting, I can say that, under God, nothing but my sailor experience saved our boat from being upset. Before the storm struck us the sails were taken in, and I took the bearings with the compass. Thus her course was kept, for nothing of any land could be seen.

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continued nearly all day, and Bananas, our next resting-place, was gained at nine o'clock at night. So fifteen people were imprisoned in an open boat, under the most trying circumstances, for twelve hours, and four of these were women. The following day, two of the party remaining behind, the rest of the party set sail for the Plantain Islands. At this stage of the passage to Sherbro the compass comes into use. We had a fine run for several hours, but, owing to the darkness and the distant sign of a coming tornado, it was considered prudent to land for the night; and by twelve o'clock P.M., after being driven from our shelter by black ants, our supper was served, and, wearied enough, we lay down, as best we could, in an ill-furnished native house, to rise again next morning at half-past four. The fourth portion of the trip, between the Plantains and Good Hope Mission, was accomplished in twenty hours. We arrived, just after encountering another furious tornado, at two o'clock on Sunday morning, greatly fatigued, cold and hungry. Our American friends, whom we roused up from bed, cheerfully attended to our wants, and got us refreshment and a resting-place. How great was the mercy and kind care of our God on this occasion. A marvel of marvels that, after all that exposure, risks and anxiety, with irregular meals, in this climate, not one of the thirteen were sick.

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It is necessary that we should explain why we have introduced into the pages of the "Gleaner" a piece of poetry in the French language. It is, moreover, a translation of the English piece, and why then, it may be asked, is it given at all?

A lady, resident at Quebec, an earnest friend of the Church Missionary Society, has on each first week in December a Missionary tree, the produce of which goes to help our funds. Several ladies are engaged in working for it. She forwarded to us the article entitled, "Mal Bay," with a drawing, both of which appeared in our last Number. These verses, "Cawnpore," also came from her. She begged that these contributions might be inserted in early Numbers of the "Gleaner," as several of her young friends had given in their names as subscribers to the two publications of the Society in which these papers should appear, at sixpence each, "so that," as she observes, "if 125 of each number be forwarded, I shall be enabled to send the Society upwards of 67.

She adds

"The French translation, of the subjects so well known, is also an attraction to my friends, and the "Notes on Charity " have been suggested by my having been asked if I intended this year having a "Silver Wedding." By a singular coincidence, our present assistant-minister's wife, Mrs. Phillips and myself, have, this year on the same month, attained the number custom enjoins for a celebration."

Our readers will now understand that these Numbers of the "Gleaner" are intended to cross the ocean to another land, where French is much

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used, and is indeed the vernacular of a considerable section of the inhabitants. For the gratification, therefore, of those young ladies, who, at Quebec, take an interest in the wide-wide-world work of the Church Missionary Society, and who are kind enough to help its funds by crochet or needle-work, we give the French translation of the English poetry, to which some slight corrections have been given by Mr. Miller, of the High School, Quebec.

CAWNPORE.

Why should I seek the palmy shade,
Or why thy thirst assuage, my babe ?
For now the barb of death I see,
Nor can we from the heathen flee.

We part, my babes, but we shall meet,
From terror free, it will be sweet:
Our sufferings and our sorrows o'er,
We then shall meet to part no more.

Jesus will then thy thirst assuage,
We shall be safe from heathen rage:
Saviour, for shelter now we flee,
Farewell on earth, my babes, to thee!

Oppressed and torn, O Lord, behold
The lambs of Thy beloved fold;
Oh, in Thy bosom take them now,
Nor let their tears of anguish flow.

Let not Thy foes against Thy word-
Against Thy laws triumph, O Lord;
Come down, and from the searching wind,
Let Thy shorn flock a shelter find.

Say to the heathen, God alone
Is worthy to be feared and known;
No more on earth be idols named,
But Jesus, Lord of all, proclaimed !

CAWNPORE.

E. S.

Pourquoi chercher l'ombrage du palmier? Pourquoi te désaltérer, mon enfant? Car je vois la flèche mortelle, et nous ne pouvons pas fuir les païens.

Nous serons séparés, mes enfants, mais nous nous retrouverons, affranchis toute frayeur, et nos souffrances passées, nous allons nous rejoindre pour toujours.

Jésus étanchera votre soif, nous serons sauvés de la fureur païenne; Seigneur, nous cherchons un asyle chez toi, adieu, mes enfants.

Seigneur, contemple les agneaux chéris de ton troupeau, travaillés et déchirés. Veuille les cacher dans ton sein et essuyer leurs larmes de douleur.

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Seigneur, ne permets point que tes ennemis emportent la victoire sur tes lois et sur tes paroles. Viens les disperser. Que ton troupeau trouve un refuge.

Dites aux païens que c'est Dieu et lui seul que l'homme doit craindre et connaître. Que les idoles disparaissent de la terre, et que Jésus Christ soit proclamé Seigneur de tous.

And now, as we have given an explanation, we must also make our confession. The verses, entitled “ Cawnpore," were accompanied by another poetical piece, "Madiai."

Now, instead of this, we have introduced some verses composed on this side the Atlantic, on the same subject, the “ Madiai;" and we beg to offer them to our friends on the other side; not that we pretend they are as good, but simply because the invoking of the spirit of Madiai has too much of poetical licence for the pages of the "Gleaner." And in this country just now there is an unhappy tendency abroad to corrupt the purity of Christian doctrine, which renders caution especially necessary just precisely as we find that, in cholera times, prudent persons do

not eat melon,

MADIAI.

His life was one of grief and pain;
From this he now has fled;

Let pitying friends their tears restrain-
Poor Madiai is dead!

His body in its resting place

Is safe from human scorn;
His happy spirit, saved by grace,
Has long since ceased to mourn.

Sprinkled with blood, it took its flight,
Far from this scene of strife;

And, freed from tribulation's night,
Rose to eternal life!

The Saviour whom he served on earth
Loosed him and set him free;
To realms of glory gave him birth,
There with bis Lord to be!

They are not dead, these saints of God;

The grave-they are not there;

The body sleeps beneath the sod;

In heaven-the soul is there?

If our friends at Quebec will send us back a French translation of the above, we shall like to print it:

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