The Children attending the Sunday Schools are taught, on the Estates from whence they respectively come, on the Week-days, as circumstances permit.

ST. VINCENT'S.

No intelligence has been received.

DEMERARA.

Mr. Carter's arrival has been before stated. He will act under the superintendence of the Rev. Leonard Strong, Rector of St. Mary's Parish, on the East Coast of the Colony. Of opening prospects of usefulness, Mr. Strong says, shortly after his own arrival in February 1827

I have a crowded Congregation, and many Candidates for Baptism: the Negroes will walk any distance to hear the Word of God. I am invited to the other end of my Parish, which is nearly thirty miles long, by one of the Planters, who has offered me a large building for Public Worship. Mr. Carter will render me great assistance, as I have no time to teach Scholars; my time being wholly occupied, between the Services, in examining and teaching Catechumens for Baptism.

On the arrival of Mr. Carter, Mr. Strong writes

Perhaps, before I enter into particulars about Mr. Carter's duties, I had better introduce you to my sphere of labour. The Parish of St. Mary's is about twenty-seven miles in length, extending so far from Abarrie Creek, the western boundary between Berbice and Demerara, and crossing two more navigable creeks or rivers, (i. e. the Mahaica and the Mahaiconie.) We have as yet no Church; but I have two temporary Places of Worship; one on the ground-floor of the house in which we are about to live; the other an empty cotton-store: these are distant from each other about 12 miles, and are used for my Sunday labours. On the banks of each creek there is a Free Coloured Population; to whom I preach, in rooms granted by them for the purpose, every Wednesday and Thursday. I had built a Sunday-School Room in the Village on the Mahaica Creek, and appointed a Schoolmaster before Mr. Carter arrived; and have reason to bless God that a School, consisting of about 150 Children, has been established, and carried on ever since the first Sunday I was licensed and commenced duty. Mr. Carter has been in charge of the Boys ever since. his arrival; and is Schoolmaster of about 80 Negro Boys, who attend pretty regularly, and many of whom can now read, who knew not a letter when the School commenced.

Mr. Strong proposes that Mr. Carter shall reside at Cattle Town, a Village of Free Coloured People on the Mahaiconie; "who," he says, "are not only very ignorant of the Gospel themselves, but their Children are growing up in total ignorance also." Mr. Strong adds

One of them has offered me a grant of land for seven years; and others have offered to assist with subscriptions for the erection of a School-House . . . . About eight miles to the westward of him, I shall, if it please God, set up a NegroSunday-School; and will give him a horse to ride down every Sunday Morning, and back every Sunday Night, ready for his Week-day School. Besides this, about seventy miles up the Creek, there is a Settlement of INDIANS, perhaps 300: many of them stay in Cattle Town, and we have every hope of gaining some of their Children: indeed, the Protector of the Indians has promised me his influence; and an Indian Chief promised me himself to allow his two Children to come.

ESSEQUIBO.

When Mr. Armstrong arrived, he paid a visit to Mr. Strong of Demerara, and then proceeded to the scene of his labours-the Union Plantation in Essequibo: he was not able to commence operations till the end of January. He received the following instructions from the Manager

On the Sabbath, you will be able to devote the whole day to instructing the Negroes in the principles of Religion. An Infant School will be formed of such as are not gone to work; that is, those under seven years old; whom you can teach in the week, during the hours of labour. Excepting the Infants, none others will be able to attend.

Mr. Armstrong says

The Aborigines, or Indians, live a little in the interior, neglected by all, as if they were not deserving the notice of any Society, or were not of the human species, or had not souls to be saved. I intend to inquire into their case more fully, and then will make it known to you. Any Society, I think, might find a way into the interior, to instruct the Indians, who stand greatly in need of instruction.

K 2

NORTH-WEST AMERICA MISSION.:

THE REV. David Jones and the Rev. William Cockran, with Mrs. Cockran and Mr. William Garrioch, have been enabled to continue their labours in this Mission and though they have been subjected to many temporal trials, they have had much to encourage them in their work.

With reference to their MINISTRY, the Missionaries state, that there are two Services on Sunday in each of the two Churches, the average attendance at each of which is from 250 to 300; and the general attention and anxiety to understand, which prevails among the people, are encouraging. The number of Communicants, which four years ago was only six, has been gradually increasing since that time; and, at Whitsuntide, amounted to SEVENTY-THREE of these Mr. Jones remarks

So far as human judgment can penetrate, we are convinced that these are subjects of that saving conviction of truth, which alone can enlighten and change the heart. At their examinations previous to admission, they appear to us to possess, in an exemplary degree, the requirements of our Church at the close of her Catechism; and I may indeed add, the requirements of the Word of God. The Half-breeds, in particular, walk in simplicity and godly sincerity: it is a fact, not less interesting than encouraging, that, since I came here, ONLY ONE HALF-BREED has drawn back, and I hope this one not finally.

Mr. William Garrioch has in the SCHOOLS under his charge 15 Indian Boys and 4 Indian Girls, and 28 Day Scholars, Scottish and Half-breeds. The Indian Boys and Girls are maintained by the Society; and there would be no difficulty in increasing their number to any extent, were the means of obtaining subsistence for them less precarious. Of the Sunday School, which is kept at the Upper Church, Mr. Jones gives the following account:

The attendance every Sunday continues much as usual; the number on the Class-book being, as under: Scottish Children, 30-Half-breed, 47-Indian, 20; total, 97: during the year ending June 1, 1827, the average attendance was 67. These are very regular in their attendance, and an unabated interest is felt in their welfare: sometimes we fondly cherish the hope

that a lasting impression is made on their minds; but these hopes have hitherto been raised, and again blighted as soon as excited: but we are confident, by and bye, the seed now sown will be raised to His glory, whose the work is, and who will have the praise of its accomplishment.

At Christmas, a Sunday School was commenced at the Lower Church, which has been very encouragingly attended: the numbers are 77. Of this School Mr. Jones states

There are five Half-breed Communicants usefully employed here as Teachers; two Males, and three Females. We cannot but feel often gratified at this sight, and we think ourselves authorised in considering it a promising prognostic: the time may come when we shall see greater things than these: we know that we, and they, serve a Master who will not despise the day of small things. We consider our Sunday Schools to be as important as any of the vineyard under our care: we have great encouragement to proceed: we are, of course, often tried by the carelessness and apathy of the Children, and others; but, in due time, it will be seen that our Lord has purposes of mercy toward them. I trust I can add without boasting, that our maxim is—In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Arrangements are making for the establishment of a School, under the superintendence of Mr. and Mrs. Cockran, for the reception of the Daughters of Gentlemen in the Hudson's-Bay Service: in reference to this Mr. Jones remarks

We do not wish to begin on a large scale; a gradual increase being the method most suited to the circumstances of the country: the bearing, however, which Female Education has on the moral and spiritual improvement of a country will urge us to prosecute this object with unremitting attention.

The trying circumstances in which the Mission has been placed from the scarcity of provisions, and the support which God has graciously given to His servants in time of need, are thus noticed in their communications. Mr. Jones writes

The buffaloes have almost failed for the last three years: this, in connection with the failure of crops last year, has occasioned all articles of subsistence to run very high; and, in fact, little is to be had for any money. We have better hopes this year, but the object is yet only to be seen in perspective: our strong-hold is in the promise of God, never to

leave nor forsake us. Indeed I cannot but mention here, with gratitude, that our establishment has not yet wanted for a meal; though the scarcity has been generally and pressingly felt, and must continue to be so until we reap our harvest. No one, who is a stranger to our circumstances, can picture the anxiety which is generally felt among us in regard to the crops: they are our only resource-the only VISIBLE OBJECT between us and a state of the most appalling destitution.

In reference to the same subject, Mr. Cockran writes

We did not suffer materially from the severity of last Winter: we had a sufficiency of food and raiment, which enabled us to contend with the stormy blasts. The barley which we sowed in the latter end of June 1826, and the potatoes which we planted nearly at the same time, came so far to perfection that they were very good food: by these our temporal wants were supplied for the Winter; and by using our little stock economically, we have hitherto had a sufficiency. In the Summer of 1826, we were often in a strait: sometimes want pressed hard upon us, and brought us very low in body and mind; but the Lord never turned his gracious face away from us: His ears were open to our cries; His omniscient eye discovered all our wants, and His goodness supplied them. He taught us to live by faith, and not by sight; to trust in His promises when the springs of creature-comforts were dried up. While we thus trusted and leaned upon God, our wants were supplied day by day out of the storehouse of His providence. When one thing failed, He sent us another; so that the spark of hope was never extinguished in our bosoms.

Mr. Cockran afterwards adds

Though we did not suffer last winter, many of our fellowcreatures did very severely. Many families subsisted several weeks on hazel-nuts, which they gathered from the trees and from the top of the snow. Others subsisted by angling; they cut a small hole through the ice, and let down their line and hook, and waited till kind Providence directed a fish to them. The hardships which some endured are inconceivable; if I were to tell you how some lived, you would not credit me : you would not believe that the brittle house of clay, the foundation of which is in the dust, would take half so much to pull it in pieces. You would suppose that one half of the hardships would extinguish the lamp of life violently, or make it cease to burn for want of oil.