It was also stated, that, on the 6th of March, the Brethren Gobat and Kugler left Beyrout for Damascus, with the Armenian, Seignior Carabet, and Mr. Nicolayson, Missionary from the Jews' Society: they reached Damascus on the 9th, left it on the 15th, and arrived at Safet on the 19th. Mr. Mueller and Girgis left Beyrout on the 19th, and joined their friends at Safet on the 23d. They all left on the 26th; and, on the 1st of April, entered Jerusalem. Mr. Mueller left Jerusalem on the 20th with Mr. Nicolayson; intending to pursue with him, at Safet, the study of Arabic: they arrived there on the 25th, and at Beyrout on the 1st of June: the plague prevailed there, especially among the Mussulmans; and indeed throughout the land, except at and near Jerusalem. The Brethren Gobat and Kugler, with Girgis, left Jerusalem on the 25th of June; and, by way of Jaffa and Damietta, reached Caïro on the 5th of August: they thus gratefully acknowledge the good hand of God over them

After an absence of six months from Egypt, we have the pleasure to inform you, that, though we have followed uproars in Damascus and Jerusalem, and preceded others in the Mountains of Lebanon, and have been surrounded by the Plague on all sides, yet the Lord has been pleased to watch over us and keep us from all danger, so that we have met with no unpleasant circumstance during the whole of our journey.

From later communications it appears, that Mr. Mueller returned from Syria to Caïro September the 25th, where he remained with Mr. Gobat, who was suffering from ophthalmia. Political events, and the insurrection of the Wahabees in Arabia, rendered it doubtful whether Messrs. Gobat and Kugler would be able to proceed at present on their Mission to Abyssinia.

The Rev. C. Kugler, who had been brought to the verge of the grave by an inflammatory fever at Caïro, left that city for Alexandria in September; and was followed by Mr. and Mrs. Krusé, and Mr. Lieder, in November. Both Mr. Kugler and Mrs. Krusé were in a weak state of health.

Letters have been received from Messrs. Krusé,

Lieder, and Mueller, written from Caïro the beginning of February: they returned thither, from Alexandria, on the 15th of January, and were, at the date of their communications, all in good health. They were desirous of commencing a School among the Copts; but had been prevented hitherto, from the want of a suitable person to conduct it. Mr. Lieder set out on the 8th of February, on a second visit to Upper Egypt, with copies of the Scriptures and Religious Tracts for distribution; and Mr. Mueller had it in contemplation to visit the Delta.

Several circumstances connected with Abyssinia have rendered it expedient, in the judgment of Messrs. Gobat and Kugler, that one of them should come to England previously to their proceeding to their ultimate object. Letters from Alexandria of the 14th of February convey the intelligence that Mr. Kugler had engaged in this service; and a subsequent Letter states that he was on his voyage. Mr. Gobat's health was much improved. During his residence at Caïro, Mr. Krusé pursued the study of Arabic, and endeavoured to open a profitable intercourse with the Copts; but complains greatly of their general indifference. Seven Schools in the Coptic Quarter have 220 Boys, among whom he distributed 185 copies, in Arabic, of the Epistles of St. Peter and St. John. Of their readiness to receive the Scriptures he writes—

My Priest accompanied me the first time to these Schools, and intended to exhort the Children diligently to read the Scriptures: but this was not necessary; for when I was distributing them, every one who received a copy sat down and read as loudly as he could; so that, in speaking with the Schoolmaster, we were scarcely able to understand each other. In the last School which I visited, the Children refused to take books, saying they had no money: but when they heard that they were given to them without money, they all rose, making a great noise; and neither the Schoolmaster nor the two Priests which were there could keep them quiet, for every one wanted to be first in receiving a book.

Mr. Lieder was accompanied on his visit to the Province of Faioum by Dr. Klugé, a German, whose mind appears to be under the beneficial influence

of Divine Truth. Besides the capital of the province, Medina, there are twenty-five Villages, which open a wide field for Missionary labour. The following extract from Mr. Lieder's Journal will shew the state of the Coptic Church there :

Abuna Gabriel told me, that about 300 Christians live in Medina-he means families-and, therefore, at least 3000 souls: these are besides the Bishop and Priests. The Christians have no Church in Medina: formerly they had two, but the tyrannical and rapacious Mahomedans have taken them all away by force, and have changed them into Mosques; the Christians are therefore now obliged to go to church in the country. There are five Deirs, or Monasteries, in the vicinity of Medina, from one to four hours distant; to which are attached twenty-one Priests. These Monasteries are most solitary, in general situated far from the city and from villages; and, I think, out of fear and precaution, because of the rapacious Mahomedans, who would snatch away every Church, if situated near a town or a village. Besides these Mona

steries, there are no Churches in the Faioum. The evil consequence of the great distance of the Churches is, that only few are able to attend, because of the heat of the climate; and thereby many remain ignorant in regard to the principles of the Christian Faith, become indifferent, and at last turn Mahomedans.

Mr. Lieder visited the Monastery of Deir Assab; where there are two Churches, containing a large number of Coptic and Arabic Manuscripts, but neither of them possessing a whole copy of the Bible. He -writes

Almost every Sunday, Divine Service is performed in the Monastery; at which about fifty Christians attend, from Me'dina and some Villages which belong to it: on Holidays, from 200 to 300 assemble. The Priest shewed me, in one of the Churches, a little cross made of silver, and told me, "With this we drive away the devil from our church."

There are two Coptic Schools at Medina, containing about 80 Children; in one of which, as is the case with most of the Schools in the Faioum, the schoolmaster is totally, and in the other partially blind. Mr. Lieder thus notices the state of the Schools, and the cause which has led to it :

The want of books is the chief cause of the bad state of the Schools in the East; but this I hope will soon vanish, by the help of the benevolent Bible and Tract Societies. I wanted to see the Girls' Schools, but my Teacher told me there were

none: the Girls learn nothing in this country; and he was astonished, when he heard that in England almost every poor Girl learns at least to read her Bible, and to write and cipher.

Mr. Lieder mentions, that the Copts evinced great readiness to receive the Scriptures and Tracts; but their poverty prevented their purchasing them. On this subject he writes in June

My house has been, for some days past, like a marketplace, with people coming and going. Children and Young Men of the Copts come, and wish to be presented with Tracts: almost all come without money, for the greatest part of the Christians here are extremely poor; and it is impossible to send them away empty-handed. Yet I do not give to any one, before I have taken him into my room, and tried his knowledge in reading. Some, who had not courage to enter my house to ask for a Tract, waited at the door till they saw me; when they came, kissed my hand and pressed it to their forehead, and kept silence till I asked them their business. There came also Young Men with two or three little Boys, or Fathers with their Children, and entreated me for Tracts for the little ones, promising to teach them to read these little books. Money is very seldom to be met with in the Faioum; and I hope, that, if I have done too much, the Society will pardon me.

I sell very few Bibles and Testaments: though the price is very low, the people have not so much money as to enable them to purchase. There came, among others, a Clerk to a Turk, who wished to speak to me alone. He told me that he wished to possess the Gospels, but that he was at present unable to purchase them, for his master had not paid him his wages for some months: this I heard was true. I told him that I could not give him this book gratuitously; but he took my hand, and begged so earnestly, that I found it impossible to refuse his petition.

During their stay at Beyrout, the Missionaries availed themselves of the frequent opportunities afforded them of meeting with their American Brethren for the purposes of consultation and prayer. The present state of that Mission, and the hostility against the word of God displayed by the Anti-christian Powers at Rome and Constantinople, are thus noticed by them :

Formerly the Missionaries had many prospects of success; but now the Lord permits them to be tried; for the Arabs, Greeks, and Roman Catholics are excommunicated, if they happen to speak with the Missionaries, or to visit them; and

F

It was also stated, that, on the 6th of March, the Brethren Gobat and Kugler left Beyrout for Damascus, with the Armenian, Seignior Carabet, and Mr. Nicolayson, Missionary from the Jews' Society: they reached Damascus on the 9th, left it on the 15th, and arrived at Safet on the 19th. Mr. Mueller and Girgis left Beyrout on the 19th, and joined their friends at Safet on the 23d. They all left on the 26th; and, on the 1st of April, entered Jerusalem. Mr. Mueller left Jerusalem on the 20th with Mr. Nicolayson; intending to pursue with him, at Safet, the study of Arabic: they arrived there on the 25th, and at Beyrout on the 1st of June: the plague prevailed there, especially among the Mussulmans; and indeed throughout the land, except at and near Jerusalem. The Brethren Gobat and Kugler, with Girgis, left Jerusalem on the 25th of June; and, by way of Jaffa and Damietta, reached Caïro on the 5th of August: they thus gratefully acknowledge the good hand of God over them

After an absence of six months from Egypt, we have the pleasure to inform you, that, though we have followed uproars in Damascus and Jerusalem, and preceded others in the Mountains of Lebanon, and have been surrounded by the Plague on all sides, yet the Lord has been pleased to watch over us and keep us from all danger, so that we have met with no unpleasant circumstance during the whole of our journey.

From later communications it appears, that Mr. Mueller returned from Syria to Caïro September the 25th, where he remained with Mr. Gobat, who was suffering from ophthalmia. Political events, and the insurrection of the Wahabees in Arabia, rendered it doubtful whether Messrs. Gobat and Kugler would be able to proceed at present on their Mission to Abyssinia.

The Rev. C. Kugler, who had been brought to the verge of the grave by an inflammatory fever at Cairo, left that city for Alexandria in September; and was followed by Mr. and Mrs. Krusé, and Mr. Lieder, in November. Both Mr. Kugler and Mrs. Krusé were in a weak state of health.

Letters have been received from Messrs. Krusé,