Of the Affection of the Negroes to their Ministér.-Mr. Johnson says, "When my people heard that I was going again to Freetown, the place was in an uproar. I told them that I would return in the afternoon, and administer the Lord's supper, and also preach to them. This would not satisfy them; they said, that, as Mr. Garnon* was dead, they were afraid that I would stay in Freetown, and leave them. I assured them that I would not leave them. They answered, that if I stayed at Freetown, they would follow me. The Governor came down from his house: several went to meet him, to tell him that I should not go. I received, also, a note from one, in which was written, Mr. Johnson, if you go, we all follow you.' I told the Governor, who persuaded and assured them that I should come back. They said, that if I did not come to-morrow, they would come and fetch me on Monday."

Increasing influence of religion.-Such numbers manifested a desire to be baptized, that Mr. Johnson states, "This desire becomes now so general, that I am afraid the enemy is about to sow tares among the wheat. I am at a loss how to act: I can scarcely believe, at present, that all is real; the number is so great and yet, when I come to examine them individually, I must keep silence; for their language and conduct are wholly changed. May the Holy Spirit direct me aright! may such be added unto us as shall be saved!"

Of one day he says, "I have heen all this morning engaged in speaking to people who came to me, on the state of their minds. All the particulars would fill many sheets. I am still full of doubts and fears concerning the number who make a profession of Christianity, it is so great."

Of some of these candidates he writes, "They expressed much joy; viewing what great things the Lord had done for them, in bringing them away from their own country. Had they never been sold as slaves, they would never have heard of salvation! they praised God for having been sold as slaves!

From the Panoplist.

ASIA MINOR-PALESTINE MISSION.

Letter from Messrs. Fisk and Parsons, to the Cor. Sec'y. of the American Board of Commissioners for F. M.

Smyrna, Jan. 21, 1820.

REV. AND DEAR SIR-The letter which we dated at Malta, containing concise account of our voyage to that place, was, we hope, received in due season. On the 9th inst. we set sail for Smyrna, having been previously furnished with a letter of introduction to the Rev. Mr. Williamson, and to the British Consul at Aleppo. Although we were deprived of the privilege which we most earnestly desired, a particular acquaintance with our * For a memoir of this excellent and zealous missionary, see Christian Herald, Vol. VI. p. 546.

missionary brethren; yet, the information we received, amply compensated us for our visit at Valetta.

Besides frequent communications from the missionaries, we were favoured with repeated opportunities for conversation with the American Consul at Tripoli, (Africa) who arrived at Malta a few days since, and is bound to the United States. He has resided at Tripoli seven years, and, by frequent excursions into the neighbouring country, has obtained very extensive information with regard to the religious and civil state of society. The account he gave us of the Barbary states, and especially of the northern parts of Egypt, was very encouraging to the friends of missions. We could not but indulge the hope, as the American character is much respected, and plans of benevolence encouraged, that the way is preparing for the diffusion of the blessings of salvation. The Consul, Mr. Jones, had the goodness to procure for us a letter of introduction to a Greek gentleman in this city, and to another at Scio.

On the sixth day after leaving Malta, we came safely to anchor in this harbor. Our voyage was remarkably rapid, and in every respect pleasant. Passing up the Archipelago, we saw, more or less distinctly, many of the Grecian Islands, as Terigo, Crete, Zea, Andros, Scio, and Mitylene. Some of the islands were richly cultivated. The scenery was delightful, interspersed with gardens, groves of orange trees, plantations, and beautiful villages. Friday, January 14th, at one o'clock, beheld the continent of Asia, and on Saturday, at two o'clock, terminated our voyage to the city of Smyrna. Surely goodness and mercy have followed us all the way. Our friends will unite with us in thanksgiving and praise to our gracious Preserver, for the encouragement we have to proceed in the heavenly design, of imparting the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord, to those who are perishing in ignorance and sin.

As it was late in the day when we came to an anchor, we deferred our visit to the city until the beginning of the week. Spent the Sabbath on board the ship, and performed the usual exercises of public worship. The seamen listened with great seriousness to an address, occasioned by the sudden death of one of their companions.

On Monday the 17th, we visited Smyrna, were introduced to Mr. Lee, and received with every expression of cordiality and friendship. He opened his library, which contains a choice and very elegant selection of books, and observed, "these are for your use at any time when you wish for them. Any assistance which I can give you by credit, influence, or books, will be bestowed with the greatest pleasure."

The same day we were introduced to the Rev. Mr. Williamson, the British chaplain, who enters into the design of our mission with great interest. We notice this circumstance as a very

encouraging event. Other families have not been less disposed to render our situation as pleasant and profitable as possible. Dined to-day with Mr. Werry, the British Consul, who assured us of his assistance, while we remained at Smyrna, of letters to respectable gentlemen in Palestine, and in other countries, if we have occasion for them. Mr. Werry has been consul in this city for twenty-four years, and his observations upon the climate, the customs, and the government, are peculiarly interesting, and of great consequence to us in the prosecution of our researches in Asia.

Thus far the Lord hath prospered us. A ray of light already dawns upon our path. Everlasting praise to our Lord and Redeemer for his repeated smiles upon our feeble efforts. May we be enabled to meet every affliction with Christian boldness, and with unshaken reliance upon "the great and precious promises."

We design to take a retired room, and to prosecute our studies without interruption. In the mean time, we may converse with a few, whose spiritual state we may hope to be instrumental in improving, and may distribute Bibles and religious tracts in the different languages of the east.

With gratitude for the special favours which we have received from the Prudential Committee, and with an earnest request for a remembrance in their prayers, we subscribe ourselves, your brethren in the Lord, P. FISK,

NORTHERN ASIA-ASTRACHAN.

Scottish Missionary Society.

L. PARSONS.

A letter has been received from Astrachan, dated November 2, 1819, which after a favourable report of the health of the missionaries and their families, and a satisfactory account of their employments during the preceding month, contains the following interesting notice respecting Derbent, a sea-port town of Persia, in the province of Daghestan, on the west coast of the Caspian Sea.

"On the 16th ult. an Armenian called on us, who last autumn received a number of Persian and Tartar Testaments to send to a relation in Derbent. There he found many Persians who at first gladly received them, but after having kept them for a time, brought them back of their own accord, whilst others were compelled to do so by their Effendies and Mollahs, who threatened to kill them, if they persisted in reading such books. Some, however, refused to comply with the mandates of their priests, and were determined, at all events, to know the contents of the books before they returned them. These came frequently to the Armenian, and asked many questions concerning Jesus, who, they said, was in the New Testament called the Son of God, a doctrine which they could not comprehend. However the consequence was, that

the Armenian soon got all the Testaments off his hands; and lately informed his friend here, that if he had a thousand copies he could dispose of them all, and requested him to endeavour to send him a fresh supply. I accordingly gave him ten copies of the Persian Testament, five Tartar Testaments, and a few copies of the book of Genesis, and thirty-five tracts in the Arabic and Persian languages. The same Armenian told us, that in the town of Derbent, there are no Russian priests, but that the Armenian priests are permitted to celebrate their marriages, baptize their children, and bury their dead; and that Russian priests come once a year (generally at Easter) to give the sacrament to the military, and such other Russians as reside there. He also said, that in the course of the year, the Armenians in Derbent have baptized three Persians and a Jewess. Do not these accounts, even allowing that the Armenian told them to the best advantage, point out Derbent as a place which ought to be visited by some of us, as soon as practicable ?"

The missionaries also state,-"From the extract of a minute which we inserted in our last report, you would learn, that our dear fellow-labourer Mr. Glen, had resolved to go to Karass, and reside there during the winter, and that Mr. Jack was to remain here to supply his place. He accordingly left this place on the 8th ult. and we are happy at being able to inform you that he reached Karass in health and safety on the 19th, and met with a most cordial reception from our brethren at that station.

The number of books circulated in the last month, was 39 Persian Testaments, 8 Tartar Testaments, 10 copies of Genesis, 1 copy of the book of Psalms, and 83 tracts.

ORENBURG.

A letter from Dr. Ross, dated Orenburg, October 26, 1819, contains journals of several excursions which he made to the Kirghisians, in company with W. Buchanan, during the months of September and October. In these visits he had frequent opportunities of addressing the Kirghisians, and was often listened to with apparent respect and attention; but the total want of sincerity which so generally prevails amongst them, makes it difficult to judge of the real influence which such conversations produced on their minds.

We regret to add, that by the same letter it appears, that all the Kirghisians have been ordered away from the neighbourhood of Orenburgh during the winter, to a distance of at least eighty or ninety versts. Ed. Ch. Instructor.

RUSSIA.

Correspondence of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

From the Rev. Dr. Pinkerton.

Odessa, Quarantine, Dec. 13, 1819.

Let us now hear how the labours of these three learned and pious prelates (speaking of the translators of the gospels into

Modern Russ*) have been received by their clerical brethren in different parts of the empire. Anatolius, Archbishop of Minsk, expresses himself on the subject, in his letter to the Committee, as follows:-"Though the Slavonian language of our church books be very near the Russian, yet there is still much, even in the very gospels, which remains unintelligible to many persons, on account of their not being accustomed to the Slavonian phraseology; and from this cause the sacred truth could not have its full effect on the hearts of the readers. This obstacle is now taken away. May this new fruit of the labours of the Bible Society become a token of the renewed grace and power of God unto the salvation of the Russians!"-Ambrosius, Bishop of Kursk, expresses himself thus:-"This important phenomenon on the horizon of the Russian church, worthy of the golden age of the most pious of the Russian monarchs, resembles the rising dawn which shall precede that glorious day of light when all men shall read the word of God, and when the simple, and even children, to whom in particular the words of eternal life are addressed, shall understand; but for whom until now this sacred spring has been almost sealed up by the antiquity of the language. May the Almighty prosper this auspicious commencement, and bring the work to a blessed termination."

Eugenius, Archbishop of Pskoff, one of the most learned of the Russian prelates, says, "The utility of this version is evident and sure, not merely for the common people, but also for the clergy themselves, their instructors. The earnest desire of many, for a long time past, for its appearance, is a proof that it will tend to the still further dissemination of the divine word in the hearts of believers."

The Archbishop of Archangel observes-" In this translation, the excellency and riches of the Russian language appear pure and easy to be comprehended; it explains the Slavonian text; and hence the utility which must arise from it unto all who desire to walk in the way to eternal salvation, is most evident. Now the Russian also may read the gospel of Christ in the Russian language, and clearly and purely understand the whole counsel of God set forth in His word: and, having understood it, he may rejoice in his salvation." Such are the sentiments of some of the Russian Bishops on reading the gospels in their native tongue : nor are the joy and gratitude of the laity less evident for this invaluable gift. Reserving further examples of these to some future occasion, I shall only add an instance which I have found in the sheet of Monthly Extracts, published by the Moscow Committee: "Yes," says a distinguished individual, "we will pray to God that he may send his help from on high to the translators of the other books of the sacred scriptures into the Russian language. The work is great-its utility is inexpressible-it forms an epoch * Michael, Metropolitan of Novogorod and St. Petersburgh. Seraphim, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomda.-Philaret, Archbishop of Twer and Kashin.