of the public mind, without which nothing will be effected for China worthy of its matchless claims. It is high time, surely, that the Society should be relieved from the entire expense of educating its missionaries; and that men of the finest mould, the most accomplished theologians and scholars that our colleges can produce, should be found pressing into the missionary field. We want agents of the loftiest bearing, and I doubt not that God will pour out the missionary spirit upon our colleges; and in due time raise up an abundant supply of able and devoted men for every quarter of the heathen world. Meanwhile, let China be looked at with the eye of Christian philanthropy ;let its high claims as a mission field be fairly weighed and then I am satisfied that there will be no lack of men to carry on the work of God in that densely-peopled region of the globe.

Nor can I allow myself to cherish gloomy apprehensions on the question of funds. "The gold and silver are the Lord's ;" and when he touches the hearts of his people by the constraining power of his love, they will come forward with a liberality hitherto unexampled in the history of missionary contribution. Honour be to the individuals and the churches who shall set the first example of a movement for China worthy of the stupendous field which it presents to the labourers of the Christian church.

Let me entreat that every individual Christian, in all ranks of life, would set apart a special season for the prayerful consideration of the important question; What can I do beyond what I have already done, to send the gospel to three hundred and sixty two millions of immortal beings? Such a solemn, deliberate, and Christian method of dealing with this question, as in the sight of God, will not fail to produce a great and blessed result.

I would also suggest that Christian families, as such, should meet and consult as to the claims of China, that the Society may receive an offering from every family, however small, to carry the gospel to this land of darkness. It is impossible to say how great might be the religious benefit of such a movement to all the dear young people in our households.

But every church must and will do something special, at this momentous crisis, for China. I am sure that such an effort, properly conducted by the pastor, would lead to the happiest results. It would throw new life into all our Christian fellowships, if a well-digested sermon on the subject of China were preached, on a given day, and the spontaneous gifts of the church were solicited, without any formal collection being made.

I am happy to say that my humble effort

of last month, begins in many quarters to be felt. I have received several letters from very active and devoted individuals, who feeling the claim urged, are anxious that others may feel it too. I should like to publish them all; but this impossible. They contain various proposals. One recommends that a day's income should be willingly surrendered by every friend of the mission, whether that income be large or small. Another urges that certain luxuries and superfluities of life should be relinquished by Christians, especially in dress and wines, and that the savings thereby effected should be devoted to China. A third suggests that on the first day of every week, for five years, a certain sum, regulated by income, should be laid aside for this great cause. But there are two letters which I dare not withhold from the friends of our Society: one from the secretary of the Chatham Juvenile Missionary Auxiliary, and the other from William Wardlaw, Esq., of Glasgow, nephew of Dr. Wardlaw, who has been the devoted friend of missions for the last thirty years. Both documents we earnestly commend to the devout perusal of our readers. They ought to produce effect; and I cannot but anticipate that God will employ them for a blessing. With the insertion of them I leave this all-engrossing subject for the present month. I ever am,

Dear brethren,

Yours in the faith of Christ, JNO. MORISON.

LETTER FROM MR. WATSON.

8, Brook, Chatham, 2nd October, 1845. Dear Sir,-Fully sympathising in the sentiments contained in your " Voice from China," and believing that the present claims of that vast empire demand from our churches a special, unprecedented, and permanent effort, allow me to ask, would it be too much for the directors to propose for the consideration of all our churches, the propriety of presenting on a fixed day (say on the first day of the year) an annual voluntary offering of one day's income, be it great or small, for the increase and perma nent support of our missions in that vast and interesting field of labour. If from 2000 churches of our denomination in Eng. land, Scotland, and Ireland, we might average fifty individuals to each church disposed thus to aid the cause of China's evangelization, and the average daily income to be taken at 4s. each, an annual sum of 20,000L would be thus available by the directors, in order to meet in some measure the paramount claims of China upon the efforts of the London Missionary Society. Leaving you

LETTER FROM WILLIAM WARDLAW, ESQ.

Glasgow, 6th Oct., 1845. 100, Fife Place. Rev. and dear Sir,-In listening to your fervid appeal on behalf of China, read this evening at our monthly Missionary Prayer Meeting, I could not help wishing that something on a great and liberal scale could be attempted on behalf of an empire so vast, comprising one third of the population of our globe. It seemed to me that all the usual scales of contribution fall far short of that which ought to be done at the present crisis. May a very humble individual be permitted to say to you-" Expect great things-attempt great things." Let your standard be high, and leave nothing undone by which you may attain it. In this city alone, there were lately found nine or ten individuals, I think, who subscribed 10007. each towards a college for the Free Church -this is for a home, and merely local ob. ject-your object is of vast extent; comprising some hundreds of millions of the human family. Let me venture a suggestion; are there not at least one hundred individuals connected with the churches in our land-men of piety-men of wealth-men of zeal-men of benevolence-who would each contribute out of their splendid fortunes the sum of 1000l. towards an object so vast, so glorious, so full of Christian philanthropy as to pour into opened China a band of zealous, faithful, devoted missionaries, who would go forth with all the ardour of faith, and talent, and energy, to take possession of the land on behalf of the Redeemer? Cannot you-cannot the Directors-from your united knowledge of the men of a liberal spirit connected with the churches, make out a list of all who might be personally written to, to join in the effort to raise at once the sum of 100,000l. for China, in sums of 10007. each, independent of all the smaller sums which might be poured into the Christian treasury? would at once enable the Directors to lay out 10,000l. annually for a long series of years, upon this vast field of Christian effort. When we think that in poor Scotland, the Free Church has raised in less than two years 800,000l. for the various schemes connected with that church,-is it extravagant,-is it not rather greatly within the bounds of possibility to suppose that the appeal I suggest would, if properly, energetically urged, be

This sum

met by a ready response from many of the wealthy friends of the cause?

What is Scotland to England? Only a fractional part of her number, her wealth, her liberality, and her zeal. And am I to believe that England cannot accomplish this? I am sure she can, and I can scarcely entertain a doubt that she will do it, and even much more. Let this, or some similar measures be tried, and if properly worked, I would think success to be almost certain. The silver is the Lord's-the gold is histhe heart is his-only he works by meanslet the means be fairly and energetically tried, and especially let prayer abound that God would open their hearts, and open the hands of his servants, and then let us see if our faith in him has been too strong.

I suggest the thought which has passed through my mind this evening; do not despise it because it is a sudden thought. Is it practicable to realize it?-that is the question. If you entertain it, sink the origina tor of it all together, and let the committee put forth the suggestion as one which will carry all the weight of their influence with the Christian friends before whom it may be brought.

With kind Christian regards to yourself and Mrs. Morison, believe me, Yours very sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Morison.

WM. WARDLAW.

If one hundred would be found to subscribe 10001. each, might there not be two hundred more who would subscribe 5001. each, and so raise another 100,0007.?

MADAGASCAR.

EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER OF DAVID RATSARAHOMBA, WRITTEN IN ENGLISH TO A FRIEND AT WALTHAMSTOW.

Mauritius, 10th Feb. 1845. We do not receive any news from Madagascar, (that is, from the Christians there,) except what we received a few months ago, when Mr. Baker was there, which he sent to England; and from Joseph also, but about one year ago. The latest news is

about the Betsimisarakas, in the north of Madagascar, that the queen has a battery, and the governor previously declared to the Betsimisarakas, that at any time the enemy should be heard near them, they were to defend the queen's battery. It happened that the Sakalavas went to the battery secretly, and the people who were far from it could not come in till the enemy went away of their own accord; so after they were gone, the Betsimisarakas, who were not in the battery at the time the enemy came, were called and tied up, men, women, and child

-

ren-they pleaded for their defence, but nothing could be done-and they were condemned to death for being out at the coming of the enemy to the battery the children from about ten years of age and upwards; the number of the women eightyone, and the men without number; their heads were cut off and hanged on shoreit is said that seven boats were full of their heads. I never remember such a thing in Madagascar, as to kill the women. And many other things I have heard which I am not able to tell you now.

I know very well that the thing you want to hear from us is, about the Redeemer's service on earth, what we can do for him, in bringing sinners to come to him to be saved, for he does not like that sinners perish, even one soul. Had you been in the same country with us (though very far distant from us, dear Miss H.) I would not say a word about what I am doing at Mauritius, but call you to see what I am doing; but because it is impossible for you to come, I am to give some account to you of it, as a child to tell what he is doing and not as an account from great men. Still I have not much to say, but my perseverance with the little ability I have, though it is not mine, but God's who worketh within me. What I am doing in Port Louis, is first to talk to the people in their houses in order to be acquainted with them, and try them to learn to read and to go to the place of worship on sabbath-day. There are Betsimisarakas that have no time to learn except at six or seven o'clock. I am obliged to leave it off at half-past eight or at nine often, to go home. The adult persons, that is the women, are rather more at liberty; some learn French, some Malagasy, some English, that is for reading the New Testament. Some of them make me very pleased to hear their answers to the Romish people about their images. Mr. Baker is still conducting the Malagasy service on Sundays, and I assist him; and it is steady and firm as ever in its course, or more than ever.

Rafaravavy devotes herself as ever in the service of her Redeemer.

EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER OF MARY RAFARAVAVY TO A FRIEND AT WALTHAM

STOW.

(Translated from the Malagasy.)

Moka, Feb., 1845.

To the ladies, Miss H. and Miss M. H., my respects, salutation, may you sisters be

blessed of God. I am as yet well, and have received the letter from you, which rejoices me exceedingly. I got David to translate the letter, for I wished to understand it very much, for your words are indeed sweet to me; I did read it in English, but did not perfectly understand the meaning. By means of your friendship, I am remembered by you as one whom you tenderly love, and you give to me that which is in your heart..... And I have to tell you that Joseph, after separating from Mr. Johns, at Anosibe, went to Mohilla with Andrianilaina, the husband of Sarah, and it is now more than a year since we heard from them. Simeon, David, and James are still well. David and Mr. Baker preach in Malagasy at Port Louis, and I will tell you that David's diligence in going about constantly to visit the Malagasy, to converse with them about the word of God, is very delightful, and every evening he is teaching the Betsimisarakas, going to them, teaching them to read French also. Every Monday and Saturday he goes about among them teaching them to sing. Mr. Le Brun and Simeon also are very diligent in conversing with the Malagasy in their own houses. For myself I am still happy in being able to visit the Malagasy, and there are some among the grown-up women that are learning, and attend on Wednesday's congregation. I told them what you said, that you prayed for them, and they were delighted to hear it, all of them, and I also; and said they, "Indeed! is it that these good people far away from us who are praying for us here? Then, indeed," said they, "it will be sorrowful for us if we do not love God on that account." And I replied, that such was the custom of the good people. And I beg of you to tell this to the ladies among you, and to give them my respects, and also to your friends who visit you.

I have also to say that I have not received any letters for a long time from Madagascar, neither from my child nor from the Christians.

A Christian, however, came to Tamatave while Mr. Baker was there, and just spoke to him, and gave him a letter, but was afraid to converse with him, and the letter told him that there were four persons among the Christians who were not able to find a place where they might rest, for they were continually being sought after to be put to death.

My affection presents honour to you.
Farewell,

Saith SARAH RAFARAVAVY,

Your servant.