Survey of Missionary Stations throughout the World. STEINKOPFF. 259 Mr. Le Brun continues his labors In Little Namaqualand-formerly at Port Louis with success. His Byzondermeid. Congregation varies from 100 to 150: the Communicants are about 40. In the Schools there were 114 Boys and London Missionary Society-1817. A Catechist. This Catechist arrived at the sta-40 Girls, and in a Sunday School; from 60 to 70 scholars. tion in July, 1821. "Ten adults have been baptized, and fourteen children. Other adults were receiving instruction, as candi-a dates for baptism. Four couple had been married. LILY FOUNTAIN. In Little Namaqualand, near the Khamies Berg. Wesleyan Missionary Society. Edward Edwards, Jas. Archbell, Missionaries. Of Lily Fountain, the Committee report "With the exception of much damage done to the Chapel and other buildings, by the great hurricane, the Station is in a state of increasing prosperity. This station, the first occupied by our Missions, has not only a considerable Society connected with it, but has furnished two pious Hottentot Assistant Missionaries, from one family." AFRICAN ISLANDS. The hope, stated in the last Survey, that the Imaum of Muscat would be induced to lend his aid in suppressing the Slave Trade, has been realized. He entered into a Treaty, on the 10th of September, 1822, with the Government of Mauritius, for the total Abolition of that trade throughout his dominions and dependencies. Mr. Jenkins, from the British and Foreign School Society, had opened School and obtained thirty scholars. MADAGASCAR. A very large Island, off the eastern coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean, about 800 miles by 120 to 200; in a partial state of civilization, and said to contain 4,000,000 inhabitants. London Missionary Society-1818. renewed 1820. David Jones, David Griffiths, John Jeffreys, Missionaries-G. Chick, John Cauham, T. Rowlands, Artisans. In addition to 30 dollars per month, allowed by Governor Farquhar to each of the Missionaries, His Excellency, before he quitted the Government of Mauritius, (in which he has been succeeded by Lieut. General the Hon. Sir G. Lowrie Cole) assigned 20 dollars per month to each of the Artisans. The King continues to manifest the utmost kindness to the Mission. Houses have been provided, chiefly at his expense, for the three Missionaries. Native youths, of a very tractable disposition, have been appren ticed to each Artisan. An encouraging account is given of the progress of seven Youths now in England. The trade, it appears, is resolutely King Radama is anxious to promote suppressed by King Radama in Mad-education: he has established an A dult School for his officers, and has himself undertaken to instruct some of his own family. In the Schools of the Mission there were 85 scholars: they continue to manifest great avidity for learning. Six hours are spent on the Sabbath in catechising Native children. 260 JOHNANNA. Religion of the Grand Lama. One of the four Comoro Islands, in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel. The Mission begun in this Island in 1821, by the London Missionary Society has been relinquished? ABYSSINIA. Of the Amharic and Ethiopic Scriptures the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society thus speak, in the last Report: Concluded from p 247. The inauguration of the infant Lama is attended with greater pomp and parade than any thing known in the country. The Emperor of China on this occasion, assumes a conspicuous "The printing of the Amharic Ver-part in giving respect to the object of sion, destined for the use of Abyssinia, his faith and veneration. Officers from is now in active progress; the difficul- China, a Chinese anness, the Viceroy ties which had retarded it having been, of Lassa, accompanied by all the court, at length surmounted. the heads of every monistery, and finally, every man of any condition in Thibet, assemble at Torpaling. The Grand Lama is carried in a palanquin to the holy mountain, and though the distance is but twenty miles, such is the concourse of people, and parade of the procession, that three days expire in this short march. The road, being previously white washed, is lined by a double row of Lamas, of which, some "In the course of the present year, Mr. Platt proceeded to Paris, at the request of your committee, to examine oriental MSS. of that city, for materials to assist in the prosecution of another department of their Abyssinian labors, the publication of a correct edition of the Scriptures, or parts of them in the Ethiopic langu age." The Four Gospels in Amharic have been just finished at press. hold lighted rods of a perfumed composition, that burn like decayed wood, and emit an aromatic smoke. The Mr. Platt has published, since his rest are furnished with a great variety return from Paris, in a handsome of musical instruments, which are all quarto volume of about 80 pages, the sounded in unison with the hymn they results of his researches, with speci- chant. Gold insignia, the standards mens of the modern languages of of state, noble horses bearing stoves Abyssinia, and illustrations of those filled with burning aromatic wood, and languages which indicate a close and every species of Asiatic magnificence, able investigation of the subject. We contribute to the splendor of the prorejoice to see the attention of our cession, which moves at an extremely scholars so effectively occupied on the slow pace until it is received within means of enlightening Abyssinia, and the confines of the palace amid an aquote with great pleasure, Mr. Platt's mazing display of colors, acclamations concluding remarks in reference to of the crowd, solemn music, and the that people:chanting of the priests. Now succeed "Should such communications as the religious ceremonies of the inauthis have any effect in turning the at-guration. Every where prevail feasttention of the Orientalist to Ethiopicing, music, rejoicing, and unfurling of Literature, and to the people to whom banners on all the forts. Then folthat Literature was once familiar-low sacrifices and gifts to the Grand to their present state of depression, Lama, mutual presents, &c. the conand the best means for recovering summation of which usually lasts 40 Religion of the Grand Lama. days, when the multitude is dismissed. [Asiatic Researches, vol. I.] Objects of Worship.-Boodh, Fo, and Manippe, belong to the first rank of Thibetian idols. 261 The Thibetian temples have an almost endless variety of images, which are still increasing. When the Grand Lama dies, his body is put in an erect posture into a golden shrine, and ever The after visited with sacred awe. body of every Lama is burnt immediately after death, and his ashes enclosed in a little brass image, which is placed in the sacred cabinet. In addition to these, almost every man has in his own house, small images and pictures of the Grand Lama, which receive family worship. The Thibetians hold some objects sacred Boodh seems to be venerated principally for his antiquity. Fo, who now resides in the Grand Lama, first taught his disciples the doctrine of the metempsichosis. At the age of 79, perceiving that his divinity could not prevent his paying the debt of nature, he called his disciples together and told them he would not leave them without revealing the whole secret and hidden mystery of his doc-in common with the Hindoos; such as trine. He declared he had for forty the water of the Ganges, the cows, years, till that moment thought best &c. to disguise the truth under figurative and metaphorical expressions, but now he would unveil the whole mystery of wisdom. Learn then,' said he, 'there is no other principle of all things, but a vacum and nothing: from nothing have all things sprung, to nothing they must again return, and then all our hopes end.' Manippe is a large idol, sitting on a throne, with nine heads placed one above another, in the form of a cone. The Lamas burn incense to her, and furnish a choice repast to satiate her hunger. Her worshippers kneeling, incline their faces to the ground, ing, 'save us, O Manippe.' Manner of worship.-Worship is generally performed in the temples three times a day, accompanied with a variety of instruments of an enormous size. There are trumpets above six feet long, drums stretched over copper cauldrons, gongs, which are circular instruments of thin hammered belmetal beat upon with a mallet, and producing a surprising noise, double drums of vast circumference, mounted on tall pedestals, which the performer turns with great facility, striking each side with a long curved iron, large kinds of bugles, cymbals, pray-hautboys, seakonks, &c. The Thibetians assemble in their chapels, and On certain days every year, a strong, unite together in prodigious numbers ferocious young man is clad in garto perform worship, which they chant ments variegated by different colors, in alternate recitative and chorus, acarmed with sword, bow and arrows, companied by all those loud, powerful and loaded with a variety of flags or and harsh instruments. In addition colors unfurled, with their staves fas-to all these, are the voices of 2 or 300 tened to his back and neck. In this men and boys, making at the same uniform he is possessed of the demon time every variety of sound, which to whom he is consecrated, and drives would produce a surprising effect upthrough the streets, murdering all he on an ear attuned to soft and delicate meets, without the least regard to age, sex, or condition. No one dare make the least resistance, because these deaths secure the favor of the goddess, and influence her to keep the state happy and prosperous. [Kircher.] music. The Lamas of Thibet understand their tenets much better than those at the extremities of Tartary, but their principles do not require them to render a reason. Sacred books from ar 262 Religion of the Grand Lama. top of the rock above, a platform overhangs the enclosure, for the conveniency of precipitating the dead bodies with the greater ease, from the walls into the area. No further trouble is taken with them, except such as facilitate their destruction by birds, dogs, and other animals. Some con unknown period, have been printed in Thibet. The chief business of the Lama is prayer, which is performed by reading the sacred books, when often neither reader or hearer understand a word. But they have many expedients to save the trouble not only of thinking but speaking. The London missionaries, visiting a temple in Si-vey their deceased friends to certain beria, saw the chief Lama engaged in prayer. He was counting beads and turning an instrument. This instrument resembles a barrel containing written prayers, fixed on an axle, pulled by a string fastened on the outside, and offering all the prayers it contained every revolution. This barrel is said sometimes to be turned by smoke over the fire, and thus prays with great velocity from morning till night. When this praying mill is turned by water, it is of a large kind, and contains all the prayers of the neighbor- As their souls at death, immediatehood. Capt. Gordon, who travelled ly pass into other bodies, they consithrough this country in 1820, men-der it honorable to be buried in living tions a stage or roof of a temple, sup- tombs, that the union of soul and boporting 100 of these praying mills, dy may be apparently preserved. turned by the wind. high hills, where their limbs are disjointed, that they may become a more easy prey to carnivorous birds. Among these receptacles of the dead, where the mangled bodies and bleaching bones lie scattered, some old man and woman, lost to all feeling, but that of superstition, take up an abode, and performs the horrid office of receiving the bodies, and from time to time placing the mangled limbs in a situation the most eligible to carnivorous animals.- In Napaul, a tributary of Thibet, when people are sick, and friends despair of their recovery, those helpless and languishing beings are carried into the wilds, and thrown into pits for dead. Exposed to the open sky and damp ground, without comfort or compassion, they soon die, and are devoured by birds, dogs, and wolves. Are not the tears and sufferings of these forsaken objects, sufficient to awaken Christian sympathy, and prompt the inquiry-"Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?" Another method is to write prayers on pieces of cloth and paper, which are suspended on poles fastened to the roofs of their temples. In these cases, their advances in piety are in proportion to the velocity of the wind. Treatment of the dead. In regard to the treatment of the dead, the votaries of the Grand Lama differ, in different countries. In Thibet, the body of the Grand Lama is said to be the only one suffered to undergo putrefaction, The bodies of all the priests are burnt, and the burying is unknown. The general receptacle of A station near the holy mountain the dead is a spacious area near the would be more important than any monastery, called Teshoo Lamboo, now in existence. Any thing printed enclosed on one side by a high per- in the vernacular tongue of the Grand pendicular rock, and on the other by Lama, would be read by every learnlofty walls. At the top, it is left opened Lama in Asia. For a long period for the sole purpose of admitting dogs all books printed in the Thibetian lan& other beasts of prey, which are ve-guage have been considered sacred, y numerous in that country. On the This prepossession, with the sanction Importance of a Thibetian Mission. Palestine Mission. From the London Jewish Expositor for PALESTINE MISSION. MR. WOLFF'S JOURNAL. 263 Jerusalem, Mount Zion, April 27. R. Abraham Ben Jeremiah, and Rabbi Zebi Ben Zarah remained with me at night till eleven o'clock; at first they spoke blasphemous things, but they ceased when I told them that they wounded my heart by their unbelief. of some Lama, would immediately give the divine oracles a high character. Since for more than 3000 years a great part of Asia have visited the holy mountain, this place must afford an excellent situation to circulate books, and show these pilgrims they have at last found Him of whom Moses and the prophets did write. When we think of China, this station has an overwhelming importance. No misI called again on Rabbi Mendel. I sionary can preach in China. Dr. Morrison has labored as a Chinese mis-cited to him some of the excellent docsionary fifteen years, and all yet re-trines the Gospel contains; he approvmains dark, except two converts.ed of them, and said, the Gemarah Thibet is the only nation that enjoys says, 'Accept wisdom from whomsoThe ever, and wherever you meet with it.' free intercourse with China. emperor and court look to Thibet for their religion. If the Gospel could be established in Thibet, it would flow in the deserted channels of Lamaism all over China and Tartary.-If a Thibetian mission should be instrumental in the conversion of the Lamas, the paganism of all Asia would tremble from its foundation. If Christians rejoice at the conversion of the chief of an island, what will be their ecstacy at the conversion of him, who assumes the attributes of Deity, and holds in his grasp the souls of Asia.Are these views of a Thibetian mission visionary? What part of the human race are more deeply involved in the thraldom of paganism? Where would a few feeble exertions have a more happy and extensive influence? If my apprehensions are just, is it not the duty of this Society to invite the public mind to Central Asia, in order to dispel the thick mists and dark clouds which hover over the deluded votaries of the Grand Lama? CURE OF ENVY. C. Y. I will not envy the prosperity of the wicked, nor be offended at the affliction of the righteous: The one is drawn in pomp to hell, whilst the other swims in tears to heaven. April 28. I introduced brothers King and Fisk to R. Mendel; he received them kindly, and told me that I should tell them that he regretted he was not able to speak their language, for then they would hear words of wisdom from him, but being obliged to speak by an interpreter, the spirit of many things would be lost. Brother King said to him, 'It affords me much pleasure to be permitted to see you in this holy city, and I hope the time will soon come, when all Israel shall be gathered.' Rabbi Mendel said, 'when the time shall come that it will be well with the Jews, then it will be well with all other nations; as long as the Jews reigned all the nations of the earth were blessed; for Rabbi Simon Bar Joahi says in his Sohar, that 'the Jews are the root, and for this reason they ought to govern;' but as soon as the Gentiles who are the branches, begin to govern, then disorder and confusion But when the root, i. e. take place. the Jews, shall begin again to govern, then the words of Isaiah the prophet |