then, not in their external circumstances. | ties have been afforded of making known the But, whatever obstacles may be interposed to blessed Gospel, and of acquiring some inform. hinder Christian exertion, it is not probable ation and experience which I would hope may that they will become less, or that the means yet be useful in its extension. And especially of overcoming them would become more easy would I recollect, with the deepest gratitude, of application by delay on the part of Chris- the support and comfort I have received in tians. Much may be done now, even in our times of affliction and bereavement. For the own particular sphere of labor; and, if we re- discipline of a gracious Providence, and the gard, as it seems to me we should, all the pro-influences of the good Spirit, the author of all vinces of Upper India as, not only eligible, but also most important territory for missions, as "land to be possessed," I can hardly suppose external circumstances will ever be more fa vorable than they are at present. And, by the time that these brethren have learned the language-say in two or three years-or thai other brethren, yet to be sent, I trust in larger numbers, have acquired that knowledge, who can tell what changes will have taken place, or how widely open the door may be for every mode and degree of Christian effort? Most deliberately I do think, that if you had sent fifty families instead of five, it would have been a source of joy and rejoicing to millions, if only the blessing of God had accompanied them.

I feel much more cheerful in visiting the United States than I should have felt, if there had not been so many good and dear brethren already in that field. Yet having to leave has proved, my dear Brother Swift, a severe trial to me-more so, I sincerely think, than my leaving home; partly, because the mission cannot be regarded as yet fully established, and as there is such urgent need for the services even of the humblest missionary, while the comfort and pleasure of serving Christ there would now be greater than formerly in the enjoyment of endearing intercourse with so many of his beloved people; and partly also, because of a very painful conviction that I have been set aside, for a season at any rate, on account of my great deficiencies. Certainly it would have afforded me much satisfac. tion to have been allowed a longer time in which I might have hoped to manifest greater zeal and faithfulness in the service of our blessed Redeemer, and of those poor heathen. I trust God will yet give me that privilege; but, in the changes of this mortal life, who knows what may occur to prevent the fulfillment of this hope?

holy desires, tending, as I humbly trust, to prepare me for a better world, I can never be sufficiently thankful. I would renewedly commend myself to your prayers, my dear brother, that I may always have such a lively apprehension of the Lord's goodness to me, and of my obligations to him-that I may always be so influenced by the love of the Sa vior, as that I shall be constrained to live singly to his glory, serving him with all my heart in whatever circumstances I may be placed.

In regard to my visit to the United States, I sincerely hope that it may, in some way, tend to promote the interests of our Savior's cause. There are some matters of considerable importance in reference to the detail of missionary arrangement which I wish to talk over with yourself and the Executive Committee. But these, and other matters, may as well be deferred until I have the pleasure of seeing you. I hope, at any rate, that my own piety will be promoted by the intercourse which I am looking forward with great interest to enjoy with many of the Lord's people in our favored land. At times, I cannot but fear, that I shall only prove a hindrance to the cause with which I am connected, if not to the inte rests of true religion in general. It is some comfort to find myself, in some measure, sensible of my deficiencies; but that is not the kind of comfort to inspire me with animation and vigor in the service of Christ. I do trust, that he sees in my heart a wish to love him more and serve him better, and that he will graciously enable me to do so.

This letter my dear brother is too characteristic; it is all about myself. Yet you must not think me entirely selfish. To prove that I am not, I might easily make many assurances of the regard which I still feel for yourself and your dear family, and for many other beloved friends at Pittsburgh and in that vicinity; and I might say much of the pleasure I am looking But yet I think, as I often review the way forward to enjoy from meeting again with you, by which the Lord has led me during the last and our "taking sweet counsel together." It few years, that I ought to be grateful, very will indeed be a precious privilege to meet grateful to God. My life has been spared, again on this side of Jordan. How many while others, much more worthy, have been things shall we wish to talk about! How joy. cut off from the service of their generation. I ful shall we feel to unite again in prayer! Often have experienced the Lord's kindness and pro- do I think of former days; but I fear they never tection during long and solitary journeys. I will return. They cannot in regard to some have met with much kind treatment from things. Our dear brother Reed cannot again many who were induced to act as friends: meet with us; and we, perhaps, may not be whose friendship.was very valuable, from its permitted to meet again on earth. A few being enjoyed in a strange land. Opportuni-months may bring about great changes in the

of the animal; which, being wounded, plunged | Mr. E. Y. M'Kee, Secretary; and Dr. Elam W. into the water, swam to the opposite shore, and Harris, Treasurer. Of the Union Female Miscrawled into the jumble. The Nicobar Islands, sionary Society of Edwards Co. Ill. Hannah which have fresh water lakes and streams, are Phillips is President; Dorcas Gould, Secretary; overrun with crocodiles; which are of two spe- and Elizabeth P. Knowlton, Treasurer. cies, the proper crocodile and the black kay. The former never attacks living creatures; while the latter, which is of smaller size, is extremely fierce, and seizes every creature that has life.

man.

In regard to religion, Mr. Haensel says, the inhabitants of the Nicobar Islands are in a most deplorable condition. Their notions of a Supreme Being are singularly perplexed. They seem to have no fixed opinions of his existence or attributes. They are not professed idolators, like most oriental nations. They have no particular word to express their idea of God; but use the term Knallen, which only signifies above, or on high, and is applied to many other objects. They believe this unknown being is good, and will not hurt them. Though they pay little regard to the Deity, they firmly believe in the doctrine of devils, and to them direct their religious ceremonies. The conjurors greatly impose on these ignorant people. The missionaries declared to them the way of salvation through the mediation of Jesus Christ; but they, being insensible of their sin and danger, did not receive the mes. sages of his grace. Yet they treated the missionaries with great kindness, and defended them against their enemies.

This mission of the brethren continued about twenty years, and was finally discontinued. Its failure was owing to the extreme difficulty and barrenness of the language-the unhealthiness of the climate, which in a short time proved fatal to the missionaries-and their excessive labors in cultivating the earth for their own subsistence. In 1787, Mr. Haensel, who had returned to Tranquebar, was deputed to Nancauwery, to bring away the only remaining missionary, and the property of the mission. No language can express the painful sensations of his mind when executing this disagreeable task. The sight of the burying-ground, where eleven of his fellow-missionaries lay, particularly affected him. He often visited this place, sat down, and wept over their graves. His last farewell with the natives, who flocked to him from all the neighboring islands, was truly affecting. They wept and howled for grief, and begged that the brethren would soon return.

BRIEF NOTICES.

Omission. In our published lists of life members, the name of Rev. A. D. Montgomery, Red-house, N. C. was incidentally omitted. He was constituted a life member by a donation of his congregation in 1833.

LIST OF CONTRIBUTIONS

To the Western Foreign Missionary Society,
from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, 1836.
Bethel church, Pa. by Rev. George Mar-
shall,

Canonsburg, Pa. Sab. school 5.871; Fem.
prayer meeting 87,
Chartier's Sabbath school, by Mr. J.
Montgomery, superintendent,
Cong. by Rev. R. Patterson,
Cincinnati, O. Rev. J. Burtt's ch. mon.
con. coll. by Rev. W. C. Anderson,
Congruity church, Pa. (Rev.S. M'Ferran
pastor) by Rev. J. Cooke,
Donegal church, Pa. (Rev. S. Swan pas-
tor) by Rev. J. Cooke,
Edwards Co. Ill. Union Female Mis-
sionary Society,

Harmony cong. Pa. 3; Rev. J. H. Kirk-
patrick, 5,

Huntingdon ch. Pa. of Huntingdon
Pres, by Rev. John Peebles,
Kensington, Pa. near Pittsburgh, Welsh

Ind. cong. by Mr. J. Stephens,
Little Beaver cong. Pa. by Rev. R. Dil-
worth,

Mill Creek, Pa. cong. of Erie Pres. by
Patterson, Ingram, & Co.'
Newark cong. O. by Rev. Wm. Wylie,
Paxton cong. Pa. from Mr. R. Elder,
by Mr. R. T. Leech,

Pitts Creek cong. Md. from a member,
product of ground devoted to mis-
sion purposes,

Princeton, N. J. For. Miss. Soc. of
Theol. Sem. by W. Lowrie, Esq.

60.00

6.75

5.00 6.00

15.00

50.20

15.00

20.00

8.00

50.00

5.00

25.00

10.00 22.00

5.00

1.50

15.00

Collections by Rev. J. W. Blythe.-From Rev. J. Kerr, 5; Rev. J. Paine, 5; Mr. Samuel Finley, 5; Dr. J. W. Paine, 2.50—$17.50.

PAYMENTS FOR THE CHRONICLE. Rev. D. D. M'Kee, for subscribers at Cedar. Societies, Auxiliary to the Western F. M.ville and Fairton, $16; Mr. John S. Scott, 5; Society have been recently organized at Carmi, Albion, Equality, New Haven, Golconda, and Jourdan's Prairie, Illinois; and at Jackson, Cape Girardiau Co. Mo.-Of the Apple Creek Society at Jackson, Mr. E. Flinn is President;

Mrs. P. Robertson, 1; John A. Black, Robert
Bowman, Rev. D. H. Cunningham, William
Hickman, O. Littlefield, J. M'Combs, J. W.
Paine, Rev. J. Paine, Thomas Paxton, 50 cts.
each.

FOREIGN MISSIONARY CHRONICLE.

VOL. IV....No. 12. PITTSBURGH, DECEMBER, 1836.

WHOLE NO. 44.

COMMUNICATIONS.

THE following Historical and Geographical followers to address their prayers to one God, Sketches were forwarded to the Executive without the intervention of any mediator. He, Committee, from St. Helena, by Mr. LOWRIE, which is altogether contrary to the genius of of course, admitted converts from other sects, when on his voyage from Calcutta to England, the Hindu religion. Yet the Hindus, who be on board the ship Hibernia. They contain come Sikhs, retain most of the distinctions interesting and useful information of several which marked their sects, forming matrimonial connections, and preparing their food, countries, either included in or bordering on according to Hindu usages. The only food Northern India, which present important fields used in common among the Sikhs is the parsad, for Christian labor and enterprise, that ought or sacred bread, said to be a composition of flour, butter, and certain spices. to be occupied as speedily as possible by missionaries of the cross. Should we not hope in God, and incessantly pray, that the missionaries of our Society in India may be vastly increased in number, greatly blessed in their labors, enabled to extend their operations to those benighted regions, and rejoice to see the pleasure of the Lord prosper in their hands?

SKETCH OF SIKH HISTORY.

Abridged from Foster's Travels.

Anghat. Nanak devolved the charge of his mission on his favorite disciple, Anghat, though he had two sons; and he trusted to him the pub. lication of the laws and precepts of his religion. These writings are written in a character called the Guru Muke, (Gooroo Mookhee,) or the language of the gurus, or priests. This character, which is said to have been invented by Nanak, differs from the characters in use among the Hindus, though it evidently is based on the Dev Nagare.

Amer-das-Ramdas.-Anghat died in 1542, and was succeeded by Amer-das, who propaNanak's Personal History.-Nanak, the and died in 1574. Ramdas, his son-in-law, gated the new doctrine without molestation, founder of the Sikh religion, was born in the was then chosen the preceptor of the sect. He year 1469, at Repur, or Talwande, a village lived in the reign of Akbar, and is said to have about 60 miles westward of Lahor. He ap-received some marks of favor from that empears to have been a man of inflexible justice, compared with his countrymen-of fine elocution-and of patient fortitude-qualifications well adapted to secure for him the regards of the people. He traveled extensively in India; and from that country, according to Sikh tradition, he went into Persia and Arabia, spend. ing about 15 years in his travels. He preached his doctrines in peace, without the aid of either wealth or arms in spreading them; and he always manifested an unaffected simplicity of manners. He died in 1539, aged 70 years, at Dera, a village on the banks of the Rave, 40 miles northward of Lahor. A vast concourse of people annually assembles at that place, to commemorate the day of his decease.

His Tenets. His tenets forbid the worship of images, and ordain, that the places of public prayer must be plain, without ornament. The book, called the Granth, is the only external object which receivos religious veneration, and is said to be the only typical object admitted into their places of worship. He directed his

peror. He founded the town of Ramdaspur in the latter part of his life; and repaired and ornamented a reservoir of water, which had in ancient times been dedicated at that place, by the Hindus, to their god Rain, and to which he now gave the name of Amritsir. Amrit, according to Hindu mythology, is said to be a water conferring immortality on those who drink it; and Sir, in certain dialects, signifies a piece of water.

Ardan.-Ramdas died about 1581, and was succeeded by Ardan, who, falling under the displeasure of a Hindu favored by Jehangair, was committed to prison; and his death, in 1606, at Lahor, was supposed to have been caused by the severity of confinement.

Har Govind-Harray.-The succession devolved on his only son, Har Govind, who, actu. ated by revenge for the cruelties committed on his father, dragged the Hindu from his house, and put him to death. He then fled, with his adherents, fearing the displeasure of the em peror; but was afterwards induced to submit;

was confined for a short time; and then, having | India, from 1739 to 1746. They were kept in been set at liberty, passed the rest of his days check, however, by the governors of Lahor, for in a recluse manner. He was succeeded, after several years, until, under the administration his death in 1644, by Harray, his grandson, of of the Adina Beg Khan, a governor of that city, whom Foster makes no mention, but that he who long kept them under restraint, yet did died in the year 1661, at Khiratpur. not aim at their entire destruction, and who even entered into alliance with them against the Afghans, at the time of the Mahratta invasion, or a little before, they were enabled to lay the foundation of a power that has steadily increased to the present day.

After the death of Banda, those who ad. hered to the tenets of Nanak, either fled to the mountains, or, in appearance, renounced their faith, by cutting off their hair; and, for about Sects.-The Sikhs are divided into two dis30 years, the sect was scarcely known. Its tinct sects. The most ancient is the Khalasa, members dwelt in remote and inaccessible fast- who adhere to the institutions of Nanak, with nesses, and visited the sacred fountain at Am-little deviation, and of the cight succeeding ritsir by stealth.