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Mr. William Gulick wrote from San- eral matters of importance. -a death, an tander, October 29th:ordination, and the burning of a missionary's house:

"I am holding regular services in my study, which as yet are attended only by Juan Flores, the colporter, and his wife, and a young man employed in a government office here, and his wife. I. have not made any special attempt to increase the number, lacking as yet the ability to address them with that clearness that would warrant my urging others to come. I am beginning to believe that there is a class of the community in this city that is not only indifferent to the clergy, and to the observances of the Romish church, but that hold them in contempt, while showing them outward deference. G- is of that class, and his wife follows him. So also is our servant, a bright and intelligent woman of about thirty. She attends our family prayers, and reads the Bible with us, and with an intelligence that surprises us. She is well informed of religious movements in Spain and the Catholic world, laughs at the infallibility' of the Pope, and scorns the thought of confessing to a priest'a man, like the rest of us!'

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"I am still disposed to make the attempt to induce those who may become interested in the truth to take upon themselves, from the beginning, a reasonable share of the expense that may be necessary to establish and extend the work. I am well aware that the development of our work by such a method must, in all probability, be very slow; for, aside from the proverbial reluctance of the Spaniard to part with his money, and the actual poverty of the people, the custom of foreign agents in other parts of Spain, of supplying their congregations gratuitously with all they need, is well known here; but if you are willing to have me make the effort, I shall gladly give the method the fullest and fairest trial."

Zulu Mission - Southeastern Africa.

DEATH OF A VALUED NATIVE BROTHER. MR. IRELAND wrote from Amanzimtote, September 2, 1872, mentioning sev

"First I must tell you of an event which brought sadness to all our hearts. William Brittlecomb, one of the deacons of this church, as well as one of its earliest and most influential members, died suddenly on the 13th of July. He conversed freely with those about him, and his preparation for death seemed evident to all who listened to him. After making suitable provision for his wife and children, he expressed his desire that his usual contribu tion to various Christian objects should be continued. The funeral was attended by a large number of people, and the occasion was one of unusual solemnity. All felt that his death was a public loss, and many, ourselves included, that we had been personally bereaved.

"Two days after the funeral, the annual meeting of our Christian natives took place here, continuing through the remainder of the week. So prominent had our deceased brother been in all these annual gatherings, that his death was widely and deeply felt, and touching allusions to him were made in almost every address, as well as in many of the prayers. As I have already said, this man who was familiarly known as Billy (or Bili), was one of the first to make a profession of religion in our mission. Ira Nembula and Bili were among the first who joined Dr. Adams's station, at the Umlazi, some thirtyfour or thirty-five years ago. They lived together as boys in Dr. A.'s family, acquired much useful knowledge, and both of them learned to read and speak the English language with great facility. In fact there are scarcely any of their countrymen who are their equals in this respect. Bili also became a good carpenter and as good a mason, and there is hardly a building on the mission premises in the erection of which he has not had a large share. He has also been, for a score of years, one of our most useful native preachers — going somewhere almost every Sabbath to preach, and always without compensation, save that of feeling that he had been trying to do good."

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ORDINATION OF IRA NEMBULA.

September 3d. I am now to tell you about his early companion and friend, when our mission was still in its infancy. Soon after it was decided to adopt the policy of ordaining native pastors in our field, Ira Nembula was unanimously chosen by the church here as the most suitable man for their pastor. He was quite willing to accede to their and our wishes, but he was at the time so immersed in sugar-making, and so burdened with debts growing out of the enterprise, that he could not then entertain the proposition, nor did we think it wise under the circumstances. Some little time ago we were given to understand that these debts were so nearly cancelled as no longer to present a serious objection, and he expressed his willingness to enter upon these duties as soon as the necessary arrangements could be made. Accordingly, about six weeks ago, at the time of the late native meeting, several missionaries being here, it was decided that there was no longer any necessity for delay. During the past fortnight the Annual Theological Institute has been held here, and it was thought that no better time could be chosen for the interesting exercises connected with the ordination and installation of this brother. On Saturday last an ecclesiastical council was organized, composed of three missionaries, three native pastors, and several members of other native churches. Ten of our churches were thus represented in the council. The candidate, who is now not less than from 45 to 48 years of age, gave a clear and satisfactory account of his early religious history and experience. When questioned in reference to the great fundamentals of Christian doctrine, his replies were thoughtful and intelligent, showing the result of years of religious training and experience. The ordination services took place on Sunday morning in the chapel-three missionaries and four native pastors taking part in the interesting exercises. The audience was large and attentive, and I trust a deep and useful impression was made upon all present. For myself, I felt that after the long, long night of heathenism

the day was dawning. May the Sun of Righteousness soon shine in his strength upon this people."

BURNING OF MR. MELLEN'S HOUSE.

"I find it hard to compose my thoughts this morning to write, or do anything else. A letter has just come to us from Mrs. Mellen, giving an account of the burning of their house. The letter was written at midnight of August 28th, four hours after the fire took place. It seems a native girl went into a bedroom to attend to some household duties, and left a candle burning in the room, near some This clothing hanging upon the wall. took fire, and by means of a cotton-cloth ceiling, the fire soon reached the thatch roof, which was all ablaze before any alarm was given. The fire spread so rapidly that they found it impossible to save anything.”

Eastern Turkey Mission.

LIGHT IN DISTANT PLACES.

Two letters from Erzroom, respecting missionary tours, contain passages of considerable interest, presenting hopeful appearances in some places remote from mission stations, and showing how the influence of truth gradually spreads itself abroad. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven." Mr. Cole wrote, September 17th, of a tour to the east, which took him as far as Bayazid, on the borders of Persia (by the map, about 150 miles south of east from Erzroom). The special object was to look after the building of school-houses and rooms for helpers at two out-stations, Khasdoor and Karabazar. A few passages only will be given from this letter:

"After a ride of twenty-five hours I am landed in Khasdoor, where I spend the Sabbath. The meetings are thinly attended, for it is a busy time with the people, and besides, not a few who love the truth draw back from us, lest opposition should be turned upon them. But I think the Lord has reserved a few who might be called the salt of the earth.' They will not crouch, whatever may come. They are hindered in building a school

house, so one of them sets about building the people. Some of them desired that we would send them a teacher at once. Though we can never put too much confidence in such impulsive movements, we feel that this is good so far as it goes, and may be accepted as an earnest of the future, should the place be occupied by a helper.

a granary, with the tacit understanding among themselves that the school is to be there the coming winter. They will try hard to secure a place for their teacher's family, but if they fail, this same brother will receive them into his own house; as they feel that they must have the teacher's wife present, to teach their wives and daughters.

"Eight hours on from Karabazar we reach the old town of Bayazid. Certain ones there had sent a special invitation to the helper at K. to come down and visit them. So I thought it might be well to take this opportunity to visit the place and note the probable prospects for work in the future. Bayazid is said to have been quite a large town in the past, but, like most of Turkey bordering on Russia, it suffered great depopulation at the time of the late war between those powers. Many Armenians passed over the line to Russia, and have never found their way back. It now numbers only about 700 houses, of which some 200 are Armenian. . . . .

"In Bayazid we had a precious season of preaching on the Sabbath. Our room was filled with earnest listeners, and I presume our preaching would have continued till midnight, had not the godless khan-keeper succeeded in breaking it up. He said he should allow no more preaching in his room, and all the company must leave. The friends, most of them, had to leave at the time, though many returned afterwards. They eagerly bought what few books we had, and asked for more.1 I was interested to find that they had a kind of Protestant club, meeting more or less regularly. In some almost unaccountable way they had got hold of a few of our books, (probably they were carried there by Mr. Pollard, several years since,) and by contact with Protestants once or twice, they learned a few of our most familiar hymns. So their meetings are made up of reading the Scriptures, talking and singing, an earnest blind brother joining in the music with a kind of guitar. Such are the tokens of zeal we saw among 1 Since my return here I have had a call from one of those friends, who has been here on busi

ness, and he took more books.

"The next and last place I can mention is Pätnots. It is twelve hours south of Khasdoor, and about five hours beyond the Euphrates River. I planned visiting the place, but circumstances prevented. On our return to Khasdoor I found a man from the region. He urged us to furnish them a helper this winter. He said they were having regular Protestant meetings every Sabbath. The light there has come through a priest's family, formerly in our Alashagerd region. His wife and children attend the Protestant service, while he goes to the old church. To avoid commotion, they meet in a sheepfold, outside the village. They have no helper, but take turns in reading the Scriptures, while they all join in singing and some offer prayer. My heart was touched by the man's simple yet earnest story of the new work there. We hope to be able to send them a man for the winter, though we feel that indeed 'the harvest is plenteous but the laborers few.'"

Mr. Pierce wrote, October 2d, reporting a tour by himself and Miss Patrick, on which they were absent twenty-one days. They went down the Euphrates, southwesterly from Erzroom, to Erzingan, Hazark, and other places. The first Sabbath was spent at an Armenian village where they had heard that there was a Protestant from Harpoot, in a part of their "parish" of which they had often heard, but which no missionary had ever visited. Mr. Pierce writes: :

"Fording a branch of the Euphrates we picked our way along between the fields of ripened wheat, and the threshingfloors of the neighboring villages, and almost before we were aware of it found ourselves entering a large Armenian village, and the Protestant brother standing at the door of a nice looking house, ready to give us a most hearty welcome. He

had heard of our coming, and was prepared to receive and entertain us, which he did in a most hearty and acceptable

manner.

"As it was the very busiest season of the whole year, we had no reason to expect an opportunity for preaching before Sabbath morning, but we were not allowed to remain idle. Miss Patrick visited two houses and talked for some time to a group of twenty-five or thirty women. Meantime I had an interesting talk with quite a crowd of men, who listened attentively. . . . . On the Sabbath we had almost continuous preaching, to an ever changing, but attentive audience. No one made serious opposition, and all seemed ready to acknowledge that we were on the side of truth. There was but little working on the Sabbath, and the people seemed quite simple-hearted and willing to receive the truth. There are in that region thirty-two villages, nearly all Armenian. We hope and pray that our visit may be the beginning of a work that shall ere long bring that whole region to a saving knowledge of the truth."

A Village on the Mountain Top. On Tuesday the travellers reached Erzingan, and after spending a day or two with the Protestants there, hastened on to "the often heard of but never visited region twelve hours beyond," where a helper had been recently sent.

"Our road lay along the valley of the Euphrates, or rather wound up and down its steep, sandy banks. A timid, nervous woman would hardly enjoy a path six inches wide, thirty or forty feet above a swift, running river, knowing that the slightest accident would be likely to send horse and rider sliding into its muddy waters. But Miss P. is not one of the kind to be easily frightened, and if you were to ask her, I think she would say she positively enjoyed that ride. . ... We were now only one hour from our village, but to reach it we must climb. We were fortunate in having a native of the village for a guide, for no one but a native would suspect the existence of a path or a village in such a place. After a continual series of windings and climbings, we reached the

top, and there, literally upon the mountain top, was the village of Hazark. One cannot help wondering what could have been the inducement to build on the top of that barren mountain. Pure air, good water, and a nearness to heaven, especially the latter, were the only inducements I could think of.

"As we approached the village we were met by a crowd of men and children, each one anxious to welcome and do us honor. We were soon located in a house belonging to the brethren; then followed a series of salutations and welcomes from no less than thirty or forty persons, all members of the Protestant community. As we were the first foreigners that ever visited their village, every one was curious to get a look at us, and all were anxious to do us some little favor; but in no case did their curiosity amount to rudeness, which is generally so noticeable on a first visit."

A busy Sabbath. "Sabbath morning, before we had time to take our breakfast, a congregation of more than sixty gathered in our room, and we spent an hour preaching to the most attentive audience I ever saw in Turkey. After about an hour they came again, and again I talked an hour. Then they wanted to sing, which we did for an hour longer, and nowhere in Turkey have I heard so good native singing. One young man had learned to sing while attending school for a short time, somewhere in the Western Turkey Mission, and he had taught the others.

After singing came another preaching service, conducted by the young man who was traveling with us. Towards evening I preached again, and the helper still again, after dark. Miss Patrick, meantime, had held several meetings with the women; so we had no less than seven preaching meetings in one day. The Armenian priest could find only two men to attend his service, at which he became so enraged that he cursed and swore, and refused to open the church; and at last accounts, it was still closed."

How the Truth reached the Place. "You

will be interested to know how the truth first found its way into that mountain village. I will tell the story as I had it from the lips of an old man in whom we became much interested, and who may be regarded as the first preacher of the gospel in that region. Twenty-five years ago he was learning a trade somewhere near Broosa, and accidentally got hold of a Turkish testament, which he read secretly for a long time. After a while he returned to his native village, and began to talk against the old church, and to preach the truth, as he understood it. Then several others, who were in trade in different parts of Western Turkey, also became partially persuaded. Finally, three young men were received into one of the Protestant churches near Broosa, and on their return to their village, five families separated themselves from the old church, and formed themselves into a Protestant community. No missionary preacher or teacher had ever visited them, but they had the Bible and hymn-book, and the Holy Spirit was their teacher.

"We had often heard of them, but not till this year were we able to send them a teacher, and to visit their village. They are to build a school room and teacher's house in the spring, with a little help from the Board, and will also give half or more of a preacher's salary as soon as we can send them a suitable man. We have given them one for the winter, and hope he will do much to encourage and strengthen them. I think we may safely say there are in that village as many as fifty or sixty Protestants, several of whom we hope are converted men. We also found there one young man and two girls who wish very much to enter our schools in the spring. Perhaps we shall think best to receive them."

The Schools at Erzroom. "Our schools will close in three weeks. Our young men are preparing themselves for the winter's work, and we are busy locating them trying to find the place best suited to each man, or the man best suited to each place. The demand being so much larger than the supply, it is difficult to decide just where to locate our handful

of laborers, in order that the greatest good may result."

Mahratta Mission - Western Endla.

MR. BISSELL, of Ahmednuggur, reports an interesting Sabbath there on the 1st of September. Seven persons were received to the church on profession of faith, two of them his own daughters, and two girls and three boys from the schools. Several more, he thought, would be received in a few weeks. He adds: "I have had interested audiences recently in several villages in the Kolgav district, and if I mistake not there is promise of an incoming harvest there, at no distant day."

Mr. Harding, of Bombay, mentions the forming of a Methodist church there, growing out of Mr. Taylor's labors, though this was not his design at the outset. Most of the members are from the middle and lower classes of Europeans and IndoBritons. The religious interest was deepest in January and February of 1872, but has continued, in a good degree, and a number of earnest lay workers have been raised up. The missionaries were looking forward to the expected visit of Dr. Seelye with pleasant anticipations and the hope of good results.

Madura Mission — Southern India.

SEVERAL letters have been received from the Madura mission, from which extracts will be given, mostly in the order of dates.

INCIDENTS ON TOURS.

Mr. Burnell, of Melur (18 miles northeast of Madura), wrote August 16: "During the last ten days, Mr. Chandler and myself, with eight or ten catechists, have been itinerating in the region of Nuttam, and on to the Madura station district, till now, at our fifth camp, we are nearly half way between Madura city and Battalagundu. We have been somewhat hindered by frequent rains, but on the whole, have been much favored as to

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