station in South Africa, (in distance from the Cape Colony,) is among the Amandebele, the people lately under Mozilekatse. Notwithstanding the failure of the Mission to the Makololo, and that of the Universities' Mission on the Shire, &c., we regard this class of Missions as most important. The failures in question are but lessons to teach us how to avoid the mistakes into which first attempts naturally fall. A line of Missions on the healthy ranges parallel with the east coast would do much to Christianize Africa, and would afford a field for the exercise of the talents and endurance of the higher class of Christian Missionaries, that heroic order which, in the present day, is in danger of finding no sphere in the Mission field. BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETIES. 1. The British and Foreign Bible Society has circulated 8,063 and 4,165 copies of Scriptures and portions of the same in the Cape Colony and Kaffirland, East and West. Beyond the Cape Colony, to the east and north, 3,350 copies. It has granted £144 towards the cost of the Sisutu translation, and £215 for Namaqua printing. 2. The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge has granted to Cape Town £33. 6s. 8d., and to Graham's Town £315; to the Bloemfontein diocese £225, and has voted £700 for sundry purposes; to Natal £207. 5s.; and to Zululand £50. 3. The National Bible Society of Scotland has granted 90 copies of English and Dutch Scriptures to Knappe's Hope, Kaffirland. 4. The Religious Tract Society has granted £103 in books to Africa and the islands. EDITIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES. 1. The British and Foreign Bible Society has printed the New Testament in Namaqua; the entire Bible in Kaffir and Sechuana; the New Testament and Psalms in Sesutu. 2. The American Bible Society has printed the New Testament in Zulu. N.B. 1. The first attempt at committing the Kaffir language to the press was made by Dr. Vanderkemp and J. Read, in the production of a little Catechism in Kaffir. The Missionaries of the Glasgow Society, especially Mr. Bennie, printed many fragmentary specimens of the language, for the use of schools, as the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and Hymns. The first entire copy of any portion of the New Testament committed to the press was the three Epistles of John, by the Glasgow Missionaries (now Free Church of Scotland): the next was the Gospel of St. Luke in 1833, translated by W. B. Boyce, Wesleyan Missionary Society, by the help of Theophilus Shepstone, now the Honourable Secretary for Native Affairs in Natal. N.B. 2. The problem of the proper position of aboriginal tribes living under Governments and in connexion with Colonists of a higher race and more advanced civilization, has been practically well nigh solved in South Africa. For many years past, say the last half century, the Cape Government has honestly, at all times, though not always wisely, sought the welfare of the native population. The following works throw light on this important subject: Saxe Bannister's "Humane Policy," 8vo., 1840; Dr. Philips' "Researches in South Africa," two vols., 8vo., 1828; Fairbairn's numerous articles in the "South African Advertiser," from 1827 to 1840; Hon. Robert Godlonton's "Narrative of the Irruption of the Kaffir Hordes," 8vo., 1846; (this gentleman has thoroughly vindicated the character of the British Colonists ;) W. B. Boyce's "Notes on South African Affairs," 8vo., 1839; W. Shaw's "Letter to the Earl of Aberdeen," 8vo., 1835, and "Defence of the Wesleyan Missionaries of South Africa," 8vo., 1839; and Hon. J. C. Chase's continuation of Wilmot's "History of the Cape," 8vo., 1869, * Ten ordained Ministers additional sent out March, 1874. HOME RELIGIOUS STATISTICS OF MADAGASCAR, MAURITIUS, &c. 1. MADAGASCAR was first mentioned by Marco Polo, in the thirteenth century. Small settlements have been made at different times by the English, French, and others; but no extensive colony has been established. The Government is native; the King or Queen of the Hovahs, the leading tribe, is nominally the Sovereign of the whole island. Population is between four and five millions. The Malagash race is very similar to the Malay races, and the language is evidently of the same class. 2. Religion, &c.—Christianity was introduced by the Missionaries of the London Society, 1819. The King Radama was favourable, and the Mission had great success. On the death of Radama, 1828, the Queen, his successor, became a persecutor, and expelled the Missionaries in 1835 and 1836; but not before they had furnished the country with the Scriptures in their own tongue. Persecution continued for more than twenty years: more than 10,000 persons suffered various punishments, and many of the converts died for Christ. All this time Christianity was not only preserved, but the number of Christians increased from 1,000 to 3,000 or 4,000. The persecution ceased on the death of the Queen in 1861; and since then the Mission has greatly prospered, as may be seen by the returns in the Tables. In 1869, Queen Ravolona the Second embraced Christianity. The history of the progress of Christianity in Madagascar, as detailed by the Rev. W. Ellis, in his work, "The Martyr Church," is a painfully interesting yet cheering episode in the history of the Christianity of the nineteenth century. Missions have since been established in Madagascar by the Society of Friends, who co-operate with the London Missionary Society in the maintenance of schools especially. Also, at the invitation of the London Missionary Society, by the Church Missionary Society at Andovoranto, on the east side of the island, south of Tamatave, and at Vohimar, in the extreme north. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel has established a Mission, with 3 Missionaries, not only on the coast, but in the capital, Tamatave. A Bishop has been appointed, and as the British Government would not permit his being consecrated by the Bishops of the English Church, (deeming the appointment unnecessary,) the consecration was by the Bishops of the Episcopalian Scottish Church. The Report of the Society states, in vindication of this step: "The Society is bound in loyalty to its principles to carry to Madagascar, not merely a declaration of religious opinions, but a living branch of the Church of Christ, in which, from the Apostles' time, there have been three orders of Ministers, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.” Entertaining_such views, and looking forward to a time when, through the increase of Episcopalian Ministers, the want of a Bishop would be felt, we cannot be surprised, though we may regret the action of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. The Norwegian Missionary Society has also a Mission in Madagascar, and a Trading Ship connected with the Mission. The testimony of Sir Bartle Frere to the success of the Madagascar Mission is interesting. In 1872 he visited Majunga, on the west coast of Madagascar, the seat of Government, and chief garrison of a District conquered by the ruling race, the Hovahs, from the Sakalavas. Here Sir Bartle Frere found two large churches; large, airy, neat buildings, holding from 3 to 500. No English Minister,native Minister only. "The impression left on our minds was, that Christianity had here taken root as the national religion.” He sees, also, no reason to doubt a statement which appeared in the "Friend of India," September 28th, 1873, that there are in Madagascar half a million professing Christians, more than 20,000 children at school, 700 churches, 150,000 Malagash books sold every year, 120 Evangelists supported by the native Churches, besides their own native Ministers. II. THE MAURITIUS, a French island, taken possession of by the English in 1810. It was discovered in 1505 by the Portuguese. Population, (1872,) 326,454, of which 222,472 are Coolies, imported from India as labourers. The English Church has a Bishop and 7 Clergy, who have £2,650 grants-inaid. And the Church Missionary Society has a Mission to the Coolies. The Roman Catholics have a Bishop and 23 Priests, who have a grant of £4,970. The Church of Scotland one Minister, £400. The Independents two, who receive £350. These returns are from the Colonial official list, and are above the sums placed as the cost of ecclesiastical establishments paid by the Colony in the Blue Book, namely, £242; the difference is no doubt paid by the English treasury. In Education the Government expends nearly £6,000 annually, in the support of the Royal College, and 37 schools, 16 of which are for the Indian population. III. ST. HELENA, a small island, discovered by the Portuguese, A.D. 1501, became an English possession in 1673. Population, 6,444. The Bishop of the English Church, who is also Colonial Chaplain, receives from the Government £500. There are 4 parishes, and 3 Clergy, besides the Missionaries of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETIES. 1. The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge has granted to The Mauritius £218. 38. 2. The Religious Tract Society has granted 100 reams of paper to Madagascar, cost £40. 3. The British and Foreign Bible Society has granted £100 for Malay Scriptures to Madagascar. EDITIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES. 1. The British and Foreign Bible Society has printed the whole Bible in Freeman's X. MISSIONS IN WEST AFRICA. "THE WHITE MAN'S GRAVE.-THE LAND OF DEATH." "And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof."-Numbers xiii. 32. "And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh...... spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land."-Numbers xiv. 6, 7. 1. In modern times the discovery of the coasts of West Africa, and the passage round the Cape of Good Hope, is due to the persevering intrepidity of Portuguese navigators. Whether the Phoenicians, by command of Pharaoh Necho, had accomplished the voyage from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean B.c. 600, as related by Herodotus, is a matter of controversy so also the voyage of Hanno from Carthage probably as far as Cape Nun, about в.c. 570. The Romans do not appear to have advanced farther than the Carthaginians. In the middle of the fourteenth century the Spaniards discovered the Canaries. But the great originator and patron of African discovery was Prince Henry of Portugal, the fourth son of King John I. Under his auspices, Madeira, known to the Romans, was re-discovered in 1420; Cape Bojador passed in 1488; the Cape de Verd and Azores discovered in 1449; and when Prince Henry died in 1468, West Africa had been explored as far as within 5° north latitude. By slow degrees the coast of Guinea, Congo, Angola, &c., were visited; and, in 1486, Bartholomew Diaz doubled the Cape of Good Hope. 2. The coast from the southern boundary of Morocco, as far as within a short distance of the Senegal, is inhabited by Moorish tribes. From Senegal to the coast of Guinea, three superior races are found,-the Jaloofs, the Mandingoes, and the Foulahs; all the petty kingdoms tracing their origin to one or other of these two latter ruling races. Mohammedanism, tinged with Pagan rites and superstition, is the predominant religion, and among an educated minority the Arabic language is known. To the pressure of the northern Mohammedan tribes of the desert upon the tribes of the Niger, in the tenth and eleventh centuries of our era, and to their amalgamation with the Negro races, this superiority of the Jaloofs, Mandingoes, and Foulahs is traceable. All the other African tribes beyond the sphere of Mohammedan influence differ little in their habits, and vary little in their respective position in the scale of civilization. Some are more sanguinary in their superstitions, and carry their recklessness as to human life to a greater extent; but they are all degraded by superstition, and more or less sanguinary, especially when excited by war. Slavery is a part of their social system, and is found among almost every tribe; but the evils of this system have been aggravated by the European slave-trade, which commenced in the fifteenth century. From time immemorial slaves were imported from Africa by the cultivated nations of the East, and this trade continues to our day. Happily the European slave-trade has ceased; but until the transit of slaves into Barbary, and Egypt, and to Turkey and the East, be stopped, we cannot hope for the peace and civilization of Central Africa. Sir Bartle Frere's Mission, in 1872, to Zanzibar is, we trust, the beginning of a firm policy on the part of the British Government. The nefarious traffic is not likely to be covertly permitted by those whose duty it is to prevent it, when England is really in earnest. 8. The researches of Dr. Barth and others have thrown some light on the history and ethnology of the races in the northern portion of Central Africa. In his opinion, the Berbers, (the ancient Mauritanians, Libyans, &c.,) were driven from their originalseats north of the Great Desert by the influx of Arab tribes which followed the Mohammedan conquest of North Africa in the seventh century of the Christian era. These Berbers are now found occupying the centre of the Sahara, and are known by the name of Tawarek to strangers, while they call themselves Amozigh (Mazices of Ptolemy). By this movement of the Berbers, the Negro races, which had until then occupied the fertile oases of the Sahara, were driven upon |