HOME RELIGIOUS STATISTICS OF GREENLAND AND

LABRADOR.

GREENLAND was first discovered by Gunnibiorn, from Iceland, A.D. 872 : it is a vast island-continent, which geographically forms part of North America; the sca-coasts on the south, west, and partially on the east, are all that is known to us; the interior forming a vast glacier, extending probably as far as the pole. The first settlement was made by Erik the Red near Juliana's Hope. Christianity was introduced by Leif, the son of Erik, in A.D. 1000. These colonies disappear from the pages of history towards the close of the fourteenth century, and are supposed to have been destroyed by the “Skrellings or Esquimaux" savages. Greenland remained unoccupied by the Danes until, in 1722, Hans Egede, a clergyman of Norway, courageously commenced a Mission there, 1722-1736. In 1733, the Moravian brethren from Herrnhut (Lusatia) sent Matthew and Christian Stach as Missionaries, who were kindly received by Egede. This was the beginning of the successful Missions of the Moravian Brethren in Greenland. As the Danish settlements extended along the west coast, the Government appointed Ministers as Missionaries to the settlers and natives. This year, (1874,) a native Greenlander has been ordained in Copenhagen as a Minister to his countrymen. The population is about 7,000, some say 9,000 or 10,000. Narrow as is the field for Missionary labour in Greenland, its influence has been very great; for the narration of the self-sacrifices and patient endurance of Egede and the Moravian Missionaries has been influential in kindling Mission zeal. What the men of Marathon and Thermopyla have been to the patriotism of every land, the simple tale of the Greenland Mission has been to the Christian Church.

LABRADOR was first visited by the voyagers from Iceland and Greenland, re-discovered in 1496 by the Portuguese. The population consists of a few wandering Esquimaux; the number unknown, but beyond Labrador, along the Polar Seas in British America, it is calculated that the numbers do not exceed 4,000, being a mere "fringe of human beings dotted about here and there on the sea-shore of the vast continent." In 1752 and 1764 the Moravians commenced their Missions, and have now six Stations. In the summer season fishing vessels from Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Canada, visit the coasts for the purpose of fishing. Some few settlements are maintained for the convenience of those engaged in this fishery.

HOME RELIGIOUS STATISTICS OF THE UNITED STATES. Total population, 38,555,983.

The following statistics of the various religious denominations in the United States may be useful for reference :

1. The adherents of Churches were, in 1850, 14,234,825; in 1860, 19,128,751; in 1870, 21,665,062; increase of 4,894,926 in the first decade, and 2,536,311 in the second. The leading denominations are thus given :

1850.

1860.

1870.

XXXIV. NORTH AMERICA (No. 1). GREENLAND, LABRADOR, INDIAN MISSIONS IN UNITED STATES, CHINESE IN CALIFORNIA.

21,665,062

1,990,514

19,674,548

These figures reveal the following facts for 1870 :—

Total adherents of all Churches
Roman Catholic

Protestants and others......

"The Methodists alone are to the Roman Catholics more than three to one. The Baptists exceed them by two millions. And the great predominant religion of the nation may be said to be Protestant and Evangelical. The leading denomination of the Republic is the Methodist, with its six and a half millions. Next to that comes the Baptist, four and a third millions. Then the Presbyterians take rank, two millions six hundred thousand strong. The Jews appear to have multiplied rapidly. The extraordinary growth of the Lutheran and German Reformed is, no doubt, attributable to the enormous German emigration. In the light of these census returns the fears entertained by so many persons respecting the growth of the Roman Church in America appears to be needless. The German Protestant sects far outnumber them, and so do all the leading Evangelical denominations, each in its turn. It is impossible to study this census table attentively without coming to the conclusion that those who have talked vaguely about a national religion have been wholly unaware that it actually exists, and has done so all along."

2. Church Property in the United States.-The Ninth Census reports (according to the "New York Independent") the aggregate amount of Church property in the United States in 1870 at £73,850,742, against £35,707,902 in 1860 and £18,193,500 in 1850. The distribution of this property among the several religious sects in 1870 was as follows :—

XXXV. NORTH AMERICA (No. 2).
THE DOMINION OF CANADA (No. 1).

The Roman Catholics and the Methodists stand at the head of the list in the amount of Church property held by them. The statistics for the former in 1870 were as follows:-Organizations, 4,127; edifices, 3,806; sittings, 1,990,514; property, £12,705,326. The statistics for the latter at the same period were as follows:-Organizations, 25,278; edifices, 21,337; sittings, 6,528,209; property, £14,552,942. The property in the hands of the Catholics for the use of 4,127 organizations was £12,705,326, while that in the hands of the Methodists for the use of 25,278 organizations was £14,552,942.

3. Missions to the Indians of North America may be called "the forlorn hope" of the Christian Church. It is but justice to the early settlers, Episcopalian and Congregational, to state that attempts were made by the Legislature to encourage Missionary efforts for the benefit of the natives. John Eliot, "the Apostle of the Indians," laboured in New England 1646-1674. Among others who also laboured we may mention David Brainerd, (Scotch Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,) 1743-7, whose biography has done more to stimulate and maintain Missionary feeling than any other memoir. The Mayhew family for four generations laboured in this field up to 1803. The Moravians commenced their Mission in 1734; the Church Missionary Society in 1822: their Missions, however, as well as those of the Wesleyan Missionary Society, are within the boundaries of "the Dominion." Some thirteen Missionary Societies in the United States are labouring among the Indians within the United States territory; and the Society of Friends are giving their money and practical good sense to the help of the United States Government, in its humane attempt to settle and save from extermination the Indian tribes.

At the recent meeting of the Board of Indian Commissioners in Washington, U.S., there were present by invitation representatives from every religious body engaged in carrying on the work apportioned to them among the Western tribes, under the Peace Policy of the Government; also several Army Officers of distinction, Senators, Members of Congress, and delegates from civilized tribes in the Indian territory. The concurrent testimony of these various representatives was, that under no system by which the Indian tribes had ever been governed had the peace of the frontier been rendered so secure, such marked improvement been witnessed in the condition of the Indians, and the cost of maintaining proper relations with them by the Government been so small, as at this time, and under the present policy. A very good feeling prevailed among the delegates from the religious bodies, although nearly every sect and school of religious thought was represented in the Conference which was held. There were present Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists, Friends, Lutherans, Reformed Dutch, Unitarians, together with officers from independent Missionary Societies. The reports from the different parts of the