HOME RELIGIOUS STATISTICS OF THE WEST INDIES.
BRITISH HONDURAS (Belize, North America).-A Colony on the east
coast of Central America; discovered in 1502 by Columbus; visited by
mahogany cutters from Jamaica; a cause of many disputes with Spain;
formed into a colony in 1861. Population, 24,710 in 1871, very mixed
English, Spanish, Creoles, and Indians, one third Protestants. No ecclesi-
astical establishment after January 1st, 1873, beyond £700 paid to a Minister of
the Church of England, and another of the Church of Scotland, which
ceases with the lives of the present occupants. Wesleyan Missions begun in
1825 by Rev. Thomas Wilkinson. A Mission at Corosal for the Maya Indians,
(400,000,) in Honduras, Yucatan, was established 1858. Rev. Richard Fletcher
mastered the language, and translated portions of the New Testament into
the Maya language. Religiously this Colony was neglected until (1812) the
first Episcopal church was erected. A Missionary was sent by the Baptist
Missionary Society in 1822, who was succeeded in 1834 by Rev. Alexander
Henderson. With the Wesleyan Missionary Society there is connected a
Station at Ruatan, an island belonging to the Republic of Honduras, and
which has suffered greatly in the politcal strife chronic in these "brigand
Spanish "Republics!" The numbers of the religious communities, and the
attendants on public worship, as given in the Government returns for 1869
and 1870, are as follow:-Anglicans, 8,349; 550 attendants. Church of
Scotland, 215 attendants. Wesleyan Methodists, 716 attendants. Baptists,
715 attendants. Roman Catholics, 17,194. The returns of 1873 Blue Book
(for 1872) are as follow:-2 Anglican, 1 Presbyterian, 2 Wesleyan churches
at Belize will hold 2,635; 1,950 attendants. 1 Church of England Settlers'
Mission, Corosal, will hold 200; 90 attendants. 1 Wesleyan Settlers' Mission,
Consego, will hold 100; 35 attendants. Education.-1 Episcopalian, 2
Roman Catholic, 4 Wesleyan, 1 Presbyterian, 2 Baptist; 10 Schools,
1,602 scholars; 892 attendants: £892 paid by Government.

MOSQUITO SHORE (North America).-An extensive Indian territory extend-
ing north and south facing the Gulf of Mexico, and bounded on the west by
the States of Central America. It is independent, and is governed by various
petty chiefs, one of whom is called "the King," and resides at Bluefields.
In 1829, the Wesleyan Missionary Society sent Rev. James Pilley to commence
a Mission, but he met with small success, and the Mission was given up in 1834.
The Moravians commenced a Mission in 1848.

BRITISH GUIANA, i. e., Demerara, Berbice, Essequibo, (South America,) to
distinguish it from French and Dutch Guiana, was discovered by Columbus,
1498; settled by the Dutch, 1580; conquered by England, 1796; restored in
1802; again taken by the English in 1803, and confirmed by the peace in
1814. Population, by census, (1871,) 193,491, of which about 11,500 are white,
48,363 Coolies, 6,880 Chinese, 7,925 Portuguese, &c., the rest black. The
Indian population is estimated from 7,000 to 20,000. Religion.-The Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel has an Indian Mission of a very interest-
ing character; so also the Presbyterian Churches. Both the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel and the Wesleyans have a Mission to the Indian
Coolies. The first Mission to the Indians was established by the Moravians at
Pilgerhut, one hundred and fifty miles up the Berbice River, in 1735. In 1763,
this Mission was destroyed in the war which arose out of the rebellion of the
slaves. A Mission was afterwards established on the Courantine, which was
very useful, but it no longer exists. The London Missionary Society estab-
lished its Missions in 1808; and the Wesleyans in 1805, and again in 1815.
This Colony is remarkable for its large ecclesiastical grants. The Episcopalians,
Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics receive as follows:-Episcopalians,
1 Bishop; from Imperial grant, £3,100; from Colonial grant, £15,411. Presby-
terians, from Colonial grant, £6,050. Roman Catholics, from Colonial grant,
[See page 166.]

XXXIX. THE WEST INDIES (No 2).

[From page 164.]

£2,500. Wesleyan Methodists, from Colonial grant, £1,040. The numbers of
each religious body, and the average attendance on public worship, are given
by the Government returns of 1869-70 :-Anglicans, 39,787; 10,838 attend-
ants. Church of Scotland, 9,586; 4,425 attendants. Roman Catholics, 15,468;
3,700 attendants. Wesleyan Methodists, 11,465; 11,465 attendants. London
Missionary Society, 12,280; 7,642 attendants. Moravians, 2,825; 2,010
attendants.

Education. Special grants to the Bishop's College, Queen's Grammar
School, and Roman Catholic Orphanage and Government Schools, £1,346;
training, repairs, &c., £3,000; for 56 Anglican Schools, 29 Church of Scot-
land, 5 Roman Catholic, 24 Wesleyan, 26 London Society's Mission and
Congregational, 4 Infant Schools, 7 Church Missionary Schools for Indians,
a grant of £12,917; in all, £17,263. Scholars, 15,553; average attendance,
8,999. The continuance of grants to the various Churches is a matter yet
unsettled; but, if continued, they will be more fairly distributed after the
fashion of concurrent endowment.

SURINAM (Dutch Guiana, South America).-Population, 60,000, of whom
about 6,000 are white, the rest Africans, now emancipated._The_Dutch
Reformed and other Churches are found in this Colony. The Moravian
Mission commenced here in 1735, and was revived in 1776, and has been
remarkably successful.

THE BAHAMAS (a group of islands).—The principal islands are New Provi-
dence, of which Nassau is the capital, Harbour Island, Abaco, Eleuthera, &c.
These Islands stretch from the east coast of Florida to the north coast of
St. Domingo (29 islands, 661 cays or reefs, 2,387 rocks). The first land dis-
covered by Columbus, October 11th, 1492, was St.Salvador or Cat Island, (though
some say Watling Island, New Providence): had many irregular English
settlers in the seventeenth century. The first legal governor was sent in 1718.
Population.-39,162, of whom one-sixth are white. Religion.-All are pro-
fessedly Protestant in these Islands. State aid is given to the Anglicans,-
£1,000 from Imperial funds, £3,367 from the Colonial funds; to the Presby-
terians, £353, and to certain Baptists, £200. The prospective withdrawal of
State aid is provided for by the Act of 1869. The Wesleyan Mission in the
Bahamas was established in 1800 by Rev. Isaac Turton in 1800. The Baptist in
1834. The numbers attached to each of the Churches, and the average of
those attending public worship, are thus given in the Government returns,
1869, 1870, and 1873. Anglicans, 6,423; 4,000 attendants, 1870; 4,250, in 1872.
Church of Scotland, 300 attendants, 1870 and 1872. Wesleyan Methodists,
6,950 attendants, 1870; 7,370, 1872. Baptists, 5,740 attendants, 1870; 7,971,
1872.

Educational Grant, £2,200, in 1869, and £200 from Imperial, in all £2,400:
38 Schools; 3,251 scholars; 2,156 attendants, 1871. In Church of
England, 1,400 scholars. In 1872 there were 35 schools; 3,006 scholars.
And sundry other Church of England schools, 1200; in all, 4206.

THE BERMUDAS, (or Somers' Islands,) in the Atlantic, between the
Bahamas and Nova Scotia ; a cluster of islands and rocks, (fifteen inhabited,)
discovered by Bermudez, a Spaniard, 1527. Settled by the English, 1612-16.
Population, 14,021, of which 4,725 are whites, the rest coloured, chiefly
Episcopalians. Two Presbyterian churches, and 1 Roman Catholic. The Rev.
John Stephenson, in 1799, and Rev. Joshua Marsden, in 1808, established
Wesleyan Methodism in these islands, after much persecution.

HAYTI is the name given to the French-speaking portion of Hispaniola,
which was discovered by Columbus, 1492. The western part of the island
was taken by the French A.D. 1630. In 1803, the whole island became free
both of France and Spain, and called itself a Republic. In 1844, the western
part of the island separated from Hayti, and became the Republic of San
[See page 168.1

XL. THE WEST INDIES (No. 3).

[From page 166. |

Domingo. Population of Hayti about 800,000. Religion, the lowest form of Roman Catholicism. The Baptist Mission to Hayti commenced in 1845; the Wesleyan in 1816 and 1835. There is also a Mission of the American Free Baptists, and of the American African Methodists, and of the American Protestant Episcopal Church, none of which as yet have taken root, owing partly to the unsettled state of the Government, and to the fact of their being principally intended for the American coloured immigrants. Both the Baptist (English) and Wesleyan Missions have laboured especially for the Negro population; and the other Societies are now doing the same. The natives, we are told in a popular periodical, are nominally Romish, but 500,000 of them are virtually heathen: "Their religious condition is that of barbarism. They worship the spirit of evil, although they take their children to the Romish priest for baptism, as a charm against the incantations which they use one against the other. The cannibalism of religious superstition is still very prevalent in many parts of Hayti. Children are prepared for the rite by first giving them a root or bark, which stupefies them. They are then fattened for the sacrifice, after which the worshippers feed upon their bodies. This sacrifice their superstition demands once a year, and both Episcopal and Wesleyan Missionaries bear testimony to its existence, asserting that the practice is systematic, and not occasional. The Government has not sufficient strength to suppress the practice, although it has made the attempt."

SAN DOMINGO, the Spanish-speaking portion of Hayti. Population under 200,000. An independent Republic since 1844. The Baptists have Churches chiefly of American emigrants at Samana and Puerto Plata. See also the Wesleyan Methodists-the result of a Mission by Rev. John Tindall in 1834.

TURK'S ISLAND.-Population, 7,172 (by census, 1871). An offshoot of the Bahama Mission. The Wesleyans and Baptists have Societies here. Until 1873, the Church of England received from the Government £1,000, and the Wesleyans and the Baptists £100 each. This endowment has now ceased. These islands are now under the Government of Jamaica. The number of religious communities in Government returns, 1871, are as follow: -Anglican, 1,115; Wesleyan Methodists, 1,250; Baptists, 1,000. The attendants on public worship:-Anglicans, 940; Wesleyan Methodists, 1,250; Baptists, 1,000. 9 Schools; 408 Scholars; grant from Government, £700. (Blue Book, 1873.)

VIRGIN ISLANDS (Tortola, &c).-Discovered by Columbus, 1493. Partly English, Danish, and Spanish. The English islands became so in 1660. Population, 6,651 (in 1872); 123 white, the rest black and coloured. The Moravian Missions in the Danish Islands commenced 1732; the Wesleyans in 1790, under William Hammett, appointed by Dr. Coke. The returns of the number of religious denominations in the Government Blue Book of 1871 are:-Anglicans, 1,164; Wesleyan Methodists, 5,413; Roman Catholics, 17; Presbyterians, 9. The average attendance on public worship: Anglican, 250; Wesleyan Methodists, 2,370. The Anglicans received from the Government £280, of which £180 is from the Imperial grant; but this ceased in 1872, and there is no endowment. Education. The Anglicans have 9 Schools, 321 Scholars; the Wesleyans, 7 Schools, 435 Scholars; in all, 756 Scholars.

ST. MARTIN'S AND ANGUILLA.-The island of St. Martin's belongs to the French and Dutch conjointly. Anguilla to England. Population, 8,000. The Wesleyan Mission commenced in 1819, and is in receipt of £93. 11s. from the French Government, and £100 from the Dutch Government. £200 from the Imperial grant was, in 1870, paid to the Church of England in Anguilla. BARBUDA, a small island attached to Antigua, the only proprietary Government remaining, belonging to the Codrington family.