liam Davis to enlarge on these topics. Among other things, as a proof of man's departure from justice, he stated their custom of killing the people of a whole town, if they can, for the offence of one man, and contrasted it with the justice and mercy enjoined by the Word of God; on which the whole congregation, who had hitherto been silent, set up two or three loud shouts, as if they had been electrified. On inquiry, I found that these were shouts of approbation, and meant that what we said was very good. As soon as silence was restored, Davis finished his discourse; and, after singing the hundred and seventeenth Psalm, and praying, we concluded the service; promising to meet them again before night, as they seemed still disposed to hear.

At five o'clock, we had afternoon service. I read the third chapter of Genesis; and explained to them the fall of man, and the curse of God incurred thereby; and then, directing them to Jesus as the all-sufficient Saviour, concluded with prayer. They were quite willing to hear, and professed to approve what was said. The poor old king, especially, seemed desirous that himself and his people should have in

struction.

March 8, 1819.-They kept up drumming and dancing to a very late hour last night, and deprived me of rest. The king came early this morning, to ask after my health; and to tell me that he liked the proposal which I had made, of sending William Davis to teach them.

Four or five times in the course of the day, I was called on to read to them; and their desire to hear continued unabated. They busied themselves in devising means of remembering the different parts of Scripture which I read. The king begged hard that I would stay till all his headmen should have time to arrive and hear. Toward night I was seized with a pain in the head, which prevented my going out again.

March 9.-My head being much worse, I was obliged to keep my bed almost all the morning. About one o'clock I made an attempt to read to the people, but was unable to sit, and had to leave Davis to conclude.

March 10-I continued very unwell most part of the day; but toward night was a little better. I took the opportunity of going to the king, to hear his final determination, which he gave, by assuring me that he should be glad to receive and afford protection to Wil

liam Davis, to live as a teacher among them. He requested that I would leave him a book, to state what I had told him with this I complied, and took down his answer in a book for myself.

I then told the king that I purposed to set out for home in the morning, to which he agreed. I had first thought of going to the next river; but, finding that king John's territory extended thither, as well as to a considerable distance northward, and as I had now seen most of the headmen from thence, who all approved of our plan, I thought it unnecessary to prolong the journey.

There is abundant room for as many teachers as we can send them, and there appears a great disposition to receive them.

March 11-The king came early to see me, and bid me farewell.

Soon after seven o'clock, we left his town, on our way back, having repeated our mutual desire for the instruction of the Bassa country.

The tract of land purchased by the American Agents is estimated at between thirty and forty miles square. It is situated on St. John's River, about the 6th degree of North latitude. It is said to be healthy and fertile-lying high-and producing rice of an excellent quality, with all kinds of tropical grains and fruits, and very good coffee, cotton, and tobacco. The water is good, and the river furnishes the best fish and oysters. The purchase has been effected, it is said, on the most advantageous terms; the cost, in America, of the annual supply of articles agreed for in return for the land being about 300 dollars.

Return of Mr. Bacon, and Death of Mr. Andrus.

We regret to state that the Settlers have encountered another trial, in the death of the Rev. J. R. Andrus, and the return of Mr. Bacon. Mr. Andrus had it in contemplation to return to America, in order to state to the Government and the Society his views of the ineasures which seemed necessary for the well-being and prosperity of the colony. The plan was, however, changed, on the day previous to his intended departure; the ill health, as it appears, of

Mr. Bacon rendering it necessary that he should return to America. Mr. Bacon accordingly left Sierra Leone, on the 16th of June, in an English vessel bound for Barbadoes; whence he proceeded to Martinique, and thence reach

241

31

terable joy that my heart experienced on the arrival of the box which you sent me. How agreeably was I surprised, at the sight of so many more copies of the New Testament than I had requested, and of the other religious books which you and your friend M had added; all of them more or less instructive and useful! I could not help reading over and over again the letters enclosed, which afford fresh proof of the desire of yourself and your friends to contribute to the advancement of the reign of our Divine Redeemer. It is with these sentiments that my family, myself, and all my dear friends, whom I regard as my brethren and sisters in Jesus Christ, request you to accept our

humble and sincere thanks for the zeal and eagerness you have manifested, to send us all that might promote our spiritual advancement, and especially for sending the Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ; for all other religious books are but sketches or explanations, more or less extended, of that sacred volumethe book par excellence. We entreat of our sincere reyou to assure M

spect and attachment, and all your friends, whom we esteem as brethren and sisters in Christ, since they expect the final appearance of the Saviour, which seems to be at hand, and the object of which is the conversion and regeneration of the people of the promise. For it is not till after the regeneration of this people, beloved of God, that all the people of the earth shall unite to adore the Redeemer in spirit and in truth at Jerusalem.

Sir, and dear brother in our Lord Jesus, I cannot find words to express the satisfaction I experienced from the present you have made me, of a Bible containing the old and New Testaments, and which you beg me to accept as a mark of your Christian affection. It was not necessary to have sent this truly religious present to convince me of the love which you feel for all your brethren in Christ; for the day I had the honour

and happiness to become acquainted with you, I had unequivocal proofs of your sentiments in that respect. I was the more gratified and edified by this mark of your regard, as it was my intention to have requested in my last letter some copies of the old Testament; but I dared not execute my design, for fear of abusing your Christian complaisance and charity. The Old and New Testament, properly understood, are but one Testament; such is the connexion of the sacred books-for the New Testament is the key to the Old, and the Old the same to the New. In innumerable passages of the Old Testament, the birth, death, and glory of our divine Redeemer are announced, in terms more or less distinct. In reading the prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah, we perceive that those prophets spake of our Saviour as though they had lived with him on the earth. His second coming is also foretold in many passages, especially in the prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel.

To return to the box, which your Christian generosity and charity has sent: it has excited universal joy in the hearts of all our friends in this country. Immediately that they learnt the agreeable news, they flocked to see me, and to have the happiness and advantage of procuring the Testaments of our Redeemer, and in less than five days the box was emptied. I gave copies of the gospel of St. Matthew to those who had not the satisfaction and consolation to procure a complete copy of the Testament. The whole was so soon distributed that many could have nothing; and there are also many who do not yet know of the arrival of the second box. I intend to lend the copy of the Testament, and of the other books, which I have reserved for myself, among our friends in the neighbourhood, who by the grace of God are of our sentiments, and consequently are disposed to make a holy use of them. Several of our friends have the same intentions, in order that the books we have may be as useful as possible.

I believe I may assure you, in the presence of Him who sees the bottom of our hearts, that I have observed, to the letter, your instruct ons relative to the distribution of the testaments. You will learn then, that I have disposed of fifteen copies at four franks per copy, and I assure you I was much edified in receiving this money; for all those from whom I received it, gave it with a gayety of heart which it is impossible to describe; some regretting that they had

so often spent their money less profitably, and others desiring that they might always use it as suitably for the future. That which has most edified me is, that almost all our friends in this country subsist by hard labour; for you know that for several years the price of work has considerably diminished. As for the other copies, I have distributed them to persons who could not purchase them, but who, through the mercy of our divine Saviour, hope and intend to make a holy use of the reading of the sacred book.

As I hope you will do me the honour and the Christian kindness to acknowledge the receipt of this, I request you to inform me how I can remit you the sixty franks, which I am indebted to you for the fifteen New Testaments. As our brethren and sisters in Jesus Christ, who, by an effect of his grace altogether free and unmerited, look for his second coming to salvation, are delighted and edified by the truly Christian salutation which you have sent through me: they desire me to express their gratitude, and to request you to accept theirs in the same spirit. I unite with them in beseeching you and your respectable friend M and all your friends, not to forget us in your prayers to the Father of Lights, that he may give us grace to persevere in the same sentiments, and grant us all the mercy to join the general assembly in the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen. Expecting that happy day, I entreat you to believe me your very humble servant and friend in Jesus Christ, The WIDOW

THE PENITENT CONVICT.

From the Correspondence of the London Tract Society.

ON Monday morning, May 28, 1821, I took a place outside a coach, from Lto a town in L-shire, distant about forty-five miles. As we were about to commence the last stage of the journey, I seated myself on the coach-box, when, to my great mortification, I observed, that four convicts in irons were preparing to mount the roof immediately behind the box. Not liking to be in the vicinity of such company, I vacated my seat; and scrambled over the top of the coach, taking a seat behind, congratulating myself that I had been able to make so timely a retreat from my former position. Scarcely had I sat down, when I discovered that the three persons in the dicky, directly in

front of me, were in irons also. I would gladly have resumed my previous seat; thinking it better to have felons at my back, than directly in front; but, on turning about, I perceived that another passenger now occupied the box, and no alternative was left, but to remain where 1 was, or to descend from the coach, and not to proceed to the place of my destination. I chose the former, and began to consider in what way I might derive some good to myself, or be the instrument of doing a little good to my fellow travellers, with whom I had, very unexpectedly and unwillingly, become associated.

The first feeling of my mind, after recovering from my bustle and surprise, was one of gratitude to God; arising from the inquiry; "Who maketh thee to differ?" It was not difficult to answer; I felt that I owed much to the providence of God for this difference, and still more to his grace. In a few moments, I looked at the convict who sat directly opposite to me; he was better dressed than the rest, and there was an expression of thoughtfulness in his countenance, which led me to hope that he would favourably receive observations of a serious nature. I began the conversation, by observing, that I was very sorry to see him in that situation; he thanked me in a very modest and humble manner. I then said, "What a mercy it is, that though you have transgressed the laws of your country, and must suffer the punishment which they denounce ;-yet you may come to a God of mercy, for pardon of that particular offence, and for all the sins of your past life." He replied, "Yes, I feel that to be a mercy indeed!"

As I cannot pretend to give in detail all the conversation that passed between us during the two hours we travelled together, suffice it to say, that it embraced every point of importance that concerns the salvation of perishing sinners; and I have no hesitation in saying,-if ever I conversed with a man, from whose spirit and conversation I had reason to conclude, that God had given him a new and contrite heart, such an one was this of whom I speak. More than this, I doubt not, may be safely added; viz. That he who is exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and the remission of sins, had bestowed this double blessing on this poor convict, who was enabled to testify that he had peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I was agreeably surprised to find him so well acquainted with the Scriptures.

On several occasions, he quoted, readily and correctly, those which were most pertinent to the particular subject on which we were conversing; he had also learned several hymns while in prison; parts of which he repeated, particularly Cowper's ;—

"There is a fountain filled with blood," &c. And also,

"Prayer was appointed to convey," &c. He was quite the reverse of being forward to speak of his religious experience. On the contrary, there was a modesty and humility in all he said, particularly becoming his situation. He found no fault with his prosecutors, nor with his sentence, nor with any person; he only found fault with himself.

But I must proceed to give an outline of his history, as he related it at my particular request; several of the particulars have since been confirmed by a respectable clergyman; and of the truth of the remainder I have no doubt.

He was born in L-shire, in 1793; his parents were in decent circumstances, but made no profession of religion, except occasionally going to church. At a suitable age he was apprenticed to a respectable upholsterer in LHe soon became regardless of the sabbath; formed improper acquaintance, and by degrees, gave himself up to various vices, and, among the rest, to profane swearing, and drinking to excess.

Soon after the expiration of his apprenticeship he married; but it does not appear that any permanently good effect was produced by the change. He continued his evil courses, till at length he committed a highway robbery, was apprehended, convicted, and sentenced to transportation for life. This took place about five years since. When he had been in New South Wales two years, he contrived to get on board a vessel bound to the East Indies, and, secreting himself in the hold till the ship was under weigh, escaped from his place of banishment. From the East Indies he got to the United States, and eventually returned to England. For some time he endeavoured to obtain employment in L, but without success; he then returned to Lwhere his wife and child, and also his parents, reside. From them he met with rather a cold reception; he became indifferent about himself, and, to use his own expression, was beginning to grow wild again. Some person gave information of his return from transportation. He was apprehended, sent to prison. and shortly afterwards to