PALESTINE MISSION. FOR the sake of giving place for continuous extracts from the Journal of Messrs. Fisk and King since their departure from Egypt for the Holy Land, some parts of their earlier communications have been for some time de ferred. Among these are the two following articles, the one from a letter of Mr. Fisk, and the other from the Journal in Egypt. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM REV. PLINY FISK, TO THE HON. SAMUEL HUBBARD. I wish to give you a sort of supplement to that part of the Journal already forwarded which relates to Alexandria. The following is a copy of a letter from Mr. Leutzen, a German merchant, whom we knew in Alexandria, to Mr. Wolff. Alexandria, Feb. 4, 1823. Very Dear Friend, I hope that you are already safely arrived at Cairo, and that you, with your fel'low-travellers, Messrs. Fisk and King, are well. On your departure from hence I supposed that I should soon be able to follow you, to undertake, in your agreeable company, the journey to Mount Sinai; but my affairs in the Austrian Consulate are not yet quite finished, on which account I am very sorry, so much the more as I always desired to visit that remarkable spot, before leaving Egypt forever. After your departure, the public opinion was expressed universally in your favor. Both your sermons on Sunday, as well that on board the Danish vessel, as that in the house of the Danish Consul, very much edified all your hearers; and many of them have expressed the wish that you might soon return to Alexandria. I have heard, in several places, that several of the Bibles you distributed here among the inhabitants have been taken by the Catholic priests of this place, but it oannot yet be said with certainty whether VOL. XX. those gentlemen have burnt them. It is however generally believed, and we may suppose with much probability, that they have; for many, many excommunications have been pronounced against those who are in possession of Bibles. But nobody minds such a farce and such buffoonery. The Pater Superior of the Catholic convent displayed his inquisitorial rage in the most disgraceful manner the Sunday before your departure. I was not among the hearers, but several of my friends, especially a most respectable Spaniard who is residing here, confirmed it. His speech showed the horrible ignorance of that Egyptian priest, and I really believe that it was not so dark in the times of Pharaoh, as now among the Popish idolaters. The above mentioned Spaniard gave me the contents of the sermon. The priest praised the Catholic church, as that church in which exclusively salvation can be obtained; and for a proof, he mentioned, among many other things, the following fact, which he said happened among the Catholics in Hungary. "A malefactor in Hungary was put in prison and condemned to death. He refused to be converted by any means whatever. Several priests were ordered to call at the prison on that obstinate sinner, but all their pains were unfruitful and vain; but a Franciscan Friar appeared, and at once gave his word to convert the malefactor, who still persevered in blaspheming the Godhead and religion. The Friar now began himself to curse and blaspheme every thing, till he came to the Virgin Mary. 'Stop,' exclaimed the malefactor, 'O, not her. The Friar was satisfied with that exclamation, and congratulated himself on having accomplished such a great work of conversion!" Is not this an abomination, to preach in the holy temple of the Lord such abominable blasphemy? You may conclude by this single fact, what a miserable condition the church here is in. I dare to say that such abominable nonsense is not heard in the public houses in Europe. Such fellows ought to be whipped, and turned out of the Temple of God. 18 I have already distributed the greatest part of the tracts you gave me, and all to whom I gave them were very contented, and expressed their gratitude. O, my dear friend, continue to promote the word of God more and more in the time of your pilgrimage. You will receive your reward for it from the God of Israel. The good cause must finally gain the victory after the dangers you may perhaps undergo. The apostles of the Lord had to combat against many trials. Glorious will be your victory. Farewell; continue your journey rejoicing, and give me speedy news of your welfare. I salute you with devout affec tion. Your most humble servant, Leutzen. When the writer of the above letter said that such Priests as he describes ought to be whipped, and turned out of the Temple of God, he probably said it in allusion to Christ's driving the buyers and sellers out of the temple with a scourge. You will understand the letter, I believe, without any comment, and it will perhaps assist you in forming an idea of the state of the country, and of the effects of our joint labors. We are very happy to be in company with Mr. Wolff. His knowledge of Hebrew, Arabic and Persian is of immense advantage. ACCOUNT OF A JEWISH WEDDING AT CAIRO. THE gentlemen assembled in a large apartment, in reality the court, but now used as a parlor. We were seated on a Divan at one end of the court, where the ceremony was to be performed. Near us stood a large wax candle, and from the ceiling were suspended seven chandeliers. || Some of the candles were burning, though it was not dark. All the Orientals have a great fondness for burning lamps and candles in their places of worship, and on all religious occasions. At the opposite end of the court was a kind of gallery, where the bride was making preparation for the ceremony, and in front of which hung stripes of different colored paper, red, pale red, and yellow, some of them covered with gold leaf. Now and then the bride showed herself through the lattice or wooden net-work, which stood in front of the gallery. It reminded us of Solomon's Song, 2:9. My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart; behold he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice." About 5 o'clock the High Priest, (Rabbi Mercado,) and five other Rabbies came in, and took their seats on the Divan, and the service soon commenced. First, the clerk and people repeated in Hebrew the eigh-l teen benedictions of the name of God. Then the High Priest arose, and said, "Blessed are they who dwell in thy house; they shall praise thee forever." The people responded, "Blessed people, whose God is the Lord." After this the evening prayer was said, in which the name of God occurs eighteen times. Each time this name was repeated the Rabbies shook and trembled. After this prayer the nuptial torch was lighted. It was a large wax candle, dividing itself into nine branches, all of which were burning. This was carried up to the gallery of the ladies, where the bride was waiting, the bridegroom being all the time among the gentlemen below. Boys then began to beat on cymbals, and the bride was conducted down stairs, covered with a long white veil, preceded by three women with cymbals, and led by two others. Several women also followed her, one of whom occasionally uttered a hideous shriek, which we at first supposed a shriek of distress, but were afterwards told it was an expression of joy. The whole court now rung with cries, shouts, and the noise of the cymbals. The bride being led to the Divan, the bridegroom took his place by her side, and both continued standing, while Rabbi Mercado, accompanied by the people, repeated the 45th Psalm, "My heart is inditing a good matter, &c." The Rabbi then took a cup of wine, and said, "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the world, who hast created the fruit of the vine." The people responded, "Blessed be he, and blessed be his name.". Rabbi. "Blessed be thou, O Lord, who sanctifiest thy people by wedding and by marriage." People. "Blessed be he, and blessed be his name." One of the Rabbies then took a ring and put it on the finger of the bridegroom, and then on the finger of the bride, and then gave it to the bridegroom, who placed it on the finger of his bride, saying, "Verily thou art espoused to me by this ring, according to the law of Moses and of Israel.” A large shawl was then thrown over the new married couple, and the Rabbi, twice giving them wine to drink, said "Blessed art thou O Lord our God, King of the world, who hast created all things for thy glory." "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the world, who hast created man in thy likeness, and hast prepared for him and from him a house for ever and thy image in the garden of Eden of old. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who rejoicest bridegroom and bride! Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the world, who hast created rejoicing and joy, and also bridegroom and bride. The voice of love and affection, cordiality, peace and friendship, shall be speedily heard in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem;the voice of rejoicing and the voice of joy; -the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride;-the voice of shouting, and of wedding days, and of marriage, and of feasting days, and the voice of the music of the youth. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who makest joyful the bridegroom with the bride, and makest them prosper." After this the bridegroom took the cup of wine and tasted it, and then gave to his spouse. Both of them continued standing during the whole service. Then the Rabbi said, "Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever. Joys shall increase in Israel, and sorrows shall flee away, and it shall be for a good sign." As the Jews present offered their congratulations to the bridegroom they said, "A good sign." The nuptial torch was then extinguished, but immediately lighted again, and the bride was reconducted to her chamber by the women with the sound of cymbals. While the Rabbies were performing the service some of the people attended to it with great appearance of devotion, but others were talking, laughing, and walking about the room. The Rabbies went through || the service in the hurried, indistinct manner, which seems to pervade all religious services in the East. MISSION IN CEYLON. LIST OF CHILDREN IN THE BOARDING WE gave notice in our last number, p. 107, || that we had received, from the missionaries in Ceylon, a particular account of the children Names of boys. Israel W. Putnam, Leonard Woods, Samuel Worcester, Elias Cornelius, Nathaniel Niles, John B. Lawrence, Joseph S. Ropes, Danvers, Francis Brown, John Salisbury Tappan, Samuel Judson, in the Boarding Schools, to whom names had been given, in compliance with the wishes of those benevolent individuals or societies, who provide for their support. The letter with which this account is accompanied bears date, June 20, 1823. Respecting the list of children the missionaries make the following remarks. There may be some apparent discrepancy between this list and journals and letters previously sent. This arises from the fact of giving the same name to more than one child; which, in some instances, is almost unavoidable. For instance a child named A. B. dies, but we think it best to retain the name; or he leaves the school, but we wish to fill his place. It is true we might let the individual or society who gives his support suffer the loss; but we sometimes think that this is not best. With regard to most of those who have been named, we feel it our duty to say, that they have been selected with great care, and after considerable trial, from more than twice the number; and that, after allowances are made for the degraded state of society and morals, from which they have been rescued, we feel confident that, with the blessing of our Savior, the hopes of our patrons will be fully realized. Our readers will recollect that a list of the children at Tillipally, similar to that which || follows, has already been published at pp. 278 and 309 of our last volume. As, however, several names have since been added, and for the sake of presenting a catalogue of all the schools at a single view, we repeat the list as it now stands, in connexion with the others. The difference in the ages of the children, as stated in the two lists, results, doubtless, from the age at the time of admission being given in one instance, and the age at the time of forming the list, in the other. There are also children on trial, for whom, if they continue in school, and appear worthy, the following names are designed;—John Calvin, Joseph, John Codman, Samuel P. Coolidge, Joseph Cumming, Susan B. Rockwood, Isabella Graham. Besides these children, several boys were on trial, who had been in school only a short time, but appeared to be boys of good promise. Covia, Sept. 1820. Velalla, |