IX.-American Mission in Ceylon.

[Our readers have doubtless become in some degree familiar with the zealous and successful labours of the American Missionaries in Ceylon-if not from other sources, at least from our pages, in which they have been repeatedly mentioned. The revival of religion, which lately took place among the youth in their schools, was particularly noticed in our No. for May last, (page 217,) and from the interest which it excited, we felt persuaded that any intelligence regarding its progress and result would be gratifying to our readers. Under this impression, we solicited the Rev. Mr. Hall, who lately left Calcutta on his way to join the Ceylon Mission, to favour us with full information regarding its state and prospects, so soon as he felt himself sufficiently acquainted with the subject. He has, in compliance with our request, kindly supplied us with the following account. It appears to us to demand the serious consideration of all Missionary labourers in India, and other places, whose success has hitherto been but very limited. May it not prompt among us all the serious enquiry, Had more fervent prayer, and more frequent and searching appeals to the consciences and hearts of our pupils, school-masters, servants, and neighbours, distinguished our labours, would they not have been followed by more evident success? Let each one examine for himself, and act in future as conscience may dictate.-ED.]

As you wished to be informed of the state of this Mission, I will give you what information I am able, which I collect from the reports of the seven Churches for the year ending July 1, 1835.

The Lord has, by his Spirit, visited most of the Churches, awaking the members to prayer and watchfulness, and adding to them such as we hope will be saved. A year of greater interest this Mission has not witnessed. The operations of the Holy Spirit were never more manifested. The Seminary at Batticotta, and the Female Seminary at Odoville, have shared most richly the blessed influences of the Spirit. At Batticotta, a protracted meeting was held in Nov. last, which was attended. by the blessing of God to a greater degree than at any time previous. The members of the Church were awakened in an unusual degree to prayer and effort for themselves and others. Nearly all the youths of the Seminary were awakened to attend for a season to the salvation of their souls. As the fruits of this revival, seventeen have been admitted to the Church, of whom fifteen are members of the Seminary; and twelve or fourteen more, connected with the Seminary, are candidates for admission to the Church, and will probably soon be received. Of the 24 members of the first class in the Seminary, 18 are members of the Church, and two others are candidates for admission. Seventeen Church members, connected with the Seminary, have, during the year, finished their regular studies, and are engaged as teachers in the Seminary, or as Theological and Medical students. A meeting is held with this class on the Sabbath, at 3 P. M.; after which, they go among the people in the villages, for the purpose of giving them religious instruction. The whole number of students now connected

with the Seminary is something more than one hundred, of whom fifty-eight are members of the Church, and about two-thirds of the whole number are hopefully pious.

In Nov. last, the station at Odoville was visited by the awakening influences of the Holy Spirit. For months, the Female Seminary was a most solemn and happy place-songs of praise and the voice of prayer were heard both day and night, in season and out of season. Many of the teachers and children also, in the Native Free Schools, were more or less concerned for the salvation of their souls. As the first fruits of this revival, sixteen have been admitted to the fellowship of the Church, and others have received impressions which it is hoped will never leave them. It is cheering to the Christian, after passing through the villages, and beholding the degraded condition of the female population, to see the orderly company of girls at this seminary, and listen to their praises, especially when we have the strongest reason to believe, that many sing, "making melody in their hearts unto the Lord."

It is a pleasing circumstance, that God has thus bestowed his rich blessing upon these institutions, thus preparing these youths to go forth, and labour; to spread the Gospel among their countrymen; to occupy their time as interpreters, readers, and distributers of tracts and scriptures, or as teachers of schools.

The Church at Tillipally was visited by the special influences of the Holy Spirit in December last, the results of which are very pleasing. In March, 13 persons were admitted to the Church as the first fruits of this revival, and several more remain candidates for admission. During the revival (which continued several months), two protracted meetings were held, with manifest good effect. Many received salutary impressions and convictions in favour of Christianity, who did not openly renounce idolatry. A large number of children in the schools were awakened to attend, for some time at least, to the concerns of their souls, and to converse with their relatives on the subject of religion; some continue to be serious, and a few give evidence of piety.

The Church at Chavagacherry has been visited by the influences of the Spirit during the year. Two protracted meetings were held, with evident marks of divine approbation. As the first fruits, eight have been received to the Church. As the importance of the great duty of prayer has been more than ordinarily felt, a meeting of three days for protracted prayer has been held.

The other stations have shared more or less the influences of the Spirit, but not so manifest as these which have been referred to above.

The whole number of members in the seven Churches connected with this Mission, is about two hundred and sixty. The entire number added to the Churches, during the year, is sixty-eight.

There are in connexion with the Mission about sixty men, of hopeful piety, who are engaged as interpreters, catechists, and teachers of English and Tamul schools. In these schools are from five to six thousand scholars, thirteen hundred of whom can read Tamul with more or less fluency.

When I consider what the Lord has done for this Mission the past year, I am much encouraged in the great work that called me from the land of my fathers. When I consider the prejudices of the people in favor of the religion of their fathers, and their aversion to hear any thing against it, I will rejoice in viewing what God has done here, and not be guilty of the sin of ingratitude by calling it the day of small things.

I suppose ere this you will have heard of the departure of our brother Woodward to his rest above. It is a year since his decease.

A branch of this Mission has been commenced at Madura, by brethren William Lord, and J. R. Eckard. It is expected, others will join them after the arrival of the four Missionaries from our Board, who are expected in six or eight weeks.

The cause of Temperance is gaining ground among us. Wine and beer are not seen on the table at either of our stations, and in but one or two cases, is either used except as a medicine. The brethren think their health has not suffered in the least by relinquishing these articles of luxury, which by many are con sidered absolutely necessary in this climate; while, at the same time, their expences are much diminished

A protracted meeting commenced this morning at this station. These meetings for some time will be continued from week to week, and from village to village. Such success has attended these efforts, as to encourage the brethren to continue them-two or three are spending much of their time in this way.

I suppose, dear brother, the more we are engaged in the great work of publishing the Gospel, the more we shall feel the need of prayer-much prayer. That you may all be found much in this exercise, and enjoy richly the blessing of God on your labours, is the prayer of,

Your affectionate brother,

A. C. HALL.

XI.-Circulating Libraries and Reward Books.-Publications of the American Sunday School Union.

The "Monthly List of Select Publications for Schools," which has been occasionally stitched up with our work, will have made our readers acquainted with the best books of the kind hitherto procurable in Calcutta. One object contemplated by the gentlemen who published the list has thus been obtained; but there is another, and one equally important, which they had in view, viz. the introducing into the country, a large supply of such interesting and instructive books, suitable for Reading Libraries or Reward Books, as had not yet reached. Calcutta, or were procurable only at rates too high for institutions for gratuitous instruction. This latter object has for some time past been attended to with success by the Rev. J. Thomas, who has repeatedly obtained from the London Religious Tract Society, considerable supplies of their Juvenile Publications, which he has disposed of at very moderate prices, and by his gratuitous labor, not only secured to the London Society the entire cost of the works, but afforded, by the overplus, considerable aid to the operations of that excellent institution, the Calcutta Christian Tract and Book Society. We have now the pleasure to add, that by the arrival of the books to which we alluded in our last No. the conductors of all schools where English is taught are furnished with an opportunity of supplying themselves at, the cheapest rate, with a most valuable assortment of books from the United States. They are all sent out by the American Sunday School Union, and it may therefore be desirable to explain more fully the constitution and proceedings of this Society, with a view to excite in the minds of our readers that confidence in its publications which may lead them to avail themselves of the advantages which they afford.

The American Sunday School Union was established about ten years ago. The objects it contemplated were "to concentrate the efforts of Sabbath-School Societies in the different sections of the United States, to strengthen the hands of the friends of religious instruction on the Lord's day, to disseminate useful information, circulate moral and religious publications in every part of the land, and to endeavour to plant a Sunday School wherever there is a population."

That its efforts in the formation of Sunday Schools have been pursued with the most abundant success is evident from the fact, that during successive years the number of schools or societies connected with it has been so increased, that it has now associated with it Sunday Schools, conducted by various

denominations of Christians, which employ about a lák of gratuitous teachers, and educate not much less than one million of scholars.

Besides teaching the rudiments of learning in Sunday Schools, however, the Society has directed the most vigorous efforts to the formation of a Library, containing a valuable fund of information on most subjects connected with moral and religious improvement. For this purpose, it has long enjoyed the services, as compiler and editor of its publications, of an intelligent gentleman, who sacrificed a flourishing business as an Attorney, for engagements which he rightly deemed intimately connected with the best interests of his country. Under his superintendance, nearly 80 new publications were printed within a year; and the complete libraries now contain upwards of 400 reading books, of different sizes, some of them not less than 3 or 400 pages each.

To satisfy our readers of the Catholic nature of the contents of the whole, we may add, that the Managing Committee is composed of Episcopalians, Baptists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, &c., and that the following byelaw exhibits the principle on which all their publications are prepared.

"The Committee of Publication shall consist of eight Members, from at least four different denominations of Christians, and not more than two Members from any one denomination.

"They shall select, read, revise, and prepare for the Press, such books and other works as they shall deem proper to be published by the Society, and shall order their size and style of execution."

Books on such Catholic principles appear admirably adapted for youth in India. In most places, persons of different persuasions are united in the promotion of the same school, and for their use, the books before us will be all they need; and in other cases, the publications now received would form an admirable ground-work of instruction for the pupils in those points on which all are agreed, while a Catechism or other similar work, illustrative of the peculiar sentiments of any denomination, would supply the only deficiency. With these views, application was made to the Society, requesting it to supply twelve complete libraries, and a larger supply of particular works, which it was supposed would be acceptable as Reward Books. It was proposed, that the whole be disposed of at prices merely sufficient to return the cost, with expences; the proceeds to be remitted as the books were disposed of. The liberal manner in which this proposal was met, will be seen by the following extract from a letter from one of the Secretaries, dated Febru ary 25th.