Rev. Mr. Holmes into their fervice, and to fend him, as a Miffionary, at least for fix months, to the northwestern Indians, particularly thofe of the Seneca and Tufcarora tribes, with permiffion to vifit fuch other tribes as he may fee fit. Mr. Holmes accepted the appointment, and immediately prepared to fet out for the place of his Miffionary labours. Previously to entering on his journey, he met the Directors; who, after delivering to him a fet of special inftructions, and conferring with him at confiderable length, refpecting their views of his important undertaking, commended him and his miffion to God, by folemn prayer. He left this city a few days after his appointment, intending to proceed immediately to the refidence of the Tufcarora Indians, after spending a few days at Oneida and New-Stockbridge.]

The Rev. Mr. Bullen's Letter to the Secretary of the New-York Miffionary Society, dated Bedford, May 26,

1800.

REV. SIR,

WE

E came on our journey with as good speed as could have been hoped in fuch a season, tilk fickness in my family impeded us; yet, confidering our getting early at Pittsburgh important for the purposes of the miffion, and for ourselves, we delayed as little as poffible: if we had reached the Ohio, we might have gone down, and that, as I suppose, without any material detriment to invalids; but by the time we came here, the sickness of my daughter Polly was fo fore upon her, that I durft go no further; befides, my wife was quite unwell. My daughter's ficknefs has continued till this time; her fever has fo affected her nervous fyftem, that she has had but very little ufe of her reason, and we had for fome time but faint hopes of her life. We find cause to bless God, her health and reafon appear to be returning. Yesterday she was able to walk feveral times across the room. We shall proceed on our way as foon as may be. We have been kindly received in these parts, and

the people feem difpofed to receive a preached gospel, and are generally deftitute of ftated miniftrations. Bedford is a vacant congregation, and there appears to be ferious attention here. They have shown us much kindnefs in our affliction

My worthy friend, Deacon Rice, his family, and the young men, are gone on, and are, I truft, in the Indian country by this time, fo that I hope the work of teaching the Chickafaws good things is not neglected; yet I want to be with them. If my folks were well, we might go in five or fix days from this place to Pittsburgh; from thence to the Chickafaw Bluffs is ufually twenty days. We have had the happiness to become acquainted with the venerable Dr. Cooper, whofe conversation and friendship have been very confolatory and encouraging in our afflicted circumftances. Good man, he has great hope for the Heathen, that they will foon be given to Jefus for a poffeffion. We have made no delay for the fake of ministerial services; but where delayed by sickness, have thought it a duty to improve every opportunity in this way the people attend with great ferioufnefs-they tell me white Indians want teaching as much as red ones: 'tis fome confolation to me, that though I cannot yet be with the Indians, the Lord hath opened the hearts of the people in this new country, to hearken to the plain doctrines and precepts of chriftianity. From what I have obferved, am induced to believe, that the plaineft talks, fuch as may be understood by the weakest minds, are generally apt to take hold of the minds of the people, and do them good, especially where they have had but little inftruction, as is generally the cafe in thefe parts. The continuance of your prayers for us, and for the Chickafaws, is defired. Any additional inftructions will be thankfully received. It is the defire of my brother Rice and myself, that the New-York Miffionary Magazine, and fome one of the newspapers, may be regularly fent us by the mail, and the expenfe charged to his account or mine. With deference and efteem, I am, yours, &c. JOSEPH BULLEN.

The following Extract from the Minutes of the General Synod of the Dutch-Reformed Church, held at Albany, the 2d Day of June, 1800, will show the prefent State of Religion in Upper Canada.

"THE Committee appointed on the Subject of Miffions, beg leave to report,

First, That the frontiers of this State, in general, pre fent a large field for Miffionary labours, but that the moft promifing prospects, in this refpect, open from Canada.

Singular and unexpected fuccefs has attended the labours of the Miffionary, fome time fince fent by the claffis of Albany. A Committee of that claffis made a report, at their January feffion, in 1799, that the Rev. Mr. M'Dowl, their Miffionary to Canada, in 1798, had vifited a great number of fettlements in that country; had formed into congregations the people of fix large diftricts, who, together with another diftrict, which he did not organize into a congregation, confifted of about 420 or 430 families. He found the people very hungry for the bread of life, and very attentive under the preaching of the word. He had feveral invitations to fettle, and has fince accepted of a call from the congregations at Adolphus-town, Earneft-town, and Fredericksburgh, in Upper Canada, among whom he has gone to refide. From all the information which this Miffionary has communicated, and from other fources of intelligence, it is obvious, that the Lord, in his good providence, has opened, in that quarter, a wide door for the entrance of the gofpel. Letters have been frequently fent to the claffis of Albany, and to individuals of that body, requesting, and earnestly praying, that our churches would fend out faithful fervants of the Lord to help them. A letter now in the hands of the Committee, dated January 17, 1800, addreffed to this Rev. Synod, makes a very affecting representation of the fituation of the people from whom it is fent. It is from the congregation of Eliza

beth-town, in Upper Canada. The writers urge the neceffity of immediate affiftance; they ftate, that the danger of divifion among them is very imminent, unless fome perfon be soon fent to their relief. They affert, that future efforts will be fruitlefs, unless their congregations be in a short time supplied, and they beg of this learned body to have compaffion upon them, and to use every means to answer their wants. They fay, if a person were sent from this body who should be acceptable to them, they would make an immediate call upon him, and believe that they would be able to raise a large fa lary, especially as the neighbouring congregations are

vacant.

To the Publisher of the New-York Miffionary Magazine. SIR,

Having received from the Rev. Mr. Meader, the Minifter of the United Brethren's Congregation in the City of New-York, the following concife and interefting Account

of the Moravian Miffions, 1 fend it to you as proper to be inferted prior to the firft Number of the fhort Hiftory of Milions, which commences with the Milion of the particular Baptifts.

A

SIR,

A concife View of the Moravian Miffions.

L.

with

GREEABLE to your requeft, to furnish you a concise view of the miffions among heathen nations, carried on by the United Brethren's Church, I now will endeavour to do it.-The point from whence I shall begin will be Greenland, belonging to the government of Denmark. To thefe cold and inhofpitable regions the United Brethren fent Miffionaries in 1733, and established a Miffionary fettlement at a place they named New-Herrnhut, which, after feveral years hard trials and many difficulties, profpered fo much, that in the fucceeding times two other fettlements, to the fouthward of the former, were begun, called Lichtenfels and LichVOL. I. No. 4.

I

tenau. At each of thefe places live two or three Mif fionaries, with their wives, and have the care of the congregations of converted Greenlanders, who have come o live with them on the fpot, and enjoy their advice and further inftruction in leading a truly chriftian life. More are added to their number, from time to time, by preaching the gofpel to the favages. A full and extenfive account of thefe miffions, as well as of that country, may be had from David Cranz's Hiftory of the Greenland miffion, published in England in the year 1767.

From hence we will cross over to Afia, and ftop first at that part belonging to the government of Ruffia. We there find a fettlement established in 1765, about twentyfour English miles below Czarizin, on a stream called Sarpa, and which the Brethren named Sarepta. This fettlement was begun chiefly with a view to carry the gofpel to the Calmuck Tartars, and other heathen tribes in those vaft regions, among whom an opening might be found. Hitherto no fuccefs has attended the Brethren's labours, though their exertions have been great and perfevering, and equal to thofe of any of our Miffionaries in other countries. Some Brethren even refided for a confiderable time among the Calmucks, conforming to their manner of living in tents, and accompa nying them wherever they moved their camp, in the immenfe plains covered with long grafs. They omitted no opportunity of preaching unto them Jefus, and directing them, from their numberless idols and wretched fuperftitions, to the only true God, and the only way of life and happiness: but though they were heard and treated with civility, no impreffion could be made on the hearts of thefe heathen. Meanwhile, that miffion has answered another very bleffed purpofe, in as much as the Brethren were vifited, at the above-named fettlement, by the German colonifts living on the river Wolga, and through God's bleffing, focieties have been formed, and gofpel minifters provided for moft of the colonies by their inftrumentality.