evening I attended the elder's prayer meeting. Wednesday.-Class in the morning from six to eight. Attended the congregational town school in the forenoon, and the private school in the afternoon, and assisted in both. Public congregational prayer-meeting every Wednesday evening, which I always attend. Thursday.-Class from six till the breakfast hour. Rode to Askinish, visited the families, and returned. Preached in Lucea in the evening. Public worship regularly throughout the whole year every Thursday night. Friday.-Class till breakfast time; engaged in the schools; reading in the afternoon; class for young men in the evening. Saturday.-Engaged all day in my preparations for Sabbath. Sabbath.-Public worship from ten to twelve o'clock; meet with and examine catechumens from twelve to one; attend Sabbath school from one to three; public worship again in the evening from six to eight o'clock. This is, with a little alteration as circumstances may require, a general outline of my daily duties. My time for reading and private study is very limited, as almost every hour of the day, and a considerable portion of almost every night, are spent in some one or other department of missionary labour. Mrs Watson teaches every day from nine till three; meets on Monday night with the advanced class of females, and on Tuesday night with the young females of the congregation. On Sabbath she takes the principal charge of the Sabbath school, and has a Sabbath morning class for reading the scriptures with all who will attend."

Mr James Niven of Friendship, thus writes:-" I preach at Flowerhill, a station about six miles distant, every alternate Sabbath, commencing at seven o'clock in the morning, and continuing till half-past nine. I then return home for public worship at Friendship at eleven o'clock. Mrs Niven meets with the classes at nine o'clock, and on the Sabbath when I am at home I also am engaged with them. Public worship from eleven to one o'clock, and from half-past one to half-past three. When the weather will not admit of a second service, we continue the first till nearly two o'clock. Every Sabbath, after the public service, I spend about two hours with my elders and deacons, exclusively for their instruction, not for business. From five to six a class for young people, taught by Mrs Niven. Monday.-Time before breakfast spent in conversing with candidates and members individually, in my own room, and in instructing old and infirm people who have remained all night. After breakfast engaged in teaching the school till five o'clock. On Monday forenoon Mrs Niven conducts a prayer-meeting, which is well attended by the female members and candidates. The business of the school occupies from nine to five o'clock four days of the week. On Tuesdays and Fridays from six till eight in the evening, we have classes for reading and other instruction to young people who have been working during the day. On Thursday evening from six to half-past eight, weekly prayer-meeting, generally well attended. On Saturday, class of candidates from eight to ten forenoon. When I preach in the mountains, I have now to ride up on Saturday afternoon. Friday, and the few hours left on other days, are the only time I have for reading, visiting the sick, and other family and pastoral duties, and which is diligently spent according to existing circumstances. Much of it is occupied as on Monday morning, but, in consequence of the want of a teacher, I have no time for exhorting from house to house, which is a serious drawback to the spiritual prosperity of the congregation."

Mr Aird, Mile Gully, thus writes:-" My labours may be divided into stated and occasional. 1st, Stated.-Meet with the people residing nearest the mission-house every morning at six o clock for worship, and continue about three quarters of an hour. Sabbath.-Classes and public worship from nine till half-past three, with an interval of about twenty minutes.

Evening meeting from half-past five till seven, for prayer, catechising on discourses, and other services. Four days in the week I am employed teaching in the school from nine till eleven. Besides this, on Tuesday I meet for religious instruction with old people of both sexes, who cannot read, from half-past three till five; on Wednesday, with youths, for reading and religious instruction, from half-past four till six; on Thursday, with females, for similar exercise, from eleven till half-past twelve, and with another class from half-past three till five. On Friday, meet with men for reading and religious instruction, from half-past three till five; and with young females for the same exercises, from six till eight. Saturday. Spent in preparing for Sabbath.

"2d, Occasional labours. Meetings with candidates' class, and for conversing with candidates individually; visiting and examining the school here and at the new church; visiting the families belonging to the congregation and the sick; attending to appointments connected with the churches and stations in the district, and to presbyterial appointments," &c.

I might multiply quotations of this kind from the letters of other missionaries. These have been selected, simply because they came first to hand, and not because they show a greater amount of labour than the statements of the other brethren.

Besides, the missionaries have many secular duties to which they must attend. I shall not occupy the time of the Court with a full detail of these. They are such as the following, superintending the buildings going on at the station or out-stations: making contracts for work or materials; receiving monies and keeping the accounts of the station; keeping marriage and baptism registers, and getting them enrolled at Spanish Town every six months; getting correct title-deeds for the negroes when they purchase a small piece of ground, and seeing after their enrolment ; hearing and settling disputes which may arise among the people, &c. In the present state of society at most of our stations, these duties must be performed by the missionary, if he would prevent evil and accomplish a great amount of good. On each of the points which I have indicated, as well as on others, I might make a lengthened statement, but it would be at present out of place.

The missionaries, Sir, have many labours and many anxieties, especially where the stations are new, and the buildings in progress; but they have also many encouragements, which more than repay them for all. The change produced by their efforts on the external circumstances of the population is very great, and I have not merely the testimony of the people themselves, but of planters and others, to the fact. Formerly, marriage was almost unknown, now, it is the rule, and those who are still living in sin, attempt to hide it as a thing for which they ought to blush. Formerly, their dress was dirty and loathsome,-in many instances, not sufficient to cover their nakedness,-now, they are cleanly and neatly attired, and I have often felt my heart gladdened on the morning of the Lord's day to see multitudes of those who, a few years before, were little removed above the beasts that perish, thronging the paths which lead up to the House of God, clothed in a manner so decent and becoming, with their bibles carefully wrapt up in their handkerchiefs, and with countenances expressive of the pleasure which they anticipated in the services of the day. Formerly, their houses were wretched and filthy hovels, without the remotest approach to anything like comfort; now, they are getting cottages of a far superior cast. In many instances they have them decently and tidily furnished, and kept in a state of cleanliness which would do credit to the most active and Martha-like housekeeper at home. Indeed, Sir, I have little hesitation in affirming, that the mere

external change in morals, in habits, in dress, and in domestic arrangements, would, by the philanthropist who embraced only the present state of being in his calculations, be regarded as a rich reward for all that has been expended on our missions. But when, in addition to these changes, so great and striking, the missionaries can look to so many as their spiritual children, through their instrumentality brought from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,-so many who are living not only for time but for eternity, so many who are adorning in all things the doctrine of God their Saviour, they experience a joy of the highest and purest description, a joy which the world can neither give nor take away. The field of labour is indeed most interesting. They see the advancement of the cause. But for the peculiar circumstances in which I was placed, gladly, most gladly, would I have remained and shared their labours and anxieties, that I might also have shared in their holy and exalted enjoyments.

With regard to the Catechists employed in the mission, I may state that they are a most useful class of auxiliaries. Where they are located at the same station as the missionaries, their duties are principally confined to Sabbath and week-day schools, visiting the children, and attending and addressing prayer-meetings. Where they are at an out-station, the ordinary routine of duty differs but little from that of the missionary. The following is a statement sent me by Mr Dawson, catechist at Hillside, in answer to a request similar to that which I addressed to the missionaries. "The labours of a catechist vary according to locality and circumstances. Those in which I am weekly engaged may be described as follows:-On Sabbath morning, the classes composed of children and adults learning to read the holy scriptures, and also of those more advanced, claim my first attention. This occupies from nine till about half-past eleven o'clock. The people then meet for public worship, commencing with praise and prayer, which are succeeded by some plain practical remarks on a portion of scripture. After again engaging in devotional exercises, a particular passage is selected for fuller exposition, which occupies our attention till about two o'clock, when the services are closed as they began. In the afternoon, about four o'clock, I have service on one of the neighbouring properties, all of which I take by rotation, when, with the usual devotional exercises, I deliver an address suited to the individual circumstances of my hearers. Such is a brief epitome of the engagements of the Sabbath. On Monday morning, at nine o'clock, the day school begins, and, with the interval of an hour, continues till four o'clock. It is unnecessary to enumerate the exercises in which the children are employed. They comprise reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, and bible instruction. The school labours each day are similar. On one evening in the week, I visit a property where the same plan of instruction is pursued as on Sabbath evening. I have, besides, advanced classes for instruction on two evenings every week. There are, besides, occasional duties which require my attention, such as visiting the sick, administering medicine, hearing and settling disputes among the people, attending to the building of the church, and self-improvement."

All the Schools at the different stations I examined. The teachers, although possessed of diversified gifts, some being more able and efficient than others, are active, and zealous, and most useful labourers. I did not see one school where there was anything like disorder or a want of discipline; and the progress of the children was such as to show that there is no deficiency either of mind or heart, but that, give them the same advantages as the white children, and the theory of some original constitutional inferiority on the part of the former, will soon be completely and

for ever abandoned. I cannot enter into this subject at length, but shall content myself with bringing before you a short statement in reference to the New Broughton school, extracted from the last monthly return in my possession,-similar returns being made by all the schools, in compliance with a regulation of the Presbytery. There are attending the school, 102 boys and 94 girls,-in all, 196. Of these, twenty are learning the alphabet, thirty are in the second or spelling class, ten are in the third class, eighty-six are in the testament or fourth class, fifty are in the bible or fifth class, fifty-five are writing on slates, seventy-one are writing in books, thirty-one are in arithmetic, fifty in geography, fourteen in grammar, and seventy girls are in the sewing school. The exercises of the different classes in reading, writing, arithmetic, geography and history, grammar, natural history, and religious instruction, at the different hours, from half-past nine till four o'clock, are then particularly stated; the amount of fees during the month, the visits paid to absent children, the number of prayer and exhortation meetings, &c., are also stated, but with a specification of these I shall not detain

you.

There are several causes why the schools do not as yet yield a sufficient pecuniary remuneration to maintain the teacher. Among these, I may mention the following:-The parents are themselves uneducated; they cannot, therefore, appreciate the value of a good education, and are reluctant to expend much in procuring it for their children. Besides, they are regularly contributing for the support of gospel ordinances; and the schools are so intimately associated with the church, that they regard the money contributed, as contributed in a great measure for both. Again, in the times of slavery, and during the apprenticeship, whatever education was afforded was given gratuitously. Even after that period, in schools supported by public charities, no fees were taken, and one or two denominations of Christians fell into the same error. The Mico charity, by which a number of schools were sustained in the island, followed this system, and though these schools are now entirely given up, and the proceeds of the charity, so far as Jamaica is concerned, expended on the maintenance of two normal seminaries, yet the habit of not giving for the education of their children has been inwrought into the parents, and, not till after the present generation has passed away, can we expect adequate views of the importance of the subject to be entertained. Where fees have been exacted, the scale has been fixed too low, and without a kind of combination throughout the island among all the evangelical missionaries, it could not well be raised. These and other causes operate in preventing the mission stations from realising so much for education as they will do in the course of a few years.

It would be of the greatest advantage to our mission that the number of well qualified European teachers in connexion with it-men devoted to their profession, who would regard it as the business of their lives to give themselves to it, and willing, for the sake of a recently enfranchised population, to submit to some sacrifices, that they might be instrumental in raising that population in the scale of religion and civilization, were considerably increased. Any funds expended on this department of christian enterprise would be well bestowed."

There are some other points on which I would wish to make a few remarks before concluding. To carry on the work of the mission effectually in any locality, it is indispensable that there should be a Church and Schoolhouse. Our society allocates no part of its funds for the erection of these buildings. The whole burden of providing the requisite means falls on the missionary, and the whole pecuniary responsibilities connected with the undertaking must be borne by him personally, as builders, and carpenters, and proprietors, from whom timbers, waggonage, &c. are got, will not trans

act with any other. Indeed, there are few, if any, at a new station, who are capable of managing such matters. The expense of building is very great. The plainest church, with accommodation for 1000 people, cannot be substantially put up for a less sum than about L.2000. I observe that Mr Candler, who spent his time chiefly among those belonging to another denomination, in his journal of a visit to Jamaica, states, that "the building of chapels and meeting-houses in this country is attended with great expense, a chapel for 600 persons costing at least L.1500 sterling." The buildings must be erected, otherwise the mission cannot go on. To meet the outlay, it is obvious that the missionary must look to the voluntary contributions of the people; and till the debt be paid off, and he be relieved from pecuniary responsibilities, all that is raised in this way must be applied for this purpose. This is the reason why stations really flourishing, and, if freed from debts, fully able to support the gospel among themselves, as well as to aid in its extension, still draw the full salary of the missionary out of the mission fund. Mr James Niven, in a letter to me, says, "could we get our difficulties with our buildings over, our people would defray their own expenses, and assist in spreading the gospel." Except, perhaps, in one or two cases, where the missionary may be so fortunate as to have personal friends in this country, who are able and willing to advance it at a reasonable rate of interest, the money is borrowed in the island where money is very scarce, and where the rate of interest, and other expenses for agency, &c., are enormous, amounting to ten or twelve per cent. Besides this high rate of interest which the missionaries have to pay, they are liable to be annoyed by calls to refund the capital, and are often subjected to great anxiety and depression on this account. Several of them spoke to me on this subject with deep feeling, and stated, that could they only get a number of christian men at home to advance a small sum each, at four or five per cent., they would give them ample security over property far more valuable than all they wished to borrow, and would feel it such a relief as none but those placed in their circumstances could imagine. If I could get ten men in the Secession church to advance L.100 each, or twenty to advance L.50 each for this purpose, I could allocate the L.1000 thus raised in loan to several of our stations in Jamaica, giving the individuals security over property worth three times the amount, besides the security arising out of the fact that it is advanced to christian congregations, who, while grateful for it as a favour, will hold themselves bound to see the interest regularly paid, and the capital in the course of a few years entirely refunded. The relief which this simple expedient would give to the minds of three or four excellent self-denied and devoted missionaries from harassing and depressing anxiety, would be unspeakable. Regarding it merely in a mercantile point of view, as a mere investment of money to yield interest, I honestly declare, that if I had the money myself, I should not hesitate to embark it in this cause. I would earnestly press this subject on the attention of the Court, and of the Committee on missions; and if the proposed arrangement can be carried into effect, the sooner the better, as there are those who are almost trembling for the credit of themselves and their congregations, in consequence of urgent demands for the repayment of money that has been advanced.*

With regard to the Salaries paid to our missionaries, I have to express

* It affords me much pleasure to state, that since making the above remarks, I have received from nine gentlemen the sum of L.800, which was remitted to four different stations by the first December packet. L.400 or L.500 more could be similarly applied with great advantage, and it is to be hoped that those who are interested in our mission, and who have it in their power, will as soon as possible place this sum at the disposal of the Committee.