the 27th of July, 1828. His oldest wife, Ranavalona, then became Queen of the island, and she soon began to show the greatest hostility to the missionaries and the native converts. She issued decrees forbidding her people to embrace Christianity, or even to read the Scriptures, or speak the name of Jesus. The missionaries were soon obliged to leave the country, and a terrible persecution commenced against all who dared to disobey the queen's orders by following the precepts of the gospel of Christ. One of the first victims of the cruel queen's vengeance was a most interesting native woman by the name of Rafaravavy. She was first accused of reading the Bible, and for this crime was seized and imprisoned. Her house and all her property were given up to plunder, and her hands and feet were loaded with heavy iron rings. Every effort was made to frighten her into submission to the wicked queen, but she remained firin, and repeatedly declared by letter to one of the missionaries who was then in Mauritius, "Do not fear on my account I am ready to die for Jesus if such be the will of God." Many of the people remarked that they had never seen any one so stubborn" as Rafaravavy; for although the queen forbade her to pray, she still continued to pray even when in irons, and also to preach Christ to the officers that guarded her.

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At length, on the 14th of August, 1837, this devoted woman was put to death by spearing, in the midst of a crowd of ferocious heathen. She continued to pray, and exhort all around her to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Savior of sinners, even until the executioner's spear, thrust through her body, deprived her of the power of utterance.

A large number of faithful Christians have since suffered martyrdom on this island; though the gospel, notwithstanding, has steadily been making progress; those who have

embraced it being in the habit of meeting for worship in caves and dens of the earth. The bloody queen, Ranavalona, has recently been cut off by death, and her son, who succeeds her in the throne, is said to be a decided Christian man. We hope soon to hear that the missionaries have returned there, and that the persecuted people of God are once more restored to the free enjoyment of their Christian privileges.

MODES OF RAISING WATER IN THE EAST.

In this picture you see on the front ground a well, with stones for a curb, and a heavy post and a pole which is called sometimes a well-sweep. It looks somewhat like the old-fashioned well-sweeps of America, and yet not altogether. The stone curb is not probably like any thing our readers have ever seen before, and there is no bucket on the

end of the rope as in America. In the East, each one who draws water brings his own water jug, or pail, and fastens it upon the rope. There is a woman of the East standing by the well with a jug in her hand, which she is just taking down from her head, on which she has been carrying it, and is about to fasten it to the rope in order to draw some water.

On the other side of the well, there is another method of drawing water in Eastern countries represented. An ox, or mule, is fastened to a beam and made to go round, and thus turn a water-wheel, around the circumference of which, on one side, are fastened small square boxes or buckets. As the wheel turns round, these dip into the water, and come up full, and are then emptied, as the wheel turns over, into a trough, through which the water runs off. Farther back still, is another water-drawing machine, on a similar plan with this last, only the buckets, instead of being fastened on the side of the wheel, are attached to an endless rope that passes over it, and then goes down into a deep well, and so the buckets dip up the water. This is, even now, a very common mode of raising water in Western Asia.

The well by which our Savior sat, when the woman of Samaria came to draw water, was probably like the first one I have spoken of, and probably she was very much such a looking woman as the one represented in this picture. Remember, reader, that he has living water sufficient for you, and for all the children in the world.

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CHINESE SAYINGS.

Some of the ordinary expressions of the Chinese are sarcastic enough. A blustering, harmless fellow they call a paper tiger." When a man values himself overmuch, they compare him to "a rat falling into a scale and weighing itself." Overdoing a thing, they call "a hunchback making

a bow." A spendthrift they compare to a rocket which goes off at once. Those who expend their charity on remote objects, but neglect their family, are said "to hang a lantern on a pole, which is seen afar but gives no light below."

Look at those poor deluded people, throwing themselves upon the ground, and stretching forth their hands towards some figures standing upon square blocks of stone. These are Hindoo idolaters. How much are they to be pitied! These figures, or images, are cut out of stone, by the hands of man. They are then anointed, and consecrated, and afterwards worshiped as though they were gods, able to hear and deliver. The images in the picture are representatives of Krishna, who is supposed to be very powerful, and

able to kill giants, and ferocious animals, and serpents. The image on the left shows Krishna with a large serpent twined around his body, and biting his heel. The other one represents the god as having freed himself from the monster, and entirely triumphed over him. The poor Hindoos suppose that these idols and false gods can do them good. When will they learn that there is but one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus?

The high rock on the left is called Fakeer's rock. It rises out of the Ganges, and on its summit are the ruins of a temple where once lived a kind of heathen hermit who pretended to work miracles. Thousands considered him a very holy man, and believed in all his claims; but O, how slow are they to believe in Christ!

EVERY CHILD CAN DO SOMETHING.

Mr. Sargeant says." Do not say or think, then, my dear young friends-children in Sunday-schools-that because you are young children, you can do nothing for the perishishing heathen.

'What if a drop of rain should plead,

So small a drop as I

Can ne'er refresh the thirsty mead:

I'll tarry in the sky?

What if the shining beam of noon

Should in its fountain stay,

Because its feeble light alone

Cannot create a day?

Does not each rain-drop help to form

The cool, refreshing shower?

And every ray of light to warm

And beautify the flower?'

"To be sure they do; and your penny, dear child, given out of gratitude to the Savior and love to poor heathens, will help to save a starving, perishing soul.”