Robfon, and which appears to have been unavoidable by the use of any means within his power."

The exertions which the Directors were induced to commence, and which the public moft generously encouraged, have confiderably replenished the funds of the Society. The failure of the intended miffion to the South Seas is now, therefore, the principal matter which remains to be lamented; but there are confiderations which will perhaps materially alleviate the poignancy of our reflections on this fubject: for the prefent ftate of our brethren at Otaheite, and the return of Mr. Crook from the Marquefas, have fo altered the nature and provifions of future miffions to those islands, that very much of the equipment of the Duff would have been found to be fuperfluous and dangerous; and at leaft, every married Miffionary would perhaps have confidered it abfolutely neceffary to have returned home, or to venture a hazardous fettlement at fome other ifland than was originally intended as the destination of the miffion. Since the arrival of the brethren who failed in the Duff, most of the married Miffionaries have judged it expedient to diffolve the connection which fubfifted between them and this Society: many of the fingle men have alfo declined any further fervice under its patronage; but fome of the brethren continue their engagements, and are about to recommence a voyage to the South Seas, in the Royal Admiral.

The South African miffion is a fubject to which the Directors refer with the moft lively pleasure, and the moft ardent gratitude. Its utility commenced at its embarkation, increased in its progrefs to the Cape of Good Hope, and has continued to the date of the last letters which have been received. Dr. Vanderkemp, and his three worthy affociates, appear to have been made very useful among the convicts who failed with them. Their zealous and benevolent endeavours to imprefs religious convictions on the minds of thefe unhappy men were at tended with a divine bleffing. Several individuals felt the converting power of the gofpel of Chrift: little SoVOL. I. No. 6.

H

cieties for prayer, and other religious exercifes, were foon formed; fome who died, bore a pleafing teftimony to the influence of divine grace; and others, who have proceeded to Botany Bay, it is hoped and believed, "are tranflated from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God."

On the arrival of our brethren at the Cape, they were treated with great kindness and affection; much respect was shown them by the government, and a general and lively intereft was exhibited in favour of their intentions. The formation of the South African Miffionary Society, and its fubfequent; exertions in forwarding the miffion to the Boschemen and Caffres, are proofs that the influence of our brethren, and the operations of heavenly zeal have been powerfully felt. The further utility of that inftitution in facilitating the intercourfe between this Society and its Miffionaries at the Cape, may reafonably be expected: our miffions to India may likewise be benefited in their paffage, and even after their fettlement, and fuch information and affiftance be received, as may lead to the establishment of a miffion, on the large and populous ifland of Madagascar.

Dr. Vanderkemp and Mr. Edmonds appear to have met not only with many encouraging circumftances, but alfo with fome impediments and danger in their journey to the country of the Caffres, from the war which has unhappily been carried on between that nation and the Dutch colonists: but it is hoped that, as peace has been fince restored, their entrance into the defired country has been propitiously effected. The brethren Kitcherer and Edwards have commenced their labours among the Bofchemen, with circumftances of remarkable facility and encouragement.

The letters from each of the Miffionaries in that part of the world breathe a spirit of firm faith and of active exertion. May God, whom they fo eminently ferve. in the gofpel of his Son, be their defence in the hour of danger, and may, he give them abundant fuccefs in their miniftrations among the Heathen.

The Mission to the Foulah Country, in Africa, which

was undertaken in concert with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Societies, and on which fix Miffionaries were fent, has been interrupted and fufpended. On their arrival at Sierra Leone, they found that wars were raging in the interior of the country, and that it was impoffible to penetrate into the nation of the Foulahs: they therefore feparated into three parties, with a view of labouring in the vicinity of the British colony, till a favourable opportunity fhould offer of purfuing the object of their deftination. But it has pleased God to remove, by death, three of these Miffionaries; the fourth found it neceffary to return home. Mr. Brunton, in confequence of the death of Mr. Clark, the late Chaplain of the Colony, has been appointed, provifionally, to fupply his place, and Mr. Gregg continues preaching to the natives, and educating their children on the Rio Pangos, with fome profpects of fuccefs. The Edinburgh Society have fent out another Miffionary to affift Mr. Gregg, and the Directors of this Society have put one of their Miffionaries in a course of inftruction in the Arabic language, with a view to the interior of Africa. And it is hoped, that by preaching the gospel in that language, and by the introduction of the Bible, tranflated into Arabic, he may be the means of planting the religion of Jefus Chrift in that hitherto neglected country.

Since the last General Meeting, the Directors have received feveral letters from Mr. Forfyth, the Society's Miffionary in the Eaft-Indies. It is expected, that before this time, he has fixed on a favourable fpot (in the vicinity of Calcutta) for the commencement of his miffionary labours, as it does not appear that he has met with any material impediment in his defign of profècuting this important fervice. He complains of, and feelingly laments, the extreme depravity and deeply-rooted fuperftitions of the Hindoos, which render them very inimical to the fimplicity and purity of the gofpel. He requests that additional Miffionaries may be sent to his affiftance, and points out fuch means for their introduction and patronage as the Directors truft will prove a

providential opening, for the increase of Miffionary labour and fuccefs in that populous, but dreadfully depraved country. This miffion muft, therefore, be confidered as in its infancy: very little as yet can have been done, but much useful information has been acquired, and the Directors will, no doubt, avail themfelves of every affiftance that has been, or may be given, to send out more labourers into this eastern part of our Lord's vineyard.

Mr. Hillyard, the Society's Miffionary at Twilingate, in Newfoundland, has commenced his labours among the inhabitants with favourable tokens of the divine bleffing. His letters breathe a fpirit of fimplicity and zeal; his acceptance at Twilingate has been friendly and cordial, and his preaching appears already to have been made ufeful. As the Directors have peculiarly had in their view the religious inftruction of the Heathen, and the introduction of the gofpel into Heathen countries, they think it will be proper to cherish every miffion, which has been, or may be established in the neighbourhood of fuch countries; to be thankful for the good that has already refulted from them, and to watch for every favourable opportunity of extending them to the principal and avowed objects, for which the Miffionary So ciety was inftituted.

Under the influence of these fentiments, the Directors have seriously attended to feveral applications which they have received from Quebec, in North-America. Thefe letters contain very affecting reprefentations of the deplorable ftate of the inhabitants in the province of Canada, as to their ignorance and profligacy, arifing from the almoft total want of religious inftruction. The good that, with the divine bleffing, might be accomplished by means of our Miffionaries, and the probability of an opening being made to preach the gofpel among the Heathen in that province, were reafons that, after much deliberation, induced the Directors to fend two Miffionaries to Quebec; and the Directors have given them fuch inftuctions, as they truft will lead to extenfive and permanent ufefulness.

The preceding part of this Report includes an account of every miffion that had been undertaken by this Society previous to the laft Annual Meeting. The intelligence which has been received from every quarter, has been fo amply detailed and fo generally diffufed by means of the Evangelical Magazine, that only the leading particulars and material points have been stated in this Report. The miffion to Quebec is the only one which has been carried into execution, by the authority and fince the period of the last Annual Meeting. It is now the duty of the Directors to prefent the ftate of the concerns of this Society, in regard to fuch exertions as are making to reinforce the miffions already establifhed, and to prepare others for fuch places as have been fanctioned by proper authority.

After the receipt of the painful intelligence of the capture of the Duff, and the removal of a part of the Miffionaries from Otaheite, the ftate of the miffions in the South Seas was maturely confidered, and it was unanimoufly refolved, that the brethren at Otaheite and Tongataboo fhould be vifited; and inquiry was made as to the best and speedieft methods of accomplishing this object. Several methods were foon fuggefted, and in the midft of fome indecifion which to prefer, an offer was made by the owners of the Royal Admiral. To this offer, after due attention, preference was given; both on account of the comparative cheapness of the terms, and of the advantage of fending our Miffionaries under the infpection of a gentleman of Captain William Wilfon's character and experience.

It was at firft intended, that the miffion to be fent by this opportunity should include the Sandwich iflands and the Marquefas; but it being afterwards stated by Captain Wilfon, that it would not comport with the object of his voyage to vifit thofe iflands, without excluding the Friendly iflands, the miffions were therefore neceffarily limited to Otaheite and Tongataboo. After frequent communications with the owners of the Royal Admiral, and mature deliberations in the meetings of the