ment, as the men who had sent the Missionaries to the Osages of the Arkansaw and the Missouri. "They have come," he added, " to deliver a talk to you. I wish you to listen to it attentively; and when you have considered it, reply to it, according to the honest feelings of your hearts." The following talk was then delivered. [See Am. Miss. Reg. page 262.] When the chiefs returned to Washington, Col. M'KENNEY invited them to a Council, in behalf of the Board. He conducted them to the Lancaster School and to the Orphan Asylum, where the pro. cess of male and female instruction was exhibited and explained. He then addressed them on the importance of schools for their children, and of instruction in the arts and habits of civilized life for themselves and their people. He told them that the Commissioners who conversed with them at St. Louis would soon visit their country, and offer to send good men and women to instruct them and their children; and advised them to receive the Commissioners as their friends, and to listen to their talk. A reply was given by a representative of each of the six tribes. They appeared to be gratified with what they had seen and heard; and the Grand Pawnee and Kansas Chiefs expressed a strong desire that a company of Teachers might be sent to their respective nations, and that their people might learn to build houses, raise cattle, and cultivate the soil. What will be the precise effect of these interviews with the Indian deputation, upon the future operations of the Board, your Managers will not undertake to predict. They will avail themselves, however, of this opportu nity to acknowledge the obligations they are under to the Superintendent of Indian Trade, for the services he has rendered on this and on former occasions; and to express the sense they entertain of the deep and lively interest which he has at all times manifested By this summary, it will be seen, that the receipts of the Managers, during the past year, have fallen far short of their expenditures. At the commencement of the year, there was a balance in the Treasury of twelve hun. dred and fifty-three dollars. Of the stock then on hand, the Board have sold three thousand, three hundred, and forty-nine dollars; and there is now due to the Treasurer the sum of four hundred and ninety-nine dollars; making altogether a deficiency, in the receipts of the year, of more than five thousand dollars. Although the Managers regret that such should, at any time, be the state of their funds, yet they retain entire confidence in the liberality and good faith of the three denominations, under whose patronage this Society was established. They cannot suspect, that their fellow-Christians will permit the Institution to languish, or its devoted Missionaries to suffer in the wilderness, for want of pecuniary support. So long as their expenditures shall continue to be regulated by a due regard to usefulness and economy, they feel constrained to believe, that, however widely they may, under the guidance of Providence, extend their operations, they will be borne out by the munificence of the religious community in their work of faith, and their labour of love. RESOURCES, AND CONCLUSION. In the last report, it was mentioned, that a circular letter had been addressed to the Pastors and Congregations belonging to the three denominations, unfolding the objects and the necessi ties of the Board, and requesting that collections taken up at the Monthly Concert of Prayer might be specially devoted to the funds of this Institution. It is the principal design of the Monthly Concert, that the friends of the Redeemer, in every Christian country, should meet at the throne of grace on the same day, and, with one voice, im plore the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Missionary efforts throughout the Pagan world. To the Managers, there appeared an evident propriety in ap propriating the contributions of the day to the promotion of the same im. portant and interesting efforts. On this principle, they made their appeal to the churches. They have, however, the mortification to state, that, with a few honourable exceptions, the appeal has utterly failed. The Managers still wish to draw the attention of their fellow. Christians to this topic. In the three denominations, there are probably not less than two thousand congregations, each of which could easily raise from five to ten dollars at every Monthly Concert. If each congregation would contribute, on that occasion, the smallest sum here mentioned, we should be furnished, from this single source, with an annual revenue of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars; an amount sufficient to form six or eight extensive Missionary establishments, and to transmit the necessary supplies to those already formed. By the summary statement of receipts already given, it appears that our funds, as insufficient as they have been, were derived from eight or ten sources; some of which, at least, might be rendered as productive as the one just mentioned. Compute the sum that could be raised, without difficulty, from the whole of these sources, and then contribute but one-tenth of the amount, and your Managers, under the continued smiles of Providence, would soon be enabled to augment their exertions, and their usefulness, to an extent, in some measure, worthy of the country and of the age in which they live. This Institution, it ought to be recollected, was established at the united request of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, and the General Synods of the Reformed Dutch and Associate Reformed Churches. The Managers, therefore, having com menced their operations under the plighted faith of the Churches, have a right to expect that the pledge shall be redeemed. The providence of God has already blessed these Churches with the requisite means, and we trust the day is not distant, when the grace of God shall furnish the ready hand and the willing heart. In closing their Report, the Managers would again acknowledge their obligations to the great Head of the Church, for his blessing upon their arduous and increasing labours. Under the influence of his Spirit, their Missions have been protected; a new field has been opened to their view; additional labourers have been sent forth to the harvest; and, at one of their stations, a number of Pagans, they have reason to hope, have been turned from darkness unto light, and from the power of Salan unto God. In the view of these facts, the Board cannot fail to recognise, not only a claim to their fervent gratitude, but an incentive to their continued and powerful exertion. The present is pre-eminently a day of Christian effort. Institutions for the distribution of the Bible, the circulation of Religious Tracts, the support of Sabbath Schools, the spread of religion among Seamen, the promotion of Christianity among the Jews, and the conversion of the Pagan world,are every where rising up, and combining their energies with a zeal and a vigour unknown to any former age. In the city of London alone, there are no less than five institutions established exclusively for the promulgation of the Gospel among the heathen, commanding an annual contribution of nearly half a million of dollars, and sending forth hundreds of Missionaries into the benighted regions of the globe. Let the friends of the Redeemer in the American Churches be roused, by this noble example, to increasing activity and enterprise. Remembering that the period is approaching, when the "Prince of the power of the air" shall be subdued, let them brighten their Christian armour, and advance "from victory to victory" under the banners. of the Cross. Let them press onward with ardour to the conflict, cheered with the hope of sharing in the triumphs of that day, when the PRINCE OF PEACE, the SAVIOUR OF MEN, shall sway his benignant sceptre over every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and when the song descending from Heaven shall be heard through the earth. Alleluia, the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth-the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. By order of the Board of Managers, Sec'y for Domestic Correspondence. Home Proceedings. UNITED FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. SINCE the publication of our last number, advices have been received from Union to the fourth of March-from Harmony to the twenty-eighth of March-from Tuscarora to the tenth of May -and from Seneca to the same date. At our latest dates from Union, peace had not been restored between the contending tribes. No recent aggression had been committed; but nothing, it would seem, but a war of extermination, will satisfy the enraged Cherokees. The Mission Family were generally in health, and were preparing to erect their mills and their permanent dwelling-house. Mr. Chapman left the station in March, for New-Orleans, on business for the Mission. His latest letter from New-Orleans, dated the 18th of April, mentions, that he had finished his business, and should set out in the course of that day on his return to Union. The Family at Harmony were in comfortable health, and were industriously occupied in carrying forward their various improvements. Their School of Indian children had increased from eleven to eighteen. We regret to state, that during the spring, there has been an unusual mortality among the Indians at Tuscarora. They have buried eight or ten, and others are still sick. On the list of deaths, are the names of the venerable WILLIAM HENRY, one of the pillars of the Indian Church, and one of his daughters, and a son and daughter of Nicholas Cusick, the Interpreter. We mentioned in our last, that Mr. Thayer was soon to occupy a new station at Cataraugus, about thirty miles S. W. of Buffalo. He and his family took their departure for their Station on the 27th of April, and arrived at the Seneca Mission-house in safety, on the 8th of May. UNION MISSION. Rev. W. F. Vaill to the Domestic Secretary-March 2, 1822. We have sent our Journal for January and February, and a letter concerning the war, by Wm. Moore of NewJersey, who has been labouring with us from June 1820 to the present time. We supposed they would reach you sooner by him than by Mail. These communications have not yet come to hand. We feel it to be our duty to state to the Society, that we have been much perplexed and straitened for the want of money to discharge our debts, many of which cannot be discharged without cash. It is impossible to proceed without pecuniary means. The difficulty seems to lie wholly in the scarcity of money in this region of country. Brother Chapman, whose health is feeble, is about to proceed to New-Orleans for the purpose of negotiating a Draft. We regret that he should suspend the study of the Osage language at this time; yet, it has become necessary that some one should go, and we cannot but hope that his health will be benefited by the jaunt. The Journal for February states some measures which have been taken for peace; but as yet, they appear to be unavailing. The prospect is dark indeed. We dare not speak a discouraging word, lest it should dishearten the Christian public. Nor dare we tell the anxiety we feel about the issue of events. Our duty is to proceed in our work, according to the directions of the Board; hoping to lay a foundation for future usefulness. But to those who are anxious to witness our success, it may seem that we are doing no good; and so would it seem to ourselves, did we not look forward to a brighter period. "Fly swifter round, ye wheels of time, and bring that welcome day." During the last summer, we attempted to put forward a large frame building, but our sawyers failed us. Finding that it would be far more expensive to build houses with a saw mill, we concluded to turn our attention to the erection of mills. In this work, we are now engaged. Two sawyers have commenced sawing the plank. We cannot, however, prosecute the work advantageously, until we have more help, better axes, good carts, &c. &c. In the building line, every thing must proceed with comparative slowness, in consequence of the scarcity of timber. Mr. Ransom and Brother Redfield are now getting out timber, ten miles up the river. For fencing, we are also at great labour. The difficulty of procuring fencing stuff, and the want of help in the season of it, in a great measure defeated our calculations last year. But, Sir, there is, after all, no ground for discouragement, except the war. The want of a millseat, and the scarcity of timber, are certainly great inconveniences; but as we have determined on the ox mill, we shall overcome the one, and perseverance will conquer the other. All things considered, a more eligible site for the establishment could not have been selected. We have examined other places, but nothing as yet favours the idea, that we shall find a better situation. Two letters have been received from the Board, dated in January and July, 1821. The American Missionary Register, from the first number of the work to September last, has come to hand. We have anxiously waited to hear from the Society. By a line from Mr. Nourse, we are led to conclude, that another letter is on the way. After the Mail crosses the Mississippi, delays are common. At the date of this communication, there were three or four letters from the Domestic Secretary, and six successive numbers of the American Missionary Register, somewhere on the way. It is an unfortu nate and unaccountable circumstance, that the Mail from this to Fort Smith is so irregular and uncertain. We have sent on an order to Cincin- nati for flour, pork, dried fruit, beans, and two large kettles to manufacture our salt at the saline near us. It was mentioned in the Journal that we had purchased 26 head of cattle, and that one cow and calf were lost on the way. These have been found, and we have now rising 70 head belonging to the Mission. We have ten yoke of oxen, including steers not yet fully inured to the yoke, all of which are needed on the farm and in building, besides a team of horses. The want of good ploughs, cart boxes, and other implements, have been a great hinderance to our improvements. Hitherto, however, the Lord bath helped us; especially in giving us resolution, so that we have not been left to sink under our hardships. Let God have all the praise of what we have done. Putting our trust in him, we will go forward, and lay the foun. dation for building the walls of Jerusalem among the heathen. Even in troublous times, our hearts have not fainted, because our God has strengthened us. Rev. E. Chapman to the Domestic Secre tary-March 4, 1822. DEAR SIR,-My last communication was made from Harmony, whither I had resorted in company with Brother William C. Requa, for the study of the Osage language by the belp of Mr. Williams, whose knowledge of the language is far superior to that of any other English Interpreter. I then mentioned that we had collected a vocabulary of about two thousand words, and made some progress in the formation of a Grammar. I likewise mentioned my feeble state of health. My health at present appears to be not materially improved, although a change of diet since my return has lessened my distress, yet my debility has not been diminished. I am able to confine myself to study but a small part of each day. My designation to the study of the language |
