that a special agent might be employed in promoting the objects of your Society in this quarter. Your Committee have in consequence come to a determination to commence inquiries for a person properly qualified for so extensive and important an undertaking.

In an extract of a letter from the Missionaries at the Anglo-Chinese College, addressed to Dr. Mọrrison, it is said, "It will gladden your heart to hear that many, both of the Chinese and the Malays, have lately called and begged for the word of life. Many hundred copies have gone from hence since you left us, and there appears an increasing desire among all classes to obtain our books." The same persons having written to your Society, that they had of late distributed a considerable number of the Malay Scriptures in the Arabic character, and that they had reason to believe that many more might be circulated, 500 Bibles and 1,000 Testaments of this description, have been placed at their disposal.

In this quarter AMBOYNA alone remains to be noticed. The Malay Bibles sent to this place have been very thankfully received, and, 3,500 rupees (nearly 3007. English money) have been remitted, being, as Mr. Kam states, "a contribution from the poor, who are not able to pay much, but who hunger after the bread of life. Our people," he adds, "are delighted with their Bibles, and make a good use of them." Four Chinese have been converted to the Christian faith, by the blessing of God on the labour of this Missionary; and in the hope that these are but the first fruits of a more abundant harvest, 100 Chinese Bibles and 200 Testaments have been ordered to be sent from Malacca.

With regard to AFRICA, your thanks are due to the Church Missionary Society, for a most valuable present of 10 volumes of Ethiopic manuscripts, containing among others the entire New Testament,

an edition of which is now preparing for the press under the direction of your Librarian; 2000 Psalters in the Coptic and Arabic, in parallel columns, have been ordered, and your Committee are under obligation to the delegates of the University press, at Oxford, for the use of Coptic types for this purpose belonging to that body. Professor Lee, of Cambridge, has kindly undertaken to edit the above.

The next grant to be mentioned is one indeed of a very small amount, but one to which the occasion adds no little interest. It is known to many, that the King of Madagascar sent to this country a few years since, three youths, for the purpose of receiving an European education; while here, they became converts to the Christian faith, and were baptized. To each of them an English Bible was presented on their departure from England, and the best wishes of the Society will follow them, that they may carry back to their countrymen even better things than the knowledge of those useful arts, which they have acquired during their residence in this country.

From the MAURITIUS, intelligence has been received from a Missionary, that 362 Bibles and 400 Testaments in the French language have been already distributed, and that scarcely a day passes without persons calling upon him to know if he had any Bibles to give them; 100 Bibles and 100 Testaments in this language, have therefore been sent to the Auxiliary in this island, with a view of supplying the Missionaries.

The SOUTH AFRICAN Bible Society has transmitted an interesting Report. The communications contained in it from different Missionaries, abundantly prove that the circulation of the Scriptures has done and is still doing much good. One writes, "You cannot conceive what joy sat on each countenance, when it was published in our church, that Bibles and Testaments had arrived. To the Namacquas it was a day of gladness. The friends of the Bible will rejoice to hear that the poor Namacquas, whose

days were formerly spent in roaming over mountains and deserts, have learnt from the Sacred Scriptures to assemble together to worship the true and living God." Another writes, that on inquiring what good had been derived by the distribution of Bibles and Testaments on a former occasion, he received the following reply, "I would not part with the Bible for the whole world, I find it contains every thing which is necessary for my consolation and encouragement in time and eternity." A translation of the New Testament has been undertaken in the Namacqua language. Four Gospels have been already finished; great pains have been taken to secure the accuracy of the work, and your Committee have gladly charged themselves with the expense of printing it, and have also voted 50 reams of paper for that purpose.

Every opportunity that has offered of sending the Scriptures to the Northern Shores of Africa, has been embraced, and when Dr. Pinkerton visited Malta, he particularly called the attention of the Malta Committee to this subject. Since his return a gentleman, who has long resided at Malta, and greatly promoted the objects of the Society, has left the island on a visit to Tunis, and taken with him 500 copies of the Scriptures in the Arabic and other languages; a few copies of the Arabic Bible had been put into the hands of some pilgrims who had been taken prisoners, and were confined in one of the fortresses at Malta. Dr. Pinkerton visited these persons, and found that they read in their Bibles, which they well understood.

Passing now to SOUTH AMERICA, your Committee unfeignedly rejoice in stating, that all the information from this quarter continues to afford the pleasing hope of a still more extensive circulation of the Scriptures. They have, in consequence, been under the pleasing necessity of ordering, during the last year, very large impressions of the Spanish Bible;

15,000 copies have in the whole been printed within that period at your expense. Another most important measure has also been resolved upon, a measure, in the adoption of which, they have been guided by past experience. Reflecting on the immense advantages which have accrued to the Society, in sending out respectable and prudent representatives, they have determined to accept the offer of the Rev. Mr. Armstrong, to visit South America on the Society's account. This gentleman has been chaplain at Honduras for twelve years, a service in itself calculated to qualify him for such a mission as that contemplated by your Committee. While he will himself embrace every prudent opportunity of distributing the Scriptures, his principal employment will be to discover channels in which they may hereafter be advantageously sent.

At LIMA, your Monthly Extracts have proved acceptable. Political convulsions have, as is well known, agitated that scene of the Society's labours, but not prevented the operations of those whose hearts are thoroughly engaged in the work. It is delightful to observe how fit individuals are found here and there willing to assist in distributing the Scriptures. The Rev. Mr. Thomson, in his letters, alludes to several persons of this description, from one of whom he received a most earnest application for an immediate supply. With this individual Mr. Thomson is personally acquainted, who has this peculiar recommendation, that he himself devoutly studies the word of God. Efforts of an opposite tendency are made indeed, and information has been received of the landing of infidel publications on the shores of South America. But these are efforts which should only lead your Committee to say with him, "Now is the time to apply the healing balm with happy effect, whilst the wounds produced by their attempts are just made and fresh." balm of that sacred tree," adds Mr. Thomson," which

"The

grew up near the mountains of Gilead, and has been preserved for the healing of the nations, is happily to be found in abundance in your depository." In Mexico another gentleman is mentioned, as willing to give his assistance, to whom a number of copies of the Scriptures have been consigned, and 4,000 have been placed at the disposal of Mr. Thomson himself.

The welcome intelligence has been received that the translation of the New Testament into the Peruvian language is now completed. Five persons went accurately over the work, verse by verse, one of whom is a clergyman, another a theological tutor} and two are of the medical profession. In the same communication it is stated by Mr. Thomson, that some Testaments which had been designed for another quarter, but which circumstances would not permit to be sent, were received and bought with the greatest avidity. "I am convinced," writes his correspondent, "that the Testament is in general considered a treasure, for with pleasure have I seen, in passing through the streets, the shopkeepers, and poor people who have stalls, read in the Gospel, and had I had ten times as many, could have sold them all." In another place, when, about four years since, a few copies had been distributed by the same individual, on revisiting it he was delighted to find the most eager inquiry after more Bibles and Testaments.

I

Mr. Thomson having mentioned the expediency of occasional journies in furtherance of the object of your Society, your Committee have placed the sum of 300l. at his disposal, both for that purpose, and also to carry on the translation and printing of the New Testament in the Peruvian language. Shortly after a communication to the above effect had been sent out, a series of letters arrived from Mr. Thomson, giving the details of his journey from Lima to Bogotá. Copious extracts from these letters will be given in the Appendix, so that it will