all his hopes for 38 years have centered. He sees the absurdity of those legends which tell of gods more numerous than the sands of the Ganges. He has not yet, however, any correct idea of the nature of sin, as he regards it more in the light of a misfortune, as an evil inseparable from human existence, than as a transgression of the divine law. Sin against God, is an idea as new to a Burman, as that God is eternal and unchangeable; and consequently repentance is a doctrine entirely foreign to his creed. On this, and collateral subjects, I explained till too weary to say more, and then gave this learned man a New Testament, and a copy of the Psalms.

on the family, expecting an explana- | years ago, and is now established as a tion, but no one spoke, and all looked merchant in this town. Some few serious, as if some calamity was just at weeks since, he received a tract, and the door. In two or three minutes the has read it through several times with deafening cries, and the beating of increasing interest. The idea of a bamboos on the houses and on the Supreme Being, who is subject to no ground, died away, and all was silent. ill, is free from all change, and witbal What is the meaning of this great is the Creator of all things visible and noise and outcry, I inquired? The invisible, has shaken down the proudly patriarch of the family very coolly re-reared temple of paganism, in which plied, that some one in the vicinity had just been attacked with cholera. But what has that to do with this extraordinary uproar? I said. "It is to drive away the nats (demons) which are supposed to have a special agency in bringing this dreadful disease upon us," replied the old man, with a seriousness that indicated how strong his faith was in the prevailing superstition. I proposed going to the house, and half a dozen followed me. I found a strong muscular man 40 or 45 years old, lying on the floor, and rolling in the greatest agony, muttering a sort of prayer for help. The prospect of immediate death wrought so powerfully on his mind, that it was difficult to say which was greatest, his mental or his bodily suffering. His wife and children too, were weeping and smiting their breasts. The legs and arms of the poor man were cold as marble, and a clammy, cold sweat covered his whole body. It had not been above thirty minutes since the first attack, and yet the man was rapidly sinking. As soon as possible, I gave him the medicines usually prescribed, and in less than an hour he was comparatively free from pain, and rapidly recovering the family and friends were wild with joy, and extravagant in their praise ;-I could hardly keep them from doing acts of religious homage at my feet. The opportunity was peculiarly favorable, and I taught them the knowledge of God with great plainness. The cholera is truly a fearful disease, and the ignorance and superstition of the natives add much to its horrors. Very few who are attacked live more than 24 hours, and some die in two and three hours. Those who have been addicted to the use of opium, spirits, toddy (fermented palm juice), or have led profligate lives, are sure to die, if attacked with cholera. So also aged and feeble persons sink quickly to the grave.

23. Had visiters at the house nearly all day. One man who interested me most, was an intelligent and learned Burman from Ava. He left Ava seven

28. Lord's-day. Was hardly able to get through with the morning services, as the fever was more severe than usual. Still I have reason to be thankful that 1 and my family are spared, while such multitudes are dying on every side of us. The daily average number of deaths by cholera has risen to twenty, and out of about thirty foreigners seven have died of fever within two months. All who can get away have left the place. All communication between the town and country, is now cut off, to prevent the cholera from spreading among the villages. This is not a good regulation, but the villagers themselves will allow of no intercourse, as they suppose the cholera contagious, though nothing, probably, is more absurd.

30. Five Mohammedans spent 'the whole afternoon with me. For several months they have professed to take an interest in examining the claims of the Christian religion. I had given them the New Testament, and some parts of the Old, in Burman and Hindustani, and they have occasionally called on me; though I fear with little benefit, as they appear to make no advances in that knowledge which is peculiar to the gospel. To-day I examined the claims and character of Christ as the only Savior, and urged that divinity was as essential as humanity in the accomplishment of that work for which

Christ came into the world-that al- | word to confirm the statements I made, lowing the Old and New Testaments and as he was a man of acknowledged to be divinely inspired writings, we ability in explaining the legends of might nigh as well deny the humanity Gaudama, my adversary forsook the of Christ as his divinity. Mohammed- sober field of argument, and began to ans will allow that Christ was a great ridicule and revile this heretic, as he prophet, that he was endowed with called him. "You have become a disextraordinary wisdom, and taught the ciple of Christ, have you? You join truth of God. I urged that if we did with this foreign teacher, do you, to concede that Christ was a true prophet, prove that our god is no god, and and taught the truth of God, then we that our religion, which has stood a must allow his claim to divinity, for thousand years, is only a cheat and he not only allowed divine honors to a fable? Who will carry you to the be paid to him, but expressly taught grave when you die? Your own fathat all men should honor the Son ther and mother will despise you, and even as they honor the Father. Then your brothers aml sisters will shun again the example, doctrines, and pre- you as they would a leper. You are cepts of Christ furnish the clearest like a dog that is coaxed away by a evidence that he was the Lord from thief-you may as well lick honey heaven. All except one acknowledged from the edge of a razor as to listen to that this was a serious subject, and this foreigner." "Very well," replied should not be disposed of in a light my new ally, "I have reviled this relimanner. One disputed vehemently. gion and this teacher more than you He would yield to every proposition | have, but I was a fool with both my except the Divinity of Christ-this, in eyes shut, this religion is true, and his view, destroyed the unity of the every body would believe it if they Deity. I said, You must be aware that knew what it is. We make a no one can believe more firmly than god of wood, and then put a rope I do, that there is one only living round his neck, and carry him off to and true God, and yet I as firmly be- his own place, and then put a fence lieve in the Divinity of Christ; and so around him, and keep him there till would you, if you should come to be- the white ants eat him up. We would lieve in the atonement for sin which he not serve a thief as bad as this. There has made. I pointed out the gospel is as much evidence to prove that of John, and desired them to read, not Gaudama was a monkey, as that he as men who had a system to defend, was a god." Some of the people with but as men who had souls to be saved. rage at this bold assertion from one of April 6. By the request of a re- their own learned men, put their finspectable man, I went to preach in his gers in their ears and went away-but house, but the heat was suffocating, still a large number listened to the and we went into the street, where very last. It was 11 o'clock at night. mats were spread for the people, and a chair brought for me. The moon shone brilliantly, so that I could read the large Burman characters with ease. After preaching about thirty minutes, so many questions were asked, that it was quite impossible to pursue my subject further. Questions, however absurd, must be answered, and if they are not proposed too often, are useful in fixing the attention of the people. This evening I was overwhelmed. Many persons, however, remained silent and attentive, and perhaps have not heard in vain.

7. Preached in the same place again this evening to a still larger assembly, and with less interruption. When I closed the book, one man took up manfully on the side of Gaudama, and a discussion for nearly two hours followed. One man who had been a great opposer, occasionally threw in a

13. Five of my most promising inquirers spent the greater part of the day in my study, asking questions, and listening to my explanations. They have abandoned the priests, pagodas, and idols, and regard the sacred books which they have revered for so many years, as a mere fabrication of lying legends. They asked many questions on the inspiration of the sacred scriptures:-how I knew that Moses, the Prophets and the Apostles, had written nothing but what was agreeable to the will of God; that is, whether they had not mixed up their own opinions and views along with the great doctrines which God had taught them? The origin of evil was brought up, and how it was possible to reconcile the existence of sin (or evil rather) with the perfections of a Being who is infi nite in holiness, justice, goodness, and power. The doctrine of a crucified

15. Yesterday and to-day, three of the disciples were attacked with cholera. The exertion in taking care of them, and the anxiety, have brought on my fever again. Mrs. K. and one of the children are ill with fever. Two more foreigners have just died; within three months, one third of all the foreigners here have been brought down to the grave.

Sometime since I thought of taking my family to Ramree or Sandoway, for a few weeks, but the interesting state of things relative to our work induced us to put it off, and now Mrs. K. is too ill to be removed. God alone is our refuge. The natives are falling like leaves in autumn, though I think a great proportion of those attacked will recover, and consequently that the cholera is less virulent than it was some days since.

Savior, or the substitution of Christ, | of conscience, but still the great docwas brought forward:-how it was trines of Redemption through a crucipossible for the claims of justice to be fied Savior he does not comprehend. answered, if the innocent suffered for the guilty? was not repentance and reformation certain of the divine favor without the substitution of Christ? Many other questions were proposed, and all indicated a deeply serious turn of thinking. May God bless the instructions of this day. I am not aware of ever having felt so much of what I suppose must have been the emotions of the Apostle, when he exclaimed, "Who is sufficient for these things?" Who is able to unfold the deep things of God, in their just proportion, and in all their brightness and glory? These men are far above the common class. Two of them in particular possess intellects of the first order, and the chains of idolatry being broken, they are brought into a new and a boundless field of thought. The idol has fallen from his throne, and is ground to powder, and I can only pray that He, who has begun a good work in them, will carry it on till Christ be revealed in their hearts, the only hope of glory. One of these men is the interesting individual mentioned on the 23d of March. At that time I gave him a New Testament, and the Psalms of David. These he read day and night, and felt, he says, an indescribable aux-darkness; and thus too, we see the iety to understand them, so that he could not refrain from reading to every one who called at his shop. After a few days some of his neighbors began to revile him as an apostate. He lived in a hired house, and the owner, a bigoted bhoodist, was induced to join the opposition, and finally went so far as to require him to give up these books or leave the house. For one or two days he hesitated, and was much troubled, as he would incur considerable pecuniary loss by leaving the house; but at last he resolved to abandon it, and keep his books. A few days since he was offered 100 rupees to go to one of the monasteries and explain their sacred books for one month-this was a trick of the pong-gees to seduce him from the examination of the "new religion." Another monastery offered him 30 rupees a month for one or two

16. Ko Bike informs me of several interesting inquirers that we did not know of before-it is only three or four weeks since they first began to examine the subject, and their attention was first arrested by one of our old inquirers. Thus God is able to raise up instruments to help on the great work of overturning the empire of

expansive power of the gospel. I was much affected to learn the sudden death of one of our most persevering opposers. About nine o'clock last evening, he was attacked with cholera, and in three hours expired in great agony. Several men from a distant village, having heard that the cholera had subsided, came to the town, and called on me for books. More than two months ago they had received tracts of Mr. Comstock and me, when on our way to the old town of Arracan, and they have certainly read them with some attention, and now they wish to learn more of these things. I gave them a New Testament, and a volume of bound tracts.

Siam.

years, if he would become a teacher of ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MISSION AT

BANGKOK.

Pali. All these offers he has rejected that he may study the word of God, at least so I am informed by several who In March we published the report of this are acquainted with the facts. His mission, brought down to the close of the year understanding is greatly enlightened, 1840. We have just received from Mr. Godand he evidently has much tenderness | dard his annual report, addressed to the Foreign

Secretary, for the year ending Dec. 1841; | year without the voice of sickness bewhich reached the rooms too late for the annual report of the Board just published.

You have doubtless received at different times, accounts from the seve-serted. As might be expected, the ral members of the mission respecting the dealings of Providence with them. Still, as another year is now closing, it may not be uninteresting to receive a brief, connected account of those providences, and also of the feeble efforts which we have been able to put forth for the salvation of these perishing heathen. You may recollect that in our last annual report we were constrained to thank God that we could close the old and commence the new

found that her husband had already left on his return to this place, where he arrived on the 8th of May, somewhat improved in health, yet not so much as to admit of any very active engagement in missionary labor. Soon after his arrival the health of Mrs. Goddard again failed, and resort was again had to a residence on board a ship then lying off the bar. A voyage to China, or some cold climate, was recommended by the physician here as the only probable means of restoring her health, or prolonging her life. But the enfeebled state of the mission seemed to forbid the removal of more missionaries, and it pleased the Lord to bless the residence of two weeks on board ship to her partial restoration. She was able to return, and gradually

whom we were much encouraged, are not secretly connected with this unholy business. We are not without anxious fears lest one of the otherwise most promising and talented members of the church has to this time continued to hold some secret connection with this accursed thing—either using it himself or engaged in the trafficand our fears on this subject have been one chief reason for deferring the reception of another person of good education and talents, who some months since requested to be united with us by baptism. We have no positive evidence in either of these cases-but occasional circumstances excite our fears. We thus see in how short a time the seeds of wickedness may be sown, but how long they will continue to send forth their noxious shoots, not-improved in health. She has since withstanding the most vigorous efforts to eradicate them. And it is impossible to estimate the injury which is liable to result from the shortest withdrawal of all the missionaries from any station. There is need of a constant watchfulness over all the affairs of a mission, and especially over the native disciples, of which persons in a Christian land can form little conception. The persons of whom we speak may be guilty of all that we fear, and still be really children of Godbut if so, they are preparing for themselves bitter repentance-and may in-tained at Singapore on account of her volve us in inextricable difficulties. A native convert is so weak in faith and Christian principle that he needs constant watching and assistance; he is like a bruised reed, which must not be broken, and smoking flax which is very liable to be quenched.

For a few days after the embarkation of Mrs. Dean on board ship, little Edward seemed to improve-but additional teeth coming on, he could not endure the irritation, and quietly slept in death. He was interred on the little island Singora, a short distance down from the head of the gulf. When Mrs. Dean arrived in Singapore she

*The laws against the use of opium are very severe, and a suspicion that we are in auy way connected with the traffic, would be one of the surest means of bringing on us the displeasure of the king, and of shutting up the door of usefulness to this people. At present opium is not very extensively used in this kingdom, owing to the difficulty and danger of procuring it. The traffic in it on a small scale is very profitable, but must be conducted with the greatest secresy. The place of opium is supplied by a kind of spirit distilled from rice, which is used in very great abundance.

experienced occasional attacks of disease, but at present her prospects are more encouraging. While she and her family with sister Slafter were on board ship, br. Dean was left to bear the burdens and responsibilities of the mission alone. Such having been our circumstances, the return of sister Dean and the arrival of br. and sister Jones on the 10th of June, was hailed with no small joy and thankfulness. We were then enabled again to assume somewhat the appearance of a mission. Still br. and sister Davenport were de

illness. They arrived here Dec. 1st, enjoying comfortable health.

We feel thankful and encouraged that now, at the close of the year, we are all permitted to be together, and most of us able to engage in the duties of our station. Br. Dean's health has been feeble during the year, and at present some new symptoms give us reason to fear he may not labor long here. Thoughts have been entertained of his removal to China (where there now seem to be some small openings) as the only means of increasing and prolonging his usefulness. Sister Jones has suffered much from illness since her arrival-but the cool season has already done much for her restoration, and it is hoped that as she becomes accustomed to the climate her health will be good.

Siamese department.

Our missionary labors during the past year have of course been much interrupted. In the Siamese department, daily morning worship and regular services on the Sabbath have been