The Convention have also a property in the Tonawanda meeting-house, which is situate a mile eastward on the Reservation, and was built by the Indians with their aid. It is a substantial edifice, on an elevated site, about 45 feet long, and 30 feet wide, with a gallery at one end, and a porch; and when relinquished by the Indians will be a desirable place of worship for the neighboring white population. The "6 Reservation" is a tract of land six miles in length from south to north, extending along the banks of Tonawanda Creek a mile each side in width, and following its numerous windings. The soil is generally excellent, and heavily timbered. The more elevated and open parts are cultivated by the Indians, who raise Indian corn, potatoes, wheat, oats, beans, &c., in quantities sufficient for home consumption. They have also large numbers of horned cattle, horses and swine. Their houses are mostly of hewn logs, but others are framed buildings shingled and clapboarded and exhibiting many signs of neatness and comfort. Some ten or twelve houses have curtained windows or venetian blinds. The Indians generally are well dressed, and very many of them, especially the men, would not be distinguished in this respect from their white neighbors. But the women of the pagan party retain for the most part their blankets and tinsel. I found the mission school in good condition, and prosperous. Its earliest teacher and superintendent was Rev. Abel Bingham, now missionary at Sault de Ste. Ma rie. Rev. John Miner succeeded him for a short time, and subsequently Rev. David Rollin, afterwards a missionary to the Creeks and Shawanoes, who had the charge of the mission several years. He was followed in 1833 by Rev. Roger Maddoch, for one year, when the school was committed to Rev. James B. Rollin, and retained by him till the autumn of 1840. Since then it has been in charge of Rev. Augustus Warren, assisted by Mrs. Warren, Miss Phebe Barker, school-teacher, and Miss Phebe Burroughs, the last a faithful helper in the mission since 1829. The number in the school is limited by the Convention to forty-five. The average attendance of pupils the past year has been forty, of four to sixteen years of age, including fifteen or more girls; all taught, fed and clothed, at the expense of the mission. The branches of instruction are those ordinarily taught in district schools, with the addition of housewifery and husbandry, into which the pupils are practically initiated according to their ages and periods of continuance in the mission. Their domestic concerns are well arranged. The members of the school are constantly associated with the mission family, and constitute with them an apparently happy household. The hour of rising is half past four in the summer, and five in the winter, and soon after they meet for family worship, at which they unite in singing, and the scriptures are read and explained; and the same at evening. On the Sabbath they attend a Sabbath school, beside the public religious services; and from time to time receive other stated and occasional religious instruction. These faithful efforts have been attended with the blessing of God. Twelve of the pupils were hopefully converted the last spring, and added to the church; which now consists of twenty members. The pupils are all required to speak the English language, except one day in a week, and this is a reason why many parents of the pagan party are desirous to place their children in the school. Twelve or fifteen of the pupils are of the Tuscarora tribe, a fragment of which reside near Lewiston, six miles from Niagara Falls. The mission appears to be conducted with a due regard to economy. The entire expenditure the last year, including the avails of the farm and donations in clothing, was about $1500. This covered an outlay of $150 for provisions, which would probably be saved in future years according as additional portions of the farm are put under improvement. Sixteen acres have been cleared the present year. The mission exerts a salutary influence not only on its members, and others more remotely connected with it, but on the com munity at large. The superintendent | influence on them, especially of his own preaches statedly to the native population clan,* is great, on account both of his age on the Sabbath through an interpreter, and visits, so far as indispensable engagements permit, from house to house. The results are cheering, particularly in the promotion of temperance. During the last six years the Tonawandas had been advancing in intelligence, morals and domestic comfort, but were obstinately averse to signing the temperance pledge, alleging their unwillingness to be led by white men, from whom they had suffered so many wrongs. The superintendent induced them at length to take the work into their own hands: a general council was convened by the chiefs to deliberate on the subject, and then a second; and eventually a Total Abstinence Society was organized. All the chiefs, 16 in number, signed the pledge at the time of organization, and the society now embraces 250 members. The entire population is estimated at 500. I had the pleasure on the Sabbath of preaching through an interpreter to the Indian congregation, in the morning from John iii. 16, and at five P. M. from Is. liii. 5. The number present was about 120, including 40 or 50 whites. The assembly appeared as orderly and respectable as other Christian congregations, and had quite as much of the semblance of devotion. The singing, which was after the English style, and worthy of an English choir, was in the native language, and prayers were offered by two of the native brethren, apparently with sincerity and great fervency. The services occupied each about two hours. To-day, accompanied by the superintendent and an interpreter, I have visited the head chief, who is also the high priest of the Six Nations, successor to the celebrated Red Jacket. His name is Jimmy Johnson. He is of rather less than ordinary size, of a light and agile make, but apparently powerful, and rising 60 years of age. The contour of his head is good, and the general expression of his features intelligent, mild, and benignant. Being high priest, he is of course in favor of the pagan party, and his and personal character, and the offices which he sustains. It is from this circumstance, perhaps, as also because Red Jacket usually resided at Tonawanda, that Tonawanda has been, according to general repute, the strong hold of paganism, two thirds if not three fourths of the Tonawandas still cleaving to their heathen rites and superstitions. On arriving at the house of the high priest, we were courteously received, and after a brief silence, and a formal introduction by the superintendent of the design of our visit, opportunity was given me to address him in doing which, I also endeavored to present the gospel to him, and enforce its claims. He replied, with frequent but not violent gesticulations, first expressing his gratification at receiving us and tendering his salutation, that as I had stated to him what Christians believed, he would in turn inform me what he believed and knew. He was the head chief, the high priest, of the Six Nations, and though God had not given his people a book, like the bible, He had given him a mind and memory, and had revealed to him His will. He understood also the white man's religion. God had made a religion for the white man. Jesus Christ came down from heaven many years ago, but white men killed him because he favored the poor more than the rich, condemning him without a trial. For this they were to be punished, and must die, but such as believed in Christ would be forgiven, and at his second coming be raised from the dead, To the and go with him into heaven. red man God had given this western world, and a different religion, adapted to him, He was sincere in the belief and practice of this religion. Forty-four years ago he had devoted himself to God, and had always from that time done His will. He Every chief has his own clan, from which he was elected to a chieftaincy by the chiets in council, and his influence over it is almost ab solute, and constitutes, where the chief adheres to paganism, one of the greatest obstacles to the success of the Christian missionary. had also taught his people this religion; | Tonawandas number only 16. And a that they should love one another, parents treaty having been fraudulently procured, and children, husbands and wives; and binding the Senecas to relinquish all their that they should be temperate. Whiskey"reservations," the chiefs in council have killed the red man. The white man gave sought to avert the greater calamity by it, the red man drank it. He blamed voluntarily abandoning the Buffalo and neither the white man nor the red man, Tonawanda reservations. A compromise (i. e. exclusively.) The high priest next has been adjusted to this purport, and the proceeded to contrast the conditions of the expatriation takes effect a year from next white man and the red man immediately May, if not at an earlier period. The after death. When the white man dies, Tonawandas are averse to the removal, but his spirit has no place to go to, but is there is no appeal. They will probably homeless on the earth, till the body is raised join a body of the Six Nations residing near again at the second coming of Christ. But the Thames river in Canada, where are "from the door of every Indian there is a also a few of the Seneca tribe. Whether straight path," and when he dies the spirit the mission school will be removed with immediately enters on that path. At them, will depend on contingencies not yet ascertained. But it will be occasion for deep regret if the work of christianization, so prosperously begun and carried forward, must be relinquished on the verge of its completion. length he comes to where the road divides; in the right hand path is the servant of heaven, and in the left path the servant of satan. These know the works of the red man, both good and evil. They compare them one with another; if the good works exceed the evil, the servant of heaven takes him; if not, the servant of satan conveys him to hell where he stays as many nights as his sins deserve, each night in hell denoting a year; and when he has expiated all his sins he is admitted to heaven. In the belief of this religion, he repeated, he was sincere, and he had lived according to it. If now he were to adopt the Christian religion, he would derive no good from that, and would lose what he might have gained by his own. He thought, however, that the mission school was useful, and he had favored it. To all this, and also to several inquiries in regard to the Christian faith, reply was made; and the conference was closed by the superintendent with an earnest expostulation and a prayer. JUVENILE ZEAL. The Board are receiving the most gratifying assurances of a growing interest in the subject of foreign missions. The Treasurer, a few days since, received from a pastor in a neighboring State, a note enclosing five dollars, the result of a family collection, the contributors being a circle of small, motherless children. The suggestion came, it appears, from an elder sister, who is pious, and who acts as mother to the younger members. After the collection had been made, it was handed to the pastor, with a request that it might be forwarded. Such indications as are perceived in incidents like the above-mentioned, are peculiarly gratifying, and in the highest degree encouraging to the Board. They give assurances of no doubtful import, that the missionary feeling is not only deep, but that it is also, so far as the influence of Christianity is felt, all-pervading. The future prospects of the mission are involved in some uncertainty. The Tonawandas are a portion of the Seneca tribe, deriving their distinctive appellation from the creek on which they reside. Other portions live on Buffalo Creek, Cattaraugus and Alleghany reservations, numbering al- SYMPATHY WITH together between two and three thousand souls, and subject to one common government or council of 80 chiefs, of whom the THE BOARD AND pressions of sympathy for them and the Board, in consequence of the probable loss in Calcutta, by the unexpected failure of Messrs. Boyd and Co. The proof is abundant that these expressions are not a mere profession. By a reference to the closing paragraph of Mr. Cutter's communication, it will be seen that two individuals have contributed towards making up for this loss the sum of 800 rupees, and that the same gentlemen have offered to loan to our missionaries in Assam the sum of 2000 rupees without interest, so long as it may be needed. Mr. Kincaid mentions, that citizens in Arracan have offered to loan whatever may be needed by him and his associates for one year without interest. These indications are peculiarly gratifying to the Board. They make it the more apparent that their misfortune is purely providential; and while they relieve us of a great measure of anxiety in regard to the present comfort of our distant brethren, they reflect great honor upon the missionaries themselves. We hope the proposition of Mr. Cutter may attract the attention of some of our brethren. Recent Entelligence. The Kemmees, Mr. K. thinks, are a branch of the Karen family. They have no written language; are not idolaters; they believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, in the immortality of the soul, and in a future state of rewards and punishments. If their lives have been spared, Messrs. Kincaid and Stilson are now among this people, studying their language and reducing it to a written form. They have determined to adopt the Roman character, by which means the expense will be greatly diminished, as abundance of type can be at once procured. We refrain from saying more upon this subject, and refer the reader to the journal when it shall appear; and submit the following extract, being the closing paragraphs of Mr. K.'s letter that accompanied his journal. The inquiries submitted are appropriate, and demand a serious consideration. to build their own I trust the Board will think well of the assured that no unnecessary or unreasoncourse we have taken, and they may be able expense will be incurred. Should this people receive the gospel, we shall make it a conscientious duty to instruct them to help themselves, school houses,-to pay their own school teachers, and to pay for their books. We beg an interest in your prayers in behalf of this people, for what can we do without the aid of Divine teaching,-without an unction from above? If there is a restraining of Divine influence, our labors will be as water poured upon the ground. O for that preparation of heart, which the grace of God alone can give,-that ability to go forth, bearing precious seed, with tears,tears of compassion, such as the Savior Then we might CHINA.-Messrs. Shuck and Roberts have wept over Jerusalem. removed to Hong Kong. The date of Mr. expect to see the wilderness bud and blossom as the rose. There is something Shuck's letter is March 16, only twenty-two days later than our last date from Mr. Dean, wrong; either a lack of prayer, or zeal, or Christian affection; or a lack of all who was then on his way to China. Mr. Shuck these together, for the blessing of God is does not mention the arrival of Mr. Dean, but withheld. Our labors appear to be powspeaks of having recently received a letter from erless. Conversion to God is so uncomhim, in which he intimates an intention of going mon, that we are quite surprised when a to Amoy, which is said to be a good mission-heathen listens anxiously to the everlasting ary station, being, like Macao and Hong Kong, in the possession of the English. By a late arrival, intelligence has been received from our missionaries in China and Arracan. ARRACAN.-Letters have been received from Mr. Kincaid with his journal; these are occupied chiefly with information concerning the Mountain Chief (mentioned in Mr. K.'s journal of July 6, as published in the last number of the Mag.) and his subjects, obtained by Messrs. Kincaid and Stilson on a visit to that extraordinary people. The journal of Mr. K., giving a particular account of this people, whom he denominates the Kemmees, will be published in our next number. gospel. The candor and earnestness of the priest, mentioned in my journal, was so surprising, that it kept me awake nearly all night. Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? is the exclamation we are compelled to make in Arracan. The Holy Spirit is withheld, and we seem to be like men trying to plant a garden on a sandy desert. There is some serious, awful wrong, or the blessing would not be withheld. What avails all missionary labor, if the people remain unconverted? and to give repentance and save the soul, the Son of God came into the world, and offered himself up upon the cross. Now he who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up unto the death, will not surely withhold the Holy Spirit, unless there be soine grievous wrong, either in the missionaries, or in the churches at home, or in both. I fear we are all wrong. The work of the Lord does not prosper, and there must be a canse. CHEROKEES.-We continue to receive the most cheering intelligence of the work of the Lord among this people. Since the arrival of Mr. Jones in that country, as we have before stated, on the 25th of June, 1811, now a little more than one year, 219 have been received to the fellowship of the churches on a profession of their faith. In fact, the letter that contained this statement was dated June 21, so that the above is the result of a single year's labor. There seems to have been enjoyed during the year a constant revival of religion, which, as will be seen from the following extracts of a letter from Mr. Jones, dated July 19, continues with unabated vigor. It is with great pleasure I give you some further account of the progress of the work of grace among the Cherokees. I cannot but feel greatly encouraged in the hope that the conquests of our blessed Redeemer will be repeated and extended in this country, although there are still formidable obstacles; many strong holds of sin to be subdued. July 4. We concluded a series of meetings of four days continuance with the Amohee church. At the monthly meeting in June, the brethren determined to continue the next monthly meeting for four days, and also to erect a shed at a more convenient place. They met accordingly, and erected a substantial shed, seventy feet by thirty, and filled it with convenient seats, of sawmill slabs. They also made a smaller shed for cooking, and provided comfortable refreshments for those who chose to remain on the ground during the meeting. Two years ago, the church used to meet at this place, before under a temporary shed, but a whiskey shop being set up within a few yards, which greatly annoyed them, they built a small meeting-house about two miles off. The house having become entirely too small, they fixed on the old place again, and now, to the praise of gospel influence, the man who once annoyed them with his whiskey "shop, assisted with labor and provisions to build the shed, and fitted up the same cabin, and furnished provisions for the comfortable accommodation of the preachers and others coming from a distance to attend the meetings. 66 Religious exercises commenced on Friday the 1st inst., but on account of heavy rains few attended. On Saturday, there was a very large congregation, and serious attention. Several persons cheered our hearts, by the profession of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Many of the brethren and inquirers devoted great part of the night to the exercises of prayer and praise. Mecting for prayer and expounding a portion of scripture, was held at sunrise Sabbath morning. After breakfast, the church assembled to hear the relations of candidates for baptism. A colored woman, a member of our late brother O'Bryant's church, was received, on evidence of christian character. At eleven, preaching commenced. The place was completely crowded, and many outside. Solemn attention pervaded the assembly, and some appeared much affected. After preaching the whole congregation proceeded through a grove, along a grassy walk, two hundred and fifty yards, to a beautiful stream, in which I had the pleasure to baptize twelve Cherokees, six males and six females, and one black, on a hopeful profession of faith in the Savior of sinners. After a short interval, a large company of Cherokees sat down to commemorate the death of our adorable Redeemer. At night, brethren Foster and Oganaya preached, and invited the anxious to unite with the church in prayer. About thirty came forward; so we hope the work is still going on. The exercises were continued till Monday noon, when we parted, greatly refreshed in spirit, and encouraged to expect the further triumphs of the Savior's cause. July 9 & 10.-At Taquohee. Two days' meeting. A very large congregation. The house, 40 feet by 20, crowded, and many more outside than in the house. Received and baptized five Cherokee males and three females. Administered the sacrament of the Lord's supper to a large and deeply devout assembly: all Cherokees. At night a number of anxious inquirers came forward for prayer. July 16 & 17.-Two days' meeting at Tseyohee. A large, attentive congregation. Three males and one female baptized: all Cherokees. Donations, FROM JULY 1 TO AUGUST 1, 1842. Maine. Hancock Aux. Miss. Soc., Rev. J. Gillpatrick tr., Mt. Desert and Seaville 1,61 Sedgwick, 1st Bap. Benev. Soc. 3,00 Blue Hill, friends to miss. 3,32 7,93 |