country from acceding in form to this Treaty, yet this Government was confidentially acquainted with every stage of the proceeding, and fully concurred in its principles and spirit. It was not, however, till the return of the Emperor of Russia to St. Petersburg, that it received the fullest elucidation. When we learn, from the Report we have heard, the zeal with which that great Sovereign entered into the concerns of the Bible Society, it becomes impossible longer to hesitate as to the real sentiments and intentions of his heart, in the transaction we have been considering. In giving the Bible to every nation of his vast dominions, in its own language, he fixed the real and most appropriate ratification to the Christian Treaty." The impression made by the late Anniversary of this Society, is well expressed in the following passage, from the conclusion of the Report: con "It is indeed impossible to contemplate the effects produced by the British and Foreign Bible Society, so spicuously displayed in the attention which it has excited to the supreme importance of the holy Scriptures, in the unparalleled efforts for the diffusion of them, and in the extension and enlargement of charitable feeling, without emotions of the purest delight, the warmest gratitude, and the most cheering anticipation. "In humble dependence on the favour of Almighty God, deriving efficiency from the public bounty, and with no other recommendation than the simplicity of its principle, and the benevolence of its design, the British and Foreign Bible Society has gone forth from strength to strength, triumphantly opposing the attempts of Infidelity to discountenance the truths of Divine Revelation, imparting its spirit to Christians all over the world, animating their zeal, and aiding their exertions, accompanied by their prayers, and rewarded by their benedictions. The Members of the Institution have the amplest grounds for rejoicing in the glorious privilege which they exercise of dispensing the bounty of the Most High. The charity to which they have devoted themselves, in humble imitation of that divine love which, in its dispensation of mercy, offered the gospel of salvation to all mankind, embraces the whole human race, with out distinction of colour or country, of friend or foe; connecting the scattered members of the Christian community by the sacred ties of a religion which considers all men as brethren, the chil dren of one common father; and exhibiting, by this union, a practical exemplification of the apostolic precept,To keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.' "It is a charity no less enabled by its object, than sanctified in its means, which enriches those who bestow, as well as those who receive; and the Christian, who knows the word of God to be the savour of life unto life, and the power of God unto salvation, puts forth his hand to the work with heartfelt delight, thankful that God has blessed him with the ability, as well as inclination, to render others partakers of the heavenly banquet on which he has feasted, and to enable them to gather with him, the fruit of immortality from the tree of life." Wed. June 12. A numerous Meeting was held at the Mansion House, the Lord Mayor in the Chair, to encourage the sweeping of Chimneys by the Machine, in order to supercede the cruel practice of employing climbing boys. Thursday, June 13, more than 10,000 Charity Children, educated in the parishschools of the metropolis and its vicinity, went in procession to the Anniversary Meeting at St. Paul's Cathedral. May 14. Mr. David Parker, late Student at Gosport, was ordained to the Christian ministry at Dr. Waugh's meeting, London, with a view to the exercise of the pastoral office in North America. Mr. Tracy commenced the service with prayer and reading; Mr. Hunt, of Chichester, delivered the introductory discourse; Mr. Durant, of Poole, asked the usual questions; Dr. Waugh offered the ordination prayer; D. Bogue, of Gosport, gave charge; and Mr. Collison, of Hackney, concluded. NOTICES. the The Annual Meeting of the Clerken well Auxiliary Missionary Society, will be held at the chapel in Wilderness Row, July 3; when Dr. Collyer will take the Chair at half-past Six,precisely. The next Quarterly Meeting of the Sunday School Union, will be held in Silver Street Chapel, on July 17, at half-past Six o'clock; when, after the usual Reports are read, the following question will be considered :-" What are the best means for preventing Sunday scholars from rambling on Sabbath evenings ?" Missionary Chronicle FOR JULY, 1816. THE FOUR SERMONS, preached in London, at the late Anniversary of this Society, by the Rev. Messrs. Brown, Fletcher, Townsend, and Julian, are already printed; together with the ANNUAL REPORT of the Proceedings of the Directors, and LISTS of the Subscribers, Contributors to Auxiliary Societies, Congregational Collections, &c. The Sermons, with the Report, will be sold for Three Shillings; the Report itself will be sent, gratis, to the Members of the Society, Auxiliaries, &c. with all possible dispatch. The Report may be had, by non-subscribers, at One Shilling each, at the Publishers' of the Magazine; as also the Sermons and Report together. Mr. Morrison has sent to England 500 copies of the First Part of his Chinese and English Dictionary. The work, which will be comprised in four or five volumes, royal quarto, is printing at Macao, under the patronage, and at the sole expence, of the Hou. East India Company; who, with great liberality, after retaining a limited number of copies for their own use, present the rest to Mr Morrison, as a remuneration for his great expence and labour in composing this great work. Although the extent of the undertaking cannot at present be precisely determined, yet, as persons inclined to become purchasers, may be desirous of ascertaining the whole cost, the friends of the author, to whom he has entrusted the sale of the work, engage that it shall not exceed Ten Guineas. The price of Part I. is half-a-guinea; and this Part may be had at the Missionary Rooms; or of Mess. Black, Parbury, and Co.'s, Leadenhall Street. Extract of a Letter from the Rev. R. Morrison, on the subject of Printing the Chinese Testament. MY DEAR SIR, Canton, Nov. 4, 1815. On the question which you submitted to me, Whether, for printing the sacred Scriptures in Chinese, wooden stereotype, or metal single types, were likely to be cheaper?' I have taken the opinion of the Company's Printer, Mr. Thoms, who is daily in use of single metal types, employed by him in printing a Chinese Dictionary. In China also wooden blocks become much cheaper than English stereotype. The latter must be recast;-in China the type-cutter regularly composed before the plates be quires only a fair copy. The single letters in Chinese being so numerous, and arranged under no fewer than 214 radicals, though each character be a word, it requires more time to find any given word than is necessary to compose it from the Roman letter. A word from a Greek case, with all its accents, would be composed sooner than a Chinese He says, that if in England metal character, from a collection of thirty stereotype for printing the sacred or forty thousand characters, arranged Scriptures be found cheaper than in the best possible manner. letter-press, it would appear from the Though there should not be more similarity of the cases, that the same than two or three thousand different should hold true in China; wooden words in the whole Scriptures, yet blocks being in fact stereotype, and the same word occurs often in the single metal characters a kind ofletter- course of two or four pages. He sup poses, that to publish the eight volumes press. Rev. R. Morrison. of the New Testament, as many cha- Extract from a Letter written by the racters as are in two volumes would be requisite, say 48,000 or 49,000, which, at forty characters per dollar, makes 1247 dollars, £311*. The expence of cutting the whole eight volumes, suppose 740 or 800 dollars, £200. The blocks of the duodecimo edition cost 500 dollars; the writer received 50 dollars. In going through the press there would be no advantage. Suppose eight pages were worked at once, which would require a considerably larger fount. Two Chinese engage to throw off 4000 copies of two pages a-day, which is equal to 8000 copies of four pages. Few, if any, Europeans in these climates could throw off 2000 copies of eight pages, allowing two men at a press. The monthly wages of Chinese labourers and mechanics, are from three to six dollars. Then follows the great advantage of stereotype, viz, taking 50 or 100 copies at a time, as they are wanted; and also, that once correct, it remains permanently correct; and when I leave the country, the blocks may be left behind, and the sacred Scriptures printed without danger of error. They may be sent also to any other place, to the Russian frontier, if you please, and the Scriptures printed from them. That would be much better than carrying the books. I am myself fully convinced, that all that can be said in favour of metal stereotype for printing standard books, applies with fully as much, if not with greater force and truth, to the Chinese wooden stereotype. My duodecimo New Testament, yellowish paper, the middle class of paper I have thrown off, and bound up for three mace, six candareens, i. e. half a dollar Spanish, or two shillings and sixpence English. In the summer I re-examined the New Testament, and am happy to say, that at present, having daily a little more experience in the Chinese, the translation is very satisfactory to me. There are in it some typographical errors, and two or three omissions of a member of a sentence, which I shall correct as soon as circumstances permit. Canton, Jan. 1, 1816IN June last, there was a persecution carried on against the Roman Catholics of Sze-chuen. The Viceroy of that province begins his report by saying, That the religion of the west, denominated the Religion of the Lord of Heaven, is a depraved or irregular religion, particularly injurious to the manners and hearts of men. He says, that in the 15th year (five years ago) 2,000 families recanted, and since upwards of 200 families. He recently apprehended 72 persons, seized 53 books, took 620 crosses, three strings of beads, two dresses, and two religious caps. It is, however, distinctly stated, that, in the books seized, there were not found any expressions that could be construed into an opposition to Government. He closes his report by saying, that he suspects there is some European among the mountains of Szechuen, though he has not been able to apprehend him. His Majesty begins his reply, by noticing the blind obstinacy of men; that, though their persons be involved in the net of the law, when once a notion of ascending to Heaven takes possession of the mind, they are regardless of death. The two leaders who would not recant, Choo-yung and Tung-gaen, are ordered to be strangled immediately; 38 others, who also refused to recant, are ordered to be sent to Tartary as slaves; among these are several women, and an old man of 80. Women and old men, are in many cases, allowed to redeem themselves by paying a fine; but in this case it is directed that they shall not be allowed so to do. Further, the obstinate old man, and a few others who seemed more culpable than the rest, are to be condemned to wear for ever a heavy wooden collar. I have had occasion lately to examine a large statistical account of China, which contains the population of each province and district, as as certained about the year 1790. The whole amounts to only 143 millions. This is not one-half of what Sir Geo. The calculations I have not verified. Staunton was informed was the population. It is not likely that it even with regularly cast types, that I have yet seen, looks like the work of foreigners, and possesses not that freedom which the Chinese method has. To the Chinese, books printed with moveable types, have a certain awkward stiffness in their appearance. I cannot, however, possitively say, that an improvement may not in future be made in this respect: every attempt to improve is praise-worthy; and may in some way or other be useful. has increased much lately, because famine and civil wars have been frequent. I am persuaded that 150 millions is as many as it ought to be considered. Grosier makes it about 200 millions. After all, 143 millions of people is a very large population. The central parts and the east coast, are the most populous. Keang-nan Province contains upwards of 30 millions, which is more than the French nation. The book from which I took the account, is published by authority. MALACCA. MR. Milne, in a letter dated Dec. 30, 1815, after expressing the pleasure he derived from the Directors letter of March, 1815, in which they had stated their satisfaction with his conduct, says, At pre "With regard to the state of the Mission here, I have written fully in my Journal (sent by the Moffat, Capt. Richardson, via Bombay). sent, I shall only say, Through the goodness of God, we are all in good bealth. The school I mentioned in my last, promises well; 14 boys are now in it. The (Chinese) Magazines, specimens of which are inclosed, have been in circulation for five months. Frequent communications concerning the state of his health, and progress with the Dictionary, have been received from Mr. Morrison. According to his wish, I have begun a translation of Dr. Watts's 1st and 2nd Catechisms, which, if health continues, will soon be printed." 'The specimens you sent me, in the 'Memoir of Translations,' I mean the specimens cut in wood, are very bad indeed, and represented as occupying a vast space on the page. The public would have been furnished with much surer data, had a specimen of the best and neatest the Chinese can cut been given, rather than placing a specimen of the worst, in competition with the best metal types then cast, and calling on the publie to look at the amazing difference! Probably no good type-cutters were at hand. More caution, however, in this case was necessary, in discussing the merits of the different modes.' Mr. Milne then states his opinion, that as to progressive improvement and correctness, the advantage preponderates in favour of the present Chinese mode of printing; but we have not room for his arguments on this head. With respect to cheapness, he is also of opinion that the blocks have the preference; and says, expense of our last duodecimo Testament* will no doubt fully satisfy you and the public on this head." The * About 2s. 6d. bound in the Chinese Mr. Milue then mentions several manner. The first edition, royal 8vo, reasons for taking a journey to Pe- fine paper, printed in the manner of nang, for the more effectual distribu- the Chinese Classics, was of course tion of the Chinese Scriptures and more expensive. Tracts. Mr. Milne afterwards expresses his sentiments concerning the difference of expence, &c. between printing the Chinese with moveuble types, and stereotyped blocks. "I am (says he) decidedly of opinion, that for large and standard works, the advantage is every way (speed excepted) in favour of the blocks. As to the beauty of the impression, which is certainly the very least consideration, the advantage is in favour of the blocks. All Chinese printing with moveable types, PENANG, OR PRINCE OF WALES'S ISLAND. MR. THOMSEN, on his passage from Bombay to Malacca, touched at this island, where he was treated with great kindness by the Governor, Sir William Petrie, and by Combs, Esq. his Secretary, who also favoured him with a letter of introduction to Major Farquhar, resident and commandant in Malacca. The English clergyman also, the Rev. Mr. Hut chings behaved in the most friendly manner to him, and gave him many important hints respecting the Malay language, &c. Mr. Thomsen having made enquiry among the Chinese (who understood English) how the Chinese books had been received, was informed that the Romau Catholic Priest (father Michael) had endeavoured to prevent their circulation, saying, that the Testament was a bad translation, that the translator was not sufficiently acquainted with the language, and that the Catechism, or Book of Doctrines, was altogether erroneous and bad. "This gave occasion (says Mr. Thomsen) for an interview between us. I made myself known to him as a Missionary, and he received me with great civility, taking me to be a Roman Catholic. At first, our conversation turned on the news of Europe, and he was quite out of humour with Bonaparte for having treated the Pope so cruelly, and he thought that Bonaparte was the Antichrist spoken of in the Revelations under the name of Napoleon; but, upon examining the Syriac, Ethiopic, Greek, and Latin Testament, he found Apollyon, instead of Napoleon. 66 Respecting the Chinese books, he denied that he had dissuaded any from reading them; but having been asked his opinion, had said, that if they were written by Protestants, they were assuredly erroneous and dan gerous, though he had not read the books, nor does he understand the language." RIO JANERIO. A letter has been received from Mr. Threlkeld, who (with Mr. Ellis) is on his way to Otaheite, dated April 24, 1816: from which it appears, that in consequence of the illness of Mrs. Threlkeld and the infant (who was born on board the Atlas) he is unable at present to proceed, the surgeon of of the ship (Mr. Patrick Hill) having certified that the life of the child would be endangered by pursuing the Voyage. Mr. T. says, "I shall, as soon as it pleases God to restore health, embrace the first opportunity of proceeding; for my heart is fixed upon the poor heathen. A good opportunity offers here for any one wishing to stay, as a minister is wanted, and a good provision would be made for him; but I will accept of no situation, public or private, that would prevent my giving my whole time to the heathen. I only want plain food and clothing, and a plentiful supply of spiritual assistance, that my life may be spent in preaching to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. "The customs of this place are very superstitious. When a person is at the point of death, they send for a priest, who is called The all-seeing Eye, and who is supposed to represent the Holy Ghost. He rides in a carriage, attended by a numerous retinue of priests, carrying immensely large wax candles, and a guard of soldiers. When the wafer is administered to a dying person, the house is decorated with black &c. according to his rank in life. When the procession passes every one is expected to kneel or bow before it. I met one the other day, and all eyes were fixed on me, because I did not bow to the image. "The Queen's chapel was decorated, the other day, with black velvet, gold and silver lace, and a profusion of wax lights. A full martial band was engaged; monks and eunuchs chaunt ed mass to procure her release from purgatory. A large throne was erected, on which were placed her crown and sceptre, supported by pillars of gold, over which hung a beautiful canopy. The music was delightful, and the scene extremely beautiful; but rightly considering the whole, it was earthly, sensual, and devilish; and must be disgusting in the sight of Him who can be worshipped, acceptably, only in spirit and in truth. "Next Sunday I intend to preach where we lodge, and many are expected to attend, as it is given out among the English. Last Sunday, Mr. Ellis preached at a friend's house. I believe this was the first Protestant sermon ever preached in the Brazils." A LETTER has been received from Mr. Ellis, dated 24th April, stating, that he, with Mrs. Ellis, and Mr. and Mrs. Threlkeld, arrived at Rio Janerio on the 21st of March. They had fair weather most of the way from Ma deira, and were permitted to perform divine service on deck (almost) every |