52

LEANDRO YOPAR, THE CUBAN EMANCIPADO. [MAY,

returning to their fatherland. They excited much interest in Plymouth, and were visited by the Rev. H. Townsend, one of our Missionaries from Abbeokuta, who is at present in England. They sailed in the September steamer for the West Coast of Africa, and tidings have since reached us of their safe arrival.

One, however, Leandro Yopar, was left behind. He had lost himself in the streets of London. He was subsequently found at Southampton, and was transferred to the care of a Christian lady in the neighbourhood of Plymouth, under whose superintendence he received instruction in the holy Scriptures and in the English language. He has since returned to Africa on board the steamer which took out Bishop Weeks.

While in England he wrote a little narrative of himself in Negro-Spanish, of which his kind benefactress has sent to us the following summary.

I, Leandro Bardomero Yopar, on the 27th of February 1830, was born the slave of Doña Tomasa Junco, a very amiable lady. This lady taught me all the religion which is practised in Cuba: she sent me to school at the age of six, where I read the Catechism and the "Children's Friend," and learnt to reckon.

I continued going to school till I was twelve, when my mistress had me learn the business of a mason, which I was doing till I was nineteen, in order to get my daily bread. Then I worked for her till I was twentythree, when the said lady became ill, and she gave Leandro his liberty; soon after which she died-in 1853. But before her death she impressed on him the duty of ever following her instructions to love God above all things, and that he should always do good, and give as much alms as he possibly could, that God might be with him: and Leandro complied with this, and took it to heart, because he knew that it was all intended for his good. In a little while he placed himself with his parents, in order to go to England, to pass over to Africa; and he said to them, "We have never been on the sea, and we know nothing about it." However, they went: therefore he went also.

All our party embarked, and at length reached London, which place they left in a steamer; but Leandro went to buy bread and other things for the voyage, and lost himself in the streets in the direction of the steamer. He was two days and a night in London, and met with no one who could understand him. An English gentleman took me to the house of a consul, but he did not comprehend what I said, but directed me to the Southampton railroad; so I took the telegraph wires for my guide, and walked towards Southampton.

From the time I left London I was calling on God every hour, and each time that I cried to Him I saw more clearly the way in which I had to walk; and never did there fail me some person or other to provide me with bread and food, and a place to sleep; and all this I thought arose from the grace and favour which God had shown me in answer to what I had asked Him, and I was always believing that my mother was also praying much to God that He would teach me His grace, as it has come to pass.

The day I left London-the 20th or 22d of July-I reached a good

1856.]

LEANDRO YOPAR, THE CUBAN EMANCIPADO.

53

town at the right of the train near London, where a policeman put me into a house to sleep on the road people gave me pence, and all this without understanding more than the words that I was going to Africa. The other nights I slept in the town which I reached in the evening, when supper was given me, and the privilege of sleeping till the morning, and then I followed the road. It was five days before I arrived at Winchester, which I reached at six in the evening, and the soldiers whom I met there gave me pence. As I could not speak the English language, I spoke to all by signs. A principal officer, a major, and another, who stammered, and various gentlemen and ladies, gave me something to eat; and at seven that evening a gentleman and a policeman took me to a coffee-house and gave me food; and the policeman, in this same Winchester, paid something at a house that I might have a bed to sleep in, and besides this he gave me pence that I should have something in my pocket.

The next day I went to the train, and a gentleman there, seeing that I was weary, handed me a little card, and put me into the train to go to Southampton, where I went to the house of Señor Ferran, who provided me with food, as a father would his son. Whilst I was praying there, it pleased God that a traveller should arrive, who told me that there were many black people in Plymouth who were going to Africa: therefore I wrote to my father at Plymouth; but when my letter arrived they were all setting off for Africa, so Señora Tregelles wrote to Mr. Clark and to colonel Hughes, and from that time they came both morning and evening to see if I was well or ill.

When Mr. Clark was in search of me I was at the head of the street, and that gentleman came asking for Leandro, and very pleasant it was to me. He said that he came for a lady of Plymouth, to know it Leandro Yopar was there. He made me understand that my mother had embarked, which afflicted me much; but I was comforted when he told me that he had come in search of me, and that I should go to the shelter of my mother, and know all about her.

Mr. Clark provided me with a change of clothing, and sent me to Señora Tregelles at Plymouth, who, with Mr. Brown and others, is teaching me the Christian religion, and to speak the English language.

Jesus Christ our Saviour looked upon me and put me in the road to heaven, having led me to the land where Christianity is more established than in any other. I was daily repeating a short prayer which Jesus Christ heard, and put me into His school, in order that I should learn the word of God, for He knew that I was always desiring, and I do desire, to stand in the grace of God.

In the island of Cube, from which we coloured people come, the law of God, in a general way, is neither taught nor learnt, labour being the only thing thought of from the age of six years. The masters there expect that the payment for the day's work shall be brought to them, whether there has been the power to gain it or not. The people do not like to be sent to the mountains to work, and therefore make various excuses, because in the mountains they have no feast days, no holy week, no nights, and there they act towards the slaves as if they were

* They are expected to work by night as well as day.

40

A GREAT CHANGE.

[APRIL,

vited to come to the boat. Sometimes we have a good number of visitors at the boat, after returning from preaching, with many of whom we have very interesting conversations.'

The work has its difficulties, and yet they are of such a nature as to prove its need. In preaching Jesus to these poor people, the Missionaries' appeals often meet with no response beyond an idle remark on some article of their dress. Idolatry and degradation and sin surround them on every side; and it seems at times almost impossible that any of these poor victims of Satan could be translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son. At the same time the work has its joys. Our Missionary says "In preaching Christ to the crowds which congregate from day to day, I have experienced the deepest feelings of happiness of which, I think, my heart is capable."

In the Yoruba country, also, our Missionaries are endeavouring to reach forth to the places beyond; but the work is of a different character from that in India and China, the population, on account of the wars, being drawn together into large towns, and the country parts which lie between these towns being without inhabitants. The plan pursued is this-A new town being selected, the Missionaries proceed to visit it, in order to prepare the way. The journey is often rough enough. It is no unusual thing to be encountered by a tornado. It comes with powerful gusts of wind and pelting rain, which brings them to a halt, for it is impossible to get on, and so they remain stationary, and bear patiently the storm. The traveller is soon drenched by the torrents of rain; and then perhaps, at the end of the day, they must take up their quarters on the wet and cold ground under the "ille asho," in the bush. Sometimes a river has to be crossed in some way or other, perhaps in the manner represented in our engraving. There we have our Missionary, the Rev. H. Townsend, and Mrs. Townsend, on a journey to a large town called Shaki, crossing a river on calabashes. The person to be conveyed sits on the calabash, while a native from behind, paddling in the water with his feet, moves it across.

After a first or second visit, ground for a Mission-house having been obtained from the chiefs, a native visitor is first sent, and after a time, as the labourers arrive from home, an European Missionary, who finds himself amidst the thousands of a most interesting people, amongst whom he goes day by day and sows his seed, the only limit to his labours being his own amount of strength. "Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass."

wwwwwwww

A GREAT CHANGE.

A GOOD Missionary was murdered, a few years ago, on the island of Erromanga. How many were made sad, when they heard of it! Now we can rejoice, not because he was killed, but because the inhabitants of that island are very different from what they were then. Not long since, a Missionary ship-called the "John Williams," after the name of the man who was slain-anchored in Dillon's Bay, the very spot where he fell. "We were delighted," write the Missionaries, "with the improved appearance of things." Many of the people whom they saw walking on the shore were dressed in English clothes. These were once naked,

1856.]

INSTANCE OF CONVERSION AT BENARES.

41

noisy, fierce savages; but they had become quiet and kind. They had just built a chapel; and they were beginning two houses for their teachers. The Missionaries saw Kaniani, the murderer of John Williams. He is now a friend of the teachers, one of whom is living at his station. Mr. Hardy showed him the club which he had given up, and asked him very particularly whether it was really the club which struck down that servant of God. He did not like very well to answer the question, and seemed ashamed to acknowledge what he had done; but at last he confessed it was the same. That club is now in the museum of the London Missionary Society.

From all that the Missionaries saw and heard while they were at Erromanga, they became convinced that the people of that island, instead of being, what we believed, very cunning, deceitful, and cruel, were harmless, honest, teachable, truthful, and affectionate. So the teachers had found them. And as the visitors were sure that they would be treated kindly, and be very useful, they left four more Christian natives to teach these poor islanders the word of God. And "when we landed," they write," the people, quite delighted, crowded the boat. Those who had been in Samoa welcomed us with tears of joy." Such are the changes which the gospel makes in the darkest nations of the earth! [Youth's Dayspring.

INSTANCE OF CONVERSION AT JAY NARAIN'S COLLEGE, BENARES.

THE REV. Clement F. Cobb, the principal of Jay Narain's College at Benares, has been much encouraged in his labours by a recent instance of conversion to Christianity from amongst his pupils, Many of the students in this and similar institutions in India, where Hindu and Mahommedan youth come systematically under Christian teaching, are fully convinced of the truth of Christianity, but have not courage to avow their convictions. In such the work needs to gather strength, until the sense of obligation to Christ becomes stronger than the fear of man, and they become willing to take up their cross and follow Him. But in this case the youth has confessed Jesus with all boldness. Mr. Cobb's account of him, which we now introduce, was addressed to the congregation of All Souls', Brighton, by whom this young convert will be supported while in training for future usefulness.

He

Benaie Bhutt is a high-caste Brahmin, aged twenty-two years. is what is called a pundit, i. e. a student, or learned man, in the religion of the Hindus. He comes from a place to the south of Punah, Bombay. He had often heard the gospel preached at Punah, but it made no impression on him, as he was then wholly ignorant of any sort of religion. He travelled to holy Kashi-Benares-in order to study there the Hindu shasters to full advantage. For this purpose he took a journey of 600 miles as the crow flies, further than from Brighton to John-o'-Groat's house. But God meant him to study other than Hindu shasters. He arrived at Benares about five years ago, and commenced his studies under a pundit of much note. About the same time this pundit

42

INSTANCE OF CONVERSION AT BENARES.

[APRIL, Many of

became engaged to teach Sanscrit in Jay Narain's college. his pupils came with him, and, among others, Benaie Bhutt. For the first three years his attendance was irregular; but for the last two years he has been a constant attendant. He told me that it was by increasing contemporaneous acquaintance with his own shasters, and with the Christian Scriptures and other Christian books, that doubts first arose in his mind. As he pursued his studies, these increased to a moral conviction that Hinduism is false and Christianity true. He mentioned that special conviction had been brought to his mind in the study of Genesis and Exodus; and that a book by Mr. John Muir, the great Christian Sanscrit scholar, called "The Test of Religions"-Mutpariksha-had shown him how all the usual Hindu arguments are to be refuted. Besides the above, he had been fully instructed at college in the Gospel of St. Luke and in part of the Book of Acts. He had once read the whole Bible through. For the last two years he had studied the Bible in the evenings at home, and had left off idol-worship. He had not an idol in his house. He had, some time ago, communicated to his instructor, Mr. Broadway, what was passing in his mind, and had made up his mind two or three months ago, but had not come forward for fear. A short time ago he was reading the account of Felix in his class with Mr. Broadway, and the latter took the opportunity to urge upon him the danger of delay. Mr. John Muir instituted some exhibitions in Jay Narain's college for the years 1853 and 1854. Benaie Bhutt succeeded in obtaining one of them; and, since its expiration, has won a regular foundation scholarship. Lest his old associates should influence him to draw back, we have thought it best to withdraw him from the college for the present; and he is located among the Christians at Sigra, where he gives pleasure and satisfaction to all. Our senior experienced brethren there, Messrs. Smith, Leupolt, and Fuchs, are greatly pleased alike with his intelligence, and regular attendance on all the means of grace, and spiritual knowledge. It is most encouraging to us that this has produced so little effect on the school. Time was, when half, at least, would have left us. Now I have only heard of one, and our attendance is as usual. We may thankfully set down a great deal of this to a change in the native mind, but not quite all of it, as he has no relatives here to come and make a howling and wailing, and frighten all the boys, as is usually the case. Mr. Hubbard's pundit, who is a teacher in the college, told him that the boys all quite approved of the step he had taken, as his mind was made up about it, and especially because they thought him a most fit person to become a Christian, as he was very weak-an encouraging sign of their estimate of the Christian character! He said, no doubt some of the parents, and the government-college pundits, would be very angry; adding, that when parents sought advice from the government-college pundits as to where they should send their sons, they said, "Oh, wherever you please, only not to Jay Narain's college!"

My coadjutor, Mr. Wilkinson, asked one of the pundits in our employ what was his opinion of Benaie Bhutt, and whether he thought he had any secondary motive in what he had done. The pundit said, "No, I believe it was wholly the result of conviction." He added, that Benaie Bhutt had been inviting all his schoolfellows to go and see him, and had told them all the