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." www 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. Benaie Bhutt is a high-caste Brahmin, aged twenty-two years. He 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 inhis 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 Šigra, 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 1856.] ROMISH PROCESSION AT MACAO. 43 reasons of his change of mind, and that they found him wonderfully happy, and all his thoughts taken up with what our Lord Jesus Christ had done for him, and with love towards Him. He greatly wished that his old master, the pundit, would come and visit him, that he might tell all his mind to him. Mr. Wilkinson says that the pundit gave this account with the most perfect simplicity, and he, Mr. Wilkinson, quite believed him. I have only to add to this account a very earnest appeal for the prayers on his behalf of his future supporters. He will have many temptations to endure. EXOD. XXXV. 21, 22. A TINNEVELLY Missionary, the Rev. E. Sargent, in a recent letter writes "I have just been interrupted by a native walking into my study, where I sat writing, with all my doors open, and saying, Sir, you said, in your address at the Missionary meeting last week, how greatly the men might help this work by giving up the fashion of wearing rings in their ears. What you said is true. I have brought you the pair I have now worn for a long while. They are small, and not worth much, but they will at least help a little.'" ROMISH PROCESSION AT MACAO. ONE of the processions we witnessed was on the first Sunday in Lent. On that occasion a full-sized figure of the Saviour, bleeding from a crown of thorns, clad in scarlet, and bending under the weight of a cross, was borne through the streets in an imposing manner. The military with a noisy band; priests in double file, scattering incense, and chanting; office-holders of every grade, from the governor down; all the citizens of note, bearing banners or holding bauble-like sticks; a string of little girls doing duty as angels, having gauze wings and airy-like gear to correspond. These chocolate-coloured sylphs constituted the finest, if not the most unobjectionable, part of the show. In company with these were lads, bearing implements and symbols of the crucifixion, a single article being allotted to each one--they were a hammer, nails, cup of vinegar, sponge, dice, dice-board, an image of a cock, &c. &c. Former processions of this kind included a person who personated Judas, walking with a halter about his neck, and attended by a couple of unearthly figures with cloven feet, horns, and tails. An improved taste has discarded this and other grosser portions of the exhibition. [Dr. Macgowan, of Ningpo. COLD, DARK HEATHENISM. "You are now going to die," said a young Chinese woman recently in Shanghae to her mother, who was on her death-bed. "You have often heard the Missionaries preach of heaven and hell. Which do you think you are going to?" "I know not, but I go to see," the poor mother replied, and immediately expired. Such is cold, dark heathenism. [Rev. J. S. Burdon, Shanghae, 44 A MEMOIR OF PITA WHAKANGAUA. [APRIL, ONE BY ONE. ONE by one the sands are flowing, One by one thy duties wait thee, Learn thou first what those can teach. One by one (bright gifts from heaven) One by one thy griefs shall meet thee- Do not look at life's long sorrow: Every hour that fleets so slowly Hours are golden links, God's token, [Anonymous, in Christian Treasury. A MEMOIR OF PITA WHAKANGAUA, HEAD TEACHER OF RANGITUKIA, NEW ZEALAND. (By the Rev. Charles Baker.) THIS worthy native had been brought to a knowledge of the truth many years ago, and for the space of ten years had acted in the capacity of teacher. By diligence and perseverance he had acquired a very considerable knowledge of the Scriptures, and his views of the divine plan of salvation were very clear. He had been ardent in the pursuit of knowledge, that he might impart it to his countrymen. He had availed himself of all the means in his reach, while any Missionary remained here, and, on the station being vacated, he went to Uawa twice to school, spending some time on each occasion, during my occupancy of that station. I saw much of him then. His quickness of perception, and |