fulness. It seemed a pleasant, and Iren, and held alternately in our church trust it was a profitable day to the little and the chapel of the London Society's band of disciples, whose hearts appear mission. It is well attended. truly knit together, as members of one family, and partakers of like hopes and interests.

A succinct sketch of our various labors and services may be acceptable. Perhaps the best method will be to begin with our great day, and run through the week. I say our great day-for our Sabbath is not only the "day of all the week the best," but our great working day also.

On this day there are three services in the church.

1. At half past nine o'clock, morning, when I invariably preach.

2. At half past eleven in the forenoon. Service conducted by the evangelist.

3. At three o'clock in the afternoon. Brother Young assists me in preaching every alternate Sabbath.

The attendance on our Sabbath services continues to be much as heretofore reported. If there be any change it is on the side of encouragement. The average attendance at the morning services, I judge to be from one hundred and fifty to two hundred, while that in the afternoon is usually considerably greater. Of females too, we always have a representation. One thing which I regard as indicating advance, is the more frequent, and more attentive attendance of men of character and respectability. It is a much more common thing to see such scattered among the congregation, easily recognized by their dress and manner.

Tuesday, afternoon. Bible class on the New Testament. The regular class is composed of from nine to twelve individuals, with a number of other regular attendants. It is not unfrequently that thirty, forty, fifty, or more, convene and quietly listen to our scriptural investigations and explanations. At present we are engaged on the Epistle to the Hebrews. I have adopted the plan of making this lesson of the Bible class the subject of discourse the following Sabbath morning.

Wednesday. I preach, on this afternoon, in the school-room, to the scholars, and a few women who assemble from the immediate neighborhood.

Thursday, afternoon.-Bible class on the Old Testament. Prosecuting the study of the Old Testament in course, we have advanced to the second book of Kings.

Friday, morning.-A family meeting in the house of the old woman and her sons, for expounding the Scriptures and prayer. Usually a number of the neighbors, chiefly women and children, convene. I generally alternate with the evangelist.

Saturday. On every Saturday morning preceding our communion, every two months, we have a preparatory meeting. This service consists in reading and expounding an appropriate portion of Scrip ture, social and free interchange of views and experience, instruction and exhortation, singing and prayer. This is usually a pleasant, profitable and interesting exercise.

On days not otherwise occupied by public services the church is opened, when the native evangelist is present for conversation and free discussion with any who may come in, and the distribution of tracts to those who can read and profit by them. The evangelist also reAt the opening of the church in sides in a building of ours connected February last, I adopted the following with the church, where, in a more prias a formula of public worship, and adhere vate way, he converses with and into it, viz: 1. Invocation. 2. Reading structs those who may call. It is quite the Decalogue. 3. Singing. 4. Read- impossible for me to attend these sering a portion of Scripture. 5. Prayer. vices. My time and strength are re6. Sermon. 7. Prayer. 8. Singing. 9. quired, if not exhausted, in study to Benediction. In the afternoon the order prepare for and in performing the other is the same, except the reading of the labors, of a more public and formal charDecalogue, which is omitted.

Monday.-Each first Monday afternoon of the month, we have our Chinese monthly concert. This service is conducted alternately by each of the breth

acter.

In addition to the above, every morning at half past eight o'clock, I meet with a number of Chinese in my own house, for reading the Scriptures and prayer,

and visit the school in the afternoon. | long as his name is glorified in the salThe school has an average attendance vation of souls.

of about twenty-five boys, under the instruction of a diligent and faithful teacher, whose mind seems to be in some degree impressed with the importance of the Christian religion. It is a matter of regret that I cannot bestow that amount of time and strength on this branch of our work which is really required to make it what it should be, a school of thoroughly Christian education.

Earnest Call for Helpers.

LETTER FROM MR. TALMAGE.

Healthfulness of Amoy.

IN connection with the foregoing letter of Mr. Doty, and his call for helpers, it is thought best to publish the following communication from Mr. Talmage, now in this country, in relation to the climate and healthiness of Amoy.

The missionaries at Amoy are of one

It is known that Mr. Doty is now the only mis-opinion. We think the climate pleasant, sionary of the Board at Amoy, Mr. Talmage having been called, by the painful illness of Miss Pohlman, to accompany her to the United States. The brethren referred to by Mr. Doty in this letter, as kindly rendering him assistance, are missionaries of other societies. The work which before Mr. Pohlman's death three men were doing at Amoy, has thus been thrown, for the time, on one. It is not strange that he is exhausted, and calls so earnestly for help.

and by no means unhealthy. The summer is long and therefore may have a tendency to debilitate the constitution somewhat; but the climate is certainly quite different from that of India. The city is delightfully situated as respects the sea, and we have a most refreshing sea breeze during the whole of the warm season. The wind rises as the day becomes warm, and dies away towards evening. In the evening, we usually have a Need of help is immediate and seems pleasant land breeze, which is not so imperative. I now have been so shaken strong as the wind from the sea during the that very little calculation can be made day. I never knew the mercury in the as to the future. My brethren here are thermometer, in the hottest weather, to ready to aid me as far as their own work rise higher than 93° in our houses. We will allow, but they have but little of have about four months of pleasant, cool either time or strength to spare, which weather in the winter. The winter is exhad not previously been given to our aid. ceedingly pleasant, and free from storms. And now, am anxiously waiting to The mercury falls to about 40°. This is learn what may be expected from those the lowest that it fell while I was at Amoy. to whom we look for reinforcement. I The air during that season is dry, and make no appeal. If the events of the we think very healthy. In the spring past year; if the field of labor before of the year the atmosphere is damp, us, white unto the harvest; if the anx- and the dampness continues during the One of the ious countenances and affectionate in- greater part of the summer. quiries of numbers of Chinese after their most common diseases is the fever and only remaining Christian teacher, con-ague, which we attribute to the dampness nected with the suppressed feeling that of the climate and to the manner of life they may soon be left destitute; if our among the people. They usually live present circumstances, in which almost on the ground floor of their houses. The every wheel and spring of missionary first foreigners who resided at our station operations is motionless, or powerless also lived on the ground floor, and were -if these things do not touch and cause all subject to this disease. Foreigners to vibrate, some chord of Christian sym- now always dwell in the second story, and pathy, and compel men to put on their are entirely free from the disease. The harness, and come over to our help, and second story is comparatively free from to the help of the Lord against the dampness, and I suppose entirely free mighty, vain would be any plea I could from malaria. With the exception of make-weak any appeal of mine. The the fever and ague, there has been very Lord reigns. He loves and he will take little, if any, sickness among the miscare of his own cause. His purposes of sionaries, which can, according to our grace and mercy, which are, as I believe, opinion, be attributed to the climate. designed for Amoy, will be accomplished. Those who have died at Amoy, or who Whoever may be the honored, privileged have been compelled to leave in conseinstruments of furthering this work, it is quence of ill health, with very few exof comparatively little importance, so ceptions, came to Amoy entirely broken

down. From the fact that the difference | opposition of his landlord, who will not between the extremes of temperature is allow his warehouse to be turned into a only about 50°, and that great changes resort for every body, lest some of the are not sudden, a strong argument, I congregation may plan how best to rob think, can be drawn in favor of the salu- it. Thus we are restricted on all sides, brity of our climate. Perhaps I should entirely through the opposition of the also add that we have, at Amoy, good people; for there is no evidence that the medical advice. officers of government have any hand in the matter. Our brother French, of the Assembly's Board, has now an altercation with his landlord, and has referred the matter to the authorities, so that we

Canton.

LETTER FROM MR. WILLIAMS, SEPTEM- are somewhat interested in watching the

BER 27, 1849.

OWING to some sickness, and the separation of the members of the mission, Mr. Williams says they were unable to hold the usual meeting at the time of the annual meeting of the Board. Difficulty of procuring Houses-Opposition of Landlords.

result. Some of the foreigners here take the ground that the renting of houses out of the factories was not contemplated, and that if we do so, and venture a residence among the people beyond the old limits, it is entirely at our own risk. This, if so, shuts all our plans up to the old limits of a few hundred square feet, and disables us completely from exerting any separate influence over the people.

Political Events-The Opium Trade.

In our missionary operations, we make slow progress, having been hampered in many ways. Dr. Ball was obliged to quit his house in April last, in consequence of the owners raising the price Political events in this part of China upon him, an exaction we did not feel at present a great contrast to the quiet of all willing to acquiesce in, inasmuch as the northern ports. The assassination of he already paid them almost double the governor of Macao in open day, the what they would receive, and had been attack of the Portuguese on a Chinese receiving, from their countrymen. I fort, the capture of piratical junks by the hardly know to what it can be ascribed, English steamers near Hainau, the wellbut since then he has been unable to known feelings of Gov. Seu against forlease a house in the same neighborhood, eigners, and the ill-will and rancor these and has since April been altogether un- things engender in the minds of both successful in getting a house of his own. parties, are all calculated to produce a Consequently, the services on the Sab- rupture before long. The opium trade bath have been in a measure suspended, is thriving, and from fifteen to sixteen and the Chinese printing department has millions of dollars leave China annually been moved away from his present resi- for this drug alone-much of it in spedence, so that some time has been lost cie, and all of it for produce as goodin going to and fro. The series of Sab- leaving, instead, every thing evil and bath and week-day services, at his former disastrous. The editor of the Friend of house, had begun to assume a degree of India says, if it was not for this importregularity, and the neighbors had attend- ation of specie, and the revenue of two ed so many times that their existence and a half millions sterling derived from and intention had been generally under- the opium trade, he does not see how the stood. By his removal, this was all lost, government of India could be carried on, and we must to a degree begin again, and the army there paid. That governeven if we get a house in that neighbor- ment is consequently taking measures to hood. Actually, however, there have increase the supply, and there will probbeen some services during the summer, ably be nearly sixty thousand chests but far less than were held during the brought to China in 1850, or nearly winter. Mr. Bridgman was in like man- eight millions of pounds of opium. Still ner prevented from holding any religious the Chinese government shows no signs services during the summer by the oppo- of any disposition to legalize the trade, sition of his landlord, and has left the and with the exception of an occasional house he occupied in order, if possible, seizure, or a vaporing edict, by some pato arrange for holding services else-triotic officer on the coast, is doing nothing where. Mr. Bonney has also been pre- to hinder the entrance of the drug. The vented gathering congregations by the growth of the poppy in China is thought

to be on the increase, but the inferior manufacture renders the native producer a competitor not at all to be feared. His commodity bears the same relation to the Indian, that the tea produced there does to the genuine Chinese leaf: what a difference between the nature of the two products. It is encouraging, amidst so much that is disheartening, to know that the gospel is also finding its way in, and that the God of that gospel is also the Ruler of commerce, and that all the ramifications of men in the pursuit of gain, are a part of his wonder-working scheme to redeem the world. After what we have seen of the wrath of man praising God, we need not despair for the

future.

Nestorians.

to the state of feeling and the prospects there; to strengthen and encourage those who seemed to be lovers of the truth; and also to visit, on their return, the Mountain Nestorians, and preach to them the gospel. A brief notice of the journey was forwarded by Mr. Stocking in advance of Mr. Perkins's fuller journal, and published in the Herald for November last. Mr. Perkins's journal has been recently received. It is very full, and contains much interesting and valuable information in regard to the whole region through which they traveled. A large part of that portion of it which relates more immediately to Mosul, and the opening there for missionary labor, will be published in this number of the Herald. Extracts from other portions may appear in fo

ture numbers.

The party left Oroomiah on the 25th of April. For the first four days their course was east of south, to the town of Saonj Boolak, about twelve or fifteen miles, judging from a manuscript map,

MR. PERKINS'S JOURNAL OF A TOUR TO from the south-west corner of Lake Oroomiah.

MOSUL.

In the last number of the Herald, mention was made of the sailing of Mr. Marsh for Smyrna, on his way to Mosul, to recommence missionary operations there. It will be remembered that labors were commenced there by missionaries of the

Board in 1842, with the design of reaching the Mountain Nestorians from that point. Within less than two years, most of the laborers, both male and female, who had gone to that field, were removed by death. The Nestorians of the mountains, within the same time, were attacked and subdued by their enemies. Their independence was lost; many of the people had perished by the sword, and others were scattered abroad; villages were laid waste; the prospect with reference to missionary operations among them was rendered, for the time, much less encouraging; and in 1844, the efforts at Mosul were suspended. But the labors of the brethren who had been sent there were not in vain. Their prayers were had in remembrance before God, and the seed sown has in some instances, it is believed, brought forth fruit already which will be unto everlasting life. The readers of the Herald are aware that of late, interesting and encouraging intelligence has been, from time to time, received from Mosul; affording ground for the belief that there is now a field open at that place and the vicinity, irrespective of the Nestorians in the mountains, which ought not to be left unoccupied. 1 In May last, Messrs. Perkins and Stocking, of the Nestorian mission, accompanied by some of the native brethren from Oroomiah, (Mar Yohannan, Deacon Isaac and Deacon Tamo,) made a visit to Mosul. They had several objects in view;-to satisfy themselves more fully in regard

From that point the general course was south of west, by Ravandooz, following for some distance the river Zab, and crossing the northern part of the plain of Arbeela, on which Alexander conquered Darius. In the afternoon of the 12th of May, they rose to the top of a gentle swell of grassy hills, near thirty miles east of Mosul.

From the top of this swell, we obtained our first distinct view of the Plain of Mosul, or ancient Nineveh, in all its vastness. It stretched away to the north, west and south, farther than the eye could reach, being bounded only by the sky, and gave me a stronger impression of immensity, than I ever received before, even on the ocean.

As we descended the swell and entered the plain, the fields of grain grew larger and more thrifty, till they surpassed any that we had seen in the East. Our course was now south-west. We were strongly impressed, in crossing this plain, with the favorable situation of ancient Nineveh for a great city, in the midst of a plain capable of sustaining millions of people. We were told that the crops of wheat and barley on this plain, had been more abundant, for a few years past, than they were ever known to be before, in consequence of more than the usual amount of rain; that land which in a dry season, or even in an ordinary season, had yielded only four or five fold, now yields twenty, or even thirty fold; and that the crop on the ground at the present time, is quite unparalleled even in these past few years, there having been sixteen rainy days this season, in succession. Such was

the account of the matter given us by the joyful peasants, as they gazed with us over their ripening wheat fields, which they found it difficult to obtain reapers in sufficient numbers to harvest.

Night overtook us while we were still ten miles distant from Mosul, and not yet in sight of the city, which lies low, on the western bank of the river Tigris; while the mounds near the opposite bank, supposed to be the ruins of ancient Nineveh, rear a barrier of considerable height, which obstructs the view of the modern town from the east.

Soon quarantine officers began to gather about us, making preparations for guarding us where we were, in case we preferred to remain there rather than return to the more confined quarters at the village of Yoonus Pegamber. The prospect of being confined two weeks in quarantine was most unwelcome, and we were soon happily relieved. The English consul being informed of our arrival and detention, made immediate provision for our free passage of the Tigris. A servant of the Pasha, sent for the purpose, by a wave of the hand disAt length we rose upon a gentle swell missed the quarantine guard that had and finally came to broken ground, which been stationed at our tents, and Mr. Raswe readily recognized as the celebrated sam's own servant conducted us to his "Ruins." How peculiar were our emo- house, where we were very cordially tions, as we were winding our way over welcomed, and enjoyed a quiet and most such a site, in the sombreness of even-hospitable home during our ten days' ing! As we entered this broken sec- visit at Mosul a homine now doubly tion, we observed regular ridges which grateful for the quiet rest it afforded us we could not mistake, the remains of on the Sabbath. the old walls, succeeded by a parallel hollow which it was equally obvious marked the site of the ancient fosse. Still proceeding, we at length came to a village among the ruins, called in Turkish, Yoonus Pegamber, and in Arabic, Nebbee Onus, meaning in both, the prophet Jonah. This village contains a large mosque situated on a mound in an ancient cemetery, and supposed by the inhabitants to enshrine the ashes of the revered prophet.

We proceeded a mile, and came to the eastern bank of the Tigris, whose waters we could dimly discern and distinctly hear, and there, with thankful hearts, we encamped on the ground for the night.

May 13. We slept refreshingly on the margin of the Tigris till after day-break, and the morning light then revealed to us the noble river, Mosul on its opposite shore, with the common appearance of a sombre Turkish town, with its great mosques and towering minarets, and the ruins of ancient Nineveh, which we had crossed in the dark, near us on the east. How venerable, how sublime, was our position! And it was the morning of the holy Sabbath, which spread a peculiar sacredness over the impressive scenes around us!

Reception at Mosul by the English Con

sul, Mr. Rassam.

They had been told that the quarantine of Mosul was kept at the village of Yoonus Pegamber, and had therefore passed that village without entering it, determined, if possible, to "keep aloof from the useless and vexatious quarantine."

Micah, Mr. Laurie's Teacher.

In the afternoon, Mr. Rassam sent for

Micah, the former teacher of Mr. Laurie,

and one of the few names in Mosul that

are, as we trust, written in the Lamb's book of life. He is a stone-cutter by trade, but is a very intelligent man, possessing a clear understanding and a very vigorous mind, and is apparently a very humble, devoted Christian. He received whom he was employed as a teacher; the seeds of truth from Mr. Laurie, by and those seeds have sprung up in his heart since the missionaries left Mosul, and made him a plant of righteousness, of fair proportions, and much maturity, blessed fragrance over a large commuin the garden of God, now spreading a nity. His joy was great in welcoming

us to Mosul.

In the course of the day we sung several hymns in Syriac, Mr. Rassam joining us, and Mrs. R. singing the same in concert with us, in English.

Mr. Rassam's Opinions in regard to the
People.

14. Mr. Rassam, the English consul, being a native of Mosul, who has also resided and traveled much in Europe, tion while employed several years by and received quite a missionary educathe Church Missionary Society, at Malta, is very intelligent on every subject pertaining to these countries, and his statements and opinions may be regarded as reliable and quite valuable. He estimates that there are now nearly forty