short distance, fell down. Some gentlemen who were present immediately plunged her into the river, which was close by, and thereby saved her from being much burnt. She retained her senses completely, and complained of the badness of the pile, which, she said, consumed her so slowly that she could not bear it, but expressed her willingness to again try it, if they would improve it; they would not do so, and the poor creature shrunk with dread from the flames, which was now burning most intensely, and refused to go on. When the inhuman relations saw this, they took her by the head and heels, and threw her in the fire, and held her there till they were driven away by the heat; they also took up large blocks of wood, with which they struck her, in order to deprive her of her senses; but she again made her escape, and without any help ran directly into the river. The people of her house followed her here, and tried to drown her by pressing her under the water; but a gentleman who was present rescued her from them, and she immediately rau into his arms, and cried to him to save her. I arrived at the ground as they were bringing her this second time from the river, and I cannot describe to you the horror I felt on seeing the mangled condition she was in; almost every inch of the skin on her body had been burnt off; her legs and thighs, her arms and back, were completely raw; her breasts were dreadfully torn, and the skin hanging from them in threads; the skin and nails of the fingers had peeled wholly off, and were hanging to the back of her hands. In fact, Sir, I never saw or ever read of so entire a picture of misery as this poor woman displayed. She seemed to dread being again taken to the fire, and called out to the "Ocha Sahib," as she feelingly denominated them, to save her. Her friends seemed no longer inclined to force her; and one of her relations, at her instigation, sat down beside her, and gave her some clothes, and told her they would not. We had her sent to the hospital, where every medical assistance was immediately given her, but without hope of her recovery. She lingered in the most excruciating pain for about twenty hours, and then died. "The gentlemen present remonstrated against her being put on the fire a second time, but they did not like to interfere further with what they considered the custom of the country. Poonoh.

1649

A DECIDED ENEMY TO SUTTEES."

METHODISTS. By a statement published in the Christian Advocate, prepared from the minutes of the British conferences, and of the several American conferences, it appears that the total number of members of the Wesleyan Methodist societies throughout the world, is 647,319, exclusive of the regular travelling preachers who are steadily employed in the work of the ministry. Of this number 360,800 are under the care of the American conferences; of the remaining 286,519, the members in Great Britain are 231,045; in Ireland 25,514 and in foreign stations 32,960. In Great Britain there are 814 preachers; in Ireland 138; in foreign countries 152; and in the American connection, 1,406, making a total throughout the world of 2,511.

Summary of Religious Entelligence.

EUROPE.

It is stated in the Eclectic Review, that "there are fifty two Bible societies on the continent of Europe, and that these have circulated upwards of 2,300,000 copies of the New Testament, with or without the Old Testatament; (how many copies of the Apocrypha is not mentioned,) and that three Catholic clergymen have published above 60,000 copies of the German New Testament." The late investigations respecting the management of the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society have shown, that Leander Van Ess, a Catholic clergyman whose indefatigable labours in distributing Bibles (always with the Apocrypha,) are the admiration of Protestants, receives an annual salary from that institution of 3001. How

much the other Catholic clergymen receive as a compensation for their services, does not appear.

FRANCE.-A Tract society and a Sabbath school society have been formed at Paris; the operations of which are designed to extend to the whole of France.

ASIA.

HINDOSTAN.--In a letter from the Rev. George Boardman it is stated, that some very interesting things with regard to religion have recently occurred in India. In the district of Palmacottah near cape Comorin, two church missionaries have been labouring for some time; and in the course of the last two years eleven hundred families of Hindoos have publicly renounced idolatry, and put on the name of christians; and that a considerable number appear to be christians in reality. Should this intelligence prove correct, it must be a powerful victory gained in behalf of Christianity in that country of idolaters.

SYRIA. It appears by letters received from the Rev. William Goodell, American missionary in Syria, that the prospects in that country are encouraging, and that the labours of the missionaries have not been in vain.An Arab of distinguished talents and zeal has become a convert to the christian religion, who it is hoped, will prove a blessing to Western Asia. A school for Jewish children has been established at Beyroot; the number of children in March was 100. The jealousy and prejudices of the Jews are visibly giving way. The labours of the missionaries had been suspended by an attack of the Greeks on that place, on the 18th and 19th of March. The property taken from the missionaries by the invaders was restored through the interest of the English consul. Accounts a month later state, that Asaad the converted Arab, in consequence of his adherence to Christianity, has been seized by the enemies of the gospel, cast into prison, and loaded with chains. There are fears that he will suffer martyrdom for the religion of Christ. His youngest brother has adopted the same views.

SANDWICH ISLANDS.-Letters of the 9th of May last, five months later than any received before, have been received from Mr. Richards, at Honoruru. They state that the affairs of the mission continue to prosper.Twenty thousand persons are under instruction, 2000 observe family and private devotion, and many persons, among whom are a number of the most powerful chiefs, are apparently pious. A series of riots of the most barbarous kind has been kept up for some time by the crew of the U. S. national schooner Dolphin, captain Percival; in which the lives of the missionaries were threatened, their houses attacked and indignities of the grossest kind offered to some of the chiefs. The reason of this conduct is stated to be, that the laws restraining vicious indulgences, and the improving moral sense of the people, has put a stop to the horrid scenes of wickedness in which, in past times, the crews of some vessels which touched at these islands indulged themselves. A letter from Mr. Chamberlain mentions the annual examination of the schools of Honoruru. The schools were assembled from within the distance of fourteen miles. The number of schools was 69, native teachers 66, scholars 2409. The improvement was pleasing. A translation of Matthew had just been completed by Mr. Bingham, and another by Mr. Richards. Karaimoku, the chief man of the islands, and distinguished benefactor of the missionaries, was very sick. He was for twenty years prime minister to Tamehameha, then filled the same place during the reign of Rihoriho, and now is, by general consent, Regent and head of the government. He has been the chief instrument in preserving quiet in the islands in times of danger. The prince, heir to the government, is 13 years, and the princess, his sister, twelve years of age.

AMERICA.

UNITED STATES.-Intelligence from the Mackinaw mission states, that there are 102 children in the mission and upwards of 60 from the village under daily instruction.

Indian Converts.-The following is given as a tolerably correct statement of the number of converts to Christianity among the North American Indians belonging to the Methodists. Mohawks and Missisaugahs, Canada, 250, Wyandots, Ohio, 258, Cherokees, Tennessee, 283, Creeks, Carolinas, 16, total 807.

CANADA. The Rev. Thadeus Osgood has collected in London between five and six thousand dollars to aid in the promotion of education and industry in Canada. He also received numerous donations of books, and succeeded in forming twenty eight societies auxiliary to a general society for the same object.

SOUTH AMERICA.-On the 7th ult. the Rev. William Torrey late from the Theological Seminary of Princeton, embarked at New Castle, on a mission to Buenos Ayres.

View of Public Affairs.

Our papers for the last month furnish us with very little on this head that is interesting. There are wars and rumors of wars in different directions, but scarcely any thing certain or important has transpired.

GREAT BRITAIN.-The general aspect of affairs is gradually improving.Trade has considerably revived, and money is more plenty; and the sufferings of the people though still great in many places, are much abated. Parliament was to meet on the 14th of November. There is a deficiency of the revenue for three quarters previous to the 5th of July last: compared with the three corresponding quarters of the preceding year of 2,640,104/. Of course a loan of considerable magnitude, or something equivalent to it, will be necessary to meet the expenditures. This again tends to the increase of the public burdens, already insupportable. The sufferings of the poor in Ireland from famine and sickness are indescribable. The fever, which we mentioned before, as prevailing in Dublin, has spread to Cork and the county of Wexford. One thousand seven hundred and forty-six persons have been admitted into the hospital of Limerick within the last nine months.

Our intelligence from the west of Europe generally, is vague and unimportant.

RUSSIA. The armed force of this immense empire is estimated at 747,000 inen. These however, are scattered over a great extent of territory, and it probably would not be possible to concentrate the half of these on any point of the frontiers. Nothing official has arrived respecting the belligerent movements of this power, yet it is reported that the Persians have invaded some of the distant provinces, that a battle has been fought, in which the Persians were defeated by Gen. Yermoloff, with the loss of 8000 men. The disputes between Russia and Turkey do not seem to be adjusted, and a large body of Russian troops are in readiness to cross the Pruth if necessary, to enforce the demands made upon the Porte.

TURKEY.-A destructive fire has raged to a great extent at Constantinople, the loss by which will be immense. It is attributed to the Janissaries or their party. This, together with the pressing demands of Russia, the suppression of the corps of Janissaries, and the prosecuting of the war with the Greeks, keeps the Sultan in active employment. It is said, that pressed on all sides, he has given orders to accede to the ultimatum of Russia. A reinforcement of 8 or 9000 Egyptian troops is ready to sail from Alexandria, but the want of

funds prevents their immediate movement.

It is said that Sir Stratford Canning, the British ambassador, presented a note to the Porte, calling upon him to enter into negociation for the settlement of the war with Greece; which was unfavourably received: the Porte being averse to the interposition of any foreign power.

GREECE. Great darkness still hangs over the fate of this people. The continuance of a war for five years, in which they have alone contended with a powerful, savage, and blood thirsty foe, has reduced them to the greatest distress. Their strength too is weakened by the jealousies of their chiefs, and the numerous factions or parties into which they are divided. In many instances, they have exhibited the most heroic patience and bravery. In others, broken by the weight and duration of their sufferings, they have sunk without resistance under the power of the oppressor. There are no tidings of Lord Cochran that can be relied on. Mr Miller lately returned from Greece, where he has been for two years past, under the patronage of the Greek committee of Boston, thus expresses his views of the state of that country, in the Boston Gazette.

"The present state of Greece is inconceivably wretched. Not only are thousands of its inhabitants destitute of clothing sufficient to protect them from the inclemency of the approaching winter, but are in want of provisions to enable them long to support life. The standard of the cross was raised in the Peloponessus more than five years ago; since which the Greeks have shewn a determination worthy of their origin; and in many a hard fought battle, have fully demonstrated that they will live free of the Turks, or die in arms. They have committed great mistakes, but not greater than one acquainted with their condition, might have expected. During my residence among them, instead of being surprised at their crimes, I have often been astonished in seeing so much virtue, amidst such misery and confusion. The result of their struggle, I think, is uncertain; but any thing which can be done to relieve their present wants will be a deed of charity, worthy of those who rejoice in lessening the aggregate of human misery.

There is indeed, enough of misery in every part of the world; but that of which I speak is of a peculiar kind, and which must reach the heart of every American. The Greeks are struggling, as our fathers did, for freedom and independence; though not from a Christian but a Mahometan power. The sacrifices they have made, I believe, are greater than were ever made by any other people. They cannot submit at discretion, without jeopardizing their lives, and exposing their wives and daughters to the lustful passions of a bestial soldiery. The history of former Turkish treaties teaches them what they may expect, if they submit or capitulate. What can they do? Tell me not of Turkish mercy, or of Turkish faith. They are merciful only when there is fear of retaliation; and keep there promise only when it is not for their interest to break it. This is the unhappy state of Greece. For my own part, after having seen much of the nature of the present struggle, and learned something of the character of the modern Greeks, I have no hesitation in saying, that I consider them deserving the sympathy and aid of the Christian world."

INDIA. Accounts from the East Indies bring rumors of a Burmese infraction of the peace already, and the departure of Sir A. Campbell from Calcutta, to rejoin the army, gives some countenance to the report, The Burmese had, however completed their second compensating installment; but it is said they had heen ingenious enough to pay it in coin de based to half its nominal value. The cheat was discovered upon the coin being assayed at the mint.

SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA.-The British have lately captured nine slave ships with 2563 slaves; all of whom were liberated and put to different employments in the mountains of Sierra Leone. The inhabitants of the coast were sickly. The emigrants to Messurado who sailed in the Indian Chief from Norfolk, were fast recovering from their first attack of sickness. All that sailed from Boston about the same time, died, except nine. The slavers on the coast were endeavonring to re-establish Trade-Town, and were building a battery to protect their infamous traffic. This place is near to the

American colony. Monrovia begins to be a place of considerable trade.The value of the wood and ivory exported from Liberia, from the first of Jan. to the 15th of June of the present year, is given at about $44,000. The climate however, is still fatal to the whites.

The Ashantees.-Private letters, and documents from the Gold Coast to the 20th of July, confirm the intelligence of the movement of the king of Ashantee against the British allies and forts in that quarter. As to the number of the enemy's forces and other details, the accounts in the letters are various and contradictory-from twenty to 50,000 men are the estimates of the Ashantee army, and one of the letters says, that it is already within thirty miles of Cape Coast castle. They all sufficiently demonstrate the dreadful alarm which prevails, and which is heightened by the previous experience of the savage and formidable character of the Ashantees. The British subjects and their alies were ordered to arm in readiness to oppose the inroads of the enemy.

UNITED STATES.-Congress meets on the 5th inst. a considerable number of members have already assembled at Washington. A memorial will be presented on the subject of an expedition to the north or south polar regions. The object of the memorialists is to be enabled to test as far as practicable. the truth of Symmes' New Theory of the earth. A treaty of peace, amity, commerce and navigation between the United States, and the Federation of the centre of America has been duly ratified and published. It consist of XXXIII. articles, which secure to the contracting parties perfect equality i reciprocity of commerce and navigation, the coasting trade of each, only being excepted. The duration of the contract on this subject is limited to twelve years. All those parts which relate to peace and friendship are perpetually and permanently binding on both powers."

66

BRITISH WEST INDIES.-Two or three years ago, an act was passed by the British parliament for the amelioration of the condition of slaves in the British possessions, which in general is very distressing, No attention was paid to this act by the planters; and about the close of last session of Parliament, the subject was called up in consequence of numerous petitions from different parts of the kingdom on the subject. The consideration of the subject was not pressed in consequence of assurance being given on the part of the ministers, that they had not lost sight of it, and that it was the determination of government to carry the law into effect, though they were disposed to give time to allow the changes contemplated by it, to be introduced in a gradual manner. It appears that Earl Bathurst forwarded instructions to the proper authorities for accomplishing the object of the government, regarding the slave population. The Antigua Weekly Register of the 10th ult. contains extracts from several of the journals of the neighboring islands, from which it appears that the assembly of Grenada have, by a very considerable majority, rejected the bills which had been submitted to them by the governor in obedience to these instructions: and in the assembly of St. Vincents, the consideration of the same measures has been indefinitely postponed, or in other words, they have been rejected. These proceedings will probably lead to important events in the West Indies.

HAYTI is said to be in a state of unprecedented misery and distress.

SOUTH AMERICA.-Bolivar has not yet arrived in Colombia, but he is immediately expected. The affair of General Paez appears to be nearly at an end. A meeting of the people was called by him at Caracas, at which it was resolved to discharge the forces raised for defence and other purposes, and to send a deputation to Bogota, to Gen. Bolivar.

There is a strong report that Bolivar will be invested with absolute power, and that the government of Colombia will partake largely of a military despotism.

The hostile squadrons of Brazil and Buenos Ayres have many severe skirmishes in the La Plata, but nothing general or decisive; there is no present prospect of an end to the war. The state of affairs is also unsettled in Peru and Chili,