A quantity of cocoa-nut oil has recently been introduced into this country from Ceylon, intended as a substitute for spermaceti oil, which, it is thought, may be found useful in the manufacture of soap, candles, and the finer articles of perfumery.

Dr. Pearson has recommended, for the use of travellers in hot and desert, countries, a portable vegetable compound, made of the nutritious part or starch of wheat, or other breadcorn, with a due portion of gum arabic, chrystalized citric acid, and a small quantity of catechu. If properly prepared, in the proportions of a pint of the vegetable jelly, to two ounces of gum arabic, one drachm of the chrystal ized citric acid, and half a drachm of catechu, and dried with a moderate heat, the composition will be hard, brittle, and capable of resisting every change of climate. The starch and gum contain the greatest possible quantity of vegetable nutriment in the smallest bulk; the acid renders the mixture more grateful and refreshing, preventing thirst, and allaying fever; while the catechu, by its astringent and tonic qua

lities, will tend to counteract the effects of fatigue in a sultry climate. Two ounces of the compound, it is affirmed by the learned inventor, will sustain life during twenty-four hours; so that a suf ficient quantity may readily be carried on a journey to guard against any emer gency in the most desert country. In cold climates animal jelly (especially isinglass), might be substituted, which, bulk for bulk, contains considerably more nutriment than vegetable. The following is the substance of the Diocesan Returns for the year 1815, which have lately been printed. Resident Incumbents ....... 5847 Non-Resident Incumbents .... 5836!! Dignities not requiring residence Vacancies ..... Sequestrations Recent Institutions Dilapidated Churches Held by Bishops.. No return...

Miscellaneous, as insane; con. fined for debt, prisoners abroad, impropriations, ap. propriations, &c.

........

52

164

40

87

32

22

279

122

Memoirs of the Right Hon. Richard Brinsley Sheridan; by J. Watkins, LL.D. Part II. 4to. l. 11s. 6d.

Don't Despair, a Tale; by W. Beck, dedicated to the British and Foreign School Society. 1s. 6d. or 15s. per doz.

A Lexicon of the Primitiye Words of the Greek Language, inclusive of several leading Derivatives, upon a new plan of arrangement; by the Rev. John Booth. 8vo. 9s.

Thirty Etched Outlines, from the Elgin Marbles; in one quarto volume, with a letter-press Introduction; by W. Sharp, Artist. 21s.

Albert Durer's Designs for the Prayer-book. imp. 4to. 11. 5s.

Historical Sketches of the South of India: by Mark Wilks, Colonel. vols. II. and III. 4to. 41. 4s.

Authentic Memoirs of the Revolution in France, and of the Sufferings of the Royal Family, deduced principally from Accounts by Eye-witnesses; with engravings. 8vo. 10s. 6d.

A List of recent Importations of Foreign Works; by Treuttel and Wurtz, from Paris and Strasburg. 8vo. No. III. for September.

The Traveller's Guide through Swit zerland, in four parts, 18mo. 16s. An Itinerary of France and Belgium, 18mo. Ss.

An Itinerary of Italy, 18mo. 10s.

A Treatise on Mineral, Animal, and Vegetable, Poisons; by M. P. Orfila, M.D. 2 vols. 11. 10s.

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Report from the Committee of the Hon. the House of Commons on the Employment of Boys in the Sweeping of Chimnies. 8vo. 3s. 6d.

Anecdotes of remarkable Insects. 18mo. 3s.

98.

NEW ZEALAND.

MR. Marsden having suggested the advantage of establishing a seminary in New South Wales, for the education of some young New-Zealanders, the Committee immediately acquiesced in the proposal. The clergymen in the colony have expressed their conviction that such an establishment will be of the greatest service, and have accordingly begun to carry the plan into execution. It is intended to instruct these Zealanders in some of the more simple arts, such as spinning, weaving their native flax, manufacturing it, as also blacksmiths' work, and agriculture. Four young men are already admitted, and are improving very fast in useful knowledge. Such an establishment, independently of its immediate advantages to the New-Zealanders, will afford a pledge for the safety of the settlers in that country, as the persons instructed will be either the sons of chiefs or their near relatives.

WESTERN AFRICA.

sistance. His spirits were greatly depressed, though he was calm and peace. ful in reference to the prospect of eternity.

Mr. Wenzel writes:

"On Thursday evening, I again prayed with him; and seeing now that his end was fast approaching, I did not think it proper to leave him. I and Mrs. Wenzel, therefore, sat up with him. He said much to my wife respecting our own children and his relations who had died, and said, 'To-morrow I shall be with them. The Lord is now calling me away.' He wished us to sing with I sang with him many verses. him. When we came to the words, in one of Dr. Watts's hymns

We're marching through Immanuel's ground
To fairer worlds on high-

his spirits revived, and he sang these words in a manner so loud and distinct, that no one could suppose him ill: but his voice soon dropped, and his strength failed. When we had left off singing, he embraced me, and said, 'You are my brother, and you shall be my eternal brother before the throne of the Lord. Amen!' He spoke but a few words more. A little before two o'clock on Friday morning, he gently breathed his last."

Yongroo Pomoh.-Mr. Nyländer draws the following melancholy picture of the superstitions of the Bulloms with respect to witchcraft.

"About a dozen supposed witches were tried lately. The greater part of

them pleaded guilty. One was accused of having sent a snake into the king's house, in order to kill him; another, of having bewitched a hunter's gun, so that he could never kill any thing, though he even shot it; another, of bewitching an old man, that he could not get any money at this time; another, for having shot a man with a witch-gun, and hurt him, so that he was dangerously ill, and taken with fainting fits; another, for having prepared a witch-gun, and placed it under the roof of his house, in order to kill a person who lived with him in the house. Two only of them said they were not guilty. One of these was tried by red-water, and found guilty: he is committed for further punishment. The other is to drink red-water at a distant period. Those who pleaded guilty, and begged pardon, did not undergo any punishment at all: they only go under the title of witch. The others must suffer severely."

A short time afterward, he writes"The accusation of witchcraft still continues. Numbers of poor persons are miserably punished; and some carried to the Susoo country, and there exchanged for cattle, which are either sold or killed, and a great cry (feast) made in remembrance of those persons."

Canoffee. Our readers will have seen, by Mr. Bickersteth's Report and Journal, that he had made arrangements for the Missionaries visiting the Natives, and preaching to them the Gospel. The following communications from Mr. Renner and Mr. Wilhelm will shew with what fair promise they entered on this labour. Subsequent dispatches express serious apprehensions that the renovated Slave Trade-that dire curse of Africawould compel the Missionaries to abandon the undertaking, and possibly even the settlement itself, at the very time when they seemed to be on the point of realizing their warmest desires.

Mr. Renner writes

"Dec. 1, 1816. A blessed Sunday of Advent!—Having previously acquainted Mongè Backe that I intended to come to his own to pray,' as they express it, we accordingly went this day." "Monge Backe had well prepared the minds of his people for the occasion; so that a pleasing silence was observed in the whole town. He told them to appear clean, and that every one should put on his best clothes."

“After I had finished, Mongè Backe

called me to him; and said, that it was very good to talk about God; and that since he heard what I said, he and his~ people would have no objection to hear ": me again, and that I might come as often as I pleased. He said, also, that his people should build a pray-house,` like Fernandez's, at Bramia; because, as he said, the people would not come’ close together in a hot sun, and could not understand all at a distance. He made us, then, a present of a quantity of kolas, and a little palm-wine; and we spent the time very agreeably among these friendly people."

"Dec. 3. We sent word to Mongê Tomba that I would come to his town, next Sunday, to pray.' He let me know that he likes what Mongè Backe likes; but that he had to go up the country to settle some palaver,' and that his people could not pray behind his back!-but that I should come the Sunday following. We also sent word to Yangji Bully, in Upper Bashia, that I would, next Sunday, preach in his town. He likewise said, that what Mongè Backe likes, he likes too."

"Dec.7.-Mongè Backe sent word to Stephen to come to-morrow, and see the posts for the Pray-house' fixed in the ground. Stephen, recollecting him→ self a little, said, Master, me must run over to Mongè Backe, to tell him that to-morrow is Sunday, and a Prayhouse cannot be built on Sunday."

66

Mopge Tomba was at much pains in preparing a dinner for our whole family; a thing which we did not much wish for ; but as the distance is greater than Lissa, it was welcome to us.

"Two Portuguese men are living in this town, who strongly urged Mongè Tomba to build a church like the Lissa people, to which he shewed not much hesitation.

"I was sorry, however, that I could not observe here, among the people, that order, regularity, and reverence, which was so visible in Lissa. Mongè Backe and his people made it a rule to

observe, in every respect, the Christian Sabbath: whereas the Jesalu people made no distinction of this day from another."

MEDITERRANEAN.

Mr. Jowett has communicated from Malta some useful and interesting intelligence relative to several of the countries bordering on the Mediterranean. We can extract only two or three particulars.

"Tripoli.-Capt. Smyth visited about seventeen of the schools in the city, four of which appeared to be large, containing about thirty scholars each. They seemed pleased with his attention. The teacher is not always a Marabut. His daily pay is about sevenpence-halfpenny English. His scholars sit all round him, he being in the middle of the room. They have boards in their hands, which, being first whitened with chalk, have sentences of the Koran written on them with charcoal. The spunging of the boards clean, and preparing them from time to time, is the master's work, and must occasion no small labour and loss of time. Children are taught to read these sentences, which is done with great clamour and confusion.” “As soon as the hour of prayer is announced from the minaret, the youths decamp, and the master is left to prepare the boards for the next lesson."

"Of the degree of learning professed by these Marabuts, the following fact will serve to give you some idea-Captain Smyth shewed to several of them the Arabic Bible. They readily understood the characters; but none of them could read it, as the vernacular tongue of all these parts is the jargon called Lingua Franca; and this, Capt. Smyth was informed, is understood by some one in most of the interior caravans.

"Notwithstanding the extremely wretched nature of their education, the youth generally shew great aptness to learning. But this hopeful disposition is as generally kept under: for, as soon as any youth displays an opening mind, or enterprising spirit (for example, in commerce), he is checked by his superiors; as if it were dangerous to leave him to the impulse of genius. The consequence is, that they seem to grow more stupid as they grow older.

"One indication of their good capacity, and a certain degree of knowledge, is, that when Capt. Smyth was on his travels, and took his astronomical obserCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 190.

vations, the Natives, in their way, made theirs also. This is peculiarly the case with those who traverse the deserts; a profession which requires, in fact, much' the same kind of knowledge as uaviga-' tion. One evening, as they were traveling in the dark, and had missed their way, they were all on the look-out for a rising star. On seeing Dubhe, in the Great Bear, they gave a general shout, and proceeded on their way in security."

"Among the slaves brought to Tripoli from the interior of Africa, are many who profess the Christian name.” "From the best information that he could collect, and from putting circumstances together, Captain Smyth is induced to think that the country of these Christian tribes is somewhere about Wangara."

"Of their existence we are well assured; of their country and circumstances, we may be said to know nething. But there is one particular, con nected with their tale, which appeals alike to our Christian and to our humane public character: these men are slaves.

"There is reason for believing that an export Slave Trade exists along the Northern Coast of Africa, such as may well call for the inquiries of those who have so long and so successfully turned their attention to the Western Coast.

"While Captain Smyth was on particular service, last March, at Lebida, his schooner then lying in Tripoli bay, one of the officers, whom he had left in charge, reports, that a Native vessel cleared ont from Tripoli with slaves on board. Agreeably to the instructions which Captain Smyth had left, he went on board this vessel, and witnessed such a scene as completely took away his appetite for three days. The slaves were stowed so close, as scarcely to allow them room to turn themselves. Their sickness, stench, and cries were insufferable. Their destination, it is conjeotured, was the Morea; a country depopulated by war and intestine feuds but it is probable that a large propor tion would perish before they could arrive.

"In this Slave Trade, there are some circumstances peculiarly painful:-On procuring these slaves from the interior, they have to march them over tracts of burning sand of a very great extent. The sick are brought on camels, two slung on each side; a slow jolting pace, and a burning sun and desert, their lot! Vessels likely to be employed for these

4 U

purposes are probably of the most eramping and flimsy construction. As the middle passage' is comparatively short, the owners are more likely to stow the unhappy sufferers close, and to lay in a precarious stock of provisions.

With respect, however, to slavery at Tripoli, some mitigating circumstances are mentioned by Captain Smyth; such as, that pregnant women are not sold as slaves. The children of slaves are free. Slaves are permitted to plead their own cause."

"Sir Charles Penrose suggested, some months since, the idea of educating one of these Christian slaves in Malta; and Captain Smyth says, there would be no difficulty whatever in getting one or two of them over here. But it is necessary first to make further inquiries into the history and circumstances of these Christian tribes; and, above all, to ascertain the language which they speak."

"It is a pity," remarks a correspondent of Mr. Jowett's, "we have not a Protestant place of worship at Tripoli. Much good would result from it; both by adding respectability to the flags, and probably the conversion of many Jews. Indeed, the mockery, foolery, and bigotry of the Roman Catholics here must disgust the Moors and Jews with the Christian religion. Five Protestant flags, (namely, British, American, Dutch, Danish, and Swedish,)—and no clergyman!'

"I never heard," ," continues Mr. Jowett, "that, at Tripoli, we have at any time had a chaplain. By treaty, the consul is allowed to hire a place to pray in. The Protestant population is extremely small, probably not exceeding five or six families, and some few additional and occasional individuals. But the services which a pious minister of Christ might there render to the great cause of his Master, must not be estimated by counting his weekly congregation. The writer of the paragraph above quoted, has taken an enlarged and judicious view of the subject. A Protestant chaplain would at once communicate and share respectability, in his proper sphere. In the mean while, he might gain a thorough acquaintance with the Moors and Arabs, such as would lay a solid foundation for future operations. With the Jews he might commence directly: no Christian, however bigotted, and no Mahomedan, could ob

ject to the conversion of a Jew. I scarcely need add, how interesting would the opportunity be, for making further inquiry respecting the Christian Negroes of the Interior.

"Let our friends, such of them as shrink from Fezzan, think of Tripoli.”

IRELAND.

Several clergymen in Ireland have undertaken to circulate in that kingdom, cheap and popular tracts, calculated to expose the errors of Popery. This measure has been resolved upon in consequence of the unceasing efforts of the priests, and their emissaries, to pervert the minds of the Protestant peasantry by plausible objections against the reformed religion, and by popular and specious arguments in favour of their own communion. These tracts are composed with a view to the instruction of the lower orders of Protestants, and they will not only be free from every thing of a political tendency, but will avoid also every subject upon which all orthodox Protestants are not agreed. Small subscriptions in support of this object will be received by the Publisher, who will also procure copies of the tracts already published, for such as may be desirous of possessing them.

INDIA.

Among the extraordinary events of the present times, which indicate the rapid advance of mankind toward that grand era of truth and love for which Christians sedulously labour and devontly pray, the institution of a College at Calcutta, by the Natives themselves, is one of the most singular.

The institution is remarkable, as being the first which has been formed for English instruction, projected, superintended, and supported, by the Natives themselves.

The following persons compose the Managing Committee:

Heritable Governors: Dhee Raj Portal Chund Buhadoor, Zemindar of Burdwan; Gopee Mohun Thakoor.

Directors for the current year, 181617: Baboo Gunganarein Doss; Baboo Radhamadub Bonerjee; Baboo Joykishun ing; Baboo Gopee Mohun Deb; Huree Mohun Thakoor.

Europeau Secretary: Lieutenant F. Irvine.

Native Secretary: Baboo Buddeenath Mookerjee.