some children who could read, but omy and geography, and of the method by which I illustrate it, has spread far and wide, and I am obliged very frequently to exhibit my apparatus, (which was kindly given us by a friend.) It is exceedingly difficult, for me at least, to make these benighted people understand the first elements of astronomy, &c. They say that the sun goes round the earth, and inquire, if the earth turns round every day, why the front of my house does not daily become the back side of it, &c.. To answer such questions, and make the subject plain, I know of nothing better than the apparatus. I take it and say, now put an ant on the earth and turn it, his position is unaltered and he knows nothing of the motion, and as he comes in sight of the sun, and passes again out of sight of it, the appearance is the same to him as if the sun went round him, while he was stationary. This seems to convince them, but it is one thing to show them the error of their ideas, and quite another to get them out of their mind. (To be continued.) West Africa. EXTRACTS OF A LETTER FROM MR. CROCKER, DATED MILLSBURG, OCT. 28, 1835. Through the merciful providence of God, though in the land of the dying, we are still in the land of the living. Br. Mylne is at present on a bed of sickness. He was attacked with the fever a fortnight ago to-day. For a few days, "he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow." He gave me directions respecting the disposal of his affairs, and seemed ready and desirous to depart and be with Christ. For several days past he has been free from the fever, and appears to be gradually gaining strength. A little more than three weeks ago, I had a slight touch of the fever, but it did not last long. I was taken on Tuesday, and was able. to attend Sabbath school and preach once the next Sabbath. I have been remarkably sustained during the illness of br. Mylne, though at times apparently on the verge of having the fever. My health now is tolerably good. I have been enabled, I trust, to say, thus far, "Not my will, but thine be done." About the time I was sick, we had some 21. Some twenty or more have call-apprehension of a war with the natives. ed to-day, to hear, inquire, &c. The news of my strange system of astron 20. Have had about twenty visiters to-day-three of the Cheduba men among the number. Several have not been before. When asked why they worship Gaudama, they replied that it was the custom; their forefathers had all done so, and they of course could not do otherwise. This I hear every day, and not unfrequently time and again from the same individuals. I reply, if the custom is good, follow it; if not, don't follow it. To this they assent. I ask them if all around them were thieves, if they would steal also. They answer No. I tell them, too, that their fathers were ignorant of the religion of Christ. Remarks like these silence them; but after all, I suspect they have no idea of departing from the custom, and forsaking the god of their fathers. O that the Lord would teach them their folly and sin, and lead them to believe on the blessed Savior. Dr. Skinner had been up to Millsburg, and stated that appearances in relation to the Dey tribe, who live all around us, were rather threatening. They had been fortifying their towns, especially on the side towards the colony, with strong barricades; had violated the treaty in some instances, and began to grow saucy. He was going to hold a palaver with their head king the next day. This was a few days before I was taken sick. He went down to Monrovia, and we heard nothing of the result of the "palaver," for several days. In the mean time, we had a little alarm. Three weeks ago to-day, about 9 o'clock in the evening, we heard several muskets fired, and the blowing of a horn kept by one of the citizens, to be used as a signal on any special occasion. We thought it probable that the natives had commenced an attack upon our little town, and that the bloody tragedy of Bassa Cove was to be acted over here. We were, however, soon relieved of our suspense. One of the citizens was lost in the woods; and the man who kept the horn, supposing the fact was known, thought he might blow his horn for the benefit of the man, without disturbing the inhabitants. The man found his way out next morning. The difficulties between the Colony and the Dey tribe being settled, we are free from the apprehension of war at present. I suppose that most, if not all the native tribes, would be glad if the Colony were extinct. And it would be soon, probably, if the natives had a little more courage. But they are a timid race, and will be kept by God, I trust, from doing us essential injury. We feel very desirous of being able to converse with them in their own language. They come around our dwelling, and we attempt to give those of them who can understand any English, some ideas of God, and of their obligations to him, &c. But owing to the paucity of English words which they understand, it is difficult to convey any definite idea to their minds on the subject of religion. We commenced, some weeks since, the study of the Bassa language. We employ a young colonist about 17 years of age, who, coming out here when a child, and having constant intercourse with the natives, is able to converse fluently in two different languages, the Dey and the Bassa. The Bassa language being very extensively spoken, we have commenced with that. Owing to sickness in the family, we have not done much as yet. The young man who teaches us, is a cripple, son of one of the sisters in the Baptist church. As a compensation for his services, we board him, and are endeavoring to prepare him to be a school teacher. May the Lord convert his soul, and make him eminently useful. I feel very desirous of seeing a Bap tist missionary establishment in this place where, as from a radiating centre, light shall be diffused far and widesome comparatively healthy location, which may prove a rallying point for the acclimation of new missionaries, and where facilities may be at hand for acquiring a knowledge of the native tongues. Such an establishment, I trust, will exist sooner or later. Whether we shall live to see it, is altogether uncertain. As the noxious vapors which produce so deleterious effects on unacclimated persons, do not seem to rise in a condensed form, very high, I think a house erected on some one of the elevated spots not far from us, would be comparatively safe for new comers. In learning the Bassa, we give out an English word to our teacher, and he gives us the Bassa word. After endeavoring to imitate his pronunciation as nearly as possible, by speaking, we then write it down, employing such a combination of letters as will give most nearly the sound. We find it no small matter to imitate the uncouth sounds of the native tongue. But he who endowed his disciples in ancient times with the gift of tongues, can furnish us with all the requisite qualifications for acquiring the languages necessary for the propagation of the gospel here. We hope, if we are not permitted to live long enough to complete the knowledge of the language, to be able to leave something behind us that will help others to acquire it. The gospel must, and will be preached to the natives of this country in their own language. If we are permitted to do any thing toward the accomplishment of this object, we shall consider ourselves highly honored of God. We are now passing through, probably, the most unhealthy season of the year,-the going off of the rains. We are constantly reminded that we hold life by a very frail tenure. A person may feel perfectly well to-day, and tomorrow be prostrated by a burning fever. We feel much the need of the prayers of Christians in America. I hope our brethren will never forget Africa in their supplications. We do not believe that God has forgotten it, but we believe he will yet make glorious displays of his mercy and grace in this land. In another letter, dated Monrovia, Dec. 16, Mr. Crocker states that Mr. Mylne had had another attack of fever somewhat severe, but was then convalescent. France. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM REV. D. NEWTON SHELDON, DATED PARIS, DEC. 10, 1835. aries lately sent to this country, before "As to my own health," he adds, "I have been very much favored. I haveing a communication from your missionPerhaps you will have been expectnot had any severe attack of the fever as yet. This is perhaps what no white person, who has spent as long time in the Colony, has ever been able to say. This I attribute, under God, to my mode of living, which excludes animal food, and to the Thompsonian method of treating my symptoms. Still so great is the change of climate, (the glass being now, in the middle of December, up to 86 or 38, in the day time,) that I am obliged to use much precaution in regard to exposures. As we have been spared thus far, we have strong expectation that we may pass through the acclimation with safety. Our object in visiting the Cape at this time, is to procure a more competent teacher of the Bassa language. Our present teacher has done tolerably well, but he is far from having a perfect knowledge of the language. We have not yet succeeded in getting one to suit our purpose better than he, but we are in hopes to do so before long. I bless God every day, that he has brought me to this benighted land. We believe that we are in the path of duty, and we have found God a present help in time of trouble: with the exception of the prospect of doing good, our earthly attractions are so weak, as to enable us to realize what it is to be "in a strait betwixt two." One of the kings of the Bassa tribe, Bob Gray, was at our house, some weeks since, and took several' meals there. He resides at Bassa Cove, and was friendly to the Americans, at the time of the massacre. He seemed quite astonished at my having some knowledge of the Bassa language, and told me that if I would live with his people, I would become a black man in two months, (i. e. I should be able to talk their language.) We feel desirous of visiting Bassa Cove, as soon as practicable, to see what may be done by way of introducing the gospel among the tribes in that region. We hope to visit it soon. Dr. Skinner is there, at present; and has been there about 4 weeks, mak ing arrangements for the accommodation of the new settlers. I understand that they have selected a new spot for their town, and are erecting a fort for its pro tection. there could be, on the part of the pasIt was a matter of regret to us, that sengers and others in the ship, no common recognition of dependence on the of worship, not even on the Sabbath; Almighty, expressed in the solemn form but the captain, while he assured us that a religious service would be pleasing to himself, deemed it unadvisable to have any, on the ground that a majority of his passengers were, nominally captain Stoddard, to state, that he gave at least, Catholics. It is but justice to us, in his whole deportment and conversation, every reason to credit the friend to the cause of temperance, and sincerity of this assurance. He is a does not allow his sailors to drink any ardent spirits. He was uniformly kind and gentlemanly towards us, as he was to all on board the ship. As we were unprovided with passports from our government, we were day, and so much of Saturday, as to unavoidably kept at Havre, during Frihinder us from taking the Diligence for Paris, before Monday. Without a passport, no foreigner coming into a French port can go a single league into the country. We all reached Paris on Tuesday time, we have been mostly occupied in morning the 24th of Nov. Since that getting lodgings, and making arrangements for the winter. We are now greatly aided in all matters by the adpretty much settled. We have been vice of br. Willmarth, by whom we were received with a cordiality truly christian. cause for thankfulness to our merciful Our Donations from January 15 to February 15, 1836. Am. Tr. Soc., for Tracts in Burmah-per Rev. S. Bliss, Sec. A. T. S., Boston, $2000, 66 66 Jay, N. Y. Fem. Miss. So.-Betsey Stone, Treas., 1000, 13,50 9,70 2, 225, 1, "Bap. ch., collected Jan. 1, 1836-per J. Purmort, Jr., Columbia, S. C., of S. C., Columbia, for Bur. Miss., Halifax, N. S. Horton Fem. Mite So., to ed. Bur. child named E. M Pryor, 7, 66 a friend in Horton, for African Mission, Col. in N. Scotia, for Bur. Miss.-per Rev. E. A. Crawley, 216, S. Carolina, Gen. Com. of Charleston Asso.-Mechanicsville ch. 99,50; Newport, R. I., Bur. Miss. So., Aux. &c., for sup. of nat. Bur. missionary, to 81,37 200, 100, 15,81 2, Eunice Burman, ,50-Dea. Smith, ,25-Dea. Chandler, ,75-per J. Putnam, Troy, N. Y.-of J. L. Rundell, Esq., a part of the bequest of Asaph Clark, deceased-per Rev. B. M. Hill, Boston-Miss H. Barker, for Ind. schools at the west-per Miss Mary Webb, 66 66 Juv. So. of 1st Bap. ch., for Bur. Miss., 5,; for China South Carolina-Savannah River Bap. Asso., for ed. of Fem. Bur. children, Virginia For. Miss. Soc.-Accoquan, 1,05; Dumfries, 2,01; First Bap. ch., Cambridge, Ms., Fem. Judson So., to ed. Bur. children, named Prudence Far- Newton, S. S. children and females of 1st Bap. ch. and cong. Newton, for ed. of Boston-S. S. Miss. So. of 1st Bap. ch. and cong., to sup. Bur. child named 50, 342,85 10, 371,55 49, 158,07 4, 10, 25, 57,60 80,75 25, H. LINCOLN, Treasurer. Errata. Page 55, for Rev. Charles Curtiss read Rev. Chandler Curtiss. An error has also occurred in numbering the pages of the second form. THE BAPTIST MISSIONARY MAGAZINE. Vol. 16. April, 1836. No. 4. For the Bap. Miss. Magazine. THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGH ATTAINMENTS IN LEARNING TO MISSION ARIES. We use the term learning as less comprehensive than knowledge. Knowledge is the result both of study and reflection. Learning is the result rather of study. To illustrate our meaning by examples. Were we to compare Mr. Isaac Taylor, of Ongar, the author of the "Natural History of Enthusiasm " and other works of deserved celebrity, with John Foster the British Essayist, we should say that the former is the more learned, while the latter has, perhaps, the more knowledge. Taylor is probably more familiar with the classics, has prosecuted farther the investigation of the sciences, but has less of the philosophy of observation than Foster. Taylor sprinkles his pages more with his reading. Foster imbues his more with his own reflections. Andrew Fuller and Dr. Carey afford another happy instance to illustrate what we mean by the term learning. Fuller was not learned, and yet he was great. Few men have such power of rigid analysis, of giving so perfect moral definitions, and of making so nice distinctions in metaphysical reasonings, as Andrew Fuller. God seems to have raised him up for the object which he accomplished-to oppose the two great errors of Socinianism and Antinomianism. And perhaps a greater triumph scarcely ever attended the efforts of a single human mind. Carey, on the other hand, was learned. He spoke with tongues. He was learned because he was originally great, and greater because he was learned. The translations of the word of God, and the churches which he has established in India, are the monuments of his great ness, and specially of his great learning. Or, to mention individuals with whose talents we may be still more familiar. John Milton or Robert Hall was more learned than Jonathan Edwards, but not greater; though each greatest in his sphere.-Although all learning is knowledge, yet there is a knowledge which is not the result of learning, in the sense in which we ordinarily use the term. Knowledge is often more the result of extensive observation and of profound reflection, than of the study of books. Now each of these mental endowments is adapted to its own peculiar sphere, and should they change places the power and usefulness of both would be diminished. Carey did more good as a missionary, than he could have done in combating the metaphysical errors of Christendom. Whereas Fuller had not sufficient learning to have distinguished himself like Carey as a missionary. Learning is necessary for a missionary; much learning is important. We do not mean learning to the neglect or disparagement of that knowledge and sound practical sense which is the result of observation and patient thought, but in addition to it Nor, again, do we mean to say that men of limited attainments from books can do no good, and that even many such, who are devout and prudent, ought not to be sent out forthwith, since for such our brethren who are on the ground. who may be supposed to be qualified to judge, make the most impressive appeals-appeals which commend themselves not more to our sympathies than to our understandings. Still, the more learning any missionary has, the more useful he will be; and that some of our missionaries be even very learned, is indispensable. There is something in the calling of a missionary which ren |