Present State of Religion, Missions, &c. not only has the Slave-trade been effectually prohibited, but the very incentive to this crime has been removed, by providing for the early and gradual abolition of slavery itself. All persons, of every colour, born subjects of the Independent States, have been declared free from their birth. And whatever other variations may appear in the plan of the constitutions to be adopted by the several independent governments, all have agreed, that difference of colour shall not produce any difference in the civil condition of their subjects." [Miss. Reg. 1823, p. 72.] Some idea of the spirit that prevails in South America, may be formed from a short extract of the speech of a Peruvian gentleman, delivered at the last Bible Anniversary at New York, May 8, 1823. "In the rapture of my patriotic exultation," said Senor Rocafurte, "I would wish you might send, as on the wings of Cherubims, thousands and thousands of Bibles and New Testaments to South America-that you could immediately establish in Lima an Auxiliary Bible Society; I am convinced that it would prosper..... Very few, even of the clergy, have had an opportunity of reading the Bible throughout; but when they shall know the good effect of the Bible, they will undoubtedly form establishments, under the auspices of the Parent Society, &c." SOUTH AMERICA. In the north-east coast of Dutch and French Guiana, several Missionary Societies have stations; the United Brethren at Parimaribo, in Surinam, established in 1738, where they have nearly a thousand members. The London Society have long had stations at George Town, on the west coast; and at Le Resouvenir, all in Demerara; also at Berbice, (where Mr. Wray has been very active in promoting schools) as well as on the adjacent Island of Trinidad. The Wesleyans have Missionaries both at Trinidad and Demerara. In the Republic of Columbia, knowledge is advancing with hasty strides. "The British system is introduced into Columbia, underthe sanction of the authorities of that State. The Columbian Minister, now in this country, has informed your Committee, [i. e. the Committee of the British and Foreign School] that a large school is opened in Santa Fé, containing 600 scholars; that two more are in progress; and that there are forty other schools in the neighbouring cities and towns. The cause is prospering at Santiago, [the capital of Chili] where there are three schools; and a school for adults is by this time opened. Our zealous friend, Mr. Thompson, after having secured the establishment of schools in Mendoza, San Juan, Valparaiso, and Coquimbo, proceeded to Lima, [the capital of Peru] where he arrived on the 28th of June, 1822. He has had the satisfaction of witnessing the formation of a School Society, under the express Countries, and Religious Denominations established or tolerated. Royal of Portugal, whose vast territories are not reckoned to contain more than two millions of inhabitants, of whom there are three blacks to a white, which is the proportion in many other places. Immense tracts of country are also still in the hands of the Aborigines; but their population, of which we have no authentic account, is supposed to be very small. Indeed, the whole population of South America has been calculated at not more than thirteen or 14 millions, which is less than that of Great Britain! The white inhabitants are all Catholics, and generally of the most ignorant and bigoted kind; except in Dutch Guiana, where there are a few Protestants. The last report states the population of Demerara and Essequibo at 42,989 males and 33,940 females, of which the greater part are Africans, and the rest chiefly Creoles. The following estimate of the population of Spanish and Portuguese America (North and South) is said to have been very recently communicated by Baron de Humboldt to President Bolivar (1823):— It is well known that, in the seventeenth century, the Jesuits formed a singular kind of government in the province of Paraguay, in the very heart of South America. Commencing with a few only, they increased to 340,000 families, who were divided into colonies, or communities, each governed by two members of the Society, who converted them to a sort of mongrel Christianity, compounded of Paganism and Popery; and without violence, and independent of the control of the Spanish governors, trained them to an extraordinary state of subordination and good order; and certainly distributed among them a considerable degree of comfort, until at length, in the eighteenth century, the government becoming jealous, (and that not without reason,) of their rising into an independent power, banished the Jesuits, and broke up the establishment. WEST Present State of Religion, Missions, &c. year for patronage and direction of Government, and at its sole expense, which contemplates the spread of education throughout the province of Peru. A similar provision was made in the course of last the province of Chili. The reading lessons used in the schools, consist of extracts from the New Testament, printed at the government printing-office."-[Report of the British and Foreign School Society for 1823.] The same Report states the establishment of a school at Monte Video, in Buenos Ayres; and adds, that Gen. San Martin has shewn himself a decided friend to general education. Nor has the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society been inactive in this great field of exertion, as will appear from the following extract from their last Report, just published:-" At Buenos Ayres, a small Auxiliary Society has been instituted, which has made a remittance, consisting of contributions, and receipts by sale of the Scriptures, amounting to £41. 9s. 6d. [Here also, we understand, from another quarter, a small society of pious persons meet every. Lord's Day, and oftener, for public worship, in the Protestant form.] "From the Brazils, Chili, Peru, the Caraccas, and Honduras, to which countries supplies of the Scriptures had been transmitted, the most gratifying communications have been received. The following is an extract of a letter from a correspondent at Bona Vista, who had distributed copies of the Scriptures among the poor labourers in the salt works in the vicinity of that place:-'I was highly gratified,' says he, next day, to see these poor people seated on the sand at noon, when resting in the shade from the heat of the sun, and one of them reading most devoutly to about twenty, who surrounded him. "At Pernambuco, a number of Portuguese Bibles, which had been admitted, duty free, into that port, by permission of the government, were distributed to crowds of applicants. To this station, 1000 Bibles, and 1500 New Testaments, have been subsequently transmitted. "At Lima, 500 Spanish Bibles, and as many New Testaments, were sold in two days; and your correspondent states, that had their number amounted to 5000, they would have been disposed of, so eager was the demand for them. To this station, also, fresh supplies of the New Testament have been despatched. "It is here due to the American and Philadelphia Bible Societies to state, that your Committee have been aided by the kindness of those institutions, in pointing out to them proper correspondents in these quarters. At Valparaiso, Coquimbo, and Huasco, 200 Testaments had been distributed by a captain, to whose care they had been confided by your Committee: of these, 146 were sold, and their value, £19. 6s. placed in the hand of your Treasurer. The following is the captain's report:-' I assure you the inhabitants seemed very desirous of reli gious Countries, and Religious Denominations established or tolerated. WEST INDIA ISLANDS. The immense group of islands included under this general name, are divided into the Great Antilles-the Caribbee-the Bahamasand the Virgin Islands. I. The Great Antilles contain four large islands.-1. Cuba, which still belongs to Spain; its religion Roman Catholic; all the natives being extirpated, the Island is cultivated by negroes. The capital, Havannah, was reckoned to contain 30,000 inhabitants many years since; and the Island may probably now contain, negroes included, between 2 and 300,000.-2. Porto Rico, under the same government and religion, and nearly as populous.-3. Hayti, or St. Domingo, formerly divided between the French and Spaniards, but now a Republic of Negroes, chiefly Catholics; but with a liberal toleration. The inhabitants, who are all negroes and people of colour, amount to probably 240, or 250 thousand.-4. Jamaica, a British island of great importance, though less than Cuba or Domingo, contained, some years since, the following population: whites, 30,000; freed negroes and people of colour, 12,000; negroes, 250,000. II. The Caribbee Islands, called by the French the Little Antilles, are chiefly under the British government, of which the principal are-Barbadoes, Antigua, St. Vincent's, Trinidad, and others more recently taken from the French, which it is here needless to enumerate. Barbadoes itself is reckoned to contain 150,000 inhabitants, or more. In Antigua, the whites have been estimated at 10,000, and the negroes at three times the number; Trinidad contains 19 or 20,000 inhabitants, of whom the greater part are negroes. III. The Bahamas include several considerable islands, and a great number of smaller ones, fruitful, but not populous. IV. The Virgin Islands, which are all Protestant, belonged to the Danes; but in the late war were captured by the British. Their population is inconsiderable. The whole population of these innumerable islands may be safely stated at about three millions. VI. Present State of Religion, Missions, &c. gious instruction; I found the copper miners, in particular, most anxious to possess and read the Holy Scriptures. "At Demerara, Essequibo, Berbice, and Trinidad, the distribution of the Scriptures has been attended with good effects. Your correspondent at Demerara, in remitting £18. 2s. for the sale of thirty Bibles and 42 New Testaments, states, that he had not found it necessary to give away gratuitously more than one Bible, and four or five New Testaments. The negroes, on a Sabbath, come to public worship with their Bible or Testament in a satchel, or in a small box made for that purpose." WEST INDIA ISLANDS. In the first class, the Methodists have a Mission in Hayti, but have been persecuted through Catholic influence. The system of Mutual Instruction seems to have taken firm footing in this country, under the patronage of the President Boyer. Schools are established at Port au Prince, Cape Hayti, and several other places, on the Lancasterian system. Jamaica has long been the scene of Missionary exertions. The United Brethren have seven Missionaries, at three stations, commenced in 1754; the Wesleyans ten stations, eleven or twelve Missionaries, and 8495 members, all people of colour except sixty-two. In the second class, the following islands are favoured with Missionaries:-1. Antigua. Here the United Brethren have four stations, and two others building, supplied by nineteen Missionaries, male and female. The congregations 12,000. The Wesleyans have five chapels, four Missionaries, and 4,560 members, besides above 1000 children. The Baptist Society has two Missionaries here. The Church Mission Society has also Sunday Schools, with 1500 scholars.-2. Barbadoes. The United Brethren have two Missionaries, and the Wesleyans one. In the parish of St. John, in this island, is Codrington College, founded on estates left by Gen. Codrington, early in the last century, in trust to "The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel," for this express purpose; with schools for the negro children, on the National plan, and a regular clergyman has lately been appointed Chaplain. Here also a Society has been founded (with a Ladies' Auxiliary) among persons of colour, for the moral and religious improvement of the people. The Church Missionary Society has a school, with 150 scholars; and here is also an Auxiliary Bible Society. At St. Kitt's, the United Brethren have two stations and six Missionaries. At St. Vincent's, the Wesleyans have four Missionaries and 2904 members; they have also one or more Missionaries at each of the following islands; Bermuda, Eustatius, Grenada, Nevis, Tobago, Tortola, Dominica, Montserrat, St. Martin, St. Bartholomew, &c. The Danish Islands of St. Thomas, |