owing, it may be, to the fact that the King of Yoruba is supposed to have had a higher position, and to have held sway over a larger extent of territory than other other single potentate ruling people speaking the language; and, in addition to this, the Yorubas are supposed to speak the language more correctly and refinedly than any other tribe. Still, each tribe manifests some jealousy if the language is not called by its particular name. A desire to please would probably lead a person, as a matter of prudence, to call the language, if need were, by the name of the tribe with which he were dealing. The people generally must, many years ago, have obtained some notions of written characters as symbols of spoken language, since Mohammedans usually had a greater or less part of the Koran in their possession, and they had no reason to, nor did they hide what they had from the eyes of the people. But no one appears to have made any attempt to make use of the idea by reducing Yoruba to a written form. The reduction of it to writing was undertaken and carried out, over thirty years since, by missionaries of the Church Missionary Society. The Yoruba is by no means an uninteresting language. Amongst its more remarkable features these may be mentioned. It has a complete and regular system of prefixes by which substantives are formed; it has a curious euphonic system, which regulates the concord of the verb and the pronoun; there is a total absence of conjugation in the verb; very often adverbs contain within themselves the idea of the word they are intended to qualify; it is totally uninflected, very euphonious, greatly dependent for its meaning on tone, and capable of very great development. It is found difficult of acquirement by Europeans. This arises from its extensive use of tone, a large amount of elision of vowels, and the subtle laws of euphony which play so large a part in it. Many Natives now read and write Yoruba. Amongst other works now in the language may be mentioned a dictionary— English and Yoruba, Yoruba and English-by Bishop Crowther. A considerable number of the population of Lagos, and one that increases every year, speak English with a greater or less approach to correctness. But of these the majority do not get beyond a sort of patois which has been brought from Sierra Leone; this patois takes in Lagos the more readily from the fact that in idiom it often approximates closely to the Yoruba. The Brazilian immigrants speak a corrupted kind of Portuguese, and the Kroomen speak a corrupt English different from that which had its origin in Sierra Leone. THE NIGER DELTA. Nembe, Brass River, T the morning service at Bonny on Trinity Sunday, a confirmation service was held at St. Stephen's, when 67 candidates were confirmed in the presence of upwards of 800 persons. dos early in the morning, leaving Archdeacon Crowther behind for a week to arrange business for the agents at the stations during his absence up the Niger for about two months. We arrived safely at Brass the same day. On Sunday, the 19th, we had another very impressive service in St. Barnabas' church, when three elderly women were admitted to the Church by baptism by Archdeacon Johnson; after which they June 16th. Accompanied by Archdeacon H. Johnson we left Bonny for Brass in the branch steamer Forca to were joined by another very aged woman, who had been previously baptized. She was scarcely able to walk by herself to the rails, on her trembling limbs, from infirmity of age, but was helped to her seat, where I allowed her to remain, where she was confirmed with the three newly-baptized friends, in the presence of a congregation of 480 persons. The fact of four of the old women at Tuwon thus publicly giving themselves Christ from the service of Satan, in which they had long served to their present age, was another proof of the power of the Gospel to salvation to whosoever believeth. Another and stronger proof to our congregation was that one of the baptized was a devoted priestess to the gods, and an inveterate opposer of the Christian religion, and an unrelenting persecutor of the Christians at Tuwon. She always manifested great indignation against the Christian religion when spoken to, and would not hear. But when it pleased God, her hard, proud heart was subdued, and she became a prisoner of Divine grace. This rare group of four aged women, the most superstitious class among them, was another proof that the fortification of Satan is threatened to be demolished by the Spirit by the powerful application of the Word in the hearts of sinners. The confirmation of these four elderly persons immediately after baptism is an exception; the rest of the candidates for confirmation must wait till my return from the Niger in October (D.v.), by which time they will be better instructed in the real nature of the rite of confirmation as a ratification of the solemn vows they had made at their baptism. June 25th (Saturday).—We left Tuwon for Nembe in the canoe procured for our conveyance from one of the chiefs, a convert. Four and a quarter hours' good pull, with the tide in favour, brought us to Nembe, where the people were anxiously expecting us. Sunday, the 26th, was a memorable day for this place, because the second public baptism solemnly took place this day, of 41 adults and 18 children. The perfor mance was shared between Archdeacon Johnson and myself, in the presence of a congregation of 617 persons, to whom I afterwards preached from Acts ii. 37, 38. I preached through an intelli gent interpreter. In the afternoon Archdeacon Johnson followed up the subject from Eph. iii. 14, 15. Previous to our arrival at Nembe, a portion of the can. didates who could manage it, went up the river to Tuwon, when 39 of them were baptized by the Rev. Thomas Johnson, in St. Barnabas', with those of that church, on the first of May, making a total of baptized adults from Nembe this year of 80, and 18 children. These baptized 80 were out of 89 Nembe candidates who enlisted themselves at St. Barnabas', for a considerable time under instruction in connexion with that church, a distance of full thirty miles off. Since Mr. Garrick's appointment to this place, many have come forward and put their names down to join the class of candidates for baptism, of whom there are 339 now on the lists; candidates for confirmation, 97; communicants, 28. The No new king has yet been elected to succeed the late King Ockiya to the throne of Ogbolomabri, the first division of Nembe. Neither Luwe, his brother, nor George Ockiya, his eldest son, is entitled to it at present. But Koko, & grandson of a princess, daughter of Mengi, one of the early kings of Nembe, is looking forward to it at present, if supported with money to go through all the expenses of accession. princess, his grandmother, would have had access to the throne had it not been contrary to the custom of the country that a princess should reign. But there is one thing remarkable at present in this political department which should be noticed, namely, the wishes of the Christian party that the successor of Ockiya should be a Christian. Though Kokois young, and has no money for the expenses of accession to the throne at present, yet he is a Christian convert of a quiet, unassuming disposition. He was baptized at Nembe in King Ockiya's church, on November 20th, 1880, by the Rev. Thomas Johnson, by the name of Frederick William, and is a young man of very steady character. Another favourable circumstance connected with Prince Alfred William Koko should not be overlooked-namely, that his father, Chief Dogu, is a candidate for baptism. It was he who offered to pay the expenses of a new and larger bell for the church at Nembe. THE SANTAL MISSION. OUR years ago the Committee formed plans for extending the Society's operations among the non-Aryan hill-people, who it was justly feared were fast coming under the influence of that "power of absorption" which the Annual Report of last year noticed as still characteristic of Hinduism, but who were believed to be especially open to the message of salvation. Two of these tribes, the Santâls of Bengal, and the Arrians of Travancore, had already yielded a good harvest of souls to the Society's sowing, and from a third, the Kois of the Godavery, some converts had been gathered in. Distinct progress has now been made in this branch of missionary effort. A missionary. has been sent to the Rajmahal Pahâris who dwell on the hills skirted by the Santâl valleys. The new Mission to the Gônds of Central India has been patiently prosecuted; and the confidence of the people is being gained. The Rev. W. Clark, late of Ceylon, has been sent out to resume and revive the work among the Arrians, so inseparably associated with the name of Henry Baker. A more numerous race, probably, than any of these is that of the Bheels, who inhabit the hills throughout a large portion of Western Central India. Efforts have from time to time been made to reach those inhabiting the province of Khandesh, where the Society occupies the town of Malegam. But an entirely new Mission, as our readers are aware, has been also established among the Bheels of Rajputana, at Khairwarra, through the liberality of the Rev. E. H. Bickersteth. We now present a brief notice of the ever-interesting SANTAL MISSION. It has been strengthened by the transfer of the Rev. A. W. Baumann, a Hindispeaking missionary, from Faizabad in Oudh to the charge of the Godda station, with a special view (as above mentioned) to reaching the Pahâris of the Rajmahal Hills, who communicate with the outer world through the medium of the Hindi language, as the Santâls mostly do through the medium of Bengali. This addition to the staff makes six missionaries for the five stations. The Revs. A. Stark and R. Elliott (the latter a medical missionary) are at the central station, Taljhâri; the Rev. F. T. Cole, at Dharampur, in the Bahâwa district; the Rev. J. Blaich, in the Hirampur district; the Rev. J. Tunbridge, at Bhâgâyâ; and Mr. Baumann, as already mentioned, at Godda. The Rev. J. Brown is returning to India this autumn; but on the other hand, Mr. Cole will soon be coming home for a while. Of the four Native clergymen, the Rev. Bhim Hasda acts as pastor of the Santâli congregation at Taljhâri, and the Rev. Ram Charan does the like work at Godda; while the Revs. William Sido and Sham Besra minister to the congregations of the outlying villages of Chuchi and Lukipur, in the Bahawa district. From Taljhâri, Mr. Stark reports only seven adult baptisms, and the total numbers of Adherents (889) and Communicants (340) are little more than last year. But there are distinct signs of progress in independence and selfhelp in the Native Church. The local Church Council decreed that every agriculturist should contribute one rupee per annum towards the support of the Native pastor, and this contribution, aided by the Sunday offertories, already supplies more than half his stipend, which is only Rs. 18 per mensem. A High School has been successfully opened in place of the lately closed Boys' Boarding School. There are twenty-eight scholars, who, while receiving a free education, are entirely supported by their parents-" a great advance," justly observes Mr. Stark, "on the old system of giving free board and lodging in addition to free education." He hopes, as do the Committee, that the day may not be far distant when even these cultivators may pay school fees for their children. The new Preparandi Class, mentioned in last year's Report, has already sent forth three Native teachers for evangelistic work, two Santâls and a Pahâri, of whom Mr. Stark says that they are "educationally superior to previous agents, and," he thinks, "imbued with the right spirit." The Rev. R. Elliott finds his Dispensary an excellent mission agency, leading many heathen who share its benefit to inquire into the truth. The patients steadily increase in number, and the Santâl Christians themselves now contribute to its funds. Mr. Elliott also takes part in the educational and preparandi work. The Bahawa district is so named from its railway station. The name of the village which is the head-quarters of the Mission, Dharampur, means "the holy place." The district comprises congregations numbering 769 souls, of whom 263 are communicants. Twenty-two adult baptisms are reported. Mr. Cole's Annual Letter is very interesting, especially with regard to the two Native pastors, the voluntary evangelists, the offerings of the people towards the support of their own Church, and the dispensary: To begin with the Schools.-We have here, in the Mission compound, two boarding-schools, one for boys, with sixty-five scholars, and another for girls, with thirty-five names on the rolls. A great many, however, are day scholars, who receive no support. The boarders are those whose homes are at a distance. These have given us much joy during the past year. We have been privileged to see some fruit amongst them. Three boys, who entered as heathens, have been baptized. The parents of one lad have been won by their son, and are now under instruction themselves. Thus the school has been, in his case, not only a blessing to the lad himself, but also indirectly to his parents. This has always been a peculiar feature in our Santal Mission School. All our Santal Mission agents were heathen school-boys. Three out of the four Native pastors entered Mr. Droese's school as heathens long before the Santal Mission was established. I do trust nothing will be done to hinder school-work among these illiterate people. It has been the most powerful agency, by the blessing of God, for the conversion of these people, and I think I may say it has not lost its former power. There are seven boys in the school now, of whom I have hope, but more I dare not say. About three months ago they told one of the teachers that they wished to become Christians. They said to me, "We believe, we want to do what we know to be right, but our parents tell us to wait.' Alas! waiting is a dangerous thing in a land where Satan reigns. The cares and pleasures of the world too often extinguish the spark of life which the Spirit has lighted in their hearts. But in this there is no reason to despair. The very fact of their wishing to become Christians, is, to us, a sign of life, and where there is life there is hope. The number of Christians in the Bahawa district is as follows:-Dharampur, Christians, 201; Communicants, 54; Baptisms during the year, 27; Collections, 102 rupees. Lakhipur, Christians, 234; Communicants, 79; Baptisms during the year, 21; Collections, 84 rupees. Chuchi, Christians, 334; Communicants, 130; Baptisms during the year, 32; Collections, 92 rupees. Bahawa is the name of the nearest railway station; from this the district takes its name. Dharampur is the name of the village in which the Mission is situated. Dharampur means "the holy place"-an appropriate name for a Mission station. The weekly offerings during the year have been steadily increasing. The firstfruits of everything are brought to church, and offered to God in kind. The heathen will not eat of their crops till they have sacrificed to devils; and we press it upon our people not to eat without first thanking God, the Giver of all good things. They show great readiness in following our advice in this, as well as all other respects. They are a very tractable people. The more one has to do with them the more one loves them. Happy is the man whose lot is cast amongst them! Half the salaries of the two Native pastors of this district have been paid for by the contributions of the people. We could have done even more, but there were many other things very necessary for the village chapel that had to be provided for from this fund, such as church furniture, desks, bells, &c. Two village chapels have been built by the Christians, and one repaired during the year. These were built entirely by the people, not a pice was given by the Society. The one at Lakhipur is a very fine building. This place is the head-quarters of the Native pastor of the district, the Rev. Sham Besra. I am most happy to say that the Native pastors in this district have given us every satisfaction. They are very much respected, and are working hard. The Lakhipur congregation has much improved under the care of the Rev. Sham Besra. He is not very clever, but he is earnest, and full of love. Voluntary Agents.-Nearly all the people, I believe, try to make Christ known to those with whom they come in contact. I must not forget to say that all the teachers in the schools here go voluntarily to the villages around to preach. They also take turns in addressing the people who come for medicine every day. Since I last wrote we have opened a charitable dispensary. Government assists us by giving a monthly_grant of money to buy medicines. During the past five months, 2131 patients have been attended to. Last month the total prescribed for was 682. This is a glorious opportunity for making known the Gospel, for not only those who are sick are brought under the sound of the glad tidings, but also the relatives who accompany them. A young Santal who has been trained in the Government Medical School assists me. He is a teacher in the boys' school also. We have, as yet, had no direct success from our dispensary in the way of conversions, yet we have had much to cheer us already. At the commence ment of the year I was asked to see a sick man in a village where I had been preaching. He had been given up by the ojhas (Native medicine-men). We prescribed for him, and, by God's blessing, the man recovered. He had said, "If I get better I will become a Christian;" so, when he recovered, we asked him whether he would not show his thankfulness by becoming a Christian. He said, "Wait till I become fat, I am still very weak." A short time afterwards we asked him again, and he said, "Yes, I am now ready to learn." He commenced, but his wife threatened to leave him, his father and brother told him they would turn him out of the house if he ventured to become a Christian. He held on for a time, but at last gave way, and asked to be allowed to wait. There is hope yet, but one fears very much now he has gone backward. I have spoken of discouragements, now I will tell of a case that has cheered us very much. A man named Dandu, living in a village in which there are no Christians, came to the Sunday services of Dharampur. He seemed much impressed, and said he had made up his mind to become a Christian. He was instructed with his wife and three children, and though his heathen friends did all in their power to prevent them being baptized, yet he remained firm, and four months ago it was my joy to enrol him in the list of Christ's members militant here on earth. |