and obeyed the command which saith, "Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy." As we struck off from the side of the river, the tolling of a distant bell came tinkling across the valley, and announced the assembling of a body of natives to evening prayers at the village to which we were hastening. We had not much farther to go; but every turn of the path pleased the eye with a change of prospect, while it enabled us to perceive how dense the population is, compared with that of the Bay of Islands. Having at last reached the expectant congregation, I was gratified to find it a large one. Upwards of three hundred persons were there, not, indeed, in a house made with hands, but in a large cpen space, in the centre of a wide-spread village, with the everlasting hills behind them, and the clear blue sky above, the green sward for their seat, and the homes of their fathers before and on either side of them, to remind of days gone by; and perhaps to tell of obscene rites and unclean superstitions, soon, it may be hoped, to be forgotten for ever, in the universal substitution of a reasonable faith,-a true and spiritual worship. The most profound attention, and the utmost decency, propriety, and order, prevailed throughout the whole of the service; the responses were audible, distinct, and deeply solemn; the chorus of singers clear, well timed, and harmonious. The ear of every individual seemed bent for hearing, as though to him alone the message was addressed. Just before the close of the sermon, some of the hearers submitted a few questions to the preacher, but evidently with very great deference, and, as I was afterwards assured, for the sole purpose of getting the difficulties explained which occurred to their own minds, or arose out of the subject-matter of discourse. After the sermon, a native Christian offered up an extempore prayer, the whole assembly kneeling, and the most complete silence prevailing. The benediction was then pronounced, which having received, these warmhearted islanders flocked round their friend and me, to greet us with the customary shake of the hand before we left them. We afterwards visited some sick, and made for the boat, parties of the natives accompanying us, till they reached successively the various by-paths leading to their own homes, before turning into which, they all approached to bid us good-by. The now familiar word, Ekero! friend, with the proffered hand, open as charity, which grasped that held out by us in our turn, spoke volumes to the heart of one whose heart was too full of thoughts, of thoughts themselves too big for utterance, to admit of his more than looking them a long and fond farewell. I have contented myself in barely relating a part of what I saw and heard at this time, for I dare not attempt any thing like a description of my emotions throughout the whole afternoon and evening. While witnessing the artless devotions of these poor half-clad savages, I felt abashed and humbled. While hearing them pray, and sing, and give thanks unto Jehovah Jesus, my Lord and my God, the heart within me fainted, and I could only murmur to my mind's ear: - Of what has been done, by the grace of God, for New Zealand, through the instrumentality of his servants the missionaries, the half had not been told me.. -Marshall's New Zealand. A SABBATH AT RAROTONGA. INDEED (says Mr. Williams) the manner in which they spent their Sabbaths was deeply interesting. At sunrise they held a prayer meeting, to implore the Divine blessing on the engagements of the day. This they conducted entirely themselves. At nine o'clock the congregation assembled again, when the missionary performed divine service, just as it is conducted in England,—prayer being offered, the Sacred Scriptures read, and hymns sung in their own beautiful language; after which, a sermon is preached to them. Prior, however, to the commencement of the service, they met in classes of ten or twelve families 66 each, and distributed among themselves the respective portions of the sermon which each individual should bring away; one saying, “ Mine shall be the text, and all that is said in immediate connection with it;" another, "I will take care of the first division;" and a third," I will bring home the particulars under that head." Thus the sermon was apportioned before it was delivered. At our more advanced stations, where the New Testament was in the hands of our people, we invariably named passages of Scripture which were illustrative of the particulars under discussion. For instance, if the missionary was preaching upon the love of Christ, his first division might be to describe the nature and properties of the Saviour's love; and, under this head, if he referred to its greatness, after having illustrated his point, he would desire his hearers, without specifying the verse or verses, to read with attention the third chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, where they would find some sentiments applicable to that part of the subject. Opening their Testaments, they would find the chapter referred to, and make a mark against it. A second division might be the unchangeable nature of the Saviour's love; and having concluded his observations on this, the preacher would desire the congregation to read carefully the eighth chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans, where they would find some passages illustrative of that particular. Again open. ing their Testaments, the chapter would be sought and marked. Thus we should proceed through the discourse. At a convenient time the respective classes met, and, after commencing their social service with singing and prayer, one of the most intelligent of their number began by inquiring," With whom is the text?" and proposed a variety of questions upon it. After this he asked for the divisions of the discourse; and when one had been given, he would say, "To what portion of Scripture were we referred?" The chapter being named, was then read very carefully; and the verses thought to be applicable were selected. This we found a most efficient and excel lent method of proceeding, as it not only induced the people to pay great attention to the sermon, but to read the Scriptures with interest, and also to exercise their minds upon the meaning and application of what they read. This social exercise was regarded as a preparation for the more public examination, conducted by the missionary, which took place in the chapel, between the hours of one and two, when all the classes assembled; and seldom was there a sentiment or sentence of importance in the discourse which was not then repeated by one or other of the congregation.-Williams. CHAPTER IV. STATE OF EASTERN IDOLATRY, AND THE EFFECTS OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONS. "Light on the Hindoo shed! On the maddening idol train, The flame of the suttee is dire and red, And the dying mourn on their cheerless bed Sigourney. BURNING OF A HINDOO WOMAN. UNTIL the practice was forbidden by the British government, the cruelty and selfishness of the Hindoo character inclined them to encourage, and even excite those women who had been deprived of their husbands, to acts of self-destruction. The relations thus got rid of a burden; and the priests by this means rivetted more strongly the fetters of superstition and terror on the ignorant and superstitious Hindoo. The following case occurred several years ago: In the neighbourhood of Calcutta, a Hindoo peasant having climbed a cocoa-nut tree, it gave way, and he was killed on the spot. The shock which this sudden accident occasioned to his poor widow, so preyed on her mind, that she speedily came to the resolution of committing herself to the flames which were to consume the remains of her deceased husband; and so fully bent was she on this, that the consideration of leaving two helpless children, yet in a state of infancy, and a third child, of which she |