gods that shall be most honoured, and to whom the chief sacrifices shall be offered for that year. Amongst the many deities so appointed are the earth, the sun, the moon, the emperor's ancestors, Confucius, the inventor of agriculture, the inventor of silk, the spirits of heaven, the gods of the earth, the god of the passing year, the worthies of antiquity, the stars, the clouds, the winds, the rain, the ocean, rivers, streams, the five mountains on which the ancients sacrificed, flags, the north pole, the polar star, the gods of the gate, gods of the soil, gods of the cannon, and many others, to which new ones are continually being added. In this religion the worship of the dead is one of the leading features. Every year they resort to the tombs of their forefathers, where they make prayers and present offerings, consisting of slips of gold and silver paper, which they burn, and then ornament the graves with long narrow flags of gaudy colours. the gods, and to be at times possessed themselves of spirits, They teach that the air is full of hobgoblins, genii, demons, over whom they alone have power. They thus impose upon the people all manner of lying wonders, and work upon their fears so as to get from them various gifts to secure their interests with those spiritual beings. They pretend also to cure diseases and tell fortunes, and predict events; so that with the ignorant and superstitious people they are in some places very popular. At certain times too, great festivals are held in honour of the dead, and the spirits of the departed invited to a grand feast. The tables are loaded with the richest and best of Chinese cookery, fruits, flowers, and all that can make a splendid banquet. Great gongs are beaten, and other musical instruments used to make as great a noise as possible, and incense burned. At a given moment it is believed the ghosts come down and feed upon the scents and flavours of the provisions, and then take their departure, leaving all the good substantial parts for the priests to devour when they are gone, who make themselves right merry over the folly of the silly people who could be at the cost of preparing such a feast for ghosts. Many of the temples belonging to the state are of the most costly and splendid character, and the idols in them finely gilded and beautifully ornamented. At these temples all the sacrifices are offered either by the emperor himself or his deputies, but many priests are kept in waiting The third sect are the Buddhists. This to mutter prayers at given times through form of religion was introduced into China the day. In Canton there are no less than about the year 58, and the knowledge of it 2000 such priests, who, at the proper times was brought from India. It is the same say the prayers; none of the people, how-religion as that held by the Buddhists in ever, go to join them, and the whole service is only attended by the priests. There is a great feast every year when the ploughing season commences, and the emperor, with splendid rites and sacrifices, commences the labour of the field by going with great pomp and ploughing the first furrow himself. The Taouists are followers of one Taou, who lived many centuries ago They practise a great variety of magical tricks, pretend to have visions, to hold converse with India and Ceylon, the worshippers of the Grand Lama in Thibet, and that called in Siberia Shamanism. In all these countries it varies a little in its peculiar forms, but is still in reality the same in its doctrines and principles. In China, Buddh is called Fo, and is worshipped in a threefold form. His followers teach that while he is only one god he has three forms; so they represent him by three images, which are seated side by side in his temples, and intended to represent Fo's three existences, PRINCE RUPERT'S LAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. past, present, and to come." These three figures, and ore of Buddh's mother, are the chief idols they worship. The service in their temples is said to be very like that in Popish chapels; and the burning of incense, the muttering of prayers in an unknown tongue, the dresses of the priests, the decorations and altars in their temples to the mother of Buddh, the honour they do her, the titles they give her, and much more, are like the forms and practices of Papists. This is the most popular religion in China, and the whole country is covered with Buddhist temples, and swarms with Buddhist priests. 51 The drawing at the head of this article gives a peep into a Buddhist temple, with a priest in his robes, and a Chinaman come to consult the idol. Some ceremonies have just been performed, and the man has thrown two pieces of wood into the air. He wants to know the idol's will about some business he is going to enter on, whether it shall be fortunate or not, and as the pieces of wood fall he will judge. Rejoice, young reader, that you know more of God's true character than these dark idolaters, and do all you can to send them the Gospel. PRINCE RUPERT'S LAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES.* In the autumn of the year 1820, a little boat of birch-bark was seen leaving York Fort, on the western side of IIudson's Bay, coasting for a little while the shore, and then entering one of the rivers flowing from, the interior. It was manned by natives, and an European gentleman was sitting at its stern. It was bound for the Red River settlement, and bore within its narrow limits riches of untold value to that distant place. To any common looker-on that boat and its cargo bore nothing worthy of peculiar interest and attention, yet to many spiritual beings they possessed surpassing interest. Bright beings from heaven were watching the progress of that boat, and Jesus on his throne was looking down and smiling on her errand. Demons too watched that boat with fear, and down in hell a sensation was being felt as it left the fort and set out upon its voyage. Perhaps my young reader will wonder what could give that boat such interest in these spiritual worlds. Why, it bore to regions so far entirely neglected, the first messenger of the cross, and had on board the precious word of life with which to bless and civilize some of the most ignorant and wretched of earth's wretched ones. For some time the Hudson's Bay Company in London had been looking at the. neglected and ignorant state of the Red River settlement, and had now resolved, in connection with the Church of England Missionary Society, to send out a preacher of the gospel. The Rev. J. West was the gentleman they chose and it was his boat that on September 3d, might be seen leaying York Fort and entering Port Nelson river. Take a map, young reader, of North America; look out for Hudson's Bay; find York Fort on the western side, and near it trace up Port Nelson river, and from thence follow our voyagers as we tell you of their progress. The rivers of that part of the world are *Abridged from "The Rainbow in the North," a most interesting Missionary book, published by Nisbet, Lordon. 52 PRINCE RUPERT'S LAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. so crossed by rapids and cataracts that no large or strong built vessel can be used in ascending them. The frail Indian canoe of birch bark is the only vessel yet found fitted for the work. It seems a slight, unsafe conveyance, but experience proves it to be the best, and our Missionary accordingly availed himself of one. Very slow indeed was his progress in it. They had not only to make their way against the stream, but were often stopped by rapids crossing the river, and obliging them to land and unload their boat, and carry it often five or six miles along the shore, till they could reload and launch it again with safety. Every night too, the party landed, lighted a fire of logs of pine to keep them warm and dress their food, and then wrapping themselves in their blankets lie down to sleep. September there is as cold as January here; and Mr West suffered much from the cold and sometimes wet nights through which he had to pass. The kind boatmen made him a sort of hut at night to protect him, while they slept without shelter, excepting when on wet nights they crept under their boat, which they always pulled on shore at night, and turned upside down, At last, in about a month, he reached Lake Winnepeg, and landed at Norway House, a station like York Fort, belonging to the Hudson Bay Company. From Norway House, the voyage was much more rapid. A little sail was hoisted, and they glided over the calm surface of the lake with great swiftness. The scenery of Lake Winnepeg is very beautiful, and greatly did Mr West enjoy it while sitting in his boat and gazing on the fine scenery of its shores or the picturesque islands by which they passed. During this voyage up the lake, there might be seen two young Indian boys, dirty, half-clad, and uncivilized, sitting beside the Missionary, while he was trying to teach them something about God and Christ, their own souls and a future world. They seemed deeply interested with what he said; and "great Father, bless me through Jesus Christ our Lord," was often heard to escape their lips. One of these lads had been committed to his care at York Fort, and the other at Norway House, and you shall hear of them again. The Red River is at the south eastern corner of the lake. They entered it on October 13th, and in two days more reached the settlement. How thankful they were to God for having preserved them through their long voyage, (800 miles), and bringing them after all their sufferings to their destination. The Red River settlement, at which they had now arrived, consisted of about 500 or 600 Scotch and English settlers, a large number of "half-breeds," that is persons born of Indian mothers and European fathers, some native Indians, and a few Roman Catholic Canadians. A Roman Catholic priest occasionally visited the people of his religion; but for the Protestants and the ignorant heathen, no religious instruction had been as yet provided. A great interest was shown by the people on Mr West's arrival, and the large room in the Fort was crowded on the first Sunday with a large number of attentive hearers. The word he preached seemed to come home with power to many hearts. Some wept, and many felt the preciousness of the gospel preached. Mr West now set to work in earnest, established a school for the children, and set up various means of instruction for the adults. The attention of the people greatly encouraged him, and he went on with his labours full of hope. Of his work I shall tell you another time, but now must pause a little in my story to give you an account of the country and the people, in which, and amongst whom, the Red River settlement is placed. It stands in a tract of country called Prince Rupert's Land, and belongs to the ZANTE. Hudson Bay Company. Prince Rupert was a nobleman to whom King Charles II. gave a charter in 1669, empowering him and some other persons joined with him to undertake an expedition to North America, in order to find out a new way to the South Seas, and securing to them the exclusive right of trading in furs and minerals, or any other productions of the country. These rights at first only extended to those countries watered by the rivers falling into Hudson's Bay, and called Prince Rupert's Land; but now their possessions extend 53 from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from within the Arctic Circle to the Northern boundary of Canada, and the United States. This country is inhabited by Indians, halfbreeds, and European and Canadian settlers, but all are sunk in the lowest ignorance, and in general in the worst vices, while they are almost wholly without religious instructors or Christian privileges. The Red River settlement was formed in 1811, but Mr West was the first Protestant teacher that had ever set his foot in it to proclaim the gospel of Christ. ZANTE. THERE was once a little African boy, who lived a happy life with his father and mother and little sister. He had a little dog that used to roll on the grass beside him, or scamper away as he bade it, and the boy was as happy as a king. One morning as he woke up from sleep, his father told him it was his birth-day, he was eleven years old. So the little fellow jumped up and thought he would have more fun than ever that day. He called his dog, and they set off running together. They wandered further and further from home. The boy took off his hat and filled it with the bright beautiful flowers that he gathered by the wayside; and the dog wagged his tail and jumped upon him with delight. The sky was blue overhead, and the sun was scorching, so that they were glad at last to turn down a shady lane. There they sat down on a sweet bank, the boy and the dog, and they both fell asleep. All at once a noise woke up the boy, it was the barking of his dog; and when he turned his head he saw a tall white man standing by his side. The boy had never seen a man with a white face before, and he trembled with fear. The man spoke in a harsh, rough voice, and putting a rope round the boy's waist, he kicked him, and told him to be gone. "O moder," cried the little negro, "moder, moder! come to me." "You will never see your mother again," said the cruel man, "make haste sir, be off with you ;" and he beat him with a knotted stick which he had in his hand. The faithful little dog ran after his master, but the man gave him many hard kicks to keep him back, and at last, losing all patience with the dog, he took his gun from his side and shot him. The poor boy saw his faithful dog lying on the ground, covered with blood and moaning piteously; but he could not stay even to give him one loving coax ; the slave dealer hurried him along to the sea-shore. Here he was thrown into a boat and taken to a ship which lay at anchor opposite, and then crowded with hundreds of other slaves into a dark hole, where they could not stir and could scarcely breathe. Meanwhile, a crowd of frantic parents were standing on the shore, weeping over their lost children. "Zante! Zante!" cried a well-known voice, which the little boy in the dark hold could distin |