Jewish parents, at Montbeliard, in France. My parents removed to Hagenthal, when I was only twelve months old. I attended the Jewish school at the age of five. They taught me some reading and writing, and a little ciphering; of the Bible, I was told little or nothing. My mother went begging, and my father did not come home more than twice in a year. When I had attained the age of twelve, my mother died. I received some further instruction when I was thirteen years old, and at that age I had to read in the synagogue out of the Thorah [the law], but I did not know the meaning of it. I continued with my father for some time after that, and went about with him, selling tape. But at last I left him, and became herds-boy to a rich peasant, where I slept upon straw in the horse-stable. From that place I removed to look for service in a Catholic family. They told me to turn Catholic. I went to their priest, and he told me to go begging for the present, but to return to him some other day, and that he was willing to baptize me. But I did not go to him any more, for I came to spend the night at a tavern where the people were Protestants; and when I told them what I was about, they advised me, not to go to the priest again, but to call upon the minister of Glay (Rev. Mr. Jaquet). That advice I followed that very same evening, and so I slept at the minister's, where a woman also spent the night, whose residence was some

fifteen miles from Basle. I went with her on the following day, and arrived in this city."

This brings the boy's history to the year 1843, when the Lord committed him to the care of our Association of Friends of Israel. By us he was placed for education in a Christian seminary in the Canton of Argovia. While there, a work of grace commenced in him, and God sent a painful disease as the instrument for drawing his heart towards himself. It seemed for some time, as if he was already near passing into eternity, and our association began to think of recommending him for baptism. On the 27th of January, 1845, this dear youth, having learnt that it was in contemplation, wrote to our agent as follows: "I cannot sufficiently thank my Saviour who has brought me into so good an establishment, where he is made known as the only true God. Ah, my dear reverend Sir, I should not know how to exist without the Saviour, now, since he is become dearer to me than all things. Had I not him for consolation, pain and misery would have consumed me. May that dear Saviour make my approaching baptism a blessing to me, according to his great mercy and goodness! Through his great love towards men, he left heaven, and came down to this wretched earth, to redeem fallen and sinful men from the power of Satan by the holy death which he endured on the cross of Golgotha, for all the sins of the world.

Adam's fall in paradise was to have been repaired through the Saviour's death, and it is now repaired, so that the gate of heaven is opened; and he that believes in the Son, can enter with joy and gladness, because his sins are forgiven. I thank my dear Saviour, for having pardoned my sins, and enabling me to enter into eternal life, when this life shall be ended; indeed I know that he has pardoned my sins."

His health improved after this, and his baptism was deferred, because the reason for hastening it had ceased. During the autumn of last year he was admitted into our asylum for proselytes, where he received further instruction in the saving truths of our holy religion, and was baptized in the reformed Church of St. Louis, near this place, on the 22nd of February. On Palm Sunday he received the Lord's Supper for the first and, as it proved, for the last time.

We had apprenticed him to a trade in this city, and he was placed with a pious master, but his bodily infirmities required his being removed to the public hospital, where, after a stay of four weeks, he fell asleep, we trust, in Jesus. His age was 18 years and 9 months, and he was the first sheaf from Israel's harvest-field, that our association has been favoured to deliver into the heavenly garner.

THE Loochoo are a group of islands in the Eastern Ocean, to the south of Japan, and about 400 or 500 miles east of China. They consist, according to the accounts of Mr. M'Leod and Captain Hall, of thirty-six islands, of which the one called the Great Loochoo is of considerable dimensions, being about fifty miles long, and from twelve to fifteen broad. Its existence was scarcely known to Europeans till it was visited by Captains Maxwell and Hall, in their return with Lord Amherst from the embassy to China.

The whole island has a gentle ascent from the sea, on which "the grounds were disposed more like the finest country-seats in England than those of an island so remote from the civilized world." They anchored in front of a town. The climate

and soil are among the happiest on the globe. The sea breezes, blowing continually over it, preserve it from the extremes of heat and cold, while it is supplied with rivers and streamlets of excellent water. The fruits and vegetables are of the finest kind. The orange and the lime, the banyan of India, and the Norwegian fir, all thrive here; but the chief object of cultivation is rice. They have also a very nourishing kind of sweet potatoe: our ships left them some English ones. The animal

creation is of a small size, their bullocks seldom weighing more than 350 pounds, though plump and well conditioned, and the beef excellent; their goats and pigs are also small, but the poultry large and excellent. The bull is used in agriculture. Few wild animals are seen. The whole coast is surrounded with coral reefs, but abounds in good harbours.

The inhabitants are a small race, the average height of the men not exceeding five feet two inches; but though small, they are sturdy, well-built, and strong. They are as fair as the southern Europeans, and have no trace either of Indian or Chinese features.

Not a single instance of theft occurred during the whole stay of the ships: one striking peculiarity, which may perhaps in part account for this, consists in their being apparently quite strangers to the use of fire arms, so that the musquetry and shot of