ny's possessions gained by the war. Schools were here established, which began to give much encouragement-especially the school for girls, under the care of Mrs. Wade. But the British garrison was eventually removed to Maulmein, and the town of Amherst suffered to decay. The population gradually retired, and finally, the missionaries also-regretting the change most of all, because it removed them from the place, where rest the ashes of Mrs. Judson, and from which, in October 1826, her spirit ascended to the Redeemer.

Moung Thah-a, a native convert, commenced preaching at Rangoon, after the war, and several persons were converted. The missionaries at Maulmein were so well satisfied with his character and qualifications, that they ordained him, in January 1829, pastor of the Rangoon native church. His success has been very pleasing. During the year 1831, seven new converts were baptized, and the state of religion became more interesting. On the arrival of Mr. J. T. Jones, in Feb. 1831, the station was again taken under the charge of our missionaries, and the native preachers labored under their direction. Mr. Jones or Mr. Judson, for a considerable time, supplied the station, and gave away daily a large amount of tracts, which have carried an influence over the whole length and breadth of the country. Mr. Kincaid is now the permanent resident.

The present number of the church is thirty-one.

MAULMEIN.

When the town of Amherst was abandoned, the British soldiers and a large number of natives removed to this place. Mr. and Mrs. Boardman, who sailed from America in July 1825, established themselves here in the summer of 1827, and remained, for a while, alone. Several persons listened with attention, and a flourishing school was commenced for boys. The school for girls at Amherst had excited so much interest, that eleven of them-more than half-removed thence to Maulmein. Among the members of this school was MeeShway-ee, whose memoir has been published in this country, and deserves a place among the most precious of our monuments of juvenile piety.

As Maulmein is the station of the British soldiery, it has become also the most prominent point of the operations of the mission. It is marked in missionary history, as a heathen town, which has been blessed with a revival of religion. The female school has been particularly distinguished; and a number of the scholars have been baptized. The whole number of baptisms, from January 1828 to March 1830, was sixty-two. During the year 1831, one hundred and thirty-six persons were baptized at this station.

The revival at Maulmein was largely shared by the British soldiers. They presented so interesting a field of labour, that Mr. Kincaid, on his arrival in November 1830, assumed the task of preaching to them, and, afterwards, became the pastor of the church in the army. It was thought expedient to make this band of believers a separate church from the native converts. Before the detachment left the place, the church numbered 113 members; 89 of whom were added during the year 1831.

Maulmein is the seat of the printing establishment, where Messrs. Bennet and Cutter assiduously labor to prepare tracts and portions of Scripture for distribution. Four presses are now at work, and a third printer, Mr. Hancock, has probably arrived.

TAVOY-KARENS.

By recommendation of the Board, and the advice of the brethren at Maulmein, Mr. and Mrs. Boardman commenced a station at Tavoy, in April 1828. He was accompanied by two native Christians, of whom one was a Karen, approved by the church, but not baptized, till his arrival at Tavoy.

He had no sooner arrived, than information was brought him of the Karens, a race of people, who reside at some distance from Tavoy. He was assured

that they would embrace the Christian religion, and invited to visit them. Their language differs from the Burman. In some of their characteristics, they resemble the North American Indians.

The Karens have now become the chief attraction at Tavoy. When Mr. Boardman visited them, he found them an exceedingly honest and devout people. They had among them a sorcerer or priest, who had in his possession a book, to which they all paid religious worship. It was left among them some years previously by an individual, who enjoined upon them several superstitious observances, and this, among the rest. It had been, for twelve years, the chief object of their curiosity to find out the contents of this book. On hearing of the arrival of Mr. B. at Tavoy, they supposed he must be the teacher, a belief in whose coming had been the chief article of their creed, and who, they expected, could explain the book. Too impatient to wait till the rains were over, and Mr. B. could go to them, they sent a deputation to him, a distance of three days' journey, with the sorcerer and his book, at their head. After unwrapping it in Mr. B.'s presence with great veneration, they presented it to him. It was an English prayer book. He immediately told them it was a good book—that they must worship not the book itself, but the God, of whom it spoke. Through the Karen Christian, who accompanied him from Maulmein, he was able to converse much with them on religious things. They listened with great interest, and urged him to visit them.

This incident has led to the developement of the most encouraging, important and laborious branch of the Burman mission. Several visits have been made among the Karens, which have been invariably marked by a happy issue, and an astonishing spirit of inquiry has been awakened among them. A church was soon formed at Tavoy, consisting of ten members, of whom seven were Karens, and one, the head man of a village.

When the station was assuming an air of the highest interest, the intense labors of Mr. and Mrs. B. had so impaired their health, that they were obliged to leave, for a while, and retire to Maulmein. But the Karen converts, in the mean while, were not inactive. "Their manner," says Mrs. Boardman, "has been such as to remind us forcibly of what we read respecting the Apostles and primitive christians. The chief, Moung So, and Moung Kyah, have taken such parts of the Scriptures as we could give them, and gone from house to house, and village to village, expounding the word, exhorting the people, and uniting with their exertions, frequent and fervent prayers." Such a course of means, steadily pursued, served to water the seed sown, and cause it to vegetate and spring up, and bear the harvest which Mr. B. on his return, was allowed to gather in.

It was not till December 1830, after an absence of seven months, that he resumed his labors, and then under the pressure of great weakness. He took with him Ko-Ing, an ordained preacher, and Ko-Thah-byoo. No sooner had he reached Tavoy, than his faithful Karens gathered about him from the country, bringing with them many who gave evidence of true conversion to God, and wished for baptism. Successive days were spent in a scrupulous examination of the candidates, and in the course of six weeks the best satisfaction was obtained of twenty three, who were admitted to the rite. While Mr. B. was filled with joy in beholding such trophies) of redeeming love, intelligence was brought, that a far greater number in remote villages which he had formerly visited, had obtained like precious faith, and were desirous to give the same proof of their attachment to Christ, but were unable to come to town. On receiving this information, together with an urgent request that he would without delay come to them, he consented, though he was at the time so exhausted by sickness as to be unable to ride or walk. A zayat was prepared for him at a distance of three days' journey, and every thing was made ready for him to commence the undertaking. It was at this juncture, so interesting and important, that Mr. Mason arrived. Nothing could be more in time, if we consider all the circumstances which followed.-Nothing could be more refreshing to Mr. Boardman than the countenance of a brother, sinking as he was un

der accumulated weakness, and with so great a work just before him-a brother with whom he might entrust those sheep in the wilderness, for whom he had cherished so great solicitude, and from whom it was plain he must soon be taken.

Mr. Mason, on first seeing the emaciated form of Mr. Boardman, hesitated respecting his contemplated journey; but when he perceived the ardor of his soul, and how much his heart was set on accomplishing the work proposed, he forbore all objections, and resolved to accompany him. On the 31st of January, 1831, they started, Mrs. B. in company, and Mr. B. borne on a cot.

After three days they reached the place, without any very sensible exhaustion. "During our stay, however," says Mr. Mason," he so evidently lost strength, that Mrs. B. on one occasion advised him to return; to which he replied with more than common animation, ‘The cause of God is of more importance than my health, and if I return now, our whole object will be defeated I want to see the work of the Lord go on.' Wednesday morning, it was apparent," says Mr. Mason, "that death was near. He consented, provided the examination and baptism of the candidates could that day be completed, to return. Accordingly a little before sunset, he was carried out in his bed to the water side, where, lifting his languid head to gaze on the gratifying scene, I had the pleasure to baptize in his presence thirty four individuals, who gave satisfactory evidence to all, that they had passed from death unto life.

In a day or two after, he died, while on the boat that was to bear him to Tavoy. He fell, like a good missionary, at his post; breathing out, in the fulness of a sanctified and satisfied heart, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace; for my eyes have seen thy salvation."

Mr. Mason returned to Tavoy, and took charge of the station. About forty individuals have since been added to the church-most of them, Karens, and residing in nine or ten different villages. The whole number baptized at Tavoy, during the year 1831, was ninety-six. In an excursion among the Karen settlements, lying more contiguous to Maulmein, during the first six weeks of the year 1832, Mr. Judson baptized 25 more of them.

The spirit of inquiry among the Karens around Tavoy seems not at all diminished. On the contrary, deputations and appeals are often sent from a long distance in the interior, entreating the missionaries to send one of their number to make known to them the way of life.

SCHOOLS.

Feeling the importance of implanting the principles of religion in the minds of children, schools have been among the favorite objects of the Board from the beginning. But the number of laborers in Burmah is so few, and their cares so pressing, that other occupations more strictly connected with preaching the gospel, have attracted their attention. Schools however, have not been neglected, nor have they been useless. Their establishment was a favorite object with Mrs. Judson; and, except at Rangoon, no station has been formed, where there was not a school in connexion.

At Ava, Dr. Price instructed the young princes. At Amherst, before the station was relinquished, a female school had already begun to diffuse light and holiness. And it was in Mrs. Wade's female school at Maulmein, that the first openings were visible of that revival, which resulted in the addition of many redeemed sinners to the church of God.

The schools for children at Maulmein, taught chiefly by the missionaries' wives, are increasingly interesting as means of doing good. The Karen school established above Maulmein, on the river, is taught by Moung-Doot; and as he and his wife are both pious, they may be expected to exert the best influence, not only on the children, but on the parents.

The schools at Tavoy are more interesting and successful. In a letter from Mrs. Boardman, dated in Jan. 1832, she says: "On our removal to Maulmein in 1830, our day schools in Tavoy were entirely broken up; and it was not till last April, that I found myself sufficiently at leisure to attempt anything

in that way again. I then opened a school with five scholars, under the care of a respectable and intelligent Tavoy female. We met with much encouragement, so that other schools have been since established and our number of day scholars is now about 80; which, with the boarding-schools, two village-schools and about fifty persons who learn during the rainy season, in the Karen jungle, make upwards of 170 under our instruction. The scholars in the jungle, of course, cannot come to us often; but a great many have been in to be examined in their lessons, and we are surprised and delighted at the progress they have made.

The children of the day schools in town, and some of the teachers, attend worship on Lord's day. About forty can repeat Mrs. Judson's catechism, and some have added to that the account of the "creation," the "prodigal son," the "rich man and Lazarus," and part of the "sermon on the mount." The little girls, about 40 in number, have many of them made good progress in needle work. But what gives me far greater pleasure, is the interest with which they listen to religious instruction, and the affectionate, docile disposition they manifest. They are very much ridiculed for studying the Christian books; but they bear it very patiently. One little boy, 11 years old, in the boarding school, has committed to memory 800 verses of Scripture, besides a short compendium of astronomy, geography and chronology.

One of the female schools, containing eleven scholars, is extremely interesting. Five of the scholars are members of the church; two have asked for baptism, and one of the remaining four is a very hopeful inquirer. They attend worship in Burman every morning and evening, and the female prayer meeting Wednesday fore-noon." The same letter says, "I have no doubt that village schools could be established with ease throughout the province, if some person acquainted with the language and manners and character of the Tavoyans, could devote all his time to the object. We have had two applications from villages a few miles distant, and have established one school with 12 scholars. Upwards of 10 children in another village are waiting, ready to enter as soon as the school-house is finished. We have now 7 schools in operation, besides the two on our premises, and those in the Karen jungle. The Karens throughout the province, believers and unbelievers, are exceedingly anxious to have their children taught to read.”

VILLAGE PREACHING.

This has been pursued with very encouraging success. The evidence, which it gives, of the spirit of inquiry throughout the country, and the zeal of the people to hear of the religion of Christ is most gratifying to the minds of the missionaries. The first excursion of this kind was made by Mr. Boardman around Tavoy. Similar ones have since been made by Mr. Mason, and by Dr. Judson around Maulmein, and between Rangoon and Prome. They go with two or three converts to aid them in the work, and provide themselves with large quantities of tracts. At every village, where the people will listen, they stop and preach; give tracts to those, who will receive them-in some instances at every house—and, if circumstances seem to require it, they prolong their stay, or leave one of the native converts for a while, to instruct them more fully. In some cases, the whole village has come to hear, and many have been brought to the knowledge of the truth. The following, from Mr. Mason's journal, is a specimen of the encouragement of these tours. 'Before sunrise, this morning I received a visit from the Chief of a neighboring village, who introduced himself with a present, and said he came to request books for his village, and to show me the way there.

While putting up tracts, he was careful to observe, "There are many houses in my village." He went round with me to every house, and exhorted the people to examine the books, and consider the doctrines therein taught."

Besides the tracts thus distributed, many from distant regions receive them at the missionary stations, and carry them to every part of the country. Some

interesting cases of conversion have occurred, of persons whose attention was first excited by tracts, found far in the interior. The following case, which came to the knowledge of Mr. Judson, deserves notice. "A man and wife near the head of the Pa-tah river, though not baptized, and never seen by any foreign missionary, both died in the faith; the man enjoining it on his surviving friends to have the "View of the Christian Religion," laid on his breast and buried with him."

PRINTING.

On the arrival of Mr. Hough at Calcutta, who was a printer as well as minister, the Serampore brethren presented our mission with a press and types. This department of labor, however, began to assume a more vigorous and encouraging character, on the accession to the mission of Mr. Bennett, in 1830. He has been incessantly occupied in printing tracts and portions of the Scriptures till the present time. Messrs. Cutter and Hancock have since been added to this department, and four presses are now at work. The translation of the New Testament is completed, and probably the whole New Testament is now in circulation. Twenty other works have also been prepared by the brethren-all but one of which-the Burman Grammar-are designed for circulation in the country. Since the arrival of Mr. Bennett, it is estimated that he has published, at least, 200,000 tracts. It is ascertained that Burman tracts can be published there at the rate of eight octavo pages for a cent. And when all the presses are in operation, it is supposed, tracts can be printed in Burmah, as cheap as in America.

MISSIONARIES.

The following table contains the names of all the missionaries sent to the Burman Empire by the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, with the date of their arrival there, &c.

Thus the whole number of missionaries now in Burmah is 17.

Messrs.

Webb and Brown, with their wives and Miss C. Harrington, who sailed from

this country in Dec. 1832, will increase the number to 22.