and 1 Cor. xv. 57. The chapel was crowded to excess. All the churches with which Mrs. Gill had been connected, including Melbourne, were represented by affectionate friends in these solemn gatherings. "Not lost, but gone before." "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."

KENNARD.-Feb. 6, at Billingshurst, Sussex, Rebecca Mary, wife of the Rev. J. F. Kennard, pastor of the Old G. B. church in that place. She was a native of Sevenoaks, Kent, in which town she resided for upwards of fifty years. In very early life she was the subject of deep religious impressions, and was from childhood to the year 1850 connected with the Wesleyan body, and frequently dwelt upon the good she received from the ministrations of the Revs. R. Treffry, Potts, J. Knowles, S. R. Hall, and others, with whom she was upon terms of intimate friendship. In 1850 the Methodists at Sevenoaks became disturbed, and the deceased, with her husband, left them, and received and enjoyed many Christian privileges and much kindness from the ministry of the Rev. F. Smith, (then of Sevenoaks), of Downton. During the last two or three years of her life, she saw and felt the necessity and importance of Christian baptism, but failing health prevented her from being baptized. For eighteen months she was a great sufferer from dropsy, and though from this disease she partially recovered, she was stricken in the last week of 1871 with paralysis, followed by pleurisy and bronchitis; and, exhausted by these combined maladies, without a struggle or a groan she fell asleep in her Saviour. She was buried in the burial ground attached to the Billingshurst chapel by her much-esteemed friend, the Rev. J. C. Means, of London, who on the following Sabbath preached from 1 Cor. xv. 3-5, seeking to show that the two great facts of human sinfulness and human mortality were met by the consoling, blessed truths expressed in the text. During her last illness she repeatedly gave expression to the comfort which her Christian hope afforded her. "I wished," she said on one occasion, "for some precious text to sleep upon, and this came to me with great power, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee'" (Jer. xxxi. 3). At an. other time, after reciting the Saviour's invitation, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," she went on, "I feel him near. 'My Father's house on high! Home of my soul, how near At times, to faith's foreseeing eye, Thy golden gates appear!'

I shall soon be there, and we shall meet again. Yes, we shall meet again."

STARK.-Feb. 28, 1872, at Burnley Lane, Burnley, Charles Stark, aged 23. He was a teacher in the Sunday school, and had been a member of the church nearly three years. He died five months after his marriage, leaving a youthful widow and a large number of relatives to mourn his loss, but who "sorrow not as those who have no hope."

SHARP.-John Sharp, of Shore, departed this life in the peace and hope of the gospel, Feb. 14, 1872. Though he was about 75 years of age when baptized, he became a devoted and consistent member. In his sickness he was very happy, desiring soon to arrive at his heavenly home. J. M.

SOUTHWELL.-Thomas Henry Southwell, of West Bar, Shore, died March 8th, 1872, aged 14. He was a scholar in our Sunday school, and was very quiet and studious. During his short sickness he prayed very earnestly for the salvation of his soul. Out of his weekly earnings he had saved about £2, which he desired his parents to give on his account for the missionaries. sorrowing brother and sister, with whom we very deeply sympathise, have already carried out the desire of their dear boy, and passed the above sum to their pastor, to be given to our Foreign Mission. We trust the Lord has not only accepted the gift but saved the giver with an everlasting salvation. J. M.

Our

SYKES.-Thomas Sykes was born Jan. 13th, 1839, at Bolton. In Sheffield he first attended the New Connexion Methodist chapel, South Street, but he left, and did not for a while attend any particular place of worship; but by the persuasion of his wife he united with the Baptists, who then assembled at the Vestry Offices, Cemetery Road. For thirteen years he was a member of this society. He was of a quiet disposi tion. He worked in the Sunday school for a number of years, and conducted the infant class with great efficiency. He was not a brilliant man, but he made good use of the talents he had in the Lord's service. He died Jan. 8th, 1872, in the faith of Christ, aged 32 years. He has left a wife and two children to mourn his loss. May the Lord comfort and guide them!

SWAN.-Elizabeth Swan, one of the early converts of the late Rev. T. Stevenson, died at Loughborough, Jan. 9th, 1872. She was of humble origin. Her mental capacities were not brilliant, but her knowledge of Scripture and remembrance of sermons were most remarkable. She died in the thorough confidence and trust in her Saviour at the age of 85, "an old disciple."

SOWTER.-Mrs. Sowter, of Wymeswold, died Feb. 14. 1872, aged 71. Throughout her affliction she was divinely sustained by the consolations of the gospel, and her end was eminently peaceful and happy. She was buried by Rev. E. Stevenson, Feb. 18,

Cuttack, Feb. 20, 1872.

You have heard of the assassination of His Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General of India at the Andamans by a life convict, and no doubt the terrible tidings have sent a thrill of horror throughout the United Kingdom. We heard here of the sad event with deep feelings of sorrow and intense abhorrence of the crime. I see from the papers that it was communicated to the Parliament on Monday the 12th, but it was not known at Cuttack till the following afternoon, when we were all in the midst of preparations to welcome His Excellency to Orissa as the representative of the best of Queens. The Commissioner had gone to False Point to meet him. It had been publicly notified that he would land at Jobra Ghat on Thursday, the 15th, at four p.m., and we should all have gone to greet him with the honour due to his high position, and to show our hearty loyalty to Her Majesty the Queen. On the Friday he would have held a durbar such an one as Orissa has never seen the durbar tent was pitched (the like of it I have never seen), and we had received invitations to attend. At noon His Excellency and Lady Mayo would have come to the Mission compound to see the orphans, all of whom, with the missionaries and a large number of the native christians, would have given him a hearty greeting, and as the party entered a chorus of happy voices would have sung, in pleasing harmony, an Oriya verse, the burden of which is, "God bless and save Queen Victoria, and grant that peace and prosperity may abound during her reign, and that the kingdom of Christ may be greatly extended." The Mission banner,* prepared for the occasion with appropriate mottoes expressive of the orphans' welcome, would have eclipsed in elegance and beauty all the other banners prepared for the festal day. An address

For which we were indebted to the ingenuity, skill, and diligent application of two friends.

would have been presented from the missionaries and native christians, in which they and we should have suitably expressed our loyalty to the throne and family of Her Majesty, and our grateful sense of the many benefits enjoyed from her benignant sway. We should, in this address, have expressed our acknowledgments for the freedom we enjoy in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in seeking, by persuasive methods, the conversion of the natives to our holy faith. The native christians would have gratefully acknowledged the perfect liberty they enjoy in professing the doctrines and observing the rites of the christian faith: they would, no doubt, have said that, so far as they were concerned, the gracious promise of the Queen's proclamation had been faithfully kept, and that they had enjoyed "the equal and impartial protection of the law." The address of the orphans would have acknowledged the liberality of government in providing for their temporal wants when, by the direst of calamities, they had been bereaved of father and mother; it would have referred to the tender loving care of those to whom they were entrusted; and, above all, the infinite compassion of Him in whom the fatherless find mercy would have been reverently acknowledged: they would have told His Excellency that, in their experience, the gracious words written by an inspired bard respecting Christ a thousand years before His advent had received their fulfilment-"He shall save the children of the needy."

We had been invited to dine at the Commissioner's with the Viceregal party on the evening of the day (the 16th) anticipated with such lively interest. Mrs. Buckley had politely declined, and I should have been disposed to do the same, but as it was intended to show respect to the Mission, in deference to the opinions of the brethren, who thought it desirable that the Mission should be represented, I had ac

cepted the invitation. Alas! how have all these bright prospects been overcast, and a scene anticipated with the warmest interest exchanged for one of gloom and sorrow!

The news came on all like a startling thunder-clap, and the first thought was, Surely it cannot be true. I cannot describe the effect it produced. I do not remember any public occurrence that has so deeply affected our native christians; and I may, and indeed ought to add, our native fellow subjects in general. All the rajahs (twentyfour in number) and zemindars had come to pay their homage to the Queen's Representative; and among the rajah's was one-the Rajah of Poore-who had never sat down with the tributary rajahs, and many supposed that he would not come, but the difficulty was surmounted.

A meeting of the gentlemen of Cuttack was held on Thursday evening to express sympathy and condolence with Lady Mayo, and was nunerously attended. An address which had been prepared to forward to the Private Secretary of the late Viceroy was read. It appeared suitable, as far as it went, but some of us thought that it did not go far enough. I suggested that human sympathy could avail little under a trial so heavy as that which had befallen this noble lady, and that the only real consolation must come from above. I therefore proposed that the following words be added-" And that we express our hope that in this overwhelming calamity Her Ladyship may be sustained by the enduring consolations of christianity."

The Commissioner seconded the proposed addition. It was obnoxious to a small number in the meeting; but the general feeling was strongly in its favour, and when put to the vote was carried by a majority of about ten to one.

The Lord reigneth. This thought sustains the christian's mind. A little time ago the head of the law in India was struck down by the blow of an assassin; and now the head of the State has been laid low in the same dastardly manner. In both cases when we heard the stunning news, and before we could know the particulars, we instinctively thought, the murderer must be a Mussulman, and so it proved. Some will, no doubt, be saying now,

as they did when the Chief Justice was assassinated, that there was no political motive. I cannot accept this view. The dangerous element in Indian Government is Mohammedanism. We can never conciliate the followers of the prophet; they hate us because we are rulers of the country, and their hatred will be perpetual. They tried open warfare fourteen years ago, and as they now see no chance of success in playing that game, they are trying another course. I believe there are many honourable exceptions, but fear that in general the remark will hold good. Did you know that Abdoollah, the assassin of the Chief Justice, went from Orissa to Calcutta? It has not so far as I know, been stated in the papers; but it is perfectly well known that he spent a month or two at Cuttack, and nearly a year at Bhuddruck. He went from the latter place to Calcutta. Well, the Lord reigneth! No evil can befall us without Him.

THE readers of the Observer who are acquainted with Sutton's "Orissa and its Evangelization" will remember that this was one of the central points marked out to be occupied by our Mission. Sutton, however, like all the early missionaries, only saw this important sphere afar off. Thirty-seven years ago it was occupied for a short time by the Rev. J. Phillips and the Rev. Eli Noyes of the Free-will Baptist Mission. The wife of the former found an early grave, the two brethren became so dispirited with frequent attacks of fever, that they fled in haste to the northern part of the province. We have visited the lonely grave, and have been painfully interested with a detailed account, given to us by a native, of the circumstances connected with the death and burial of this devoted woman. We shall be able, in our report, to give some evidence that the labours of these good men, though of short continuance, were not in vain.

Six years ago, after very much hardship, brother Miller, in company with three native preachers, reached Sumbulpore; but two of the native brethren

were so prostrate with fever that he was reluctantly compelled, after a stay of about a week, to return to Cuttack. His visit is not forgotten, and we have found traces of his work in regions which he never saw.

We had for years been anxious to visit this locality, but the journey was so great, and the time required to accomplish it so long, that we were never able to carry our purpose into execution. This year, however, we resolved to make the effort, but we found it no easy task to induce any one to accompany us. For a month we were completely cut off from the receipt of any letters, and for many days had to live as best we could; but we met with such a rich recompense in our work that we care not to chronicle our suffering. In the regions beyond Sumbulpore we have visited many villages where not only no missionary had ever found his way, but where, according to the repeated statements of the people, no European had ever been seen before. In these tracts the name of Christ was as strange as though he had never appeared in the world. It is beyond my power to describe the thrilling scenes that we witnessed. Everywhere we were received as the angels of the Lord. Old men and women wept aloud that they had lived to see the day when they heard of Him who had

power on earth to forgive sin." So anxious were the people to hear the message of salvation, that they invited us to their homes, showed us all manner of kindness, and we often found it most difficult to get away. We began to realize, as we had never done before, the imagery of the Hebrew bard, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation." The story of Christ's love seemed to act like a charm; every word to the eager throng was like "the water of life." But nothing awakened more interest than the teaching of Christ of a future life. When we told mothers who had mourned the loss of their infant sons that they were not lost, as they had supposed, but safe in a Saviour's arms, and that if they followed Christ they might see them again, "and live and reign with them for ever," we touched a chord which nothing else would. We had palpable

evidence, whatever sceptics may say to the contrary, that the Word of God, in all its native simplicity, does meet the wants of all classes and conditions

of men. It has been generally supposed that the women of India were quite inaccessible to missionaries; but however true as it regards other parts, it is not true as regards this. For 200 miles in a direct line we have had almost constantly women amongst our hearers.

Nothing has more impressed us during our long journey than the magnitude of this great country, and the vastness of that portion of this great empire that has been assigned to us; and I have never before been so completely overpowered with a sense of our utter inability to carry out Christ's last command. The Central Provinces, of which Sumbulpore is the eastern division, contain within their area 82,860 square miles, and yet this tract of country is almost as much a terra incognita to the masses of the people in England as the interior of Africa. Sumbulpore, with its native states and zemindaries, contains about 23,000 square miles, and not less than threefourths of the people are Oriyas. With the information we have obtained of these parts, I think it would be possible now for us to have a correct map prepared of the Oriya country. It is

altogether a mistake to call Orissa a province of Bengal, for a large portion of the country is in Madras, and a still larger in the Central Provinces. Five hundred miles is a long stretch, but you may travel that distance on the line of route from Midnapore to Pala Rote right into the Ranehi district, and find Oriya more or less spoken all the way. Whatever may be the Jubilee motto at home, "the gospel for every Oriya" ought to be our motto abroad, and there must be unceasing restless activity until this has been accomplished.

Sumbulpore, and the surrounding country, has long been the scene of anarchy and confusion; and it was found no easy task to crush out the spirit of rebellion that was rife in many of the native states and kingdoms, and even as late a period as ten years ago, it would not have been safe for me to have gone through some of the parts I have visited. Last week we passed the range of mountains where the final victory was gained. A most remark

able educational movement has been commenced, and the thirst for vernacular education is such that there is nothing to be compared to it in the whole of India. I will furnish full particulars of these schools in time for the Annual Report. In another communication I will give an account of the visit of the Chief Commissioner, the durbar which he held, and the important work we did amongst the native princes, zemindars, and the thousands of retainers that accompanied them.

When I reach Cuttack, which I hope to do before the end of the month, I shall have been out a longer time, travelled a greater distance, have come in contact with a larger number of people, than I have ever done before during all the years of my missionary life. We leave our work with Him whose servants we are; daily we have sought His blessing, and as "His word abideth for ever," we are sure we cannot have laboured in vain.

Paul Singh and Makunda Sahu, my fellow labourers, have proved themselves worthy of their office and work. Such men are our glory and joy. May the Spirit of glory and of grace rest upon them.

EXTRACTS FROM MINUTES OF COMMITTEE MEETING HELD AT LEICESTER, MARCH 12TH. IT was announced that Mr. Thomas Bailey, from India, landed on Feb. 29, for a year's furlough in England.

Resolved, That we cordially welcome our dear brother, Thomas Bailey, on his return to this country for a year's furlough, and rejoice that in the kind providence of God he has been brought home in a good degree of health and strength. SERIOUS ILLNESS AND RETURN OF MR. G. TAYLOR.

Letters and medical certificates were read stating the necessity for Mr. Taylor's return to Europe for the restoration of his health.

Resolved, That we express our sincere sympathy with our dear brother Taylor in his heavy affliction, and, though much regretting the necessity for his return home, the committee will be prepared to give him a cordial welcome on his arrival in England. CORRESPONDENCE IN REFERENCE TO A MISSION TO ROME.

The committee recorded their deep interest in the question of a Mission to

Rome, and referred the full consideration of it to the annual Committee Meeting at the Association; meanwhile the secretary was requested to obtain further information, and to invite Mr. Thomas Cook to attend the meeting. In the event of a missionary being sent to Rome, one friend engaged to give £10 a year for five years, and other subscriptions were promised.

DEATH OF MR. FREDERICK SQUIER.

It was reported that this esteemed brother and member of the committee died on the evening of March 11th.

Resolved, That we hear with profound sorrow of the decease of a very highly valued member of this committee, Mr. Frederick Squier, of Nottingham, and do respectfully tender to Mrs. Squier our sincere condolence under this afflictive dispensation of divine Providence.

It will be remembered that Mr. Squier was appointed with Messrs. C. Roberts, G. F. Bayley, and the Secretary to act as a sub-committee for missionary deputations. In a letter lying before the writer, dated Dec. 30, 1871, he observes, "I hope not a single church will be without a deputation or meeting, or both, this year. It would be very gratifying if it could be reported at the annual meeting that such was an accomplished fact. If only the expenses were covered, it would be desirable that even the smallest church should commence to hold its annual meeting." One of the last acts of his life was to append his signature to a circular from this sub-committee. The circular had scarcely been printed before it was announced that he had passed away.

GENERAL BAPTIST FRIENDS ON THE NILE.

WITH a double tourist party of eleven ladies and nineteen gentlemen, occupying two of the Khedive's steamboats, I have been spending the last twenty days between Cairo and the first cataract, exploring the chief places of interest in Lower, Middle, and Upper Egypt, the trip culminating in an interesting district of Nubia. "Books

in the running brooks," and "Sermons in stones," have been beautifully symbolized by one of our sweetest christian poets; but the "brooks" and "stones" of ordinary observation bear but faint