THE

MISSIONARY

OBSERVER.

JULY, 1877.

Abstract of the Sixtieth Annual Report.

IN laying the present Report before the friends and supporters of the Mission, your Committee cannot but refer, in the first instance, to the serious losses which the Society has sustained during the past year, in consequence of the removal, by death, of your esteemed Secretary and Treasurer, the Rev. J. C. PIKE and Mr. THOMAS HILL. That two such prominent and devoted friends of the Mission should be called away within four months of each other appears a remarkable dispensation of Providence. Mysterious and marvellous as these removals are, may we not hope that they will be over-ruled for good; and, to check any spirit of murmuring or misgiving, ought we not to hear the voice of God saying, "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth."

Notwithstanding notices of the life and death of your honoured brethren have already appeared in the Magazine and elsewhere, your Committee consider it only right that a reference should be made, in this Report, to the valuable and long-continued service which they have so ably rendered to your Society.*

Nor can your Committee omit a reference to their old and honoured friend, the Rev. THOMAS HALL HUDSON, who died at Ningpo, China, on Thursday morning, September 7th, 1876, aged seventy-six years.*

In view of the solemn bereavements recorded in this and former Reports, may we not well ask, "Our fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever?" Let us be admonished by them to do the work of life, and as, one by one, ministers and missionaries, secretaries and treasurers, collectors and contributors, pass away, let us for our encouragement learn to read with a new emphasis the assuring words of our ascended Lord, "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hades and of death."

With one exception, the forty brethren who formed your first Committee have passed away. With one exception also, the first Secretaries and Treasurers of the Mission are numbered with the dead. Among the missionaries, too, the roll of the dead is longer than the roll of the living. Bampton and Peggs; Lacey and Sutton; Allsop and Hudson; Cropper and Grant; Brown and John Orissa Goadby; together with noble and heroic women not a few, are all gone. They "rest from their labours," and now, in concert with the redeemed in * See Report.

heaven, adopting and adapting the language of your honoured and sainted brother, Dr. Sutton, they can sing in sublimer strains than they ever reached on earth

"From Burmah's shore, from Afric's strand,

From India's burning plain,

From Europe, from Columbia's land,
We all have met again."

Other men have laboured, and we enter into their labours. And with a living Christ, the cause we represent to-day must be carried on to a successful issue.

Proceeding in the usual order, we will now give a brief review of the various Mission stations.

BERHAMPORE,

Your most southern station, is the largest town in the district of Ganjam -a district which was brought under British rule A.D. 1769. The town contains a population of 22,000, and the district of 1,520,000, of which 1,000,000 are Oriyas. The area of the district is 8,313 square miles, or greater than the united counties of Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Rutland, Lincoln, and Norfolk. The number of villages is 4,562, which on an average contain over three hundred people each.

Mr. John Henry Smith has resided here during the past year. He having resigned and returned to England, the station is now occupied by your brethren Pike and Wood. A report in English has been supplied by two native brethren which contains many facts of interest.

The statistics of the year are, baptized, 13; restored, 16; received, 8; dismissed. 5; excluded, 6; members, 129; total community, 328, i.e., including the branch stations.

PIPLEE.

Last year the erection of a new chapel was announced; this year a new mission house has been built. The various agencies in connection with the station have been well sustained. New houses are being erected for the famine orphans, and a few from the heathen have joined the nominal Christian community.

The statistics furnished by Mr. Bailey are, baptized, 8; received, 1; restored, 3; dismissed, 6; excluded, 4; dead, 3; total Christian community, including the out-stations of Bonamalipore, Bilepadda, and Asrayapore, 541.

POOREE.

The number of pilgrims to Pooree has been unusually large; estimated at three hundred thousand. With the view of attracting the people and filling their own coffers, the wily pundabs and brahmans have raised and circulated reports to the effect that the planetary influences were very auspicious this year; that the stars in their courses would not be equally favourable for another century to the worshippers of Juggernath; that the sea would be turned into butter-milk, in honour of "the lord of the world," and that pilgrims bathing in this sacred element would be favoured with a vision of the god. A sad loss

ABSTRACT OF SIXTIETH ANNUAL REPORT.

277

of life is reported owing to a crush when the temple door was opened. Cholera has had an alarming number of victims, not only at the shrine, but in the track of the returning pilgrims. The city and its pilgrims have been so often described by your missionaries, that this year a description is supplied from Dr. Hunter's recent work on Orissa. An interesting case of conversion is given by another Pooree convert. For the use of the missionaries and native preachers a bungalow, or house, is much needed. Who would like the honour of building one for the Lord's work in this centre of idolatry?

CUTTACK.

In this your oldest and largest station, the work has been carried on throughout the year with pleasing results. Forty-two have been baptized, among whom were nine Europeans or Eurasians. One is the son of an English clergyman, and is a member of the Indian Civil Service. Another is of Roman Catholic parentage, and had been carefully trained in the doctrines and ceremonies of Popery. The proclamation of the Pope's infallibility, and the perusal of a tale in the Sunday at Home entitled "Within Stone Walls," undermined his faith in Popery. A third had been brought up a Papist, but had become an Episcopalian, and a most active and useful member of the Church of England. He attributes his conversion to the reading of one of Spurgeon's Sermons, and his becoming a Baptist to the perusal of the Bible. A fourth is the grandson of an English missionary, who laboured many years in the Madras Presidency.

The return of Dr. and Mrs. Buckley, after an absence of nearly two years, was hailed with joy. The removal of Mr. Bond to Calcutta, after a residence in Cuttack of twenty years, has occasioned great sorrow, particularly to your venerable sister, Mrs. Lacey, who, with one exception, is now in her old age deprived of children and grandchildren. All will devoutly pray that in her declining years she may richly enjoy the comforting and abiding presence of Jesus. In the removal of Mr. Bond, all your missionaries in India feel that they have lost the presence and countenance of a real friend- —a friend who has not only presided at missionary prayer-meetings, conducted occasionally English service, acted as superintendent of the Sabbath school, been "given to hospitality," been for many years the largest subscriber to our various operations, but who has loved our Mission, and built us a synagoguenay two, a chapel at Piplee as well as one in Cuttack-and also a Mission house at the former station.

In the Report, interesting details are given of the Orphanages, Schools, Mission College, Press; also of the out-stations of Khoordah, Khunditta, Chaga, Minchin Patna, Macmillan Patna, etc. Reference is also made to Bible and Zenana Work. Exceedingly interesting accounts are given of itineracy among the heathen. The brethren are also most anxious to extend their work to "the regions beyond," and to occupy the vast but spiritually destitute district of Sumbulpore, in the Central Provinces of India. To enable them to accomplish this, they require at the least two more men. Who will go? Whom shall we send?

The amount received for all purposes at Cuttack during the year is 16,835 rupees, 6 annas, or £1,683 10s. 9d., of which sum 3,544 rupees,

5 annas, or £354 8s. 9d., are from the voluntary offerings of friends ; which sum may be taken as a testimony by friends on the spot to the value of your Mission.

STATISTICS.

The general statistics for the year are, baptized, 72; received, 1; restored, 7; dismissed, 18; excluded, 14; dead, 9; members, 884; Christian community, 2,347; chapels, 10.

An interesting statement is also given of the Northern Orissa Mission.

THE ROME MISSION.

It is now six years since, at the Association at Nottingham, soon after the opening of the gates of Papal Rome, a proposal was made to unite with the Rev. James Wall in his noble efforts to make known to politically liberated Romans the simple truths of the gospel. But it was not until the Association at Burnley, two years later, that any money was voted for this object.

All that we then contemplated was the payment of the expenses of a native Evangelist, to labour under the direction of Mr. Wall. In the autumn following the Association, Papal Rome was consternated by the manly renunciation of Popery by the Rev. Canon Grassi, who had officiated in one of the principal churches of the city. His baptism; his letter to the cardinal vicar of Rome; his citation to and noble defence before the Inquisition; the fulmination against him of the Pope from his Vatican prison; his subsequent marriage to a Protestant lady; and his continued steadfastness and labours in a densely populated part of the city; present a course of events which have justified the selection of the Committee in their selection of Signor Grassi as an Evangelist and a co-operator with Mr. Wall.

After two years the Committee enlarged the grant for payment of expenses, taking upon themselves the payment of rent of the house occupied by Grassi, and the incidental charges for lighting, etc.

But still more was required to give stability to the arrangements of the station, and to afford scope for the labours of Grassi and an assistant teacher, a doctor of divinity, who had seceded from the Franciscan order, and who for more than two years has been steadily devoted to the interests of the school which he established in the preaching rooms occupied by your Evangelist.

A considerable number of converts have gone from the Monti where Grassi preaches to be united by baptism to the church founded by Mr. Wall.

These facts and circumstances led to the consideration of providing accommodation of the threefold character now embodied in the group of buildings in course of erection. To attain this object the Committee advanced one thousand pounds first, to pay for the site, and then another thousand to commence the works, which have a fair prospect of completion by the time specified in the builder's contract, viz., the end of

ABSTRACT OF SIXTIETH ANNUAL REPORT.

279 October. Mr. Wall will doubtless give to the Association, and to the churches that he may visit, full particulars on all matters connected with the present state and prospects of this important Mission station; and the Committee earnestly implore the Association to give hearty sanction to the arrangements that will be proposed for raising the £3,000 necessary to reimburse the advances made from the funds of the Society, and for the completion of the works.

Your Committee contemplate no separation from the work carried on by Mr. Wall; and acting as one with the Committee of the larger Baptist Missionary Society, they reasonably rely upon assistance from Baptist friends of every section.

Whilst pilgrims and votaries of Popery in every part of the world are pouring their treasures at the feet of the Man of Sin, it is incumbent on the lovers of the Saviour to strengthen the hands and encourage the hearts of those who are engaged in the conflict with error at its chief seat of power.

THE FINANCES.

Your Committee are happy to report that, notwithstanding a year of great and wide-spread commercial depression, the ordinary income of the Society has more than equalled the average of the preceding three years. They are also glad to state that after making special grants to the amount of £320, and after paying the passages to India of Dr. and Mrs. Buckley and Mr. and Mrs. Wood, there is still a balance in the bank of £1,055 5s. It should be remembered, however, that this balance has arisen partly in consequence of a diminished staff of missionaries in Orissa. In view, therefore, of a prospective increase of expenditure both in Orissa and Rome, your Committee will rejoice to see the ordinary income reach £5,000. They desire to thank their juvenile friends for the interest they have shown in the Mission by collecting nearly one third of its income, and, for the sake of the children themselves, as well as for the sake of the cause, will be glad to learn that Juvenile Societies have been established in connection with all our Sabbath schools.

SURVEY AND CONCLUSION.

In concluding this, the SIXTIETH REPORT, we purpose to take a brief survey of the work done and the changes wrought since the First Report was printed. That Report, which is a small unpretending affair, and consists of eight 12mo. pages, announces contributions to the amount of £150. In 1818 no Report was published; but in 1819, owing to the illness of the Secretary, a Report was drawn up and read by the late Mr. Stevenson, of Loughborough. In 1855, the year of the venerable Mr. Pike's death, the Report was drawn up Dr. Buckley. With these two exceptions all the Reports of your Society have been prepared by father and son; and, all things considered, we think they will bear comparison with those of any other Society.

Contributions from the Churches.-The ordinary contributions, not including sums received from legacies, mission stations, or other societies, have been as follows: