found who was willing to undertake the work, and appeared suited to the station, I engaged him in behalf of the Missionary Society, and of the church or congregation. In this way I succeeded in introducing most of our missionaries into the field, under circumstances very favorable for their usefulness.

Results of this plan.

The first and most obvious result of this movement, was the increase of knowledge among Christians in regard to the actual state of Canada. It was necessary for me, in finding out the condition of the country, personally to inspect the state of churches and congregations. In doing this work, I found an amount of destitution, combined with an intense desire for the preached word, which made an impression on my own heart that was not easily effaced, and gave me much accurate knowledge of the nature, as well as amount of the spiritual wants of the people, as enabled me clearly (in my own estimation at least) to ex he subject to the christian public, v never I had the opportunity of ada.essing them. It was necessary, then, to proceed to the seminaries in the United States, and visit individual ministers who were supposed to be willing to make Canada a place of labor; and thus procure suitable men. I accordingly went twice to Andover, and twice to Auburn, and spread before those institutions the wants of the land. Some came and labored for a limited period; others are now pastors in the province.

scendants-if not sons-of New-England, who were perishing for lack of knowledge; one missionary only had come. Now, an association of pastors meets with him, and they take sweet counsel together: five churches which were then either without the stated means of grace, or had not come into existence, now listen every Sabbath to the instructions of faithful pastors. Had it not been for the late unhappy civil commotions, it is believed that at this moment, our field would have presented a spectacle in the wellordered pastoral relation of ministers and people, that would have gladdened the hearts of God's people. No less than four churches, which within the last four years were furnished with pastors by means of my agency, are now vacant, owing to circumstances growing out of the political state of the country. One of these churches has ceased to exist-all its members having removed; and yet this was a church signally blessed by the outpouring of God's Spirit-I allude to La Prairie. On the whole, there has been a decided and happy advance in favor of the truth in many portions of this province.

Another important result of the agency has been the stimulating of God's people to other means of doing good. One of these was the plan of securing suitable teachers for common schools, by securing their board, &c., in the school districts, and their salary from the Sabbath schools in the United States and this province, aided by collections from churches. At that time there was no provision for the schools by government, and the people gladly accepted our offer of help.

More than twenty such teachers were at different times engaged in their work, and from 1000 to 15,000 scholars have been from time to time taught by them. Hundreds of Roman Catholic children have been thus taught to read the

MISSIONARY TOILS AND PRIVATIONS.

JAMES II. 15, 16.

"If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?"

I JOHN III. 17.

"Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwell

eth the love of God in him?"

How long I shall be permitted to remain in M. I cannot tell. I can derive no adequate support from the people to whom I now preach. My salary the past year has not exceeded a copper the grant of your Society. This has enabled me to pay about one half of my current expenses, and my wife's school has paid the other half. I am still hard pressed; my aged mother is calling on me for help; the Education Society has recently reminded me of my indebtedness to them. These calls, together with the calls right at my door, lead me to fear that I cannot labor as a missionary in M., unless your benevolent society continue to extend to me their continued support. My wife is doing more than she is able, to help me through with my embarrassments. Indeed, I sometimes tremble lest she should sink under her excessive labors. She has two children, her own house work to perform, and a school of thirty-five scholars. She has no time to be idle a moment, from morning to night. I am necessarily from home three days in the week on my missionary circuit.

From another Report. You would better understand,

I felt very much on reading this note, as I saw how the ministry was brought into disrepute. But the good man has since returned the money, saying, "I can never take money of any man, who is under such circumstances as I find you are at present. Pay me when you can."

We were in great want of some clothing. As Mrs. S. was fixing off our little boy to the office one evening, to see if there was any thing for us, she wept over his destitute condition, for we knew not how to obtain any thing for him at present. The little boy went out, and came back, bringing a letter from the Home Missionary Society, containing $25, and we wept again, and tried to praise God for his great kindness in sending us timely aid; and we also felt reproach for distrusting him as we had done.

VOL.XI.

8

MISSOURI.

The Iron Mountains.

The location of this town, and the peculiar advantages of the surrounding country, as it respects climate, fertility, and beauty of surface, cannot fail to secure it a liberal share of the immigration that is now pouring into all parts of the West. The famous "Iron Mountains" lie about fifteen miles from this place; they are indeed a part of the "wonderful works of God." To convey to you a faint idea of their extent and richness, imagine yourself standing at the foot of one of them, rising to the height of 600 feet, the base measuring a mile in circumference; upon this area is heaped to the height of one eighth of a mile, the purest iron ore perhaps in the known world, in pieces weighing from twelve ounces to as many tons.

Should the company now formed, get forges and furnaces in operation for the manufacturing of this material, upon a plan as extensive as the quantity will justify, it will be a source of great wealth to this part

of the state.

"Ironsides."

A few weeks since, we had a meeting of our Temperance Society, at which I gave an address upon the traffic in ardent spirits. This meeting was well attended, and the result showed it was not without profit. The pledge was circulated, and fourteen names were obtained. Among these I was happy to find the signatures of several of our most respectable citizens, who until that hour had refused to join the society. I recognized, in the congregation, the countenance of an aged preacher, of the anti-missionary order, or as they are sometimes called the Ironsides, who, perhaps, has been the instrument of making more drunkards, than he has led sinners to the Saviour. He has made money by distilling. At the close of the lecture,

I good humoredly took him by the hand, and asked him, "can you subscribe to all that was said." He replied, "No, none of it." His conduct, in the grocery, the next day, showed that he was sincere in his answer. This man says he speaks by inspiration. If ideas are infused into his mind by any spirit, it is feared they are from that of which he drinks so freely. The wife of another minister came to the store of one of my elders, the other day, and wished to purchase a gallon of whiskey. Being told that they did not keep the article, she censured him for it, stating that "she would not give one good dram of whiskey, in the morning, for all the coffee in the country. It is true, both of the drinks could be dispensed with very easily, but when one is retained, our women in the West usually prefer coffee; but this seems to be an exception to the rule.

These instances will serve to show that very much still remains to be done in the temperance reform; but when I say, that in this village of one hundred inhabitants, we have two complete drunkeries, where is acted all manner of evil, the truth, that reform is needed, will be still more apparent.

Missionary Spirit in the West.

In this church, the most of whose members are Germans, there are a few whose views of the conversion of the world are enlarged. They are willing not only to give and to pray for the spread of the Gospel in heathen lands, but are willing to go and spread it themselves. From one family, a son and daughter have determined to give themselves to the work. The young man is now pursuing his collegiate studies, and advances well. The young lady intends going to an academy shortly, to complete her education. The mother of these devoted children says she loves them tenderly, but can cheerfully give them up to this work, and rejoices that they are willing to go.

THE LEAD MINING DISTRICT.

From Rev. A. Kent, Galena, I.

IMPORTUNATE PLEA FOR MINISTERIAL AID. It is now ten years since I came here, and during all that time I have called in vain for help. The whole mining country, on both sides of the Mississippi, is still destitute of any other permanent laborer of our denomination than myself. And, under these circumstances, I have felt disheartened from further efforts to persuade any one to come over and help me. But there is a field of labor in this vicinity, composed principally of farmers, where there are members enough to form a respectable church, where they are now building a house for worship, and where they have ability to do something. I think that two or three hundred dollars might be made up for a minister, and more after the first year. We have mourned over this desolation, and have determined to make one more effort for that people. I would gladly visit them as I have been accustomed to do, but my work in the village is now so arduous, that I cannot itinerate as formerly. The population of this village is estimated at three thousand. The Episcopal minister has become chaplain at St. Peters; the methodist minister is about leaving, "and I only am left." I ask, then, and I do it with a heavy heart, is there no one among the thousands of ministers in the East, that will come and labor in this interesting field? Oh, if we could have the hundredth part of the mental energy which has been expended the last year in useless controversy, employed in preaching the Gospel in its simplicity (and whether old school or new, it maketh no matter to me,) we should soon see wonders of grace wrought in that new settlement. Will you not, then, amidst other pressing calls, interest yourself in our

behalf?

Rev. J. A. Clark, of Fort Madison, was at Dubuque a few Sabbaths since, and formed a church of nineteen members. They are as sheep having no shepherd.

Platteville, a thriving village, twenty-five miles in the interior, and due north of this, is calling loudly for a Presbyterian minister. They offer liberally for building a house and supporting a minister; but no Presbyterian, to my knowledge, has preached there for a year or two. Cannot some method be hit upon church, and make them feel that more to bring this matter before the ministers must be provided, or we Cannot christian paare undone. of consecrating their sons to the mirents be made to feel the importance nistry.

ILLINOIS.

VARIETY OF PREACHERS.

In a former report I gave some account of the difficulties to be encountered. We cannot expect a great and sudden change. The people are very much in the habit of going to hear all sorts in their turn; and just imagine what jargon there is in what they hear.

The first preacher comes, with a long grey beard hanging down on his breast, and tells them that, "if there is a hell let it be shown us, that we may know where 'God will have all men he saved,' and so away with your hell fire, temperance societies, Sabbath schools, and other schemes for making money!"

A third tells them that "believers are chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world.” "By grace are ye saved." "How foolish to think to make folks better by Bible classes and temperance societies." "These Presbyterians are thinking to take God's work out of his hands." "What have works to do with salvation ?" "Let children grow up and choose for themselves."

A fourth tells them that "Christ sent his disciples to baptize for the remission of sins." "Sins are not remitted without baptism." "The Holy Spirit does not come down till after immersion." "Men are naturally innocent, and sin from bad ex