toil across the fiery dust of the Karroo desert; Mr. Jansen and Mr. Munro, in their long canoe, traverse the gorgeous and silent forests of Guiana, to visit the little Mission among the Indians below the rapids of the Berbice.  Mr. Murray, opportunely arriving in a screw steamer, prevents war among the Christians of Manua; Mr. Chalmers, voluntary leader of the band of converts who keep the John Williams afloat, sticks by the vessel to the last, and, with his brave wife, refuses to quit the ship till she is anchored safe in Sydney harbor.  While Mr. Philip, pastor and schoolmaster, doctor and lawyer, engineer and magistrate, of the flourishing Hottentot Christians of Hankey, when overturned in a ravine on a visit to his out-station, preaches to his people with a broken arm, rather than deprive them of that bread of heaven which they had come many miles to hear.  Who would not rejoice and thank God for such men?  Of the ninety Protestant Missionaries labouring in China, the five who stand first in public estimation for character, scholarship, and zeal are missionaries of this Society.  Among the five hundred missionaries of India, not a few of our brethren occupy a high and honoured place; while in all other of the older Missions the men who with fidelity and zeal have steadily maintained their posts for twenty-five and thirty years are numerous, and are all held in honour.  A just consideration of toil like this will show that never in the Society’s history had the Directors greater reason to thank God for the grace bestowed upon their missionaries, or stronger ground for holding them in esteem as workmen not needing to be ashamed.

[Illustration:  NAGERCOIL seminary.]

[Illustration:  School-house, CUDDAPAH.]

V.—­MISSIONARY STUDENTS.

While discussing, amongst other matters, the expense of the Society’s Seminary at Highgate, the Special Committee suggested an inquiry into the question of the training of the missionary students generally.  It was felt by them that the advanced position attained by our Missions in all parts of the world, gives to the missionary brethren, as a body, very great opportunities of usefulness.  A large number of them are called to be superintendents of several churches and many native agents, to be counsellors of native pastors and missionaries, and tutors in theological seminaries.  All the brethren in India and China may hold intercourse with Native scholars and priests, and have to defend truth and assail error by argument, spreading over a wide range of thought and knowledge.  Several of them have charge of educational institutions of a high order, and are associated with Native ministers who are themselves men of superior education and position.