4th, Were the country between the present Russian lines and the snow mountains brought into the same order with that on the north of them, other two itinerancies might be occupied,

-one of them on the south, in the Cabardian country, which, supposing Shorah correct in stating that, after all the ravages committed by the plague, &c. there are still 5000 men able to bear arms, must contain a population of perhaps 30,000;—the other embracing the Tartars south-east of the Russian lines on the Cuban, and a number of Abaza villages near the source of the Cuma, though a little to the south of a line due. west, might, to distinguish it from the others, be called the western itinerancy. These last two, however, could not be occupied at present, without imminent danger, and are mentioned merely to give a view of the Mohammedan population, which might be visited in pursuance of a regular system of itinerating, were political obstacles removed by the subjection of banditti, &c. to the Russian government, an event which is not at all improbable, and which, there is reason to conclude, would be a blessing to the inhabitants at large, both in respect of this life and that which is to come.

With respect to the encouragement afforded, in the adorable providence of God, for prosecuting the cultivation of this missionary field, (how unfruitful soever it may have been here

tofore) I beg leave to refer the Directors to the following extract of a public letter of the brethren here, whose experience and opportunities for making observations on this subject, are much greater than mine. "January 1, 1820. We have indeed been denied the pleasure of seeing any set free from the bondage in which they are held, yet we rejoice that the word gone abroad is, by the operation of the Spirit of God, mighty to the pulling down of the strong holds of sin and corruption; and, amidst all the misgivings to which we are apt to become a prey, as we think of the hardness of their hearts, there is one thing of which we have the fullest assurance, that "the word of the Lord will not return to him void, but that it will accomplish that which he pleases, and prosper in the thing whereto he sends it ;" and though we have hitherto been disappointed in the hopes we entertained of particular individuals whose hearts we hoped the Lord had touched; yet, on taking a view of the field we are endeavouring to cultivate, and comparing its present appearance with the aspect it assumed when we first began to break up the fallowground, there are some circumstances of an encouraging nature, which it would be improper to pass over unnoticed. Among others, we mention the following:-A sensible diminution of the bitterness discovered by the natives on having their attention directed to the truths

of the gospel. In former times their eyes, the tone of their voice, their every gesture, bespoke the existence of a bitter deep-rooted rancour, which, the moment it was touched, burst forth in angry words, and sometimes in rude behaviour. Traces of this spirit are indeed to be found occasionally still, and of its existence in the hearts of multitudes, there is no room to doubt; but now, the outward expression of it may be considered as a kind of exception to their general behaviour towards us; whereas for years after our arrival, we could scarcely open our mouth in the name of Jesus without feeling its effects. Another circumstance, connected indeed with the one we have just been describing, is a partial abatement of the horror felt by the vulgar, at the idea of being counted gewrs, should they listen to us, and relinquish the religion of their countrymen. Still, it is a term of reproach, and will continue to be so, till the darkness in which they are involved be dispelled; and still the multitude feels a horror at the idea, somewhat akin to that which a devout peasant would feel in our country at the idea of being counted an infi del; but with all these allowances, the abate ment in the feeling is such, that many of them can bear to look on the fictitious evilbeing reckoned a gewr, without starting back as they would do at the sight of a dragon,

or as a person would avoid one who is infected with the plague. In the course of last month, one of them called on Messrs Glen and Galloway, and declared himself to be a Christian (although he did not wish to confess this before his countrymen), and was willing to be baptised immediately, and submit to any course of discipline we might appoint. Another Mohammedan, who called before the applicant for baptism retired, wished to be informed, whether, if they were embracing our religion, they might live in Naiman village among their countrymen and kindred, or if it behoved them to remove to Karass ;—a question which involves in it a kind of acknowledgement, that they could contemplate the idea of living as professed Christians in the midst of Mohammedans, in that village, without being much hurt at being reckoned gewrs, or being seriously alarmed at the effects of the persecuting spirit of their brethren. This inference is the more probable, that we could discover no evidence, alas! of the existence of that faith which overcomes the world, in any of them, and consequently declined doing any thing farther than instructing them more fully in the way of the Lord, and urging them to repeat their visits for instruction, particularly on the Sabbaths,which, it is to be lamented, they have not done.

"There is only one other circumstance to which we beg leave to advert, as furnishing encouragement not to desist from our labours, -the growth of a spirit of indifference in observing the rites of their own religion. This fact is notorious, and often deplored by their Effendis, as a sign that their religion in this quarter is coming to an end. Now, the more indifferent they become to the rites and the tenets of Islamism, the less formidable are the prejudices to be encountered by the Christian missionaries, in recommending to them the gospel of Christ. We need scarcely remark, that this difference, observable in the field we are cultivating, is the effect of a process which does not by any means imply the commencement of a radical change of heart. But the same almighty power which has produced a perceptible difference in the points adverted to, and partly, we hope, through the instrumentality of your missionaries, may yet render the word preached by us, effectual in turning some of them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to the kingdom of God's dear Son. And when it is considered, that, in other quarters, where the labours of missionaries have issued in the conversion of the natives-Otaheite for example, a superficial change somewhat analogous, preceded the throwing away of their idols, and their embracing the Christian religion, may we not indulge