EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM GRAND CAIRO. DATED DECEMBER 23, 1837. I AM anxious to send this by the next packet, and must tell you as briefly as I can that, soon after sending off my last letter to you, we purchased two dear little captives; one with the money sent by Mrs. Thompson; another with ten pounds sent by that excellent man, Dr. Malan of Geneva, with the promise that the same sum should be remitted yearly, for the child's maintenance. Thus far all was bright and promising one Christian friend after another seemed coming forward, to aid us in setting the prisoner free from earthly chains, trusting it was the Lord's means of rescuing them from Satan's cruel bondage: but scarcely was the purchase made, when a man, better acquainted with the English law than ourselves, determined to inform against us, although himself the proprietor of many slaves for the worst of purposes. Having purchased the children, we felt determined, if possible to keep them; but when we found, by the best authority, that transportation would inevitably follow if we persevered, and allowed the law to take its course, we therefore unwillingly and with much sorrow resigned our poor children to their wicked masters, who returned the purchase-money. I cannot pass from this subject without naming an interesting fact respecting the pasha.. You are perhaps aware that a Dr. Bowring has been sent out by Government, to obtain, if possible, some just idea of the present state of Egypt. He has been induced to look particularly into the state of slavery, and found, as all must do who give themselves the trouble to inquire, that an Englishman would blush to write its horrors on paper, even to his dearest friend. Dr. B. determined at least to make one effort with the pasha, towards the annihilation of slavery here, especially as he is waging a most unjust war on the poor Abyssinians at the present moment, paying the soldiers by permitting them to hunt for, and take as many Abyssinians for slaves as possible; of course, the more they took, the better their pay. Dr. Bowring urged every argument he was master of, to induce the pasha to alter his proceedings, until at length Ibrahim Ali very nobly promised in future to resign all warfare in human souls, and to take every measure in his power to prevent his subjects from doing the same; and also, before Dr. B. had left him, he had letters written to the chief officers of his army in Abyssinia, prohibiting them to take, or suffer to be taken, another slave. You ask me, dear Mrs. T, how we intend to maintain our children? Chiefly by the sale of such things as our friends kindly supply us with from dear England; also we are able to make many things in the girls' school for sale, which will forward the maintenance of the orphan school, so that materials for making-up, such as canvas, fine lamb's-wool, or worsted in shades, with rug needles and floss silk, we are much in want of. Baby-linen takes here very much, even among the Turkish ladies, and MAY, 1838. 2 G dressed Dutch dolls are liked; in short, bags, or any thing in the fancy or useful way will sell, either to natives or Europeans. If only the Cm ladies, who have so little to engage their time, would strengthen our hands in this way, or in any other, it would enable us to take more little orphans to train in the fear of the Lord; for it is to these dear children that we look for the fruit of our labours-it is by these that we hope to carry on the Saviour's cause among their countrywomen. Therefore I am so anxious to gather a little flock, whom we trust the Lord Jesus will bless, and make instruments of good in this dark nation, until he comes himself to destroy the enemy's power and kingdom. A LETTER FROM THE CONTINENT. Lausanne, March, 1838. MY DEAR FRIEND,-A residence of nearly five months in the Canton de Vaud-at present, perhaps, the most favoured spot in continental Europe with regard to religious advantages-enables me to communicate to you some information which may, perhaps, be interesting and instructive to the readers of your Christian lady's little periodical. After spending a few weeks, on my way from France, in Savoy, among an amiable population (in many respects), sitting contentedly in the midnight shade of Popery, I arrived at the famous city of Geneva, where the pleasure I felt at finding myself once more upon Protestant ground was considerably and speedily damped, first by the sight of the statue of J. Jacques Rousseau, enthroned in a small island in the Rhone which bears his name; and afterwards by finding that, though there has there, too, been of late a partial revival of the religion of the reformation, and a Societe Evangelique actively at work has been happily formed, still the upas-tree of Socinianism continues to overshadow the national church, and to separate between the genial influence of the sun and air of the kingdom of grace and those that worship within its enclosure. In some of the most fashionable shops of the town, the words DIEU SEUL are exhibited in letters of gold and enamel. I thought that it was a pity that the remainder of the creed of Islam, which would agree so well, was not subjoined, et Mahomet est son Prophete. But to proceed. Not being able to procure a convenient lodging in the town once sanctified by the abode and ministerial labours of Calvin and Beza, I proceeded hither on the following day, where I have now passed the winter. In the sequel of this letter I will proceed to tell you what I have seen, or heard of, good or bad, in this place since my arrival. I will begin with the good; and this, I am happy to add, is not a little. To begin with what is the most important of all:there has been a most happy general awakening among the pastors throughout the whole of this canton, so that there is scarce a parish which does not actually enjoy the benefit of what may fairly and justly be termed an evangelical ministry. In Lausanne, the beautiful cathedral in which Calvin, Farel, and Viret once disputed so powerfully, and with such happy effect, and the two other parish churches, are all well served; and I never attended at any of them (and I delight to frequent the national worship here as much as I can) without hearing the true gospel faithfully, and sometimes eloquently, and with much point and power, preached. If I were disposed to criticize, I would perhaps observe, that the style of preaching here is rather that of discours sur quelques sujets religieux, than of comprehensive exposition of the scriptures, doctrinal or practical. The sermons are generally, I believe, first carefully committed to writing, and afterwards recited, almost verbatim, from memory. How far this preaching has penetrated into the mass of the people generally, it is difficult to say: it is, however, the opinion of those most capable of judging here, as I have heard |