The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-12 00:00:00

CEYLON.

It was stated in the last Report that a great impulse had been
given to the operations of the Society in Ceylon, by the Visita-
tion of the Bishop. His Lordship spent a month at Colombo,
in the spring of the year 1821, and devoted his whole attention
to the spiritual affairs of that important station. He called a Spe.
cial Meeting of the District Committee, and presented them
with 3001. from the King's grant, for the special purpose of
translatinc, and printing the Society's tracts in the native lan-
guages of Ceylon. At his suggestion a printing-press, with an
ample supply of paper and ink, has been sent out to Colombo,
for the immediate use of the Committee. This, it is hoped,
will prove a most effectual instrument of promoting religious
knowledge in Ceylon ; and when the urgent demands of that
island shall have been in some degree supplied, the press will
be transferred to the Bishop's College at Calcutta.
The Board, however, has great satisfaction in reporting that
the District Committee at Colombo have already accomplished
a most important work in aid of the Christian cause. " I have
the pleasure to inform you," says the Rev. Mr. Lyon, the Se-
cretary (in a letter to Dr. Gaskin, dated February 1, 1821),
" that the printing of the Cingalese Prayer Book is at length
finished ; and herewith you will receive a complete copy, un-
bound, for the purpose of being deposited in the Society's
library. I believe it is the intention of the Archdeacon to send
another copy by a different ship, in case any accident should
happen to the first. One thousand copies have been printed,
many of which are already in circulation."* As this work was
finished in the beginning of 1821, there is little doubt that the
whole impression is by,this time distributed : and when it is
further considered, that besides this version of the Common
Prayer, some excellent Tracts in the Cingalese tongue may
shortly be expected, there is strong reason to believe that the
efforts of the Society in this part of the empire, will soon be
productive of the most substantial benefits.

DIOCESE OF QUEBEC.
From the Diocesan and District Committees in British Ame-
rica, very favourable intelligen6 has been received. Two re-
ports have arrived from Quebec, and two from Montreal. In
the spring of the year 1820, a large consignment of books to
the amount of 3651. was received at Quebec. A portion of
them was immediately forwarded to the Committees in the Dio-
cese ; to the Missionaries " at Riviere du Loup, and in the
district of Gaspe ; to the Rev. J. Jackson, at William Henry ;
and to the Rev. Mr. Stevens, chaplain to the forces at Fort
George, in the Upper Province, as well for the use of the
troops, as of a small but zealous congregation, to which he of-
ficiates at Queen's Town. The townships of Ernest Town and
Matilda, the new military settlement at Perth, in the Upper
Province, ,#nd the township of Eaton and settlement of Drum-
mondville, in the Lower Province, were likewise partially sup-
plied. Confirmation tracts were distributed to all the Clergy in
the diocese, preparatory to the Bishop's visitation ; and every
opportunity. •was taken of circulating the books as widely, and
making them as generally useful as possible."
The Quebec Committee further report, that the sale of books
at the depository in that city, during the year 1820, exceeded
that of the two preceding years together. Great attention has
been paid both at Quebec and Montreal, to the establishment
and regulation of schools on the National System. In May,
1821, the number of children in the Central School at Quebec,
was 268 ; and during the winter months an additional school
was opened in " a barrack room on the Cape, for the recep-
tion of such children of the emigrants, (by whom the barracks
are occupied), as were unable to attend the Central School.—
The number of these children at one time amounted to about
50, and they were supplied with books gratuitously from the
Society's depository."
This Committee has also been labouring with great diligence
to disseminate the National System of Education through the
Diocese of Quebec. " Several masters have been partially in-
structed, and others perfected in the system, by attendance at
the Boys' School at Quebec. Of these last, one has been ap-
pointed schoolmaster at the new military settlement of Rich-
mond, in the Upper Province, and the other placed in charge
of a school of royal foundation at Phillipsburgh, in the Seig-
niory of St. Armand. A supply of the books necessary to the
introduction of the system, was in both instances gratuitously
provided by the Diocesan' Committee."