The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-12-10 00:00:00

makeroom.) Thisyear,lB3B, isalsomarkedbythevisitofthe Bishop
of Australia to New Zealand, and thevery gratifying testimony he
bears, hi a letter to the society, to the character of the missitm-
aries, the numbers of their converts, and the work generally of
the mission ; in this year as well, the question of the coloniza-
tion of New Zealand was taken up by the British parliament,
and it is not c aiming too much for the mission to that country
to ascr be to it, under God, the first step in the movement to-
wards that grand and available tract of country, and towards
the civilization ,nd improvement in every way of the noblest
and finest race of men to be met with in the annals of heathen-
ism. But, in the next year, we find a Romish settlement making
its appearance, consisting of a bishop and eight priests, and a
French ship was expected to bring ten more ; but there is com-
fort in the reflection that, before their arrival, the New Testa-
'tent was in rather extensive circulation amongst such of the
natives as could read, and the history of the mission at that
1 period spews us that the delusions of Romanism make but slow
progress, when it was brought in contact with the word of God;
verifying the wise saying of one of our bishops, that " the-best
book of controversy ever written against the church of Rome
was the New Testament." The report of 1840 gives an account
of 12 stations, 233 communicants, 8760 attendants On pub'ic
worship, 72 schools, containing a total of 170 scholars under
Christian instruction. Each successive year adds to the im-
portance of this colony, for such it is and has been since 1840,
when Lieutenant-Governor Hobson assumed the sovereignty
of both islands in the name of England's Queen. His testimony
to the help and Christian kindness he experienced at the hands
of our soc.ety's missionaries, and especially his grateful acknow-
ledgments to Mr. Davis are as honourable to the Governor, as
they are creditable to him who deserved and received them;
and the confidence he reposed in the character and trust-wor-
thiness of the mission generally, is evidenced by his appoint-
ment of Mr. Clarke, for sixteen years the faithful and la-
borious catechrist of the Mission, -to the responsible and im-,
portant office of Protector of the Aborigines. The rapid
growth of the colony in every respect of late years is so fami-
liar to most of you that a I assing allusion will be sufficient
to some of the leading events and circumstances of the
present condition of this wondrous mission. The number of sta-
tions, clergy, converts, schools, &c., rendered Episcopal Super-
intendence not only desirable but necessary : and accordingly Dr.
Selwyn, consecrated Bishop of New Zealand, sailed for his remote
diocese in December 1311, and landed in Aukland, on the western
side of the northern Island MaylB42, and his early letters, no less
than subsequent accounts, lead us to anticipate great things on the
future, to " thank God and take courage " It was found necessary
to divide the society's stations into districts: there are four dis-
tricts tie Northern comprising seven stations, amongst them
Tepuna (to which tie first station of Rhagee Hoo has been trans-
nrred) superintended by Mr. John King; the society's oldest
labourer, and who has been in the mission from its very com-
mencement. Waimate the nrinciple station of that district : where
there were in 1841 381 native communicants, 24 schools with 781
scholars, and during the preceding year there were 252 adult, and
99 infant baptisms; and Paihia, under the Rev. Henry Williams.
The Middle district containing
,fire stations. The Eastern dis-
trict, under the sole care of Rev. Win. Williams, the only European
for two years in charge of this immense district. Its geographical
extent is 161) miles on the map, but from the difficulties of the
road it takes twelve or fourteen days to pass thiough it. And yet,
"it is not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of
.hosts," the progress is wonderful. The number of worshippers
on the Lord's day amounts to 8,000: there are 1,400 candidates for
baptism under weekly instruction : 878 adult native Christians, and
363 children— Western district, the establishment of which origi-
nated in a request, about the year 183-3, from the Chief of Belau,
an island in Cook's Skraits, to establish missionaries amongst them :
the request could not becomplied with at the time; about six years
after two sons of the Chief ca%e a voyage of 500 miles to the Bay of Is-
lands to repeat the request of their father Ranparatan, it was found
that those young chiefs could read well ; nay more, it appeared that
in many of those villages the Lord's-day was observed, public wor-
ship was held, and so forth. And all this was owing, under God,
to the labours of a native named Matahan, who had formerly lived
with the Rev. H. Williams at Paihia, and subsequently proceeded
to the neighbourhood of K ipiti, where he continued to be actively
employed in diffusing a knowledge of the Gospel. Many incidents
preserved in the society's reports attest the spread of r;tal truth,
amongst the natives, and the deep desire they entertain to be pos.
sessed of copies of the Word of God. Within four years the num-
ber of professing Christians 'advanced from 2,000 to 35,C00 'Cha-
pels and churches and schools are in progress, and the wilderness
is gradually beginning to look glad, and the desert to blossom and
bloom as the rose. It is needful, however, to be active both at honie
and abroad: the emissaries of Rome are on the alert, though as yet,
thank God, without much success. I must content myself with
repeating the numbers of our schools and stations, as presented in
the last annual report, viz.:-22 stations, 2,851 communicants, 283
schools, 15.431 scholars, Brethren, recal to your minds now the
unpromising aspect of this mission for many a tedious year after
its first commencement. Would even the sainted and heroic Mars-
den himself have ventured to anticipate a state of things so full of
bright promise for a blessed future? And shall not our hearts beat
high in the hope of greater and better things yet in reserve ? Mis-
sionary work more than any other tries the faith and patience of
those engaged in it. Brethren, be instant in prayer for our dear
brethren employed in the Lord's work afar, that His word may
have free course and be glorified. " Prove me now," saith the
Lord, " if I will not open the windows of heavers, and pour you
out a blessing till there be no room to receive it." We shall reap
if we faint not. We have enough to encourage us. The command
is still in force, "Go to all the world and preach the Gospel"; and
the promise is still unrecalled, " Lo I am with you always, even to
the end of the world." And now, sir, I have done I perceive,
from the indulgent tone of the meeting, that I have their sympathy
in the arduous task of compressing the history of more than thirty
years within the compass of an hour. If I have beets enabled to
do it in any degree worthy of its importance, I have done as I would,
wish; but if I have fallen far short, I have done it at least to the
best of my ability. If I could suppose that you, sir, and this meet-
ing would derive as much profit from my address, as I myself ex-
perienced delight in the labour of preparing it, then I would enjoy
the happy conviction that you would no more think your patience,
than Ido my pains, misapplied. The rev, gentleman resumed his
seat after this admirable address, (the preparation of which must
have cost him inconceivable labour and research,) amidst tumul-
tuous demonstrations of the meeting's gratification.
The CHAIRMAN said he was quite sure the meeting
must feel deeply thankful to tire two reverend gentlemen
for their most able and interesting addresses. They had,
themselves, proved the utility of these supplementary
Meetings.

The hymn "All hail the-powers of Jean's name" was
then sang ; and the proceedings terminated a few minutes
before nine o'clock.

DIOCESAN CHURCH BUILDING SOCIETY..—tip Mon_
day, the 2nd instant, a meeting was held on behalf of the
Diocesan Church Building Society, at Bolton, established
by the Lord Bishop of Chester, about eight years ago. The
Right Rev. Prelatetook the chair, and explained the objects
of the society, which, he said, since its commencement, had
expen.led £33,000 in assisting in the erection of fifty-
five churches in tne dio.tese.

CASE OF STABBING.—At the Town-hall, Ashton-
under-Lyne, on Wednesday last, a man named Thomas
Moss was brought before the magistrates, and committed
to the Liverpool assizes; for having stabbed another man,
named James Forfay, on the Saturday previous. Front
the evidence of complainant, who was assisted into court
and supplied with a chair while he was giving his evi-
dence, it appeared the wound had been inflicted in a
"repeal" row.

FATAL ACCIDENTS.—On Thursday an inquest was held
on the body of Thomas Horrocks, aged seventeen, a
sailor on board the ship Washington, whose thigh was
accidentally !crushed by the jib-boom against the side of
the vessel ; and being removed to the South Hospital,
mortificati-n, and caused his death. Also, on view of
the body of George Brooks, publican, opposite Duke's
Dock ; the deceased was a blacksmith, and being a very
strong man, he attempted, by himself, to lift a quantity of
iron plates. which he raised as high as his breast, when
the weight over-balanced him, and the iron falling upon
his chest, killed him upon the chest, killed him upon the
spot.

The melancholy accident which took place on Friday
morning in the drift mine formed between the north end
of Scotland-street and Canal-street, Edinburgh, in the
line of the Edinburgh, Gra-Iton, and Leith Railway, cast
a gloom over the city, and tended to excite alarm in the
minds of many persons resident in the vicinity of the
works. In another part of this day's paper will be found
a report by Mr. Grainger, civil engineer, which establishes
satisfactorily that the company are blameless, and that
there are no grounds for uneasiness as to the future. We
understand that a subscription has been set on foot on
behalf of the families of the unfortunate sufferers, who are
in destitute circumstances. £3O has already been attest-
ed; and we shall be happy to receive contributions, how-
ever small, in aid of this charitable object.
ANTIQUITIES AT EVERTON.—A few weeks ago, during
the operations which have been going on in connection
with the new park at Everton-brow, two relics cf mili-
tary warfare were found in the earth, about a foot from
the surface. One of them, the remains 9f a large sword,
or sabre, was taken up in a garden belonging to Mr. Hal-
liday, at the back of a small house known as Prince
Rupert's Cottage ; the other, which is a portion of a fire-
lock, was discovered near the church ; both are very
much corroded by the action of the weather, and a part
of the sword appears to hive been broken off. The most
probah:e conjecture is, that they have been embedded in
the soil since the period when Liverpool was besieged by
Prince Rupert in 1644. They are now in the possession
of Mr. William Halliday, of the Everton Coffee-house.
NEW STEAM-SUIT CANIBRIA.—This fine vessel, just
fitted out by Mr. Robert Napier, made her first trial-trip
on Tuesday, from Greenock to beyond the Cumbraes, and
back again, and proved to be quite successful. The stroke
of her pistons is seven feet and a half, and the revolutions
of the paddle were in number seventeen per minute;
giving the vessel a speed of needs fourteen miles per
hour. This vessel is a counterpart of the Hibernia, built
about a year ago, which is considered the perfection of
transatlantic steamers ; and now completes the fleet of
the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-
Packet Company. She left the tail of the bink on Wed-
nesday for Liverpool, and will arrived here at eleven
o'clock on Thursday morning after a passage of fifteen
hours. After she had anchored in the Sloyne, she was
visited by Sir William Stanley, Bart., the Hon. Mr.
Baring, one of the Lords of the Treasury, the Hon: J.
Stanley, of Alderley, and John Stanley, Esq., who ex-
pressed theiradmiration with her machinery and accommo-
dations. The Cambria is next on turn for America.
SCENERY IN EGYPT.—Frequently the pyramids of
Sakkarah, Abousir, and Dushour became visible in the
distance towards the south ; but though they are many in
number, I could discover no more than seven. The ap-
pearance of the country continued exceedingly fine; and
the rocks and gray sand-hills of the desert, which bounded
our view towards the west, seemed only to enhance by
contrast the splendour of the intervening landscape. It
would appear to be mere prejudice to suppose that a fine
level country like Egypt contemplated through an atmos-
phere of extraordinary purity, with a surface diversified by
all the accidents of wood and water, rustle. architecture,
flocks and herds, and hemmed in by rocks and sands eter-
nally barren, must necessarily be insipid and unpictu-
resquc. The landscape now before me was beautiful ; and
there are artists in England who, from such materials, and
without overstepping the modesty of nature, could create
pictures to rival the softest scene among the words of
Claude. The date-palm itself is a lovely object, far more
lovely than I have ever seen it represented by the pencil;
and when beheld in its native country, relieved against a
deep blue sky. or against the yellow sands of the desert,
with a herd of buffalos, a long string of laden camels, or
a troop of Bedouins passing under it, lance in hand, it
constitutes a perfect picture. But when we have before
us whole forests of these trees, of all sizes, from ten to
one hundred feet in height, intermingled with mimosas.
acacius, tamarisks, and Egyptian sycamores, more noble,
if possible, than the oak, disposed in arched echoing
walks, with long green vistas, glimpses of cool shady
lakes, villages, mosques, pyramids, the whole over-cano-
pied by a sky of stainless splendour, and glowing beneath
the pencil of that arch-painter, the pun, nothing seems to
be wanting but genius to discover the elements of the
most magnificent landscapes.—Library of Travel.