quirement. Professor Owen' thus eloquently refers to such a training.

"In the perusal of the Missionary's Travels it is impossible not to infer the previous training of a strong and original mind richly and variously stored; not otherwise could science have been enriched by such precious records of wanderings in a previously untrod field of discovery. Our honoured guest may feel assured that whilst the cultivators of science yield to no class of minds in their appreciation and reverence of his dauntless dissemination of that higher wisdom which is not of this world, such feelings enhance their sense of obligation for his co-operation in the advancement of that lower wisdom which our great poet defines as 'resting in the contemplation of natural causes and dimensions.""

The missionary must be well versed in common things. The following passage referring to the monastic orders of the middle ages, applies to modern missionaries similarly situated.

"The monks did not disdain to hold the plough. They introduced fruit-trees, flowers, and vegetables, in addition to teaching and emancipating the serfs. Their monasteries were mission stations, which resembled ours in being dispensaries for the sick, almshouses for the poor, and nurseries of learning. Can we learn nothing from them in their prosperity as the schools of Europe, and see nought in their history but the pollution and laziness of their decay?"

A knowledge of the resources and geography of the country in which the missionary resides, as well as of the manners, habits, customs, and prejudices of the people among whom he labours, is of great consequence to the missionary.

In several passages of his work our traveller gives us a picture of every-day missionary life. The stern reality of such 1 Speech at the Farewell Festival. 2 Travels, p. 117.

a life should be kept in view, rather than the romance or poetry of ideal wanderings among wilds and savages, and philoso phic surveys of uncivilized and idolatrous life. At Kolobeng, we find him helping to make a canal, preparing a garden, and building his fourth house, with his own hands. A native smith taught him to weld iron, while he had become handy in carpentering, gardening, and almost every trade. As his wife could make candles, soap, and clothes, they came nearly up to what may be considered as indispensable in the complete accomplishments of a missionary family in south central Africa1.

It is commonly agreed among missionaries and oriental travellers, that Europeans, and especially missionaries residing in the East, should be married. On the one hand the wife, when properly qualified, is a valuable help-meet; and on the other hand the Eastern nations look with great distrust on unmarried men, and hence their usefulness hereby is much impaired.

We close this part of our work with the following graphic description of a single day of missionary life.

"To some it may appear quite a romantic mode of life; it is one of active benevolence, such as the good may enjoy at home. Take a single day as a sample of the whole. We rose early, because, however hot the day may have been, the evening, night, and morning at Kolobeng were deliciously refreshing; cool is not the word, where you have neither an increase of cold nor heat to desire, and where you can sit out till midnight with no fear of coughs or rheumatism. After family worship and breakfast between six and seven, we went to keep school for all who would attend; men, women and children being all invited. School over at eleven o'clock, while the missionary's wife was occupied in domestic matters, the missionary himself had some manual labour, as a smith, carpenter, or gardener, 1 Travels, p. 20,

according to whatever was needed for ourselves or for the people; if for the latter, they worked for us in the garden, or at some other employment; skilled labour was thus exchanged for the unskilled. After dinner and an hour's rest the wife attended her infant-school, which the young, who were left by their parents entirely to their own caprice, liked amazingly, and generally mustered a hundred strong; or she varied that with a sewing school, having classes of girls to learn the art; this, too, was equally well relished. During the day every operation must be superintended, and both husband and wife must labour till the sun declines. After sunset the husband went into the town to converse with any one willing to do so; sometimes on general subjects, at other times on religion. On three nights of the week, as soon as the milking of the cows was over and it had become dark, we had a public religious service, and one of instruction on secular subjects, aided by pictures and specimens. These services were diversified by attending upon the sick and prescribing for them, giving food and otherwise assisting the poor and wretched. We tried to gain their affections by attending to the wants of the body. The smallest acts of friendship, an obliging word and civil look, are, as St Xavier thought, no despicable part of the missionary armour. Nor ought the good opinion of the most abject to be uncared for, when politeness may secure it. Their good word in the aggregate forms a reputation which may be well employed in procuring favour for the Gospel. Shew kind attention to the reckless opponents of Christianity on the bed of sickness and pain, and they never can become your personal enemies. Here, if anywhere, love begets love 1."

1 Travels, pp. 40—41.

Missionary Prospects in South Africa.

"Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand." 1 Kings xviii. 43, 44.

Dr Livingstone's career must be considered as opening out a new æra for South Africa. Although the missionary prospects of this region were before and are improving, still clouds and sunshine chequer the rising scene. Yet, in the event, the dawn of the morning of joy shall usher in upon this continent and elsewhere, the rising of the Sun of righteousness, which shall be for the healing of the nations, streaming with undiverted ray in azure and purple and gold over the everlasting hills of eternity, dispelling those doubts, fears and perplexities, as well as the unbelief and sinfulness which prevent the soul from seeing and being united with her Creator.

The Mission-field in South Africa.

"Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." St John iv. 35.

In the infant days of the Church, Africa seemed destined to be evangelized from the north. Such is not at present the prospect. Then were Councils and Synods held by African bishops, the decrees of which went forth apparently as a final authority in matters ecclesiastical, not only in Africa, but also in Europe and Asia. Then was the glory of the early Church upheld at Alexandria and Carthage, these cities being great centres of episcopal authority. Then did African martyrs and African confessors live the lives of saints and die the deaths of Christian heroes. Then were intellect, rank and the best qualities of our nature, sanctified and adorned by Christian gifts and graces, which made Africa appear to be the chosen genial soil wherein grace, mercy and truth might germinate and fructify. But no; all there is now almost a

natural and spiritual desert. The glory is thence departed, but is not to be forgotten. Time hath written Ichabod upon its shattered escutcheon in characters which even the dust of centuries has not effaced. Still some faint spiritual splendour flickers around it, phosphorescent though it be. The light is all but put out in the north, and must now advance from the other three quarters.

Travellers, voyagers, men of science and missionaries are by degrees telling us their wondrous stories of this land of mystery. It is now for the Christian to go in and possess it. The way is open and opening. The Apostles who go must be those of Christ; not those of mammon, of mere adventure, or proud ambition. In too many cases the white man's look on the poor negro has been that of the fascination of the basilisk, leading to harm and destruction. His breath has been that of moral and spiritual pestilence, his feet have been swift to shed blood, and his very presence has been like that of the baleful upas tree. Let not this be the case in central Africa. It is for the Christian Church to occupy this field first with her faithful ambassadors of Christ. Let these speak first of the white man's God; not of mammon, not of reason, not of pleasure, not of this world, but his God-the Trinity in Unity, reconciled by the sacrifice of a suffering Saviour. Let these shew the beauty of holiness by living that Gospel which the Church professes, teaches and believes. Then, if Satan's servants come afterwards, these keen clear-sighted savages will at once discern the wheat from the chaff, and, by God's grace, cling to the white man's good and eschew his blighting evil.

Dr Livingstone says most decidedly that the interior is the most promising sphere for missionary labours. Not only are the people less savage, but such operations may have great influence on the slave-trade. He has presented this odious traffic to the world in a new aspect; enabling us now to know both its real sources and principal abettors in the interior, as well as its probable cure.