Mr. Burton, General Baptist minister, of Portsea, thus describes their departure. "Brother Hudson arrived at Portsea on Saturday, May 6, and the next day preached our annual sermons for the missions, and made collections morning and evening. The morning attendance was about an average; and in the evening our spacious chapel was crowded to excess. The afternoon service, however, was the most extraordinary of all. Mr. Hudson had kindly consented to deliver a short address to the teachers and children of our sabbath-school; but the report of a missionary about to sail for China, being engaged to address the Clarencestreet sunday-school, having 'got wind,' as we express it at Portsea, the chapel was literally besieged some time before the hour of service, you would really have supposed, by all the children and teachers in the parish. O, it was a glorious sight! a juvenile congregation of at least 1600 children, with their beloved teachers, all behaving with the most perfect order, and all singing, with the most perfect harmony, and with thrilling effect 'Ye hearts with youthful vigour warm, In smiling crowds draw near !' Mr. Hudson, taken as he was by surprise, delivered an address remarkably appropriate, impressive, and likely to be useful. On Wednesday evening, too, we had a very excellent service. There was a congregation of at least 800 persons. Mr. and Mrs. Jarrom, in consequence of having been misdirected, did not reach the chapel until nearly the end of it. The interest of the meeting, however, was well sustained by ministers of various denominations who were present; and our friend Mr. Hudson took leave of the church and congregation in a manner which was deeply affecting to the minds of our friends, especially those of them who bade him farewell when he departed for Jamaica, now nearly twenty years ago. 'The Duke of Portland,' a beautiful bark, arrived at Spithead, on Saturday morning, soon after day-break, and at nine o'clock the passengers received orders to go on board; but, as the ship was lying out at sea, at least four or five miles, and wind and tide against us, we did not reach her much before eleven o'clock. We were all delighted with the beauty of the ship, pleased with the politeness and christian bearing of the captain, and somewhat amused with the variety of creatures on board-ducks and geese, sheep and pigs, goats and rabbits, and I know not what besides. About four o'clock in the afternoon, with wind and tide in their favour, they 'got under weigh,' and were very soon out of sight. I hope they will have a prosperous voyage, and be made very useful in the vast empire of China." Mr. Hudson wrote a short note in the vessel before she started, in which he says-"The vessel is a good one, our cabins are comfortable, the captain is a pious man, and, from what I have seen of the three passengers who are going with us to China, we anticipate a comfortable voyage. Dear brother, we are now bidding our friends and country farewell. Perhaps we shall meet no more on earth. For the sake of Christ, and for the good of souls, we leave happy England, endure the perils of the deep, and go to dwell in a pagan land. God requires it, Christ commands it, and the cry of perishing millions demands it. The millions of China are saying, 'Come over and help us.' We go to declare the unsearchable riches of Christ, to hold forth the word of life, and point the guilty millions of China to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. The Lord help and bless us ! The 'land of Sinim' calls us hence, To tell the joys of pardoning love; We are all well, and in good spirits. Give my kind regards to all our friends, and remember me to brother Stubbins. He and our friends will be going in June. The Lord crown all our labours with success! Adieu! adieu!" FOR ORISSA, EAST INDIES. On Monday, June 16, Mr. and Mrs. Stubbins, (returning to India) Mr. Bailey, Mr. Millar, and Miss Jemima Collins, embarked at Portsmouth. Mr. Bailey had been set apart to the work at Nottingham, and Mr. Millar at Heptonstall Slack, in Yorkshire, before large and interested congregations. At Leicester, a parting service was held with Mr. and Mrs. Stubbins. The spacious chapel was crowded to excess; and the most affectionate sympathy was displayed towards Mr. and Mrs. S., who were leaving their infant family in England, whilst they returned to the scene of their former labours, on the shores of distant India. Mr. Stubbins wrote a note from the vessel, "off Dartmouth," in which he says, "On Monday, June 16, at half-past eleven, we repaired to the vessel, lying three or four miles from the shore. The weather was serene and beautiful. You will suppose what were our mingled emotions as we raised our feet from our happy native isle, never, probably, to set them on it again. A thousand scenes, near and remote, rushed like a mighty restless torrent into our minds. We thought of the land we were leaving, which we now loved better than ever; the affecting scenes at our services at Leicester; the almost unnumbered and unremitted acts of kindness received from friends in almost every place; the parting kisses of our dear smiling children, seemingly unconscious why every one else could scarcely find utterance for the painful word, farewell. When capable of realizing our position we found we were fast receding from the shores of our fatherland. I believe we all rejoiced that we were, and think any one of us would have felt it a sore calamity if we had been obliged to return with the party who accompanied us to the ship. We had not been on board long before our friends were obliged to leave, as the ship was under weigh. The wind was quite against us, so that we got on slowly, till about six last night, when it freshened up and became more favourable. We are now going along rapidly. The captain is exceedingly courteous and kind. We have on board a German missionary going to Tranquebar. He can scarcely speak any English. About thirty passengers and more than a hundred soldiers going to Calcutta. Brethren Bailey and Millar have both suffered from sea-sickness-the former very much; the others are well at present. "Time is gone. Am glad we are where we are, and going whither we are. We love you all, dear friends in England, most affectionately; but we believe it is our duty to go far hence unto the gentiles. In this confidence we gladly bid you |