down the total expenditure of the Society to a point much nearer the range of the Society’s ordinary income than it has for several years past.  They have provided, however, only for the necessities of their present operations.  They need a larger income still, if the friends of the Society would wish them to undertake that extension of their Missions into new fields which the world needs, for which the missionaries earnestly plead, and which they themselves are most anxious to secure.  The effect of the system on certain of the Native churches has been a most healthy one.  As hoped for, it is beginning to stimulate them to manliness, and to a more earnest consecration, not only of their means, but of their personal service to the Saviour’s work.

III.—­THE SOCIETY’S PRESENT OPERATIONS.

The revision now described has furnished materials for exhibiting, in a more complete form than usual, the present agencies of the Society, and some of the results with which its labours have been blessed.  In a few of the older Missions of the Society, the duty of instructing the heathen has been almost complete; the population are nominally Christian, and in most of these communities there is a strong nucleus of spiritual life in a valuable body of Church members.  This is the case in Polynesia, in the West Indies, and in many stations in South Africa.  Around many strong churches in Madagascar, in India, and in China, the sphere of heathenism is still very large.  Several stations in those Missions—­well planted for the influence required of them—­may now be occupied by the Native minister instead of the English missionary.  The number of chief stations in all the Missions is 130.

The native churches of the Society are 150 in number.  They contain 35,400 members:  in a community of nominal Christians, young and old, amounting to 191,700 persons.  Of these, nearly 13,000 are in Polynesia; nearly 5,000 in the West Indies; over 5,000 in South Africa; and 3,400 in India.  The converts under the Society’s care speak altogether twenty-six languages.

The general scope of the Society’s efforts, so far as figures can show it, is set forth in the following Table:—­

General summary.
+----------------+--------+---------+---------+--------+----

-----+
|                |English | Native  | Native  | Church |  Native |
|   missions.    |Mission-| Ordained| Preach- | Mem-   |  Adher- |
|                |aries.  | Pastors.| ers.    | bers.  |  ents.  |
+----------------+--------+---------+---------+--------+----

-----+
|1.  China        |    21  |      4  |     40  |   1265 |    2367 |
|                |        |         |         |        |         |
|2.  North India  |    18  |      6  |     20  |    284 |    1374 |
|                |        |         |         |        |         |
|3.  South India  |    22  |     11  |     65  |    882 |    3408 |