and America, he visited almost every institution | ing, as far as possible, the condition of their of a charitable or philanthropic character which dwellings. The Provident Bedding Association, came in his way, encouraging its promoters supported by the contributions of a few individ in their laudable efforts, suggesting any im-uals, an unobtrusive charity, of which not much is provements in the management or organization known, was entirely under his direction; and we which he considered would increase its efficiency, are assured by those who have watched its opera and exhibiting proof of his cordial sympathy and tions, that it has supplied many indigent fami co-operation with all who, like himself, were in- lies with comforts otherwise unattainable, and terested in the alleviation of human suffering. that those of the poor who have availed themReligious institutions, or rather institutions selves of its offered advantages, evince the most connected with religious efforts, and designed to grateful appreciation of the services it has renbear more particularly on the moral and spiritual dered them. condition of society, were, if of an unsectarian and expansive character, objects of his warm approval. Of this class was the British and Foreign Bible Society, to which he was ardently attached. Its noble object, and its broad and catholic basis, recommended it at once to his adoption, and he not only supported it at home, but embraced every opportunity of aiding its operations when abroad. In common with all eminent philanthropists, he felt a deep and abiding interest in the management of Houses of Correction, and the reformation of the hapless creatures immured withia their walls. At the early part of his life, Prison Reform had not been inaugurated, and our gaols were receptacles of wretchedness, vice, and guilt, in their most appalling forms. William Forster was one of four members of the Society To those who had the most superficial acquain- of Friends, who, in the year 1813, visited some tance with the deceased, it is almost superfluous persons in Newgate who were about to be exeto say that his susceptible nature rendered him cuted; and we learn from an interesting memoir peculiarly sensitive to the sufferings and priva- of Mrs. Fry, compiled by Susanna Corder, that tions of the poor, and that his benevolent heart" it has always been understood that the repreprompted him to suggest or readily concur in any judicious measures for the relief of distress. There was, in fact, scarcely a local charity with which he was not more or less connected. Associated with the late J. J. Gurney, Esq., Mr. Thomas Geldart, and others, he contributed his earnest and valuable assistance in the origination of the Norwich Soup Society, which has continued in operation ever since, and conferred important benefits on the indigent classes of this city, especially in seasons of more than ordinary rigor, when the comforts of life were, through want of employment or the high price of food, altogether placed beyond their reach. He also took a deep and uniform interest in the Blind Hospital, the District Visiting Society, and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, with the latter of which he was at different times officially connected as a member of the Board of Manage ment. His efforts, however, for the relief of the destitute, were not restricted to the casual supply of their wants by eleemosynary aid. His experience impressed him with the importance of encouraging provident habits amongst the poor, and, with this view, he not only paid them frequent domiciliary visits, but entered cordially into the formation of the Provident Coal Society, which has proved so great a blessing to the poor, especially during the present winter, which will be long remembered for its intense severity in connection with an unprecedented high price of fuel and an increase in the cost of food, which has left numbers without the means of preparing it for the table. In his visits to the poor he inculcated the advantages of temperance and cleanliness, and urged upon them the duty of improv sentation of these Friends, particularly of Wil liam Forster, first induced her personally to in spect the state of the women, with the view of alleviating their sufferings occasioned by the inclemency of the season." It must have been a source of heartfelt satisfaction to the deceased, that the vivid impressions produced on his mind by this visit to the condemned cells of Newgate, led him to enlist so effective an agency in the cause of prison amelioration. The state of discipline, at this period, in our gaols-or rather the utter want of it-and the idleness, riot, and vice, which were allowed to go unchecked, were a disgrace to a civilized-not to say Christian-country; and the improved treatment of prisoners, which has since obtained, shows to what useful and important results the efforts of individual philanthropy may be conducted when guided by Christian principle, and sustained by intelligent zeal and untiring perseverance. Naturally arising from the attention devoted to prison discipline, Mr. Forster's especial inte rest was excited by the unhappy state of juvenil offenders in our gaols. The reformation of this numerous and neglected class of criminals was subject which lay near his heart, and he labored it is believed, to reform the habits and improv the character and pursuits of the youthful in mates of our city gaol. To what extent his am able intentions were successful, we have means of knowing, as his modesty rarely allowe him to refer to his private efforts; but the subje of reformatory schools was one which frequent occupied his thoughts, and he evinced great i terest in the newly-formed institution at Buxto in this county, which he considered to ba strong claims on public support. The subject of education claimed a large share of his regard; and though his own convictions led him more particularly to promote the system of instruction advocated and adopted by the British and Foreign School Society, he watched with interest every educational effort to elevate the character and develop the intellectual capabilities of the rising generation. ties, and to devise the best means of alleviation. It is not our intention, however, to detail the arrangements and plans of co-operation with England which were made by this committee to carry out its benevolent objects. One of its most perplexing difficulties was the acquisition of trustworthy information as to the state of the more remote districts, and the selection of suitIn the winter of 1846-7, William Forster vi- able channels through which to distribute the sited Ireland under circumstances of peculiar in- means of relief. From this difficulty they were terest. In the summer of 1846, with a prospect relieved in a great measure by Mr. Forster, who, of an abundant harvest, the entire potato crop of under the impression that it was his duty to unthat country, with a few exceptions, was des- dertake a journey through the distressed distroyed in one week. The money value of the tricts, conferred with his friends in London on loss, including a deficient crop of oats, was com- the subject, and being encouraged by their apputed by the Government to amount to sixteen proving counsel, he started on his errand of millions sterling. The announcement of this mercy on the 30th of Nov. 1846. He was acdreadful calamity did not produce at first the companied in different parts of his route by Enalarm which might reasonably have been expect-glish and Irish friends, with whom, to use the ed. The idea of millions being reduced to starva- words of the published narrative of the circumtion, was one not easy to be realised. Many stances," he visited the counties of Roscommon, hoped that the details of the calamity were exag- Leitrim, Fermanagh, Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, gerated, and others who did not know the abso- Galway, Longford, and Cavan. Most of these lute dependence of the vast mass of the Irish counties were closely inspected, and especial atpopulation on the potato crop, did not believe the tention was paid to the wild and desolate parts consequences would be so direful as were appre- of each. It was not until the 14th of April, hended. Soon, however, doubts and hopes were 1847, that he completed this engagement; which dispelled. Proofs of impending famine fearfully had been prolonged greatly beyond the expectamultiplied. The appalling fact that the life of a tions at first entertained by himself and friends; nation trembled in the balance, soon became pa- and which he prosecuted in the depth of a very tent to all, and details of suffering and horror inclement winter, deprived of many of the comspeedily aroused a feeling of universal sympathy. forts to which he was accustomed, and his feelAll the resources of individual and national mu-ings often painfully excited by witnessing so nificence were speedily called into requisition. Relief associations were organised, large sums of In the execution of this arduous engagement, money were raised, and the whole machinery of which afforded full scope for philanthropic exerbenevolence was put in motion to relieve the dis- tions, Mr. Forster waited upon or saw almost tress of a famishing people. The Indian Relief every person of influence in the north-west of Fund, the Irish Relief Association, the General Ireland, and stimulated the upper classes in their Central Relief Association, and the British Relief exertions to relieve the distress which surroundAssociation, poured in the proceeds of their res-ed them; he opened a correspondence with indipective organizations. Ladies, also, formed as-viduals and local bodies in the remote districts, sociations in different parts of Great Britain, some for supplying clothing, and some for promoting industrial occupations among the female peasantry; and, before any committee was formed, a large quantity of private contributions was poured into every part of the country, chiefly through the agency of the clergy of the Established Church. much misery beyond his power to relieve." and engaged many trustworthy agents for the distribution of the funds confided to the committee; he personally visited the abodes of the famishing, took the full guage of the existing wretchedness, and in cases where the exigency appeared to demand it, undertook the immediate distribution of relief by advances of money. The full value of his services in this sphere of Foremost, or at least prominent, in every en-labor can scarcely be calculated. He hardly alterprise of Christian benevolence, it was not to be expected that the Society of Friends would shrink from the fullest participation in this labor of love. Towards the close of 1846, a meeting of members of that body was convened in Dublin to determine upon the course of action to be pursued in the painful emergency, and, after agreeing to form a separate organization, a Central Relief Committee was appointed in the Irish metropolis to raise the needful funds by subscriptions, to obtain authentic information respecting the character of the distress in different locali lowed himself sufficient time for rest and sleep; and no atmospheric influences, however inauspicious, were allowed to damp his ardor or relax his exertions. Younger and more robust men quailed before the amount of labor through which his unflagging zeal sustained him; but there was little doubt that he overtaxed his strength in the prosecution of his arduous though self-imposed task. He was strongly and peculiarly affected by the harrowing scenes which he was called to witness, and which far exceeded in horror any which his imagination had pic tured; and with the combined effect of grief on his tender spirit, and excessive fatigue on his physical system, he returned to England, with a constitution much debilitated by the severity of the exercises through which he had passed. It may be interesting to our readers to know that the total amount of relief in money and food placed at the disposal of the Central Committee of the Society of Friends at Dublin, during the visitation of the famine, was nearly £200,000. The supplies sent from America were on a scale of unparalleled liberality. The subject, however, which awakened Mr. Forster's benevolent feelings, probably more than any other, and from a very early age, was that of slavery and the slave trade. Against the atrocities of the slave system, his spirit, as a man and Christian, revolted. He was an active member of the London Anti-Slavery Society, and was ever ready at the call of duty to embark in any enterprise which commended itself to his judgment to advance the interest of the slave. It was on one of these errands of mercy to the United States that he was arrested by the hand of death. In the year 1849, the Yearly Meeting of the Friends issued an address to the sovereigns and others in authority in Christian states, on the subject of the slave trade and slavery. Mr. Forster offered his services to be the bearer of this address to the sovereigns of Continental Europe, and, in furtherance of this object, he obtained interviews with the Kings of Belgium, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, &c., the Emperor of Austria, the Queen of Spain, and the President of the French Republic. He remained for some time in each place, obtaining interviews with persons of influence, and circulating information connected with the object of his visits and other matters of philanthropic interest. He was always courteously received, and it is hoped that his efforts to impress on the minds of the sovereigns of Europe the rights of humanity, were not without a salutary effect. road, that his fellow travellers found it necessary to stop at a road-side or ferry-house near the Holstein river. The attack was of an inflammatory character, and, from the first, serious apprehensions were entertained both by himself and his companions as to the result; but the alarming symptoms had so far subsided at the end of the second week as to induce them to make arrangements for moving on to Knoxville, where more suitable accommodations could have been procured. Before, however, this could be carried into effect, fever came on, which was followed by stupor, and he quietly passed away on the morning of the 27th of January. His mortal remains were interred in the Friends' burying ground at Friendsville, and those who mourn his loss may take comfort in the assurance that, through the merits of the Saviour he so faithfully followed, he has entered his eternal rest. A gentle spirit has thus passed from among us, and one more of "the excellent of the earth" has escaped from its sorrows and pollutions. Simple, but conciliatory in his manners, he was enabled to accomplish very much in which men of larger pretensions would have failed. He was of a retiring disposition, averse to notoriety, and on that account, and not from any want of moral courage, his voice was seldom heard at public meetings, even in support of subjects in which he was warmly interested. An intimate attachment subsisted between him and Joseph John Gurney, and in many respects they were kindred spirits. We know not on whom the mantle of either may have fallen, but we scarcely expect to see the men who will wear it with equal worthiness. Faithfully did each of them serve his generation, and calmly did the sun of life set on their departing moments.-Lynn Commercial Gazette. THE INDIAN STATISTICS OF THE UNITED STATES. just published by order of Congress, is one showAmong the tables in the Census of 1850, as of the United States at three different periods, ing the number of Indians within the territory viz.-in 1789, 1825, and 1853. The total number in 1789, was 76,000. In 1825, 129,366. In 1853, 400,764. distribution for the two last periods, as derived We subjoin the names of the tribes and the from the best authorities: Names of Tribes, and Location in In the summer of 1853, he undertook, in company with his elder brother and two other Friends delegated by the Yearly Meeting, to convey the address of the society to the American continent. He had twice before visited the United States, and on the second occasion (though that was not the immediate object of his journey,) he saw many of the leading senators of the Slave States and conversed with them on the subject of slavery. In prosecution of this last engagement, he left home in September, and in company with the other members of the Deputation obtained interviews with the President, the Governors of most of the Slave States, and other persons of distinction, by all of whom he was well received. On proceeding from Friendsville in East Tennessee, where he had had some religious Narragansetts, Rhode Island, service with the Friends residing there, he be- Mohegan, Connecticut," came so unwell, when about eight miles on the 'Stonington, St. John's Indians, Maine Passamaquoddies, Penobscot, do. 1825. No. 1553. No. 300 do. do. Marshpee, Massachusetts, do. do. Menomonees, do. 3,900 Winnebagos, do. 5,800 Miamies and Eel River, Indiana, 1,073 Menomonees, Illinois, 270 Kaskaskias, do. 36 247 Whole number of both sexes and all ages, 2,200 2,708 766 200 2,373 EDUCATION IN LOUISIANA. The Louisiana State Superintendent of Schools has recently visited all the districts of the State, and has published a long report on the state of education. He says that, in several parts of the State, the local directors, or school committees, were found to be totally incapable of performing the duty assigned them, "for the 4,680 25,000 how to read or write." A large proportion very potent reason that they themselves do not instead of the signatures, of the school comof the teachers' warrants contained the marks, 19,130 17,000 3,625 4,709, 27 Seminoles, Florida, Biloxi, Louisiana, A polashe, do. Pascagoulas, do. 121 Addees, do. Yattassees, do. 36 Coshattees, do. 180 Caddoes, do. 450 Delawares, Choctaws, Shawnees, Natchitoches, do. 25 Quapaws, do. 8 Piankeshaws, do. 27 Delawares, Missouri, 1,800 Kickapoos, do. 2,200 Shawnees, do. 1,383 Weas, There are many well known laws of matter, which have the appearance of being divinely provided for the benefit of man. Thus, by a very peculiar law, the rivers and fountains in our climate are prevented from freezing to any great depth. The effect of heat upon bodies is to expand, and cold to contract them. If this law was constant in its operations, in respect to water, ice would commence to form at the bottom of lakes, rivers, and brooks, then they would rapidly freeze upwards and destroy every living thing therein. This is provided against by a peculiar law. The water in our rivers and lakes, above 151 40 degrees, Fahr., when exposed to a greater de437 gree of cold, cools rapidly at its surface, which surface water is condensed and sinks. This pro4,941 cess of surface cooling and sinking goes on rapid100 ly until the whole water has been cooled to 40 deg. which is 8 deg. above the freezing point. 314 Below this temperature the chilled surface of 1,375 water, instead of condensing into less bulk, ac55 tually expands (becomes lighter) and remains at 8,000 the surface, and the cold is very imperfectly pro8,500 pagated downwards. The surface in the end freezes, and the ice may thicken, but at the depth 165 of a few feet below, the temperature is not under 40 deg., which is indeed high when compared with that which we frequently experience in our atmosphere during winter. If water in cooling below 40 deg., obeyed the same law which it does in cooling to that point, our rivers, streams and lakes, would become masses of ice, upon which our warm summer would make but little impression, and the cheerful climate which we now enjoy would be less comfortable than the frozen regions of the poles. Upon such delicate and beautiful adjustments do the order and harmony of the universe depend.-Scientific American. FRIENDS' REVIEW. PHILADELPHIA, FOURTH MONTH 15, 1854. Our friends will please to observe that the plan was adopted in the early stages of this periodical, of publishing the obituaries of none but those who were members of our religious Society, and fully or nearly grown to maturity. If notices of children, not exceeding four or five years old, or persons not in membership, have ever appeared in this paper, it must have been an oversight. As this has been our rule, it is hoped that no unfavorable construction will be put upon the omission of such notice in any particular case. DIED, At Easton, Maryland, on the 31st ult., EDITH, relict of Dr. Thomas H. Dawson, in the 63d year of her age. This dear friend, with a meek and quiet spirit, was concerned to maintain the doctrines and testimonies of our religious so which Notwithstanding the notices previously given of our beloved friend William Forster, a space is al-ciety through much privation and trial. Her heart and house were open to receive her friends. lotted in the present number to an account, con- She was a much loved and honored mother, and siderably more extended than any previous one, it has been her practice, since their meeting has of his labors and character, extracted from an been discontinued, to have her children (both English paper, which seems to show the estima-married and single) collected together at her tion in which he was held by those among whom in reading the Holy Scriptures, and in silent rehouse, on First day morning, and spend an hour the greater part of his life was passed, and to tirement before the Lord. whom of course he was intimately known. This At his residence in Queensbury, Warren may be considered as the testimony of his neigh-county, New York, on the 31st of First month bors and acquaintances, but it is presumable that last, WILLIAM B. CARPENTER, in the 52d year of we shall be favored with a more ample and appro- his age, a member of Queensbury Monthly Meetpriate memorial of his life and gospel labors from ing. His sickness was a protracted one, some department of the religious society to which he bore with Christian resignation, and quietly departed without a struggle, leaving a comfortahe belonged, and to the service of which he devoted ble hope that through adorable mercy he has so large a part of his time, and the energies of his been permitted to enter into that rest prepared for highly gifted mind. The life and labors of such a the righteous. man, if correctly described, must furnish many In Winslow, on the 22d of Twelfth instructive lessons to those who are striving to fol- month last, SARAH C. VARNEY, wife of Levi Varlow in the path which he trod. Whether we ney, and daughter of John Cartland, aged 41 view him as a minister of the gospel, as a dispen-friends have the consoling belief that her end years. Although suddenly called away, her ser of charity to those who were suffering the privations of famine, or as the advocate of the despised and down-trodden slave, well may we anxiously enquire, upon whom has his mantle fallen? or who is willing to take it up? was peace. At the same place, First month 8th, PHEBE NICHOLS, daughter of Stephen Nichols, aged 26 years. She bore a long illness with cheerfulness, and died in peace. mercifully favored with his senses, and gave satis- Monthly Meeting. PIETY PROMOTED. This work is now printed At the same place, First month 24th, JOHN and will be ready for delivery after next week. Sub-paralysis, which deprived him of speech, but was CARTLAND, aged 78 years. He was seized with scribers can then obtain their copies by applying to William Evans, No. 134 South Front street, above Dock street. Besides the eleven parts of Piety Promoted heretofore published, this edition contains a new Introduction and an Appendix, containing numerous narratives compiled from the Memorials published under the direction of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and from other sources, making together about 180 pages of new matter. The work is for sale at Friends' Book Store, No. 84 Arch street, price three dollars for a single copy, or seven copies for eighteen dollars. It is in four volumes, making together 1824 pages. BIBLE ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS IN AMERICA. The stated Annual Meeting of the Bible Associa Friends generally, of both sexes, are invited to |