Next  morning,  we  had  another  meeting  with  about  five
hundred  of  their  young  people.  I  have  rarely  met  more  ge-
neral religious  sensibility  than  among  these.  I  had  not  spoken
many  sentences,  when  a  great  brokenness  and  many  tears
gave  evidence  of  their  religious  feelings.  In  the  afternoon
we  had  a  meeting  with  the  people  at  large ;  a  very  satisfactory
season.  Dear  Contenius  is  a  faithful  helper  to  us;  he  is  so
feeling  in  his  manner  of  interpreting.  After  visiting  many
of  these  people  in  their  families,  we  went  to  another  village,
where  we  had  a  very  large  meeting.  Many  of  these  dear
people  came  to  it  from  fifteen  different  villages  round,  their
meeting  house  being  large.     It  may  be  said  to  have  been  a


^T.  45.]  1819.  455

holy  solemnity;  the  Lord's  baptizing  power  was  felt  to  bo
over  us.
We  then  went  to  Altona,  their  most  distant  village,  which
stands  pretty  near  the  colonies  at  the  Duhobortzi.  "We  put
up  at  the  house  of  a  Menonite,  a  young  man,  who  is  a  minis-
ter among  them.  The  order  of  his  family  and  children  is
most  gratifying;  piety  seems  to  prevail  over  them  all;  the
simplicity  and  neatness  of  the  house  are  beautiful.  Much
quietness  and  simplicity  is  also  apparent  in  the  religious
meetings  of  this  people.  They  are  very  regular  and  punctual
to  the  hour  at  which  their  meetings  for  worship  are  held.
When  gathered,  they  all  kneel.  They  continue  so  in  total
silence,  in  secret  meditation  or  prayer,  about  half  an  hour.
