among theirs, it is desirable that our students
should be placed in those Institutions in various parts of the
country.

"3. THAT, in the judgment of the Directors, a preparatory class may
be maintained for the few students who need it.

"4. THAT; for several important reasons, the Directors deem it most
desirable to maintain the system by which the Society's students
receive a final year of missionary training under the Rev. J.S.
WARDLAW, M.A."

The Directors regard it as a matter for great thankfulness, and as
a token of continued approval of their work, that they have recently
received, as they did in 1867, a large number of offers from young
men to enter upon the Society's service. The applicants have
presented a great diversity of natural gifts, attainments, and
position: some of them are already studying for the ministry in our
Theological Colleges. The Directors have during the year accepted
no less than eighteen. Amongst them are two of the missionaries' sons.
The total number of missionary students in the Society is now
forty-two. On the first of May, 1869, they stood thus:--

+-------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+------+
|On Probation.|1st Year.|2nd Year.|3rd Year.|4th Year.|5th Year.|Total.|
+-------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+------+
| 6 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 42 |
+-------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+------+

VI.--NATIVE PASTORS AND MISSIONARIES.

The increase of our Church Members, and the enlargement of their
spiritual life, have from time to time placed at the disposal of the
Society an increasing number of Christian helpers for the local
service of our various Missions. No exact account of them was taken
for several years. But from the complete returns recently gathered,
it appears that at the present time they are more than twelve hundred
in number.

The Christian Assistants not engaged in schools are divided into
several classes. Some are READERS, who go from house to house, and
explain the Word to families or individuals. Others are preachers
of greater or less education, and are more or less trusted, either
to work alone, or in company with more experienced brethren. In India
and China, these brethren are usually termed CATECHISTS, though in
the South Seas the missionaries have retained the title of NATIVE
TEACHERS. One class among them, of higher chara