6. Methoilisiii in the West Indies. — \n no other mis- sionary Held has Methodism met with greater success than among this i)i)rti<>n of the globe's inhabitants. The West Indies was, moreover, the tirst foreign lield sought by the \\'esleyans, and its history is closely linkeil to that (tf the founder, John Wesley, and his own associates. One of the natives, Nathaniel Gilbert, from Antigua,
came under the influence of the Methodists while on a visit to England, and in 1760 returned to his native land to preach their doctrines to bis countr}-men. As they were l)oiind by the heavy chains of slavery, he de- termined to bestow upon them the lilierty of the (iospel. When he died two hundred had embraced the cause of jNIethodism. Their next leader was John Baxter, an Englishman, who had been licensed as ''local preacher," and who had gone to the West Indies as a ship-carpen- ter. He ()reached for eight years, and did much good among the blacks. When the missionaries tinally ar- rived, he was able to turn over two thousand adherents as the result oi preparatory labors. In 1786 the home society set aside one man for the spread of missions in the West Indies. He was to accompany Dr. Coke to America, and then be transferred to his new tield. On the way the company suffered shipwreck, and by mere accident all landed at Antigua, and, when Coke wit- nessed the glorious work begun, he left the three mis- sionaries by his side — Warrencr, Clarke, and Hanimet — in the country, and sailed alone to the L'nited States. In 1792, when Coke visited the West Indies, and held a Conference at Antigua, the missionaries reported 20 sta- tions, with 12 preachers and 6500 members. In 1873 the progress of Methodism in these parts was thus com- mented upon by the Kev. (i. T. Perks, at the annual meeting of the Wesleyan Jlissionary Society (Alay 5): '• The West Indian missions occupy a peculiar position in relation to other missions. The colonies of Jamaica, the Windward and Leeward Islands, the Bahamas. Brit- ish Guiana, Honduras, and Hayti are mainly inhabited by the descendants of the Africans emancipated in 1834. The European population is comparatively small. No missions have had greater difliculties to contend against. I'^arthquakes, hurricanes, the pestilence, and occasional tires have from time to time destroyed life and prop- erty; the changes in the commercial policy of the Brit- ish government operated for a while most injuriously in reducing the value of the stajiles of these colonies, and in some localities fearful droughts reduced the jiopula- tion to poverty and starvation. Our Maya mission to Honduras has been disturbed by Indian raids on the colony; and our societies in Kuatan, an island belong- ing to the republic of Honduras, have suffered from a political revolution, which is no strange event in the Spanish republics of America. Yet, in spite of these untoward circumstances, the West Indian colonies are gradually improving— agriculturally, commercially, and socially. The great want is an educated native minis- try. The time since the emanci])ation has been but a short period in the history of a nation, and our moral and educational agencies have not been equal to the task of thoroughly changing the character and habits of the people within the lifetime of a generation. Yet over many of our churches we have great reason to re- joice; and, from what has been effected in their case, to look hopefully in reference to the future. In these mis- sions we have 97 missionaries, 44,728 members, and 28,038 scholars."
7. Milhodism in India. — Next in importance is the missionary work in India. The Wesleyans have laliored there for years, but their expenditure on tlie lield. both in men and money, is far inferior to tliat of llie Meth- odist Ejjiscopal Church, which has, especially within a very recent period, met with unprecedented success. But all Methodists have an eijual interest in the success of this missionary lield, to which the sainted Coke gave his life. See Cork. A\'ork was commenced in 1813 at Ceylon. By 1819 the imjiression made warranted the establishing of schools in the princijial cities along the western coast. In the mean time missionary labors had been commenced (1817) on the continent il.-ilf, with head-iiuarters at Bombay. At the time of the centen- nial of Methodism (1839) the niisMon in India counted 21 stations, 43 missionaries and helpers, and Vim num- bers. At jiresent (1873) the tield coveruig the 'I'ainil and Singhalese districts, Calcutta, Mysore, and Madras,
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contains 2976 members, with 13.987 cliildren in the schools, guided by 75 missionaries. These statistics do not give, however, an adequate impression of the nature and character of the work itself. lu India and Cevlon the missionaries preach in the streets and ba- zars, as well as in the chapels; they make frequent mis- sionary tours in their respective districts, to preach and converse, and circulate books in the villages. Much time is necessarily occupied in the training of native agents, and in the charge of the higher classes in the schools, as well as in the general superintendence of the educational department of this work.
The Methodist Episcopal Church sent its missiona- ries to these parts in 185G. The pioneer operations were confined to efforts for the education of the na- tives. By 1864 the work had progressed sufficiently to warrant the organization of an Annual Conference, divided into three districts. Their statistics were in 1872 reported by Dr. Butler {Land of the Veda, p. 528) as follows :