BATTICOTTA, a parish in the district of Jaffna, on the northern extremity of the island of Ceylon; 6 m. N. W. Jaffnapatam; 2 N.W. Manepy, and 3 S.E. Panditeripo. Previous to the desolating sickness, in 1819, the parish contained 1300 families. E. lon. 80° 15', N. lat. 9° 45'.

distance of 330 miles. He acquired
the Tamul, and preached often and
extensively to large and attentive
congregations, besides superintend-
ing several schools of about 140
scholars; into which he introduced
portions of the Gospel, copied by
the scholars upon their olas, for
school-books, instead of the books
and vain songs of the heathen. He
began to see precious fruits of his
labours. After his death, the mis-American Board of Commissioners
sion was only partially supplied, till for Foreign Missions, commenced
about 1821, when Mr. Roberts, labouring here in 1817. Gabriel
having previously acquired a know- Tissera is the native preacher.
ledge of the 1'amul at Jaffna, re-
sumed it.

The report of 1826 furnishes
the following particulars of this
station:-

English School, Mission Premises, contains 23 children, who attend pretty regularly. Nearly all the boys are natives, and find English difficult to acquire; but several read the New Testament, and write tolerably well. Two or three are ready at translating sentences from English into Tamul, and it is hoped may ultimately be useful as teachers and interpreters.

Native School, Mission Premises, contains 40 children. Many boys read with propriety, and understand the catechisms.

The Rev. Messrs. Benjamin C.
Meigs, and Richards, from the

Having gained permission of government to occupy the glebe lands at this place, the missionaries commenced repairing the buildings in 1816, and removed their families here in June, 1817.

The mission premises contain nearly 4 acres of land, on which the missionaries found the following appurtenances; a church, dwellinghouse, 5 other small buildings, yards, a garden, 4 wells, 11 mana-ea gosa trees, and 51 palmyra trees, all belonging to the government of Ceylon.

The church is 171 feet long and 65 wide; the walls, 4 feet thick, are chiefly of coral stones. From one end to the other are 20 massy pillars, 10 feet in circumference, in two rows, supporting 18 fine arches, which are so much higher than the

name

of the

Native School, Kottikollam.The village contains about 200 inhabitants; 23 names are on the walls as to support the roof. Itaging was built by the Portuguese in the sch 16th century, and repaired by the of Dutch in 1678. Since the English took possession of the island, in 1795-6, all the buildings had been rapidly decaying, till the mission-der in aries made the repairs. The ravages of time had nearly demo-f Hished all that pertained to them of wood.

school-list. This school is in very good order; several boys can repeat the whole translation of the Catechism. The people attend service with apparent interest. Vallierravoo School contains 20

children.

Navacuddy School contains 40 children, and has always been well attended. The village has nearly 1000 people.

Kattancuddierroppo School con

The church and dwelling-house, according to the custom of the

whom

. At t , Mr.

ds in this

contai

Tere instr

tains 40 children, 20 of whom are country, are one story high. The the

of Mahommedan parents. Population of the village nearly 3000.

latter is 100 feet long, and 42 wide;
the walls of coral stones, the floors

58

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the

cian, till 1821, when he removed to Tillipally, and died, August 3d, 1822. Mr. Woodward succeeded him at this station. See Jaffna.

BAY OF KENTY, a bay on the northern shore of lake Ontario, Upper Canada, inhabited by the Mohawks.

Messrs. John Hill and John Green, schoolmasters from the Society for propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, labour here.

This place is occasionally visited by the Rev. Mr. Stewart, of Kingston, who superintends the school, and performs other missionary labours. The Mohawks are very desirous of instruction. The pupils make encouraging progress, and a permanent mission is intended.

of brick, and, in the time of the Dutch, was the country seat of the second officer in command at Jaffna. In front is the church, about 20 Pandit rods distant. At the back of the tings house are the yards, enclosed by a ntained wall about 8 feet high. Through 15, one of these is an entrance into the garden, which contains nearly two Benacres, enclosed by a fine wall of coral stones, laid in mortar, 9 feet high. In this are 3 wells to water Con it in the dry season, and the pal7.myra trees, the fruit of which constitutes the principal food of the natives during half the year; the leaves are used to cover the roofs of buildings, and, instead of paper, for iring writing. The mangosa trees are in front of the house; from the e, nuts a valuable oil is expressed, and BEERBHOOM, a district in the trunks of these, and the pal- Bengal, Hindoostan, N. W. of Calmyra, are valuable for timber. cutta; 80 m. long and 30 wide, borThe first object of the mission-dering on Monghyr N. and Burdwan laries was to learn the Tamul lan- S. About 60 m. from Gutwa. Aling guage, and establish schools. In though this place had been visited about a year they acquired the lan- for some years, as opportunity guage, so as to preach without in- offered, by the Baptist missionaries, terpreters, both in the mission- it was not, till 1823, made a sehouse and in the neighbouring parate station. At that period, parishes. The boarding-school, at Mr. Hampton, who was baptized this station, was commenced July some years before by Mr. Sutton, 26th, 1818, with 5 boys. Owing and had for some time been exertto the prejudices of the natives ing himself very successfully among against their children eating on the his heathen neighbours at Tumchurch land, a small house was look, near the Sunderbunds, was erected on an adjoining acre of appointed to it. Animated by land belonging to a heathen. In Christian zeal, he resigned his se1822, the school consisted of 22 cular engagements, and devoted boys, 17 of whom had received himself entirely to missionary laEnglish names, according to the bour. The village in which he request of their benefactors; se- fixed his residence is called Seuri, veral of whom are hopefully pious, and he had soon the pleasure of reand render important aid to the ceiving several new members into mission. At the same time were the church. His sphere of action girls, 3 of whom were named. being very extensive, a number of In 1819, Mr. Meigs superintended itinerants were employed under his 6 schools in this and neighbouring superintendence. Mr. Hampton parishes, containing 300 children, afterwards resigned his connexion who were instructed in the prin- with the society, but a pious friend ciples of the Christian religion. on the spot exerted himself, in Mr. Richards was eminently useconsequence, so zealously, that ful here as a missionary and physi, the deficiency was scarcely felt,

until Mr. Williamson arrived from Serampore, who entered on his work, in 1826, with great energy. He had four native assistants. The church consisted, at the date of his last letters, of 37 members, nearly all of whom are converts from heathenism. In his endeavours to instruct the female part of his flock, only one of whom was found able to read, Mrs. W. takes an active part, and the progress already made is highly encouraging.

the

was

to

enabled to provide a convenient
school-house. Besides elementary
books, Dr. Watts's First Catechism,
and a larger Catechism used at
Bellary, together with Scripture
tracts, &c. had been introduced
into the schools. The children
not only committed to memory
large portions of the Scriptures,
Catechisms, &c., but endeavoured
to understand what they learned.
Mr. Taylor devoted two evenings
in each week to conversations
with the heathen. These, meet-
ings, which were held in the school-
house at Shawpore, and con-
ducted in the Canara language,
were occasionally well attended.
On the Sabbath, Mr. Taylor con-
ducted three public services in
English; two of them in the camp,
and one at the commanding officer's
quarters. A temporary building,
capable of holding from 250 to 300
persons, had been erected in the
camp, where divine worship was
regularly performed; and, on the
Sunday morning, all the soldiers,
then off duty, were marched down,
The rest, together with volunteers,
attended the camp service in the
evening. The service at the com-
manding officer's quarters was at
tended by all the staff officers, and
others residing in the fort, and also
by the soldiers of the royal artil-
lery. On Wednesday evenings, Mr.

BELGAUM, a populous town and military station between Bombay and Bellary, and 200 m. N.W. of the latter place. The Canara is chiefly spoken here, and in the extensive country between this and Bellary; and the Mahratta between this and Bombay.

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Taylor held a service in the camp ath in lo

disciple ch of this , and

Rev. Joseph Taylor, of the L. M. S., accompanied by the native teacher, Ryndass, proceeded, in September, 1820, from Bellary to Belgaum, for the purpose of commencing a new mission. They were very kindly received by general Pritzler, as well as by several other respectable Europeans, whose solicitations, with those of the general, had, amongst other causes, induced Mr. Taylor to remove to Belgaum. On his arrival, Mr. Taylor conducted public worship, on the Sabbath mornings, at general Pritzler's house; on which occasion, a considerable proportion of the military officers stationed at Belgaum attended. On the Sabbath evenings he also preached to the sol- Mr. Taylor was encouraged to diers in the camp. In 1821, Mr. hope that the above-mentioned serTaylor had succeeded in the for- vices, which he described, particumation of two native schools; one larly those in the fort, as truly aniof which is situated in Belgaum, mating, had not been in vain. and the other in the neighbouring Some of his hearers acknowledged town of Shawpore. The number the benefit derived from his public of boys under instruction was about ministry, and confirmed this ac120. At Shawpore, by the kind-knowledgment; while they adornness of Dr. Millar, of his Majesty's ed their profession by a holy con53d regiment, Mr. Taylor had been versation and consistent life.

and, on Friday evenings, at his own
house, in the fort. All the soldiers
who assembled for worship on these
occasions, attended voluntarily.

60

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his arriva gine he has

few other

of whom I h

His English

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On the application of General Helen Pritzler, the Madras government 1st Calgranted Mr. Taylor a liberal allowance for his services in the camp; which he generously devoted n into the mission. A society, denoThe cminated the Belgaum Association, to had been formed, as an auxiliary Sto the Bible, Missionary, and Tract Societies. And the circulation of heye the Scriptures and religious tracts had been promoted, in five languages.

the

and

Mr. Hands, who, during the year 1822, had an opportunity of witnessing the progress of the mission, wrote as follows:

"I was exceedingly gratified by aylor my visit to Belgaum. Dear brother Taylor has shown himself to be the a workman that needs not to be ashamed.' His public services, bil both in the camp and in the fort, are well attended; and the great Head of the Church has honoured him with very considerable success. There are several humble, devout soldiers, now members of his church, who consider him as their spiritual father; and, during my journey last year, I met with several Cat Bangalore, Cananore, &c., who blessed God for the benefit they had received from his labours. His exertions among the natives have also been blessed; one, a brahmin at Belgaum, has, I trust, received the truth in love, and become a sincere disciple of Jesus Christ. I saw much of this brahmin while at Belgaum, and he afterwards accompanied us part of the way to Bellary. I was so well satisfied of the sincerity of his profession, that I advised Mr. Taylor to baptize him on his arrival at home, which I imagine he has done. There are also a few other natives at this station, of whom I hope well.

replied to several important and unexpected questions, in a manner that almost surprised me, and would have done credit to a school in England. Some of them have had their minds so far affected by what they have learned of Christianity, that they have refused to offer the usual worship to the household gods of their parents, and have endeavoured to show them the sin and folly of worshipping such gods. Ryndass continues as a catechist with Mr. Taylor, and has, I think, considerably improved since he has been with him. Mr. Taylor was anticipating a removal from the fort to a house well adapted for the mission, in the centre of the native' town."

Through succeeding years, the mission was blessed with prosperity; and, in Nov. 1825, two brahmins and a rajpoot, the first fruits of the mission at Belgaum, were baptized at Bombay, after a satisfactory avowal of their faith in Christianity, in the presence of about 300 natives. Various reasons induced Mr. Taylor to fix on Bombay as the place where the rite should be administered. Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Lillie arrived safe at Belgaum, on the 19th of November, 1826. The following are the last accounts of this station :

Native Schools.-The school at Shawpore has been suspended, and a considerable reduction in the number of the scholars in the other schools has also taken place, in consequence of the baptism of the two brahmins and a rajpoot, at Bombay, in 1825. The number of native schools, in connexion with the station, is still 6; another school having been opened during the past year. The progress made by many of the boys is, on the whole, very satisfactory.

"His English and native schools afforded me much satisfaction, par- Native worship, &c.-We deeply ticularly the native school at Shaw-regret to state, that persecutions, pore. A number of children there, directed against the baptized and

their connexions, induced one of the brahmins just mentioned, and the rajpoot, to surrender themselves to the will of their respective families. The brahmin, we are, however, happy to state, has since rejoined the mission. The other brahmin, who remained firm under persecution, has removed to Bombay to labour in connexion with the American mission at that presidency.

by numerous populous towns and villages. Here the Rev. J. Hands, from the L. M. S., arrived in April, 1810, and was treated with great respect by the European residents, among whom he soon began to celebrate divine service. He had, at first, some great difficulties to contend with, in acquiring the Canara language, which is spoken from the borders of the Mahratta nearly to the bottom of the Mysore. He applied himself, however, so pa tiently and perseveringly to this study, that he not only soon col lected several thousands of words, which he formed into a vocabulary, but also began preparing a grammar, with the assistance of his mooushee, who appeared to be a very learned man. The brahmins in this place are said to be comparatively few in number. Some of these visited the missionary in a friendly manner; a considerable number of country poor, or “halfcaste" persons, attended his ministry; and, in some instances, his labours appear to have been suc cessful. One man, in particular, informed him that he had been constrained to commence family worship, both morning and evening.

In consequence of the opposition manifested at Shawpore against the baptized brahmins, it has been judged expedient for the present to discontinue the native service at that out-station, and, instead thereof, to commence one at Belgaum.

Distribution of the Scriptures, &e. During the past year, many tracts have been distributed, and a few copies of portions of the Scriptures; the latter chiefly among Roman Catholics, and some Protestants, who were urgent in their applications for copies.

The poor people in the charitable asylum, superintended by Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, are now favoured, daily, with the means of religious instruction. One of the schoolmasters attends the alms-house, and reads a portion of the Scriptures, a catechism or tract, and an evening prayer. Many of the poor people express their thanks for the kindness and attention thus shown to them.

ET STUD

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Many pleasing circumstances subsequently transpired. Mr. Hands preached thrice every Lord's day to his countrymen, and the Portuguese half-caste, with much encourage. ment. The principal people treated him with great kindness; and several of the natives, on certain festival days, brought him an abundance of fruit. His residence had been a pagoda, and several huge gods of stone lay about his premises. In the spring of 1812, with the assistance of a young friend from Madras, he opened a native school, which was soon attended by 50 children. Here he preached the Gospel twice a week. Upwards of 20 soldiers belonging to one regiment were brought to a saving

62

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