400 In the month of March, 1817, Messrs. Hands and Reeve took a journey to visit the spot once occupied by the famous city of Bisnagur. From the top of a pagoda, on a high mountain, and with the aid of a good telescope, they had a fine view of the extensive scene of desolation, comprising the ruins of palaces, pagodas, and other public buildings; the architecture of which appeared to have been of a very superior kind. It is said, if all the buildings which now remain were placed close together, they would occupy a greater extent of ground than that on which the city of London stands. beheld a grand religious proces sion, in which two ponderous cars of the idols were dragged along by the multitude. "I counted nearly 1000 people," says Mr. Reeve, "who were drawing one of them, and, on measuring one of the wheels, I found it to be 14 feet in diameter. The height of the car, including its trappings and ornaments, was, Į suppose, not less than 200 feet; so that it was very fatiguing work to make it move at all. Indeed, I believe, that if the peons and soldiers had not come with their swords and spears, the poor god would have been forsaken, and left in the road." After their return to Bellary, they had the satisfaction of adding to their little church 10 persons; and they were particularly gratified with the experience of one indivi dual, who stated that he was the son of an aged Moravian missionary, still labouring in the West Indies. He had run away from a Here they met with many people who had visited the mission-house at Bellary, for the purpose of re-boarding-school, and enlisted for a ceiving religious instruction. They paid a visit to the aged rajah of Anagoody, who seemed to be about 90 years of age, and was under going a severe course of penance, to propitiate his deity, whom he conceived to be angry with him. They found him at a short distance from the city, performing his devotions in one of his pagodas, surrounded by servants, musicians, and brahmins, in abundance. He had already fasted nine days, besides undergoing other mortifications; and from what they saw and heard, they considered him as a complete devotee. Mr. Hands spoke to him for a considerable time on the inefficiency of his penances to obtain the favour of heaven; but he seemed to hear with reluctance what was advanced against bis infatuating 'idolatry. soldier; in these circumstances he was brought to India, and, under a sermon at Bellary, he was converted to God. At Bisnagur, on the last day of the annual festival, the missionaries In the course of the summer, Mr. Hands was induced, by the unfavourable state of his health, to take a journey to Madras, which was very beneficial; but, on his return, he found that of his beloved wife on the decline. She languished until the 1st of Aug. 1818, when her disembodied spirit entered "the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." She was one of the oldest missionaries connected with the L. M. S. in India; having been employed in the work 12 years-first as the wife of the excellent Mr. Des Granges, and afterwards as the beloved partner of Mr. Hands. In January, 1819, a juvenile Bible S. was formed at Bellary, principally through the zeal of the Towards the latter end of the following year, Mr. Hands determined to commence a missionary tour through the Balaghaut ceded districts, and Mysore, to Seringapatam; and, on the 14th of March, 1822, returned to Bellary with Mrs. Hands, having been married during his absence. On their journey Mrs. Hands became seri ously indisposed; and, after her arrival at her husband's residence, she grew much worse, and gradually declined, till the 25th of May, when she bade an everlasting farewell to the partner of her af fections-to the mission--and to the world. master of the charity-school, and the activity of one of the scholars, who was formerly notorious for his wickedness and audacity. The attendance also at the mission chapel became so numerous, that an enlargement was considered indispensable. The expense of this, together with additional seats and lamps, was computed at £50; but the pious soldiers, and other friends, who were in the habit of attending on the means of grace, felt so deeply interested in the object, that they collected nearly the whole sum in the course of 24 hours. On the 2d of March, the missionaries received a visit from the rajah of Harponally, who had arrived at Bellary on the preceding evening, seated upon a very large elephant, and followed by three others, amidst an immense concourse of people. "He came to us," says Mr. Reeve, "with all the pomp and parade of oriental princes, and our garden was almost filled with his splendid retinue. He showed no disposition to enter into any particular conversation, but expressed himself highly gratified with the attention which had been shown to him." From the report of 1824, it At the close of 1819, Mr. Reeve observes-"During the progress of this year, the Gospel has been carried several hundred miles through the dark villages, and several thousands of tracts have been distributed. The translation and revision of the Scriptures in Canara, have also been proceeding. A new edition of Dr. Watts's First Catechism, in that language, with numerous improvements and corrections, has been prepared for the press. A copy of the same has also been prepared in the Tamul. The progress of the native schools has been favourable, and several hundreds of the pupils know perfectly the First Catechism, and the greater part of our Lord's Sermon on the Mount. other sta feel greatly dan schoo Lew schoo in the 4 got of gr -house, funds ne of the whole supplie Schoo tinued t and to nd of 6 ds dete ut n Sering Mend mark Hands laboured for some time alone, | but successfully. The new chapel was opened in October 1824. Its total cost was more than 7000 rupees, or about £700 sterling. This debt, through the liberality of friends in India, was, however, soon liquidated. The Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Beynon reached Bellary at the close of 1825, and Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Pain arrived in the course of the following year. The follow ing statement will convey an idea of the state of the mission in 1826. Native Schools.-These schools had been again increased to 20; the number of boys under instruction was 864. Portions of the Scriptures had been introduced as reading books into all the schools; and as the boys usually made known to their parents what they learned, much scripture knowledge was thus indirectly communicated among the adult heathen. At most of the schools established at the villages in the surrounding country, the villagers, when at leisure, attended to improve themselves in knowledge --sat down among the scholars read in the religious books taught in the schools; and when the superintendent, on his inspecting tours, visited them, they asked for explanations of such passages as they had not been able fully to understand. The schools, generally speaking, connected with this station, as at many other stations in the East, suffered greatly from the want of Christian schoolmasters. A new school had been lately opened in the Pettah of Bellary, and a spot of ground purchased for a school-house, for the erection of which funds nearly sufficient to defray the whole expense had been liberally supplied by friends at Bellary. Charity School-This institution continued to be liberally supported, and to be attended with useful results. The number of scholars, on the 31st of December, 1826, was 44; of whom 28 were boys, and the rest girls. The res ceipts for the year then terminating, amounted to 1258 rupees. Services in the Native Lan guages.-These services had been increased to 6. Those in Canarese were performed by Mr. Hands, those in Tamil by Mr. Walton. The number who attended the Canarese service on Sabbath mornings, was more than 100, but they consisted chiefly of boys belonging to the schools, and their masters. The largest attendance of natives here was at the Canarese service in the Pettah on Wednesday evenings. Two more native converts, making 9, one a Gooroo, and the other of the merchant caste, had been proposed for baptism. Many privately expressed their conviction of the folly of worshipping idols, and of the truth of Christianity, who were deterred by fear of persecution from openly avowing it. Worship in English. Many pious individuals belonging to the military had removed to other stations, but their place in the mission chapel had been filled up by others; so that in general, on the Sabbath evenings, there was a very respectable congregation. The increase of piety among the Europeans, at this and other stations, in this part of the world, the missionaries considered a source of encouragement; since one of the reasons which the natives assigned for their rejection of Christianity was, the immoral lives of many of those "who professed and called thenselves Christians.” The Sabbath-evening school, which had been discontinued from the want of proper superintendance, had, since Mr. Pain's ar rival, been re-commenced. Translation of the Scriptures.The Canarese version of the Bible was finished on the 18th of Sep-, t Printing Establishment. The printing of the Pentateuch, in Canarese, was advanced, in the beginning of December, 1826, as far as the 16th chapter of Numbers. Distribution of Tracts.-The number of tracts, in various languages, put into circulation by the B. T. S. during 1826, amounted to upwards of 20,000. families; but the more wealthy Gentoos live in detached houses with an open court, surrounded by a wall. The number of stone and brick houses, from 1 to 6 stories, is upwards of 12,000; and of mud houses, above 16,000. The permanent inhabitants, in 1803, exceeded 582,000; and during the festivals, the concourse is beyond all calculation. Nearly in the centre of the city is a considerable Mahomedan mosque, built by Aurengzebe, who destroyed a magni. ficent Hindoo temple in order make room for it; and from the top of the minars there is an extensive view of the town and adjacent country, and of the nume rous Hindoo temples scattered over the city, and the surrounding BENARES, a large district of plains. The rajah of Benares reHindoostan, in the E. part of the sides at Ramnagur, about 5 m. from province of Allahabad. It contains the city, on the opposite side of the the circars of Benares, Juanpoor, R. Benares is 136 m. W. by S. and Mirzapoor, and was ceded to Patna, and 460 W. N. W. Calcutta. the English in 1775. The manu- E. long. 83° 10′, N. lat. 25° 30. factures of this district are nume- Some years since, a Hindoo Colrous, and the chief articles of pro-lege was founded here by a late Engduce are barley, peas, wheat, sugar, lish resident, Mr. Duncan, to encoun salt, indigo, and opium. rage learning among the brahmins, in which has recently revived, and is se becoming a very important institu-fot tion. The government allows 20,000 rupees,or 11,100 dollars,annually forme its support. The course of study is been BELTOLLAH, a town in Bengal Hindoostan. In 1821, the C. K. S. established 5 Bengalee schools in this vicinity; and a central English school at this place under the superintendence of Mr. Van Gricken. Benares, a famous city, is the capital of the above district, and may be called the Athens of the Hindoos. It is celebrated as the ancient seat of brahminical learn 桔 re i Th bracin ing, and is built on the left bank of 12 years, and students are admitted ve from 12 to 18 years of age. The first annual examination was held in 1820. In 1822, the number of students was 172, more than 100 of whom received no support from the funds. the Ganges. Its ancient name is Casi (the Splendid) which the Hindoos still retain; and it is so holy, that many distant rajahs have delegates residing here, who perform for them the requisite sacrifices and ablutions. The shasters affirm, and the natives suppose, that whoever dies here will be saved. Several Hindoo temples embellish the bigh banks of the river, and many other public and private buildings are magnificent. The streets are extremely narrow; the houses high, with terraces on the summit, and some of them inhabited by different a boys w ures w disappoin The C. K. S. has a valuable here depôt of books in this city. real perso The Rev. W. Smith was appoint rond, and ed to Benares by the Baptist M. S. in 1816, and pursued his work with sake of much constancy and vigour. Se-dated b his instrumentality, and baptized 86 desisted In 18 of 12 me round f store 3 storie nd of The 1803. furing order is ane and res several brahmins were included. Ram-dass, a native itinerant, was associated with Mr. S. in his labours; and so much was he respected by the European inhabitants of the city, that they subscribed, almost without solicitation, 1000 rupees to assist him in erecting a small place of worship. Ram-dass, whose subsequent conhed becern on behalf of his deluded countrymen was described as happily attesting the sincerity of his profession. The powerful interest excite by the first introduction of the Gospel into this famous city appeared, in after years, not to have wholly subsided. Crowds of attentive Hinis be doos were said to hear the word; Mr. Smith wrote, in 1825-"The and many instances occurred in work of the Lord is prospering sider which evident impressions were here. I find the heathen very atIt by A made. On one occasion, a brah- tentive to the Gospel: last month a namin, after listening to the Gospel, I baptized Mr. S. a serious young exclaimed, "I will leave all my man; and 4 persons gave in their from friends to be instructed in the know- names as candidates for the ordiledge of Christ;" throwing away, nance-a Heathen, a Mussulman, at the same time, a god of stone and 2 Roman Catholics. The good which he had been used to worship. people here (referring to missionary redo Another ventured to predict-"In brethren from other societies) all 80 years hence the worship of live in union, which is a great blessGunga will vanish, the chains of ing. At the assemblies of the the caste will be dissolved, and all heathen, we all meet together, will have the true knowledge of reading, singing, speaking, and God and become Christians;" while giving away books to those who a third invited Shiva, Chunda, and apply for them, or are able to read Lukshumna, the native itinerants them." Voluntary drownings, he assisting Mr. Smith, to dine with remarks elsewhere, are less frehim. They accepted his invita-quent than formerly; and it would tion, and had a long conversation appear, from an anecdote in Mr. with him respecting the Gospel; in Smith's journal, that even in this the course of which he commended holy city, and among brahmins them for the part they had taken too, idols are falling into disrepute. in embracing Christianity. In the "I asked a brahmin," says he, establishment of schools, Mr. Smith "why they took no notice of some had been greatly encouraged by a stone gods lying under a wall. 'We rich native, resident on the spot, worshipped them several years,' who subscribed very liberally toanswered the brahmin; but not wards their support. These schools deriving any benefit, we laid them were in a flourishing state, and aside, knowing they are but stones, the boys were said to read the and are not able to do good or Scriptures with delight. Instances evil.'" of disappointment, however, oc- The Rev. Mr. Corrie, having curred here as well as elsewhere. been appointed to the chaplaincy Several persons, who gladly received at Cawnpore, left Calcutta towards the word, and seemed for a while the end of November 1817, acdisposed to make any sacrifices for companied by Mr. Adlington, a the sake of the Gospel, were native youth, who had been under intimidated by the threats and in- the Rev. Messrs. Greenwood and sults of their former companions, Robertson, of the C. M. S., and the and desisted from further attend-recently baptized Fuez Messeeh. ance. In 1824, the church con- They were much aided in their sisted of 12 members, among whom efforts by a liberal native, Jay ד |