pulse of great charity, to spend many thousands of rupees in the highly meritorious act of its reconstruction. The following sentiments passed between us on the subject:'You know that this (heathen) system is not founded in truth.'-For I soon saw that he knew me and my object. Whether founded on what was generally termed truth he could not say the system was very ancient, and the belief and practice of ancestors must not be lightly set aside; they ought to be revered and not dishonoured. Besides, who could surely tell what indeed was truth-perhaps the ancients were right after all! Still it was well, and even proper, to investigate the matter according to my suggestions, and if Christianity was found to be true, to embrace it of course.-Had no objection to reading our Scriptures and other books treating upon the subject. Was willing to receive a Gospel, and some tracts offered to him-would carefully keep, and attentively peruse them, &c., &c.; to which one of his assistants, apparently the head bricklayer, willingly acceded and requested a similar supply for him. self. After making a few common-place inquiries, i. e., whether I would recommend any of the old bricks to be used, or whether to build with entirely new, &c., they left me with their books, in the presence of their assembling workmen, to sit down and peruse them. This is a specimen of a numerous class to be met with everywhere, of unprejudiced and apparently candid minds, so far as it regards Christianity as a system of religion, now pretty well known in theory by hundreds, but put in practice by comparatively few.

THE CHILDREN OF THE HEATHEN TAUGHT CHRISTIANITY.

"Proceeding onwards, I reached P

at near midday, and consequently very hot. This is one of the out stations of the Coimbatoor Mission, and twenty-seven miles from the Head or Home Station. Found the Native Teacher stationed here laid up very ill; offered him some of my own medicines-preerred his own. No place here but a shed on poles, and without any walls-hot wind blowing very unpleasantly. Examined the Mission School-found it in a satisfactory condition-many of the principal inhabitants of the place present during the exami

nation, the school-room being in one of the greatest thoroughfares of the town. Some expressed their satisfaction at the progress of the scholars, which progress, it must be remembered, was in reading the Scriptures in the native language, i. e. Tamil, and the committing to memory several Christian catechisms, including Dr. Watts's first and second, Scripture ditto, together with Grammar of their own language, writing (with iron style on Palmyra leaves), arithmetic, &c. No objection whatever is made to such a decidedly Christian education, although all the parents are heathen, and not one of their own (heathen) books allowed to be taught in the school! This is the case with all the twelve schools of this Mission.

CURIOSITY ABOUT THE RAILROAD AND ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Also,

"Went to the Tassildar's Cutcherry (i.e. native magistrate and his public office building). He is a Brahmin; had a long conversation with him in the presence of all his officials. I have known him several years; he was full of praise of the school, ability of the schoolmaster, &c. Before leaving, he requested as a favour that I would afford him and his people some information respecting the new railroad soon to come through Coimbatoor, and of which wonderful thing there was a general talk. about the electric telegraph, about which they had heard such wonderful reports of its experimental trial at Madras and its vicinity. About the railroad, steam engine, carriages, &c., &c., I was able to make them compre hend something, but about the latter I could do but little without a plan, model, experiments, &c.; for the Hindoo has only the word lightning (menel) to express the power employed, and from the frequency and destructiveness of thunder storms in this country, the word has something awful in its sound, and its power being often observed by the dreadful calamities produced, they cannot comprehend how it can be controlled and applied to any useful or profitable purpose.

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

"Had evening service with a few Christians here, and was happy to find a young man among them whom I baptized several years ago, who is adorning his profession by

a consistent walk, and endeavouring to do good to the souls of others. He is in pretty good worldly circumstances, and has much time at his own disposal, which it appears he employs for good purposes, i. e. reading the Bible and other religious books to the heathen around him, &c. &c. Slept here in the shed, and remained during the following day. Had some visitors, both heathen and Mohammedan, but inquirers they cannot well be termed; for although the Gospel has been published in this town and adjoining villages for many years past, and the people know more or less of its requirements, there does not appear to be any conviction of sin nor fear of its consequences; consequently, although the people will freely converse upon Christianity, and prejudice against it as a system of religion is scarcely perceptible at the present time, yet careless unconcern and apathy about a future state seems to pervade all classes. The native teacher here requires a better cottage, and I went and inspected several sites for the purpose, and hope ere long to obtain an eligible situation. This being a place where three or four principal or trunk roads meet, and people coming and going in every direction, it is necessary that the teacher's cottage should be where the greatest number of travellers resort or pass.

SOWING BESIDE ALL WATERS.

"The following day was that on which is held the great weekly market, and which has much increased lately in consequence of new roads being made, so that, at the lowest computation, I should think that from three to four thousand of both sexes were present on this occasion. These assemblies are just the places to preach the Gospel; for there are very many who neither come to buy nor sell, mere loungers, and a congregation of some hundreds can be collected in a very short time, who generally hear with much attention, for their minds are not in that excited state they are at heathen festivals. Such markets are held all over this province on different days every week, and we make it a point of attending as many as circumstances will permit, and by this means the word spoken, and the tracts distributed, are taken to remote parts. In the afternoon I left this place, and proceeded about fifteen miles,

The

where I slept in a tope (grove) of tamarind trees, having arrived at the close of the day, when the women return from drawing water, each with a large earthen pot on one hip, and often a child on the other, each encircled with an arm. Nearly the whole distance I came, travellers were either returning from, or going to the market, many with their little sons astride upon their shoulders, and-holding on by the turban. These markets gene. rally last till dark, and many sleep on the spot in the midst of their merchandise, which consists chiefly of different sorts of grain, cloths of various textures and descriptions for native clothing, implements of husbandry, live stock, i. e. bullocks, sheep, &c. Monegar (head of tribe or village) who gave me permission to sleep in his tope was a very friendly man he brought me fruit, and a plentiful supply of good water, an invaluable article at all times, especially at such a time as this, when even the wells are getting low, and the water becomes tainted. He would also have supplied me with food if I had accepted it, but for various reasons that was declined. He and his people kept awake most part of the night, and I gave them a Gospel of Matthew and some tracts, and in the morning, before sunrise, when I left, they accompanied me some considerable distance. To-day, through the absence of rain, the dust and strong hot wind were very unpleasant, and I was glad to rest under the shade of a tree in a large village for about an hour. Here I had a large concourse of people to hear me, and I distributed some Gospels and many tracts in two languages— viz. Tamil and Teloogoo. The ancestors of the present inhabitants migrated from the Teloogoo country many generations ago; and these people still speak that language among themselves, although all around them is Tamil, with which they are quite as familiar as with their own; and most of them could speak and read both languages fluently. The majority are in very good circumstances, being cultivators of various sorts of corn and tobacco, the latter for transmission to the Malabar country. They know much about Christianity, but appear somewhat bigoted in their preference for their own religion, or rather superstition, and think it quite right to follow their forefathers. They, however,

candidly heard me state both sides, and show them the excellency of Christ and his religion of love and mercy. They also heard me read to them, and read aloud themselves from the Scriptures and tracts I supplied them with; and some of them accompanied me out of the town on my journey, and took a very friendly farewell. At mid-day I reached P-, another of our out-stations, about thirty miles distant from the one I left. Here I found our Native Teacher well, and actively engaged in his avocation, but his child was ill. As soon as my arrival was known, several persons came to see me and to converse, obtain books, &c. I remained here over the Sabbath, and had a small congregation of Christians, both in the forenoon and evening, and some readers of Scripture in the afternoon, but no heathen attended any of these services.

OPPOSITION OF A HEATHEN MAGISTRATE.

"The Tassildar, who is a Brahmin, sent a carpenter to work at mending a gate, a few yards distant from the place where I was staying, and just opposite, making a great noise. I have every reason to think that this was intended to annoy me, and to disturb the people who were collected to hear me; for he has shown his opposition to our proceedings on several previous occasions, and at one time went so far as to order the dead bodies of the village or town, to be interred near the Native Teacher's cottage. On this occasion I was under the necessity of appealing to the European magistrate of Coimbatoor, who at once saw through the whole affair, and ordered him to desist. However, to-day the annoyance before men. tioned was continued for some time, and I saw the necessity of requesting the carpenter to go away, which he did, but soon returned by the authority of the Tassildar, and I was obliged to send to him, and remind him that by so doing he was acting contrary to one of the rules of government. Seeing I was not disposed to put up with the noise and annoyance during the Sabbath, he thought it prudent to take the carpenter away, and I had a quiet day with our people-a great blessing in the midst of the noisy heathen around, who know no Sabbath, and consequently keep none.

OPENINGS FOR THE GOSPEL.

"Here, also, on the Monday, is held a large weekly market, so that I remained and attended it, and, as usual, had not entered the crowd and spoken many minutes, when I was surrounded by attentive hearers. I also distributed both portions of Scriptures and tracts; being personally known to the people of these parts, many from all directions and from many miles claim a sort of friendly acquaintance with me. I also remained here some part of the next day, in order to make inquiries about a spot for a schoolroom, schoolmaster, &c.; for the inhabitants of this place and surrounding villages have earnestly requested me to commence a school for several years past, but those already in operation take all the funds at my disposal for educational purposes. However, as a benevolent gentleman in the service of government has during the past two months furnished me with the pecuniary means for one school at another of our outstations, I hope I may procure assistance for this. The only difficulty attending such subscriptions is, that these gentlemen frequently remove from one part of the country to another, and then their subscriptions are discontinued on their departure, and perhaps at the very time when the school is in its most efficient state: this has happened many times in this mission.

VISIT OF A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT. "Here also some respectable people came to inquire of me about the Queen's Gentleman,' meaning Danby Seymour, Esq. M.P. for Poole, and who has been travelling in different parts of the country, collecting information respecting the general condition of the inhabitants, in order to lay the same before Parliament. The people entertain very strange notions of his visit, intentions &c., some of which I thought it my duty to correct. Very little that is satisfactory can be ascertained by such flying visits. came to see me, and we had about two hours conversation; but to see this mission in all its branches, &c. would take as many weeks. AN IDOLATROUS FESTIVAL.

He

"On the following day I set out about two o'clock P.M., and had a very hot and dusty journey of eleven miles to S――, where I found the inhabitants in a great state of

excitement, there being a feast, &c. in honour of their idols.* There are two heathen temples, one of which is very ancient, with a Kobram (or tower), and very celebrated. The noise from native music, so called-i.e. tom-toms, gongs, and firing of gunpowder, was quite overpowering. Such times and seasons are not at all calculated for preaching the Gospel to the people, as many years' experience has fully proved to me. The minds of the people are fully absorbed by the scenes around them, the gaudy and noisy processions, &c., so that I determined to proceed home to Coimbatoor on the following day; and but little sleep or rest could be had during the night, the people being literally mad after their idols. In this place, twenty-four years ago, I first came in contact with the Brahmins of the Coimbatoor province. They were then quite strangers to my avocation, intentions, &c. (having never seen a Missionary before); they also appeared somewhat strange to me, for they are in many respects different from those of the same caste in Travancore, with whom a three years' acquaintance had in a measure given me some experience. This class of people now pretty well know both my occupation and intentions, and generally act accordingly; but those engaged in agricultural and mer. cantile occupations are much more tolerant and friendly than those whose employ is of a sacerdotal description, the reason for which may easily be conjectured.

RETURN HOME.

"I left the place before sunrise, and proceeded homewards, and while sitting on a bank to rest about midway, and, the sun having been up some hours, it was very hot, I was joined by some respectable Hindoos, who were also travelling, and who inquired whether I had any books; this is frequently

Much excitement is often produced by taking bung, an intoxicating herb; but in many places the natives within the last few years have added intoxicating drinks, and for an excuse plead the example of Europeans. How careful ought Missionaries to be in this respect. It will be a happy day when every Missionary in India is a practical abstainer, both for example to the heathen as well as for the preservation of his own health. Dramshops are now very numerous-the sign being a quart bottle, suspended on a pole or bamboo. Since my arrival in India, twenty-seven years ago, this vice has greatly increased among all classes and castes, and is becoming so common that the former abhorrence evinced by those of high caste Hindoos is scarcely observable.

the case, for it is well known that my capacious pockets are generally well filled with tracts and small books. Upon inquiry I found some of them were from a place upwards of a hundred and fifty miles distant, and others among them were acquainted with one of the schoolmasters of this Mission. After some conversation I supplied them with tracts and we separated; they taking the road to the east, and I that to the west. In about two hours afterwards I arrived at home, and found my own family all well; but, short as had been my absence, two deaths had taken place among the adult Christians.

CONCLUDING REMARKS AND INFERENCES. "This tour was shorter both in time and distance than is usual, occupying only ten days, and the distance travelled only about eighty miles, which is not more than half the extent of many journeys made for preaching purposes every year, and at all times of the year; but it furnishes the following observations:

"I. Viewing only the surface, of the present state of the inhabitants of these parts, how easily is the erroneous impression entertained, and often publicly communicated, that the fields are white already to harvest.' Here we see hundreds, perhaps thousands of idolaters attentive listeners to the preaching of the Gospel,* earnestly seeking for books of Christian instruction, scriptures and tracts attentively read, &c., &c., yet still apparently as far from the kingdom of God as ever!

"II. Here also we see that prejudice, at least in these parts, has wonderfully subsided-so that a Missionary and ambassador of Christ is now looked upon as one to whom respect and even friendship should be shown, because he really seeks the good of the people generally. Consequently his way is all open before him-the time for violent disputes, &c. having gone past. Still, after all, the people seem quietly content with their own several systems of soul deception, and cling with the greatest pertinacity to

A Missionary of another Society, who called on us since the above, and who had traversed some parts of this province, expressed himself surprised as well as gratified at the savour of the knowledge of Christ to be met with, but was also equally astonished that with such knowledge there should be so little outward profession of Christianity,