outlay of upwards of £5,000; and the Rev. Thomas Boaz, Minister of Union Chapel, Calcutta, has visited England to present its powerful claims to the Friends of enlightened Christian Education in India; and earnestly hopes, through their liberality, to raise the amount required. The appended application of Mr. Boaz, sustained by his own self-denying labours and generous contribution of £50, is warmly recommended by the Directors of the London Missionary Society, in the assured confidence that the proposed Institution will, under the divine blessing, contribute to the elevation and happiness of its numerous and degraded population. Our Engraving contains an accurate view of Calcutta-the chief City of the British Possessions in the East. To the Friends of Christian Education in British India. DEAR FRIENDS,-The preceding official document of the London Missionary Society will have put you in possession of a deeply important object, for which I have visited this country. I trust it will meet your hearty approval, and cordial and generous support. It is as you will gather from this document-the intention of the Friends of Christian Education in Calcutta, should their brethren in Britain render ample aid, to establish in that Citythe Metropolis of Northern India-A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OR INSTITUTION, for the education of the Native Heathen, Mohammedan, and Christian Youth of the country. In addition to the general Educational Department, the Institution will embrace other interesting objects, namely I. A Central Hall, with suitable Class-rooms, II. A neat and commodious Christian Sanctuary. III. A Theological Institution for the Education of a Native Ministry. IV. An Orphanage for Native Male and Female Orphans, V. Houses for Native Catechists, Catechumens, and Inquirers. It is proposed to erect the College on the site of the London Missionary Society's present Institution at Bhowanipore, the Southern Suburban District of Calcutta. The situation is healthy and eligible, and the neighbourhood well adapted for such an object—it is chiefly inhabited by Brahmins and other respectable classes of the native community. The Institution has been in existence for ten years. It commenced with 70, and has now nearly 800, pupils. It is not an untried experiment, but one which has been carried on with a considerable degree of success. Some of our most interesting Converts have been obtained from this Christian Seminary, and it has operated efficiently in the right formation of the characters of numbers of those who now form the intelligent and active population of the country. If it should be established on the permanent and efficient basis on which the Friends in India wish to place it, it will be in future years one of the most hopeful spheres of Missionary labour in Northern India. To it especially will our Friends look for that on which the hope of the Church in India rests for future enlarged success, viz., a well-qualified and pious Native Ministry. It would be chimerical to suppose that India, with her One Hundred and Fifty Millions, should be permanently supplied with Missionaries and Ministers from Britain; and not only chimerical but unnatural. If India is to be converted to Christ independently of foreign aid, and she is, it must be through the instrumentality of her own converted, called, and qualified children; and it is to such Institutions as the one now proposed that the Church must look for her future competent Ministers. Nor will it be less useful as a refuge for Orphans of both sexes, and as a place of resort and rest for the inquiring Pilgrim and the more interested Catechumen; while, to hundreds of intelligent native youth, it will be a constant fountain of secular and divine knowledge. It is for the establishment of such an Institution that the aid of the Christian Friends in Britain is sought by their fellow-Christians in India. They feel deeply interested in the success of the plan, but they have no deeper interest in the matter than their brethren in TT 2 Britain; and they, in common with myself, trust this statement will not appeal in vain to the hearts and sympathies of their brethren and sisters in this country. The door, wide and effectual, is open in India-shall we be able to enter in? The cry is from the Youth of India, "Come over and help us!" The following interesting letter was addressed to me by the pupils (heathen) of the Institution, on the eve of my departure for England : "SIR,-We cannot describe the sorrow we feel on the occasion of your departure for England, and we feel it our duty to express our deep sense of gratitude for the innumerable advantages we have derived from your connexion with this Institution, whose beneficial influence is widely and sensibly felt in this country: however, we feel somewhat relieved from understanding that your absence from us will be only for a time. By the christian liberality of the Supporters of our Institution, we are instructed in the Science and Literature of England, and, above all, are made acquainted with the path that leads to heaven-the richest favour that can be shewn to any mortal being. For this we offer our unceasing thanks and praises to them, and praises higher, and thanks more grateful, to the all-merciful God, for having blessed them with such liberal and christian hearts. As you are going to visit them, we request you will kindly communicate our cordial thanks, and mention to them the inconveniences to which we are at present exposed through the want of a suitable School-house and proper scientific Apparatus. "Our School-house is a thatched Bungalow, and does not afford us a good shelter against the storms and heavy showers of the rainy season, so frequent in this country. How often are we obliged to move about our classes at the time of rain! In summer, the danger of our School-room being burnt is so great, on account of the frequent conflagrations in this country, by which hundreds of huts around our school are consumed, that we can ascribe its safety to nothing but the providence of God. "The want of instruments is not less felt, and you know, Sir, how difficult it is to understand well the different branches of the Physical Sciences which, from time to time, form the subjects of our study, and how imperfect we are in them in consequence. “These, and similar disadvantages, constrain us to ask you to trouble the christian men of England once more, and request them to add to the innumerable favours they have shewn to us, by giving us a proper building and the necessary instruments. We earnestly hope you will-like Rev. W. S. Mackay, who has lately brought out many useful instruments, to the great benefit of the boys of the Free Church of Scotland's Institution,'-return, to our great joy, from England, with funds sufficient for the erection of the School, and with the requisite scientific Apparatus. Our sincere prayers shall be offered for your good health and prosperity during the time you may be absent from us, and we earnestly hope you will return to us with renewed health, for it will always prove a great blessing to us and to our friends in this country. "May the kind providence of God bless you in all your efforts to do good unto us and others, land you safe in your native land, prosper your hopes there, and bring you back to our country again. "We are, your most affectionate 64 PUPILS OF THE BHOWANIPORE CHRISTIAN INSTITUTION." "Bhowanipore, 2nd Feb., 1847." The amount of funds required for the accomplishment of this object, in the purchase of ground, the erection of building, &c., will be upwards of £5,000. Towards this sum the Friends of Christ of different persuasions, in Calcutta, have subscribed £500; another £500 will, it is hoped, be obtained there, should the Friends in Britain come promptly and generously forward to help the good work. The Directors of the London Missionary Society have subscribed towards the object, out of their general funds, £1,000. The sum to be raised from the Friends of Education generally will be above £3,000; and my sincere hope is, that He, whose is the silver and the gold, may dispose His people to a prompt and generous Contribution. The establishment of this College may be aided not only by pecuniary gifts, but also by donations of Apparatus,-such as a telescope, electrical machine, &c., maps and books; with specimens of manufacture, art, and natural curiosities, for the formation of a Museum. Scholarships, or Donations for Special Pupils, would be of considerable importance, inasmuch as they would enable the Tutors to retain young men of promise, and especially of promise for the Christian Ministry, until they were well matured in every department of secular and religious knowledge. It would not be difficult to enter upon the discussion of the past, present, and future advantages of this and similar Institutions; but I forbear. It would require a volume, and not a sheet, to do justice to such a subject: it will, I trust, be sufficient to excite the sympathies, prayers, and aid of the Church to know that India, with her millions, is open to the reception of Christian Truth, both by Preaching and Education. Some may be anxious to ascertain what is the actual extent of the Education at present afforded in the Institution. The following Examination Questions*, proposed to the Students at the last Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Institution, will give those interested in the subject some idea of the kind and degree of the studies pursued by the Students. To these Questions they rendered competent and highly satisfactory replies; such, indeed, as would have reflected credit on Pupils in Establishments of higher pretensions, and in more favoured lands. All the branches of study pursued in the Institution are not inserted in this series of Questions: mathematics, astronomy, poetry, and one or two others, are omitted. The present will, however, it is hoped, suffice to show that the Studies pursued in the Institution are not of a mean order, and that they are essentially and substantially Christian. This is the chief and avowed object of the College,-to instruct the Youth of India in all the Sciences, but especially to indoctrinate them into the knowledge of Christ," whom to know is life eternal.' Brethren and sisters, it is to aid such a work we crave your help, by your generous Contributions, as well as by your good wishes and prayers! Yours truly, THOMAS BOAZ, Pastor of Union Chapel, Calcutta. Donations and Subscriptions may be forwarded to the Secretaries of the London Missionary Society, or to the Rev. T. Boaz, Mission-House, Blomfield-street, Finsbury. PROSPECTS OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE TELOOGOO COUNTRY. OUR Missionary Brethren in the Teloogoo country are encouraged to perceive that the people amongst whom they labour have, for some time, evinced a growing interest in the ministry of reconciliation. The kindly reception they obtain from the inhabitants of the villages and districts which they visit in the course of their itinerancies, and the ready mind with which the natives listen to the words of eternal life, form a very marked contrast to the experience of our earlier Missionaries in this extensive field of labour. Our brethren, in travelling from place to place, are no longer repelled as they once were from the rites of hospitality and the courtesies of life; nor is the message they bear now treated with the derision and contumely with which it was formerly met. Thus the seed of the kingdom is widely scattered through the land, and though retarded in its growth by the combined influence of idolatry and superstition wielded by the heartless avarice of the Brahminical Priesthood, we have the promise of an unchanging God that it will spring up and bear fruit, though after many days, to the glory of his grace. In harmony with these statements, we give the following extracts of a Missionary journal received from Mr. Gordon, of Vizagapatam, under date of July last : Admission of the Truth by the Heathen. June 4th.-Reached Ankapilly early this morning-the hot land winds blew fiercely the whole day.. In the evening, accompanied by the schoolmaster, I walked out to the village of Inggiahpettah, about a mile and a half distant; and found a few Banyan people seated on a piol, reading one of their Puranas. On asking them if they would be *The Questions will appear in a separate form, in those interested in the subject. willing to listen to some words of instruction from the true Purana, they replied in the affirmative; brought out a mat; and, asking me to sit down, readily listened to the words of life: they offered no opposition, assented to the truth, admitting that Christianity was the only true religion, and Hindooism was false, &c. They readily received copies of the Word of God and tracts. A few poor connexion with this statement, for the information of women, who came near, looked on with astonishment while I spoke to the people, and pressed the tracts to their foreheads in token of adoration. Poor ignorant creatures! how blind they are, how ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Saviour! Inveteracy of Brahminical Unbelief. June 6th-Sabbath.-This morning, went out to the village, and spent some time at the house of a blacksmith in talking to a few people. One of my hearers on this occasion was a Vishnooite Brahmin, who said that he must see Christ, or he could not believe in him; and also that he must see the handwriting of Christ, or his signature to the word which his disciples preach, or he could not believe that that word was his own. I told him that these were unreasonable assertions; that Jesus Christ came in the flesh nearly 2,000 years ago; that, when He was on earth, He preached and performed many miracles in token of His Divinity; that, when He ascended on high, He gave authority to His people to go and preach the Gospel, confirming the same with signs following; that, although the signature of Christ was not in His Word, it contained abundant evidence of its own truth; that He would come again at the great judgment-day, to call all sinners to an account; and that, unless he repented of his sins, he would certainly perish. With this, I left the poor ignorant man, warning all others present that soon they would have to give in their account; and that, though they did not see Christ now, they would inevitably see Him at that day. In the evening, attended the market usually held in the place on this day, addressed a large crowd of people, and distributed tracts. They heard the Word, on the whole, with great pleasure. -A new temple has been built to the god Rama, under a banyan-tree, close by, during the year. Hindoo Women taught the Way of Life. June 7th.-Early this morning walked out to the village of Goura Ankapilly. Meeting a man on the outskirts of the village, I asked him to shew me a place where I might gather a few people for instruction: he conducted me to the middle of the village. Taking my seat on a piece of wood, I read a short tract, and spoke to them for some time they listened attentively, and received a few tracts. The greater number of the people were women. The Heathen hearing for the first Time of Christ. an hour, I was busily occupied in reading and explaining a tract to the people, who were chiefly agriculturists: they paid great attention to the word, acknowledged all that was said, and received tracts. Several of the people had not heard of the name of Jesus before, and seemed both surprised and pleased. Had some refreshing rain this afternoon, which has considerably moderated the heat of the weather. During the rain, two or three people sought shelter in the verandah of the house, to whom I read and spoke, and gave a copy of Matthew. In the evening, I walked out to a temple of Rama, lately erected near this place, and talked to some agriculturists, who, after hearing me for some time, begged I would take a seat and explain further to them about the Christian Religion: this I gladly did, rejoicing at the opportunity of again directing them to the only source of peace. The people seemed interested, asked several important questions, frequently repeated the name of Jesus, as if to impress it on their minds, and said they would hereafter forsake the service of idols, and believe and serve Jesus Christ alone. May they indeed be led of the Holy Spirit to Jesus! Amen. Brahminical Fraud and Avarice. June 10th.-Went out to the same spot I visited yesterday. I seated myself on a piol and addressed a few people-read the tract 'Spiritual Instruction," to which a few persons appeared to listen with earnest attention. This village and all the surrounding ones have been in a state of great excitement during the last three or four days, owing, it is said, to some wonderful appearances in a neighbouring tank. Some of the simpleminded people gave it out that during the night the tank seemed to be lighted up as though by fire, and that the water rose, and subsided again by the morning. Immense crowds from a great distance gathered together beside the tank to see these wonderful sights, and by washing in its waters, to obtain absolution for their crimes. Being anxious to find out what these mysteries really were, and expose the delusion to the people, the schoolmaster and myself walked out to the spot about ten o'clock this morning. I had suspected, from the first, that the bright appearance resulted from insects which emit their light from their wings-this, on search, we found to be the case: around the interior surface of the tank, close to the water's edge, we observed myriads of insects, which float on the surface of the water at night, and so cause the above-mentioned appearance. Two or three Brahmins were uttering their muntrums, or prayers, to the crowds of people in the water, and receiving money for their supposed services. The whole I believe to be a trick of the wily and covetous Brahmins. The cause of these appearances was vari ously explained by the people: some saying that the Munis, or holy men, had lately bathed in these waters; others, that celestial nymphs had come down, visited the place, and shewed their divinity by the light which remained behind them. Several of the people saw through the artifice and freely confessed it to be a deception. Some seemed very angry with me for divulging "the mystery." I embraced the opportunity, ere I returned, to point these poor deceiving and deceived people to Jesus Christ for salvation. The Terrors of Superstition. June 11th and 12th.-On these days, I assumed my position by the side of the road leading to the tank before mentioned, with a view to speak to the crowds who had allowed themselves to be deluded by the artifice of the Brahmins. I had thus the opportunity of declaring the word of life to many who would probably never have heard it otherwise. In the afternoon of Saturday, I visited the village of Toomapala, where the usual market is held on this day, and was engaged until dusk in preaching to the people the way of life-they heard gladly, and several received Scriptures and tracts. On my way hither, I discovered on the road-side a number of pots and baskets, filled with rice, grain, ghee, curry, &c., said to have been sent by the goddess Kali, or Durga, from Juggernaut. To one of the pots was fastened a palmyra-leaf, on which there was some writing: the schoolmaster who was with me, on reading it, found it was an order to the people of each village to receive these emblems of Kali's divinity, and send them on within three days; with a threat that, if this were not done, it would excite the anger of that bloody demon, and she would shew it by burning up the village! Here is another invention of Satan, the great "father of lies," to delude the poor people of this country and keep them in constant fear. I was told that the Banyans in the village were collecting money to forward these pots and baskets to the nearest village. O Lord! when shall these things come to an end, and these poor blinded people learn the true way to heaven? June 13th.-In the afternoon of this day attended the market again at this place, and had a pleasing opportunity of preaching to the people about Jesus and His salvation. Left at ten o'clock this night and reached Vizagapatam on the following morning; rejoicing that I had been enabled again to lift up my voice in favour of our holy Religion amongst the benighted idolaters of this degraded land. May the Lord follow the word preached with His effectual blessing, and bring many of the heathen to a knowledge of Himself. Amen. BAPTISM OF A YOUTHFUL BRAHMIN. In the succeeding communication from Mr. Hay, of Vizagapatam, we are presented with a case which strikingly attests the growth of spiritual religion among an increasing portion of the Hindoo population, and the concurrent decline of the national institutions of Idolatry and Caste-those fearful instruments by which the prince of this world has so long maintained his empire in India. The narrative presents the history of a mind, bursting from the chains of falsehood, in an earnest search after truth; with increase of knowledge becoming more decided and zealous in the pursuit; and finally, at the sacrifice of everything dear to natural feeling, and with a steady resistance to the violent and calumnious opposition of his powerful and priestly Caste, yielding to the claims of Christ. This Brahminical Convert has forfeited his earthly friends, but he has found in the disciples of Jesus new relations by whom he is more ardently loved and cherished; while, in the faith of the Gospel, he enjoys a peace which the world cannot give nor take away. Under date of May 7, our brother thus relates the particulars of this interesting case : On Wednesday last, the 28th of April, we had the pleasure of baptizing a Brahmin youth, who avowed his determination to follow Christ, in the face of such a storm of opposition as could leave no reasonable room to doubt that he was thoroughly in earnest. Jaganuatham was a monitor in the English School, which he entered in 1842, and remained in it till I went to Europe. At that time, he was an earnest Hindoo. I well remember the first time that I pointed out to him the sinfulness of Idolatry. The idea was new to him, and, as an abstract truth, seemed at first to excite his interest; but, when brought to bear upon his own religious life, it called forth expressions of determined hate. Still he had a strong thirst for knowledge, and, during my absence in Europe, continued to visit Mr. Gordon and Mr. Johnston for instruction. |