1831.]]

spects thus opening up before the eye of the enlightened Christian, cannot fail to deepen his interest in the Cause of Missions; and more especially in those Native Christian Churches, however small at present, of which he will hear in each successive Number. It is intended, therefore, that a few pages of Miscellaneous and Literary Information shall be given, as frequently as materials arrive, We shall also not fail to keep our eye on their Quarterly " Friend of India," and other direct communications from our Serampore Brethren. Thus gradually, it is presumed, will the Friends of this Cause be put in posssesion of circumstances, respecting which the inhabitants of this kingdom have hitherto been uninformed.

Notices of Six Bengalee and Two Persian Newspapers.

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Besides the Durpun, we learn from it, that there are now not fewer than six Bengalee Papers in Calcutta, besides two Persian, edited by Natives weekly, and one twice a-week. veral of them contain intelligence respecting the Governor-General in Coun cil the Supreme Courts - the Police -the Sudder Dewany, or Chief Civil Court-the Nizamut Adawlet, or Court of Criminal Justice-intelligence from Britain, France, and other European Three of Countries, as well as India. these, at least, seem to borrow their political intelligence from the Durpun. The price of all these Weekly Papers is one rupee, or two shillings per month. In May 1825, the subscribers to the six Papers were calculated at from 800 to 1000, and five readers to each Pa per: since then they have greatly increased; and, "from the best information," says the Durpun of 30th January last, we are led to believe that the number of subscribers to Native Newspapers has been DOUBLED within the last TWELVE MONTHS.... When this -Paper was first published, twelve years ago, we were censured by many of our subscribers for inserting intelligence respecting countries of which they knew not even the name: but we perceive, with much pleasure, that the Papers in Calcutta, conducted EXCLUSIVELY BY NATIVES, have now begun to introduce intelligence from all parts of the world."

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On this subject the Editors of the Periodical Accounts say

Thus also are the Hindoos themselves actively engaged in hastening Hindooism in its progress to the grave; for the more it is exposed, the sooner will it fall into deserved oblivion. By the Durpun of 26th June, it appears that a New Weekly ShastruPeriodical had started-the prukasuk," or "Book of Light."—giving the true meaning of the Vedangus, Pooranus, &c.; so that every thing relating to the Shasters, translated into Bengalee, will be open to the comprehension of all Whatsoever doth make manifest, is light: and the effect of this publication will unconsciously be the exposure of the perplexity and confusion, the darkness and cruelty, of the whole system.

There is now a Caleutta Journal, and a Literary Gazette, supported by Native Writers; and, among Fourteen Publications printed by Natives, in English, during the last year, it is curious to observe" Remarks on the Influx of the Irish Poor during the Season of Har vest The Early Life of Lord Liverpool A Self-Guide to the Knowledge of the English Language, in Bengalee and English," &c.

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Native efforts, however, begin to take a much higher range than any thing yet mentioned. In 1811, a complete edition of the "Shah Nameh" was undertaken by Dr. Lumsden for Government, to be completed in eight volumes; but it was

abandoned, after the First Volume, as being too expensive: this work, the great Historic Poem of the Persians, so highly extolled by Sir William Jones, will probably disappoint the European ear, but it is to be valued as the highest specimen of the Persian Tongue; and, though intricate and perplexed in its narrative, it contains all that remains in the East, of the History and Antiquities of Persia, from the earliest times to the Mahomedan conquest of that country. The Durpun of 27th February mentions that an edition has just been completed by Captain Mahon : it consists of 110,408 lines; and the Editor having collated the work with seventeen editions, this implies the reading and weighing of upward of Two Millions of Lines, or 500 a-day for ten years! This great work has been printed AT THE EXPENSE OF THE KING OF OUDE. What may not be anticipated, when Vital Christianity

and the Word of Life once find their way into these countries!

The Number of the Durpun just referred to thus speaks of the Progress of Natives in the English Lan

guage.

We learn that Baboo Kashee Prisad Ghose proposes to publish a Volume of English Poetry composed by himself. This is the first instance of a Native's venturing on the field of English Poetry; and, if we are to judge of the Volume by the specimens which have been given in the Hirkaru, we should decide that this attempt will reflect the highest credit on the poet. If any thing were wanting to convince us that the Natives of this country are fully capable of acquiring what ever is most difficult in the English Language, these would decide the question.

We may embrace this opportunity of saying, that the progress made by the Natives in the acquisition of English, within the last ten years, has been truly astonishing. Before that period, some few were known to have acquired a very respectable knowledge of the language, and one or two ventured to print Works which brought them much credit: but -the great body of those who applied to -English were content with a mere smattering; and proposed to themselves no higher aim, than the acquisition of a superficial knowledge of reading and writing, and a very imperfect colloquial acquaintance with it. But within the last ten years, the language has been cultivated with such wonderful success, that

it would be easy at the present moment to point out between one and two hundred young Native Gentlemen in Calcutta to whom English is quite as familiar as their own tongue: some among these, as for instance the author of the proposed Poems, have given so intense an application to their English Studies, as to produce Works, which the great body of our countrymen would scarcely venture to attempt.

The Serampore Brethren, after enumerating in their Quarterly Work,the "Friend of India," some of the chief productions of the Native Press, make important remarks on the Necessity of supplying Useful Publications

for the Natives.

It is scarcely possible not to feel, that the impulse which the Native Press has received augments the duties of those who possess facilities for communicating ideas to the country. The objectionable character of the greater part of the Works which we have enumerated clearly points out the nature of our obligations. The welfare of India imperatively requires that they should be counteracted by others, which may tend to raise the tone of the country. The Press should not be suffered, even for a limited period, to become the auxiliary of Superstition; the only means of preventing which is, to provide for the circulation of Works of a higher character. Most disastrous would it be, if the greatest engine of improvement yet discovered by man should, through our supineness, serve to augment the evils which we are so anxious to remove! Most disastrous would it be, if the schemes of education now on foot should serve only to create readers for Idolatrous Publications, from a lack of more Useful Works! Yet this is likely to be the case, if we permit year after year to elapse without multiplying Treatises which may serve to fill the vacant hours of students after the season of elementary instruction is closed. We owe it, therefore, to the consistency of our character-we owe it to our superior civilization, and to the plans of improvement which have been commenced under British Influence-not to suffer minds which have been partly enlightened at school to relapse into the grossness of Superstition. If we do not attempt to fill the country with Useful Publications, far better would it be to shut up our Schools; and thereby to avoid, at least,

giving a fresh impulse to Idolatry and Immorality. To perfect the system of civilization which we have begun, and to prevent our efforts from having a baneful influence on the rising generation, it is imperatively necessary that the knowledge and information with which the English Language overflows should be transfused into the vernacular tongue. The Youth, whose minds have been opened by Introductory Treatises, have now grown up to maturity, and require works of a superior class. Imbued with the love of reading through our exertions, they will naturally seize on the productions of the Press as the means of mental enjoyment; and their future character cannot but be powerfully influenced by the character of those Works, whether pernicious or salutary. Our plans, therefore, now require extension, in order to keep pace with the growing wants of the country.

On this passage the Editors of the Periodical Accounts observe

If any thing could lend emphasis to these expressions, it is the fact, that, since they were published in May 1825, many thousands, at least FORTY or FIFTY THOUSAND, Volumes or Pamphlets have been thrown into circulation by the Native Press! In the year 1829 alone, Thirty-seven different Publications were thus issued, with the character of which the reader has been already informed.

-that arising from the voyage excepted. It is, without doubt, one of the finest climates in the world: the daily variation of the thermometer, within the house, during the nine months of my residence, was not more than three or four degrees: during the hottest months, the mercury varied from 64° to 68° of Farenheit; and at the coldest, from 40° to 44°: in the open air, the variation would have been greater, especially in the cold season, as ice was frequently found in the morning.

There are two places at which invalids reside-Kotengherry and Ootacamana. Kotengherry is but 15 miles from the foot of the Hills, and but 6500 feet high: Ootacamana is fifteen miles further on, On many acand 1500 feet higher. counts, Kotengherry is to be preferred as a residence for invalids.

Ootacamana being surrounded by high hills, either in its immediate vicinity or at a distance, no part of the plains is visible from it: Kotengherry being on a summit which overlooks all others on the south and east, nearly all the Coimbatore District is visible when clouds do not intervene; and on one of the hills in the immediate vicinity of Kotengherry, a great part of the Mysore District is visible on the north. On account of the delightful prospect, which the plains, and the clouds which hover over them, present, Kotengherry is far more pleasant than Ootacamana: the first view of Ootacamana is delightful, it being a smooth surface with long grass; but as there is no cultivation,no shrubs, nor even rocks to be seen, the eye soon wearies, and longs for some new object: but Kotengherry is covered with bushes, such as the gooseberry and raspberry, and with fern, excepting where it has been cleared for cultivation: the scenery presented by the burning bush, the ploughed ground, the green fields, the red-topped grain, and here and there the red and white poppy, is very pleasant. The difference observed in the thermometer at the two places, especially during the warmer months, is not very great: in the cold season, there is a difference of five degrees or more: the valleys in the vicinity of Kotengherry are probably about as cold as Ootacamana: the extremes of heat and cold are daily greatest in Ootacamana.

The first English Settlers went to Kotengherry; but finding the inhabitants unwilling to part with their land, they went on to Ootacamana, where the Na

tives neither cultivate nor claim the soil. The country immediately round the more elevated station is more level, and on that account more eligible for a large settlement: and now, since the number of inhabitants has greatly increased, the place has become very gay, and of course more inviting to most persons, than Kotengherry. The present number of buildings at this place is only eight; at Ootacamana probably five times that number: and as speculators prefer spending their money in erecting buildings at Ootacamana, it will not only continue to grow, but will ere long have a larger English Population than any other place in India, the Presidencies excepted.

Mr. Woodward visited the Nilgherries, from Ceylon; as did Dr. Scudder, one of his Associates in that Mission: both derived great

benefit from their residence there. Mr. Woodward has given a lively Description of Palankeen Travelling in

the Peninsula,

A palankeen is quite unlike any thing which I ever saw in America. The top or body of a small neat stage coach is, perhaps, the nearest in resemblance. Instead of the oval form, it is a parallelogram, six feet long and two and a half wide, with the top a little raised in the centre, so as to shed the rain. Instead of the swinging doors of the coach, there are, on either side, two small shove doors. Like the coach, it has either venetians, or two small windows, in each end. From the centre of each end of the palankeen run out poles three-and-a-half feet long, which are supported by iron rods from each corner, meeting on the pole, six or eight inches from the body. Though a palankeen be thus large, it is generally made of light materials, so that, when empty, it may easily be raised by four men to the shoulders.

Early after noon, on the day appointed for commencing the journey, half-a-dozen or more coolies (baggage-bearers) call for their burdens. Each man has a cloth, answering for a pack, swinging over his shoulders, in which are his luncheon, knife, tobacco, &c. On his head, is a small parcel of straw, in a circular form, adapted to his head, on which he carries his load. Each man, also, has a staff, for his support in rugged paths, or when fording rivers: to the head of this staff are attached a number of flat pieces of steel, which, by their jingling, frighten

away serpents, and even wild beasts at night. The burden for one cooly is generally about sixty pounds, and this he carries thirty miles a-day. Being accustomed to the business, they travel many miles without stopping, and without even supporting the burden with the hand; and their daily wages are about 40 cents.

A few hours after the baggage leaves, another set of men, thirteen in number, present themselves before the door: these are the palankeen- and torch-bearers. Their dress consists of a large white cloth bound round the head for a turban; and instead of the single cloth round their waists, as is common to all low castes, they wear a long white frock, so that their bodies are completely covered. This dress gives them a much better appearance than many of a higher caste; and was probably adopted that their per

sonal appearance might be more acceptable to English Gentlemen and Ladies. The torch-bearer has a long roll of old cloths, closely bound together in a cylin drical form, four feet long, and four or five inches in diameter: this is a lamp In his other hand is a leather or brass vessel, containing two quarts of oil. (See Matt. xxv. 4.) Having girded up their loins, they place the palankeen before the door. When the traveller is seated, the three men at each pole raise their clasped hands to their faces, in the attitude of prayer; and then, bowing a little with their faces toward the palankeen, they invoke the protection and blessing of their gods. How much instruction and reproof, from the example of the Heathen!

While moving on at a slow gait, the first few minutes are occupied in “geting the step," by which they move on with more ease to themselves and the person whom they carry; commencing, at the same time, their song, "Ha Hum, Ha Hum," by which the step is regulated. The monotony of this song is sometimes broken by some one more merry than the rest; who, with the apparent design of driving away melancholy or of pleasing their employer, raises his voice, and sings, "Good gentleman good pay will give." When tired of this, some still more animating thought is thrown out; such as, "We'll take our pay, go home, and buy a fine cloth." Thus they run on, six only bearing the palankeen at a time. At a signal given from some one whose shoulder is weary of its burden, they stop, and in a moment pass