MADRAS, MYSORE, AND THE SOUTH
OF INDIA :
OR,
A PERSONAL NARRATIVE
OP
A MISSION TO THOSE COUNTRIES
FROM MDCCCXX. TO MDCCCXXVIII.
BY ELIJAH HOOLE.
SECOND EDITION.
WITH ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD BY BAXTER.
MISSIONARY PREACHING IN INDIA. See pnf,e 48.
LONDON :
PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY LONGMAN, BROWN,
GREEN, AND LONGMANS ;
SOLD ALSO BY JOHN MASON, 66, PATEUNOSTER-ROW.
1844.
CONTENTS.
PREFACE TO THE PERSONAL NARRATIVE ON ITS FIRST
PUBLICATION. Pages xix xxi.
PREFACE. Object of this Publication Works consulted Dr.
Wiseman's remarks on Protestant Missions Reply to Dr.
Wiseman. Pages xxii. xxix.
INTRODUCTION. Revival of religion in the eighteenth century Its
object the promotion of personal piety Rejected by the Estab-
lished Church Extended to Ireland, to North America, and to
the West Indies Wesleyan Methodists throughout the world,
one million and a half Dr. Coke's Missionary character and
labours He projects a Mission to the East Obtains the con-
sent of the Wesleyan Conference Embarks with six Mission-
aries for India Died at sea, May 3d, 1814 Missionaries pro-
ceed to Ceylon Rev. James Lynch commenced a Mission in
Madras in 1817 Purchase and building of Mission premises
at Royapettah Rev. Titus Close proceeds to Madras Rev.
Thomas H. Squance forms a Mission at Negapatam Rev.
James Mowat and Elijah Hoole appointed to Bangalore Ex-
tension of the Missions since the author's return Indications
of success Necessity of prayer Missions in North and South
Ceylon Government School Commission Revival of religion
in Batticaloa The savage Veddahs reclaimed and settled in
three villages Encouragement to be derived from the past--
Anticipations of the future. Pages xxx. xxxviii,
STATISTICS OF THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. Page xxxix.
SUMMARY OF MISSIONS IN INDIA AND SOUTH CEYLON.
Pages xl -xliii,
MISSIONS OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY TO THE
SYRIAN CHRISTIANS OF TRAVANCORE. Page xliv.
LIST OF WESLEYAN MISSIONARIES WHO HAVE BEEN SENT
OUT TO INDIA AND CEYLON, WITH THE DATES OF
THEIR RETURN OH DECEASE. PagCS xty. xlviii.
A 2
1352852
IV CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
NOVEMBER, 1819, TO SEPTEMBER, 1820.
THE VOYAGE TO INDIA. Performed in much shorter time than
formerly The "overland journey " less than two months The
voyage by the Cape of Good Hope in some respects to be pre-
ferred Route of the Phenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Arabs
Route by the Caspian and river Oxus Route by Mesopo-
tamia before the time of Moses Tadmor in the Wilderness on
this route Visit of Pythagoras to India Black Jews of Cochin
White Jews Syrian Christians Discovery of the passage
by the Cape of Good Hope The Portuguese conquests in India
The Dutch, the English, and French The author quits Man-
chester in November, 1819 Rev. James and Mrs. Mowat
Kindness shown by the Society Embark at Gravesend on board
the " Tanjore " Sir Richard Otley Rev. Thomas and Mrs.
Browning Sunday at Deal Rev. W. M. Harvard Change
from boisterous to pleasant weather Comforts of the voyage
The Bay of Biscay The tropics St. Antonio, one of the Cape
de Verd Islands Interesting phenomena observable on the
voyage Ceremony on crossing the Line Gale of wind off the
Cape of Good Hope Make the Island of Ceylon View and
smell of the land Native canoes Adam Munhi Rathana and
Alexander Dherma Rama Distress of our native guides.
Pages 17.
CHAPTER II.
SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1820.
BURNING OF THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE OF THE PASSENGERS
AND CREW. Sir Richard Otley and suite land at Batticaloa
Approach of a storm Vessel struck by the lightning, and set
on fire Vain efforts to save the ship Difficulty of getting
out the boats Filled so as to be unsafe Gallant conduct of the
first Mate, Mr, Ibbetson The party deficient of clothing A
few articles saved Difficulty of getting clear of the buniing
ship Last view of the " Tanjore " Toils of the night A
spar of the " Tanjore " subsequently found at Negapatam
Return of day, and "land in sight" Two sails contrived
Native dhoney seen and gained Kindness of the natives
Accommodation for the night on board the dhoney Arrival at
Trincomallee. Pages 8 16.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER III.
SEPTEMBER, 1820.
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. The harbour of Trincomallee The
Dutch anxious to promote Christianity Religious state of the
natives on the arrival of the Wesleyan and American Mis-
sionaries Ceylon visited by Ibn Batuta and Marco Polo
Ceylon Ambassador at Rome in the time of Claudius Caesar
Discovery of Roman coin and ring in Manaar Ceylon known
to the Greeks, to Aristotle, and to Diodorus Siculus Natural
advantages of Ceylon Kind reception by Commissioner Upton
and Mr. Carver Last Intelligence of Alexander and Adam
Cholera Morbus Description of Trincomallee The Mission
House Sunday services Embark for Madras by the schooner
" Cochin " Inconveniences of the voyage Arrival and recep-
tion at Madras. Pages 17 24.
CHAPTER IV.
SEPTEMBER, 1820.
MADRAS AND ST. THOME. Madras, or Fort St. George, the
oldest Presidency The East India Company's First Charter
Inconvenience of the site of Madras Advantage of the neigh-
bourhood of St. Thome and Pulicat Ceded by the Rajah of
Chandergherry Fort St. David purchased from Rajah of Gin-
jee in 1690 Madras capitulated to the French in 1744
Restored in 1749 Again besieged in 1758 by Count de Lally
Relieved by the arrival of the British fleet In 17C9 Hyder
Ali appeared before Madras Treaty with him concluded
Appearance of the Beach of Madras Fort St. George and other
buildings Masoola boats Danger of crossing the surf Native
rafts or catamarans Means of communication with the Island
of Ceylon Native J. r areiars } or Beach-men Black-Town of
Madras described No Jews among its inhabitants The roads
about Madras and the scenery Jurisdiction of the Supreme
Court of Madras St. Thome Thomas the Nestorian Pantae-
nus visits India in the second century Arrival of the Portu-
guese in 1545 Sold to the Hindoos in 16C2 The English
take possession of it in 1749 Hindoo town of Mielapoor
Romish churches Mielapoor visited by the Ambassadors of
Alfred in the ninth century Gibbon The Saxon Chronicle
William of Malmesbury Romish legends of St. Thomas St.
Thomas's Mount Romish festival. Pages 25 37.
VI CONTENTS.
CHAPTER V.
SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, 1820.
MISSIONARY OCCUPATIONS. Detained in Madras Impression
produced by the appearance of a native congregation Native
mode of dress Native class-meeting Opening services of the
Church-Mission church in Madras Rev. T. Barenbruck and
Dr. Rottler The Mohorum, a Mahommedan feast Interior of
a native house Wesleyan congregations in Madras Study of
the Tamul language Tamul translation of the holy Scriptures
by Ziegenbalg Fabricius's version Rhenius's version Zie-
genbalg's Tamul Grammar The Rev. T. H. Squance com-
mences a Mission in Negapatam. Pages 38 44.
CHAPTER VI.
OCTOBER, 1820.
JouiiNEr TO NEGAPATAM. Palankeen and Bearers Extra-
ordinary journeys of palankeen bearers A Missionary terrified
by their disputes Description of a choultry, or chatlram Mode
of crossing rivers History and description of Covelong
Romish Missions Description of Tripatoor Sadras Jungle
Description and history of Pondicherry French Mission in
Pondicherry and the Carnatic Translation from Walther's
"Tamul Ecclesiastical History" Cuddalore Tranquebar
History of the Tranquebar Mission Ziegenbalg's zeal and
moderation Opposed by Romish Priests Constantino T.
Beschi Veda Vilaccam Walther's Ilistoria Ecclesiastica
Tractarian works in Tamul. Pages 45 63.
CHAPTER VII.
NOVEMBER, 1820.
JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. Vasco de Gama A Yogi bap-
tized at Calicut Pedro Covillam Michael Vaz, Vicar-General
of all India Portuguese built Colombo and Goa Albu-
querque's bigotry Goa a bishopric Arrival of Xavier in
1541 Paravas John de Cruz Xavier preached to the Pa-
ravas and Mukkuvas Cape Comorin Manaar Prince of
Danoor Blood-stained cross found at Mielapoor Antonio
Criminal's imprudence and death Cochin made a bishopric
Hidal Khan Nicholas Ippemenda Robertas de Nobili
CONTENTS. \'ii
Christian churches erected in Jaffna Proceedings and death
of the Jesuit John de Brito, or Arule"ndren Christians in
Tanjore persecuted FRANCIS XAVIER. His parentage and
education His acquaintance with Loyola Distinguished at
Rome Proceeded to India Effects of his ministry at Goa
Acquired the Tamul, the Malay, and the Japanese languages
Did not work miracles Character of his teaching Enshrined
at Goa Teaching of his successors Church at Cotate Vow
of a Heathen at the shrine of St. Francis Xavier. ROJBERTUS
DE NOBILI. Professed himself a San-yasi^-Jesuits concealed
that they were Europeans Conformed to the prejudices of the
Hindoos Father Martin's statement Father Bouchet Impri-
sonment of Father Borghese Self-denial of the Jesuits A,
Jesuit on his Mission Pere Austrey at Keelcheri The suc-
cessor of Abbe Dubois at Mysore Father Bouchet's visit to
the Court at Trichinopoly Santiago's account of the persecu-
tions and death of Father Dacunha at Cagonti Dr. Buchanan's
account of Aoor Romish festival at Coonampettah The Hea-
then offended at the proceedings of the Jesuits. Pages 64 103.
CHAPTER VIII.
HlNDERANCES TO THE SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA.
Success of the Jesuits Protestant Missionaries seek spiritual
converts Deceptions of the Jesuits The English Government
have discountenanced Romanism, and have neglected Protestant
Missions Patronage of Hindooism. Pages 104 109.
CHAPTER IX.
OCTOBER, 1820, TO FEBRUARY, 1821.
NEGAPATAM. The Portuguese The Dutch Philip Baldseus
Population of Negapatam English, Portuguese, and Tamul
congregations Mr. Squance preaching to the natives Manaar-
goody and Melnattam Study of Tamul Nagore Christmas
in Negapatam Mauttoo Pungul Voyage to Jaffna District
Meeting of "Wesleyan Missionaries. Pages 1 10 117.
CHAPTER X.
MARCH, 1821.
JAFFNA. Missions of the Portuguese in Ceylon The story of
Bouchaver, and Donna Caterina, Queen of Kandy Capture of
Manaar and Jaffna by the Dutch Mission of Baldasus
Vlll CONTENTS.
Number of Christians in Ceylon Neglect of the British Com-
mencement of the Wesleyan Mission in 1814 American Mis-
sions in the province of Jaffna Present state of the Wesleyan
Mission Return to Negapatam. Pages 118 123.
CHAPTER XI.
APRIL, 1821.
TAKJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY. Detention, and Missionary
work, in Negapatam Journey to Bangalore Kindness of John
Cotton, Esq Description of Trivaloor Festival at Neddi-
amungulum Arrival at Tanjore Mahratta Sovereigns of Tan-
jore and Trichinopoly Mahomed Ali acknowledged as the
Nabob of Arcot Arrival of Swartz at Tranquebar Removal
to Trichinopoly, and subsequently to Tanjore Swartz's Mis-
sion to Hyder Ali, and to Tippoo Sultan Rajah of Tanjore on
a pilgrimage to Benares His education and character Schools
and Workshops of the Mission in Tanjore Kellycotta Hos-
pitality of Hindoos First sight of Trichinopoly Description
of the rock and temples of Trichinopoly Service in the church
on Good-Friday Excessive heat. Pages 124 134.
CHAPTER XII.
APRIL, 1821.
JOURNEY FROM TRICHINOPOLY TO BANGALORE. Descrip-
tion of Namcul Sabbath rest Native at Moonoochoudy
M. D. Cockburn, Esq., Salem Romish Missions Ascent of
the Tapoor pass Ryacottah Thunder storm Description of
Oossoor Arrival at Bangalore, and kind reception by the Rev.
W. Malkin Remarks on the character of the natives.
Pages 135141.
CHAPTER XIII.
MAY, 1821, TO FEBRUARY, 1822.
MVSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. Early history
of Mysore Hyder Ali's usurpation Hostilities with the Bri-
tish Succeeded by Tippoo Sultan Tippoo's attack on Tra-
vancore Expedition of Marquis Cornwallis to the Mysore
Reduction of Bangalore Siege of Seringapatam in 1792 Lord
Cornwallis accepts proposals of peace, and Tippoo's two sons as
CONTENTS. IX
hostages Tippoo's embassy to the Mauritius Earl of Morn-
ington's Government Seringapatam taken in 1798 by General
Baird The Duke of Wellington Restoration of the Royal
Family of Mysore Description of Bangalore Suitable as a
Mission-Station Hospitality of the Rev. W. Malkin Natives
and neighbourhood of Bangalore Commencement of Mission
work Invitation to Seringapatam Conversation with the peo-
ple of Kingairy Desert-like country Chinnapatnam The
Madoor river Cholera morbus The river Cauvery, and the
island of Seringapatam Reception and engagements Present
state of Seringapatam Laul Baugh and mausoleum of Hyder
AH and Tippoo Formation of a class Abbe Dubois Sent a
manuscript copy of his Letters on Christianity in India Abbe
Dubois in Paris Mysore The Honourable Arthur Cole
Departure for Bangalore Rajah's bearers Captain Monk, and
native servant Garden in Bangalore Conversations with the
natives Alsoor Govinda Moodely Bagavatham Tamul
reading Origin of an idol temple Shastangam Religious
Mendicants Suttee Erection of a chapel for the natives
Second visit to Seringapatam Native converts Durbar at the
Court of Mysore Hindoo Monk. Pages 142 170.
CHAPTER XIV.
FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 1822.
JjURNEY FROM SERINGAPATAM TO MADRAS. Reasons of
recall to Madras Description of Chittoor Missionary charac-
ter and success of Joseph D'Acre, sq Daily worship
Happy influence of wealth and rank Arcot Mr. Erskine
Services in Black-Town Royapettah, and St. Thomas's Mount
Donation from Mr. D'Acre Monthly Missionary prayer-
meeting Sub-Committee of Translations of the Bible Society
Departure of Mr. Squance and family for England.
Pages 171177.
CHAPTER XV.
APRIL TO DECEMBER, 1822.
MISSIOV IN MADRAS. Progress of the Wesleyan Mission in
Madras Inconveniences of the old chapel Erection of new
chapel in Popham's street Liberal subscriptions Wells dug
for the foundation Opening services Invitation to erect ano-
ther chapel Mr. Erskine's departure for New South Wales
A 5
X CONTENTS.
Composition of Tamul sermons Failure of the health of Mr.
Close Bangalore abandoned for the present Negapatam re-
tained Government allowance Embarkation of Mr. Close and
family for England Removal of Mr. Mowat from Bangalore to
Negapatam Commencement of services in St. Thome Re-
puted grave of the Apostle Thomas Zeal of a poor fisherman
Premises offered for a chapel A more commodious building
required Swinging festival Insufficiency of the Missionary
force Translations into Tamul Watch-night services at the
close of the year. Pages 1?8 188.
CHAPTER XVI.
1822 AND 1823.
TAMUL LITERATURE. Intercourse with Moonshees of the col-
lege Ramayanam Works of Robertus de Nobili Mantra-
mdlee Atma Nirnyam Nyana Ubadhesam Translation of
extracts from the latter work Works of C. J. Beschi
Saduragradhi Tonnul Vilaccam Vedhiar Ozhuccam Vedha
Vilaccam Heads of the chapters of Vedhiar Ozhuccam Cha-
racter of Vedha Vilaccam Translation of extracts from the latter
work Confession of faith Tembavani Tamul epic Struc-
ture and subjects of Tembavani Translation of description of
Jerusalem Translation of doctrinal verses Expediency, not
truth, regarded by the Jesuits. Pages 189 205.
CHAPTER XVII.
JANUARY TO JUNE, 1823.
MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD. Messrs. Lynch and Stead visit
Jaffna Opening of chapel in Trichinopoly Baptism of natives
from Ellichpoor Christian kindness of the Rev. W. Sawyer
Death of Mr. Aylward Acquisition of the Portuguese language
Examination of native Mission-schools Female education
Heats of the month of May Land wind Journey to Walla-
jahbad Death by cholera at Serapanumchairy Arrival at Wal-
lajahbad Kindness of surgeon Gibson and commandant Leslie
Tamul congregation Regimental divine service Class-meeting
Evening services Visit to the hospital Notions of a kind
Heathen Refusal to baptize Journey to Madras Anniversary
of the Wesleyan Missionary Society. Pages 206214.
CONTENTS. XI
CHAPTER XVIII.
JULY TO SEPTEMBER, 1823.
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. Objectsof the
journey Assistant Missionary Kats Portuguese preaching
Monthly conference of Missionaries Commencement of journey
Tripatoor Description of Mauveliveram, or Maha Bali
Pooram, the seven pagodas Hospitable reception at Sadras
Alemparva Day passed with the natives under shade of a tree
Congregation in a boat Fakeer and San-yasi Services at Cudda-
lore Pandaram Conversation with pilgrim to Ramisseram
Delay at the Coleroon Festival at Chillumbrum Tranquebar
Native Romanists Means to be used for the conversion of the
Hindoos State of the Mission in Negapatam Congregation of
mendicants Irrigation from the river Cauvery Conversation
with the Merasi and Brahmans of Pundi Tanjore Preached in
one of Swartz's churches Peculiarities of the Tamul language
Converted "kollers," or thieves Coincidence of the character and
some parts of the language of this people with those of the gipsies
as described by Borrow Squirrels at Puthupet and Royapooram
Arrival at Trichinopoly English and Tamul services Visit
to the temple of Seringham Description of the tower Thou-
sand-pillar Choultry Circular wicker-boat Temple occupied as
barracks Natives converts Change of route Appearance of
the country Kowiladi Rev. Mr. Barenbruck at Comboconum
J. Cotton, Esq Christian congregations Absurd belief of the
Hindoos Mayaveram Conversation with natives on the banks
of the river E.igerness for tracts Romanist at Sheally Cud-
dalore School Mendicants Tamul domestic worship Useful
zeal of a native Christian Curious story Anecdote of Berna-
dotte at Cuddalore High mass at.Pondicherry Mixed dinner-
party Permacoil Hospitality of a Heathen at Matrantam Sheoor
Hindoo cotton-spinning Description of Hindoo machinery
Piracy of Mr. Baines, jun., of Leeds English machinery not
suited to the climate of India Atcharawauk Day with the
natives at Carangooly Hospitality of a native at Sallawauk
Wallajahbad Services and Baptisms Conjeveram Descrip-
tion of temple Dispute with a Brahman Cauverypauk Arcot
Vellore Commissary Penn Sculptures in Hindoo temple
Rev. Mr. Falke Return to Arcot Mr. Maclean at Conjeve-
ram Brahman at Amrambaidoo Return to Madras.
Pages 2 15261.
Xll CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XIX.
SEPTEMBER, 1823, TO MARCH, 1824.
THREE MONTHS' TOUR TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. Atten-
tion of the natives gained Arrival of Mr. England in Madras
Study of Teloogoo Bigotry of a Brahman Lax notions of
Brahman Moonshee Occasional services at Chintadrypett
Proposed tour Drought Supply of Bibles and tracts Poo-
namallee Progress of the Mission Preaching and baptism
at Tripassoor Attack of fleas at Chellampatri Cotoor Roman-
ist Brahman Wallajahbad Rev. Mr. Boys Erection of the
chapel Visit to the Hospital Native congregation Day at
Puthucheri Day at Wondewash Description of the ruins of
Ginjee Proceedings at Anantapooram Hindoo under a vow
Tricaloor Conversations with Rohonautachariar and other
Brahmans Pillirombatti Invitation to return to Palacheri
Insufficiency of supply of Missionaries Calcourchy, Chinna
Salem, Tallivashel, Autoor, and Pootrapollium Arrival at
Salem Opening of Tumuli Ascent of the Sheravaraya hills
Description of the country The manners and religion of the
inhabitants Post or Tappal Christmas-day on the mountains
Tullasiwilie Return of messenger from Trichinopoly Closing
service on the hills Mr. Cockburn Return to Salem The last
day of the year Sankerrydroog Heathenism of a Romish
Catechist Day at Bhawani Tarepollium Hindooism in Co-
imbatoor Gopaulchittypollium Sattimungulum Perils from
alligators Obscenities of idol car Sermon to Brahmans and
others Travel by day for fear of wild beasts Pass of Gujel-
hutty Coinoor Nanjungode Arrival at Mysore Sunday ser-
vices Franciscan Friar Native Albino Congregations in Se-
ringapatam Procession of Elephants Baptisms Search for
treasure Seringapatam depopulated Farewell services in My-
sore Proceedings at Madoor Services at Bangalore English
leader Native teacher Quit Bangalore with fever Arrival at
Chittoor Mr. Dacre's kindness Rev. W. Reeve Stree Per-
matoor Rev. John F. England Rev. Edward Crisp Recovery.
Pages 262307.
CONTENTS. XHl
CHAPTER XX.
REMARKS ON THE FACILITIES FOR MISSIONS. No political
hinderance Accessibleness of the people Education religious
Wealth of Hindooism System of caste Want of Missionaries,
chapels, burial-grounds, and schools Advantage to Europeans
from Missions in India. Pages 308 312.
CHAPTER XXI.
1824.
Toun AND DUTIES OF 1824. Continuance of the drought
Fatal effects Tripassoor, Wallajahbad, Poonamallee Rev.
John F. England Journey to Negapatam Interview with
a Romish Bishop at Pondicherry Temple of Chillumbrum
District Meeting at Negapatam Departure of the Rev. James
Lynch Tour with Mr. Carver Absurd idolatry at Conj everam
Conversation with Brahmans on the drought Death of Mrs.
Mowat Journey to Negapatam Alemparva Literature in
Pondicherry Sunday in Cuddalore Difficulties of travelling
Rafts of earthenware Translation of Wesley's Hymns into
Tamul Opening of a new chapel in Negapatam.
Pages 313323.
CHAPTER XXII.
1825.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825. Attack of Fever Quit Negapa-
tam for MadrasSunday at Tranquebar Coolness of the
season Opposition of Romanists Fre Clemente's Latin letter
Catechisms translated into Tamul Salubrity of Royapettah
Musquitoes in Black-Town Poonamallee, Tripassoor, and St.
Thomas's Mount :Heathen festival atSt. Thome Evening walks
and conversations Argument of a Hindoo Hindoo festival at
Conjeveram Argument with Brahman at Trivalloor Brahman
prejudice Death of Mrs. Williamson Missionary Anniversary
Open-air preaching at Poonamallee Pere Austrey at Keel-
cheri Healthful situation of Romish church, and Priest's resi-
dence Improvement at Tripassoor Bungalow for Tamul
preaching in Black-Town. Pages 324 341.
XIV CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXIII.
1826.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1826. District-Meeting in Madras
Wait on Governor Sir Thomas Munro A day among the
natives Two days at Chingleput Three days at Wallajahbad
Conjeveram Native inquirers Mrs. Sherwood's " Indian
Pilgrim" Thirteen days at Chittoor Baptism of natives
Revolution in the public mind of India Bishop Heber at Ma-
dras Death of Mrs. Williamson Embarkation and death of
Mr. Williamson. Pages 342346.
CHAPTER XXIV.
1827 AND 1828.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1827 AND 1828. Removal from Roya-
pettah to Royapooram Arrival of the Rev. Alfred Bourne
Poonamallee Tripassoor Danger from a serpent Serpents
in Madras Injury from rats Wallajahbad Vellore Captain
Wahab Chittoor Death of Joseph D'Acre, Esq Zeal of a
native Portuguese convert Daily morning service Hurricane
of December, 1827 Disastrous effects Return to England
deferred Journey to Wallajahbad Indisposition Embarka-
tion and departure from Madras. Pages 347 353.
CHAPTER XXV.
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS. Its political importance
Ecclesiastical Establishments in Madras Romish Armenian
Anglican Scottish Church Mission London and Wes-
leyan Societies' Missions Asylums and schools English con-
gregations in Madras Indo Britons Portuguese poverty and
superstition Hindoos Chedl Audi, or swinging Disowned by
Brahmans Thieves' worship Brahmany kite Mahommedans
Romish conversion from Hindooism Curious ordeal Rom-
ish toleration of a Hindoo idol Matrimonial intercourse be-
tween Romanists and Heathens Cheering prospects in Madras
Seven chapels erected Eleven schools Reasons for exertion.
Pages 354 3C2.
CONTENTS. XV
CHAPTER XXVI.
1828.
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. Embarkation Incidents of a voyage
View of Friar's-Hood, Ceylon Public worship on board Te-
dium of the voyage Value of books and newspapers Cape of
Good Hope Gale of wind Perils at table A hundred simul-
taneous rainbows Southern Africa St. Helena Appearance
of the heights James-Town Alarm-house Doctor of health
Visit to Longwood House, Buonaparte's bed-room Produc-
tion of silk Stones on Buonaparte's grave Visit to the grave
Return to James-Town Dinner at the hotel Second day in
St. Helena Slavery fast disappearing Population Christian
Apparent salubrity of the island Reported piracy Death and
funeral of a seaman Increased indisposition Disembark at
Gravesend. Pages 363376.
ESSAY ON THE RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE OF
THE HINDOOS.
Notions of the Hindoos concerning God Doctrine of the Saivas
Sivanyanasittiar Arunajala-puranam Tiruvasagam Doc-
trine of the Vaishnavas Irusameiavilaccam Notion of Go-
vinda Moodely Vaishnava system comparatively modem
Eighteen Puranas Four Vedas Tiruvaimozhi Concerning
Brumha Not to be confounded with Brahm Story of Brumha's
falsehood Observations on the Hindoo Triad Not a corrup-
tion of the doctrine of the Trinity Contempt for idolatry
Siva-vakkiam On repeated births or transmigration of souls
Nigandu Notions on the Divine attributes Nigandu Rural
Contemplative Sages or Ascetics Parimel-Azhager Bha-
gavat-Gita Ozhivil-Oduccam Rural Devical-Ottiram 7"i-
ruvarud Payen Nyanadikarier Cappiam General religious
character of the Hindoos Supposed virtue in the names of the
gods Doctrine of fate Immorality. Pages 377 410.
CONTENTS.
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS OX THE CHARACTER,
THE PROBABLE ORIGIN, AND THE PRESENT IN-
FLUENCE OF HINDOOISM.
Amount of truth admitted by Hindooism Some measure of truth
necessary to its coherency and existence Acknowledges the
existence of God Denial of his government and worship
Hindoo invisible agency, not that of Providence Avatars of
Vishnu, perhaps suggested by the incarnation of Christ Hin-
doo notion of sin Of supernatural influence Of repeated
births Of the individuality and immortality of the soul Pro-
gress and origin of error Summary of Hindoo falsehoods, and
their probable source Religious indifference of the Hindoos
System of caste Pride of learning and philosophy Motives
to Christian zeal and energy. Pages 411 418.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE VIOLENT METHODS ADOPTED
BY THE CHURCH OF ROME TO PROSELYTIZE
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA, OR
THE MOUNTAIN COUNTRY OF TRAVANCORE,
IN SOUTH INDIA.
Antiquity of the Syrian Churches Patriarch of Seleucia Johannes
at the Council of Nice Cosmo the Egyptian Doctrines of the
Syrian Christians Dr. Buchanan's description of the Churches
of the Syrian Christians They solicit the protection of Vasco
de Gama Visited by Franciscans Romish Seminary at Cran-
ganore Jesuit Seminary at Veippicottah Do not succeed
Inveigle Metrani Mar Joseph to Europe Arrival of Mar
Abraham from Mosul Return of Mar Joseph Consequent
divisions Mar Abraham seized Travels to Rome Conse-
crated by Pope Pius IV. Mar Joseph deposed and sent to
Rome, where he died Mar Abraham and the Syrians, perse-
cuted by the Portuguese Mar Abraham recants Complaints
against Mar Simeon Who was sent to Rome and Portugal
Mar Abraham refuses to attend a Council Anecdote of Father
Martin Menezes appointed Archbishop of Goa Forbids the
entrance of any foreign Priest into India Death of Mar
Abraham Francisco Roz appointed his successor Superseded
by Archdeacon George Council at Angamalee Menezes
threatens a Visitation The Archdeacon prevaricates Menezes
reaches Cochin The Archdeacon submits- Proceedings at
CONTENTS. XV11
Veippicottah Opposition at Paroor Dr. Buchanan's description
of Paroor The Northern District The Southern District
Udiamper Dr. Buchanan's description Menezes arrives at
Nadaturutti Celebrates Palm-Sunday and Easter Syrian
love-feast Molandurutti Council or Synod of Udiamper
Proceedings of the Synod and triumph of Popery Dr. Bucha-
nan's description of Angamalee Menezes completes his visita-
tion Returns to Europe and dies Was not canonized
Jesuits' Government of the Syrian Christians Dr. Buchanan
on Cranganore Vincent Maria The Syrians rebel against
Garcia Consecrate their own Metrani Abdallah of Alexandria
seized, imprisoned, and murdered in the Inquisition Rev.
John Hands's account of the present state of the Inquisition
Jesuits oppose the Carmelites Council of Rapulin The Car-
melite Joseph appointed Metrani Invasion of the Dutch
Communication of Baldasus with the Syrians Dr. Buchanan
at Verapoli Mar Thomas Canpu Royal Charter Tablets of
Brass Kulastripilleigl Strcepilleigl Mar Thomas's letter to
the Missionaries of Tranquebar. Pages 419 443.
INDEX TO THE ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page.
1. COLOURED FRONTISPIECE. Destruction of the "Tan-
jore" by Lightning.
2. VIGNETTE. Choultry Preaching in India.
3. Fort St. George, Madras; and Catamarans 24
4. Masoola Boats 28
5. Interior of a Native House 41
C. Palankeen and Bearers 45
7. Jesuit Missionary in Madura 85
8. The Rock of Trichinopoly 130
9. Interior of the Temple on the Rock of Trichinopoly 131
10. The Chapel at Madras 180
11. Cotton-Cleanser 250
12. Cotton-Bow 251
13. Spinning-Wheel t*.
14. Reeling-Machine 252
15. Interior of the Temple of Chillumbrum 316
PREFACE TO THE PERSONAL NARRATIVE
ON ITS FIRST PUBLICATION.
INDIA, by its political and commercial relations
to Great Britain, has justly become the object of
anxious inquiry and speculation, both as regards its
own interests, and as connected with the interests of
our native country.
But the solicitude with which India is viewed by
the British public, in reference to its commercial and
political importance, must yield, in the mind of the
Christian philanthropist, to the deep feeling with
which he contemplates the religious condition of so
large and fair a portion of the British empire.
That there is a connexion between the political
circumstances of a people and their religious in-
terests, is as clear as is the fact that the God of
providence is the God of all grace. And that India
has been allotted to England in the distribution of
power by Him who is the sole arbiter of human
events, with the design that it might become a field
as open as it is extensive for the propagation of the
Gospel cannot, for a moment, be doubted, by the
enlightened and pious observer of the operations of
Providence.
The design of the Narrative now offered to the
public, is to afford some information on the religious
state of the people of the south of India, and to
XX PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
illustrate the difficulties and facilities experienced
by those who are labouring for their conversion to
Christianity with a view to animate the religious
public to increased exertions in behalf of the Hin-
doos, and thus to serve the cause in which it has
been the Narrator's honour to be engaged, and
which, he trusts, will ever be nearest his heart.
Many facts, however, are incidentally stated, which
cannot fail to interest the public, by their bearing
upon the commerce and policy of that highly peopled
region.
The journal of the author, kept as a matter of
official duty, for the purpose of transmitting to the
Society at home periodical information of the pro-
gress of the Mission, and without any ulterior view,
has been the source from which the Narrative has
been chiefly compiled. Had he ever contemplated
a work like the present, his journal might have
been written with more copiousness of detail and
particularity of description.
The author does not profess to give a general
account of the Wesleyan Mission to Continental
India; but his work will, at least, form 'a record of
some of the earliest efforts of Wesleyan Mission-
aries in that country, where, it may be confidently
hoped, they are destined to share largely in the spi-
ritual conquests which Christianity must ultimately
achieve over Hindoo superstition and Mahommedan
delusion.
The names of several highly respected individuals
resident in India, are introduced in the following
pages ; if necessarily without their express permis-
sion, it is hoped in a manner to which they will
not feel any objection.
An observation of Govinda Moodely, the Tamul
OF THE PERSONAL NARRATIVE. XXI
teacher at Bangalore, affords the author the best
form of an apology for the style of his composition.
When pressed to learn the English language, us the
best means of gratifying his thirst for general know-
ledge, he used to say, that he never knew a man
who paid attention to many languages, excel in any
of them; and he therefore preferred to perfect his
acquaintance with his own, rather than attempt the
acquisition of any other. It is not intended to de-
fend the general application of this remark; but it
may, perhaps, be admitted as an apology for the
deficiencies of one who has passed some of the best
years of his life in studying the peculiarities and
idioms of foreign languages, rather than the powers
and elegancies of his own.
PENDLETON, near MANCHESTER,
April IQth, 1829.
PREFACE.
IN the year 1829, soon after my return from
India, I took advantage of the leisure kindly
afforded me by the Wesleyan Missionary Commit-
tee for the recovery of my health, to prepare and
publish a " Narrative " of my Mission ; in the hope
that, by affording a comparatively minute detail of
my journeys and labours for nearly eight years, the
public at large, and especially the supporters of our
Missions, might be satisfied that the Missionaries in
that remote country, although encountering obsta-
cles of a most formidable character, both physical
and moral, were yet diligent and faithful in the pro-
secution of their work. I had the satisfaction of
knowing that to some very considerable extent this
object was accomplished. I soon discovered, how-
ever, that there was a wish for some general informa-
tion concerning India, and especially concerning
those parts of it to which the Wesleyan Missions
extend, which my " Narrative " had not anticipated,
and therefore was not prepared to satisfy ; and that
particularly those persons who were interested in
modern Missions were also curious to know some-
thing of the character and success of the Missions of
former times in those eastern regions. I had also
observed that, as in my own case, the average dura-
tion of Missionary service in India, chiefly through
the influence of the climate, was comparatively brief;
and that as the information a Missionary ought to
PREFACE. Xxiil
possess concerning that field of labour, and the
facilities for the prosecution of his work, being
scattered through many volumes, some of them
rarely to be met with, he may often have been
obliged to retire from India before he had gained
an adequate knowledge of its history and present
state. I therefore concluded it to be my duty,
should opportunity be afforded me, to offer my con-
tribution towards supplying the desired addition to
our Missionary publications. In the following work,
I have retained my "Personal Narrative" as first
published, with many additions, and some emenda-
tions; I have given such general historical notices
of some of the more important places within the
present range of the Wesleyan Missions, as will
suffice for those who have no leisure for the perusal
of works professedly on the history of India, and
which, though brief as an outline, will be easily filled
up by those whose reading has been more exten-
sive; I have endeavoured to afford to our junior
Missionaries such directions as shall make it easy for
them to select a suitable course of Tamul reading
and study ; and have compressed into a small com-
pass such information concerning the older Romish
and Protestant Missions, as appeared necessary for
every Missionary, and which could not fail to be
interesting to every Deader.
In collecting this information I have availed my-
self chiefly, in Tamul, of Walther's Historia Ecclesias-
tica, of which an account will be found, pages 60 63,
of Churchill's " Collection of Voyages," Lock's
" Travels of the Jesuits," Thornton's " History of
British India," Hough's " History of Christianity
in India," and other works of minor importance.
It is with great diffidence that I submit my little
XXIV PREFACE.
work in its present form to the Christian Church and
to the public at large. Its execution might have been
more perfect could I have commanded more leisure
to re-compose and revise. I trust, however, that it
will be received as the result of a good intention,
and dealt with as leniently as the demands of just
criticism will allow. There is one notice of my for-
mer publication upon which I now consider it my
duty to offer some remarks.
The Rev. Dr. Wiseman, Romish Bishop of Melipo-
tamos, in a note to the Sixth of his " Lectures on the
Catholic Church," vol. i. p. 187, says, "It is evident
from later writers, that little or no improvement
has taken place in the Indian Mission since the date
of the documents I have quoted. Consult, for
instance, Hoole's ' Personal Narrative of a Tour in
the South of India/ from which I could draw both
negative and positive proof of the total failure of
any thing like conversion among the Hindoos."
The title of Dr. Wiseman's Sixth Lecture runs thus :
" On the practical Success of the Protestant Rule of
Faith in converting heathen Nations ; " that of his
Seventh Lecture is, " On the practical Success of
the Catholic Rule of Faith in converting heathen
Nations." The object of these Lectures is to draw
a comparison between the successes of Protestant
Missions and those of the Romish communion, and
to establish the immense superiority of the latter,
and thus to secure an important evidence in favour
of the spiritual purity and power of the Romish
Church.
Not to open too wide a subject for discussion in
this preface, it may be sufficient for the purpose of
refuting the Doctor's assertions, to remind him that
the word conversion is perhaps used by him in a
PREFACE. XXV
very different meaning to that attached to it by
evangelical Protestants. We do not think a man
converted, in the right sense of the word, unless he
be " turned from darkness to light, from the power of
Satan unto God, that he may receive inheritance
among them which are sanctified by faith that is
in Christ." Thus, if a man were a Heathen, a Hin-
doo, we should not reckon him converted, until he
forsook idols, and began to worship the one true
God ; until his understanding Avere enlightened and
informed as to the " exceeding sinfulness of sin/'
and his heart became the seat of true ' ' repentance
towards God;" until he had not merely received
the word of God as true, but had "believed on
the Lord Jesus Christ " " with the heart unto
righteousness," or unto justification ; and, according
to God's gracious promise had received the Holy
Ghost, to comfort him with the blessed assur-
ance of God's favour, and to aid and sanctify him
for all his duties upon earth, both towards God
and man, and for the presence, and enjoyment of
God in heaven for ever. Such is the meaning which
we attach to conversion in this country, where there
are many thousands of living and happy witnesses to
its reality ; and we attach the same meaning to it
abroad, in America and the West Indies, in Africa,
India, and Ceylon. If we are in error on this all-
important subject, we shall be thankful to Dr. Wise-
man, or any one else of any church or country, to
correct our mistake, and set us right.
But probably the learned Doctor will not totally
dissent from me on this subject. He will perhaps
not deny that instruction, repentance, faith, and
holiness, are inseparable from conversion. I can tell
him, then, that so far from conversion having ex-
b
XXVI PREFACE.
tended by means of the Romish Church to "one
million two hundred thousand Asiatics, of whom one
half or six hundred thousand are supposed to be in
the Peninsula of India/' (Lecture, vol. i., p. 223,)
the work of conversion has yet to be commenced
among them. The dupes of Romish superstition in
India are without instruction in the " pure word of
God, by which we are begotten again." (James i. 18.)
They do not " worship God in the spirit," but reve-
rence idols, pictures, relics, and pay adoration to saints
and to the blessed mother of our Lord ; and " what
agreement hath the temple of God with idols?"
They have not true repentance, but are still in their
sins ; of which their Pastors make a profitable trade.
They give no evidence of that " faith which is of the
operation of the Spirit of God ; " and as to the Holy
Ghost, "they have not so much as heard whether
there be any Holy Ghost \" for the majority of native
Romanists in India are ignorant of the existence,
the personal character, and the gracious work of the
third Person of the blessed Trinity, and neither
seek nor desire his all-sufficient grace. In the
proper meaning of the word, Rome has no
converts in India. I make these assertions from
extensive personal observation, and from a sincere
conviction of their truth. I make them with un-
feigned sorrow, and confess my disappointment ; for
I had been accustomed from my youth to indulge
in the thought, that whatever might be the state
of Romanism as exhibited in Europe, yet in
Missions to heathen lands I might expect to find
Ministers of that communion truly spiritual in their
character, and amongst its members some knowledge
and enjoyment of the salvation of God. I have found
some Priests of the Romish idolatry distinguished by
PREFACE. XXV11
courage, and perseverance, and learning, and worldly
wisdom ; but entirely void of spiritual religion ; and,
with respect to their flocks, it may be said, " Like
Priest, like people." I have sought among them
for evidence to the contrary, by personal intercourse,
but in vain. I shall still be glad to be informed, if
there is any evidence to the contrary in existence.
Such being our view of "conversion," we are
amply repaid for our labours and sufferings if, by
the blessing of God, we can "convert one sinner
from the error of his ways," and thus " save a soul
from death, and hide a multitude of sins." The
"converts" of the Protestant Missions in India are
not numerically important, when considered in com-
parison with the whole amount of the population.
Yet we rejoice that there are such, and will continue
carefully to watch over "those few sheep in the
wilderness."
But although Protestant Missionaries in India can-
not present converts equal in number to the adher-
ents of the Eomish superstition, they can with thank-
fulness contemplate a work which has been accom-
plished by their instrumentality, such as Romanism
has never effected. They have diffused the light of
divine truth among the Hindoos, which Rome with-
held from them, and have thus placed the pure doc-
trines and precep f s of Christianity in bold contrast
with the absurd dogmas and abominable practices of
Hindooism. They have lifted up their testimony
against all idolatry, and proclaimed that " God is a
Spirit, and that they who worship him must worship
him in spirit and in truth," whilst the Romish Mis-
sionaries have only removed one class of idols to
introduce another, and have permitted the continu-
ance of many cerdmonies, strictly Hindoo, in the
b 2
PREFACE.
honours rendered to the " Virgin and the Saints."
The Protestant Missionaries have protested against
the divine origin of the system of caste, which Roman-
ism conceded and perpetuated ; and have successfully
contended with the absurd and cruel consequences
of that system, both to famines and communities.
The modern Protestant Missionaries, in short, have
within thirty years brought about a change in the
general intelligence and feeling of the Hindoos,
acknowledged and observed by almost all old resi-
dents in India, such as the emissaries of Rome failed
to effect during more than two hundred years.
The Protestant church, especially the Wesleyan sec-
tion of it, is encouraged by the results of its labours
which it has witnessed in India, and fully intends
to persevere in its exertions. The foundation has
been laid ; the work has commenced, such a work
as Popery must ever fail to produce ; and a glorious
harvest will be reaped from the vast field of India,
" in due season, if we faint not."
I can safely leave to others, more immediately
concerned, to confute the statements which the
Doctor derives from sources which he assumes to be
unexceptionable, and even favourable to Protestant
Missions : among these he reckons the " Quarterly
Review," the " Monthly Review," and the " Bri-
tish Critic j " he takes advantage also of the imper-
fect information contained in Bishop Heber's Jour-
nal, concerning the Missions in the South of India
where the Bishop died, when he had only commenced
his visitation. He adduces, as conclusive testi-
mony against the success of the labours of Swartz
and his successors, that at Tanjore the Bishop
found only fifty candidates for confirmation, among
the natives, and at Trichinopoly only eleven ; when
PREFACE. XXIX
it is indeed a matter of surprise that there should
have been so many, as the Missionaries, being
Lutherans, confirmed their own catechumens ; much
in the same way as the Ministers among the Wes-
leyan Methodists receive probationers to full mem-
bership. But it could scarcely have been anticipated
that the Doctor should have fallen into so palpable
and absurd a mistake as that the " converts of
Swartz and his followers were chiefly among the half
castes, or descendants of Europeans ! "
Any one who is acquainted with the Missions in
the south of India, either from a perusal of the
Reports of the various Societies, or from actual
conversation with the Missionaries and with the
native Christians in their own language, after read-
ing the Doctor's Sixth Lecture, will know whe-
ther the conclusion of the Doctor's preface to his
Lectures is consistent with the honest truth, or
whether it does not, on the contrary, strongly
remind one of the cant of hypocrisy. He says to
the readers of his book, that " whatever they shall
read hath been written with a kind intent, and hath
proceeded from a charitable spirit, and wishes to be
received and pondered in hearts that love Christian
meekness, and long after unity and peace"
INTRODUCTION.
THE revival of religion which commenced in this
country more than a century ago, has perhaps had no
parallel in the history of the church since the days of
the Apostles. The object of the great men, who were
honoured of God to be the most prominent instru-
ments of its accomplishment, was not the conformity
of the visible church to some peculiar model of eccle-
siastical government which they fancied to have divine
authority ; nor was it the reformation of the national
forms of worship and professions of faith from alleged
corruption and error. Their object was the promo-
tion of personal religion, the spread of scriptural
holiness throughout the land. They asked not of
their crowded congregations whether they would sup-
port Episcopacy or Presbyterianism ; whether they
preferred a written form of devotion, or extemporary
prayer ; nor did they inquire into their opinions or
forms of belief. They took the holy Scriptures as
the acknowledged standard of the faith of Christen-
dom ; they enforced upon all men, of whatever creed,
the great doctrines which they found therein, and
insisted on the absolute necessity of personal repent-
ance towards God, personal faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the personal reception, on the part of
the individual believer, of the testimony of the Holy
Spirit to the fact of his adoption into the family of
God ; and that he should give evidence of the reality
of his faith by those fruits of the Spirit, which are
INTRODUCTION. XXXl
" love, joy, peace, long-suffering," &c. Without
this personal religion, they showed that all orthodoxy
and outward privileges were practically vain and
valueless, whilst, on the contrary, the possession of
it secured peace, and comfort, and safety, even
though it might have been received amid many
outward disadvantages, and retained together with
many errors of judgment.
This truly catholic doctrine was gratefully received
by multitudes in almost every part of England, who
were associated together as United Societies, for the
purpose of mutual counsel and help in the spiritual
life to which they had been awakened, and with a
view to its maintenance and further promotion
amongst mankind. There was no intention on the
part of their leaders to form a separate church ; but
the hope was indulged that the pious of all churches
would adopt a view so eminently practical, and so
exactly in accordance with the Scriptures, and that
thus a true reformation would be effected ; that the
little leaven would leaven the whole lump. This hope
was disappointed; and the Wesleyan Church has
been formed as a necessary result of the rejection, by
the Establishment, of the Ministers and people who
enjoyed and advocated the blessings thus described.
It may be regarded as the gracious wish of divine
Providence that truth so vital, should be thus ren-
dered conspicuous, by a distinct and constant testi-
mony ; and that it should be maintained against all
gainsayers, by the principles and affections of those
who have received it, and who, by the love of the
truth, have been associated in a distinct religious
communion ; " the church of the living God is the
pillar and ground of the truth."
It might be expected, that a system which had
XXXH INTRODUCTION.
such an origin, and which was maintained by such
principles, would be expansive ; that by extension it
would riot weaken its power, but increase it. Ac-
cordingly, in 1747, it spread to Ireland, and in
1756 to New- York, in North America; in 1760, to
Antigua, in the West Indies, where it was received
as the richest boon by the despised African cap-
tives. In all these places, as well as in Western and
Southern Africa, in Australasia and Polynesia, it has
been made the means of salvation to many thou-
sands. By insisting upon the possession of personal
religion, and describing its nature and results, the
Wesleys and their coadjutors and successors have
been the instruments of an extensive spiritual
awakening to the national and other churches of
these countries; they have carried the ordinances
and comforts of Christianity into barbarous and
heathen lands ; and whilst teaching personal religion
to great as well as small, they have given the faith
to whole tribes and nations, and have laid the foun-
dation for just and equal laws, and for civil insti-
tutions amongst people the most savage and bar-
barous. The latest returns of the numbers now
united in the churches of the Wesleyan Methodists
throughout the world, including the Ministers and
Missionaries, exhibit a total of one million and a half,
of whom little less than half-a-million are found in
Great Britain and Ireland, and more than a million
in America and other parts of the world. These
returns include the accredited members only, and
not the children, connexions, and dependents of
the members, who may, nevertheless, attend public
worship, and make part of the congregations.
In the year 1813, the Rev. Dr. Coke, one of Mr.
Wesley's coadjutors and successors in the ministry,
INTRODUCTION. XXxiii
obtained the sanction of the British Conference to
his much-cherished project of commencing a Mission
in the East. He had crossed the Atlantic eighteen
times, and had exposed himself to innumerable toils
and hardships, that he might plant and cherish
churches of Christ in the neglected settlements of
North America, and among the despised and de-
graded slaves of the West Indies. These objects
he had successfully accomplished ; the blessed fruits
of his labours, and of the labours of those who were
honoured to be his coadjutors and companions, are
found in the Methodist Episcopal Church of North
America, and in the Wesleyan Missions in British
North America and the West Indies. But he con-
sidered himself " debtor " to the East as well as
to the West, and was anxious to preach the Gos-
pel on the Island of Ceylon and on the Continent
of India, as well as in the West Indies and in
North America. He willingly offered his fortune
and his life to be expended in the undertaking, could
he only obtain the sanction of those with whom he
was ever anxious to co-operate. Many reasons
were urged why his wish should not be* acquiesced
in. He was now at the advanced age of sixty-six.
The projected scene of labour was at a great dis-
tance from Europe, separating those who should
engage in it, to a great extent, from intercourse
with their brethren at home, and from the immediate
advantages of our peculiar discipline. The expense
of Missions to the East, it was certain, would be
very great. It was also further urged, that such
was the peculiar relation in which Dr. Coke stood to
the Missions in the West Indies and North Ame-
rica, that it would be impolitic to allow him to cease
his care and oversight of them, as he necessarily
b 5
XXX1T INTRODUCTION.
must, should his intended Mission to the East be
carried into effect.
But no arguments could suffice to damp the
ardour of the zeal of Dr. Coke. With joy and
thankfulness he received the sanction of his brethren
in the ministry to his projected Mission ; and at the
close of 1813, he embarked for India, accompanied
by six other Missionaries.
The venerable leader of this band of Christian
labourers died within a few days' sail of India, on
May 3d, 1814, and his body was committed to the
deep by his bereaved companions, in sure and cer-
tain hope of a joyful resurrection to eternal life.
The Missionaries proceeded to the Island of Ceylon,
where they met with a kind reception, and a pro-
mising sphere of usefulness. Their number was
speedily reinforced by new arrivals from England;
so that, in 1816, one of them was spared to
accept an earnest invitation from Madras, to take
charge of a few pious people who had become
acquainted with some of the writings of the Rev.
Messrs. Wesley and Fletcher, and were anxious for
a living ministry which should teach the doctrines
they had learned from the books of those admirable
men.
The Rev. James Lynch was very happily selected
for this honourable service. He proceeded to
Madras in 1817. His simple, unassuming manners,
his honesty of purpose, and his untiring zeal for the
salvation of sinners, in whatever class of society they
might be found, commended him to the warmest
affections of many, and to the just respect of all who
became acquainted with him in Madras. A small
society of the English inhabitants was soon formed,
who acknowledged Mr. Lynch as their Pastor; a
INTRODUCTION. XXXV
native congregation was also gathered, to whom
he preached, through the medium of an inter-
preter, in the Tamul language. The Mission-house
at Royapettah was soon after purchased, and a
chapel erected on the premises. A plot of ground,
with a large room upon it, sufficient to contain a
congregation, was also purchased in Black-Town,
within the walls of Madras ; and Mr. Lynch/ s labours
were divided, for the most part, between these two
places of worship.
To assist in the good work thus commenced in
Madras, the Rev. Titus Close was sent out from
England early in the year 1820. In the same
year, the Rev. Thomas H. Squance formed a mis-
sion at Negapatam, on the Coromandel Coast, in
the kingdom of Tanjore, about one hundred and
eighty miles south of Madras. Meantime, Mr.
Lynch had reported to the Committee of the Wes-
leyan Missionary Society the facilities which existed
for the establishment of a Mission at Bangalore, in
the Mysore country ; and it was with immediate and
direct reference to that part of India, that the Rev.
James Mowat and myself were appointed to that
Mission in 1819, and dispatched to Madras in 1820.
To what degree we were enabled to accomplish the
object intrusted to us, and how we were employed
in Bangalore, anc 1 in other parts of the Madras Pre-
sidency, will be seen from the following narrative.
It now only remains to give an account of the
state of the Wesleyan Mission in India down to the
present time. The following Summary of the Sta-
tistics of the Madras Presidency, and of the Missions
established within its boundaries, and on the Island
of Ceylon, compiled from the most recent returns,
will furnish a ground- work for calculations on the
XXXVI INTRODUCTION.
possible extension of Missionary operations, and will
serve to show how, in this most favoured part of
India, with respect to Missions, the providence of
God has already gone far beyond the diligence and
zeal of his church.
From the subjoined Tabular Summary of the
Wesleyan Missions, it will be seen, that the Society
not only retain all the Stations occupied when the
author was in India, but that they have also com-
menced several new Missions; as for instance, the
Canarese Mission in BANGALORE, in MYSORE, in
GOOBBEE, and COONGHUL ; and that, in addition to
the English and Tamul Missions in MADRAS, BAN-
GALORE, and NEGAPATAM, they have commenced a
Mission at MANARGOODY, and MELNATTAM, in the
Tanjore country. In all these places our faithful
Missionaries are favoured with encouraging indica-
tions of success ; many thousands of the adult
Hindoos have received some measure of instruction
in Christianity, and perhaps an equal number of
children have been made familiar with divine truth.
Every year adds to the number of the converted, and
the baptized ; Hindooism is no longer undisturbed in
its hold on the minds of the natives ; by many who
conform to it, it is despised, by a greater number it
is doubted; the Missionaries are encouraged to
persevering exertion in the propagation of the faith
of Christ, and whilst they labour, preaching the
Gospel in churches and schools, in the streets and
bazaars, by the way-side and at the very gates of
idol temples, as well as from house to house, " teach-
ing every man and warning every man ; " they ask for
the sympathy of British Christians, but more espe-
cially do they entreat their prayers. "The good
that is done upon earth, the Lord doeth it ; " the
INTRODUCTION. XXXV11
Spirit of the Lord must " breathe upon the slain/'
before they can "stand up a great army," in the
" valley of vision : " under this conviction the Mis-
sionaries, during their persevering labour, continually
exclaim, "Brethren, pray for us, that the word of
the Lord may have free course, and be glorified,
even as it is with you."
The Missions in North and South Ceylon have
increased in magnitude and importance since the
author visited some of them : and never were there
more cheering indications in that island than at
present. The Government School Commission, in
the most liberal and enlightened manner, are co-
operating with the Missionaries to instruct and
elevate the natives by means of a more thorough
education. Among the Singhalese "the fields are
white unto the harvest." " More labourers " are
arising from among the natives themselves; and
those European Missionaries who have been long
toiling in the field are anticipating that they shall
personally unite in the joyful shout of " harvest
home ! "
The educational establishment under the direction
*of the Missionary in Jaffna, Mr. Percival, is said to
be equal to any which may exist throughout the
Eastern world. In Batticaloa, a great revival of
religion has taker place among the natives ; and
during its progress many Hindoos have embraced
Christianity, and have been baptized. Very remark-
able success has attended the humane and judicious
attempts which have been made to civilize and
instruct the Veddahs, a tribe of native savages,
whose state and character were, until lately, con-
sidered hopeless. Three villages of them are now
settled, and are all under the instruction of the
XXXVU1 INTRODUCTION.
Mission. Encouraged by these examples, the Go-
vernment and the Mission are determined to proceed
until the whole race of Veddahs are brought under
the same beneficial influences. The Missionaries,
and those who support them in their toil, have a rich
reward in the present state of the Missions in the
East, in the successes already achieved ; but the
anticipations in which we have authority to in-
dulge are glorious; the idols of India shall be
"cast to the moles and to the bats;" every ancient
superstition and prejudice, every civil barrier, which
at present " exalt themselves against the knowledge
of God," shall be removed. These Gentiles "shall
come to the light" of the knowledge of God. The
" Son shall have these Heathen for his inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for a posses-
sion." " He shall reign from sea to sea, and from
the river to the ends of the earth : " " All nations
shall call Him blessed." " BLESSED BE THE LORD
GOD, the GOD OF ISRAEL, who only doeth wondrous
things; and BLESSED BE HIS GLORIOUS NAME FOR
EVER; and let the WHOLE EARTH BE FILLED WITH
HIS GLORY. AMEN, AND AMEN."
STATISTICS OF THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY.
ta .
H >
2g
8 1
s
3 0!
3
SQUARE MILES.
POPULATION.
LAND REVENUE.
RUPEES.
Madras,
630,000
Occupied as a Mission-
Station by various
Societies.
Chingleput,
2,253
336,219
1,482,916
No Missionary residing.
North Arcot,
506,831
Four European Mis-
sionaries of different
Societies.
South Arcot,
4,500
550,239
2,416,828
One Missionary.
Salem,
905,190
Two Missionaries.
Coimbatoor,
8,392
800,275
One Missionary.
Trichinopoly,
654,780
One Missionary.
Tanjore,
1,128,730
Ten Missionaries.
Madura,
1,306,725
Two British and Seven
American Missiona-
ries.
Tinnevelly,
850,891
Eight Missisonaries.
Travancore,
1,280,664
Sixteen Missionaries.
Cochin,
288,176
Two Missionaries.
Malabar,
1,140,916
]
Seven Missionaries of
Canara,
7,000
771,623
\
the Basle Society.
Coorg,
100,000
No Missionary.
Mysore,
3,250,000
Seven Missonaries.
Bellary
12,703
1,112,839
Three Missionaries.
Cuddapah,
1,063,164
2,334,057
One Missionary.
Nellore,
12,000
846,572
1,860,553
No Missionary.
Guntoor,
12,317
267,416
No Missionary.
Masulipatam,
4,810
332,039
Two Missionaries.
Rajahmundry,
4,600
578,529
No Missionary.
Vizagapatam,
1,010,414
1,415,008
Three Missionaries.
Ganjam,
3,700
588,079
1,339,328
No Missionary.
Hydrabad,
3,351,782
No Missionary.
Nagpoor,
70,000
2,470,766
No Missionary.
*-
"Independently of the subsidiary states of Travancore, Mysore, Hydrabad,
and Nagpoor, which collectively comprise a population of about nine millions,
there are in the collectorates, properly under the Madras Presidency, 263 coun-
ties, 71,135 villages, 18,814,605 persons, on an area of 171,028 square miles. The
total revenue of the Madras Presidency, is 46,970,776 rupees," or 4,697,077.
Smith's Appeal/or Southern India.
The Population of the Island of Ceylon is estimated at 1,009,008.
SUMMARY OF MISSIONS
IN
SOUTH INDIA AND CEYLON,* 1844.
WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
MADRAS, Three Missionaries, and an Assistant Missionary.
NEGAPATAM, Two Missionaries, and an Assistant Missionary.
MAXARGOODY, Two Missionaries.
BANGALORE, (Tamul,) One Missionary.
BANGALORE, (Canarese,) One Missionary, and two Assistant
Missionaries.
MYSORE, Two Missionaries, and an Assistant Missionary.
GOOBEE, Two Missionaries.
COONGHUL, One Missionary, and an Assistant Missionary.
Total number of Hearers, about
Total number of Members or Communicants .................... 342
Total number in the Schools ........................................ 1,900
CEYLON.
SINGHALESE DISTRICT.
(South.)
COLOMBO, One Missionary, and an Assistant Missionary.
NEGOMBO, One Missionary, and an Assistant Missionary.
SEEDUA, An Assistant Missionary.
MOROTTO, An Assistant Missionary.
PANTURA, An Assistant Missionary.
CALTUHA, One Missionary.
GALLE AND AMBLAMGODDE, One Missionary, and an Assistant
Missionary.
MATURA, An Assistant Missionary.
DONDRA, An Assistant Missionary.
GODDAPITIYA, An Assistant Missionary.
Total number of Hearers, not ascertained.
Total number of Members or Communicants ..................... 7''-'<
Total number in the schools .......................................... 3,03<i
* For full and most interesting particulars of the early History of the Wesleyan
Mission in the Island of Ceylon, see Harvard's " Narrative "
IN SOUTH INDIA AND CEYLON.
All
CEYLON.
TAMUL DISTRICT.
(North.)
JAFFNA, One Missionary.
POINT-PEDRO, Under the care of the Missionary in Jaffna.
TRINCOMALEE, One Missionary.
BATTICALOA AND BINTENNE, Two Missionaries, and an Assis-
tant Missionary.
Total number of Hearers, not ascertained.
Total number of Members or Communicants 204
Total number in the Schools 1,250
Total number of Wesleyan Missionaries in South India and
Ceylon 22
Assistant Missionaries 17
Total number of Hearers, not ascertained.
Total number of Members 1,309
Total number in the Schools 6 ; 18t>
CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
Twenty European Missionaries,
and three native Assistants.
MADRAS,
TELOOGOO,
TlNNEVELLY,
TRAVANCORE, (Cottayam,)
MAVELICARE,
ALLEPIE,
COCHIN and TRICHOOH,
Total number of Hearers 13,995
Total number of Members or Communicants 1,639
Total number in the Schools 5,090
CEYLON.
COTTA, Three Missionaries, and an Assistant Missionary.
KANDY, Two Missionaries.
BADDAGAME, Two Missionaries, and an Assistant Missionary.
NEI.LORE, Two Missionaries.
Total number of Hearers 4,300
Total number of Members or Communicants Ill
Total number in the Schools 3,443
Xlii SUMMARY OF MISSIONS
LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
MADRAS, Five Missionaries.
VIZAGAPATAM AND CmcACOLE, Three Missionaries and One
Assistant Missionary.
CUDDAPAH, An Assistant Missionary.
BELGADM, Two Missionaries.
BELLARY, Three Missionaries and an Assistant Missionary.
BANGALORE, Four Missionaries.
MYSORE, One Missionary.
SALEM, One Missionary.
COMBACONUM, One Missionary.
COIMBATOOR, Two Missionaries.
SOUTH TRAVANCOB.fi.
NAGERCOIL, Three Missionaries.
NEYOOR, Two Missionaries, and an Assistant Missionary.
QUILON, Two Missionaries.
TREVANDRUM, One Missionary.
Total number of Hearers, not ascertained.
Total number of Members or Communicants 557
Total number in the Schools 7 3 952
BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
CEYLON.
COLOMBO, including Pettah and Slave Island, Three Missionaries,
and seven Assistant Missionaries.
KANDY, One Missionary and an Assistant Missionary.
Total number of Hearers, not ascertained.
Total number of Members or Communicants, about 600
Total number in the Schools, upwards of 1,180
AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS.
MADRAS.
ROYAPOORUM, One Missionary.
CHINTADREPETTAH, One Missionary.
BLACK-TOWN, One Missionary.
Total number of Hearers, not ascertained.
Total number of Members or Communicants, not ascertained.
Total number in the Schools 495
IN SOUTH INDIA AND CEYLON. xliii
MADURA,
MADURA, One Missionary.
MADURA FORT, One Missionary.
DINDIGUL, Two Missionaries and an Assistant Missionary.
TERUPUVANUM, One Missionary.
SEVAGUNGA, One Missionary.
TERUMUNGALUM, One Missionary.
Total number of Hearers, not ascertained.
Total number of Members or Communicants, ditto.
Total number in the Schools < 3,304
CEYLON.
TILLYPALLY, One Missionary.
BATTICOTTA, Three Missionaries and an Assistant Mis-
sionary.
OODOOVILT.E, One Missionary.
MANEPY, Two Missionaries.
PANDITERIPO, One Missionary.
CHAVAGACHERRY, Two Missionaries.
Total number of Hearers, not ascertained.
Total number of Members or Communicants, ditto.
Total number in the Schools 3,541
SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL
IN FOREIGN PARTS.
MADRAS, Six Missionaries.
TANJORE, MADURA, &c., Sixteen Missionaries.
PULICAT, &c., Four Missionaries.
CEYLON, Three Missionaries.
To this Summary must be added the Danish Mission at Tran-
quebar, the particulars of which have not been ascertained ; and the
Mission of the Basle Missionary Society in Malabar and Canara.
xliv
MISSIONS OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY TO
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS OP TRAVANCORE.
IN the Summary now given, it will be observed that the Church
Missionary Society has agents among the Syrian Christians of
Travancore. This interesting sphere of labour appears by common
consent to have been resigned to them, and our best wishes and most
earnest prayers are engaged, that they may happily succeed in
reviving scriptural Christianity in that remarkable remnant of a
very ancient church.
According to a recent Report of the Bishop of Madras, the
Church Missionary Society has five churches among the Syrian
Christians, which are attended by some thousands of hearers.
The beneficial results of that Mission cannot be doubted, although
the difficulties and discouragements have been numerous.
In order to render as complete as possible the comparatively
limited sketch of Christianity in Southern India, I have appended
to this volume an outline of the History of the Syrian Chris-
tians of Travancore, from the earliest age down to the eighteenth
century, and more particularly of the cruel and treacherous treatment
they received from the bigoted emissaries of Rome. An attentive
perusal of the history of those remote and much-injured Churches
cannot fail to excite the deepest sympathy and commiseration.
When shall Christian Europe repay to India the injuries she has
inflicted upon the ancient Churches of India, or discharge a moderate
share of her obligations to the Heathens whom she has brought into
political subjection ? In estimating these obligations, we may learn
our unprofitableness and insufficiency. We should feel our need of
divine and gracious assistance ; and, encouraged by the past dealings
of God with his church, and by the precious and repeated promises
recorded in the word of truth, should pray, " God be merciful unto
us, and bless us, and cause his face to shine upon us : that thy way
may be known upon earth, and thy saving health to all nations.
Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee."
Amen.
WESLEYAN MISSIONARIES IN INDIA. xlv
The Friends of Wesleyan Missions will be gratified to see a
connected List of the Missionaries who have been sent out to the
East, by their own Society ; which we now present. It may afford
subject of consideration to those who are curious in statistics.
I>ATE OF DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND.
1813. Dec. 31st. Thomas Coke, LL.D. Died at sea, May 3d, 1814.
James Lynch. Returned to Europe in 1824. At present a
Supernumerary Minister in Ireland.
George Erskine. Proceeded to Sydney in 1821, where he died
April 20th, 1834.
William Ault. Died at Batticaloa, April 1st, 1815.
W. M. Harvard. Returned to England in 1819. At present
Minister in Canada.
Benjamin Clough. Returned finally to England in 1838. At
present Minister in England.
Thomas H. Squance. Returned to England in 1822. At
present Minister in England.
1814. Dec. 23d. Samuel Broadbent. Returned in 1820. Now
Minister in England.
Robert Carver. Retired from the Society in 1841.
Elijah Jackson. Returned home soon after his arrival in
Ceylon.
John Callaway. Returned in 1326. Died Nov. 23d, 1841.
1816. April 29th, John M'Kenny. Returned from Ceylon in 1834,
and proceeded to New South Wales, where he still resides
as Missionary..
John Homer. Returned from Bombay in 1822. Since
deceased.
Nov. 22d. W. B. Fox. Returned from Ceylon in 1823.
Died April 9th, 1834.
Thomas Osborne. Returned from Ceylon in 1824. Died
October 30th, 1836.
Robert Newstead. Returned from Ceylon in 1826. At
present Minister in England.
xlvi WESLEYAN MISSIONARIES
DATE OF DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND.
1818. May 17th, Daniel J. Gogerly. Remains as Missionary in
Ceylon.
1819. March 23d, Alexander Hume. Returned from Ceylon in
1830. At present Minister in England.
Samuel Allen. Returned from Ceylon in 1832. At present
Minister in England.
March 28th, Joseph Roberts. Returned from Ceylon in 1834.
Appointed to Madras in 1842, where he at present resides
as Missionary.
Abraham Stead. Returned from Ceylon in 1827. At present
Minister in England.
Joseph Bott. Returned from Ceylon in 1825, and was dis-
missed from the Society.
Joseph Fletcher. Returned from Bombay in 1821. Pro-
ceeded to the West Indies. Returned thence in 1833.
At present Minister in England.
1820. Titus Close. Returned from Madras in 1822. Died on
June 10th, 1833.
May 19th, James Mowat Returned from Madras in 1829.
At present Minister in England.
Elijah Hoole. Returned from Madras in 1828.
1823. March 14th, J. F. England. Returned from Madras in 1833.
At present Minister in England.
1824. Feb. 12th, William BridgnelL Remains as Missionary in
Ceylon.
Richard Stoup. Died in Ceylon, Oct. 5th, 1829.
1825. March 8th, Thomas J. Williamson. Died at sea on his voy-
age homeward in 1827-
April 9th, Robert Spence Hardy. Remains in Ceylon as
Missionary.
1826. May 5th, John George. Returned from Ceylon in 1838. At
present Minister in England.
WHO HAVE LABOURED IN THE EAST. xlvii
DATE OF DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND.
1826. Peter Percival. Remains as Missionary in Ceylon.
Nov. 18th, Alfred Bourne. Returned from Madras in 1834,
and died May 27th, 1836.
1828. June 14th, Samuel Hardey. Remains as Missionary in
Madras.
1829. Nov. 23d, William Longbottom. Quitted India in 1836.
At present Missionary in Van-Diemen's-Land.
Thomas Cryer. Returned to England in 1838. Proceeded
again to Madras in 1842.
Thomas Hodson. Returned from the Mysore Country in
1843.
1829. Ralph Stott. Remains as Missionary in Ceylon.
1831. March 1st, Elijah Toyne and Thomas Kilner. Returned
from Ceylon in 1840, and are at present Ministers in
England.
1836. April llth, Thomas Haswell. Remains as Missionary in the
Mysore Country.
George Hole. Remains as Missionary in Ceylon.
1837- Sept. 5th, Jonathan Crowther. Returned from Madras in
1843.
Joseph K. Best. Retired from the Society in 1842.
John Jenkins. Returned from the Mysore Country in 1840,
and has since been Missionary in Malta.
Matthew T. Male. Remains as Missionary in the Mysore
Country.
Richard D. Griffith. Remains as Missionary in Madras.
William S. Fox. Died at sea, on his voyage homeward,
March 18th, 1841.
1839. April 15th, Edward G. Squarebridge. Died at Coonghul, in
the Mysore Country, August 18th, 1840.
John Garrett. Remains as Missionary in the Mysore Coun-
try.
William Arthur. Returned from the Mysore Country in
1841. At present Minister in England.
xlviii WESLEYAN MISSIONARIES IN INDIA.
DATE OK DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND.
1839. George U. Pope. Retired from the Society in 1841.
1840. Sept. 22d, Andrew Kessen. Missionary in Ceylon.
1842. March 23d, Edward J. Hardey. Missionary in the Mysore
Country.
Daniel Sanderson. Missionary in the Mysore Country.
1843. Sept 10th, Robert Pargiter. Embarked for Ceylon.
Sept 30th, John Gostick. Embarked for Madras.
John Pinkney. Embarked for Madras.
Joseph Little. Embarked for Madras.
Peter Batchelor, Missionary in Negapatam, was not sent out in
that capacity, but was accepted by the Society as resident in India.
MADRAS, MYSORE, AND THE SOUTH OF
INDIA :
CHAPTER I.
NOVEMBER, 1819, TO SEPTEMBER, 1820.
THE VOYAGE TO INDIA.
THE voyage to India, by the Cape of Good Hope,
occupies about four months. Formerly it was not ;in-
common for vessels to be ten or twelve months on the
passage ; but the seas are now so thoroughly explored,
and the seasons, the changes of the wind, and the
courses of the currents, so well understood, that the
probabilities of a voyage may be calculated with tolerable
certainty. The " overland journey," as it is called, by
way of Egypt and tbe Red Sea, by steam -vessels, may be
accomplished in less than two months. In cases where
dispatch is essential, the latter route has the advantage ;
but the voyage by the Cape of Good Hope introduces the
European more gradually, and, therefore, perhaps more
favourably, to the fervours of a tropical climate, and
affords him the opportunity of conveying under his own
care all the property he may think necessary to carry
with him. Travellers by the overland route have gene-
B
2 VOYAGE TO INDIA.
rally to send a great part of their luggage by way of the
Cape of Good Hope.
It is worthy of remark, that the route now taken by
our steam-vessels to India, is the same which was pursued
by the Phenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Arabs, for more
than two thousand years. Eighteen hundred years ago,
the Greeks discovered the regularity of the monsoons in
the Indian Ocean, and ventured to quit the coast on
their voyage to India. From Berenice, in the Red Sea,
they reached Cana, in South Arabia, in thirty days ; and
thence, in forty days, stretched across to India, com-
pleting the voyage and return within twelve months.
Another route to India, much used for trade, in
ancient times, was by the Caspian Sea, the river Oxus,
which then flowed into it, and so, by the passes of the
Hindoo Cush, to the river Indus. But the oldest route
of all, and that by which the productions of India were
brought to Egypt before the time of Moses, and were
therefore known to him, and recorded in Exod. xxx. 23,
as ingredients of the "oil of the sanctuary," was along
the Syrian coasts, and the great rivers of Mesopotamia.
Tadmor in the Wilderness was built by Solomon upon
this bine of road, and continued to flourish until con-
quered and destroyed by the Roman power, in the time
of Aurelian.
By one of these routes overland, or by a tedious
coasting voyage, Pythagoras, who is said to have been
contemporary with the Prophet Daniel, must have pro-
ceeded to India, when he visited the sages of that
country, to make himself acquainted with their science,
and with the doctrines and practices of their religion ;
and from the Hindoos he is said to have adopted his
doctrine of metempsychosis. The reader of the Essay at
the end of this volume may admire his earnest pursuit of
knowledge, but may also safely be left to judge whether
VOYAGE TO INDIA.
he found any thing in that doctrine, or any other Hindoo
notion or practice, to repay the labour and risk to which
he subjected himself. The Black Jews of Cochin, who
are supposed to have been a colony of those taken cap-
tive to Babylon, probably reached their destination by
sea : it is conjectured, that the White Jews followed in
their track soon after the destruction of Jerusalem ; and
the Syrian Christians of Malabar, if a colony from
Mosul, and not, as is most probable, converted from
among the Aborigines, must have voyaged direct to their
present residence, and not have reached it by the tedious
method of a land journey.
The discovery of the passage to India by the Cape of
Good Hope, in 1486, opened the way for the Portuguese
conquests in the East. They maintained their supre-
macy for about one hundred years, when their power was
broken by the Dutch. The Dutch, in their turn, yielded
to the growing influence of the English East India Com-
pany. The Portuguese and French have still a few
settlements on the coast of India ; the Dutch ceded what
remained of theirs in 1825, in exchange for the British
settlements in Sumatra.
In November, 1819, I took an affectionate leave of my
dear relatives and friends in Manchester, many of whom
I was never again to see ; and proceeded to London, to
wait a convenient opportunity of embarking for Con-
tinental India, to, which country I had already been
appointed a Missionary by my honoured fathers and
brethren, the Wesleyan-Methodist Missionary Committee.
The kind attentions shown to myself, and to the Rev.
James Mowat, my colleague, and Mrs. Mowat, by the
official and private members and friends of the Society in
London, during our stay, demand a grateful acknowledg-
ment ; and, in our peculiar circumstances, made an
impression on our hearts never to be effaced.
B 2
VOYAGE TO INDIA.
After an unavoidable delay of some months, we
embarked at Gravesend, on Friday, May 19th, 1820, in
the ship "Tanjore;" a private trader of five hundred
tons' burden, bound (on her first voyage) for Madras and
Calcutta, and commanded by Captain G. H. Dacre, an
able and experienced officer of the Royal Navy.
Besides my valued colleague and his wife, I had the
happiness to reckon among my fellow-passengers, the
pious and much-esteemed Sir Richard Otley, Chief
Justice of the Island of Ceylon, and the Rev. Thomas
and Mrs. Browning, of the Church Missionary Society,
who were appointed to Kandy, in the same Island,
whose friendship and society formed a principal part of
our enjoyments on board, and rendered more tolerable
the prospect of the confinement and tedium of so long a
voyage.
On the evening of the following day we anchored off
Deal, and gladly embraced the opportunity afforded us
of passing another Christian sabbath in our native land.
The Rev. \V. M. Harvard, formerly Missionary in Cey-
lon, showed us much kindness. He introduced us to his
congregations, commended us to their prayers, and when
we re-embarked, on the morning of Monday, May 22d,
dismissed us with some valuable advice, respecting our
voyage, and the climate in which we should probably
have to reside and labour for many years.
Our passage down the Channel was boisterous, and
exceedingly trying to persons unaccustomed to the sea.
I was the only passenger who did not suffer from sea-
sickness, and was happy to have it in my power to
render some assistance to my less favoured friends. The
Lizard-Point, the last English land we saw, died away
from our view on the evening of May 31st; we then
immediately entered into fine weather, and became more
settled and comfortable in our new circumstances.
VOYAGE TO INDIA. 5
Our voyage was now become pleasant ; the cabins were
comfortable and clean, our ship being entirely new ; the
cuddy, or dining-room, was commodious ; our meals were
regular, our food tolerable, our water good ; and the
party on board, on the whole, social and agreeable. By
permission of the Captain, we held divine service once or
twice every Sunday ; on deck, if the weather permitted ;
if otherwise, under cover ; the Church Missionary and
ourselves taking it in rotation, to read and preach to the
attentive congregation formed by the passengers, officers,
and crew. We administered the sacrament of the Lord's
supper three times during the voyage ; we assembled for
family worship, every morning and evening, in the cabin
of our highly-respected friend, Sir Richard Otley ; and
those of us who were Methodists enjoyed every week the
peculiar privilege of a social class-meeting. Thus our
spiritual advantages during the voyage were great and
consolatory ; and we had reason to believe that our
exertions for the benefit of others were not lost on those
who sailed with us ; whilst our diligent attention to read-
ing, study, and composition, happily beguiled the time,
and enhanced the pleasantness of our hours of relaxation
and mutual converse.
We passed through the Bay of Biscay without expe-
riencing the rough weather we had anticipated : we
entered the Tropics, extended our sails to the trade
winds, which blow there all the year round, and sailed
on the vast ocean as smoothly as on a lake. We had a
distant view of St. Antonio, one of the Cape de Verd
Islands, the only land we saw until we made the Island
of Ceylon ; and were delighted by the interesting pheno-
mena peculiar to those latitudes ; such as, the thousands
of flying-fish, the beautiful bonito and dolphin, the vora-
cious shark, (of each of which we caught several,) the
glories of the rising and setting sun ; and, during the
VOYAGE TO INDIA.
night, the phosphoric brightness of the waves and spray
of the sea, the gradual sinking of the north polar star,
and the rising of the beautiful constellations of the
southern hemisphere.
Crossing the Equinoctial Line, we had the usual visit
from Neptune and Amphitrite ; and the ceremony of
shaving with tar, and dashing about water in abundance,
by the passengers and crew, was duly observed. Some
of the passengers, with myself, disapproving of so ridicu-
lous and heathenish a custom, " more honoured in the
breach than in th' observance," gained exemption from
any participation in it, by paying a fine of some Spanish
dollars each.
Baffling and contrary winds occasioned the loss of ten
or fourteen days, in doubling the Cape of Good Hope.
Beyond the Cape, in about 36 south latitude, we were
overtaken by a tremendous gale of wind : it was impos-
sible to carry sail ; the sea rose in awful grandeur, and the
mountains and valleys it presented to our view reminded
me of the scenery of some parts of Derbyshire. Our
vessel was tossed about like a cork or a splinter of wood ;
and rolled so from side to side, that the heaviest furni-
ture and packages, not well secured, were loosened and
dashed about in a manner at once alarming and danger-
ous. In these seas we saw many grampuses and whales.
The gale, and the favourable breezes which succeeded
it, carried us so much to the eastward, that when we
re-entered the Tropics, we were in the longitude of Point
de Galle, and had consequently to keep a due northern
course. We rode on the wings of the monsoon, till the
3d of September, when we saw the Island of Ceylon,
having been only three months and three days in making
the voyage from land to land. During the whole of this
period, we had only seen one sail, a homeward-bound
vessel.
VOYAGE TO INDIA. 7
Sir Richard Otley and the other passengers for Ceylon
were desirous of landing at Point de Galle ; but the wind
blowing steadily from that quarter, made it impracticable
to retrieve the few miles we had passed to the eastward
of it : we therefore coasted along the south-east side of
the Island, enjoying the smell of the land, which was
extremely grateful, much like the scent of new hay ; and
admiring the many romantic views of hill and dale, culti-
vated land and jungle, skirted by the cocoa-nut tree and
the palmyra, which every hour of our progress opened
to us.
On Monday, the 4th, we were visited by many of
the natives, in their homely but ingenious canoes, who
brought for sale various kinds of fruit, which, though
unripe, proved very acceptable to us. Adam Munhi
Rathana and Alexander Dherma Rama, the two Buddhist
priests who had been instructed and baptized in England,
and were our fellow-passengers in the " Tanjore," proved
of service here. By their interpretation we learned the
news of the Island, and understood we might conveni-
ently land our party for Ceylon, at Batticaloa, which was
not far distant. The master of a large native vessel
undertook to conduct us ; and finding that, though under
shortened sail, we went much quicker than themselves,
they fastened a tow-line to their fore-ship, to enable
them to keep up with us. Towards evening the wind
freshened a little, and we thought to give them a fair
specimen of our superiority in sailing ; but they became
frantic with terror, and, with violent shouting and ges-
ticulation, begged us to loosen the line, or their vessel
would soon go to pieces, for it was already giving way.
We could not but be amused with their alarm, from
which, however, we quickly relieved them, and, proud
of our gallant ship, left them far behind.
8 BURNING OF THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE.
CHAPTER II.
SEPTEMBER 6xH, 1820.
BURNING OF THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE.
THE following day we made Batticaloa, and came to
anchor. Our excellent friend, Sir Richard Otley, landed
the same evening, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Browning.
The hoat was too small to accommodate all the passen-
gers, and it was too late in the evening to make more
than one trip. The next day, Wednesday, September
6th, Sir Richard's Secretary, and other passengers, with
Adam, one of the Singhalese, went on shore, with all
the baggage belonging to the Ceylon party ; and about
one P.M. we weighed anchor, and stood out for sea,
intending to make direct for Madras.
Although oppressively hot, it was a fine day. In
the evening, however, we were neither surprised nor
alarmed at a heavy storm of thunder, lightning, and
rain, coming direct upon us ; for we had seen much
lightning every night, since we had been in the neigh-
bourhood of land. It was dusk, and I was taking a
farewell view of the tops of the mountains of the island,
fast diminishing in the distance, when I observed an
unusually heavy cloud hastening towards us. I pointed
it out to Captain Dacre, with whom I was conversing at
the time : he replied that it was of no importance ; and,
alluding to a luminous appearance in the centre of it,
said that we might see through it. The rain soon began
to descend in torrents, and drove all on deck to seek
shelter in the cuddy, or below : the storm increased ;
and flash after flash of lightning fol^ved each other in
BURNING OF THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE. 9
such quick succession, that, with little interruption, it
would have been possible to read by the glare.
I sat in the cuddy, watching the storm, till past eight
o'clock, when a flash which illuminated the whole hemi-
sphere, and was accompanied with loud cracking, and a
tremendous noise, struck the ship, prostrated one of the
passengers who was reading by the glare, and killed
upon the spot two of the seamen on the fore-castle. I
ran to the door, to ascertain the effects of the stroke,
and heard the second mate, who was between decks, cry
out, " Fire in the hold ! Fire below ! " The cargo had
taken fire from the electric fluid. The scene which
followed exceeds all description ; it was one that can
never be forgotten by any who witnessed it.
In a moment all hands were on deck ; buckets were
supplied in abundance ; the pumps were manned and
leaked, that the water might be discharged on the burn-
ing cargo ; passengers and crew were all on the alert ;
I threw off my boat-cloak, which I had procured by
rushing below through the smoke into my cabin, and
assisted at the pumps. When the hatches were taken
off, to allow of water being poured into the hold, flames
and clouds of smoke issued forth as from a furnace,
increasing every instant in heat and density. It was
soon found that all exertion was in vain ; the vessel
must perish.
From the pumps we ran to the boats : the gig hung
over the larboard quarter, so as to be lowered in a
moment ; but we should have lost its valuable services,
had not a gentleman threatened to send a bullet through
the head of the carpenter, who, insane with terror, had
brought a hatchet to cut the ropes, and drop it at once
into the sea. The yawl, a larger boat, was our great
difficulty; it was turned, keel upwards, over the long
boat, to serve as a roof to the live stock kept in the
B 5
10 BURNING OF THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE.
latter. Many attempts were made in vain to raise it
from its situation ; the long boat was already on fire by
the flames bursting from the main hold. I climbed into
it, (without feeling that, in doing so, I broke my shins
severely,) to give my assistance ; and when we were just
ready to despair, the yawl eased and rose, no one knew
how, and was over the side, and floating in the water,
more quickly, the seamen said, than they had ever before
seen it.
Captain Dacre had already affirmed, in answer to my
inquiries, that the two boats could not carry all the
ship's company, passengers and crew ; (and, under other
circumstances, we should not have dared to try them ;)
but the trial must now be made. The two ladies, one of
whom had to be hurried from her bed, where she had
retired for the night, were first put safely into the yawl ;
some other passengers and myself, with part of the crew,
followed, and our weight sank it nearly to the water's
edge ; the Captain and others entered the smaller boat,
and sufficiently filled it, leaving the vessel with honour-
able reluctance, while the first Mate, Mr. Ibbetson,
gallantly remained on board to the last, suggesting the
best arrangements, and assisting to hand to us any
article that could be secured at the moment, which
might possibly be useful to us in the extreme perils we
were about to encounter.
Many of the party, having retired to their hammocks
before the electric fluid struck the vessel, were half
naked, but were supplied with trousers and jackets by
those seamen who had been on the watch, who, in con-
sequence of the heavy rain, had cased themselves in
double or treble their usual quantity of clothing. ~M\
own dress was merely a nankeen jacket and trousers, a
shirt and neckcloth ; I had lost my hat in assisting to
get out the boat.
BURNING OP THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE. ] 1
We happily succeeded in bringing away two compasses
from the binnacle, and a few candles from the cuddy
table, one of them lighted ; one bottle of wine and
another of porter, were handed to us, with the table-
cloth and a knife, which proved very useful ; but the fire
raged so fiercely in the body of the vessel, that neither
bread nor water could be obtained.
It was now about nine o'clock : the rain poured in
torrents ; the lightning continued to stream from one
side of the heavens to the other, one moment dazzling us
by its glare, and the next leaving us in darkness,
relieved only by the red flames of the conflagration from
which we were trying to escape.
Our first object was to get clear of the vessel, lest she
should explode, and overwhelm us. But to our great
distress we discovered, that the yawl had no rudder, and
that in the two boats we had only three oars, all exer-
tions to obtain more from the ship having proved unsuc-
cessful. From the gig, which had a rudder, they gave
us a line, to keep us in tow ; and by means of a few
spars, found at the bottom of the boat, we assisted in
moving ourselves slowly through the water. Providen-
tially, the sea was very still, or our boats would have
swamped, and we must have perished. There was also
very little wind ; but it sometimes changed, and, assisted
by the prevailing current, urged forward the burning
ship ; for the sails, being drenched with rain, did not
easily take fire. Our situation, therefore, was, for some
time, exceedingly perilous. The vessel neared us more
than once, and seemed to threaten to involve us in its
own destruction. The cargo, consisting of combustible
articles, including a considerable quantity of spirits,
burned with violence and rapidity, and the flames rose to
an amazing height.
We succeeded in increasing the distance between us and
12 BURNING OF THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE.
the vessel ; directing our course towards land, by help of
the compass, which we could see by the light of the
candles we had with us. About ten o'clock, we saw the
masts fall over the side, and the vessel seemed to be
burnt down to the water's edge. The spectacle was
grand, contemplated abstractedly from a recollection of
our own circumstances. The destruction by fire of the
animals on board, dogs, sheep, &c., at another time
would have excited our deepest commiseration ; but, at
present, the total loss of property, the awfully sudden
death of the two seamen, our own narrow escape, and the
great probability, even yet, that we should never again
see the light of day, or set our feet on solid ground,
seemed to absorb our faculties and feelings : for some
time the silence was scarcely broken, and I doubt not,
that many, like myself, were engaged in thoughts most
suitable to immortal beings on the brink of eternity, in
self-examination, and in prayer.
The number of persons in the two boats was forty-
eight ; and all, with the exception of the two ladies, who,
I must observe, bore these awful circumstances with
extraordinary fortitude, took it in turns to work at the
oars and paddles. After some time, to our great relief,
the rain ceased ; the labour of baling water from the boats
was considerably diminished ; the occupants of the two
boats hailed each other frequently during the night, and
the honest tars, true " hearts of oak," occasionally gave a
simultaneous "hurra," to cheer each other, and to keep
up our spirits.
The " Tanjore" must have risen in the water, as it gra-
dually consumed : we saw it burning the whole night, and
at day-break could distinguish a column of .smoke arising
from it ; which, however, soon ceased ; and we saw and
heard no more of our favourite ship. Some months after-
wards, during my residence at Negapatam, on the Coro-
BURNING OF THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE. 13
mandel coast, about three hundred miles from the spot
where the disaster occurred, a spar, partially consumed by
fire, was thrown on the beach by the surf; and appeared
to me to have been the fore-sail yard, or fore-top-sail yard,
of the unfortunate " Tanjore."
When the sun arose, we could clearly discern land a
head: the sight of it filled us with grateful joy, and
nerved us with fresh vigour for our exertions in managing
the boats. We then discovered, that the purser was the
only person in our party decently attired : the wretched
and forlorn appearance presented by the rest, in either
only half clothing, or the unsuitable clothing of others,
increased by exposure, want of rest, and the anxieties of
the past night, could not but provoke a smile and a few
good-natured remarks.
As the day advanced, we more clearly discovered the
nature of the country which we were approaching. It
was wild and covered with jungle, without any appearance
of population : could we have got ashore therefore, our
condition would have been little improved ; many of us
might have perished, before human habitations could have
been reached, or assistance procured ; but the breakers
dashing upon the rocks convinced us that landing was
impracticable, even had we desired it.
About seven o'clock A. M. we discovered a dhoney, or
native vessel, lying at anchor at some distance ; the wind
just then began to favour us, and we exercised our inge-
nuity to avail ourselves of it. In the yawl, we managed to
extend the table-cloth as a sail ; and in the other boat, a
blanket (which the butcher had brought away with him,
being the whole of his property) was made to serve the
same purpose. We were delighted with this additional
help ; which was the more seasonable, as the rays of the
sun became intolerably hot, and greatly increased our
sense of weariness. One of the officers gave Mrs. Mowat
14 BURNING OF THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE.
his tartan cap, to serve as some cover from the heat ; and
I thought myself happy in securing a hat that had been
used during the night for baling water: it was soon partially
dry, and screened the top of my head from the direct rays
of the sun. Some of the seamen, suffering from heat and
exhausted by their exertions, began to drink salt water ;
but the passengers abstained from it.
It was near noon before we reached the dhoney. The
natives on board of it were astonished and alarmed at our
appearance, and expressed some unwillingness to entertain
us ; but our circumstances would admit of no denial, and
we scarcely waited till Alexander, the Singhalese, could
interpret to them our situation and our wants, before we
took possession of their vessel ; assuring them, that every
expense and loss sustained on our account should be
amply repaid.
They treated us very kindly ; gave us water sparingly,
but as many cocoa-nuts as we could devour ; they also
boiled some rice for us, which they presented in cocoa-nut
shells, with curried fish, and jaggery, a sort of coarse
black sugar ; and laughing at our method of eating, made
for us a few rude spoons of bits of cocoa-nut shell and
splinters of bamboo. They informed us that Trincomallee,
which we knew to be one of our Mission Stations, was not
far distant ; and, agreeing to take us thither, they pro-
ceeded to weigh anchor, while we stretched our cramped
and weary limbs on the pent-roof thatch, which served as
a deck to the vessel.
In the evening they cast anchor for the night : the
heavens were again darkened with clouds ; the lightnings
flashed, and the distant thunder rolled and murmured ;
awakening us to a more lively and awful remembrance of
the dangers we had escaped.
We had some difficulty in fixing ourselves for the night :
the ladies were accommodated with the master's apart-
BURNING OF THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE. 15
meat, if a small but clean division of the vessel, in which
it was impossible to stand upright, may be dignified with
the name ; and the rest were left to choose their own
quarters. The smoke of cooking deterred me from going
below, till the cold and dew made me think shelter
necessary. I then stooped into the interior of the vessel,
and creeping over the cargo, which seemed to consist
entirely of cocoa-nuts, thought myself fortunate in find-
ing a narrow board, five or six feet in length, on which I
stretched myself, putting a bundle of fire-wood under my
head as a pillow. Alexander, who had attached himself
closely to me since our misfortune, came and lay by me.
In the night he roused me, to drink from a cup he held
in his hand : it contained hot conjee or rice-water, not an
unpleasant beverage at any time, but then peculiarly
gi'ateful to my parched mouth.
I slept soundly, and rose refreshed ; but should have
been more so, had not one of the seamen, in searching
for accommodations, after I had fallen asleep, chosen my
head for his pillow, which before did not rest very easily
on the bundle of sticks, and now, pressed by the weight
of a sailor's skull, felt, when I awoke, as though it did
not belong to me : a bathe in the sea-water restored the
circulation.
In the morning we again weighed anchor, and in a
few hours came in sight of the flag-staff of one of the
forts of the harbour of Trincomallee : the wind was un-
favourable, and we could not get into the harbour ; we
therefore sent our smaller boat, with four of the best
seamen and the purser, to give information of our cir-
cumstances. It was a good distance, and the men were
weary ; but within two or three hours, we discerned the
beautiful boats of a man of war, then in the harbour,
hastening towards us under crowded sail : next we could
distinguish the naval uniform of the officers ; and, as
16 BURNING OF THE SHIP, AND ESCAPE.
they drew nearer, could see the fine countenances of our
countrymen beaming with interest and commiseration,
as they gazed on us, and directed their boats alongside :
it was a scene to awaken the most powerful feelings ; and
will, I think, ever be depicted on my memory. My heart
had been stout till that moment ; but I then leaned
against the mast, scarcely able to stand, from the min-
gled emotions excited in my mind.
We soon stepped into the boats, answering the nume-
rous and kind inquiries of the officers, and enjoying the
slight refreshment of fruit, &c., they had brought with
them. The men pulled hard at their oars : we soon
entered the harbour, admiring its spaciousness and the
beauties of its scenery ; but admiring, most of all, the
wondrous dealings of that gracious Providence, which
had preserved us in such unusual perils, and brought us
to a place of rest and safety. We landed in the dock-
yard of Trincomallee, about three P.M. on Friday, the 8th
of September, 1820, being exactly sixteen weeks after our
embarkation at Graveseud.
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 17
CHAPTER III.
SEPTEMBER, 1820.
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON.
THE harbour of Trincomallee is essentially necessary
to any naval power which would keep possession of the
coast of Coromandel, and maintain the command of the
Bay of Bengal. It is the only port, available in stormy
weather, south of Bengal, and is both safe and commo-
dious. The Dutch had held it more than one. hundred
and fifty years, when, in 1/91, the British took and
retained it for a while; but in 1/9.3, the annexation of
Holland to France gave the British the opportunity of
expelling the Dutch, and taking possession not only of
Trincomallee, but of the entire Island of Ceylon.
Whatever may be thought of the government or com-
mercial policy of the Dutch, in one respect they deserved
the highest praise. They showed an earnest desire for
the conversion of the natives to Christianity ; and a suc-
cession of learned and pious Ministers from Holland
devoted themselves to this good work. If on the arrival
of the Wesleyan and American Missionaries, there was
little genuine fruit to be found, after all their labours,
it must be remembered, that compulsion, on the part of
the Government, in which the example had been set by
the Portuguese, would, as a consequence, produce hypo-
crisy in the people ; that slavery, with all its debasing
effects on master and servant, prevailed throughout the
Island ; that Popery, together with its twin superstition,
Buddhism, had obtained firm hold on the minds of the
18 THE ISLAND OF CEYLON.
population; and that from 1795 to 1816, little care had
been taken to continue the work begun by the Dutch.
Ceylon was visited and described by the Mahomedan
traveller Ibn Batuta, in the fourteenth century, and by
the Venetian merchant Marco Polo, in the thirteenth.
It had been the resort of Arabian merchants for many
centuries. About fifty years before the Christian era, an
ambassador from Ceylon made his appearance at Rome,
at the court of Claudius Csesar ; and it is worthy of
remark, that when the foundation of the Portuguese
church in the Island of Manaar was dug, by a colleague
of Xavier, in 1544, there was found a Roman coin of
the Emperor Claudius.* The account of Ceylon ob-
tained by the Greeks at the court of Chandragupta, three
hundred years before Christ, and that of Aristotle, one
hundred years previous, are distinguished by greater
accuracy than some of more recent date ; as is also that
of Jambolo, recorded in Diodorus Siculus.
The natural riches and capabilities of the Island of
Ceylon make it worthy of the high eulogies which have
been recorded by its visitors from the earliest times.
Under the dominion of the British, it has been delivered
from slavery, and from all compulsory religious profes-
sion. It is to be deplored, that the superstitions of
" A discovery of great historical importance was lately made by
a gentleman at Manaar. In digging under the foundation of a very
old house, some Roman bricks of a flat form were found ; and, in
sifting the rubbish, a gold ring, marked ANN. PLOC., (our types
cannot imitate the exact characters,) turned up, of ancient manufac-
ture, quite plain, and of a shape similar to those in the British
Museum, which are said to have been worn by Roman knights.
Now we know, from Pliny, that the fanner of the duties in the Red
Sea, Annius Plocamus, was carried by a stonn to the coast of Ceylon,
60 B.C. He was of the equestrian order; and there seems little
reason to doubt of the ring having belonged to him. It is much
time-worn, or rather injured by the effects of damp and corrosion."
Ceylon Herald, July 4lh, 1843.
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 19
Buddhism are yet patronized and supported by the Go-
vernment ; but most sincerely do we hope that this stain
will soon be wiped away, and that religious and commercial
prosperity may yet be the lot of this beautiful island.
On our arrival, C. Upton, Esq., His Majesty's Com-
missioner in the Naval Department, already informed
of our circumstances, was waiting to receive us. We
were taken into an apartment, where a number of small
loaves of excellent bread, and several bottles of wine,
were set before us, for our immediate refreshment. The
tidings of our escape and necessities were soon promul-
gated ; and the carriages of the British residents carne to
the door to convey us to their respective houses, each
vying with the other in kindness and hospitality.
Meantime Commissioner Upton, looking at my col-
league's black coat, had inquired if any of our party
were Ministers ; and immediately congratulated us on the
circumstance of our having a Mission on that station ;
observing, " Mr. Carver, your Missionary, is a most
respectable man, whom I have known many years ; he
will be happy to receive you, and to supply all your
wants." A message was sent to the Mission-house, and
we soon found ourselves in the company of our excellent
brethren, Messrs. Carver and Stead, who received us with
open arms, uniting with us in thankful acknowledgments
to the God of all our mercies.
Mr. S. gave up^Ms room to Mr. and Mrs. Mowat.
He initiated me into the modes of living and acting in a
tropical climate : both he and Mr. C. showed us atten-
tions, honourable to their feelings and their hearts,
and which have left an indelible impression upon ours.
They have never been repaid, except in the satisfaction
of their own minds : for a full recompense, they must
wait till " the resurrection of the just."
One of our fellow-passengers was entertained with us,
20 THE ISLAND OF CEYLON.
at the Mission-house ; * the other passengers, and the
officers of the ship, were received by different gentlemen
on the station, and the seamen found suitable accommo-
dations on board one of the hulks in the harbour.
Notwithstanding our anxieties, our exposure to rain
and sun for forty-three hours, with the total want of food
and water for a considerable time, and afterwards only a
scanty supply of aliment, such as we had been unaccus-
tomed to ; our passengers generally, after a day or two's
rest, were in tolerable health and spirits. Some of the
seamen became unwell, and two of them, very fine, strong
men, were carried off by the cholera morbus, the third
night after we landed.
Our kind brethren opened their stores so liberally, and
used their influence with their neighbours so effectually,
that we were soon supplied with several changes of cloth-
ing, suitable to the climate ; and were able to walk out
morning and evening, to see the town and neighbourhood.
The scenery of Trincomallee is picturesque and beaut i-
Alexander, the Singhalese, was also kindly received by Mr.
Carver, at the Mission-house, and supplied with a few books,
clothes, and other things immediately necessary. He had not landed
with Adam at Batticaloa, from an intention of proceeding with the
vessel to Calcutta, where he hoped to receive ordination from Bishop
Middleton. He subsequently came to Madras, soon after we arrived
there ; but, within a few days, returned to Ceylon, where, I believe,
he still resides.
Adam, I have been informed, is now one of the Proponents, or
native Preachers, employed by the Colonial Government of Ceylon,
in the southern part of the Island.
These young men received from Sir Richard Otley and ourselves
every attention during the voyage, but manifested no disposition to
have religious communion with us, or to engage in any department of
our Mission. Any religious convictions they may have received
were not strong enough to preserve them from the love of the world :
like many others, of whom better things might have been expected,
they risked their religion, that they might be respectable ; and it is
to be feared that they are now neither religious nor respectable.
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 21
ful ; none more so, I am informed, in the whole Island of
Ceylon. The extensive harbour, with its forts, and its
islands rising high out of the water, and covered with
verdure to the top, and the shipping and public buildings,
give a richness to the varied prospect, truly pleasing to
the eye, and which the clear atmosphere of the island
enables one to enjoy to perfection.
The public buildings of Trincoinallee are magnificent ;
the native town is extensive, but the houses are mean and
small ; and I thought the inhabitants had an appearance
of great poverty and wretchedness : this might be owing
to their comparative nakedness, and to my not being
accustomed to black skins, or to seeing so much of the
body exposed, as is common among the native inhabitants
of hot climates. The two most respectable-looking na-
tives I saw in Trincomallee, were at the Mission-house :
one of them, a venerable old man, the schoolmaster, who
presented himself every day, with his ola, or palmyra-leaf
book, to make his report. He was a Christian, and has
since died in the faith and hope of the gospel : the other
was a young man, a Christian also, in the service of
Government.
The cattle and animals of all kinds appeared to me
very small, the pasturage poor ; and the land, from the
long drought that had been then experienced, presented
an appearance of barrenness.
The Mission- house in Trincomallee, like most houses
in Ceylon and India, is only of one story ; but has rooms
sufficient to accommodate a family, or two single Mis-
sionaries. I there first admired the beautiful light given
by lamps of cocoa-nut oil : the lamp is of glass, in the
form of a tumbler, with a foot fitting into a candlestick,
and having a cotton wick on a wire, standing upright in
the middle of the lamp : the doors and windows of the
house being generally open during the evening, and the
22 THE ISLAND OF CEYLON.
wind blowing strongly, a cylindrical glass shade, fifteen
or eighteen inches in height and about six inches in dia-
meter, is placed over the whole, allowing the lamp to
burn with a bright and steady flame. Finding one on
the table, when retiring to rest, I inquired how I must
extinguish it, and was informed, that it was intended to
burn the whole night. I afterwards found that it is the
practice throughout India, to burn lights in the chambers,
or immediately within reach, to prevent the approach of
noxious insects or serpents ; or to procure immediate
relief and satisfaction, if annoyed with them during the
night.
On Sunday, the 10th, a respectable and attentive con-
gregation assembled in the Mission-garden ; and Mr.
Mowat preached. The place of worship was a bungalow,
a low building with a pent roof and thatched, which
served as a school-room during the week, and as a chapel
on the Lord's day. We were glad to enter again the
courts of the Lord's house, and were particularly gratified
by the spirit and feeling exhibited by many of the congre-
gation, to whom we were then introduced for the first
time. A good chapel has since been erected, more com-
modious, and more suitable for the sacred purpose to
which it is devoted.
Commissioner Upton having kindly offered to Captain
Dacre the use of H. M. schooner "Cochin," fifty tons'
burden, commanded by Lieutenant Twineham, R. N., to
convey him and our party to Madras, we embarked early
in the morning of Friday, September 15th, being com-
mended by our brethren and friends to the care of Him
" who gathereth the winds in his first, and the waters in
the hollow of his hand."
Our accommodations on board this vessel were not
very commodious. The cabin was given to the ladies :
the rest of the party had hammocks slung so near toge-
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 23
ther, that by every motion of the vessel they rubbed one
against another. Not having been used to a bed of this
kind, at my first attempt the moment I entered it at one
side, I fell out at the other, alighting upon two native
men, who were trying to make themselves comfortable on
the cargo.
On the passage across the Straits, between the island
and the continent, the wind was strong and the sea very
rough, frequently washing over the vessel, and exciting
some alarm in those whose nerves had not recovered the
severe shock they had sustained by the conflagration of
the " Tanjore," and our subsequent perils and sufferings.
The voyage proved longer than had been expected, and
famine might have again stared us in the face, had it not
been for the liberal supply of bread, fowls, wine, &c.,
which had been sent on board for our private use, in
addition to the public supply allowed to the vessel. The
bare deck served us for chairs, tables, and couches ; and
after an uncomfortable passage, we anchored in the Ma-
dras roads, at half -past eight on the evening of Sunday,
the 17th of September.
Our small vessel rolled and pitched violently during the
night by the influence of the surf and current, though we
had anchored one or two miles from shore. Early next
morning several Masoola boats came off to us, which,
though large and deep, and lightly laden, did not convey
us through the surf without subjecting us to a copious
sprinkling by the spray of the sea.
By direction of some friendly persons we met with
immediately on landing, we entered three palankeens, and
soon found our way to the Mission-house, beyond Roya-
pettah, about four miles distant from our landing-place ;
and in the kind attentions of Messrs. Lynch and Close,
and Mrs. Close, we soon forgot the inconveniences we
had recently suffered.
24 THE ISLAND OF CEYLON.
Immediately on our arrival at Madras, a Gazette Ex-
traordinary was published, announcing the destruction of
the " Tanjore," and the escape of its crew and passengers.
This document, as I afterwards found, reached England,
(probably by way of Bombay,) and was published in
the London newspapers, long before our letters arrived.
It was a fortunate circumstance that it mentioned
particulars, and contained the names of the parties,
or it might have occasioned much uneasiness to our
friends at home.
From the deck of our tiny vessel the " Cochin,"
Madras presented a line of coast several miles in extent,
varied by gardens, houses, churches, minarets, waste
lands, esplanades, public buildings, and fortresses, which
only a panorama could depict. The most prominent
object was the Fort, with the flag-staff ; from which the
British flag at once announced to us the protection we
might expect on shore, and the safety we might enjoy at
our anchorage : when the roads become unsafe from
unfavourable winds, the flag is struck, and every vessel
puts out to sea.
FORT ST. GEORGE, MADRAS ; AND CATAMARANS.
MADRAS AND ST. THOME. 2f*
CHAPTER IV.
SEPTEMBER, 1820.
MADRAS AND ST. THOME.
MADRAS, or Fort St. George, the seat of the Govern-
ment of the British possessions in the south of India,
N. Lat., 13 5', E. Long., 80 25', cannot boast of any
great antiquity. Like the other great Presidencies of
India, it owes its importance to the commerce and
government of the English East India Company. It
is, however, the oldest of the three. Calcutta was com-
menced in 1690, Bombay was ceded to the British in
1661, and the old fort at Madras, which forms the public
offices in the centre of the present fort, was erected in
1640. This occurred forty years after the incorporation
of the East India Company, their first Charter having
been granted by Queen Elizabeth on the 31st of Decem
her, 1600, under the title of "The Governor and Com-
pany of Merchants of London, trading to the East
Indies."
It would be somewhat difficult to decide what reasons
should have induced the selection of the site of Madras
for a British settlement. The laud is low, and for many
miles round exceedingly flat, and naturally barren,
though now greatly improved. The vicinity of St.
Thome, a flourishing Portuguese settlement, four miles
to the south, and of Pulicat, a Dutch settlement, thirty
miles to the north, may have presented some advantages,
at that time, of importance to the English adventurers ;
but the selection was probably made from the circum-
stance, that the Hindoo Rajah of Chandergherry, of the
c
26 MADRAS AND ST. THOME.
dynasty of Bijanagar, made no difficulty of ceding an
unprofitable tract of land, on which the foreign traders
might erect warehouses and dwellings. Devapatnam, or
Fort St. David, about one hundred and thirty miles south
of Madras, was purchased from Rama, the Rajah of Gin-
jee, in 1690, for twenty-eight thousand pagodas, about
9,300 ; and was in like manner fortified and made a
station of some consequence.
The declaration of war between France and England
in 1 744 was speedily followed by an interruption of the
peaceful and lucrative pursuits of the merchants of Ma-
dras. A French fleet appeared in the roads, and the
town was obliged to capitulate ; the Governor of Pondi-
cherry, Dupleix, promised Madras to the Nabob of Arcot,
as a reward for his breach of engagement of protection to
the British ; the Nabob, not trusting the promises of the
French, endeavoured to possess himself of it by force of
arms, but was repulsed by the French with considerable
loss. The property of the English was seized, notwith-
standing a treaty to the contrary, which had been con-
cluded with the French Admiral, La Bourdonnais ; and
the Governor and principal inhabitants of Madras were
marched to Pondicherry, as trophies of the victory of the
French. The peace of Aix-la-Chapelle restored Madras
to the English in 1749.
Within ten years the horrors of a siege were again
experienced by Madras. In December, 1758, Count
de Lally, French Governor-General in India, advanced
against it with a considerable force. He took possession
of Black-Town, and continued his operations against the
Fort for about two months ; whilst the British were
reduced to the greatest straits, not being able to com-
mand sufficient money to subsidize native troops from
the Rajah of Tanjore. At length, on the 16th of
February, 1759, when every man capable of bearing
MADRAS AND ST. THOME. 27
arms was called upon duty, under the expectation that
an assault would be made through the breach that night,
the arrival of a fleet under Admiral Pocock, with re-
inforcements, relieved the anxieties of the British, and
hastened the departure of the besieging army.
On the 29th of March, 1769, Hyder Ali, with a party
of six thousand horse, suddenly made his appearance
before Madras. His object, however, was pacific. He
was anxious to put an end to a disastrous and ruinous
war, which had been some time carried on between him
and the British ; and a Treaty was accordingly executed
by the Governor and Council on the 3d of April, and
by Hyder Ali on the 4th, to the satisfaction of both
parties, and to the joy of the poor natives, who were
almost ruined by the ravages of contending armies.
A pleasing contrast to the general low and dull ap-
pearance of the coast, is presented by the beach opposite
the anchorage ; to the right is a line of lofty and hand-
some buildings, consisting of the Custom-House, the
Supreme Court, the Offices of Houses of Agency, &c.,
extending to a considerable distance ; to the left is Fort
St. George, with its public edifices, flag-staff", and glacis ;
beyond that, the Governor's garden-house and banquet-
ting-room. The spacious opening, intervening between
the Fort and the buildings on the beach, allows an
interesting view of the outer streets of the town of
Madras, overtopped here and there by lofty pandals or
sheds, adorned with flags, on the occasion of a marriage
ceremony, or to the honour of some god ; or surmounted
by the tops of public buildings, and the towers and
spires of churches, of which there are many in Madras,
Armenian and Romish, Scotch and English. The tall
minarets of the Mohammedan mosques, and the towers of
the Hindoo pagodas, with brasen tops, glittering in the
sun, cannot fail to attract the attention of a stranger.
c 2
28
MADRAS AND ST. THOMK.
Madras, like the rest of the Coast of Coromandel,
possesses no harbour. The communication between the
shipping and the shore is carried on exclusively by
Masoola boats and catamarans. The form of the boats
is exhibited in the accompanying sketch, taken from
MASOOLA BOATS.
the beach at Madras : they are here represented, as they
usually appear when waiting for employment, lying high
and dry on the sand ; that on the left shows the manner
in which they are pushed off; the men who are em-
ployed in launching, climb into the boat, with astonishing
ease, as soon as it is afloat. These boats, which are from
twenty to thirty feet in length, and about six feet in
depth and breadth, are constructed of strong planks,
bent by means of fire ; stitched together, through holes
drilled all round the edges, with thread or cord of coir,
the outer fibrous covering of the cocoa-nut ; inside the
boat, the stitches enclose a sort of calking or wadding of
straw, rendering the seams water-tight. Masoola boats
are generally manned by ten hands, eight men at the
oars, one at the helm, and a boy to bale out the water :
they strike their oars with great regularity, keeping time
by a song kept up by one voice, the whole company
joining in chorus at the end of each stanza. There are
MADRAS AND ST. THOME. 29
usually three waves to be passed between smooth water
and the shore ; these waves frequently rise to the height
of six feet and upwards, and, breaking with a curl, the
highest part of the wave falls over first, leaving a kind
of hollow underneath. Unless well managed, even a
Masoola boat would be overwhelmed : any other kind of
boat would perish.
The boatmen, accustomed to the surf, are very skilful
in avoiding its violence : when they come towards the
first wave, they rest on their oars in total silence, and the
helmsman directs the boat into the most favourable posi-
tion ; when it begins to rise on the wave, they at once
burst out singing, Ale, ale, "A wave, a wave," and
pull away with all their might, till the wave has expended
itself; while the passenger does well to cover himself
from the spray with his boat cloak. They then rest,
waiting for the succeeding wave, which is passed in the
same manner, till the boat is thrown almost dry upon the
beach, and the men jump out to secure it from being
carried back.
In passing the surf, I have often noticed that the wave,
before it is expended, strikes the boat so severely, as to
excite some apprehension ; and there have been instances
of the boat having been dashed to pieces by its force,
with the consequent loss of the lading, and endangering
of the lives of the persons on board. The boats employed
in embarking or disembarking passengers, are therefore
often attended by catamarans.
A catamaran (in Tamul Jcattamaram, from kattal, " to
tie or bind," and maram, " wood," literally tied wood, or
timber lashed together) is a raft, from twelve to fifteen
feet long, by three to five feet in breadth, composed of
three spars or logs of light wood, lashed together ; and
managed by two or three kareiars, or beachmen, persons
30 MADRAS AND ST. THOME.
of the same caste as those employed in the Masoola
boats.*
When the surf is so high that Masoola boats cannot
venture, catamarans are used to communicate with the
shipping, usually anchored two to four miles from the
shore : the men secure letters, or small parcels, in their
conical caps, formed of the leaf of the palmyra-tree :
larger packages, covered with canvass or wax-cloth, are
lashed to the raft ; and they fearlessly venture into the
most tempestuous seas. Though sometimes washed from
the raft, their dexterity in swimming and diving enables
them to regain it ; and the loss of a man, in this perilous
occupation, is of rare occurrence.
Besides these important services, the catamarans are
generally used in conveying the mails, in stormy weather,
from the coast of Coromandel to Ceylon, a passage of
sixty miles. They are also used by the fishermen, all
down the coast. On fishing excursions, they generally
go in a party, setting out early in the morning, well sup-
plied with nets and baskets. When outside the surf,
they carry a neat three-cornered sail, and proceeding
many miles to sea, do not usually return till evening.
I remember to have seen the Captain of a vessel,
* The kareiars, or persons thus employed on the beach at Madras,
amount to many hundreds, residing chiefly at Royapooram, a village
to the north of the town : they are generally Roman Catholics. A
Masoola boat can make three or four trips to merchant vessels in the
course of one day. The regulated charge for each trip is fifteen
fanams, or near two shillings and four-pence sterling. Vessels of
war anchor at a greater distance from the shore ; consequently, a trip
to them is charged double the amount, and two trips only are made
in the day. When in full employ, therefore, these men do not gain
more than one shilling each per day. Small as this sum appears,
they have of late years contributed out of it so liberally, as to raise
for themselves a large and substantial church, in Royapooram, the
erection of which cost several thousand pounds.
MADRAS AND ST. THOME. 31
driven by a heavy storm from her anchorage off Nega-
patam, while he was ashore, set out in quest of her,
seated on a chair lashed on one of these catamarans. He
thus crossed the straits, which divide Ceylon from the
Continent, and succeeded in finding his ship.
The town of Madras, usually called Black-Town, is
about a mile in extent from north to south, and not
much less from east to west ; fortified to the north and
west by a wall, kept in constant repair, having five gates,
opening to main roads leading to the surrounding coun-
try ; and to the south, lying open to the Fort, which is a
sufficient protection on that side. It contains numerous
public offices, markets or bazaars, shops and taverns.
Many Armenians reside in it, some streets are occupied
by families of the descendants of Europeans ; but by
far the greater part of the inhabitants are Hindoos and
Mahommedans, using the Tamul, Teloogoo, and Hindos-
tanee languages. It is worthy of remark, that although
so populous and central a place, there are no Jews dwell-
ing in it.
The low site of the town is unfavourable to its being
thoroughly drained and kept clean ; though considerable
pains have been taken for that purpose. Foul smells,
and myriads of musquitoes, abound in most parts of it,
particularly during the night, and render it an unfit
habitation for Europeans, especially for those who have
recently arrived in the country, and are unaccustomed to
its inconveniences : few Europeans therefore reside in the .
town. The barracks for the soldiers, and quarters for
the officers, are within the waUs of the Fort. But the
residences of the English generally are situated in gar-
dens, extending from the immediate neighbourhood of
the Fort to beyond St. Thome, as far as Kilpauk, nearly
four miles to the west ; and to the village of Royapooram,
a mile to the north.
32 MADRAS AND ST. THOME.
The roads intersecting this extensive neighbourhood
are formed of a red earth, brought from the neighbour-
hood of St. Thomas's Mount, well adapted to the pur-
pose, being easily wrought when moistened with water,
but hardening in the sun. They are generally smooth,
and in good repair ; bounded by hedges, or garden walls,
and shaded with lofty trees. Every few hundred yards a
gateway, or an avenue of trees, opens to the view an
elegant mansion, seldom more than two stories high, but
covering a great extent of ground, and well arranged for
the comfort of its inhabitants ; the kitchen, stables, and
other out-houses, being at a considerable distance, to
allow of an uninterrupted circulation of pure air.
The roads of Madras present to the stranger a lively
and interesting scene. The four-wheeled carriages and
gigs of the British inhabitants and of wealthy Hindoos
and Mahommedans pass quickly along ; the carriages of
native construction, drawn by bullocks, move at a slower
rate. Palankeens of both Europeans and natives are
very numerous ; and throngs of well-dressed Hindoos and
Mahommedans, both male and female, in all the variety
of their light and graceful costumes, and the marks of
their different castes or professions, pass and repass in
pursuit of their occupations or amusements. Their
general appearance is much superior to that of the people
I saw at Trincomallee.
In the month of September, when we arrived, the
hottest season of the year had passed. Refreshing
showers of rain in the evening were not uncommon ; in
consequence, the earth had the appearance of a verdant
carpet, the trees were clothed with luxuriant foliage, and
the gardens were adorned with beautiful plants and flowers
of the richest hues ; most of them new to me. Like the
generality of persons on their first arrival in India, I did
not think the heat worth noticing. The clear and con-
MADRAS AND ST. THOME. 63
stant shining of the sun, the lightness and freedom of
the air, together with the attentions of my friends, and
the satisfaction I felt in having reached the end of my
voyage, and being safely placed among the objects of my
mission, produced a cheerful exhilaration of spirits, more
delightful to experience than easy to describe.
Many populous native villages and crowded bazaars are
included within the limits of the jurisdiction of the Su-
preme Court of Madras, embracing a population of, it is
supposed, not less than 630,000 souls, of whom 530,000 are
Hindoos, 80,000 Mahommedans, and 20,000 Europeans
of various nations, and the descendants of Europeans.
Some further estimate of the importance of Madras
may be obtained by referring to the statistical statement
which is appended to the Introduction, and which details
some particulars of the vast and populous districts which
form the Madras presidency, and to which Madras is the
principal entrance and key.
One of the most remarkable of the villages in the
neighbourhood, is St. Thome, in Tamul, Mielapoor ; or,
as it is sometimes written, Meliapoor, " the City of Pea-
cocks." It has been generally believed, that St. Thomas
the Apostle preached the gospel in India, and founded
a Christian church at this place. This opinion has
been thoroughly examined and successfully exploded by
the Rev. James Hough, M.A., the learned and laborious
author of "The History of Christianity in India." It
seems more probable that a Nestorian Missionary, of
the name of Thomas, had preached in India in the fifth
or sixth century, and had been the instrument of ex-
tending to this part of the Coromandel Coast the Chris-
tian church, which no doubt existed in India at least so
early as the second century, when India was visited by
Pantsenus, the President of the celebrated school in Alex-
andria.
c 5
34 MADRAS AND ST. THOME.
It is said that St. Thome was quite desolate when the
Portuguese first visited it in 1545. Subsequent to its occu-
pation by them, it became one of the finest cities on the
coast. It was fortified with a wall of stone, strengthened
by several bastions, and had under its jurisdiction three
hundred villages and towns. At first it was under the
ecclesiastical government of the Bishop of Cochin ; but it
was afterwards erected into a bishopric, subject to the
Archbishop of Goa. There was also a college of Jesuits,
for the instruction of youth.
In 1662 the Portuguese are said to have sold St.
Thome to the Hindoos. At all events, it ceased to be a
garrison, although it does not appear that it was forsaken
by the Romish Clergy and their adherents. During the
wars which took place between the French and the Eng-
lish, its vicinity to Madras afforded its inhabitants the
means of acquiring information concerning the transactions
of the English ; which was often employed to the disadvan-
tage of the latter. For some time neither civil nor mili-
tary authority existed within St. Thome, and it seemed to
belong to no one. Dupleix wished to claim it for the
French ; and the only question being, whether it should
be garrisoned by them or their European rivals, Admiral
Boscawen promptly determined the point in 1749, by
taking possession of it on the part of the English.
The original Hindoo town of Mielapoor stands at a
short distance from the beach, and was never included
within the Portuguese fort. It has a large ancient
temple of considerable repute ; adjoining it is a deep
stone-built tank, filling a very large quadrangle, where
the natives bathe, and from which they supply them-
selves with water. The annual festival of the temple
is attended by tens of thousands of worshippers ; and
is celebrated with barbaric splendour, and at great
expense. There is no place within the same distance of
MADRAS AND ST. THOME. 35
Madras where the traveller may see such an assemblage
of Yogis, San-yasis, Tabasis, Pandarams, all the varieties
of heathen priests, priestesses, and devotees, each making
an exhibition of his peculiar mode of dress, worship,
and penance, as in Mielapoor, on this occasion. The
Brahmans and other heathen inhabitants of Mielapoor are
less accessible to the exertions of the Christian Mis-
sionary than the inhabitants of the interior generally ; a
consequence of the long and habitual association of the
Christian name with many of those whose character and
actions have disgraced it. On the north side of Miela-
poor there are many Mahommedan inhabitants.
There are several Romish churches within the limits
which bounded the old Portuguese town or fort. The
largest is the Bishop's church, or cathedral, on a line with
his residence, but nearer the sea. At the eastern end of
it is enclosed a small building, which has the appearance
of a heathen temple. It is here that the sword was
found, with which it is said that the Apostle was slain,
and the cross, stained with his blood. Underneath is a
deep and wide excavation, where it is said that the
Apostle was buried. It is still a practice to carry away
the holy earth in small quantities, to preserve voyagers
from shipwreck, and to answer other purposes of
superstition.
Gibbon* mentions a very remarkable corroborative
testimony to the antiquity of the Christian church in
Mielapoor. He says : "At the end of the ninth century
the shrine of St. Thomas, perhaps in the neighbourhood
of Madras, was devoutly visited by the ambassadors of
Alfred ; and their return with a cargo of pearls and spices
rewarded the zeal of the English monarch, who enter-
tained the largest projects of trade and discovery." At
* " Decline and Fall," vol. iv. p. 599.
36 MADRAS AND ST. THOME.
the foot of the page he subjoins the following particu-
lars : " The Indian Missionary, St. Thomas, an apostle, a
Manichean, or an Armenian merchant, was famous as
early as the time of Jerome. Marco Polo was informed
on the spot, that he suffered martyrdom in the city of
Maabar, or Meliapoor, a league only from Madras, where
the Portuguese founded an episcopal church, under the
name of St. Thome, and where the saint performed an
annual miracle, till he was silenced by the profane neigh-
bourhood of the English." With reference to Alfred's
embassy to Mielapoor, he adds : " Neither the author of
the Saxon Chronicle, (A.D. 883,) nor William of Malms-
bury, (De Gestis Regum Anglice, vol. ii. c. iv. p. 44,) were
capable, in the twelfth century, of inventing this extraor-
dinary fact ; they are incapable of explaining the motives
and measures of Alfred ; and their hasty notice serves
only to provoke our curiosity. William of Malmsbury
feels the difficulties of the enterprise, quod quivis in hoc
seeculo miretur ; and I almost suspect the English ambas-
sadors collected their cargo and legend in Egypt."
Whether Gibbon's surmise be well founded or not, it is
still very interesting to know, that the existence of Chris-
tianity in India was reported in England at so early a
period, and excited the attention of the pious and saga-
cious Alfred.
The Romish Church, with its usual ingenuity, has
invented further local legends concerning the apostle.
Whilst they profess that the sword and cross above men-
tioned were discovered at Mielapoor, they show the place
of the martyrdom of St. Thomas at some rocks, about
four miles distant in the interior, called the Little Mount.
The Jesuits have built there a church and dwelling-
house ; the situation is salubrious, and the view exten-
sive. It is one of the stations where they prepared
themselves, by study and discipline, as san-yasis or
MADRAS AND ST. THOME. 37
devotees, for their mission in the interior. They show a
fountain, made by the apostle, between two rocks, of
which the visitors drink ; and two crosses, cut in the
hard rocks, as the workmanship of the saint. There is
also # cave, where the apostle is said to have retired for
prayer ; on one side of which there is a small breach,
which serves as a window. The tradition is, that when
the Heathen came to kill him, he would transform him-
self into a peacock, and escape that way. There are also
marks in the rocks, where it is said that the apostle
stumbled and fell, at the time of his martyrdom.
About three miles further there is another eminence,
still higher, called St. Thomas's Mount. The ascent is
steep, and would be difficult, but for steps which have
been cut or built, for the convenience of visitors, and
seats and resting-places at certain distances. On the
top is a small level or plain : in the middle of it is a
curious old church, in which the above-mentioned cross
is kept, and displayed only on particular occasions.
There is also a house for the residence of the Priest.
The annual festival of St. Thomas is held here in Decem-
ber. At night the steps leading up the mount are illu-
minated. It is attended by many thousands of Portu-
guese and native Romanists ; some of whom exhibit a
semblance of devotion ; but the greater part appear to
assemble only for pleasure and dissipation. It is not
unusual to see Heathens and Mahommedans taking part
at the festival, in fulfilment of vows which they have
made in times of sickness or danger. In the course of
my experience in India I had frequent occasions of
observing, that Hindooism and Romanism, as twin super-
stitions, have no difficulty in reciprocating with each
other ; while they are both equally opposed to the clear
light of scriptural truth.
38 MISSIONARY OCCUPATIONS.
CHAPTER V.
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER, 1820.
MISSIONARY OCCUPATIONS.
IT had been intended, by our Missionary Committee in
London, that we should proceed to Bangalore, a town in
the interior of the Mysore country, and there attempt the
establishment of a Mission. Mr. Mowat and myself
were desirous of following these instructions immedi-
ately ; but our brethren in Madras kindly urged us to
remain with them a few months, till we could replenish
our wardrobes and collect a few books, towards replacing
those we had lost ; reminding us, that meantime we
might have access to their libraries, and, whilst we
applied ourselves diligently to the attainment of the
Tamul language, might have the advantages of society,
and occasional opportunities of addressing the congrega-
tions already formed in Madras and its neighbourhood.
Concurring, in some measure, with these representa-
tions, we agreed to remain. We were introduced to
many highly respectable individuals, friendly to the pro-
motion of Christianity in India ; to the excellent Mis-
sionaries of other Societies, and their families, then
resident in Madras ; and to our own congregations and
societies, both English and native, in Black-Town, Roya-
pettah, and St. Thomas's Mount. From the peculiar
circumstances of our voyage, we were extensively known,
and in every quarter experienced much kindness and
hospitality.
I was greatly interested by the first native Christian
congregation I had an opportunity of seeing. It was in
MISSIONARY OCCUPATIONS. 39
the Mission chapel, Royapettah, a place of worship
erected by Mr. Lynch, chiefly for the accommodation of
the natives, and of late devoted to them exclusively. An
Assistant, of Dutch descent, commenced the service by a
Tamul hymn, and by reading the Rev. Dr. Rottler's
translation of the Liturgy, with the lessons of the day.
The Missionary, Mr. Close, then ascended the pulpit, and
prayed and preached in English ; pausing at the end of
each sentence, while the Assistant, who remained in the
desk, interpreted in Tamul to the congregation, who were
wonderfully attentive, responding aloud to questions put
by the Preacher at intervals during the sermon, to ascer-
tain whether they understood the subject of his dis-
course. The whole assembly, men, women, and children,
sat upon mats, spread upon the ground. They stood up
during singing ; and at prayer, knelt with their bodies
inclined forward, almost prostrate, their hands and faces
resting on the ground. The men were neatly attired in
white cotton cloths ; the women, in red or blue cloths, of
the same material, or of silk, one piece of about nine
yards in length being disposed, (without the aid of pins
or sewing,) into a modest covering of the whole person ;
one end being drawn over the head, to serve as a veil,
when they assemble in a public congregation.*
* Some of the Hindoo women wear under the cloth a ravvikei, or
body-dress, usually of fancy silk, fitting close to the person, and
only long enough to cover the bosom ; it has short sleeves, reaching
half way to the elbow. Many of them have gold or silver bracelets
and anklets of large size on their arms and ankles, and abundance of
rings and jewellery about their noses and ears, fingers and toes : they
wear no shoes and no head-dress.
The men wear turbans. The rest of their dress consists of two
cloths, one disposed about the loins, forming something like a pair of
loose trousers ; the other gracefully thrown over the shoulders.
Native men, in the service of Europeans, generally wear also a close
jacket, of muslin or calico, with sleeves down to the wrist.
The cloths described are of native manufacture, and in general
40 MISSIONARY OCCUPATIONS.
The class-meeting, which was held immediately after
service, for the members of our society, gave me an oppor-
tunity of ascertaining, that many of these persons, who
had lately been either Heathens or Romanists, now knew
and valued the power of experimental religion. Seeing
what the Almighty had been pleased to effect among the
natives, by the instrumentality of my brethren, I could
not but " thank God and take courage."
Within a few days after my arrival, I witnessed a
much more numerous assembly of native Christians, on
the occasion of opening the church in Black-Town,
erected by the munificence of the Government of Madras,
for the Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society.
On that occasion, the natives connected with the different
congregations in the neighbourhood of Madras, but
chiefly, I believe, with the Christian Knowledge Society's
Mission in Vepery, assembled so numerously as to fill the
church, and presented a scene which it was impossible
for the Christian or the philanthropist to gaze upon
without interest and delight. The Rev. T. Barenbruck
read the Liturgy, in the Tamul language ; and the Rev.
Dr. Rottler, a venerable Missionary, more than seventy
years of age, delivered, in the same language, a sermon,
which seemed to be understood and felt by all to whom
it was addressed.
compose (with the turbans of the men) the entire dress of the south-
ern Hindoos. The quantity used for a dress, by each sex, (about
nine yards in length, and one yard and a quarter in width,) forms an
entire piece, as it comes from the loom ; the man's cloth being divi-
sible into two parts, at a place left for the purpose. They are fre-
quently bordered with red, and sometimes with gold thread. Speci-
mens of these cloths are in the possession of my friends in Manches-
ter, which, being of the better sort, a kind of strong muslin with
borders of gold thread, cost me five and a half pagodas each, or
about thirty-seven shillings sterling, for nine yards. For the hum-
bler classes, the dress may generally cost ten shillings, or about
thirteen-pence halfpenny per yard.
MISSIONARY OCCUPATIONS.
41
I was much interested by the native school in our
Mission garden, where I saw their mode of writing with
an iron style on the ola, or palmyra leaf, and heard both
male and female native children repeat their lessons in
the Tamul language, with an ease which I then could not
but envy.
It was in Madras I first entered a Hindoo's house.
They are generally of a quadrangular form, having a door
to the front, but no windows. In the inside is a square
court, open to the sky, in which their domestic concerns
are usually transacted. The accompanying plate is a
INTERIOR OF A NATIVE HOUSE.
representation of the interior of a habitation of this kind,
and displays the females of the family, employed in
carrying, beating, and winnowing the rice grain, to free
it from the husk.
The mohorum, an annual Mahommedan feast, con-
tinuing ten days, commenced about this time. The
streets and roads of Madras were crowded by farcical
masques and mummeries. Some of the parties consisted
of men and boys, whitened over with chalk or chunam ;
one being dressed as a tiger, with an enormous tail, and
42 MISSIONARY OCCUPATIONS.
held in a chain by his keeper ; others had given them-
selves a darker hue than that which nature had bestowed,
by means of oil and lamp-black, and performed a dance,
keeping time and making a sort of accompaniment
by striking together the small clubs they grasped in
each hand. Other parties had a still more grotesque
appearance, having as their principal character a man
dressed to an unusual size in swathes of hay or oakum,
giving him a shaggy and terrific appearance. But the
most imposing scene was a splendid illumination of a
large house and garden on the Mount-road, belonging to
a rich Mahommedan, a relation to the Nabob. I was
taken to see it, about ten o'clock at night, and intro-
duced to the inner court of the house, where I found a
large assemblage of natives, and a party of ladies and
gentlemen, partaking of refreshments, and waiting for an
oration about to be delivered in Hindostanee or Arabic.
Whatever the intention of the feast might be, I never, on
this or on any future occasion, saw any thing indicative
of religious feeling connected with it.
During my short stay in Madras, at this first visit, I
several times addressed the native congregations, by
means of the interpreter ; but more frequently preached
to the English congregations, at St. Thomas's Mount,
Royapettah, and Black-Town, consisting of some Euro-
peans, but chiefly of Indo-Britons, or descendants of
Europeans, born in India. We commenced a week even-
ing English service in another crowded part of Madras,
called John Pereira's, where a house full of people
assembled ; but the fewness of the Missionaries did not
allow of its regular continuance. Our chapel in Black-
Town was small, and very much crowded ; liberal sub-
scriptions towards erecting a larger one, on the same
premises, since completed, were already commenced. A
Missionary Auxiliary Society had been formed, and had
MISSIONARY OCCUPATIONS. 43
been the means of bringing some contributions into the
funds of the Parent Society in England.
I employed a Moonshee or teacher, to assist me in
gaining a knowledge of the Tamul* language. Tamul is,
I conceive, more extensively spoken than any other lan-
guage in the south of India : it is used by the natives of
the north of Ceylon ; and by the population of the
eastern side of Continental India, from Cape Comorin,
the southern point, to some distance to the north of
Madras, amounting to many millions. It is one of that
peculiar family of the Indian languages, that disclaims
the Sanscrit as its origin, though many terms from the
latter have been introduced into it ; and whilst it has
many words and idioms in common with the cognate
dialects of the Malayalim, Teloogoo, and Cannada, it
differs from them essentially in its letters and sounds,
and in its own peculiar and extensive literature, both
ancient and modern. As a refined and cultivated lan-
guage, used by so large a portion of the human race, its
character is worthy of the attention of the linguist ; the
curious stores it opens to him will amply repay his toil :
but to the Missionary to the natives of that part of India,
its acquisition is absolutely necessary. The Old and New
Testaments were translated into Tamul, more than a
century ago, by Ziegenbalg and his coadjutors, of the
Danish Mission of Tranquebar. Another translation was
made, about fifty years since, by Fabricius and others.
A still more idiomatic translation was effected by the late
learned and laborious Missionary, the Rev. C. Rhenius,
of Palamcottah ; concerning which, I can say from my
* It is sometimes written Tamil ; but the true sound of the word,
is, I think, more correctly conveyed in the mode I have adopted, and
which was used by Beschi, and others of equal authority. The first
syllable, should be pronounced as the first syllable in the word
tamper , and the second, as the first syllable in the word ultra.
44 MISSIONARY OCCUPATIONS.
own knowledge, that its style is both clear and elegant,
and is perhaps not excelled by any modern translation of
the Holy Scriptures.
When in London, preparing for my voyage to India,
after considerable trouble, I had procured from Paris a
copy of a Tamul grammar, in Latin, by Ziegenbalg. I
soon made myself master of the characters, of the declen-
sions of the nouns and conjugations of the verbs, con-
tained in it, and of its vocabulary and phrases ; but
found, when I recommenced my studies in Madras, that
I had formed an erroneous idea of the pronunciation of
the letters, for want of a living instructor ; for many of
the sounds in the Tamul language are such as cannot be
conveyed correctly, either by the letters of our own
language, or the most elaborate description. My teacher,
during my stay in Madras, was a very stout native, whose
conceit and bad English afforded me no small amusement.
However, he rendered me considerable assistance, and
attended me regularly at six o'clock in the morning.
But I did not at this time remain long in Madras.
The Rev. T. H. Squance, of the Wesleyan Mission, who
had recently removed from the north of Ceylon to Nega-
patam, on the coast of Coromandel, one hundred and
eighty miles to the south of Madras, wrote from thence,
that there were considerable openings in that neighbour-
hood for Missionary labours, to an extent to which he
was not adequate, while alone, and begged that one of the
newly arrived brethren might come to his assistance. It
was toward the end of the month of October ; the rainy
season had commenced, and there was every prospect of
an uncomfortable journey ; it would have been too great
a risk for Mr. Mowat, with Mrs. Mowat, to have
attempted it. It was determined that I should go, and
within five weeks after my arrival at Madras, I was ready
to leave it for Negapatam.
JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM.
CHAPTER ;VI.
OCTOBER, 1820.
JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM.
PALANKEEN AND BEARERS.
I DID not part with my companions in danger and
suffering, nor leave my newly formed acquaintance in
Madras, without regret ; but the path of duty was before
me, and I considered the call imperative. On Tuesday,
the 24th of October, at four P.M., I set out on my jour-
ney ; * having ten bearers to my palankeen, and six men
to carry my baggage, cooking utensils, &c. The palankeen
with which I was provided differed from those commonly
used in India, being a double tonjon, admitting two
On this, and on all similar occasions, the whole of the time I
resided in India, I found no difficulty in obtaining the requisite
passports from the proper authorities, on stating the object of my
journey, and the route I wished to travel.
46 JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM.
persons to sit face to face, and being sufficiently long for
one person to recline in. The possibility of thus chang-
ing the position, on a journey, is a great advantage ; the
common palankeen does not admit of it, but requires a
position like that of sitting up in bed, supported by pil-
lows : easy at the first, but when long continued, very
tiresome to persons unaccustomed to it.
In the first stage, I sat or reclined about two hours
and a half, the poles of the palankeen supported on the
shoulders of four men, who were relieved about every ten
minutes by four others ; those who were not actually
carrying, running before or behind ; the whole party
talking, laughing, and singing, and moving at the rate of
about five miles an hour.
When I first saw this mode of conveyance, I heartily
pitied the men employed in bearing the palankeen ; and
could not dismiss a strong sense of self-disapprobation for
allowing myself to be carried by them. But this method
of travelling is often indispensable to an European, in a
torrid clime like India ; and in a country so extensive,
where the roads are commonly little more than tracks,
through swamp and jungle, where bridges are compara-
tively rare, and the passes of the mountains not unfre-
quently impracticable to any beast of burden without
extreme difficulty and danger, experience has fully estab-
lished its necessity. Travelling on horseback is the
only alternative ; and with this mode, tents are required :
the stages, too, must be short, unless the traveller can
bear exposure to the dews of the night and the heat of
the day. Observation has convinced me, also, that there
is no description of men in India better satisfied with
their employment, than palankeen-bearers : they are
cheerful in the performance of the journeys they under-
take ; and though they run thirty or even forty miles at
one stretch in the course of a night, they are prepared
JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM. 47
to recommence their task on the succeeding evening. Six
men once carried me thirty-two miles, between sunset and
sunrise ; and on another occasion, six men took up my
palankeen, at the Mission-house door in Madras, with the
intention of performing a journey of six hundred miles ;
and said they were ready to travel with me even to Kasi,
or Benares, (the most distant place a southern Hindoo
thinks of visiting,) if I desired it.
The palankeen-bearers rarely quarrel with the people
of the villages through which they pass ; but at the end
of a stage they often dispute violently among themselves
about the veriest trifles ; and when they are excited,
their language and gestures are most extravagant, so
as to lead a stranger to apprehend serious conse-
quences. A friend of mine, a Danish Missionary, on his
arrival in Madras, was dispatched to his station, in the
interior, by palankeen. At the end of the first stage the
bearers quarrelled violently : as he knew neither their
language nor character, he imagined that he was the
subject of their quarrel, and that they intended to murder
him. His imagination was so wrought upon, that he
supplicated them, in Danish, to have mercy upon him,
and offered them his money and his gold watch, if they
would spare his life, and conduct him safely on his journey.
They gazed at him with astonishment, not comprehending
either his fears or his promises ; and his uneasiness
continued until the next day, when he met with an
European friend, who relieved him from all further
apprehension, and advised the bearers to be more peace-
able towards each other.
As their caste does not allow them to eat promis-
cuously with others, one of the party is usually occupied
in carrying their pots for preparing food, and in cooking
their meals, which consist chiefly of rice. Whilst at rest
during the day, if they do not sleep, some amuse them-
48 JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM.
selves with cards, or a sort of backgammon ; the more
thrifty employ themselves in spinning cord, of which
their fishing-nets are made, or in weaving the nets, with
which, in passing through the country, they almost every
day provide a plentiful fish-curry to their rice.
I rested the first night in a choultry, or chattram ; an
edifice of one story, constructed of brick and chunam, or
of granite, presenting no other accommodation than bare
walls and a roof. Choultries abound in the parts of
India I have traversed : they are erected from charitable
motives, or as works of merit, by opulent Hindoos, for
the accommodation of travellers, of whatever class, who
may choose to rest in them by day or night. They
usually have near them the valuable addition of a tank,
or pond of water, of a square form, built up the four sides
with steps of bricks or granite, and sufficiently deep to
secure the continuance of water, good or bad, throughout
the longest dry season ; often with a small temple on the
banks, containing an image of the patron's favourite
object of devotion. One of these native inns, or rest-
houses, is depicted in the vignette on the title-page of
this volume.
One or more Peons, or native officers of police, em-
ployed by Government, are usually in attendance at these
places, to maintain order among the visitants, and to
assist the traveller in obtaining supplies for himself and
party.
Some choultries have divisions, to accommodate differ-
ent classes of travellers ; others consist of one apartment
only : in such I have often slept, whilst the floor around
me has been covered with strangers, of all classes, and
both sexes, wrapped separately in their various coloured
cotton cloths, and lying side by side, like so many bun-
dles. Sometimes it is necessary to use some degree of
authority, to silence a noisy crowd of people, who have
JOURNEY TO NEOAPATAM. 49
had some hours' rest before the weary traveller arrives ;
and more than once I have been under the necessity of
turning a large party out of their lodgings, before I could
secure any rest for myself.
Choultries are generally open to the road, and, having
no windows, are liable to much dust and heat, without
securing the advantage of a circulation of air : they are
also frequently filthy, and the haunts of bats, monkeys,
and serpents. When the weather has permitted, I have
generally preferred passing the day under a shady tree,
or the night in the open air, to encountering the vile
smells and inconveniences of a choultry.
The traveller pays nothing for his accommodation in
these buildings : he remains as long as he pleases, and
proceeds on his journey when it suits his convenience.
As there are no inns on the roads in India, these estab-
lishments are invaluable to those who do not travel with
tents. But the munificence of the Madras Government
has lately been providing bungalows, buildings of a supe-
rior description, at intervals of twelve or fifteen miles
on the most public roads, for the accommodation of
English travellers.
Opposite the choultry where I rested for the first
night was a bazaar, kept by dealers in rice, the various
condiments for curry, oil, &c. : both they and their cus-
tomers seemed to think a loud noise necessary to the
driving of a good bargain. A native woman having left
her child screaming on the floor of the choultry, while
she had a little chat with the people opposite, I went to
look at it by the glimmer of the lamp burning in the
wall : she saw me, and came running with great alarm,
snatched her child from the ground, and, hastening away,
left me in quiet possession of my quarters. The Peon,
or Policeman, came, as usual at these places, to inquire my
name and character, whence I came, and whither I was
D
50 JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM.
bound ; and offered his assistance to procure any thing
I might need. One of my attendants, whose business it
was to cook for me, kindled a fire outside the choultry,
and prepared me a cup of tea. I then lay down, and
slept undisturbed till three o'clock in the morning.
The moon shone beautifully clear : I roused my men,
who were sleeping on the ground around me, that we
might continue our journey before the heat of the day.
We had not proceeded far before we came to the banks
of a river, much swollen by the late rains, but which,
like many on the same journey, had to be passed without
either bridge or boat, in the manner which I shall now
describe.
On these occasions, the palankeen-bearers take off the
greater part of their clothing, and fold it on or about
their heads. They advance till about knee deep in the
water, bearing the palankeen in the ordinary mode ;
when they stand still, and, by a joint effort, raise it upon
the heads of six of them ; (the traveller, of course,
remaining in it the whole time ;) they thus proceed to
the opposite bank, sometimes up to the neck in water,
the hands of those who are bearing the palankeen being
held and supported by their companions. This plan of
crossing rivers may appear dangerous ; but the men arc
so careful, that it is seldom any serious accident occurs :
I have, however, heard of instances in which a sudden
rush of water from the mountains has overwhelmed the
whole party, and washed them into the sea.
I proceeded without accident to Covelong, where I
dined with Mr. and Mrs. Close, and a friend from St.
Thomas's Mount : they were spending a few days in the
retirement of that place, to recruit their health.
Covelong was formerly a fortress belonging to the
Nabob of Arcot. It had no ditch, but a strong wall,
flanked by round towers, on which were mounted thirty
JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM. 51
pieces of cannon. The French obtained possession of it
by stratagem in 1750. The fortress being within mus-
ket-shot of the sea, a French ship anchored in the roads,
and made signals of distress. Several natives thereupon
went on board, where they were told that most of the
crew had died of scurvy, and that the rest must perish in
like manner, if they were not permitted to land immedi-
ately, as they were unable to navigate the ship. The
Nabob's Officer in command of the fort granted their
request, and thirty men, apparently labouring under
great infirmity, were admitted. They had arms con-
cealed under their clothes ; and, notwithstanding the
alleged ravages of disease, they took the earliest oppor-
tunity of convincing their native friends, that they had
not quite lost the power of using them. In the night
they rose on the garrison, whom they overpowered, and
added Covelong to the list of the French possessions in
India. In 1752 Captain, afterwards Lord, Clive wrested
this fortress and Chingleput from the hands of the
French.
Covelong is now nothing more than a fishing village ;
and would not be so large as it is, were it not for a
Romish church, and a charitable establishment connected
with it, for the reception of the poor and infirm of all
descriptions ; the cottages originally erected for the
accommodation of visitors having been appropriated to
the purpose of alms-houses. The whole establishment,
religious and charitable, is, I believe, supported by legacy
of the late Mr. De Monte, of Madras, a gentleman whose
wealth and charity have rendered his name imperishable
in that neighbourhood.
The whole of this country has been traversed by
Romish Missionaries, chiefly from Goa; and their
churches and foUowers are very numerous. These Mis-
sionaries are generally native born, though of Portuguese
D 2
52 JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM.
descent ; and, their mode of living not being expensive,
they appear generally to be well supported by the contri-
butions of the people, in addition to a pittance to which
each of them is entitled from their respective colleges in
Goa.
In the evening neither entreaties nor threats could
induce my bearers to travel further than Tripatoor,
though I had engaged to preach at Sadras, a small Dutch
settlement about ten miles further down the coast.
Tripatoor is a large native village, with wide and clean
streets, presenting an appearance of great respectability
and comfort. The principal tank is on a rising ground
to the west : it is built round with stone, and has a
temple near it of the same substantial materials. To the
north is another temple, on the top of a hill, from
whence there is a beautiful and extensive prospect ; the
ascent is by several hundred steps of hard stone. No
European resides in the neighbourhood : I walked about,
without expecting to find any person with whom I could
converse ; and was agreeably surprised to be accosted in
English by a man as dark as a native, but who said he
was a Portuguese, and a Roman Catholic. He proved to
be amazingly ignorant about religion ; Christ's being the
son of the Virgin Mary, was the sum of his knowledge of
the Saviour ; and as to the transgression of our first
parents, he thought they did right, because they were
much wiser after it than before. How great is the guilt
of those who, professing to be Christian teachers, take no
pains to communicate a knowledge of the truth to their
flocks !
The following morning I reached Sadras, and passed a
pleasant day, in the society of F. P. Regel, Esq., a Dutch
gentleman at the head of that settlement. The fort of
Sadras lies in ruins, having been blown up during the
war ; and the place altogether is too small and too poor
JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM. 53
to be of any value to the Netherlands Government. They
retained it, however, and some other stations in India of
a similar description, until an advantageous exchange was
made by them for the beautiful island of Sumatra. I
preached in the evening to a respectable congregation
in Mr. Regel's hall. The people were the more glad to
hear the word of God, as they had no opportunities of
enjoying that privilege, except on the occasional visit of a
Missionary.
My road now lay through jungle, and a flat country,
intersected by the Palaur, and other rivers, and two wide
inlets of the sea. Jungle is uncleared and uncultivated
ground ; in some parts overgrown with wild plants and
shrubs, rising to the height of twelve or sixteen feet, and
almost impenetrable ; in other parts presenting a green
sward, which serves as a pasture for sheep and cattle,
which are under the care of herdsmen, and are kept
together by the leaders having bells on their necks.
Clumps of thicket are every where interspersed, forming
a perfect wilderness ; an excellent cover for game, which
is found in abundance ; but also the haunt of serpents
and other noxious reptiles. Jungles are the resort of
tigers ; several of a smaller kind, called chetas, have been
killed or taken in that which I now traversed; but I
met with none.
On Saturday morning I rested in Pondicherry, under
the shade of trees, not being aware that it contained some
decent houses of entertainment. It is one of the few
stations the French still hold in India, and is a populous
and pretty town : the European part of it is regular and
clean, and adorned with several churches : the native
part is so thronged with inhabitants, as to remind me, in
walking about, of the difficulty of pressing through an
English market.
Pondicherry (or Puthu-Cheri, literally, " New-Town ")
54 JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM.
was ceded to a French merchant of the name of Martin,
who peopled it in 1672, with the remains of an unsuc-
cessful expedition against Trincomalee, then in the pos-
session of the Dutch, and a number of colonists who had
been expelled from St. Thome, which they had forcibly
taken possession of. To this place, in 1689, resorted the
French Jesuits, who had been driven from Siam, with the
famous Father Bouchet at their head. Here they erected
a church of large dimensions and uncommon splendour,
and planned an extension of their Mission into the inte-
rior of the country, to the west and north, in emulation
of the Mission at Madura, so greatly boasted of by Romish
writers. Their success appears to have equalled their
expectations ; for, in 1725, they reported that there were
three thousand Christians in Pondicherry, and in the
interior eight thousand, connected with eleven churches.
These Missions are still maintained, as will appear from
subsequent parts of this narrative. Some details of the
operations of these Missions, and the questionable me-
thods adopted to induce the Hindoos to prefer the Romish
to the Brahmanical ceremonies, will be found below. It
is worthy of remark, that the French Government ad-
mitted native Christians into their service in every depart-
ment, and thus held out a substantial encouragement ;
whilst an opposite policy was strictly observed by the
British Government, until a very recent date.
The following brief summary of the progress of the
French Mission in the Cai*natic, is translated from Wal-
ther's " Tamul Ecclesiastical History : "
" The Jesuits who came from Siam formed a plan, by
which the French Missionaries might extend to the north
the Mission which the Portuguese Missionaries had formed
in Madura. They accordingly proceeded to erect a church
in Pondicherry; but their proceedings were interrupted
in 1694, by the capture of Pondicherry by the Dutch.
JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM. 55
At that time some of the French Missionaries were absent
in the interior, for the purpose of acquainting themselves
with the plan of the Madura Mission.
" Peace being restored between the Dutch and the
French in 1697, they returued again to Pondicherry in
1699.
" In the month of June, 1700, the Jesuit Maduit
went to Conjeveram, and within three months and a half
baptized one hundred and twenty persons, and built two
churches.
" In October, 1700, Father Dolu wrote to Europe
from Pondicherry, that the Heathen were much impressed
with the Romish festivals and ceremonies ; and that he
therefore made it his daily study to have them celebrated
with the utmost pomp and magnificence. In the same
year Father de la Fontaine returned from China, and
went to Aoor, where Bouchet had baptized eleven thou-
sand persons within four years and a half.
" In 1702 these two Missionaries entered on the Car-
natic Mission. Bouchet, as the Superior, conducted tha
Mission in Turkullam ; Mauduit took charge of that in
Karuvei Poondu, and de la Fontaine that in Punganoor.
" In 1708 there were five Missionaries in the interior.
The Brahmans and Daseris, (heathen mendicant friars,)
and other Hindoos, persecuted them ; but they , were
protected by the Mahometan rulers.
" In 1712 Father Bouchet began to form a church in
Ariancoopam.
" In 1 722, at the celebration of Christmas in Veiavoor,
the Heathen of Pavuni, Piratoor, and Kalamvarum, not
only adorned the whole street, but requested permission
to have a feast to the honour of the Queen of Angels,
celebrated at their own expense.
" In 1725 there were as many as three thousand
Christians in Pondicherry; in the interior, as many as
56 JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM. ,
eight thousand ; and eleven churches. The Governors of
Pondicherry admit Christians into the service of Govern-
ment ; a circumstance which is very favourable to their
increase. The performance of a comedy in Ariancoopam,
at the festival of the nativity of the Virgin Mary, in
which the heathen deities were ridiculed, was the means
of inducing many of the Heathen to embrace Christianity,
which at that time was protected in the Carnatic by
order of the Mogul."
The territory of Pondicherry is circumscribed, extend-
ing but a short distance on each side of the town, but so
entirely cultivated as to resemble one large garden. If
the British territory were as industriously improved as the
neighbourhood of Pondicherry, it would be the richest,
and perhaps the most beautiful, country in the world.
In the evening I reached Cuddalore ; but not succeeding
in my inquiries for the person to whom I was directed,
and at whose house I was to have preached the following
day, I pursued my journey during the night, and passed
the Sunday at a solitary choultry ; where I had an oppor-
tunity of giving tea and other refreshments to an English
soldier and his wife, who had travelled on foot about five
hundred miles from the Travancore country, and were
now on their way to Madras.
On Tuesday morning I arrived at Tranquebar. I was
hospitably received and entertained by Dr. Caemerrer,
Chaplain to the Danish Government of Tranquebar, and
Missionary of the Royal College of Copenhagen. He
showed me the churches, the library, and the houses
belonging to this Mission ; which was once extensive,
having no less than six Missionaries employed in it. I
viewed with interest the place where the devoted Ziegen-
balg, the first Protestant Missionary to India, and his
companions, had lived and preached, and where their
remains are deposited till they shall be raised to their
JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM. 57
reward : but the sight which most affected me, was the
library, composed of the best works on biblical criticism,
in various languages, and of rare and valuable books, on
every subject suitable for such an establishment, falling
to pieces by the influence of the climate, or partially
devoured by insects, from which no book can be pre-
served in India without uncommon care.
This settlement was formed by the Danes in 1620.
The Mission was commenced by Henry Plutscho, and
Bartholomew Ziegenbalg, in 1706. These apostolic men
were Germans, though sent by Frederic IV. of Den-
mark. From this Mission proceeded the first transla-
tion of the Old and New Testament into Tamul, and a
most useful course of Christian literature, to which all
modern Missions, in the south of India, and in north
Ceylon, have been greatly indebted. In 1734 the num-
ber of converts in Tranquebar, and in the interior, was
reckoned to be three thousand and twenty-one. The
Catechists were thirty. The number now connected
with this Mission is very considerable, although the
native Christians have been widely scattered, in conse-
quence of the present insignificance of Tranquebar, and
the superior advantages to be enjoyed under the English
Government ; and our earnest wish for them is, that they
may again be favoured with a supply of Missionaries,
whose piety and enlightened zeal shall be blessed with a
revival of the Christian life which once undoubtedly
existed in this Mission, and which we hope is not yet
totally extinct.
The pious founders of the Mission in Tranquebar, and
their successors, have pursued their arduous work with
much meekness and patience. Soon after his arrival in
India, Ziegenbalg might be seen with his dress loosened
at the knees, and seated on the ground with the young-
est children, in a native school, repeating their lessons
D 5
f)8 JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM.
with them, as the only means he could command for the
acquisition of the rudiments of the Tamul language, in
which, as might be expected from, the dispositions mani-
fested hy such a course, he soon became a proficient.
These humble, self-denying men were not found deficient
in sacred learning, or controversial ability, when circum-
stances arose to require their exhibition.
Ziegenbalg, in a letter addressed to the Society for the
Promotion of Christian Knowledge, in reply, as it would
appear, to certain apprehensions which had been
expressed lest he should introduce among the converts
from the Heathen, a knowledge of the distinctions and
controversies which divide the visible church of Christ,
wrote as follows : " As to what relates to party names or
distinctions, the divine Wisdom, which is without partial-
ity, has taught us to abhor them. Our scholars know
not so much as the bare name of Luther, or of Calvin.
When we ask our scholars what religion they are of,
they answer, ' We are Tchettiawedakarer,' that is,
' Christians bound to observe the truly divine law ; ' the
word 'law' being taken in that comprehensive sense,
whereby it contains in it both the law and the Gospel.
After all, we assure you, that we allow of no party names
to be used either in the Malabarick or Portuguese
pulpit ; and we design to be equally cautious in the books
which we shall happen to print."
This letter was written in October, 1714, eight years
after the commencement of the Mission. At that time
the converts were about three hundred in number, and
there were eighty children in the schools.
In the course of a few additional years their churches
greatly increased ; their numbers were augmented, not
only by converts from Heathenism, but also by the
accession of many native Romanists, some of them highly
respectable by descent and property. The Missionaries
JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM. 59
had also completed the publication of the entire Old and
New Testament in the Tamul language, and had issued
many other books which were eagerly sought after, and
widely distributed. Being now in some measure relieved
from the work peculiar to the study and the printing-
press, the Missionaries began to take extensive journeys,
and to visit those converts, at their homes, who resided
in towns and villages in the interior of the country.
These vigorous and successful operations excited the
jealousy, and roused the anger, of the Romish Priests,
whose congregations, in the south of India, were at that
time very numerous and extensive ; and Constantine T.
Beschi, an Italian Jesuit, residing at Elakurichi, wrote a
book, in 1 728 or 1 729, containing a most violent attack
upon the religion of Protestants, and the principles and
proceedings of the first Reformers. In this work, the
title of which is, Veda Vilaccam, or " Light of Reli-
gion," the author paid no regard to truth ; the most
gratuitous and often-refuted calumnies against the cha-
racter and doctrines of Protestants were repeated with
the most unblushing effrontery ; and were detailed with a
point and humour peculiarly adapted to the genius of the
people to whom they were addressed.
This direct attack, and others of a similar character,
disturbed the plan of happy simplicity which the Mis-
sionaries had framed for their Hindoo converts, and
which Ziegenbalg stated in the above extract from his
letter. It was necessary to put it within the power of
the Protestant Christians to repel the attacks made upon
them ; and that the native teachers, and especially such
as had been converted from the Romish Church, should
be furnished with facts and arguments in defence of their
principles and doctrines, which the opposite party would
be unable to refute.
To answer this purpose, the Missionary, Christopher
60 JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM.
Theodosius Walther, composed, in Tamul, his Historia
Ecclesiastica ; and he was remarkably qualified for the
happy accomplishment of his important undertaking.
He had studied under Professor Francke, of Halle, and
had been strongly recommended by him, for piety and
learning, to the Society for Promoting Christian Know-
ledge, by whom he was sent to India. He, and the two
Missionaries who accompanied him, had applied them-
selves, on their voyage, to the study of the Tamul lan-
guage with so much diligence, that, within three months
after their arrival, they were able to take the full duties
of their important office ; and, subsequently, Walther
had given evidence of his learning and industry by the
composition of a work on the Hindoo chronology, enti-
tled, Doctrina Temporum Indica, which, in 1738, was
printed for the Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg.
Combined with learning and diligence, (eminent quali-
fications for a historian,) Walther possessed the necessary
and inestimable advantage of an extensive and well-
selected library, which had been accumulating on the
Mission since its commencement, and had been enriched
by the judicious liberality of some of the most pious and
learned men in Europe. His work bears throughout the
clearest evidence that he possessed ample means for its
accomplishment, and that he gave his utmost diligence to
make the most effective use of the stores at his command.
As Walther was writing for Hindoos, it was necessary
that he should treat on Indian affairs somewhat at large ;
and he was prepared for this department of his work by
extensive Tamul reading, and an intimate acquaintance
with the history of the East. He has interwoven various
particulars concerning the Hindoo rulers, and the Maho-
metan conquerors, of the East, in a manner which does
not fail deeply to interest the native reader, and which
affords him a clue to unravel, and, in some measure,
JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM. 61
understand, the intricate and absurd compositions of the
native historians, which better deserve the name of
romance than of history ; affording to the Hindoos an
outline of the history of their own country, in connexion
with the history of the Patriarchal, the Jewish, and the
Christian dispensations, enlarging, as opportunity was
presented, when he came to treat on the Papal corrup-
tions and usurpations, the Mahometan imposture, the
zeal for extending the bounds of Christendom, awakened
by the Reformation, both in the Romish Church, and in
those who separated from her communion and protested
against her corruptions and tyranny.
In an early part of his work, he has a chapter on the
subject of idolatry, in which he very ingeniously com-
pares the idolatry described in Scripture, and that of the
Greeks and Romans, with the idolatry practised among
the Hindoos at the present day ; establishing the iden-
tity, to a considerable degree, of their respective pan-
theon and mythology.*
In another chapter he traces the existence of scriptural
tradition in the mythology of the Hindoos ; especially
instancing the creation, the first man, the fall, giants,
the flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the
sacrifice of Isaac, the history of Moses, the paschal lamb,
Job, Samson, and our blessed Lord.
The style of the book is concise, yet lively ; it abounds
with references to the Scriptures, and to other authori-
ties ; it gives a distinct account of the principal heresies
and divisions which have occurred in the church from
the earliest age ; and it is not its least praise, that,
although it was called forth by a most violent attack
from a Missionary of the Romish Church, who triumphed
This subject has been ably treated by the Rev. Joseph
Roberts, Wesleyan Missionary in Madras, in his " Oriental Illustra-
tions of the Sacred Scriptures." Second Edition, London, Tegg,
1844.
62 JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM.
over the disunion and distinctions existing among
Protestants, it discusses the errors, corruptions, and
divisions of the Romish Church in calm and dispassion-
ate language ; and affords all due praise to those exer-
tions which that Church has made, since the Reform-
ation, for carrying the name of Christ among the
Gentiles ; with reference to them, quoting the words of
the Apostle of the Gentiles : " Some indeed preach
Christ even of envy and strife ; and some also of good
will : the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely,
but the other of love What then? notwith-
standing, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth,
Christ is preached ; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and
will rejoice." (Phil. i. 1518.)
On the whole, next to the translation of the holy
Scriptures, I consider Walther's " Ecclesiastical History "
one of the most interesting and useful hooks which has
been printed in the Tamul language.
Two editions of it have been issued from the Tamul
press at Tranquebar ; the first in 1 735, when its appear-
ance must have amazingly strengthened the infant church
in India ; whilst it had the effect of silencing their
Romish adversaries, who did not even attempt a reply to
it. Beschi is said to have read it with attention, and to
have ceased from that time to revile the Protestants.
The second edition was printed in 1799 : the paper is
good, but the type was much worn, so that in some parts
the impression is indistinct, and the page difficult to
read. Both editions were printed, I believe, at the
expense of the Society for Promoting Christian Know-
ledge, whose various operations to the date of the work
are detailed therein, and its liberality to the Tranquebar
Mission fully and repeatedly acknowledged. I shall be
happy if, by thus calling attention to this book, I should
be the means of inducing that Society to direct that a
third edition of the entire work, without alteration,
JOURNEY TO NEGAPATAM. 63
should be printed at the Tamul press under their con-
trol in Madras. It would there be executed correctly
and legibly. The edition should be large, commensurate
with the wants of the widely-spread Protestant church in
the south of India ; and it should be sold at a price
which would place it within the reach of every native
who can read his own language. That Society could
not confer a more valuable boon on the churches they
have so long fostered ; and although their Missions are
transferred to the Society for the Propagation of the
Gospel in Foreign Parts, yet as it is still within their
province to publish such works as tend to serve the
benevolent and holy object for which the Society was
established, we may hope that a third edition of a
work so valuable will not be called for in vain. The
advantage of its re-publication would be greater, at the
present day, than might appear on first consideration.
The facts and details which were sufficient to silence the
Romish adversary, would be equally advantageous as an
antidote to the doctrines of the Oxford Tracts, which
are now diligently taught to the Christian natives of
Madras. The dogmas of apostolical succession, sacra-
mental efficacy, the schismatic state of all churches not
Episcopal, and other doctrines peculiar to the Tractarian
school, as asserted and enforced for the benefit of the
poor natives, in a Tamul "Theological Dictionary" re-
cently published in Madras, would fail of their intended
effect, if Walther's "Ecclesiastical History" were gene-
rally possessed and read by them. I will venture to add,
that every Missionary to the Tamul population would
find it to his advantage to make himself acquainted with
it. He will find compressed within a comparatively small
compass a mass of information relating to the East,
which, by other methods, it would require him years of
study and research to obtain.
64 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
CHAPTER VII.
NOVEMBER, 1820.
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
THE "Ecclesiastical History" by Walther, furnishes a
condensed, but circumstantial and impartial, account of
the Missionary efforts of the Portuguese, especially of
those which they commenced in the Tamul country,
where, in Madura and various other quarters, they were
afterwards aided or succeeded by the Italians and French.
A translation which I have made of this part of his
work, together with other copious information collected
from various authentic sources, are now submitted to the
reader ; who will thus have brought within his view the
history of one of the most remarkable, as well as one of
the best, Missions of the Romish Church. In none of
their Missions have there been greater eminence and
purity of character in their founders ; or greater sacrifices
of life and comfort in those who succeeded them, for
more than one hundred years ; and yet in this, their best
and noblest Mission, the corrupt and destructive influ-
ences of Popery have so triumphed throughout, that it
may fairly be questioned, whether Christianity in India
has not suffered damage by it to a considerable extent,
or has in any respect been advanced. It is hoped that
the introduction of this account will not be considered
irrelevant or unseasonable. It will accomplish the object
I have in view if, on the one hand, it shall serve to excite
modern Missionaries, and those who co-operate with them,
to emulate the zeal and perseverance and self-sacrifice
displayed by the earlier Romish Missionaries, apart from
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 65
their will-worship, superstition, and guile ; and if, on the
other hand, the exposure of the acknowledged and even
vaunted deceptions and falsehoods, by which the Mission
was supposed to be advanced, shall have the effect of
silencing the proud and empty boastings of modern
Romanists, in their frequent comparisons of the Missions
of their Church with those of the Protestants, in which
they pretend the advantage to be exclusively in their
favour.
The extract from Walther's work is followed by some
account of Francis Xavier, and Robertus de Nobili.
"In the year 1498, the Portuguese were conducted by
sea to India, by their Admiral, Vasco de Gama. They
landed at Calicut in Malayala (Malabar) ; and because
the natives of that country (the western coast) are called
Malayalis, they gave the name of Malabars to the Tamul
people of this part (the Coromandel coast) also. In
Calicut, they baptized a Yogi,* by the name of Michael ;
and by his means opened a commercial intercourse with
the King of Cochin.
" Pedro Covillam,t the Admiral's Chaplain, was the first
to administer baptism in India, after the Portuguese had
established themselves. Subsequently, Michael Vaz,;
James Porpa, his colleague, and other Franciscans, made
the baptism of the natives their special object.
"In the year 1505, the Portuguese concluded a treaty
with the King of Visanagur. They built Colombo (in
the island of Ceylon) in 1506, and Goa in 1510 ; and
* A contemplative ascetic, esteemed as a saint among the Hin-
doos.
f- Pedro Covillam had travelled to India by land, before the pas-
sage by the Cape of Good Hope had been discovered. An account of
his journey thither, and back, as far as Grand Cairo, was published
in Spanish, under the title of Relazao do Viage de Pedro Covillam
de Lisbon a India, per Terra, e volla do Cairo. 158J.
Michael Vaz was appointed Vicar-General of all India,
66 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
afterwards, by means of their Missionaries, converted
many of the Heathen.
"In 1512, General Albuquerque forbade the infidels to
dwell any longer with the Christians, in Cochin : on that
occasion, four hundred persons conformed to the faith.
(Ezrax. 11.)
"In 1537, Pope Paul III. made Goa the seat of a
Bishop.
"In 1541, the pious and truly diligent Missionary,
Francis Xavier, came to India, by command of John III.,
King of Portugal.
" The Paravas (fishermen) of the south of India were
greatly oppressed by the Mahometans. At that time,
John de Cruz, a Tamul man, who had visited Portugal,
and had been baptized in the presence of the King, per-
suaded them to unite with the Portuguese, and receive
baptism. They consented, and sent certain of their Chiefs
to Cochin. The Portuguese afforded them the desired
assistance. They restored to them the pearl fishery,
which had formerly belonged to them. They also bap-
tized the inhabitants of thirty villages, to the number of
twenty thousand. But, as the Portuguese Priests them-
selves have written, their Christianity speedily decayed,
and Heathenism again prevailed amongst them, both
in doctrine and practice.
" Xavier heard this report ; and in 1 542, proceeded
from Goa, and went to the Paravas ; accompanied by
another Priest and two interpreters. During the year
1543, he studied Tamul, and mean time, for that year,
taught diligently through the medium of his inter-
preters.
"He then went to the neighbourhood of Cape Co-
morin,* and in one month, introduced ten thousand of
A head-land forming the most southern point of Continental
India.
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 67
the Mukkuvas (another tribe of fishermen) into the
church.
" He also sent his colleagues to the Island of Manaar,*
who converted the inhabitants of that place ; afterwards,
the Governor of Jaffna persecuted them cruelly. We shall
find the death of Xavier recorded below, in the history of
Japan.
" A coin of the Roman Emperor Claudius was found
in digging the foundation of a church in the island of
Manaar.f
"The Prince of Danoor,J who was a Brahman, was
baptized secretly by the name of John. He was confirmed
in Goa, in 1549.
"In 1546, John III. sent to the above-mentioned
Michael Vaz, Bishop of all India, a letter dated the 8th of
March, which he had addressed to the Viceroy of Goa ;
in which he commanded him to care for the interests of
Christianity, and to protect the Paravas and other Chris-
tians, meeting the expense out of his revenue. Vaz took
counsel with Xavier, and exerted himself very diligently
for the diffusion of religion.
"In 1547, the Portuguese seized upon Mielapoor, and
gave it the name of St. Thome. The Priest Gabriel
Atayda beginning to demolish a temple, found a cross
of stone, stained with the blood of St. Thomas, and the
sword with which he was slain. It is said that this cross
did sweat blood on December 18th, 1555, and ceased in
1556 : whether or no, it has been adored ever since.
"In 1549, Antonio Criminal, an Italian Jesuit, went,
* An island adjoining the north-western coast of Ceylon.
f- See page 18.
J A district on the Malabar coast, south of Calicut.
In the Tamul, Paulist, a term usually applied to the Jesuits in
India, from the college of St. Paul in Goa, which was given to the
Jesuits in the time of Francis Xavier, and continued long in their
possession.
68 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
at the command of Xavier, to instruct the Paravas of
Pinneykail.* At that time some Portuguese soldiers had
pillaged the Brahmans of Piricandoor ; and six thousand
Vadugas -f assembled ; and, having first assaulted Ramisse-
ram, came to take vengeance. The Portuguese fled to their
ships for refuge ; and the Paravas endeavoured to escape.
The commander of the Portuguese, anxious for Father
Anthony's safety, that his life and labours might yet be
long continued, for the benefit of the Christians of that
country, called him to accompany them ; but he remained
on shore ; and when he had visited the church and
engaged in prayer, after the example of our Lord he vo-
luntarily went forth, (John xviii. 4,) with a cheerful coun-
tenance, to meet the Vadugas, with the full expectation of
death. So John de Lucenas, the Jesuit, who died in
1600, has recorded in his Life of Xavier. And Mawei
has stated, that he hid himself when the Christians
each one brought his boat, and earnestly besought him to
escape from impending danger.
" In this, Father Anthony did not follow the advice of
our Lord, when persecuted in one city to flee to another.
(Matt. x. 23.) He did not give his life for his sheep ;
(John x. 11, 12;) but exposed himself without any
necessity, from a mere desire of obtaining the reputation
of a martyr. (Matt. iv. 7 ; Ecclus. iii. 26.)
" With the intention of falling into the hands of
the atrocious Tondans, he knelt down in the way over
against his enemies, joined his hands together, and
looked up to heaven. The first division passed him,
only taking away his hat. The second division also
passed. A Mahometan in the last division struck
him with a lance, and others tore off his garments.
A town on the eastern coast, south of Tutocorin.
f Or Badugas ; a powerful tribe of the interior, often at enmity
with the Paravas,
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 69
His blood flowed profusely, and he tried to reach
the church. They thought he fled, and pursued him ;
but he returned to them again, when they stabbed
him, and cut off his head ; which they carried away, and
placed on the tower of their temple. The Portuguese
who ventured on shore interred his body. In after-
times many persons sought that sacred relic, but were
unable to find it.
" In 1556, and the three following years, the Jesuits in
Goa alone introduced eighteen thousand and ninety-eight
persons into the church ; independently of all that was
done by the Franciscans and Dominicans.
"In 1557, Pope Paul IV. made Goa the seat of an
Archbishop ; to whom the Bishop of St. Thome was to
be subject.
" Cochin was made a bishopric in 1559.
" In 1570, Hidal-khan, the Nabob* of the Carnatic, laid
siege to Goa : he addressed a letter to the Viceroy of Goa,
alleging as a reason (for hostilities) that the children of
Hindoos were taken by force, and coerced into Christian-
ity ; for some of the monks had taken arms like soldiers,
and had forced the people to be baptized.
"In 1597, Nicholas Ippemenda, a Jesuit, went to
Madura ; and with his colleague Henry Henriquez,
laboured for the conversion of the Heathen. In 1607,
the Christians were reckoned at one hundred and thirty
thousand, f
" At that time Robertus de Nobili, who was caUed
Tattwapothagar, or " teacher of the attributes," assuming
the character of a San-yasi, sought to promote Christianity
in the interior of the country. Xeres, the treasurer of
the Congregation de Propaganda Fide, writing to Pope
* Mahometan ruler, tributary to the Great Mogul,
f Probably, in the whole of India.
70 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
Innocent, in the year 16/6, concerning the Romish reli-
gion throughout the world, says, that although ' he pro-
fessed to be a Brahman, he did not tell an untruth.
He subsisted solely on rice, and other vegetables ; and
died happily in Mielapoor on the 16th of January,
1656.'
"In the year 1729, he was thus celebrated by [Beschi,]
a writer in Elakurichi :
" ' As though the sun which shines in the heavens
should take his circuit without showing his glorious face ;
so Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of our Lord Jesus,
and besides him, St. Xavier, illustrious by the perform-
ance of many miracles, took a circuit round this country,
without penetrating into the interior ; and, notwithstand-
ing their journeys and labours, the darkness of the interior
was long continued ; was it not ? At length, as the sun,
at the time of his rising, by discovering his face, gives
out his beams, disperses the universal thick darkness of
night, and creates the day; so the Lord in his mercy
turned his eyes on this land, immersed in Heathenism ;
and was pleased, one hundred and twenty years ago, to
send teachers of unperverted word in the way of truth, to
enlighten the souls of men. First of all Tattwapothagar
was sent by the Lord, adorned with unchanging mortifi-
cation of life, with unerring science, and unfailing charity.
He long shone here like the morning sun ; the light has
not yet set, but shines with unfading splendour, in the
Kandam, and other works on religious science which he
wrote as with a sun-beam. After him has followed an
unbroken series of countless sincere teachers, continued
from that day to this.'
" It is to be observed, however, that when he revised
the Common Prayer, and the language used on religious
subjects, he adopted a refined phraseology which he had
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 71
learned from the Brahmans ; he did not thoroughly inves-
tigate the true meaning of some of the words which he
used, and he has purposely darkened his style ; a practice
which is not to be commended.
" For his sake Cardinal Onopari settled certain charita-
ble gifts from the Congregation de Propaganda Fide in
Rome, on the Brahmans who may embrace Christi-
anity.
"In 1620, Philip Oliver, the Portuguese Commander,
overcame the Singhalese in battle : he wrested Jaffna from
the King of Kandy, and erected there several Christian
churches.
" In 1655, the new converts of the Mission in Madura
were reckoned at nine thousand and thirty-one.
"In 1687, the Jesuit, John de Brito, or Arulendren,
went to Rome on the affairs of the Jesuits, and returned
by permission of Charles II., King of Portugal.
" He quitted Goa ; and, having traversed the interior for
fifteen months, he returned to the Marava country, with
a desire to lay down his life for the sake of the truth ; as
Father de la Lane, the Superior of Madura, has recorded
in his account of him.
" In a disturbance which had formerly occurred in that
place, Regunathadeven had said to him openly, ' Hence-
forth thou shalt not teach in my kingdom, but at the
peril of thy life.' Notwithstanding this threat, and fear-
less of the result, he returned with a cheerful heart, a
high courage, and a passionate desire voluntarily to resign
his life. On his way he visited Tanjore, and said to the
Christians of that place, < I go to suffer in the Marava
country : pray for me.'
" Tureitadiadeven, who had been instructed in religion,
himself and his Officers went out to meet him, and
brought him to his residence with great pomp. After-
wards, in 1 693, he caused a splendid celebration of the feast
72 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
of the three Kings.* He had five Queens of royal descent.
He was told that in order to become a convert he must put
away four of them. On this, the youngest, who was the
daughter of the elder brother of Regunathadeven, set out
to Ramnad,t as though she was going to her father's for-
tress. She complained to the Governor ; and the Priest
of the fortress also complained that God's religion level-
led all distinctions, and was now spread everywhere. The
Governor sent his Officers, and commanded them to
arrest and imprison that sorcerer, as he called John de
Brito.
"Afterwards, on the 20th of January, when he had
offered sacrifice, and was indulging in intoxication to excess,
certain enemies took occasion to mention some unfounded
calumnies against the Priest, [John de Brito]. The
Governor then drew his sword, and demanded of him,
'What is thy religion? What are thy doctrines?' In
reply, he recounted to him the divine attributes, and
the commandments of God. The Governor then, in his
drunken rage, directed that he should be shot ; but,
fearing a tumult, he afterwards sent him from Ramnad
to Orioor, to Udeiadeven, his elder brother; and com-
manded that he should be slain. Arulendren, having
visited the church of Pilicakudi, where he conducted
the religious drama of Pavi Nadaca, " the Sinner's Pro-
gress," proceeded to the Marava country. When he drew
near to Orioor, and was engaged in the choultry in
religious meditation and prayer, the Priests of that place
inquired of him what food he would take. Seeing he
Epiphany ; called by the Romanists the Feast of the three Kings,
from the Magi who came to Jerusalem on the birth of our Lord, who,
they say, were three in number, and of royal dignity.
f- The chief fortress of the Marava country.
$ Another fortress in the Marava territory.
From his appearance they judged him to be one of their own
body.
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 73
was silent, they said, 'Who is this? He does nothing
but count his beads ; he is surely a man of prayer.'
Having come to this conclusion, they apprised Udeiadeven
of his approach.
" On the 3rd of February he wrote thus to his Superior
from the prison of Orioor : ' By great exertion I arrived
here on the last day of January. I now wait in prison
for the death which I must suffer for my God's sake. To
obtain this honour I have come twice to India ; and for
this very purpose I have visited the Marava country.'
" On the 4th of February he was led to the place of
execution. He passed a short time in prayer, and then,
without fear, stretched out his head, which the barbarians
cut off. They chopped off his legs and arms, and
exposed his body and head on the gibbet. They also cut
off the ears and noses of his two disciples, and drove them
away.
" The miracles which are said to have been wrought by
John de Brito, whom the natives call Arulananden, (or
Arulendren,) the heavenly Physician, are believed among
the imaginative and credulous Hindoos.
" In the month of October, 1 700, Sakki,the King, seized,
scourged, and imprisoned many of the twelve thousand
Christians of the kingdom of Tanjore. He plundered their
property, and made their children slaves. The two Priests
were loaded with manacles ; and one of them, Father
Joseph Carvalli, died on the 14th of November.
" In 1 703, seven thousand, seven hundred and eighty-
one persons embraced Christianity in the Madura Mission.
" In 171 1, it was estimated that there were thirty thou-
sand Christians in Madura, Tanjore, and Arialoor.
" In 1 722, Tittyapillei, Subadar * of Myaveram, levied a
fine upon the Christians."
* An officer of the Nabob.
E
74 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
FRANCIS XAVIER.
THIS eminent Missionary, whose memory is respected
by Protestants, as well as by members of the Church of
Rome, was born in April, 1506, in the province of Navarre,
in Spain, at a castle which bore the family name, and
which had been in their possession more than two centuries.
He is said to have been educated with care until he
reached his nineteenth year, when he devoted himself to
the pursuits of literature and philosophy ; and proceeded
to Paris, that he might profit by the advantages the Uni-
versity of that city then presented, which is said to have
been superior to every other in Europe.
He had taken his degree, and commenced the duties of
a public lecturer, when Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the
Society of the Jesuits, came to Paris in 1528. Loyola was
fourteen years older than Xavier : he had been a soldier,
had visited Palestine and other countries, and had gained
great knowledge of the world and of human nature. He
had already formed the plan of a Society, whose members
should vow chastity, poverty, and obedience, and whose
object should be the conversion of the Saracens and other
infidels. He obtained the ascendancy over the youthful
and noble Spaniard, Xavier, whom he exhorted to despise
the world, and to devote himself to the service of God in
the edification and extension of his church.
The characteristics of Xavier' s mind were simplicity and
energy. He sternly disciplined himself to the contempla-
tion of spiritual and eternal things, until he had learned
to look with contempt on temporal avocations and enjoy-
ments ; and was prepared to make any sacrifice, and to
brave any danger, for the good of souls. He visited
Venice, where he again met with Loyola, and was ordained
Priest. He exercised his ministry in several places with
great zeal and devotion, continuing to macerate his body
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 75
by fasting and other austerities, whilst he sought to raise
and purify his heart and affections, by spiritual pursuits
and conflicts.
Loyola called Xavier and his other associates to Rome
in the year 1537; where Xavier distinguished himself by
the powerful rebukes he administered in his preaching to
the vices of the imperial city, and by the exhaustless
patience and charity with which he attended the sick
during the prevalence of famine and disease. From the
time he had begun to listen to Loyola, he appears to have
made it his chief concern by every means to mortify his
natural pride and love of praise, and to inure himself to
humility and self-government.
Xavier had intended to visit the Holy Land, that he
might see those places which had been consecrated by the
presence and sufferings of our blessed Lord. He had
regarded with pleasure the possibility that he might there
attain the honour of martyrdom. But he was disap-
pointed of this intention by a war which interrupted all
intercourse with Palestine. Honours of a yet higher
character awaited him.
John III., King of Portugal, was desirous of sending
Missionaries to his possessions in India, where some suc-
cess in the conversion of the Pagans had already attended
the occasional efforts of such Priests as had accompanied
his fleets and armies. A Portuguese ecclesiastic, on
an embassy to Rome, admired the person and character of
Xavier ; and strongly recommended him to the notice of
the King, as suitable for his object. The King accepted
the proposal ; and Xavier, delighted with the prospect of
the labours and sufferings for the sake of Christ, and the
salvation of souls, which he had before him, at a single
day's notice, patched his cassock, the only preparation he
had to make, and set out from Rome to Lisbon in April,
1541, for the purpose of embarking thence for Goa, in a
E 2
76 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
Portuguese ship. The navigation to India was at that time
imperfectly understood : many were the dangers and suffer-
ings to which he was exposed ; but his fortitude and patience
were invincible. During the voyage he employed himself
in spiritual ministrations, for the benefit of the crew and
passengers, and in attending on the sick. Some months
were passed in refreshment and recovery at Mosambique
in Africa ; and he did not arrive at Goa, the Portuguese
capital in India, until May, 1542, thirteen months after
his embarkation.
The ministry of Xavier produced a wonderful effect on
the inhabitants of that dissolute city. His self-denial
and habits of devotion reproved the luxury and ungodli-
ness which prevailed around him. His nights were
passed in prayer ; four hours only being devoted to
sleep. In the morning he visited the sick and poor ;
and in the afternoon he would walk about the town,
and, by the sound of a bell, summon the heads of fami-
lies to send their children and slaves to be instructed.
They would gather in crowds around him, and follow
him to the church, where he suited his teaching to their
capacities. Old and young, master and slave, acknow-
ledged his wisdom and superior sanctity ; and it is reported
that, during his stay of six months in Goa, there was
an almost universal reformation among its inhabitants.
At the call of duty, Xavier left the dignified and brilli-
ant society of the capital, and entered on a life of danger
and privation, that he might publish the name of Christ
to a barbarous and indigent race. He was now more
than thirty-six years of age ; yet he attempted the acqui-
sition of several languages ; the Tamul, the Malay, and
afterwards the Japanese. He several times returned to
Goa ; but he was chiefly employed among the Heathen ;
first on the Malabar coast, and as far as Mielapoor on
the eastern side of the peninsula. He also visited
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADTJRA. //
Ceylon, Malacca, Amboyna, Ternate, and the Isles del
Moro. After visiting a second time the churches he had
planted among the Paravas, he embarked for Japan, in
1549, in company with a Christian native merchant of
that country, who assisted him in the acquisition of the
language, and introduced him to the inhabitants of
Japan. He found that the introduction of the Gospel
into China would considerably facilitate its progress
among the Japanese, who had received their religion and
literature from that country. He therefore returned to
Goa, and prepared to visit the celestial empire. On his
voyage to China, he was seized with fever, and died at
the island of Sancian, Xan Choang, or St. John, in the
forty-fifth year of his age.
It was a peculiarity of Xavier, in which he differed
from many of his successors, that he preached the Gospel
to the poor. Himself of a noble family, in a country
where the nobles are proud to a proverb, he learned to
value the soul independently of all distinctions of worldly
rank: and "he had his reward;" for "the common
people heard him gladly."
The best Romish writers deny, that miracles were
performed by Xavier. He himself disavowed them ; but
they have been plentifully introduced into various
memoirs of his life. The miraculous gift most suitable
to him, would have been the gift of tongues ; but we
find him applying with diligent assiduity to the acqui-
sition of the languages he had to use, and mourning over
the delay thus occasioned to his ministry.
There is evidence, that his teaching was not free from
the errors which are peculiar to the Church of Rome ;
but it appears to have been as evangelical as might pos-
sibly consist with those errors. All parties unite in
admitting, that, in him, the Heathen world saw a rare
exhibition of purity, zeal, and devotion ; and that the
78 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
conversions effected under his ministry were not pro-
duced by guile, and by the influence of secular power,
as were those by many of his successors ; but were the
result of conviction occasioned by the truths which
he enforced and exemplified.
In 1686, one hundred and thirty-four years after his
death, his body was removed from its first tomb to
Malacca, and thence to Goa, where it is enshrined in a
monument of exquisite art, and his coffin is enchased
with silver and precious stones. It is said, that his
flesh has suffered no decay.
It is too evident, that the successors of Xavier have
not taken pains to afford Christian instruction to the
numerous congregations under their care. The Scrip-
tures have not been translated by them, nor are the
people permitted to read the translations made by Pro-
testant Missionaries. In their place, there are most
stupid and incredible legends of saints, and trifling poems
equally valueless ; except some works written by Robertus
de Nobilibus and Constantine Beschi, for the Madura and
Carnatic Missions ; and even these are known to few. In-
deed, the Tamul Romish Missions are generally supplied
with native Priests from Goa, who take little pains to
acquire the language of the people, and whose character and
education are very inferior. They are supported by the
people among whom they reside ; and the royal grant
made to each of them from an endowment by a former
King of Portugal, is generally assigned by them to the
relatives they have left behind in Goa. Those endow-
ments are now said to be the chief subsistence of that
city.
Father Martin, in June, 1700, tells us, that "the
church of Cotate, near Cape Comorin, derives much of
its importance from the spot on which it is raised ; for
the church and altar are built over the very place where
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 79
stood the hut whither St. Francis Xavier used to retire
every evening, after having preached in the day-time to
the idolaters. One night they set fire to the hut, in
hopes of burning St. Francis alive ; but, though the
hovel was consumed, the tenant of it received no hurt.
I arrived at Cotate a few days before the festival of St.
Francis Xavier; and was an eye-witness of the vast
multitudes who come hither annually on that occasion,
people flocking from all parts, within twenty or thirty
leagues round. A few days after the solemnization of this
saint's festival, an idolater came to his church, and there
made a vow." He then relates what he considers to be a
miraculous interposition of the saint, by which the Hea-
then votary obtained two successive prizes in a lottery : he
faithfully paid his vow, but could not be persuaded to
become a Christian.
ROBERTUS DE NOBILI, OR DE NOBILIBUS.
BESCHI is not correct in saying, that this eminent
Missionary was the first to penetrate the interior of the
Tamul country. Nicolas Ippemenda, and Henry Henri-
quez, had occupied Madura for ten years previous. But
Robertus de Nobilibus was the first to assume the cha-
racter and appearance of a San-yasi : a sort of religious
philosophers among the Hindoos, who retire from the
world which they profess to contemn ; repress all desire,
(from whence their name San-yasi, that is, "without
desire,") and live a life of penance and mortification.
The example furnished by De Nobilibus was followed by
all the Jesuit Missionaries of the interior.
The first object they had in view was to conceal the
fact, that they were Europeans. The dissolute lives of
the Europeans who had formed settlements on various
parts of the coast of India, had made them objects of
abhorrence to the natives, especiaUy to the higher castes,
80 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
many of whom are remarkable for their temperance and
sobriety, and for strict observance of what they regard
as essential to religion. The policy and power of the
Europeans had also begun to awaken the jealousy and
dread of the Chiefs of the interior. The Jestu'ts, there-
fore, endeavoured to disguise themselves ; and nothing
appears to have given them greater concern, than the
suspicion of being Europeans with which they were occa-
sionally met.
Another object was, that, by conforming to the
customs and religious prejudices of the natives, they
might the more easily win proselytes from among them.
The natives of the higher castes will not slaughter the
ox or cow, because they regard that animal as sacred.
Their motive for abstaining from the flesh of other
animals, and from taking the life even of the most
destructive and noxious, is founded on their belief in the
doctrine of metempsychosis, and the consequent equality
of the souls of all living creatures with the soul of man.
Great merit is attached by them to the abstinence from
animal food. And if, in addition to these observances, a
man becomes a San-yasi, and, in consequence, remains in
celibacy, and lives retired from the ordinary pursuits and
enjoyments of life, devoting himself to religious contem-
plation, he is regarded by them as a kind of deity, and is
in some cases actually worshipped.
In order to support this assumed character, a know-
ledge of the language and manners of the people was
necessary. With this view, a Missionary intended for
the interior was not permitted to enter on his work
until he had passed some months on the coast, where
he studied the language, and inured himself to some
of the practices he would have to follow, in order
to fulfil his mission. He would then proceed into
the interior, and before he arrived at the district where
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 81
lie had to labour, he would lay aside his European
costume, and reach the termination of his journey
clothed in the attire, and following the practices, of a
San-yasi.
This was not accomplished without exposure to dan-
ger from the jealousy of the natives, and considerable
suffering necessarily connected with the mode of life they
adopted. Let us take the testimony of the Jesuit Mis-
sionaries themselves as to their manner of life and the
character of their labours.
Father Martin, on his arrival in Pondicherry in Janu-
ary, 1699, wrote thus to Father de Villete : "Here,
excellent father, we shall be in the neighbourhood of the
Mission of Madura, the noblest, in my opinion, in the
world. Seven Jesuits, most of them Portuguese, are
employed there. The people of Madura have no com-
munication with the Europeans, who, by their riotous
excesses, have corrupted all the Christians in India. The
Madurans spend their lives in the utmost sobriety and
frugality, not concerning themselves with traffic, but con-
tenting themselves with the food and raiment with which
their native country supplies them.
" The Missionaries lead an extremely mortified life.
Their only dress is a long piece of linen cloth wound
round their bodies ; and they wear sandals, which by
their shape are exceedingly troublesome. They abstain
totally from bread, wine, all sorts of meat, and even fish.
They eat nothing but rice, pulse, and herbs, plain, and
without seasoning of any kind : and it is with great diffi-
culty they get a little flour to make wafers* with, and
wine for the mass. They are not known to be Euro-
peans ; for were the natives to have the least notion of
this, the fathers would be obliged to quit the country,
* Used by the Romanists in the sacrament of the Lord' s supper.
E 5
82 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
since it would be impossible for them to do any good
there. Several motives prompt the Indians to have the
Europeans in so much horror. Great cruelties have been
committed in their countries ; they have been eye-
witnesses to the most shocking examples of their vices
of every kind. But that which offends them most is, their
seeing the Europeans eat flesh ; a practice, according to
them, so very horrid, that they look upon all who make it
their food as infamous.
"To this rigorous life of the Missionaries, add their
continual danger of falling into the hands of thieves, who
are here more numerous than among the Arabs. The
fathers are almost afraid of keeping any thing under
lock and key, lest they should be suspected of hoarding
up riches. They are obliged to carry and preserve all
their little moveables in earthen pots or vessels. They
call themselves Brahmans, that is, Divines, come out of
the north, to teach the law of the true God. Though
they are obliged to lead a life of the greatest poverty, and
require but little money for their own support, they yet
are forced to expend considerable sums in maintaining
their Catechists ; not to mention what is extorted from
them by the natives. They often suffer persecution : and
not above four years since, one of our most famous and
most holy Missionaries* was beheaded by a Prince of
Marava for preaching Christ."
Father Bouchet, the Superior of the Mission, wrote
thus from Madura, December 1st, 1700 : "Our Mission
at Madura is in a more flourishing state than ever. We
have suffered four violent persecutions this year. One of
our Missionaries had four of his teeth beat out ; and I
am now at the Prince's court to solicit the liberty of
Father Borghese, of the family of Prince Borghese in
Rome, that father having been confined forty days in the
* John de Brito, whose death is described p. 73.
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 83
prison of Ticherapali.* You have often heard that the
Missionaries of Madura eat neither meat, fish, nor eggs ;
and that they never drink wine or other strong liquors,
but live in wretched huts covered with straw, having not
so much as a bed, a chair, or piece of furniture of any
kind ; and they are forced to take their food without
either table, napkin, knife, fork, or spoon. But this is
nothing to the sufferings they undergo."
In December, 1700, Father Martin, who had then
joined the Mission, wrote from Aoor, the principal Sta-
tion, about twelve miles south of Trichinopoly, as
follows : "I had been told, and accordingly expected,
before my arrival in this place, to find neither bread,
meat, eggs, fish, nor wine, except what is used at
mass ; but I will frankly tell you that things are much
worse than I imagined. Nothing is drunk here but
water, which often is very muddy, and never very clear ;
it being drawn out of ponds wherein men and cattle wash
themselves daily. Our only food is herbs, roots, and
pulse, the taste of which is much more insipid and bitter
than any of those in Europe. No person can eat them
with any tolerable appetite, unless he has been accus-
tomed to them from his infancy. We are allowed to use
butter with them ; but those who dress our victuals (which
were we to do ourselves, the Indians would think we dis-
graced our ministerial character) cook it up so wretch-
edly, that it is a real mortification for us to eat any of it.
Farther, as the rice which serves as bread is boiled only
in water, it takes away its taste. A Missionary imagines
at his first coming, that if he does but make a hearty
resolution, he will soon accustom himself to this food,
though so vastly insipid ; however, the stomach loathes
it to such a degree at last, that nothing but real necessity
could force an European to touch any of it. Fruits are
* Trichinopcly.
84 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
so rarely met with here, that we think it a banquet if we
get only a radish or a little cucumber in the afternoon.
Father Bouchet and I have often had no more in the
evening (even when it was not a fast day) than a piece
of thin cake, baked on the coals, and half burnt.
" Besides the sad disquietude of our minds, on account
of the persecution which our brethren frequently suifer,
I may add the dreadful solitude of many of our Missions
here, which commonly remove us far from 'all our
acquaintance ; we not having the least society but with
an ignorant, unamiable people ; not to mention our being
forced to comply with their forms of ceremony, which
are inexpressibly troublesome and ridiculous in every
respect ; our being deprived for years together of all
spiritual succour, as well as of all correspondence by way
of letter, this being rare, and very difficult to be carried
on, for fear we should discover ourselves to be Euro-
peans. It would raise some suspicion in the natives were
they to know that we have any concerns with the Portu-
guese, and other Europeans of the coast ; and cause us to
be persecuted, as has happened more than once."
A San-yasi, when at his residence or hermitage, never
goes out but for some religious purpose : he is supposed
to choose retirement as favourable to religious meditation.
In the morning early he must visit some sacred pond or
river, and wash his entire person, in company with the
Brahmans and other idolatrous devotees ; and, placing a
mark of ashes or of sandal-wood on his forehead and
other parts of his person, make his morning ceremonies
to the object of his worship. The Jesuits carried with
them, on these occasions, the crucifix or an image of the
virgin. He may not use the left hand in eating, or
in presenting any thing to another person ; and is under
other restrictions equally troublesome and ridiculous.
It is not difficult to picture to oneself one of these
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 85
grave and learned men on his journey through the coun-
try. He has allowed his beard to grow long, has laid
aside all his European clothing, and in the place of it
wears only one cloth of cotton, about nine yards in
length, disposed about his person after the native fashion.
He has a turban on his head ; and awkward, uneasy sandals
on his feet. On his forehead there is some mark to indi-
cate the caste to which he professes to belong ; and per-
haps he wears the Brahman string over his left shoulder.
He grasps in his hand a book of prayers written on the ola
JESUIT MISSIONARY IN MADURA.
leaf, or a portion of the " Introduction to Theology " by
Robertus de Nobilibus. He has two or three attendants ;
one of them bears a few earthen pots, containing all the
supplies he allows himself for his journey. Perhaps
another carries the deer or tiger skin, which is the only
seat, couch, or bed the San-yasi allows himself, either at
at home or abroad. Thus accoutred and accompanied,
he penetrates deep forests, toils over lofty mountains,
drags himself through plains of heavy sand, and often
86 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
fords rivers and arms of the sea. He is exposed to
the burning sun or heavy tropical rains, frequently with-
out any shelter ; his lodging by night is the open choul-
try, or the house of some hospitable native, more private,
but not more commodious. On his arrival at a strange
town or village, he does not dare to enter until the
approach of night. The next day he is discovered, and
the wondering inhabitants ask who the stranger is. His
native attendants say, as they have been instructed, that
he is a Brahman, or Shastri, from Rome, a teacher of the
true religion. Thus introduced, and seated under a tree,
by the side of a tank, or in front of some native's house,
he commences his instructions ; anticipating objections,
and replying to them. He displays the crucifix and other
figures to excite his own devotion, and to strike the
attention of a people who are much impressed with out-
ward show : and when a few proselytes were made in
any place, the celebration of the mass would deepen the
effect thus produced.
It is certain that, for nearly two centuries, the Jesuit
Missionaries of the interior endured the fatigue, priva-
tions, sufferings, and dangers incident to this mode of life.
And to this day, many of them reside among the natives
with little more of the comforts and conveniences of
life, than are possessed by the natives themselves among
whom they labour. It is a strong testimony to the
advantage of temperance, and even abstinence, in that
climate, that De Nobilibus himself lived to a great age,
and that many of those who have followed his example
have, in this particular, equalled or exceeded him. Those
whom the writer has known personally were, with one
exception, tall, powerful-looking men ; who had no doubt
been chosen for this service on account of their robust
constitution, as well as for their mental qualifications.
Pere Austrey, whom he met with in the year 1825, at
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 87
Keelcheri, about forty miles in the interior from Madras,
was living in a room not larger than the cabin of the
poorest Irish peasant. He was dressed in a coarse cotton
shirt, and drawers of the same ; and he supported his
steps by a staff as large, but not as neatly finished, as that
of the drum-major of a regimental band. His only ailment
was a slight bruise on his leg, which he had not been able
to heal : he was otherwise a strong, hale man, although
seventy-eight years of age. When reference was made to
the insufficiency of his habitation, and the absence of
many comforts, which he must have known well how to
appreciate, his only reply was, Satis est, Satis est !
He was a Frenchman, and spoke Arabic, Teloogoo, and
Latin, with great fluency. In him there was an example
of what the Jesuits still are in India. The exception
above referred to was a Frenchman of rather diminutive
stature, and of little mental energy, who was the successor
of the famous Abbe Dubois in Mysore. He complained
of his circumstances, and expressed his regret that he had
not chosen to go into the army, instead of entering the
service of the church.
To the adoption of this deceptive and difficult mode of
life and Missionary labour, Robertus de Nobilibus led the
way in 1607. According to the practice of the Jesuits,
not to admit any one fully into their Society until he was
thirty-three years of age, and allowing two years for his
voyage and preparatory studies, he must have attained his
thirty-fifth year before he entered upon it. It may be
permitted us to admire the self-denial and determination
necessary to adopt such a mode of life, and the perse-
verance which enabled him to continue it for the space of
fifty years. And it is cause for still further admiration
that there should have been found so many men of edu-
cation and learning, who had been accustomed to the
pursuits of literature, and the enjoyments of life, in
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
Europe, to follow his example. But here our admiration
must end. Their whole life was a practical falsehood.
They professed that they were not Europeans ; that they
were Brahmans, and San-yasis ; their assumed character
was frequently challenged by the natives, and had as
frequently to be met by direct denial, or by evasions
unworthy of the Christian character. Nor is it probable
that they succeeded to any great extent, or for any consi-
derable time, in keeping up the delusion, either amongst
their converts, or the Heathen. There is evidence that
they were often persecuted and maltreated on the suspicion
of being Europeans. It was necessary that their secret
should be intrusted to some of the native Christians ; but
these were not always faithful. The continual practice of
deceit, on their part, furnished the most powerful sanc-
tion to their converts to indulge in deception, a crime to
which the Hindoos are proverbially prone. How shock-
ing to reflect, that, in inducing the Heathen to take upon
themselves the profession of Christianity, they should use
such means as must necessarily result in rendering them
more the children of hell than they were in the heathen
state ! Besides, their adoption of the character of Brah-
mans and San-yasis was a practical admission of some of
the main errors of Hindooism, which it should have been
one of their chief objects to refute and dispel. The
whole proceeding was one of mere human craft and policy,
without any sanction from the word of God, or even
from heathen morality ; and, when rightly considered,
changes our admiration into disgust and abhorrence.
The publication of Walther's "Church History," in the
language of the natives, must have entirely removed the
cloak from them, even if they had been able to keep up
the deception until that time. Some of their success-
ors, to the present time, assume something of the charac-
ter of San-yasis ; but it is only by an accommodation of
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 89
the term that they are allowed to be such ; and by their
own admissions the success of their labours is at an end.
The following are specimens of the treatment which
the Jesuit Missionaries who followed the example of De
Nobilibus sometimes met with, and the persecutions they
endured.
Father Martin, in December, 1 700, says, " I had the
consolation to meet with Father Bouchet. He had been
persecuted not more than three months before, and was
not quite recovered of a fit of illness he had in conse-
quence. Here follows the occasion of his being persecuted.
" Three Catechists, forgetting their duty, and the sacred
character of the ministry with which they were invested,
were guilty of such dissolute practices, that it was neces-
sary to divest them of their employments. These wretches,
instead of profiting by the sage admonitions which were
given to them, and reforming their lives, threw off the
mask, turned apostates, and resolved to ruin both the
Missionaries and the Mission. To succeed in their detest-
able design, they brought three accusations against the
Gospel Preachers : First, that they were Pranguis, or
Europeans ; an infamous set of people, who ought to be
hated by the whole nation. Secondly, that though they
had been long in the kingdom, and had the direction and
government of a great number of converts, they yet had
never paid the least thing to the King. Thirdly, that our
Missionaries had assassinated a Friar of another order,
which, they declared, had made them so odious to the
Pope, that he had refused to canonize Father John de
Brito, who fell a martyr to the faith in Marava. This
was a shocking and ridiculous calumny, the Friar being
then at Surat, on his return from Rome, where His Holi-
ness had made him a Bishop. But it was greatly to be
feared that the wretched apostates would succeed in get-
ting all the Gospel labourers banished the kingdom,
90 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
especially Father Bouchet, against whom they had a par-
ticular spite ; as they had offered to give the Prince
twenty thousand crowns, provided he would extirpate the
Christians.
" That zealous Missionary had first recourse to God, to
implore his protection; and then, in order to prevent those
pernicious designs from taking effect, he resolved to go
and salute the Prince Regent,* and implore his protection.
This was so bold a step, that no Missionary had ever pre-
sumed to take it, lest the colour of his face should betray
and discover him to be an European ; the Prince above
mentioned detesting Pranguis to such a degree, that, not-
withstanding his being engaged in a dangerous war, he
yet had dismissed from his service, not long before, some
very skilful gunners, (whose assistance, one would have
concluded, he absolutely wanted,) the moment he heard
they were Europeans.
" But Father Bouchet, putting his whole confidence in
the Almighty, prepared his presents, went to the city, and
proceeded to the palace, where he desired an audience of
the Prince, who governs under the Queen. This Regent's
conduct is so very sagacious and equitable, that he is sup-
posed to be the greatest Minister that ever governed
Madura.
" Yet Father Bouchet imagined that it would be impro-
per to appear before him, without observing the ceremo-
nial of the country ; that is, without making presents.
Those prepared by the Missionary were of no great value ;
but then they were of a new kind, and all he could
bestow. He had brought with him a terrestrial globe,
about two feet in diameter, on which the names of the
several kingdoms, provinces, coasts, and seas were written
in the Tarnul language ; another globe of glass, about
nine inches in diameter, cut within like mirrors ; some
Of Trichinopoly.
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 91
multiplying and burning glasses ; several Chinese curiosi-
ties sent him from Coromandel ; many bracelets of jet,
adorned with silver ; a cock, made with shells, very neatly
and skilfully wrought ; with several common looking-
glasses, and such curiosities as the Missionaries had pur-
chased, or had had presented to them. The Father also con-
cluded, it would be necessary to obtain the favour of some
of the courtiers, in order that they might speak in his be-
half, and procure him a favourable audience ; it being of the
utmost importance, both for the honour of religion, and
the good of the church of Madura, that the Doctors of the
holy law should be received with distinction the first time
they made their appearance at court ; a circumstance
which would enforce the authority of their ministry in the
minds of the common people, who obey implicitly the will
and inclinations of their Sovereign.
"The Father having thus taken all the prudent
measures he judged necessary in order to succeed in his
design, reposed the utmost confidence in God, in whose
hands are the hearts of Princes, to dispose of them at plea-
sure. He was not mistaken ; the Talavai, or Prince Regent,
receiving him with greater honour and distinction than he
could possibly have expected. The Prince not only rose
up the moment the Father appeared, but saluted him in
the same manner as disciples here salute their masters,
and the common people their lords ; which is performed
by joining both hands, and raising them to the forehead.
Father Bouchet, to maintain his character, and to return
this favourable reception, saluted the Prince as masters
do their disciples, by opening his hands and stretching
them towards the Prince by way of receiving him. The
Regent then caused the Missionary to sit down by him,
on a kind of sofa, with this mark of distinction, that
the sofa being too narrow for two persons to be seated
conveniently upon it, the Prince straitened himself, made
92 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
the Father sit by him, and even laid his knees on those
of the Father.
" A man must be well acquainted, as we are, with the
customs of this country, and with the natural detestation
which the natives of it, especially the Brahmans, bear to
the Europeans, to have a perfect idea of the very honour-
able reception which the Father met with on this occasion.
The Father himself was astonished at it, as likewise the
whole court, which was vastly numerous, there being that
day upwards of five hundred persons, the greatest part of
whom were Brahmans. The Father, being thus seated,
made his complaints. He then declared that he was come
from the north, from the mighty city of Rome, to instruct
the inhabitants of this kingdom in the Supreme Being,
and in his holy law ; that, having been, for several years,
a witness of his heroic actions, and the many victories he
had gained over his enemies, he was therefore desirous of
seeing so great a Prince, and imploring his protection in
favour of his ministry ; that, as one of the principal arti-
cles of the law inculcated by him obliged subjects to pay
the strictest obedience to their sovereigns, and to be
inviolably attached to them, he might be assured of his
fidelity, a duty which he did not fail earnestly to recom-
mend to all his disciples.
"The Prince replied, that the God he worshipped must
be very powerful, and deserved the highest honours, since
it had prompted so worthy a person to take so long a
voyage, solely in the view of making him known to a
people who had never heard of his name ; that his (the
Missionary's) pale cheeks plainly proved him to lead a
very mortified life ; and that the presents he brought with
him showed, that necessity had not forced him to quit
his native country. That he had already heard the most
advantageous particulars concerning his learning and good
sense. That as the multiplicity of his affairs would not
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 93
give him -leisure to understand, in the manner he could
wish, the explanation of the figures drawn so artfully on
the globe he had brought, he therefore had sent for the
most famous astrologer in the kingdom to discourse with
him upon it, in order that he might learn the uses of this
wonderful machine. That, perceiving among his presents
some things which could not fail of pleasing the Queen, he
therefore would leave him for a moment, and go and pre-
sent them to her Majesty with his own hand. The Prince
then rose up, and ordered some of the courtiers to take the
Father into the garden, and keep him company until his
return.
"As Father Bouchet had vanished from court, as it
were, and been led into the garden, a report prevailed in
the palace, and in the city, that he was seized and thrown
into prison. This news proved subject of triumph for
some little time to the enemies of our holy religion ; and
threw the Christians into the utmost consternation, who
waited with great uneasiness to hear the success of this
visit. However, their sorrow was soon changed into joy ;
for the Prince, at his return from the Queen's apartment,
received the Father, in the presence of the whole court,
with the same honours as are paid to Ambassadors ; he put
upon his head, in the form of a veil, a piece of gold bro-
cade, about eight feet long, and shed on him some sweet-
smelling waters ; after which he declared he was expressly
ordered by the Queen to grant him every tiling he desired.
" Had the Father then thought proper to insinuate a
word or two concerning the catechist apostates, who for
so many months had occasioned such disturbances, and
given so much scandal to his church, the Prince would
certainly have punished them severely, and perhaps
banished them the kingdom ; but the Missionary, animated
with the spirit of his Lord and Master, and calling to
mind that he was a Father, would not destroy his children,
I
94 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
though they had been so ungrateful and treacherous with
regard to Christ and his church. He therefore contented
himself with preventing, by his visitation, their doing any
further prejudice to the church, or imposing on the people
by calumnies or horrid accusations. For this reason,
after assuring the Prince that he retained the deepest
sense of his favours, he again begged his protection for
himself and his disciples ; assuring him, that they, in return
for all his goodness, would daily implore the Lord of
heaven and earth, whom they worshipped, to shower
down upon him his choicest blessings, and give him the
victory over his enemies. The Prince promised not to
forget him ; when, after saluting him in the same manner
as at first, he withdrew, commanding his officers to let
the Father be carried through every part of the city in
the first court-palankeen, to show the world that he
honoured this foreign doctor, and indulged him with his
protection.
" The modesty of Father Bouchet was put to a great
trial on this occasion. He combated with himself,
whether it were not incumbent on him to refuse the public
honour now offered him ; but, after pouring forth his heart
before the Lord, he imagined that it was necessary for his
glory, and the honour of the Christian religion, that all
the inhabitants of that capital should plainly see that the
Prince esteemed the religion he taught, and that it would
find a protector in him, when necessary. He therefore
got into the palankeen, and permitted the Indians to carry
him through every part of the city, with music playing
before him. This pomp soon drew numberless people
into the streets, through which he passed, who all saluted
him in the most respectful manner. The Christians,
who till now were afraid that the religion they professed
would be despised and censured by the Prince, crowded
after the Missionary with acclamations, and the highest
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 95
demonstrations of joy ; publishing aloud, that they were
Christians, and disciples of the foreign doctor. The suc-
cess of this kind of triumph strengthened the proselytes
in their faith, and prompted a great number of idolaters
to beg to be baptized. Not satisfied with carrying Father
Bouchet through the whole city of Trichinopoly, they
likewise conveyed him in this manner to the place of his
abode, which is about four leagues from the capital. The
moment he arrived there, he assembled the Christians in
the church, dedicated to the blessed virgin, that they
might all return thanks to God for this signal blessing.
"Though this aflair ended happily, yet the fatigues
Father Bouchet had undergone on this occasion threw
him into a fit of sickness, from which he was not well
recovered when I found him in Serhinne. We stayed there
but one day ; and the next went to Aoor, which is but a
short day's journey from thence. When Father Bouchet
first came into the Mission of Madura, about twelve years
ago, the Missionaries were under such fears, that they
never entered the villages except at night ; but, Heaven be
praised ! things are much altered for the better since that
time ; for we not only went to Aoor in open day, but
the Christians of the neighbouring towns, assembling to-
gether, received us with music and acclamations ; a circum-
stance which drew tears of joy from my eyes.
" Aoor is certainly the most considerable Mission now
in Madura, not only on account of its neighbourhood to
the capital of the kingdom, but also because there are
twenty-nine churches dependent on it, in which are com-
puted upwards of thirty thousand Christians, converted
by the Father Visitor."
Another instance of persecution, which ended tragically,
is mentioned by Father Santiago, in a letter addressed to
the provincial of Goa. He writes from Capinaghat, on
August 8th, 1711. He says,
96 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
" Father Dacimha was the first Missionary your reve-
rence sent into the Mission of Mysore since you governed
the province. The old church Father Dacunha had in the
dominions of the King of Cagonti, having been burnt by
the Mahometans, he designed to build one much larger.
He obtained leave of the chief of the town ; and, having
found a convenient place, began to erect the structure.
" Having as yet no house to live in, he took up his
lodgings in a wood, under a tree, where the Christians
had made him a small hut of the boughs of trees, in
which he might reside with some decency and comfort.
A multitude of Gentiles resorted thither to visit the
Missionary ; attracted partly by the good account they
had heard of him, and partly because they were charmed
with his discourses concerning religion. Many of them
were sensibly touched, and promised to embrace Chris-
tianity ; and some allowed their children to be baptized.
" Several Dasseris, disciples to the Gooroo, who is chief
in religious matters with the King of Cagonti, came from
him to the Missionary. The argument turned upon two
points : they denied the unity of God, and maintained
that God has a body.
" It was no difficult matter for the Missionary to con-
found them ; and their confusion gave pleasure to several
Gentiles of other sects who were present : most of them
were moved, and desired the Missionary to instruct
them. But the Dasseris, who had been so haughty
before the dispute, had not a word to say for themselves,
and went away, threatening the Father, that they would
soon revenge the affront done to them and their deities.
" The Christians being careful for the safety of their
Pastor, conjured him to pass the night in his old
church ; though there were only the walls half burnt
down remaining, because, being within the town, he
would be in less danger; but he valued not those
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
threats, but relied on the favourable reception he had
from the General of the King's forces, and the assurances
he had given him of protection.
" His new church being finished, he prepared to cele-
brate the Feast of the Ascension in it, not regarding the
plots the Dasseris were contriving against him. The
Christians being assembled, he said mass, which was the
first and last he said in that church.
" During the time of mass there came forty Dasseris
with banners and music. The Magistrate of the place,
who had given leave to open the church, sent for one of
the Christians, and dispatched him to the court, to
inform the General, and receive his orders. The Father,
after the mass, made a short exhortation to the Chris-
tians, encouraging them to suffer to the last in the cause
of Christ.
" By this time some of the Dasseris had placed them-
selves at the window, lest the Father should make his
escape. But the danger being equal, whether he went
or stayed, he chose to remain in the church, waiting the
General's answer.
"Before that could arrive, above sixty Dasseris, fol-
lowed by a great number of Brahmans, appeared before
the church-door ; and, meeting with no opposition, ran
at him. One of the Brahmans struck the Father across
the reins, which blow was followed by many others ;
some striking him with staves, others with butts of
spears, and others with swords. Had it not been for a
Brahman, who had been present at the dispute about the
unity of God, and who took the Father's part, he had
been killed at the foot of the altar. That Brahman was
not of the sect of the Dasseris, and perhaps had been
convinced of the truth.
" At last the Father was dragged before the Gooroo,
all wounded and bloody. That infidel was sitting on a
98 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
carpet, and showed as much pride and passion, as the
Missionary did constancy and humility. The Gooroo
first gave the Father some language of contempt, then
asked him who he was, whence he came, what language
he spoke, and what race he came of. The Father gave
him no answer ; and the Gooroo, attributing his silence
to his weakness, questioned the Catechist who stood by
the Father. He answered, that the Father was a
Kshatri, of the race of the Kshatris, or Rajahs, the
second in India.* Then the Gooroo proceeded to ques-
tions concerning religion, asking the Catechist, 'What
is God ? ' ' He is a Sovereign of infinite power,'
answered the Catechist. ' What do you mean by those
words?' added the Gooroo. The Catechist endeavoured
to satisfy him. They spent some time in these recip-
rocal questions and answers ; and, at length, the Cate-
chist said, that God was Lord of all things. 'What is
that Lord of all things ? I say again/ added the
Gooroo ; then the Father took upon himself to answer,
and said, ' He is a being of himself, independent, a
pure spirit, and most perfect.' The Gooroo laughed
aloud at these words, and rejoined, 'Yes, yes, I will
soon send you to see whether your God is nothing but a
pure spirit !' The Father answered, he would be
willing to demonstrate it to him, if he had a mind to
learn. The Gooroo was not ignorant of the success of
the former disputes, and feared to engage in another,
which would infallibly have turned to his confusion ;
and, therefore, satisfied himself with asking whether
Perumal of Tripetti was a god ; (that is an idol much
A specimen of the falsehoods the Jesuits taught their disciples
to utter, and by which they disgraced their character, and rendered
abortive the success for which they laboured and suffered with such
admirable constancy. He might with as much truth have affirmed,
that Father Dacunha was the Grand Seignior, or the Emperor of
Russia.
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MAD T JRA. 99
honoured in this country). The Father answered in the
negative. Therefore the Gooroo flew into a passion, and
caUed the Magistrate of the town to witness. He had
certainly put the Father to death on the spot, hut that
some Gentiles, being moved to compassion, conjured him
with tears to spare what little h'fe remained in the Mis-
sionary, and not to imbrue his hands in the small quan-
tity of blood still remaining in his veins.
"One of his converts, and two ancient Christians,
stood by him undaunted, and his Catechist received the
stroke of a scimitar. The chief of the Dasseris perceiv-
ing that the Brahmans, and the people who were not of
his sect, pitied the Missionary, commanded him imme-
diately to quit the country ; and no entreaties could pre-
vail, but he must be gone that night, and guards were
appointed to see him out of the kingdom. He lay that
night in a weak condition, in a village where there were
some Christians ; and was thence, with much difficulty,
removed to Capinaghat, the principal place of his resi-
dence.
"The Christians there sent an express to give me
notice of his condition. I repaired thither, and assisted
him ; but he died the eighteenth day after he had
received all that ill usage from the Brahmans, and the
Dasseris of Cagonti."
Dr. Buchanan visited one of the principal Stations
of the Madura Mission, (" Christian Researches," pp.
147, 148,) and makes some very appropriate remarks ;
and from his own observation confirms the view which it
has been felt a duty to give of its character and effects.
He says, " At the present time we see Popery in Europe
without dominion ; and hence it is viewed by the mere
philosopher with indifference or contempt. He is
pleased to see, that the ( seven heads and ten horns '
are taken away ; and thinks nothing of the ' names of
F 2
100 THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
blasphemy.' But, in the following pages, the author
will have to show what Rome is, as having dominion ;
and possessing it, too, within the boundaries of the
British empire.
" In passing through the Romish provinces in the East,
though the author had before heard much of the Papal
corruptions, he did not expect to see Christianity in the
degraded state in which he found it. Of the Priests it
may truly be said, that they are, in general, better
acquainted with the Veda of Brahma, than with the
Gospel of Christ. In some places, the doctrines of both
are blended. At Aughoor, (Aoor, the chief Station of
the Madura Mission,) situated between Trichinopoly and
Madura, he visited a Christian church, and saw near it,
in October, 1806, a tower of Juggernaut, (a ponderous
car in imitation of those used at heathen temples,) which
is employed in solemnizing the Christian festivals. The
old Priest Josephus accompanied him to the spot, and
while he surveyed the idolatrous car and its painted
figures, the Priest gave him a particular account of the
various ceremonies which are performed, seemingly
unconscious himself of any impropriety in them. The
author went with him afterwards into the church, and
seeing a book lying on the altar, opened it ; but the
reader may judge of his surprise, when he found it was a
Syriae volume, and was informed, that the Priest himself
was a descendant of the Syrian Christians, and belonged
to what is now called the Syro-Roman Church, the
whole service of which is in Syriae. Thus, by the inter-
vention of Papal power, are the ceremonies of Moloch
consecrated, in a manner, by the sacred Syriae language.
What a heavy responsibility lies on Rome for having thus
corrupted and degraded that pure and ancient Church !"
The conformity to heathen practices which Dr.
Buchanan found at Aoor, may be seen throughout the
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 101
worship of the Church of Rome in India. At the prin-
cipal Romish Mission Stations, it is usual for them to
have a car, in imitation of those used by the Hindoos, on
which the image is placed, and taken in procession on
festival occasions. In the intervals it stands near the
church, under shelter of a thatched roof, which is
removed when it is required ; and then the car is
adorned with drapery, banners, garlands of flowers, &c. ;
and the attendance on the image is with a pomp as
nearly like that of Heathenism as circumstances will
allow. The procession is accompanied with the dis-
charge of rockets and crackers ; a practice which is also
borrowed from the Heathen, but in the frequent use of
which the Romanists now exceed them. And their wor-
ship is rendered the more imposing and attractive to
the poor natives, by dramatic exhibitions, in which also
they have imitated the Hindoos.
Father Martin says, " The persecutions which broke
out against the Christians of Cootoor detained me in
Coonampettah, as I observed in my former letter.
" On Saturday evening I got ready a, small triumphant
chariot, which we adorned with pieces of silk, flowers,
and fruit. On it was placed an image representing our
Saviour risen from the dead ; and the chariot was thrice
drawn in triumph round the church, several instruments
playing at the same time. The festival was greatly
heightened by illuminations, lustres, sky-rockets, and
several other fire-works, in which the Indians excel.
Then verses were spoken or chanted by the Christians,
in honour of our Saviour's triumphing over death and
hell.
" Such multitudes, both of Christians and Heathen,
crowded on this occasion, that the yard round the church
was scarce able to contain them. They were seen, by
the lights, sitting on the boughs of trees, planted in the
102 THE JKSUIT MISSION IN MADURA.
above-mentioned yard ; and seemed like so many Zac-
cheuses, whose curiosity prompted them to ascend over
the heads of their brethren, in order to view the image of
Him whom that happy publican was worthy of receiving
personally into his house. The chief personage of the
settlement, his whole family, and the rest of the Heathen
who assisted in the procession, fell prostrate thrice before
the image of our Saviour risen from the dead ; and wor-
shipped him in such a manner as, very happily, blended
them indiscriminately with the most fervent Christians."
Such were the miserable triumphs for which the
Jesuits laboured and suffered. And such were the first
impressions of Christianity given to the natives of India.
It is no wonder that they learned habitually to despise
its teachers and professors, and that the difficulty of
bringing them to a knowledge of the truth is greatly
increased.
Father Martin continues his narrative : " But now the
reservoir of Coonampettah being entirely drained, I re-
solved to retire to Elacoorichi ; but thought to travel first
to Aoor, in order to confer with the Missionaries on cer-
tain particulars which gave me uneasiness. I there met
with Fathers Bouchet and Carvalho, almost exhausted by
the toils which had oppressed them during a month.
The festival of Easter had never been solemnized with so
much magnificence, nor with so vast a concourse of peo-
ple. The Indians are extremely fond of poetry. Father
Bouchet had caused to be represented in verse, David's
triumph over Goliath ; this piece being a continual alle-
gory of the victory which Christ gained, in his resurrec-
tion, over the powers of hell. The whole was instructive,
and strongly affected the spectators."
At this celebration, however, it appears that the
Fathers forgot their usual caution. Goliath was repre-
sented by Perumal, the elephant-headed god of the Hin-
THE JESUIT MISSION IN MADURA. 103
doos. Some who were in attendance were greatly scan-
dalized to see Perumal lose his head by the hand of a
youth, and complained to the native Prince. " Is it not
a shame," said they, " that you should entertain in your
dominions a stranger, who makes it his only business to
destroy the worship of our gods ? He spares neither
labour, nor expense, nor festivals, to raise his religion on
the ruin of ours. He seems by the multitude of his
disciples to give laws to you in your own territories ; the
very Gentiles are devoted to him ; more people resorted
to his last festival than were requisite to subdue a whole
kingdom. Besides, that foreign doctor has publicly
affronted our gods. What can be more insulting than to
represent to an innumerable multitude of people, a young
lad cutting off the head of our god Perumal ? Even
those who profess our religion are so infatuated by that
stranger, that they applaud him, and clap their hands,
when they see our gods dishonoured. If you are so
mean-spirited as to permit him any longer on your lands,
we have resolved to expel him ourselves by force."
In consequence of this representation, they were com-
manded to quit the territory within three days. But by
the promise of certain presents, and on the condition that
they abstained from such exhibitions in future, they were
allowed to remain.
The inteUigent reader will require no additional parti-
culars to enable him to judge of the character and value
of the much-boasted Jesuit Mission in Madura, pro-
claimed by the Romish Church as the noblest in the
world.
104 HINDERANCES TO THE
CHAPTER VIII.
HINDERANCES TO THE SPREAD OF
CHRISTIANITY.
THE journey down the coast from Madras to Negapa-
tam has given us the opportunity of becoming acquainted
to some extent with the Missionary operations of the
Portuguese and French, the Danes and the Dutch. The
details, though brief, are important ; and demand serious
reflection and inquiry. The speedy, and numerically
large, result of these older Missions, Protestant as well
as Romish, is a most striking fact. It must be granted,
that the Missionaries were earnest, laborious, and perse-
vering men. Different motives may have entered into
the elements of their zeal. Some may have persevered
with the earnestness of men who have devoted their lives
to the accomplishment of an object. Others may have
had in view the wider acknowledgment of the Pope's
supremacy, or the advance of their own reputation by the
increase of the church. Others, no doubt, were impelled
by the love of Christ their Saviour, and pity for the
perishing souls of men, and accounted no sacrifice too
great, no exertion too laborious, which should rescue the
Heathen from their abominable idolatries, and acquaint
them with the great and saving truths of the Gospel.
This we know to have been the case with many of the
Protestant Missionaries ; their lives, as witnessed by their
colleagues and converts, and the writings they have left
behind them, testify to this fact. Various also were the
means which were used by the Missionaries to increase
the number of their followers. The Portuguese used
their power and political influence in behalf of the Church
of Rome. The French Missionaries dazzled and won the
SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY. 105
hearts of the people by gaudy pageants, processions, fire-
works, and dramas on sacred subjects. The Protestant
Missionaries directed the attention of the people to the
word of God. They addressed the conscience and the
understanding, and with prayers and tears besought them
to be reconciled to God. But whatever the means which
were used, it is a fact, that in the early Missions, both
Romish and Protestant, there was a proportionately greater
number of the Hindoos who yielded to the persuasives
against their own religion and in favour of another, than
is found to be the case in either the Romish or Protestant
Missions of the present day. Tens of thousands of Hin-
doos, of all ranks, from the Brahman down to the lowest
caste, embraced the profession of Christianity ; and it is
not too much perhaps to conclude, that, had no interrup-
tion been given to the process, the whole of the south of
India would by this time have been at least nominally
Christian. In no Heathen country did the Missionaries
find more willing converts, or experience greater success,
than in India. It is true, we may search in vain for
spiritual religion among the Romish converts ; and it
may be granted also, that some of the Protestant converts
were only babes in religion, and, with ah 1 their sincerity,
were little acquainted with the work of divine grace in
the heart, and would hardly have been considered suitable
members of the church, according to the standard at pre-
sent maintained by the evangelical denominations of this
country : still they were separated from the mass of
Heathenism, and estranged from its worship and many of
its worst practices, and they acknowledged the name and
the authority of Christ. They were thus, to a great
extent, equal to a majority of the inhabitants of Christian
Europe.
To what, then, is the subsequent tardy progress of
Christianity in India to be attributed ?
F 5
106 HINDRANCES TO THE
In the first place, it must be borne in mind, that the
Protestant Missionaries of the present day are very care-
ful not to add to the number of natives who merely
profess Christianity. Whilst they "plant" infant
churches, and exercise their spiritual husbandry with
all the zeal and ability they can command, they are
resolved to have only as " increase " that which " God
giveth." They determine to use no methods of conver-
sion, but the word of God and prayer, which, as the
divinely appointed means, they know will be accom-
panied by the blessing of God ; they receive none as
converts without scrutinizing the motives of their pro-
fession, and inquiring into the state of their consciences
and hearts. The American Missionaries, when I con-
versed with them, would not admit any adult to baptism,
whom they would not have considered eligible to Chris-
tian communion, at the Lord's table, on the same day.
The Wesleyans do not baptize a candidate unless he
afford proof of a work of divine grace upon his heart
by amendment of life, repentance towards God, and an
earnest desire for the blessings of redemption in Christ,
and whom they would, therefore, admit or continue as a
probationer for membership in the church. The Mis-
sionaries of the Church of England, and of the London
Missionary Society, whom I have known, have been
equally strict; and thus have modern Missionaries
guarded the entrance to the church, and shown their
respect for its spiritual character and purity : they have,
by their ministry and writings, published the Gospel
more widely among the Hindoos than any of their prede-
cessors ; they have proclaimed the willingness and power
of Christ to receive and to save all men ; but
they have also been careful that none should prac-
tise a deception upon themselves or others by a pro-
fession of Christianity, without a knowledge of its
SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY. 107
principles, and some experience of its spiritual and vital
energy. It may be easily imagined how the adoption of
such a standard for the reception of candidates would
deter many from making appli cation for baptism, and
would reduce the number of those who should finally be
received. On this system there can be no large accession
to the church except as God may be pleased to pour out
his Holy Spirit to awaken the idolatrous natives to a
sense of their spiritual wretchedness and danger, and
" to convince them of sin, of righteousness, and of judg-
ment." And it is better for the world and the church
that it should be so, rather than that whole classes and
tribes of men, as in the times of the Portuguese power,
should be coerced into Christianity, or should assume the
profession of it for the sake of civil protection or worldly
advantage, and continue in the state of darkness and
spiritual death in which they were before they were bap-
tized. There is a danger concerning such men, that
" their last state should be worse than the first."
Another cause of the slow progress of Christianity
among the Hindoos may be found in the deceptions
formerly practised among them, under the name of
Christianity, as already described in the account of the
Jesuit Mission in Madura, and the disgrace it has con-
tinually to bear by the introduction of the idolatries and
corruptions of Rome, and by the open profligacy and
immorality of many upon whom the name of Christ has
been called. The Hindoos plead Romish idolatry as an
excuse for their own ; and can with justice argue, that
their morals are as good as those of many who are
called Christians.
But it cannot be doubted, that the progress of Chris-
tianity in India has been mainly retarded by the man-
ner in which all matters connected with religion have
been administered by the English Government. As a
108 HINDRANCES TO THE
nation, the British have failed of their duty to their
Hindoo fellow-subjects.
Other European powers encouraged Missionary opera-
tions for the conversion of the Hindoos on the part of
their respective churches, and to the full extent of their
influence among the people ; they preferred to employ
men who professed Christianity, in offices of honour and
responsibility ; they gave no encouragement to Hindoo-
ism, showed no respect to its festivals or Priests, and
took no interest in the appointment of its officers, and
the management of its revenues. If, in some cases, they
cared little for Christianity, they cared less for the mum-
meries and abominations of Hindoo idolatry. In conse-
quence, in those parts of the country which were
governed by Europeans, Heathenism was abashed, and
the profession of Christianity was considered honourable.
The policy of the British Government has been very
different. They wisely, perhaps, banished some of the
Romish Priests from their territory ; neither they nor
their followers could be safely trusted by the English,
from their known adhesion to the Portuguese or French
interests. But it is difficult to decide whether folly or
wickedness had the greater part in the enactment which
provided, that no natives (except Hindoo idolaters and
Mahommedans) were eligible for employment in any
office of trust or responsibility ; and one can scarcely
imagine any mode of proceeding more directly calculated
to bind for ever the chains of superstition and idolatry
on their subjects than that which the British Govern-
ment adopted. They have had settlements in India more
than two hundred years ; and yet they practically, if
not literally, forbade any English Missionary to visit
them until a period within our own recollection. They
discouraged the communication of Christian knowledge
to the Hindoos ; they refused to native Christians
SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY. 100
admission to the ranks of the army, or to employment
in any civil capacity ; they attended Hindoo festivals,
and contributed largely to make them more splen-
did and imposing ; they managed the appointment
and promotion of the officers of Hindoo temples,
and economized and enlarged their revenues. In short,
they frowned on Christianity, and cherished and abet-
ted Hindoo institutions and idolatries. These prin-
ciples they carried out in organizing the most exten-
sive armies in the world, in the administration of
law throughout every town and village in the land, in
their systems of revenue and police which permeate the
entire of their vast empire, and in the thousand unde-
finable methods by which a despotic government can act
upon a sensitive and submissive people. The conse-
quence is, that Hindooism, which a century ago was
easily shaken off, either in part or entirely, for the pro-
fession of another religion, has, by the sanction and
support of the British Government, deepened its hold on
the minds and habits of the people. To this deplorable
cause, combined with others already suggested, may be
attributed much of the callous indifference and hatred to
Christianity manifested by the present race of Hindoos ;
and the task of the Missionary is rendered more difficult.
If these proceedings were not sanctioned by the British
nation, they were at least permitted and connived at ;
and the consequences are not the less disastrous to the
spiritual interests of the Hindoos, than if they had
resulted from direct legislation. How great, then, is our
national responsibility ; how urgent the obligation to do
more for India than for any other heathen country !
There is much mischief to be undone, as well as much
good to be accomplished. It is impossible for English-
men to be too liberal, too laborious, too zealous, for the
conversion of the Hindoos, injured as they have been by
our criminal patronage of idolatry and superstition.
110 NEGAPATAM.
CHAPTER IX.
OCTOBER, 1820, TO FEBRUARY, 1821.
NEGAPATAM.
I REACHED Negapatam on Wednesday, the 1st of
November, having been eight days in travelling one
hundred and eighty miles, and was glad to quit my
palankeen. Mr. Squance received me with every demon-
stration of affection : in his society, and that of his
family and other residents in Negapatam, I found some
recompence for the journey, and for my separation
from my friends in Madras ; and could require no other
relaxation from my studies and labours while resident
there.
The first European occupants of Negapatam (in Tamul,
Naga patnam, or "Serpent-Town") were the Portuguese.
They erected the fort ; and the number of Romish
churches in and about Negapatam attest the assiduity
with which they propagated their faith among the na-
tives. According to an official return obtained in 1840,
it appears that, in the district of Tanjore, about seventy
miles from east to west, and about the same from north
to south, of which Negapatam is the chief European
station, there are one hundred and forty-six Roman
churches, and twenty thousand eight hundred and eighty-
two professors of the Romish faith ; of whom eleven
hundred and forty-two are Mirasdars, or principal renters
of land, and two thousand five hundred and eighty-seven
small farmers under them.
The Dutch took forcible possession of Negapatam in
1658, and in 1690 removed hither the seat of their
NEGAPATAM. Ill
Indian Government from Pulicat. In 1758 the British
applied to the Dutch in Negapatam for a loan of money
to assist them in raising the siege of Madras ; but as they
would make no advance except on terms which implied a
loss of twenty-five per cent., their assistance was dispensed
with.
The famous Dutch Missionary, Philip Baldseus, visited
Negapatam in July, 1 660 ; and, preaching in the Portu-
guese and Dutch languages, attempted a reformation
both of religion and manners. In this good work he
was aided by another Minister, whose name was Fronti-
nius. Among those who succeeded Baldseus was Natha-
nael de Pape, or Baup, who, having made himself
acquainted with the Tamul and Portuguese languages,
laboured diligently for the propagation of Christianity.
Until within a few years of my residence in Negapatam,
a venerable Dutch Minister was in the habit of making
an annual visit, to preach and administer the sacraments,
and to confirm the catechumens.
The town of Negapatam is large and populous. The
fort, which was extensive, has been destroyed, and the
materials sold and shipped away : the ditch, the mound,
and the glacis remain, and, when I last saw them, they
were nearly covered with the indigo plant. The burial-
ground, within the bounds of the fort, though neglected,
presents some curious and affecting monuments to worth
and talent, both ancient and modern. Among the
present inhabitants of Negapatam are many families of
English, French, Dutch, and Portuguese descent ; but
the bulk of the population consists of Hindoos and
Mahommedans. The principal streets are broad and
airy ; but others are so narrow, that three persons can
scarcely walk abreast. Heathen temples abound in it.
It contains some remains of the former prevailing system
of Buddhu : in one of the streets is a well-executed
112 NEtUPATAM.
sculpture of Buddhu, full size, and seated as though in
meditation. Outside the town is a high tower, usually
called the Tzina, or " Silver Pagoda," concerning which
the traditions are many and contradictory : that which
attributes its erection to the Chinese, appears to favour
the notion of its having formed part of a Buddhist
temple. It is constructed of red bricks, quite smooth,
and of a small size ; with so little cement, that it has
been disputed whether any at all had been used : an
intelligent native of the place, who was with me when
I examined this building, said that a cement had been
used, consisting entirely of the earth thrown up by the
white ants in forming their mounds and cells ; that this
earth had been ground into a fine paste, and used as a
cement between each brick. The tower is so lofty, as
to be the first object visible at sea, and was used by
the Dutch for their flag-staff. I have been concerned to
hear a report, which I hope is untrue, that preparations
were making to take it down. The old Dutch church is
one of the chief indications that remain of the former
importance of the place : the English residents assemble
in it for divine service, conducted by our Missionary,
every Sunday morning ; but the tones of the organ, which
must at one time have been a fine instrument, are now
too broken to be awakened for the purposes of devotion.
The amount of the population of Negapatam has been
variously computed, and, as is the case throughout
India, is difficult to be ascertained ; the lowest calcula-
tion I remember to have heard was, that it contained
thirty thousand inhabitants. The English residents of
Negapatam, chiefly in the service of Government, civil
or military, occupy houses of a good size and construc-
tion, opposite the Fort, and in gardens a mile or two
distant to the north-west. The best road out of the
town is that leading towards Tanjore, the capital of the
NEGAPATAM. 113
ancient kingdom of which Negapatam forms a part ; hut
the favourite morning's walk and evening's drive is round
the Fort, and along the sea-beach.
A few days sufficed to introduce me to the objects of
our labours, and the circle of our acquaintance of all
classes. The English congregations, both morning and
afternoon, were respectable and attentive. The Portu-
guese services, on Sunday and Thursday evenings, held
by Mr. Squance in our own house, were well attended ;
and gave promise of results whicli have been fully real-
ized. Among the Heathens and Mahommedans, little
had been accomplished : it would have been vain to
expect them to assemble for instruction in places of
Christian worship ; and, until a spirit of inquiry could be
excited amongst them, we could not expect them to visit
us in our own houses, for conversation on the subject of
religion.
My zealous fellow-labourer, Mr. Squance, adopted a
plan for the excitement of inquiry, and the diffusion of
Christian knowledge, among the natives, in which I was
happy to join him. In Negapatam are several choul-
tries ; and there is scarcely a village among those which
abound on every side that does not possess one of
these buildings. He determined to make trial of these
choultries, as places of preaching or conversation with
the natives. We proceeded to one of them ; and, after a
crowd had been drawn together by our singing a verse in
Tamul, Mr. Squance addressed them in that language,
and read portions of the New Testament. The attention
of the people encouraged us to try other places on subse-
quent evenings ; and at length we selected seven of the
most promising choultries, to be visited in rotation on
each successive evening of the week. I myself occasion-
ally addressed these crowds, by means of a young native
Christian, who acted as interpreter ; and have witnessed
114 NEGAPATAM.
among them a seriousness and attention corresponding
with the importance of the subjects of my discourse, and
the solemnity of the feelings of my own mind. Tracts
were inquired for, and distributed by us, with portions of
the Scriptures. On this plan, we found no difficulty in
assembling native congregations ; and I was never more
satisfied that I was in my proper work, than when
engaged in choultry-preaching.
The Wesleyan Mission in Negapatam has led to the
establishment of other Stations in the Tanjore country.
The Rev. Thomas Cryer has charge of a Mission at
Manaargoody and Melnattam, to the south-west of Nega-
patam, and pays a visit every three months to Trichi-
nopoly, where there is a society and congregation. At
Trivoloor also, fifteen miles west of Negapatam, a com-
mencement has been made under circumstances of consi-
derable promise.
The chief part of my time in Negapatam was occupied
in the study of Tamul. In this I was assisted by the
young man just alluded to, and another who attended
when required : the opportunity of referring to my col-
league in any case of difficulty was of great service and
encouragement to me. The Grammar I was tolerably
master of; the sounds, and idioms, and a ready supply
of suitable words, were what I required. To obtain
these, I devoted several hours of each day to study : I
read much aloud, sentence by sentence, after my Teacher,
imitating his method of pronunciation and accent ; and
then required him to listen and correct me whilst I read
alone. I continued for some months to form a vocabu-
lary of the new words I met with in reading ; and which
I made use of in my attempts to speak or to write. As
my studies suffered little interruption, I soon understood
the translation of the New Testament, and could read easy
compositions. Within seven months after my arrival in
NEGAPATAM. 115
India, I had composed, with the assistance and correc-
tions of my Teacher, two sermons in Tamul.
In our evening excursions we several times visited
Nagore, a town on the coast, about four miles to the
north of Negapatam, chiefly famous for its commerce and
its mosques. Native vessels of a large size, from the
opposite coasts of Malacca, Acheen, and Pegu, were often
to be seen in the roads. Arab ships sometimes visit it ;
and I was told that constant communication is main-
tained with Mecca. The trade appeared to be entirely in
the hands of the Mahommedan natives. Nagore being
the burial-place of a Mahommedan saint of great cele-
brity, whose tomb is visited by pilgrims, and to whose
honour an annual feast is held, is regarded as a holy
place in this part of India ; so much so, that the late
Nabob of Arcot made a pilgrimage to it from Madras.
Its mosques are extensive, and its minarets are the high-
est and most beautiful I ever saw : one of them is twelve
stories high. We saw there a fine cassawary, kept in
one of the mosques as a curiosity : it had probably been
brought from Java : the natives assured us that it would
eat fire. After we had several times visited this place,
our assistant, a native of Ceylon, ventured to go alone to
address the people. He returned in a dreadful fright,
having been rudely used by the inhabitants, and narrowly
escaped being stoned : he had sustained no injury ; but
his alarm made him unwell for some days.
At Christmas, and the commencement of the year, Mr.
Squance and his family were quite troubled by the num-
ber of natives who appeared with small presents to offer
the compliments of the season.
In the month of January, I witnessed, for the first
time, the annual Hindoo festival of Mauttoo Pungul, or
boiling of rice, &c., to the honour of cattle. At this
season, bullocks for draught or carriage, though not
116 NEGAPATAM.
generally treated with kind consideration, have their
horns fancifully painted and adorned with garlands. I
saw a large herd of them collected into a circle, standing
quite unconscious of the respect paid to them by a num-
ber of men who marched round them to the sound of the
tarei, a long trumpet, and at intervals prostrated them-
selves on the ground, as though praying for remission of
the guilt of their cruelties and ill usage at other times.
It appeared to me, on this and similar occasions, that the
people attach little or no meaning to their observances,
but practise them chiefly because they are ancient and
established usages. In the multiplicity of their ceremo-
nies and objects of worship, they are " without God " so
far as the heart and judgment are concerned.
Towards the close of the month of February, I had
again the pleasure of seeing my colleague and companion
in misfortune, Mr. Mowat. Mr. Lynch and he travelled
by land from Madras to Negapatam,* on their way to
Jaffna, in Ceylon, where the annual meeting of the Wes-
leyan Missionaries of the Tamul District was to be held.
Mr. Squance and myself joined the party ; and, having
engaged a small vessel to convey us to Jaffna, we em-
barked on Wednesday, February 21st. The vessel was
too small to allow of much comfort : my only accommo-
dation was the deck, on which I slept during the night,
wrapped up in a boat-cloak ; or, if awake, enjoyed the
clear moonlight, and was soothed and amused by the
song of the helmsman, by which, in the softest tones of
the Tamul language, he seemed to woo the wind. On
Friday, the 23d, we landed at Kaites ; and on the evening
They performed the journey to Negapatam on horseback : the
exposure to heavy dews, to wet feet and legs from fording the rivers,
and to the direct rays of the sun, with the other inconveniences and
fatigues of such a journey, proved very detrimental to Mr. Mowat,
who did not recover from the ill effects for several months.
NEGAPATAM. 117
of the same day, proceeded in two small boats up the
shallow strait of the sea which divides the province of
Jaffna from the rest of the Island of Ceylon ; and arrived
late at night in Jaffnapatam.
That regulation of Methodism, which requires the
annual assembling of its Ministers from different points
of the same District, is of especial advantage in foreign
lands. On most Stations, the members of our societies
are comparatively few ; and the number of those who can
enter into the feelings of a Missionary, assist his coun-
sels, and solve his difficulties, is fewer still. If he were
entirely debarred from personal intercourse with others of
the same views and pursuits, he must be superior to the
common infirmities of human nature, if his sympathies
be not deadened, and the lively interest wherewith he
commenced his labours considerably weakened. The
interchange of thoughts and counsels, therefore, and the
opportunities of mutual addresses and prayers, on these
occasions, which have their results in the freshness and
vigour with which each Missionary returns to his Station
and his work, are advantages, in my estimation, as valuable
as the professed object of a District-Meeting, the trans-
action of public business.
We were affectionately received by the Rev. Joseph
Roberts, and our other brethren in Jaffna, and by those
from Point Pedro and Trincomallee. Mr. Mooyaart, one
of the Magistrates, hospitably entertained Mr. Mowat and
myself during our stay of more than a fortnight.
118 JAFFNA.
CHAPTER X.
MARCH, 1821.
JAFFNA.
IN the Island of Ceylon, and particularly in the north-
ern part of it, the Portuguese Missionaries appear to have
had few obstacles to contend with in carrying out their
plans. Little short of the whole population embraced
the profession of Christianity ; and on every hand to this
day are to be seen the remains of large and substantial
stone-built churches, and in some cases so near to each
other as to excite astonishment that there could have
been a population to render them necessary. The Dutch
Survey of 1784 lays down about sixty churches in the
province of Jaffna; thirty-seven of which were built by
the Portuguese, and were afterwards repaired or re-
erected by the Dutch. Several of these churches have
since been restored and occupied by the American and
Wesleyan Missionaries. It is said that the converts
made by Francis Xavier's Missionaries about 1650, had
to endure severe persecution from the native Governor
of Jaffna.
It would appear, however, that the Romish Mission-
aries were satisfied with something less than a consistent
profession of Christianity : as in other Missions in India,
and other parts of the world, they allowed or connived at
the continuance and practice of Heathen rites ; the dis-
tinction of caste was permitted and even encouraged ; so
that at the moment the outward motives for the profes-
sion of Christianity were withdrawn, the converts were
prepared to relapse into Heathenism. It is to be feared
JAFFNA. 119
that few of them were made sensible of the sin and peril
of idolatry, or had any adequate knowledge of the bless-
ings of redemption in the Lord Jesus, to be received
through faith in his blood. The story of Donna Caterina,
Queen of Kandy, affords ground for hope that there may
have been some whom the blessed Spirit of God led to
the exercise of saving faith in Christ. For the particulars
of her story, as for many other of the facts and details
introduced in this edition, I am indebted to Walther's
Tamul Historia Ecclesiastica, published in Tranquebar in
1735. Walther's account is as follows :
"In 1612, the Dutch sent one Bouchaver as ambassa-
dor to the King of Kandy, and a treaty was agreed on
between them on the llth of April. The King, however,
would not permit Bouchaver to depart, but detained him
as one of his Ministers. In the following year, on the
20th of July, the Queen, Donna Caterina, died. She
was of royal descent, and had been baptized in her
infancy, and educated in the knowledge of Christianity
by the Portuguese, who were at that time very powerful
in Ceylon. She had, however, relapsed into Heathenism
when elevated to the royal dignity. As she lay sick, she
sent for Bouchaver, and said to him, ' It is a great afflic-
tion to me now, that, though a Christian and well-
instructed, I have worshipped idols, and offered sacrifice
to devils : many fiends are now prepared to destroy me ! '
Bouchaver encouraged her ; he said, ' You must pray to
God to have mercy upon your soul, for the sake of the
Lord Jesus.' She replied, ' I am a Christian : I will pray,
I will repeat after you ! ' He then pronounced the Lord's
Prayer and the Apostles' Creed, which she repeated after
him ; she then exclaimed, ' Christ, save me ! I come,
Lord ; graciously preserve my soul ! ' And thus she
died in the thirty-fifth year of her age."
The Dutch took the Island of Manaar, and the pro-
120 JAFFNA.
vince of Jaffna, from the Portuguese, in 1658. Bal-
daeus, the Missionary, immediately commenced his
labours among the people. He found them wretchedly
ignorant, though professing Christianity. Vast numbers
had been baptized on their repeating certain formulas,
without having, in any respect, been instructed in their
meaning, or in any of the doctrines of Christianity.
The Dutch appear to have entered heartily upon the
work of teaching these nominal Christians. In 1688
they had five Ministers in Jaffna, who had one hundred
and thirty thousand three hundred and ninety-four per-
sons under their care. In 1729 it was reported, that, in
the Districts of Colombo, Colpetty, and Negombo, there
were thirty-nine thousand nine hundred and fifty-five
Christians ; in Galle and Matura, seventy-four thousand
and thirty-four, Singhalese and Tamul ; in Jaffna, Trin-
comallee, Batticaloa, and Manaar, one hundred and
eighty-seven thousand one hundred and thirty-three ; in
Ternati, Makkia, and Vakkia, islands of the Moluccas,
seven hundred and eighteen ; and in the Celebes,
eighteen thousand five hundred and fifty. The Dutch
East-India Company supported teachers of religion in all
these places, at an annual expense exceeding thirty thou-
sand pagodas, or more than ten thousand pounds
sterling.
From the year 1796, when the British took possession
of Ceylon, for nearly twenty years there appears to have
been little attention paid to the religious state of the
natives. The Chaplains limited their attention to the
British inhabitants ; and one or two Dutch Ministers, who
traversed the island with commendable zeal, found suffi-
cient employment for their energies among those who
spoke the Dutch and Portuguese languages. The poor
natives were as sheep having no shepherd. The conse-
quence was, that they rapidly relapsed into heathen
JAFFNA. 121
idolatry. A generation grew up unbaptized and unin-
structed, in the place of those who had been at least
nominally Christian. The churches erected by the Por-
tuguese, which had been occupied and kept in repair by
the Dutch, now fell into ruin ; and, in the country parts
of the province of Jaffna, the work of conversion of the
natives from Heathenism had to be recommenced. In
1814 the Rev. Messrs. Lynch and Squance began their
Tamul studies and labours in the town of Jaffna ; and
in 1816 the American Missionaries arrived, and were
directed to those parts of the District where the popu-
lation and the ruined churches were most numerous.
After our District-Meeting had closed, I passed an
interesting day in visiting the Stations of the American
Missionaries. I found them industriously engaged in
repairing some of the old Portuguese churches and
houses, and in calling the attention of the natives about
them to the great truths of Christianity.
Their discipline is Congregational : they place them-
selves at a Station with no intention ever to remove ;
distant from any other society, they devote their time
and attention exclusively to the natives ; take as many
children as they can support, into their own houses, to
be educated in Christian principles, and general know-
ledge ; and, when I saw them, they expressed hopes of
success, which have since been, in some measure, realized.
Their characters and operations commanded my respect ;
and I heartily wished them " good luck in the name of
the Lord."
Our own Missionaries in Jaffna have been laborious ;
and God has blessed their exertions. When I was there,
a society had been formed for some years ; the congre-
gations were numerous and respectable ; and so great
was the change that had taken place in the general cha-
racter of the town since their arrival, that a gay visitor
6
122 JAFFNA.
complained, that formerly there was music and dancing
in every street ; but now, wherever he went, there was
singing and prayer. Subscriptions were then on foot
towards the erection of a new chapel, which has since
been completed. An extensive establishment of schools
is connected with this Mission.
The Rev. Peter Percival, who succeeded Mr. Roberts
in the Jaffna Mission, and is still (in 1844) its Superin-
tendent, has been very successful in the organization,
on the Mission premises, of a connected range of schools
for the education of natives, both male and female, from
early childhood until they are prepared for the active
duties of life. Several valuable Agents and Assistants
in the Mission have been prepared and instructed in
these establishments ; and a still greater number, who
have been thus educated, are filling respectable and use-
ful stations in their several spheres of life. The influ-
ence of these schools, and of those of the other Missions
in Jaffna, on the native population is very observable, in
the higher degree of intelligence and courtesy which
they manifest. The publication of a newspaper in the
Tamul language, for the diffusion of general knowledge
among native readers, and of a monthly magazine, are
indications of progress of a very pleasing character. The
vigorous prosecution of this Mission cannot fail, by the
blessing of God, to be rewarded with the early extension
of Christianity throughout the whole province.
The prejudices of the heathen natives of Jaffna and its
neighbourhood are said to be weaker than those of the
natives of Continental India; though their religion and
ceremonies in this northern part of Ceylon are substan-
tially the same,* their regard for the distinctions of caste
Brahmanical ; in other parts of Ceylon, the system of Buddhu
prevails.
JAFFNA. 123
is trifling. The climate is good, the town neat and
pleasing in appearance, and the people very affectionate.
But I was glad to leave it for my own scene of labour.
We returned down the shallow arm of the sea, and
embarked in the evening of March 12th, to re-cross the
straits, in a Jcalla-dhoney, an open boat of about twenty
feet long, and eight feet in breadth, over part of which a
shed of palmyra leaves was constructed, to screen us from
the heat of the day, and the dews of the night.
The following morning, about two o'clock, I was
aroused from sleep by the roaring of the wind and sea, and
the violent motion of our little bark : the sky gathered
blackness ; the stars, our only guide, became obscured ;
the lightning flashed every two or three seconds ; and
there were strong indications of a fearful storm. The
native passengers seemed apprehensive of danger, and I
heard them praying to their gods ; but the seamen,
natives also, kept their presence of mind, and managed
the boat exceedingly well. In a short time it was neces-
sary to take down one of our two sails : the sea rolled
tremendously, often threatening to overwhelm us. We
got several slight sprinklings of it, till, at length, a wave
actually broke in upon us. The natives shrieked with
terror ; my mattress and clothes were entirely drenched,
and my companions were not in much better circum-
stances. The seamen, however, attended to their duty ;
the wind moderated, and by sunrise the storm subsided,
leaving us a favourable breeze, which enabled us to make
Negapatam at seven in the evening, when we landed,
thankful for our preservation, and alive to the import-
ance of the work before us.
Mr. Lynch proceeded immediately to Madras ; but
Mr. Mowat, whose delicate state of health required rest
and medical advice, remained with me a fortnight.
G 2
124 TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY.
CHAPTER XI.
APRIL, 1821.
TANJOEE AND TRICHINOPOLY.
SOME doubts having been expressed in our District-
Meeting as to the preferableness of Bangalore to some
other places of importance, in the same direction, equally
unoccupied by us, it was decided, that one of the
brethren in Madras, and myself, should take a journey
for the purpose of ascertaining what place was most
suitable as a residence, and most promising as a Mission
Station. I was advised from Madras, that Mr. Close
would proceed from thence to Bangalore, and that I
might meet him there at the end of April.
Mr. Squance being detained in Jaffna, 1 thought it
best to wait his arrival before I left Negapatam, and
to endeavour, meantime, to supply his place. In the
Portuguese congregation, and in addressing the na-
tives, I still used an interpreter ; an inferior method,
certainly, of conveying instruction, but which may
be used by a Missionary advantageously until he
acquires the ability of expressing his thoughts, and
choosing his own phraseology, in the language of his
congregations. My interpreter being a zealous Chris-
tian, who has since been received as an Assistant Mis-
sionary, I could rely on his faithfulness ; and even when
I had gained enough of the languages to understand his
interpretation, I found preaching by his assistance a
profitable exercise, which brought to my notice words
and phrases that could not have occurred to me had I
been confined to my own composition.
TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY. 125
On the last opportunity I supposed I should have in
Negapatam of thus preaching to the Heathen, a large
crowd assembled at one of the choultries, and appeared
to listen with great interest and amazement to a discourse
on the day of judgment, a subject to them entirely new.
My own heart was affected, and I thought the hearts of
my hearers also ; the event I leave with God who alone
" giveth the increase."
Among the natives who about this time waited upon
me, for the purpose of compliment or inquiry, were two
Brahmans ; one of them who was acquainted with
music had come from Tanjore, to tune a piano-forte
for a lady resident in Negapatam : he surprised me by
opening Mrs. Squance's piano and playing a hymn-tune
called " Frodsham," to which I was always partial, but
had not heard it since leaving England. He was not the
only native I have met with able to play on European
instruments. Although the musical instruments, and the
style of singing of the natives, differ very much from
ours, their music is evidently on the same principles, and
is a matter of science and study.
When Mr. Squance returned from Jaffna, I made my
arrangements for leaving Negapatam. No palankeen
could be purchased ; I had lent my own to Mr. Mowat ;
I therefore prepared to go by way of Madras, by sea ;
but John Cotton, Esq., then principal Collector of Tan-
jore, and at present the Chairman of the Court of
Directors of the East India Company, a gentleman who
had already rendered me many kind and valuable ser-
vices, strongly recommended a journey through the
country, and generously begged my acceptance of an
excellent palankeen for the purpose.
I thankfully accepted his offer ; and, supplied by him
with a route and passport, commenced my journey at
four o'clock in the morning of Monday, the 16th of April.
126 TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY.
When I arrived at Trivoloor, the first stage, I found that
Mr. Cotton had sent one of his peons to prepare a com-
fortable part of the Rajah's bungalow for my reception ;
and, what was of still more importance, had given an
order for the attendance of a taleiari, or guide, from stage
to stage. This proved of great service in the various dis-
tricts I had to pass through before I reached Bangalore.
At Trivoloor the view from my resting-place was pecu-
liarly Indian, and very beautiful. It presented an im-
mense tank, or pool, perfectly square, each side several
hundred yards in extent, and regularly built in steps the
whole length, affording an easy descent to the water in
every part. In the centre of the tank arose a large
Mandabam, or elevated platform of stone, open on all
sides, its roof being supported by pillars, and surmounted
by a heavy tower ; the entrance to it ornamented by two
large figures of elephants. To the right of the tank
stood a superb temple, whose tower, several stories in
height, was covered to the top with figures of gods ; on
every side were magnificent buildings ; forming alto-
gether, with the cheerful appearance of the surrounding
well-cultivated country, scenery worthy of the ablest pen-
cil, or the best talents of description.
Leaving Trivoloor at eight in the evening, I proceeded
on my journey ; and the next morning, at sunrise, found
myself in Neddiamungulum, a large native village, the
appearance of whose houses and inhabitants indicates a
considerable degree of wealth and comfort. A feast was
holding to Rama, one of the incarnations of Vishnu ; a
deification of one of their ancient monarchs. The firing
of crackers, beating of tomtoms, and shouting of the
people, almost stunned me. Great crowds had assembled
to witness the procession, or to assist in drawing the car.
I went to look at the car, which was now on the road : I
found it of a pyramidal form, as the cars of the Hindoo
TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY. 127
gods, and the towers of their temples, usually are. It
was about fifty feet in height, of a heavy black wood, not
unlike ebony, and exquisitely carved with very disgusting
figures, illustrative of the history of the god. The idol
was seated at a great height, and accompanied by a num-
ber of Brahmans, (of whom some rode in the car,) who
directed and animated the multitudes by their shouts :
the whole was surmounted by a canopy of fine cloth of
different colours, and adorned with flags. Its weight
was so great, that several hundred men, employed at the
cables fastened to it, assisted by others who worked with
levers at the wheels, could not move it many feet in an
hour ; and I was told it required nine days' exertion to
drag it round the temple. The vast expense of con-
structing such a machine, and the labour and privations
of many who assist at these festivals, are proofs either of
the great attachment of the people to their superstitions,
or of the extraordinary influence of the Brahmans, under
whose direction they are celebrated. The result of my
inquiries and observations is, that the latter has more to
do with it than the former, as the people not unfre-
quently complain of the labour exacted from them on
these occasions.
In the evening, setting out on my journey, I again
passed the car, and found it had not been moved for six
hours, but was leaning much to one side, one of the
wheels having imbedded itself in a soft part of the road.
Such detentions are not of rare occurrence, and are
remedied by propping the body of the car, and by
digging under the wheel, and forming, of logs and planks,
a level track to firmer ground. I thought the people
looked on me with suspicion, as though my presence
had obstructed the progress of their god ; and, sincerely
pitying their mistaken views and fruitless devotion, I
pursued my way.
128 TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY.
I walked along the road, before my palankeen, a full
hour. It was a beautiful evening ; the sky was without
a cloud ; the full moon shed a silvery splendour on the
scenery ; and every creature, even the plants and shrubs,
seemed to enjoy the cessation of the burning heat of the
day, and the refreshing rest to which a cooler atmosphere
invited.
Before midnight I reached Tanjore, and entered the
garden of the Rev. Mr. KolhofF, Missionary of the Society
for Promoting Christian Knowledge. The deep silence of
all in the house and garden, bespoke a rest I was unwill-
ing to disturb ; so directing my palankeen to be placed
under a tree, I ky down in it, and slept soundly till five
o'clock in the morning.
Mr. Kolhoif, who is the son and successor of the late
Mr. Kolhoff, the immediate disciple of Mr. Swartz,
received me with truly Christian hospitality, and, after
breakfast, carried me to wait on the British Resident of
the Court of the Rajah of Tanjore, Lieutenant-Colonel
Blackburne, and Sir T. Sevestre. His Highness, the
Rajah, was absent on a pilgrimage to Benares, more than
a thousand miles distant, the avowed object of which
was, to wash away his sins in the waters of Gunga, the
river Ganges ; but the true reason was said to be some-
thing else : it was perhaps a slanderous report, that the
Brahmans, having prophesied that he would die within
two years, he had left the country to deprive them of the
opportunity of accomplishing the fulfilment of their own
prediction.
Though this personage continues a Hindoo, he has a
high regard for Europeans ; and having himself been
educated by the venerable Swartz, he maintains an Euro-
pean instructer for his own son. He has made extensive
grants to the Mission ; and, by his manner towards the
Missionaries, evinces the high estimation he has for them,
TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY. 129
In the church within the walls of the Fort he has
erected an exquisite monument of marble, to the memory
of Swartz, representing his dying scene, himself grasping
the hand of his instructer, and appearing to take an
affectionate farewell. In a smaller church in the sub-
urbs Swartz was interred ; and it was not without emo-
tion that I visited the grave of this eminently successful
Missionary.
The school and work-shops connected with the Mis-
sion were neat and commodious. The children, besides
being taught the rudiments of learning in Tamul, Portu-
guese, or English, are instructed how to gain a liveli-
hood. Some attend on silk-worms ; others dress the
silk, and make it ready for market : some are taught to
bind books, others to weave mats : but what most
interested me was a room occupied by girls, who are
taught to read and write, and to spin cotton. Such was
the state of society among the natives, and the system-
atic neglect of female education, that Mr. Kolhoff
assured me, that it was with much difficulty they
could raise a female school, even from among the
children of the Christian natives, who are numbered by
thousands.
I saw also the Rev. G. S., a junior Missionary, but a
man of considerable talent and general information. He
attended the party in the evening, and, at family wor-
ship, accompanied our Tamul hymn by his performance
on the piano-forte. Mr. Kolhoff prayed in Tamul, and I
in English, and thus we commended each other to God.
Being furnished by my kind host with additional sup-
plies of bread, wine, and medicine, for my journey, I
took leave of Tanjore at ten o'clock at night, much
refreshed in body, and greatly interested by what I had
seen.
The choultry of Kellycotta, in which I passed the
G 5
130 TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY.
following day, was a miserable building, bemmed in on
every side by houses, and, in consequence, insufferably
hot. A native Hindoo visited me, and entreated my
acceptance of a number of eggs, though he seemed too
poor to have any thing to spare. I have often received
presents of this kind, and even a good dinner or
supper has been prepared and brought to me, when
travelling in India, by persons of whom I had no
knowledge, and whose kindness I never had any oppor-
tunity to requite.
THE ROCK OF TRICHINOPOLY.
In the evening we approached Trichinopoly, The first
view of it was striking : the rays of the setting sun were
glancing on the rock, which rises from the level plain to
an astonishing height, in the centre of the Fort ; the
buildings on the rock, having an appearance of strength
and impregnability, reminded me of the scenery presented
to my mind by the romances of early youth, or seemed a
realization of the rocks and castles I have fancied in the
evening clouds. Close to the rock, I found something
better than imaginary gratification, in the kind welcome
of the Rev. Mr. Rosen, and in the refreshing sleep I
TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY.
131
enjoyed during the night, in a bungalow or shed of bam-
boos arid palmira-leaves, erected on the roof of his house
for the advantage of cool air.
Rising early, Mr. Rosen accompanied me to the top of
the rock. The ascent is by steps of stone, built or cut
in the rock, and is partially covered in : about mid-way
is a large Hindoo temple, whose endowments are said
to yield a monthly income of many thousand rupees ;
and on the summit, which is rather narrow, is a smaller
temple, on the top of which the British flag was
hoisted. The view afforded from this eminence was
INTERIOR OF THE TEMPLE ON THE ROCK OF TRICHIXOPOLY.
varied and extensive. Enclosing the rock is the Fort,
built in the form of an oblong square, adorned with
tanks and public buildings, and entirely filled up with
regular streets, containing, I was told, thirty-five thou-
sand inhabitants : to the east, the sun was rising on
the fertile plains of Tanjore ; to the south the canton-
ment, and the garden-houses of Europeans, extended
a few miles beyond the Fort ; to the north was the
river Cauvery, on an island of which we could see the
great temple of Seringham and the groves surrounding
132 TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY.
it ; and the horizon to the north-west was bounded by
hills of a bold and rugged appearance, through which
the Cauvery winds its fertilizing course, and where lay
my road to Bangalore.
It being Good-Friday, I attended service in the church
connected with the Mission erected by Swartz.* The
Lutheran service, and a sermon, in the Tamul language,
were read with distinctness and propriety by a native
Catechist. Mr. Rosen then administered the sacrament
of the Lord's supper ; the communicants, chiefly natives,
were so numerous as to fill the table four or five times.
The heat throughout the whole day was excessive, and
occasioned an exhaustion of strength and spirits I had
not hitherto experienced : I thought the rock gathered
the heat, which, with the reflection of the sun's rays
from its surface, rarefied the air so as to render it inade-
quate to the purposes of respiration.
The kingdoms of Tanjore and Trichinopoly continued
in the hands of native Hindoo Sovereigns after the estab-
lishment of the Mogul or Mahommedan empire in India.
Tanjore was seized about 1650 by Venkajee, brother of
Sivajee, the founder of the Mahratta empire, which was
also Hindoo : his descendants still occupy the throne.
In 1 736 Trichinopoly was treacherously wrested from the
widowed mother of the rightful Hindoo Sovereign, by
Chunda Sahib, the Finance Minister of the Nabob of the
Carnatic ; the latter being Provincial Governor under the
Nizam, or Viceroy of the Deccan, whose appointment
proceeded direct from the Mahommedan Emperor of
Delhi, or Great Mogul. The unfortunate Princess died
in prison ; and Dost Ali, the Nabob, confirmed Chunda
Sahib, who was his son-in-law, in the possession of
Trichinopoly. He was soon dispossessed by an army
of Mahrattas ; but in the course of the constant wars
It was in this church that the late much-lamented Bishop
Heber officiated on the morning of his death.
TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY. 133
which at that time were waged in the Carnatic, Tri-
chinopoly once more fell into the hands of a Mahom-
medan governor, Mahommed Ali. It is no part of the
design of this narrative to enter upon the details of
the ruinous wars which revolutionized the Carnatic.
The French and English continued in open hostility
with each other, even when their respective Governments
in Europe were at peace. In the broils which arose
among the native Princes themselves, or between them
and the Mahommedans, or the contest for the Nabobship
among the latter, the French and English were always
found taking part, and always arrayed against each other.
The result was briefly this, that Mahommed Ali, having
been acknowledged by the British, Nabob of the Car-
natic, and his right having been maintained by them
against all competitors, showed some tardiness in com-
plying with the wishes of his brave allies ; the conse-
quence of which was, that the British took the adminis-
tration of the affairs of the Carnatic into their own
hands, and have continued to maintain the Nabob and
his descendants in idle state and useless pageantry to the
present day. With little interruption, the country now
included in the Presidency of Madras continued to be
afflicted with the horrors of war until the death of
Tippoo Sultan, and the capture of Seringapatam in
1799.
Meantime, in the gracious providence of God, the way
was opened for the extension of Christianity in this part
of India. In 1750 the apostolic Swartz arrived at Tran-
quebar, with two other Missionaries, to reinforce the
Danish Mission. After labouring here with great success
for several years, in 1764 he took a journey on foot, in
company with another Missionary, to Tanjore and Trichi-
nopoly, preaching on the way both to Christians and
Heathens. In the latter place, he was received with
great kindness by the British ; and aid was afforded
134 TANJORE AND TRICHINOPOLY.
him to erect a small place of worship. In Tanjore
he preached not merely in the city, but in the pa-
lace, within hearing of the King : he returned to Tri-
chinopoly in September. The promise of success being
so favourable, in 1767 Mr. Swartz transferred his ser-
vices from the Danish Mission to that of the Society
for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, and resumed
his labours in Trichinopoly. Here he acted as Chaplain
to the Forces, whilst he also pursued his vocation as
Missionary to the Heathen. In both capacities, he met
with encouraging success. In 1779 he removed to
Tanjore, where he acted in similar capacities, receiving
from the Government of Madras, at both places, for
fulfilling the office of Chaplain to the Garrison, one
hundred pounds per annum. At Taujore he remained
until his death, in 1 798.
The times in which this venerated Missionary lived
seemed to give him a prominence from which he would
otherwise have shrunk. Such was his character for ho-
nesty and truth, that more than once his word procured
supplies for a famishing army, which supplies neither the
influence of the British, nor the interference of the native
authorities, could command. And when the Government
of Madras required a confidential messenger to Hyder
Ah', they dispatched Mr. Swartz to Seringapatam, where
he was received by the warrior Chief with great respect.
He was subsequently engaged by the British as inter-
preter, in negotiating a peace with Tippoo Sultan, in
1784. Thus was this good man honoured by earthly
authorities ; but he had the greater honour from God, of
being the founder of the prosperous Mission at Tanjore,
and that in Trichinopoly, and of seeing many thousands
of the Hindoos converted to Christianity.*
One of the best Missionary biographies I am acquainted with,
is the " Memoirs of Swartz," by Dr. Pearson, the venerable Dean of
Salisbury, who is also the author of the Memoirs of Dr. Buchanan.
JOURNEY PROM TRICHINOPOLY TO BANGALORE. 135
CHAPTER XII.
APRIL, 1821.
JOURNEY FROM TRICHINOPOLY TO
BANGALORE.
IN the evening I was glad to leave the neighbourhood,
and to resume my journey to Bangalore. I travelled
through a woody and well-watered country, along a road
shaded by venerable trees, and about midnight reached
Musallee, a large native town, where I rested the
remainder of the night, and passed the following day.
An extract from my journal will familiarly introduce
the reader to the next stage of my journey.
"Namcxil, Easter-Sunday, April 22d. Intending to
give myself and my bearers a full day's rest, I left
Musallee last evening at sunset, with the expectation of
reaching Namcul by midnight ; but we lost our way
amongst the hills, and the sun had risen upon us before
we entered the town. The light of the moon, but little
past full, made it easy to discern the character of the
country through which we passed : the valleys were
covered with jungle, with the exception of here and there
a well-cultivated spot in the neighbourhood of the vil-
lages ; the hills were rugged, steep, and many of them
peaked, some entirely barren, but others clothed with
trees to the top ; the scenery of a deep valley in which
we rested for an hour at midnight was of surpassing
grandeur and beauty.
" This town appears to be of some importance, being
the residence of a Tasildar, a native Magistrate, several
of whose peons have waited on me. There are no large
136 JOURNEY FROM TRICHINOPOLY TO BANGALORE.
temples here, and I see very few Brahmans ; the people
seem to be poorer and simpler than those on the Coast,
and I think would more readily embjrace the Gospel,
were a few self-denying men, willing to forego the com-
forts of European society, to take up their residence
among them, and attempt its introduction.
"The choultry in which I rest, and now stand to
write, (on the roof of my palankeen,) has a sanctum
sanctorum, into which I have no access; and, besides a
number of mythological sculptures, has the figures of a
man and a woman on two opposite pillars, in a posture
of devotion, intended, probably, to represent the wealthy
devotees who erected it. At a short distance is a large,
irregularly built tank, which washes the foot of a bare
rock of considerable height and magnitude, whose top is
fortified, and probably has a temple also ; for a procession
of Hindoos, principally well-dressed females, attended
with music of a sweet and simple character, descends
from its summit towards the tank. that they were
engaged in Christian worship ; and that on this great and
holy day, in this distant, but populous, part of the
world, I had no reason to be so sensible of loneliness and
singularity in my meditations and sympathies !"
Both myself and bearers gained fresh energy by a day of
entire rest ; our observance of the Sabbath occasioned no
real loss of time, and greatly increased the pleasantness
of our journey. At Moonoochoudy, where I passed the
middle of the day on Monday, I found little accom-
modation, the larger choultry being in ruins ; the
smaller one contained many idols. I was amused by
observing the great quantity of food (entirely of boiled
rice, seasoned with a little vegetable curry) taken by a
native man on the banks of a rivulet near my resting-
place ; he finished his repast by taking up water from
the rivulet, with his two hands, and drinking. I was
JOURNEY FROM TRICHINOPOLY TO BANGALORE. 137
the more struck with his heartiness from my own want
of appetite, arising from so much exposure to the sun,
and a want of such food as I had been accustomed to.
Nothing but rice and the ingredients for curry are to be
purchased in the village bazaars ; fowls are generally to
be met with amongst the country people, but mutton
cannot usually be had without buying a whole sheep. I
have since often purchased a sheep for myself and my
men : the animal is brought to be looked at and bar-
gained for ; the usual price is a rupee, about two shil-
lings sterling, and the man who kills it takes the skin
for his trouble. But, at this time, I was too young a
traveller in India to manage sufficiently well for my own
comfort ; and though suffering from thirst and fatigue, I
was afraid of taking any thing more stimulative or invi-
gorating, than very weak wine and water.
My stomach had lost its tone, and my health might
have been seriously injured before reaching the end of
my journey, but for the advice and refreshment I
received the following day, under the hospitable roof of
M. D. Cockburn, Esq., Collector, of Salem.
My bearers put down the palankeen in Salem soon
after sunrise, opposite a choultry quite filled by natives.
I was soon surrounded by a crowd, whose curiosity was
of a more bold and obtrusive character than I had
observed in those places where no Europeans reside : I
therefore, at once, desired to be conducted to the house
of Mr. Cockburn, who received me with that open hospi-
tality peculiar to India, though I had no previous
acquaintance with him, nor any letter of introduc-
tion.
A remark made by this gentleman in conversation is
worthy of being recorded, as containing a fact perhaps
not generally known, and on which a volume might be
written, without conveying the idea more correctly. It
138 JOURNEY FROM TRICHINOPOLY TO BANGALORE.
was, " That the Hindoos, allowing them their own reli-
gion, are the most religious people in the world." No
one who has resided in India, and has taken pains to
observe the manners and character of the people, can
doubt the correctness of this assertion.
It was with difficulty, at night, I could tear myself
from the company of my entertaining host and his
friends to pursue my journey. I found my palankeen
stored with beer, and other refreshments, to enable me to
follow the advice Mr. Cockburn had given me as to my
mode of li ving. My regret at the ^necessity of hastening
away was moderated by a hope, afterwards realized, of
paying a longer visit to this part of the country, which,
I believe, had never before been traversed by a Protest-
ant Missionary. Romish Missionaries there are ; for
whilst I was with Mr. Cockburn, a petition from one of
them was presented to him, complaining of some inter-
ruption to a procession connected with the late festival,
in the course of which the image of the Virgin had been
despoiled of its crown.
The sun had risen, and the day was hot, when we
arrived at the choultry, at the bottom of the Tapoor
pass. A heavy shower of rain fell in the course of the
day, which not only allayed the oppressive heat of the
atmosphere, but relieved us from some anxiety, by
enabling us to ascend the pass by daylight. Even with
this advantage we found it both difficult and dangerous :
by night it would have been almost impracticable ; the
more so as my bearers had neglected to purchase oil for
their torch at Salem, and none was to be procured in
this neighbourhood.
About three P.M. we began to ascend the pass, which
extends, with various degrees of steepness, about five
miles. A further run of an hour and a half, through a
beautiful and well-cultivated country, brought us to
JOURNEY FROM TRICHINOPOLY TO BANGALORE. 139
Adamancottah, where we procured oil, and rested till
three in the morning. "We then pursued our way to
Pallicode, a large native town, with a fort in ruins,
situated amidst hills and rocks. The country maintained
the same character the whole of the next stage, to
Ryacottah, where I arrived on the evening of Thurs-
day, the 26th of April.
It was nine o'clock at night when I entered the house
of Dr. Thomas, a fellow-passenger from England, attached
to the troops of the Honourable Company at this station.
Mrs. Thomas had not recovered the effects of the shock
occasioned by the burning of the " Tanjore." My arrival
brought the circumstances fresh to her memory ; nor was
it surprising that when, an hour or two after my arrival,
a tremendous thunder storm expended itself over us, it
should occasion more than ordinary alarm, and raise a
suspicion that I was the person whom it followed. But
whatever might have been the fears of the moment, they
had no effect on the hospitalities of the following day.
At night I again resumed my journey, over some of the
highest land in this part of India, and where the tempe-
rature of the air is moderate during the day, and the
nights are cold and sharp.
On Saturday, the 28th, I rested at Oosoor, in a bunga-
low to which I had been directed by Mr. Cockburn, of
Salem, delightfully situated on an eminence, from which
there is a view of several miles in extent. The town is
large and well built : the houses are roofed with black
tiles, the colour of which is owing, I believe, to some
peculiarity of the clay. Water guglets and other ware
made of the same earth, and quite black, are used in
Bangalore, and have a neat appearance. In most other
parts of the country the earthenware is red.
The inhabitants of Oosoor were busily engaged in their
various occupations, and appeared to want nothing to
140 JOURNEY FROM TRICHINOPOLY TO BANGALORE.
complete their happiness but that certain knowledge of
God and of futurity which the Gospel alone can impart.
Whilst looking about me in this neighbourhood, I
could not but reflect on the extent and importance of the
work a Missionary to India has before him, and realize
some of those feelings by which he should be actuated.
The next stage brought me to the end of my journey,
and to the house of the Rev. W. Malkin, A.M., the
Chaplain of Bangalore.
The reader will observe that, during this journey, my
colloquial acquaintance with the language was not suffi-
cient to enable me to converse freely with the natives :
my communications with them were consequently brief,
and elicited no particulars of interest.
Considerable difference of character might be observed
in the population of the different districts through which
I had passed. The beautifully rich country of Tanjore,
remarkable for its entire cultivation, is peopled by a gen-
tle, and comparatively a polished, race : if the inhabitants
of Trichinopoly and its neighbourhood differ from them,
it is in being of a darker hue and of a bolder demeanour.
The more scattered population of the Collectorate of
Salem, and the kingdom of Mysore, had an appearance
of greater hardihood and rusticity ; and did not seem to
include so large a proportion of Brahmans, or of others
who subsisted independently of the labour of their hands.
The Hindoos have the character of indolence very
freely attributed to them, and it may perhaps be merited
by many of those who enter the service of Europeans ;
but the appearance of neatness and comfort about many
of the habitations of the merchant, the manufacturer, and
the fanner ; their successful vigilance in observing the
seasons for ploughing, sowing, &c. ; the instances of skill
and labour observable on every hand, in their tanks and
conduits for water ; and their great personal exertions,
JOURNEY FROM TRICHINOPOLY TO BANGALORE. 141
day and night, for the irrigation of their land, when the
season requires it ; are sufficient to convince an impartial
observer, that they deserve the character of an ingenious
and industrious people ; especially when it is considered
that the climate, and the circumstances of the country,
neither require, nor generally allow them to possess, the
robust vigour of body enjoyed by Europeans.
Their good breeding appears in the collectedness and
ease with which they converse with strangers ; and
though rarely indulging in boisterous mirth, they are
generally good humoured and cheerful.
My palankeen bearers performed nothing extraordinary
on this journey. They were thirteen in number, twelve
to the palankeen, and one for their cooking utensils, rice,
&c. In thirteen days they travelled three hundred miles ;
and for that service, according to regulations fixed by the
Government, had each to receive ninety fanams, about
fourteen shillings sterling, which would be about seven-
pence farthing per mile for the whole set ; their mainte-
nance, all the while, being at their own charge. I added
a small present in acknowledgment of their good beha-
viour. The honesty of this class of men is almost pro-
verbial, and gives a feeling of confidence to the solitary
stranger who commits himself to their guidance. In all
my journeys, though often obliged to trust much to their
care, I do not recollect ever having sustained the least
loss from. them.
It was early on Sunday morning when I arrived in
Bangalore ; the services of the church, and the excellent
sermon delivered by Mr. Malkin, were refreshing to my
spirit. The day was delightfully passed in the society
of Mr. Malkin and his family, and in that of Mr. Close,
my brother Missionary from Madras, who had arrived to
meet me the evening before.
142 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
CHAPTER XIII.
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
THE MYSORE COUNTRY.
MAY, 1821, TO FEBRUARY, 1822.
ONE of the most remarkable passages in the history
of the British empire in India is that which relates to the
kingdom of Mysore. Early in the eighteenth century,
the Hindoo occupant of the throne of Mysore was deaf and
dumb. The affairs of government were therefore of ne-
cessity intrusted to Ministers, and its duties discharged
by them ; the Rajah, or King, only supplied a name,
under the authority of which armies were commanded
and revenues collected. The mental weakness of succes-
sive heirs to the throne favoured the continuance of this
mode of government. Meantime, Hyder Ali, a Mahom-
medan, the orphan son of a murdered Fouzdar, or provin-
cial Chief, made himself remarkable, first, in the regular
military service of Mysore, by his extraordinary courage,
and his admirable coolness and self-possession ; and after-
wards, as commander of a body of freebooters, whose sin-
gular success, in the acquisition of booty and territory, is
scarcely to be paralleled. His services in the suppression
of a mutiny in the Mysorean army, and in the overthrow
of an opulent Chief, who was charged with disloyalty and
defection, were rewarded with a grant of the district of
Bangalore, as a personal jaghire ; that is, all the revenue
he could raise upon that district would be for his sole
use and benefit. He appears to have attained the high-
est honours, by satisfying the demands of the Mahrattas
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 143
against the Mysorean Court. Nothing now appeared to
impede his advance to sovereignty ; he succeeded in sup-
planting Nunjeraj, the Minister, hy whom he had been
elevated, and in a short time took under his manage-
ment the territory and revenues of Mysore ; reserving
only a moderate provision for the personal expenses of
the Rajah, whose life and liberty were now dependent
on his will.
In 1767 Hyder Ali was brought into hostilities with
the English, by an attack they made on the Mysore
territory, in conjunction with Nizam Ah. Hyder Ali
dexterously managed to alienate the Nizam from his
British allies, under the pretence of restoring the Ma-
hommedan power in India, and to unite with his forces
against them. The British routed the combined armies
at Trinomaly. Hostilities were, however, continued for
nearly two years ; the principal forts in Coimbatoor,
Salem, and part of Mysore, were taken and retaken ;
until Hyder suddenly made his appearance before Madras,
demanding peace ; a demand which was joyfully acceded
to by the English Government, whose armaments and
treasury had been exhausted in the unequal struggle.
In 1778 the war was renewed, and was, in one respect,
remarkable above all others for the atrocious cruelties
inflicted by Hyder Ali, on his English prisoners, in the
Forts of Bangalore and Seringapatam. At one time,
Hyder' s army ravaged and pillaged the whole country to
within five miles of Madras. In 1 783 Hyder Ali died,
and was succeeded by his son, Tippoo Sultan, with whom
peace was made in 1784. The services of the celebrated
Missionary, Swartz, as interpreter, were engaged by the
Madras Government, in the negotiation of this peace with
Tippoo Sultan.
Within a few years, the aggressive spirit of Tippoo
Sultan led him to attack the territories of the Rajah of
144 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
Travancore, an ally of the British Government. This
step was the cause of resumed hostilities on the part of
the British ; the Governor-General of India, Lord Corn-
wallis, assumed the personal command of the army des-
tined for Mysore in 1791, and succeeded in conducting
it, completely equipped and provisioned, to the table-
land of Mysore, without firing a shot.
The first object was the reduction of Bangalore, which
was successfully accomplished ; but not without a tre-
mendous struggle with the troops of Tippoo, some of
whose best soldiers fell in defence of the Pettah and the
Fort. Bangalore was taken in March, 1791.
In the following May, the army was put in motion
towards Seringapatam, which Tippoo had made his capi-
tal ; having destroyed the old citadel of Mysore, to
obliterate, as much as possible, the memory of his own
and his father's usurpation.
Tippoo' s forces were brought to a general engagement
within sight of Seringapatam, and suffered an entire
defeat. They retreated into the fortress ; and Lord
Cornwallis, not having either provisions or sufficient
support, was unable to follow up his victory by an
attack on Seringapatam, and was under the necessity of
conducting his army back towards Bangalore. They were
employed for some months in the reduction of the most
remarkable hill-forts in the Mysore country, many of
which, until that time, had been considered impregnable.
Having been joined by the expected reinforcements,
Lord Cornwallis again appeared within sight of Sering-
apatam, on the 5th of February, 1792. Within a few
weeks, the skill and valour of the British troops had
placed it beyond a doubt, that Tippoo Sultan's capital
must surrender ; when the wily tyrant proposed terms of
peace, which Lord Cornwallis accepted ; at the same
time, taking charge of two of Tippoo's sons, as hostages,
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 145
one of them ten, and the other eight, -years of age ; who,
after two years' detention, were restored to their father.
Many English prisoners were released from Seringapatam
during this siege ; but it is to be feared that many more
were left to pine in cruel and hopeless captivity.
Tippoo Sultan's hatred of the English now led him to
the adoption of a measure which issued in his discom-
fiture and death ; and, in its results, tended more per-
haps to the firm establishment of the British power in
the south of India than any other event.
He dispatched an embassy to the Mauritius, then a
French colony, proposing to the Government of that
Island, and through them to the Government of France,
that they should assist him, with men and ammunition,
against the English, with the avowed object and purpose
of their utter extermination, and to put an end for ever
to their power and existence in India. This occurred in
1797.
The Earl of Mornington, afterwards Marquis Wellesley,
had newly arrived in India as Governor-General. He saw
the necessity of immediate proceedings against Tippoo,
and promptly prepared for the anticipated struggle. Two
armies were assembled, one in Madras, under General
Harris, and another in Malabar, under General Stuart.
These armies were united before Seringapatam, in April,
1798. Having made the needful approaches and prepa-
rations, the assault was made on the 30th of April,
under the command of Major- General Baird, who had
formerly, for several years, been a prisoner in Tippoo' s
capital. Seringapatam was carried, after great loss on the
side of the English, and dreadful slaughter among the
troops of Tippoo. He himself was numbered with the
slain, and his family became prisoners of war.
The permanent command of Seringapatam was in-
trusted to Colonel Wellesley, brother of the Governor-
H
146 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SER1NGAPATAM.
General, who had taken an active part in the siege. It
was thus in India that the peculiar character and
brilliant talents were nurtured and matured which have
rendered the Duke of Wellington so conspicuous, both in
the camp and in the council, as the hero of his country,
and the deliverer of Europe.
The representative of the ancient Royal Family of
Mysore, whose rights had been usurped by Hyder Ali,
was now sought for. He was found, a child about five
years of age, in an humble dwelling, near the ruins of
the old palace of Mysore, from which the family had
been removed, that it might be converted into a granary.
He was saluted, and acknowledged as heir to the throne
of Mysore, to the exclusion of the family of Tippoo Sul-
tan. The same Prince still occupies the throne ; and his
patronage and approval have been given to the operations
of the Wesleyan Mission, now established in Mysore ; one
of the principal Mission-schools being exclusively sup-
ported by himself.
Bangalore is situated in the heart of the kingdom of
Mysore. It is about two hundred miles west of Madras,
little more than seventy miles north-east of Seringapatam,
and eighty from the town of Mysore, the present capital
of the kingdom.
The Fort, and the Pettah (a name common to towns
adjoining forts in India) of Bangalore, are chiefly occu-
pied by natives, who use the Canada or Canarese
language, in number perhaps thirty thousand; but
there are amongst them many Mahommedans also, the
descendants of the former invaders of the country, or of
those who were made to embrace Islamism by the violent
zeal of Tippoo.
The Cantonment, built for the accommodation of the
British force maintained here, is about a mile from the
Fort and Pettah ; and is usually occupied by several
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 147
native regiments, and two of English, one of horse and
one of foot. The bungalows occupied by the officers and
their families, and other British residents, stand apart
from each other, surrounded by gardens, and present
much the appearance of a neat English village.
Connected with the Cantonment, are the bazaars and
huts, built and occupied chiefly by the native followers of
the army, of all religions, trades, and professions : the
greater part, having accompanied the troops from Madras,
or some other part of the Carnatic, use the Tamul lan-
guage ; but the Teloogoo and the Hindostanee are also
extensively spoken.
Bangalore is said to be nearly three thousand feet
above the level of the sea : the climate is accounted
healthy ; the mornings and evenings are cool, but in the
course of the day the sun is very powerful.
In deciding on this station as favourable for the estab-
lishment of a Mission, we were influenced by the consi-
deration of the salubrity of the climate, the accessibleness
of the natives of every class and description, the imme-
diate vicinity of Seringapatam, Mysore, Oosoor, Nun-
didroog, and other populous towns and villages ; as well
as by its being a central mart for merchandise from
various parts of India.
Mr. Close returned to Madras, after having visited
Seringapatam. I remained in Bangalore, and was kindly
entertained by the Rev. W. Malkin for several weeks,
whilst waiting the arrival of Mr. Mowat, and until I
could engage a house for our residence.
I deferred any arrangements for the commencement of
Missionary labours in public, till my colleague could
arrive, that we might in all things act in concert. The
man I employed to assist me in Tamul reading and com-
position, hazarded some advice on the subject, very illus-
trative of his own character as a Heathen and Hindoo.
H 2
148 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SER1NGAPATAM.
I had finished a sermon in TamiU, which had cost me
considerable pains, both as to matter and composition ;
and to ascertain its intelligibleness and its effect, I read
it to my teacher, who thus criticized it : " The people
will not hear it, because it tells of Christ : when I, who
can explain things better, mention him, they say it is all
lie : " he then proceeded to recommend that I should
first acquire great influence among the people, and then
attempt the promotion of Christianity.
Whilst residing with Mr. Malkin, I usually rose early ;
and, finding I could bear the heat of the sun for two
hours after its rise, I gratified my curiosity, and enlarged
my acquaintance with the immediate neighbourhood of
Bangalore, by taking long walks in every quarter success-
ively. Study of the Tamul language employed me during
the day ; and in the evenings I was generally accom-
panied by my kind host to some neighbouring gardens,
kept by natives, for the growth of the aromatic and pun-
gent herbs used for curry ; of roots of various kinds ;
and of the kerbuja, or water-melon, usually the object of
our inquiry, which, though seldom brought to the tables
of Europeans in India, is a most pleasant and refreshing
fruit.
In one of these evening excursions I was near setting
my foot on a serpent ; it was creeping on the other side
of a hedge, which I had taken a leap to cross. I cleared
the dangerous reptile, and gave warning to Mr. M. not
to follow. The serpent concealed himself in the hedge ;
we disturbed him, and he twined up one of the shrubs :
again he found a hole in the ground, from whence we
dug him up with a gardener's spade, and despatched him.
He was about three feet long, and was said to be of a
venomous kind, whose bite frequently occasions death.
The garden I was most fond of visiting was one (the
property of a wealthy and respectable old Hindoo) in
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 149
which there was an abundance of fruit-trees of various
kinds ; but its chief attraction was the clearness of the
water in its stone tank, and the profusion of roses which
adorned it, in almost every season of the year : these
latter were, I believe, made an article of profit, being sold
for the manufacture of rose-water, of which the natives
make plentiful use on festival occasions.
The numerous tribe of monkeys inhabiting the jungle
round the Pettah of Bangalore, sometimes attracted my
attention, and induced me to enter the jungle and observe
their habits. Some were as large as a good-sized mastiff'.
They seemed very fond of plantains, and would crowd
around me at the distance of a few paces, when they saw
my hands filled with them; but none would approach
near enough to receive them from my hands, except the
females with young ones clinging about them. I was
amused with the appearance of order and government
maintained amongst them; the largest or oldest always
claiming to be served before the younger. A smart
junior, one day, stepped nimbly before one of his seniors,
and snatching up a plantain I had just thrown, thrust it
into his mouth, hoping to retire with it in safety ; but in
a moment found himself in the gripe of his offended and
grinning superior, who threw him to the ground, and,
thrusting his hand into his mouth, drew out the plantain,
and safely deposited it in his own. These animals seemed
to have a great dislike to dogs, perhaps because frequently
robbed by them of the rice or other food placed for them
by pious Hindoos.
After Mr. Mowat's arrival, I commenced reading my
sermons to the people in the villages, who, in general,
were not unwilling to hear. A Christian native of Tran-
quebar accompanied me, to explain my intentions more
fully than my present acquaintance with the language
enabled me to do. Several of them attended the service
150 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
in our own house on Friday evenings, when we talked
and prayed with them in the manner we thought best
calculated to interest and benefit them.
Having received an invitation to Seringapatam, which
place we had purposed to include in our Mission, I set
out in my palankeen on Wednesday, the 25th of July,
and passed that day at Kingairy, a large village with a
fort in ruins, and an excellent bungalow for the accom-
modation of travellers. The bungalows erected by the
munificence of the Rajah of Mysore, on every road likely
to be travelled by English gentlemen, throughout the
whole of his territory, render it much more pleasant and
easy to be traversed than many other parts of India.
A general invitation to the inhabitants of Kingairy was
successful in bringing a room full of natives, to whom I
read a sermon in Tamul, which one of them undertook to
explain in Teloogoo to those who did not understand the
former language. I presented to them four different tracts
in Teloogoo, with which I found they were more generally
acquainted than with Tamul : they were all read aloud,
and excited attention and interest.
I now passed through a rough, desert-like country,
uncultivated in most parts, and apparently incapable of
cultivation. Early in the morning of Thursday, parched
with heat and thirst, we stopped for a few minutes in
front of a heathen temple, to avail ourselves of the water
of the tank in its neighbourhood : I purchased two cocoa-
nuts for forty cash, not quite a penny, and was much
refreshed by the water which they contained within the
kernel.
About ten A.M. we arrived at the bungalow, near
Chinnapatnam, which, as its name imports, is a small
town, having a neat little Fort. I was immediately
visited by the Cutwal, a sort of head Police Officer, a
venerable old Mahommedan, with a white beard, who
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 151
spoke Tamul, and was very communicative as to the
history and present state of the town. I asked him if
he could read Tamul, or Teloogoo ; he boldly replied he
could read both ; but when I tried him, confessed he did
not know a letter, and thus destroyed any confidence I
might have been inclined to place in his previous state-
ments. A heavy storm gathered in the evening, and
prevented me from visiting the streets of the town to
converse with the people, of whom I understood a good
number were acquainted with Tamul.
The next day we were detained a short time by the
swollen state of the Madoor river, occasioned by the
rains of the preceding night. Its depth and rapidity
made it difficult to pass, and perhaps dangerous also ;
the bearers exhausted their stock of objections, and after
a little delay, carried me safely to the other side.
We found the town of Madoor fairly depopulated by
that dreadful disease, the cholera morbus. The rain
detained me at Mundium till nine A.M. on Saturday,
when we again set out ; and, for some miles, we travelled
through such a wilderness as I had not hitherto seen,
uninhabited, rocky, and barren, with hardly a stunted
shrub or a blade of grass to relieve the eye.
A little after noon we stood at the head of the valley,
in which are situated the Fort and island of Sering-
apatam. Through this valley, the Cauvery, a river deemed
sacred by the Hindoos, has its course ; and, by separat-
ing, and again uniting, forms the island, (about four
miles in length, and one and a half in breadth,) on which
stands the most celebrated fortress in India. Canals,
commencing from the river at some distance up the
country, conduct the water to the higher grounds of the
valley ; and, by an aqueduct over the river, into the
island and Fort itself, which would otherwise be without
means of irrigation ; and thus the verdure of cultivation is
152 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SER1NGAPATAM.
extended far beyond the immediate banks of the Cauvery.
The lovely green of the fields and gardens that adorn the
valley formed a most delightful contrast to the appear-
ance of the desert country I had just traversed ; and the
sight of the minarets and towers within the Fort of
Seringapatam excited most interesting historical recol-
lections, with which the feeling gladly mingled, that this
former seat of tyrannical usurpation, and cruel Mahom-
medan bigotry, was now in the peaceful possession of my
own countrymen ; for, though in the midst of the domi-
nions of the Rajah of Mysore, the Fort and island of
Seringapatam have been retained by the British Govern-
ment ever since the successful siege and storming by
General Harris, in 1799.
About three P.M. we entered the gates of the Fort. I
was soon recognised, and conducted to the bungalow
prepared for my reception. I waited on the Command-
ant, Colonel S., who received me with friendly polite-
ness : the Fort Adjutant, Lieutenant Lawler, was not at
home when I called at his house, but afterwards came to
see me, and showed me many attentions. I was con-
ducted to the chapel erected about twelve months before
by the Protestants residing in Seringapatam : they are
chiefly descendants of Europeans, and are employed in
the gun carriage manufactory within the Fort. In
erecting the chapel they were liberally assisted by the
Honourable A. Cole, (at that time Resident at the Court
of Mysore, now Member of Parliament for Enniskillen,)
and by the officers of the garrison : it will contain a con-
gregation of one hundred persons. They had been
accustomed to assemble in it for prayer and reading
every Sunday ; but no Minister had preached there
before Mr. Close, who visited them in May, and of whose
services they retained a grateful recollection.
The following day being Sunday, I conducted divine
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 153
service, in English, in the chapel, morning and evening,
and preached to an attentive congregation.
On Monday I received and paid many visits. In the
evening I read a Tamul sermon to a large congregation,
with more ease and pleasure than I had anticipated.
Desirous of making my visit as profitable as possible to
the people of Seringapatam, I busied myself in receiving
and conversing with all who came to see me during the
day, and every evening had a public engagement in
English or Tamul, either in the chapel, or in my own
house ; not without incurring considerable fatigue, and
some degree of indisposition.
On Friday morning I walked to view the fortifications
of this celebrated place, which was erected in 1642, about
the same time that the first English Fort was erected in
Madras : they are not very ruinous, except at the unre-
paired breach at which it was stormed, in 1799. I should
think the Fort was nearly three miles round ; its popula-
tion was once immense, but at present does not perhaps
much exceed twenty thousand ; many of its Mahommedan
inhabitants having removed to Arcot or Madras ; and the
wealthier Hindoos having been drawn away to Mysore,
the present seat of the native court.
The palaces and seraglios of Hyder and his son are
occupied as barracks, hospitals, or private residences, by
the British officers and troops.
No part of the remains of the former splendour of
Seringapatam interested me more than the palace in the
Laul Baugh, or royal garden, at the east end of the
island, about three miles' distant from the Fort. This
palace, or banqueting-house, now in ruins, was, thirty
years ago, the most superb in this part of India. I
went through the whole of its galleries and apartments,
now entirely unoccupied. It appeared to have been
highly finished, and very costly. The walls were plas-
H 5
154 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
tered with chunum, the shell-lime of India, firm, and
bearing a polish equal to plaster of Paris ; on this white
ground a regular pattern of flowers was exquisitely
finished with paint, and gilt ; giving it the appearance of
rich porcelain, and superior to the best paper used for
rooms in England : many parts of it are still in good
condition. The four principal apartments open with
their full width to the court or garden ; and being
galleried on three sides, appear to have been intended for
displaying and witnessing dances or shows. On the
bank of the river is a smaller building, or rather a roof
supported by pillars finished in the same style ; all the
sides are doors, which may be opened to admit the air,
or shut at pleasure.
Near the entrance of the Laul Baugh, stands the
mausoleum, in which are interred the remains of Hyder
and Tippoo. It is a beautiful building, in the Moorish
style of architecture ; and, having the attention paid to
it which the climate requires, is in excellent preservation.
The open verandah or terrace round the mausoleum is
supported by pillars of black marble, polished ; the pave-
ment is of the same material, and strongly contrasts with
the rest of the edifice, which is plastered with chunum,
nearly white. The whole has a solemn and imposing
appearance, well suited to the character of the place.
As I ascended the steps, I was desired to take off my
shoes, the mark of respect paid in the East to places
reputed sacred. I told the persons in attendance, that it
was not my custom to do so ; and, from the regard usu-
ally given to custom, was allowed to proceed without
submitting to so great an inconvenience. The interior of
the building is beautifully finished with embossed work
in chundm : on the floor are three mounds, each about
two feet in height ; the middle one is over the body of
Hyder Ali ; one on the side over that of Tippoo Sultan ;
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 155
and that on the other side over the body of Sultanka
Ma, the mother of Tippoo. These mounds were covered
with precious cloth from Mecca, and constantly adorned
Avith flowers. A lamp was kept burning ; the place was
filled with a strong aromatic smell, very pleasant ; and
was attended by a respectable man, who seemed to be a
Minister of the Mahommedan religion.
From the tomb I went to the mosque close by ; in
which the object that most interested me was a beautiful
youth, reading the Koran, under the direction of a vene-
rable old man. The whole establishment of the tomb
and mosque to the memory of Tippoo Sultan, is, I
believe, supported by the liberality of the British Govern-
ment ; with that national generosity, which, however
peculiar, is much exemplified in India, honouring all that
is great, although hostile, and having a more tender
regard for the prejudices and superstitions of even a sub-
jugated people, than for the appearance of consistency
with the dictates of its own purer system.
In the evening I returned to the Fort, and formed
into a class of catechumens, or probationers, a number of
persons who appeared sincerely desirous of the advantages
of religious communion, and of conforming to our rules.
On Saturday, August 4th, I passed, within the Fort,
the famous Abbe Dubois, in his palankeen. He was
dressed in a Moorman's or Turkish habit, and wore his
own long black beard. By conforming, in some measure,
to the customs of the natives, and by his acquaintance
with their languages, he had acquired great respect and
influence among them ; though he complained, in the
society of Europeans, and in his writings, that, during a
thirty years' residence in the country, he had never been
able to find or to make a real Christian among the
natives ; that the Hindoos did not want Christianity, and
that, if they did embrace it, the change was for the worse .
156 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
One of the instances which he cites as illustrative of the
insincerity of the native Romanists is, that Tippoo Sultan
required many thousands of them to become Mahom-
medans, when they all consented, not one of them having
the principle or courage to become a martyr for his reli-
gion ! Such instruction as the Abbe and his fellow-
Jesuits have been accustomed to give is not calculated to
make men " faithful unto death."
One of the officers of the garrison was very desirous of
witnessing an interview between the Abbe and myself,
and drove to the Abbe's residence to arrange with him as
to place and time ; but found him preparing for an
excursion through the country, to visit distant portions
of his flock. He could not defer his journey, but sent
for my perusal the manuscript of his " Letters on Chris-
tianity in India," which have since been published in
England, with the expression of his regret that a young
man, such as he had heard me described, should have
devoted himself to so hopeless a task as that of the con-
version of the Hindoos, and his earnest recommendation
to me to take the earliest opportunity of returning to
England.
I read his Letters ; and whilst I saw the futility and
contradictory nature of his arguments, could not but pity
the man who had such sufficient reason to complain that
he had " spent his strength for nought ; " and regretted
that a person of such constitutional energy and adapta-
tion to the climate and circumstances of India, had not
commenced his labours among the natives with clearer
views, and conducted them on better principles. Had he
laboured to found faith upon knowledge, and to displace
idolatrous superstition by the worship of God in spirit
and in truth, I doubt not he would have seen results the
opposite of those he complained of: had he aimed at
communicating a knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 157
faithfully insisted on the peculiar doctrines and privileges
of Christianity, his influence might have been more con-
tracted, and his worldly honour less ; but he would have
found a full compensation in the conversion of some souls
to God, and in the peaceful satisfaction of his own mind.
It forms a singular conclusion to the history of the
strange inconsistencies of the Abbe Dubois, that on his
return to Europe he accepted an appointment to a Semi-
nary, or College, in Paris, where it is his official duty to
prepare and educate Missionaries for employment in
India ; a country which he professed to believe was inca-
pable of Christianity, and under the judicial curse of
Almighty God !
Another Lord's day, August 5th, was, I trust, profita-
bly employed by me in Seringapatam. We assembled in
the chapel for prayer at seven o'clock in the morning ; in
the forenoon I read prayers and preached, and adminis-
tered the sacrament of the Lord's supper, and held service
again in the evening.
Monday the 6th, I set out early to Mysore, the present
capital of the kingdom, about nine miles distant from
Seringapatam. I alighted and walked through the Pettah
of Mysore ; the streets were very dirty, and the place did
not appear to me so large and respectable as the Pettah
of Bangalore.
I breakfasted and dined with the Honourable A. Cole,
before mentioned as British Resident, or Political Agent, at
the Rajah's court. He received me with his accustomed
and well-known kindness and affability, and honoured me
with a conversation of considerable length, on the object
of my visit and of our Mission in general ; in the course
of which, he offered his influence in our favour in Mysore,
if we were desirous of establishing ourselves there. The
unassuming dignity and condescension of this gentleman
commanded my high respect ; and I could not but be
158 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
gratified that my country's Government, in a foreign
court, should have so able a representative.
In the evening I preached in the Pettah of Mysore, to
a small congregation of the English and country people,
in the service of the Resident and the Rajah.
I here received an invitation to visit Oonsoor, a place
ahout thirty miles distant, with an offer of conveyance by
means of elephants and camels ; but, having made other
arrangements, I was obliged to decline it.
Returning to Seringapatam next morning, I dined with
Colonel S., at whose table I met most of the English
officers and gentlemen in the neighbourhood. In the
evening I again met those who were formed into a class,
and was gratified by their earnestness and desire to learn
the things of God.
On Wednesday I delivered another sermon in Tamul,
and took leave of the affectionate and grateful people,
both Indo-British and native, who had been the chief
objects of my visit. Were no other ends to be answered
by Missions to India, than the maintenance of Christian
knowledge and feeling among those who already profess
our holy religion, it is an object worthy of the beneficent
liberality of the public at home, and of the laborious
exertions of the devoted Missionary.
The following morning, having been supplied by the
kindness of Mr. Cole with an order for the Rajah's bear-
ers, to carry me post to Bangalore, I set out in company
with Captain Monk, of the Hon. Company's service, who
was going to the same place. We found relays of bearers
waiting for us at every stage, having thus six or seven
changes in the whole distance to Bangalore, which ve
travelled in twenty hours, averaging nearly four miles an
hour ; all the expense incurred being a present of two
rupees, about four shillings sterling, to each set of bearers,
consisting of twelve or thirteen persons to each palankeen.
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 159
Captain Monk was afterwards one of my fellow -passen-
gers on the voyage home in 1828; and while on board
ship, reminded me of a circumstance that occurred on
the journey above mentioned. Soon after we had left
Seringapatam, the Captain observed a native stranger in
company with us, who carried a sort of knife or dagger ;
and thought it proper to inquire who he was, and why he
had joined our company. He replied, that he was servant
to a gentleman in Bangalore ; and, understanding we were
travelling to that place, only desired liberty to run along
with the palankeens : being allowed to do so, he kept
company with us the whole journey, and was with us
when we reached the fort of Bangalore at day-break the
following morning, having run a distance of seventy-five
miles in twenty hours, without indicating any symptoms
of excessive fatigue.
On my return to Bangalore, I found my colleague and
his wife removed to a house more suitable and convenient
than that I had first engaged. The garden attached to
it was extensive, producing culinary vegetables, such as
spinach, cabbages, cauliflowers, nolecole, lettuces, and
onions. Peaches of an inferior kind to those grown in
England, but still delicious, and originally, I believe,
from Persia, were in such abundance, that we could"
neither use them all, nor even give them away. The
lacott, a Chinese fruit, not unlike a plum, was pro-
duced also in great plenty ; it is sweet when ripe,
and both used for tarts, and eaten as dessert. We
had also the rose apple, a fruit whose taste resembles
the scent of a rose, so far as there is any similarity
between the perceptions of the two senses ; the
pomegranate was not uncommon, but its tart and
astringent flavour disappointed the notions I had
formed of it ; mulberries were fine and abundant ; the
custard-apple, whose pulp is soft and delicious ; the
160 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
lime, the orange, the pumplemose, (a large fruit resem-
bling an orange, but three or four times the size,) and
coffee, were all grown in this garden, the extent of which
might be five thousand square yards. It must be
remembered, however, that the climate of Bangalore is
more favourable to horticulture than most other parts of
the south of India. We had a few English apple trees
whose fruit was excessively small and poor. The guava,
an agreeable fruit, not unlike a pear in shape and size,
but very dissimilar in flavour, was a favourite with us
when ripe ; but the trees were often robbed during the
night by flying foxes, a species of bat so large, that their
wings from tip to tip extend more than three feet. For
the house and garden we paid a monthly rent of about
^64. 4s. sterling.
As an additional means of communicating religious
knowledge to the natives, we frequently assembled those
who were occasionally employed in our house and garden
to hear the reading of the Scriptures, and prayer, in
their own language : the bandi Mran, or the man who
had charge of the bullocks used in drawing our
palankeen carriage, excused himself from attending
family prayer on the ground of its being against his
caste.
I continued my evening walks for the purpose of road-
side conversation with the natives, and village preaching ;
sometimes I found attentive hearers, sometimes I was
unheeded, sometimes complimented.
One evening, walking out to Alsoor, a neatly-built
village near Bangalore, I approached a school of well-
dressed children, assembled in the front verandah of a
respectable native house. The moment I addressed the
Schoolmaster, he rose and presented a bit of carpet, on
which he begged me to be seated. I complied, and,
enjoying the shade, for the sun was still hot, I took off my
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 161
hat, and tried to converse with him ; but found that it
was to some disadvantage ; for, though he seemed to
understand my Tamul, his answers, being in Teloogoo,
were quite unintelligible to me.
Whilst thus trying to converse with each other, a very
black, but good-looking, native, with the triple mark on
his forehead as a worshipper of Vishnoo, and an ola-book
in his hand, more like a man of learning than of wealth,
joined us, and offered his assistance to interpret for us
from Tamul to Teloogoo, and from Teloogoo to Tamul.
Several other persons also came, and stood or sat to
listen. Our conversation turned on the subject of reli-
gion, and led me to expose the absurdities of the Hindoo
system, especially those arising from the doctrine of
metempsychosis, or transmigration of souls, for which I
found them great sticklers. They at length referred to
the authority of their Puranas, or sacred historical books,
next in repute to the Vedas : I acknowledged I had not
read them, not having had opportunity, but had no
objection to do so. The man who had acted as inter-
preter offered his assistance to me in reading them,
which I accepted, and invited him to our house.
Next day he came, and agreed to attend me for a
monthly sum of fourteen rupees, (\. 8*. sterling,) but
objected to commencing any thing of importance on
Friday, it being an unlucky day. I allowed him to take
his own way, and, when he was ready, began to read
with him the Sree Maha Bhagavatham, a Vaishnava
Purana of great note, containing an extraordinary medley
of mythological fables, morals, and metaphysics, and a
particular history of the god Krishna, from his birth to
his death. Govinda Moodely, my new friend, plainly
" showed the work of the law written on his heart,"
while reading with me this heathen scripture : he
. pointed out the beauties of the composition ; he boasted
162 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
of the excellent morals here and there inculcated ; but
was often ashamed of the follies, absurdities, and wicked-
ness attributed to those who are considered objects of
worship. We were often quite opposed to each other in
sentiment, and entered into arguments which gave me an
opportunity of stating my views, and the authority on
which they were founded. On these occasions he exhi-
bited much keenness and temper, and was frequently so
intent on his argument, that though engaged to attend
me only two or three hours in a morning, he would wait
while I dined, to continue the dispute, and not leave me
till sunset.
As one proof of the truth of the Hindoo system, he
adduced, and professed to believe, a vague story common
among the natives, that there are yogis, or " monks," in
the caves of the mountains, who have been living there
without food, in a state of abstraction from the world, for
several hundred years ; and would not admit its fallacy,
till I offered to travel any distance, and to pay all
expenses, if he would conduct me to the abodes of any of
them.
He endeavoured to account for the unmingled excel-
lency of the Holy Scriptures, without allowing any
especial or superior inspiration of the writers, by attri-
buting their purity, consistency, and truth, to the judi-
cious revision of Europeans, who, he professed to think,
had, taken pains to purge out every thing contradictory
or absurd ; and knew not how to escape the argument,
that they were for the most part written whilst Europe
was in a state of barbarism, and that they had not since
undergone any alteration.
I read with him the whole of the Bhagavatham, and
several other native compositions in verse and prose ;
and as he was a studious and well-read man, I could
not have had better assistance ; his entire ignorance of
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 163
English made it necessary to carry on all our conver-
sations in Tamul, which thus hecame valuable exercises
as to a ready apprehension and utterance of the lan-
guage, and gave me a fair opportunity of observing the
native method of argumentation.
This person attended me four or five months as Tamul
teacher, in the course of which he appeared quite as
desirous to know the national customs and peculiarities
of the British, as I was to learn those of the Hindoos :
he was particularly interested by our systems of astro-
nomy and geography, and seemed convinced of their
truth, chiefly from the practical uses to which they were
evidently applicable. I gratified him by an account of
my own family ; in his questions on this subject it was
evident he wished to ascertain whether the office of
Minister was hereditary amongst us, as amongst the
Brahmans, or if we had any distinctions analogous to
those of caste. He inquired into my education, and
listened with extraordinary interest to an account of my
voyage to India, and my subsequent movements and
pursuits. As a man of learning, he was, of course, a
poet ; for all esteemed Tamul compositions, of science as
well as of fiction, are in a poetic form ; and even at the
present day, a Tamulian can lay no claim to literary
taste or eminence, if he does not possess poetic talent.
My friend did not rank himself in the lowest class of
poets ; and often treated me with specimens of his com-
position, pronounced in the sort of chant with which the
natives always recite their poetry. As a proof of his
abilities, he threw the main circumstances of my story,
within two or three days after he had heard it, into a
poetic form, and recited and presented the verses to me
with a countenance indicative of the pleasure he felt in
his performance : a copy of the first stanza is given in
English characters in the note. The reader may observe,
164 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
that a stanza consists of four lines or verses, of six feet to
each verse, and that (extraordinary as it may appear) the
rhyme, as in all Tamul poetry, lies in the commencement,
and not in the ending, of the line ; the similarity of the
endings of some of the lines is accidental, and not neces-
sary to the poetry : it is impossible, by writing, to convey
an idea of the cadence with which it is pronounced.*
Govinda paid a visit to Madras a short time before I
left in 1828, when I reminded him of our former conver-
sations ; and regretting that he still wore the mark of
Heathenism and idolatry on his forehead, pressed him to
yield to his convictions of the truth. He said he still
kept the Bible in his house, and sometimes read it ; he
acknowledged himself much indebted to me for his
acquaintance with many things, and for a great improve-
ment in his circumstances, but intimated he would never
become a Christian, unless made so by the irresistible
power of God !
Bangalore, though not possessed of any splendid estab-
lishment of temples and Brahmans, contains sufficient of
both to interest and affect the curious and Christian
observer. The largest temple is in Alsoor, the village
already mentioned. Govinda Moodely procured my
* " Ilajavul padhiriar peril
Asiria viruttam.
" Tan^adaningileesu latineeburugreeku tagamei perave unarndu
sabeiinil aneyvarum manamagizhavS pira sangamathuve
purindu
Van^amathileriyat tireienakadalinil varumalavil teevarindu
vandidumalavinil idiathu vizhundusilar malavS kappal
vendu
Sin^alatteyamathil sagariodaruvipai tiringumalei tannil vandu
sezhikindra pergoley kandavamirundu pin sevvey serurey
pugandroi
Injrilandenunteevil lancashirenumpalil manchesterenumooril va
zhinia volandu vul manamagizhav petta vilajavul enum
magibanS,"
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 165
admission into it ; but I believe repented of his kindness,
when he found what I thought of the abominable figures
displayed within its bounds, and the too clear illustrations
of the nature of idolatry thus furnished by himself.
The origin and progress of another temple in that
neighbourhood, were curious. I had observed a mound,
on a small piece of waste ground by the road side, some-
times decorated with flowers, and which I was told was
the burial-place of a Heathen man or woman. Within a
short time a sort of heading to the grave was built, with
a hole for a small lamp, which was sometimes lighted ;
and flowering shrubs were planted about it. I saw wo-
men and carmen, passing with fire-wood, throwing each
a small stick, or faggot, as an offering ; and was told
that loads of bricks and tiles passing that way, generally
left a tribute of one brick or tile, the carman not fearing
to rob his master for so pious a purpose. Within a few
months, by these contributions, a small temple rose,
having its idol, its servant, and its worshippers, whose
festivals were generally more noisy than any other in the
vicinity.
One day, before another small temple, I observed a
man performing the ceremony of shastangam, or prostra-
tion of the eight members, repeatedly lying flat on his
face on the ground. Several natives also were watching
him : presently he appeared convulsed, and, as though
possessed by the old serpent, writhed over the ground in
an extraordinary manner, heedless of his turban, which
loosened its folds and fell into the dust, and of the stones
and prickly shrubs encountered by his partially naked
body. He had not the appearance of drunkenness, but
was strongly agitated ; and, if under no uncommon influ-
ence, was a most clever hypocrite, powerfully reminding
me of the pretended inspirations described by the Greek
and Latin poets.
166 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
Occasionally I saw religious mendicants : some with
their cheeks and tongues bored, iron or wooden spikes
passing through them ; some with lighted fires on their
heads, so hot as to make it surprising how they endured
them ; and others with iron frames, a foot, or a foot
and a half square, rivetted about their necks, rendering it
impossible to rest the head in lying down. I saw one
man with spikes thickly set in the soles of his sandals,
his foot resting on their points, (which, however blunt,
must have occasioned considerable pain,) walking appa-
rently on a pilgrimage ; and many others of both sexes
and of all ages, who seemed to have abandoned every idea
of home and comfort, to secure the fancied advantages
and merits of this mode of abstraction from the world.
All I witnessed impressed me with a deeper horror of
that system, professedly religious, which not only allows,
but sanctions and extols, such gross departures from every
thing that is reasonable and worthy of man, and so dis-
honourable to the gracious purposes and mercy of God as
revealed to man under every dispensation ; but especially
as manifested in the atonement and mediation of Christ
for our redemption and salvation.
The burning of a widow alive, on the funeral pile of
her husband, occurred in the neighbourhood, whilst I was
in Bangalore ; but I was not informed of the circumstance
until it had taken place. A horrible instance of this
practice was witnessed there, on the 9th of June, 1826,
by Mr. England, our Missionary then on that Station.
This is, however, a rare occurrence in tin's part of India,
even under a native Government; and it is, I believe,
quite unheard of within the Government of Madras ; the
custom having fallen into disuse, from the strong disap-
probation expressed against it by the British authorities
during the government of the Earl of Mornington.
In November, 1821, we applied to the proper quar-
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 167
ter for the grant of a small piece of ground, in that
part of Bangalore occupied by the followers of the army,
for the purpose of a school, and place for preaching
to the natives. The spot we selected had been formerly
appropriated to the same object by a member of our
society, temporarily residing in Bangalore, who had
erected a building of mud walls and thatch, of which
there were still some ruinous remains. Our application
was successful ; and a small building, little more than
thirty feet in length, and thirteen feet in breadth, suita-
ble to the purpose, was commenced and completed under
the direction of Mr. Mowat.
In January, 1822, I again visited Seringapatam, and
remained three weeks, occupying myself as on my former
visit, and dividing my attentions between that place and
Mysore. From both English and native congregations,
I received every demonstration of affection and respect :
rooms were prepared for my reception ; and on the days
I was not engaged to dine with the officers of the garri-
son, or other English residents, the poor people vied with
each other in preparing for me a comfortable meal in my
own apartments, by a plan they had laid down amongst
themselves.
Some Romanists publicly avowed their renunciation of
Popery, and were received into the Protestant Church ;
several adult natives also professed Christianity, and were
baptized by me.
The person I had appointed at my former visit to
lead the class having died, its meetings had been discon-
tinued ; and I found, what I have since observed to be
the case in many other places, that, however useful and
acceptable to the people my occasional visits might be,
there was little hope of maintaining the regular discipline
of a Christian society, without the residence and imme-
diate superintendence of a Missionary. I gave them the
168 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
best advice and directions I could, and promised to use
my influence with my brethren in India, and with the
Committee at home, to obtain for them a resident Mis-
sionary, or to allow me to come and remain among them
myself.
On the 9th of February, I received a polite invitation
from the Honourable the Resident at the Court of
Mysore, to come over that evening to be present at a
durbar.
A durbar is a levee or court held by the native Princes
on especial occasions, when a display is made of their
splendour and magnificence.
I hastened to the Residency at Mysore, and joined the
party of ladies and gentlemen already assembled there.
The uncle of the Rajah paid a complimentary visit to the
Residency ; and shortly afterwards His Highness the
Rajah's carriages, accompanied by elephants, carrying
immense tomtoms, or drums, and by numberless torch-
bearers, were in readiness at the door to convey us to the
palace.
The darkness of the night, relieved by the light of the
flambeaux, the sounding of the music and tomtoms, and
the firing of guns, increased the imposing effect of the
procession. We found the native military drawn up in
front of the palace ; a great number of elephants were in
attendance, and hosts of dancing-women, and of officers
peculiar to Hindoo Courts.
"We were conducted up a staircase to the gallery of a
large apartment, opening with its full width to the area
in front, and crowded with native attendants and visitors.
In the centre of the gallery we found His Highness,
Kistnah Rajah Oodiaver, seated on his musnud, or throne,
a square couch of about two feet in height : he was a
good-looking man of dark colour and complexion, and
appeared to be about thirty years of age.
MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM. 169
The British visitors, both ladies and gentlemen, were
successively presented by the Resident, Mr. Cole, to Hia
Highness, and shook hands with him, a ceremony which
he performed in a hearty, good-humoured manner ; and
then, taking seats on chairs placed near the musnud, we
gazed on the splendour around us and in the court below,
while Mr. Cole and the Rajah conversed in a language I
did not understand.
The Resident then proceeded to adorn the person of
the Rajah with rich presents from the Honourable Com-
pany, of cloths, shawls, and jewellery ; which were suc-
cessively taken off, and carefully preserved by the attend-
ants who stood behind the Rajah.
His Highness then directed his British visitors to be
adorned with garlands of sweet-scented flowers, which
was accordingly done to each of us by his servants.
At intervals a powerful voice was heard beneath the
gallery, which I supposed to be that of a herald pro-
claiming the royal descent, and the titles and dignity, of
his sovereign.
An infant child of the Rajah, covered with jewels of
immense value, was presented to us.
At length we took leave of His Highness, again shak-
ing him by the hand, and retired to an apartment of the
palace, where a splendid table was set for us. At the
dessert after dinner, there was a profusion of ices, and of
English preserves and jellies.
During the whole of our repast, a female dancer, of
superior elegance and grace, attired in the usual costume,
but with the addition of a girdle about her waist, broad
as a ribbon, and apparently of solid gold, performed the
native dances.
After rising from table, we were taken through the
palace : the more costly of its furniture and ornaments
are of English manufacture.
i
170 MYSORE, BANGALORE, AND SERINGAPATAM.
In the most splendid apartment, we found seated a
holy Hindoo San-yasi, or Monk, so nearly naked, that
one of the gentlemen threw a handkerchief over his lap
while the ladies passed him : from this apartment a door
was opened to another, to give us a sight of the sacred
cattle, bulls or cows, kept by the Rajah. They were
large, white animals, and appeared in very good condi-
tion. The whole establishment presented an odd mixture
of Hindoo peculiarities and European improvements.
I slept that night at the Residency, and the following
day returned early to my work in Seringapatam.
JOURNEY FROM SERINGAPATAM TO MADRAS. 1 71
CHAPTER XIV.
FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 1822.
JOURNEY FROM SERINGAPATAM TO MADRAS.
WHILST on my late visit to Seringapatam and Mysore,
I had received a letter from Mr. Lynch, the Chairman of
our District-Meeting then assembled in Jaffna, communi-
cating the decision of the Meeting, that Mr. Squance
should return to England, in consequence of the entire
failure of his health ; that Mr. Close, whose health had
also suffered considerably, should proceed from Madras
to occupy Negapatam, in the hope that change of place,
and some degree of relaxation from labour, might prove
beneficial to him ; and that I was appointed to Madras,
to labour in the Mission there.
I did not receive this intelligence without considerable
regret. I had been assisting to lay a foundation for Mis-
sionary labours in the neighbourhood of Bangalore, and
was desirous of witnessing the results ; and was also
exceedingly unwilling to be again separated from my
excellent colleague, Mr. Mowat.
There was, however, no alternative. On the 22d of
February, 1822, I left Seringapatam, and returned to
Bangalore, having been favoured, by the kindness of
Mr. Cole, with the Rajah's bearers both in going and
returning. I then prepared for a further journey to
Madras ; and, taking an affectionate leave of my friends,
set out on the 4th of March.
For four days I travelled through a country inhabited
by persons using the Cannada or other languages with
which I was not familiar ; and, meeting with very few
i 2
172 JOURNEY FROM SERINGAPATAM TO MADRAS.
who spoke Tamul, had no intercourse with the people
worthy of being recorded.
On the 9th of March, I arrived at Chittoor, a consi-
derable native town, and the residence of several English
families, connected with the Provincial and Zillah Courts
established there, and other departments of the Honour-
able Company's service. It is situated in a fertile valley
at the foot of the Ghauts, hemmed in on every side by
bare rocky hills of a very bold character, rendering more
remarkable the beautiful green of the fields and gardens.
Mangoes, strawberries, and other fine fruits, are produced
in great abundance at Chittoor, and the land appears
capable of any production suitable to the climate. It
was then esteemed healthy ; though the heat is great,
and I could fancy an insufficiency in the air, occasioned
by its rarefaction. But it was, perhaps, more from the
delightful retirement enjoyed by the English residents
here, than from other circumstances, that it had been
denominated, The Happy Valley.
I was welcomed with kind hospitality by Joseph
D'Acre, Esq., a gentleman high in the service of Govern-
ment, and much esteemed in the church of Christ.
From his peculiar engagements, and his long residence in
the country, he spoke Tamul with the ease of a native,
with greater fluency even than he spoke English. Being
himself a devout man, and possessing a zealous Mission-
ary spirit, the faithful discharge of his arduous official
duties as Judge did not prevent him from devoting such
a portion of his time and talents to the promotion of
Christianity among the natives, as, by the blessing of
God, to make him instrumental in converting some hun-
dreds of Heathens and Mahommedans to the faith of
Christ.
Mr. D'Acre had been resident in Chittoor many years.
When he first came, there was perhaps not one native
JOURNEY FROM SERINGAPATAM TO MADRAS. 1/3
Christian in the place : he read the Scriptures, and con-
versed with his native servants on the subject of religion ;
he established schools in his garden, and employed Mas-
ters and Catechists ; but was not satisfied concerning the
propriety of addressing the natives publicly, until after
some conversation with Mr. Lynch on the subject of lay-
preaching, which encouraged him to adopt this method
also, in which he proved very successful.
He was surrounded by the objects of his bounty : one
was a Brahman widow, who had been saved from the
funeral pile of her husband ; another, a fine boy, whose
mother, an entire stranger in Chittoor, had died on her
arrival there, leaving him destitute. Many were his con-
verts, or their children, whom he assisted in various ways
to procure a livelihood.
He pressed me to stay ; and I remained with him
eight days, much delighted with what I witnessed.
Eveiy morning and evening about one hundred natives,
including the children of the school, assembled to family
prayer. On each of the two Sundays, I read prayers and
preached in the Court-House to the English residents,
and held divine service with the natives in a wing of Mr.
D'Acre's house, devoted to that purpose. I administered
the Lord's supper to about sixty native communicants ; I
baptized, during my stay, more than thirty persons,
chiefly adults, and married eight couples. Such success-
ful endeavours to introduce Christianity among the na-
tives I had not hitherto seen in actual operation. No
doubt Mr. D'Acre's wealth and rank had great influence
among the people, as well as the truths he delivered ;
but it may justly be inquired whether the influence of
wealth and rank can serve a more important purpose,
than the deliverance of men from the yoke of Heathenism
and falsehood, and their introduction to the enjoyment
even of the outward privileges and blessings of Chris-
174 JOURNEY FROM SERINGAPATAM TO MADRAS.
tianity ; and whether it ought not, in a country like
India, to be more frequently thus employed than it is.
It was with difficulty I could prevail on my kind host
to allow me to proceed on my journey. I left Chittoor
on the night of Monday, March 18th, and the following
morning reached Arcot, where I was most kindly enter-
tained during the day by the Rev. R. Smith, M.A.,
Chaplain of the Station. In the evening I again has-
tened on my journey, passed the following day in a very
hot, uncomfortable choultry, and two days after, on the
morning of the 22d, arrived in Madras.
At the Mission-house in Royapettah, I was affection-
ately received by Mr. Squance and family, who had
already arrived to take their passage to England ; and by
Mr. Erskine, another of our Missionaries, who was here
on his way from Ceylon (where he had been labouring
from the first establishment of the Mission) to New
South Wales, to engage in our Mission there. Mr.
Lynch had not yet arrived from the District-Meeting in
Jaffna.
I commenced my labours on my new Station the day
of my arrival, by going to Black-Town, four miles dis-
tant, and delivering a Tamul sermon in the evening to
the native congregation; thus entering on that depart-
ment of the work most pleasing to me, and in which I
felt it my duty to be chiefly engaged.
A detail of our labours for a few days will serve to
give some idea of the extent of our exertions in Madras
at that time.
Sunday, March 24th, at seven o'clock in the morning,
I heard Mr. Squance read prayers and preach in English
to a small congregation in the Royapettah chapel ; at ten
in the forenoon I preached to the natives in Tamul, and
met the native class ; and at seven in the evening
preached in the same chapel to a small English congre-
JOURNEY FROM SERINGAPATAM TO MADRAS. 175
gation. On the same day there were also two English
services in our chapel in Black-Town.
Tuesday, 26th, I went to St. Thomas's Mount, six
miles distant, and took with me a Tamul sermon, expect-
ing to find a congregation of natives ; but found, in our
small school-room there, an assembly of soldiers and
others, to whom I preached in English, and afterwards
addressed the Master and boys of the native school, in
the Tamul language.
On Thursday evening, 28th, there was English preach-
ing, and meeting of class in Black-Town.
Friday, 29th, I read a sermon in Tamul to our native
congregation in Black-Town, whose appearance made me
long for greater fluency in their language, and for divine
assistance in my labours.
On Saturday evening an English class met at the
Mission-house, Royapettah.
Sunday, 31st, I drove to Black-Town, and at seven
o'clock in the morning read prayers, and preached in
English : one reason for holding services so early in the
morning is, that the great heat of the mid-day sun would
render it uncomfortable for our English congregation to
assemble later ; and another, because we find it more
convenient to our native congregations to come together
in the heat of the day, and therefore reserve that time
for their public worship. In the forenoon I met the
native class in Royapettah ; and in the evening again
preached in English in the same chapel.
This day I received a kind letter from Joseph D'Acre,
Esq., enclosing one hundred and fifty rupees, to be laid
out in the way I might think best calculated to promote
the great object he had at heart, the conversion of the
natives.
Monday, April 1st, I attended the monthly Missionary
prayer-meeting, held by the Missionaries of the London
176 JOURNEY FROM SERINGAPATAM TO MADRAS.
Society, and of our own, at their chapel and at ours,
alternately. This evening it was held in Pursewaukum
chapel, where I had the pleasure to hear the Rev. E.
Crisp, of the London Society, then just arrived from Eng-
land, deliver an address appropriate to the occasion.
In general, my engagements in Madras required me to
deliver four or five, and sometimes seven, sermons each
week, in English and Tamul, and to attend to many
other meetings, public or private, of a religious character,
besides the superintendence of schools. My labour was
considerably augmented by the necessity of paying
unceasing attention to reading and composition in
Tamul, with a view to the attainment of such a profi-
ciency as should enable me to converse in it with ease,
and to preach without the use of written sermons, that I
might thus be better fitted for more extensive exertions
among the vast heathen population of Madras, and the
surrounding country, which lay open to us as a field of
labour, but into which the number of efficient Mission-
aries who had entered was very small.
Before I had been many days in Madras, I was invited
to attend a meeting of the Sub-Committee of Transla-
tions of the Bible Society, for the revision of the Tamul
version of the Holy Scriptures, and was elected a mem-
ber of the Committee. The venerable Dr. Rottler pre-
sided ; and at his house the meeting was held, consisting
of Missionaries of all Societies, who understood the lan-
guage, and of such lay gentlemen of the Committee of the
Bible Society, whose leisure, and knowledge of Tamul,
enabled them to give their services : we were assisted
also by the cleverest Moonshees and Pundits of the Col-
lege of Fort St. George, and by valuable correspondents
in different parts of the country.
The Rev. T. Nicholson, of the London Missionary
Society, was at that time Secretary to the Committee.
JOURNEY FROM SERINGAPATAM TO MADRAS. 1/7
His health was delicate, and he died in the course of a
few months, greatly lamented. I was then desired to
take the office of Secretary ; and, although a great addi-
tional responsibility, I thought it of too much importance
to be refused or neglected, and, accepting the office,
continued to act in it until I left Madras, in 1828.
Before the end of March, 1822, Mr. Squance and his
family embarked for England in the ship "Barossa,"
followed by the prayers of his brethren, and of the peo-
ple to whom he had ministered. A few days after his
departure, Mr. Lynch arrived at Madras, having been so
remarkably detained, both by sea and land, on his journey
to and from the District-Meeting, which in this year
also (1822) had been held in the island of Ceylon, that
he had been three months absent from the Station.
i 5
1/8 MISSION IN MADRAS.
CHAPTER XV.
APRIL DECEMBER, 1822.
MISSION IN MADRAS.
FROM the first establishment of the Wesleyan Mission
in Madras, in 1817, the Rev. James Lynch had laboured
there with much acceptance and usefulness, among people
of all classes. He had built by subscription the chapel
already mentioned, in the Mission premises at Roya-
pettah ; but in Black-Town, the most populous part of
Madras, and where the largest congregations assembled,
the services had been held in various incommodious and
unsuitable places ; one of these, where Methodist meet-
ings were first held in Madras, was a stable altered for
the purpose.
A plot of ground, with some old buildings upon it,
situated in Popham's-Street, or, as it is usually called,
Popham's Broadway, being one of the widest and best
streets in Black-Town, was at length purchased ; and the
principal building, a low room about sixty feet in length
and ten feet in breadth, was appropriated to the purpose
of public worship : many are the pleasing feelings which
will ever be associated, by both Ministers and people,
with the recollections of their assembling in that
place.
It was, however, too low and confined to be comfort-
able to the congregation ; and the Minister was usually
drenched in perspiration almost as soon as he commenced
his work ; and the service was much disturbed by passen-
gers and carts passing close by the doors and windows,
open the whole length of the building ; while both Minis-
MISSION IN MADRAS. 1/9
ter and congregation were grievously annoyed by the
thousands of musquitoes and other insects, that found
this a suitable habitation, or were attracted by the lights
used at evening service.
The society and congregation agreed with the Mission-
aries that a chapel was necessary, and engaged to sub-
scribe towards its erection. A more appropriate plot of
ground than that already occupied, could not be pro-
cured ; and it was sufficiently large to allow of a new
chapel being built, without interfering with the building
then used as such, the only one in which the congrega-
tion could assemble.
It was resolved that the chapel about to be erected
should be raised one story from the ground floor, to
secure a free circulation of air, and to avoid the annoy-
ance from insects, and from the noises of the crowded
streets.
The character and object of our Mission were so well
known, that Mr. Lynch found no difficulty in obtaining
encouragement and liberal subscriptions from many of
.the servants of Government, and other highly respectable
residents in Madras, as well as from those who had pro-
fited by the ministry of himself and colleagues. Con-
tributions were ultimately raised to the amount of about
seven thousand Madras rupees, or ^6700 sterling. The
cost of the erection, and fitting up of the chapel, was
more than ten thousand rupees ; the original purchase of
the land and premises had been upwards of three thou-
sand five hundred rupees.
In digging for the foundation, it was found that the
nature of the ground was such as not to permit the safe
erection of such a building as that now contemplated,
without more than common precaution. Wells were
therefore sunk to the depth of about twelve feet, and
partly filled with sand ; from this artificial ground arches
180
MISSION IN MADRAS.
were turned, and on the arches the building was erected :
the expense was considerably increased by the necessity
of such a foundation.
The whole was substantially constructed of bricks and
chunam, and entirely plastered with chunam within and
without. The accompanying elevation gives a correct
idea of the chapel and premises.
THE CHAPEL AT MADRAS, ERECTED 1822.
The upper story, which is the chapel, is fifty-seven
feet long, independent of the covered verandah or porch
in front, about seven feet, and thirty feet in breadth ;
and is capable of accommodating a congregation of three
hundred persons : more than that number have assembled
in it on especial occasions. The roof is of teak- wood,
and covered with tiles ; but within, has an arched ceiling
of boards, the centre of which is nearly nineteen feet from
the floor, which is also of teak- wood.
The lower apartments are dry and commodious : the
front one is used as a vestry ; that to the left is occupied
as the Depository of the Madras Religious Tract Society ;
that on the right is used for Committees and class-
meetings.
The small building to the right of the chapel is the
place formerly used by the English congregation as a
place of worship, and which has since undergone some
improvements and alterations, and continues to be valua-
MISSION IN MADRAS. 181
ble for Portuguese and Tamul preaching, and for day and
Sunday schools, both English and native.
The chapel was opened on the 25th of April, 1822.
On this occasion a lively and extensive interest was
excited among our friends. Before the hour appointed,
the chapel was quite filled ; and in the congregation we
had the pleasure to recognise many Missionaries of other
Societies, either resident in Madras or occasionally visit-
ing it : about four hundred persons found room ; but a
great number had to return from the door without gain-
ing admittance.
The service was commenced by the hymn begin-
ning with, " Jesu, we look to thee," &c. The Eev. C.
Loveless, of the London Society, then read the Liturgy
and appropriate lessons ; the Eev. C. Traveller, of the
same Society, next offered up an extemporary prayer ;
and Mr. Lynch preached an appropriate and impressive
sermon on Matt, xviii. 20 : " Where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst
of them." After sermon the Rev. T. Nicholson prayed,
and gave an address, stating the expense of the building,
and the amount of contributions already made, and urging
the necessity of further exertions : while he spoke we
made the collection, which amounted to about 40
sterling. Mr. Erskine then offered up a prayer, and
concluded the service.
Thus was another house dedicated to the service of the
living God, in the midst of a heathen and idolatrous
population : it is the largest Wesleyan chapel yet erected
in Continental India. It was an interesting occasion to
ourselves and our society, and was the means of increas-
ing the favourable opinion already existing in Madras
with regard to our Mission.
In a short time afterwards, we were invited to
erect a chapel in another quarter of Madras, by two
182 MISSION IN MADRAS.
gentlemen who would have subscribed liberally ; but
our hands were already full ; we had occupied more
ground than we had strength to cultivate to our own
satisfaction ; and, however desirous of enlarging our
sphere of labour, we were under the necessity of giving a
refusal.
In the beginning of May, Mr. Erskine left us to pro-
ceed to Calcutta, from whence he embarked for New
South Wales ; having waited in vain at Madras for several
months for a vessel direct to that part of the world. His
labours had been very acceptable to our congregations,
and were a great assistance to us : by his departure, the full
work of the Station devolved upon Mr. Lynch and myself.
The Assistant Missionary, who had formerly been very
serviceable in Madras, as interpreter and superintendent
of schools, having returned to Ceylon, his native place, it
rested with me to conduct the Tamul services entirely,
and fill up all our engagements among the natives.
I was still under the necessity of writing my Tamul
sermons : my plan was to compose four or six pages
daily. A learned Brahman attended me early in the
morning, and corrected what I had written ; of which I
had then to make a fair copy, and to prepare another
portion for correction on the foUowing morning. I thus
found the composition and transcribing of one sermon, in
Tamul, each week, as much as I could accomplish, in
addition to my other numerous engagements.
But unequal as we had felt our numbers and strength
to the work before us, they were now to suffer a diminu-
tion. The hopes which had been indulged of the
recovery of Mr. Close, by his removal to Negapatam,
were severely disappointed ; he never regained the vigour
he had lost by his zealous labours in the sultry climate of
Madras. His favourite son died in Negapatam, soon
after then* arrival there ; Mrs. Close sustained consider-
MISSION IN MADRAS. 183
able injury by being thrown out of a gig ; and, notwith-
standing the advantages of relaxation, and the society
and affectionate attentions of our excellent friends in
Negapatam, Mr. Close's health continued to decline, till
it was declared necessary for him to leave the country.
He accordingly came up, with his family, to Madras, in
July, to embark either for the Cape of Good Hope, or
England. Here their afflictions were increased by the
sickness and death of their only surviving child. Of
their Madras friends who visited them during their stay
with us at the Mission-house, none, I believe, departed
without shedding tears of Christian sympathy over the
afflictions and altered appearance of Mr. and Mrs. Close.
The comparative claims of Negapatam and Bangalore
now became matter of serious deliberation ; for we were
reduced to the painful necessity of giving up one of those
Stations, at least for a time. The society already formed
in Negapatam, and the prospect of immediate and exten-
sive usefulness, especially among the Dutch and Portu-
guese population, gave that Station a character of consi-
derable importance. It had also been occupied by us
previously to Bangalore, and was not the residence of
Missionaries of any other religious body. By the influ-
ence of our exceUent friend, J. Cotton, Esq., an allow-
ance had been obtained from Government of about 100.
per annum, for the performance of Chaplain's duty, by
our Missionaries, in Negapatam, which, being a consider-
able contribution to our general fund, we thought ought
not to be forfeited without due consideration.
It was with great reluctance that I gave my consent to
the temporary abandonment of our Mission in Bangalore ;
but there appeared no alternative. Soon after the
embarkation of Mr. and Mrs. Close for England, in the
commencement of August, Mr. and Mrs. Mowat came
down from Bangalore, and proceeded to Negapatam.
184 MISSION IN MADRAS.
Meantime we had pleasing indications of success, and
of the divine blessing on our labours, in various quarters
of the extensive Circuit of Madras.
A favourable opening presented itself in St. Thome, a
large and populous neighbourhood on the sea side, about
one mile south of the Mission-house. This place has a
large heathen temple, whose annual feast is attended by
many thousands of strangers, as well as by its own
native inhabitants, who are very numerous, and have
among them a considerable appearance of wealth and
respectability. The descendants of the Portuguese, who,
more than two hundred years ago, occupied St. Thome as
their chief Station in this part of India, are numerous
also : many Indo-Britains reside there, sufficient to form
a good English congregation ; of these some had occa-
sionally attended our English services in Royapettah ;
and, in the hot season, a great number of invalid or con-
valescent European visitors resort to St. Thome to enjoy
the advantages of its pleasant situation, and salubrious air.
The remains of the old Portuguese Fort are still to be
seen on the beach ; and, hard by, is the Romish cathe-
dral, a building of considerable magnitude, with exten-
sive premises adjoining connected with the establish-
ment, consisting of the palace, or residence of the Por-
tuguese Bishop, who receives his appointment from Goa,
and accommodations for the Priests and students.
Adjoining the east end of the cathedral is a small
chapel, similar in outward appearance to a heathen temple.
The tradition concerning it is, that it was formerly a hea-
then temple, but was granted by the native Prince of Miela-
poor (the Tamul name of St. Thome) to St. Thomas the
Apostle, who is said to have preached the Gospel in
India, to have suffered martyrdom in this neighbourhood,
and to have been interred in this chapel. When I
entered the chapel on one occasion, the reputed grave of
MISSION IN MADRAS. 185
the Apostle was shown to me, being a deep and wide
excavation, having its entrance within the chapel : the
excavation has been occasioned by the holy earth having
been from time immemorial taken away in small quanti-
ties to preserve voyagers from storm and shipwreck, and
to answer other purposes of superstition.
A poor fisherman of St. Thome, who, though the son
of an Englishman, lived among the natives, and had a
native wife, constantly brought his family to our Tamul
services in Royapettah, and was a member of our native
class. His wife was now a member also, but had
formerly been a Romanist. A circumstance which
occurred before she became a Protestant will serve to
mark the character of her husband, and the view he took
of Popery. She was desirous of attending the annual
Romish festival in Pulicat, twenty-five miles north of
Madras ; her husband acceded, and resolved to accom-
pany her. When they set out on their journey, which,
as they were foot-travellers, would occupy them two days
in going, and two in returning, he persisted in leaving
his hat behind him, and walked bareheaded. When
questioned as to his reasons, he said he knew well, that
when they entered the church at the end of their
journey, he should be required to take off his hat ; and
rather than uncover his head on entering a place of
idolatrous worship, he preferred making the whole jour-
ney bareheaded.
This person, though not able to read himself, sent his
children to our schools, and invited a few of his neigh-
bours to hear the reading of the Scriptures and prayer at
his own house : the number of this evening assembly
increased, and he erected a pandal for their accommo-
dation.
About the same time he pressed a respectable inha-
bitant of St. Thome to attend our English preaching.
This gentleman, though born in India, had enjoyed many
186 MISSION IN MADRAS.
advantages, having received a classical education at
Harrow school. He began to attend our preaching early
in April, and became for some time an altered character.
He occasionally attended the English class, and expressed
his surprise, that religious instruction should have
enabled persons who had received so little education to
speak on divine subjects with an ease and propriety to
which he found himself inadequate.
He invited us to make use of one of his houses in St.
Thome as a chapel. We gladly embraced the offer, and
commenced our regular services there, on the evening of
Wednesday, August 28th, 1822.
At a few hours' notice an assembly of more than two
hundred persons of various descriptions, but chiefly
natives, was collected. Mr. Lynch commenced with
prayer and a short address in English. I then preached
to the native part of the congregation in Tamul, and con-
cluded by prayer in the same language. We regularly
continued a stated service of the same kind for several
weeks, and saw some fruit of our labours in the increase
of our Royapettah congregation, and in the number of
Heathens, and others equally ignorant, who were brought
under the sound of the word of God.
At length it was found advisable to have the English
and native services separate from each other. It was
proposed to us to purchase the premises we had occupied,
which, though the situation was rather obscure, were the
best we could expect till our means should be enlarged.
The indigent, but zealous, man, before mentioned, solicited
and obtained subscriptions from the poor as weh 1 as from
the rich : the house was purchased, and altered for the
purposes of public worship. Regular English service has
been ever since held in it twice or thrice each week ; and
Tamul and Portuguese sermons have been occasionally
preached in it to attentive congregations. Two schools,
one English and the other Tamul, were established, and
MISSION IN MADRAS. 187
an English society was formed. The house, thus con-
verted to a chapel, has heen found incommodious for the
English congregation ; and from the increasing interest
lately exhibited by our friends in that neighbourhood, I
have no doubt that if they had a little encouragement
from England, they would exert themselves to raise a
building more suitable to the sacred purpose, and better
adapted to the character of the place.
One evening about this time, passing along the road
near our house, my notice was attracted by an immense
assemblage of people, and preparations for the feast at
which certain devotees swing on hooks thrust into the
muscles of the back. On this occasion none came forward
to swing, but a poor sheep was made to act as substitute.
This absurd and painful ceremony is chiefly observed by
the lower classes ; and is generally practised in conse-
quence of vows made in time of danger, or for the
obtaining of some desired object.
In the month of September, Mr. Stead, from Jaffna,
paid us a visit in Madras ; and, by his seasonable assist-
ance, in some measure lessened our toil, and enabled us
to extend our sphere of exertion. My increased familiarity
with Tamul now enabled me to begin delivering sermons
without the aid of written notes. I commenced out-door
preaching in the villages and roads, and distributed many
tracts among the natives. The cholera morbus, which
raged dreadfully at this time, seemed to have the effect of
awakening the attention of the people to those subjects
which relate to God and to eternity. But in the mass of
human beings around us, our utmost endeavours seemed to
be as insufficient to produce a general influence, as a pebble
dropped into the ocean would be to produce an agitation
of the whole. An oppressive conviction to this effect is, I
believe, felt by every Missionary scattered throughout the
vast population of India. But their faith regards the
promises and the prophetic declarations of God ; and
188 MISSION IN MADRAS.
their hope is turned to the land of their nativity for a
supply of more labourers to enter into the harvest.
About the end of the year, at the request of the Madras
Religious Tract Society, I engaged in re-translating into
Tamul a considerable part of a large tract by the late Mr.
Nicholson, " On the Truth of Christianity proved by the
Resurrection of Christ : " the larger portion of the fair
copy he had prepared for the press having been unfor-
tunately lost. I made also a translation of the Rules of
our Society ; and of the Account of Mr. Wesley and the
Rise of Methodism, contained in the tract of the Rev. V.
Ward, entitled, " Facts," &c. ; to which I added, the
View of the Doctrines of Methodism contained in the
same book, making those omissions and alterations
required by the different circumstances of our people in
Madras, for whose use and information the translation
was designed.
In December, Mr. Lynch paid a visit to Chittoor,
leaving Mr. Stead with me in Madras. . We laboured with
much comfort and harmony in our studies, as well as in
our public engagements ; and had reason to believe that
the divine blessing accompanied our exertions. Mr. Stead
found in Madras books, and various assistances for advance-
ment in the knowledge of the language, which he had
not been able to obtain in Ceylon ; and showed how he
regarded them, by the industrious application with which
he improved the opportunities afforded to him.
On the Jast day of the month, Mr. Lynch returned from
Chittoor. We closed the year 1822, and commenced
the new year, in our chapel in Black-Town ; where a
large congregation assembled to be present at the interest-
ing services connected with what is called a watch-night ;
a service peculiar to the Wesleyan Methodists, but exceed-
ingly suitable to the occasion, and to the feelings of the
sincere Christian at a season so favourable to solemn and
devotional thought.
TAMTJL LITERATURE, 189
CHAPTER XVI.
1822 AND 1823.
TAMUL LITERATURE.
THE Brahman I had employed as Tamul teacher, being
a Moonshee of the College, was soon promoted to a higher
class ; and, receiving engagements which removed him from
the neighbourhood, was prevented from any further attend-
ance on me except as an occasional visitor. I subsequently
engaged three or four other Moonshees, of whom some
notice may be introduced in the proper place. During
the whole of my residence in Madras, I always considered
it necessary to have a learned native assistant, on whom,
though not wholly employed by me, I could rely for help
in any difficulties which might occur in Tamul reading or
composition.
A friendly intercourse with some of the chief Moon-
shees of the College was highly valued by me. Among
other advantages accruing from it, was the obtaining
copies of rare and valuable books, which probably I
should not otherwise have met with.
One of the first books in my course of Tamul reading
in Madras, was part of the Rdmayanam, one of the
eighteen Puranas, or " Sacred Histories of the Hindoos."
Its chief subjects are the exploits of Rama, whose worship
and festival I before mentioned, and whose history is
adorned with fables too extravagant, I should have
thought, even for an eastern imagination, and with mys-
ticisms sufficiently abstruse to exercise and satisfy the
acutest metaphysician, ancient or modern.
I fell in also with some of the works of Robertus de
190 TAMUL LITERATURE.
Nobili, of whom some account has been already given, in
the Seventh Chapter, under the head of "The Jesuit
Mission in Madura." From the number of Sanscrit
terms occurring in his writings, it would appear that
he was well acquainted with that tongue, as well as
with the Tamul language. He translated the Romish
Liturgy as it is still used in the native churches, and
entitled Mantramalei, or " Garland of Prayers." A work
called Atma Nirnyam, or " The Determination of the
Soul," by the same author, is a valuable book : I had a
copy of it neatly transcribed, which formed a small
quarto of nearly a thousand pages. In this work, which
is almost free from the peculiarities of Popery, the author
shows himself an acute disputant and metaphysician. In
treating on the origin and nature of the soul of man, he
successfully and ingeniously exposes the fallacy of the
various opinions held by the different sects of Hindoos
with regard to the soul ; such as, that the soul is God,
that it is from eternity, that it is matter, that it dies with
the body, that it transmigrates from one body to another,
that there is no difference between the human soul and
the souls of beasts, &c. On the last two points his argu-
ments are particularly ingenious, and well calculated to
strike and convince the mind of a Hindoo. The state-
ment of Hindoo doctrines and authorities thus elicited,
and the refutation of them advanced and enforced in the
peculiar style of Hindoo argumentation, make the book
valuable, and worthy of being possessed and perused by
every Tamul Missionary.
But his most famous work is entitled Nyana ubadhe-
sam ; and consists of a course of lectures on theology, in
a style peculiarly his own, and evidently displaying the
hand of a master. It was, I believe, from the publication
of this work, that Robertus de Nobili was styled by the
natives, Tatwa-bodhaca-swdmi, or the "Teacher of the
TAMTJL LITERATURE. 191
Divine Attributes." Two extracts from it, with a trans-
lation annexed, are given by Mr. Ellis in his translation
and commentary on the Rural, pages 26, 28.
Mr. Ellis remarks : " Although the style of this work
does not entitle it to rank among compositions in the
superior dialect of the Tamul, the following extracts are
so immediately connected with the present subject, and
afford such lively specimens of the peculiar spirit of this
Indo-European writer, and of the felicity and precision
with which he has rendered into Tamul the phraseology
of the schools, that they cannot fail to be acceptable both
to the Tamul and English reader. The first passage
forms the concluding paragraph of the third lecture, and
contains the exposition of the third attribute, the imma-
teriality of the Deity : the second is an abridgment, pre-
serving the words of the author, of the fourth lecture on
the fourth attribute, or the goodness of the Deity."
The extracts are as follows :
" If we consider the Omnipotent to be self-existent
and eternal, we cannot say that he has a body like our
bodies ; for when a being exists connected with a body
composed of limbs finite in their nature, there must exist
some one by whom those limbs were formed and united
together. Therefore a self-existent being cannot be cor-
poreal ; and, consequently, the self-existent Lord of all
cannot be admitted to be a corporeal being. Thus it is
established that immateriality is the third attribute of the
Deity . As this is so, to admit that the Omnipotent has
a female on his head, (as Siva,) or on his breast, (as
Vishnu,) that in one place he contracts marriage, and in
another he frequents the house of a prostitute, and that
he amuses himself with these, and idle vagaries like these,
there is no doubt, can arise only from defect of under-
standing, and must be productive of the greatest turpi-
192 TAMUL LITERATURE.
tude. As the Omnipotent is self-existent, eternal, and
immaterial, it will be proper to describe what form he
really has ; and this I shall explain in the fourth lecture."
" On this subject there is one thing especially necessary
to be known, that is, that, as it is said that all virtues are
given to the effect by the cause, it must also be said that
the cause produces the effect. The virtue afforded by
the cause may exist in the effect in two several modes.
One mode is, when the whole virtue inherent in the cause
exists in the effect ; as, for example, fire produces fire ; a
lion begets a lion ; a man, a man. In investigating this
species of cause and effect, it appears that the entire vir-
tue inherent in the cause exists equally in the effect,
being in degree neither more nor less. This species of
cause and effect may be denominated the univocal cause
and univocal effect. Besides this species of cause and
effect, there is another ; this is when the whole nature,
and all the virtue pertaining to the nature, of the cause,
does not exist in the effect ; but, of the several qualities
inherent in the cause, some one only is communicated to
the effect ; thus, the statuary has made a statue ; the
potter, an earthen vessel ; the sun is the cause of the lus-
tre which exists in precious stones. On investigating this
species of cause and effect, the understanding, strength,
and the other qualities, mental and corporeal, inherent in
the statuary, who is the cause, are not found to exist in
the statue, which is the effect ; the form only, a quality
proceeding from the understanding of the statuary, and
none of the other qualities pertaining to him, is communi-
cated to the statue. It is the same, also, in the instances
of the potter and the sun. This species of cause and
effect may be denominated the equivocal cause, and the
equivocal effect. Senseless people, not comprehending
the mode of equivocal cause and effect, as thus explained,
TAMXJL LITERATURE. 193
are accustomed to speak thus relative to the Almighty,
and on the subject of creation." "And, in consequence
of this notion, they assert that, without Parvati, Lechrny,
and other females, no honour, nor glory could accrue either
to Siva or Vishnu, who are worshipped as the Almighty ;
and that otherwise, neither Siva nor Vishnu could
enjoy happiness. If we admit that the only God is of the
male or female sex, because he created male and female, we
ought to say that God is also a dog, fox, and the like,
because he created dogs, foxes, and the like. To confute
this blasphemous notion, it is sufficient to say, that the
statuary and potter cannot be the statue or vessel of
which they are the equivocal cause, and that the sun
cannot be identified with the brightness united with a
particle of earth. Thus, also, because the Almighty is
the equivocal cause of the distinction of male and female,
and of all other things, we ought not to say or think that
he is either male or female. Therefore, let us admit that,
as that sole goodness, which is the Almighty, contains in
itself, in the highest degree, as has been already shown,
all the virtue pertaining to the infinite number of existent
beings ; so, also, that same Almighty Being, who is the
manifestation of goodness, is the equivocal cause of all
things."
The translator then further proceeds to say :
" It is worthy of remark that though power, goodness,
wisdom, &c., are common to all the preceding series of
attributes, justice is found in none. By the Catholic
writers, desirous, it is probable, to allure their proselytes
by the idea of an all-merciful, rather than to alarm them
by the representation of an all-just, God, it is included,
with a variety of other qualities, under the general attri-
bute of goodness. On such a subject, omission and defect
K
194 TAMUL LITERATURE.
are not surprising ; for in enumerating the attributes of
the all-pervading Spirit, both European and Indian writers
can select only what may appear to each the more promi-
nent. His attributes, as various as his energies, are
beyond the grasp of the human intellect. As he is by his
nature, therefore, incomprehensible, every attempt to
investigate his essence, or to determine his qualities, can,
at the best, be only an approximation to the truth."
I perused also with much interest the works of a still
more celebrated Indo-European author, C. J. Beschi,
another Italian Jesuit, who came to India about the
commencement of the eighteenth century. His name is
familiar to Oriental scholars, from two excellent Gram-
mars of the dialects of the Tamul language, written by
him in Latin, and since translated into English ; by use
of which, the servants of Government, and Missionaries,
have found the Tamul language of comparatively easy
acquisition. But he is known to the Hindoos by the
name of Veera-ma-mum ; Veera being a translation of his
Christian name, Constantine, and Ma-Muni, honorary
additions, signifying " The great holy person." His chief
works in Tamul are the Saduragradhi, or, " A Dictionary
of the Tamul Language, in four Parts ; " Tonnool Filac-
cam, a " Grammar of high Tamul ; " Vtdhiar Ozhuccam,
"Rule for Catechists, or Instructions for Teachers of
Religion ; V6dha Pilaccam, " lUustration of Religion,"
being a clever attempt at an exposure and refutation of
Protestantism, then spreading by the labours of the Mis-
sionaries of Tranquebar ; and Tembavani, " The Unfading
Garland," an immense poem embracing the history of
the Old and New Testaments, and innumerable Romish
legends.
These works are all admirably performed, and, regarded
only as literature, are invaluable ; they deserve to be con-
TAMUL LITERATURE. 195
sidered as models of composition ; and, as such, to be at-
tentively read, and to form part of the library of all who
wish to excel in Tamul. I wish I could speak so favour-
ably of the tenets enforced in them, and the effect they
have produced, and must continue to produce, on the
minds of the people : they are the favourite literature of
the native Romanists.
Next to the Grammar and the Dictionary, the most
unexceptionable of the writings of Beschi is the Vedhiar
Oshuccam, or " Rule for Catechists : " it contains clear
definitions, offers powerful motives, and presents affecting
appeals, with regard to the work of this class of teachers.
It is divided into twenty chapters. The first chapter
treats of the nature of the office of Catechists ; the
second, of its importance ; the third, of its universal
obligation ; the fourth, of the preparation to the office ;
the fifth, of the necessity of self-government in those who
would save others ; the sixth, of caring for others in
order to self-preservation ; the seventh chapter shows that
the first means for the salvation of others is personal
piety ; the eighth, the second means is prayer ; the ninth,
the third means is desire ; the tenth chapter presents
motives to quicken a desire for the salvation of others ;
the eleventh treats on self-diffidence, and entire reliance
on God in the execution of the office ; the twelfth, on
regarding the souls and not the outward condition of
men ; the thirteenth, on showing love to others ; the
fourteenth, on showing no desire for the wealth of others ;
the fifteenth, on regarding the proprieties of time and
place ; the sixteenth, on yielding to others in order to
win them ; the seventeenth, on not giving way to discou-
ragement from want of success ; the eighteenth, on unity
among themselves ; the nineteenth, on helps to the office
of Catechist ; the twentieth is an exhortation to attention
to these instructions. The whole concludes with ques-
196 TAMUL LITERATURE.
tions and assistances for self-examination, with regard to
duty towards God, personal piety, family religion, duty
towards Ministers, duty towards the church, duty towards
the Heathen, duty towards dying persons, duty with
regard to hinderances in the performance of the office ;
and a numher of pithy proverbs to he fastened on the
memory.*
The Vcdha Vilaccam, or " Illustration of Religion/' by
the same author, is of a very different character. In
attempting to refute Protestantism, he pays no regard to
truth or candour ; and so colours even the facts which he
adduces, as to make them produce a contrary impres-
sion to that which woxild be made if they were fairly
told.
The first chapter treats on the rise of Protestantism,
and foully calumniates the character and doctrines of
Luther and his coadjutors ; the second chapter recounts
the divisions in the Protestant Church ; the third defends
the worship of saints ; the fourth, the worship of the
Virgin Mary ; the fifth asserts the antiquity of such wor-
ship ; the sixth defends the worship of images ; the
seventh asserts the antiquity of such worship ; the eighth
is on the decrees of the church ; the ninth, on the infalli-
bility of the church ; the tenth asserts that the Romish
Church is the only true church ; the eleventh is on pur-
gatory ; the twelfth, on the sacraments generally ; the
thirteenth, on the sacraments particularly ; the four-
teenth, on transubstantiation ; the fifteenth, on the sacri-
fice of the mass ; the sixteenth, on the holy Scriptures ;
the seventeenth, on the miracles of the church ; the
eighteenth, confirmation of what had been advanced ; the
work concludes with a confession of faith on the princi-
ples defended in it.
My copy of this work is beautifully written on olas, or palmyra-
leaves.
TAMUL LITERATURE. 197
The spirit, style, and doctrines of the work may be
gathered from the following extracts ; the first is a trans-
lation of the thirty-third paragraph of the book, being
the sixth of the fourth chapter. After commenting on
the answer of our Lord to the woman who exclaimed,
" Blessed is the womb that bare thee," &c., (Luke xi.
27, 28,) he thus proceeds :
" If what has here been advanced be considered, the
well-informed will neither think nor affirm that the Lord
Jesus disapproved of the praise ascribed by the woman to
the divine mother, or forbad that she should be wor-
shipped and praised, but rather that he approved and
commended it ; though to a person who has lost his
senses it may appear the contrary. Let us, therefore,
unite with that spiritually-enlightened woman, in praising
the heavenly divine mother, that we may turn back the
darts which those adversaries, the heretics, have hurled at
the divine mother, and that we may pain the wounded
minds of those who have already suffered a defeat. Let
us say, Hail, womb that bare the God-man ! Hail, womb
that gave fruit not destructive of the flowers of virginity !
Hail, breasts that poured nectar to the Instructor of every
soul ! Hail, thou who didst embody the Immaterial, to
rejoice our eyes ! Hail, thou who didst supply the blood
that was shed for our salvation ! Hail, Queen of the inha-
bitants of heaven ! Hail, Strength to the weak ! Hail,
Beauty of the heavenly world ! Hail, Life of the earthly
world ! Hail, Mistress of the fiery world ! Hail, Splen-
dour, displaying religion ! Hail, Sea of grace, preserving
the soul ! Hail, Medicine, healing disease ! Light, dis-
pelling darkness ! Joy, assuaging grief ! Shore of heaven !
Help of earth ! Diamond of grace ! Life ! Nectar ! Grace !
Hail, Mother universally praised ! Hail, Mother, worthy
of universal praise ! Hail, Mother, heavenly and divine !
198 TAMUL LITERATURE.
Hail, Heroine, feared by heretics! Hail, Bountiful,
hated by heretics ! Hail, Queen, who shalt destroy
heretics! Hail!"
The next extract I shall make, is the conclusion of the
work, headed thus :
A CONFESSION OF FAITH, BEING THE SUM OF THE
ILLUSTRATION OF RELIGION.
" SOME say that Annam," (the fabled swan of the
Hindoos,) " separating milk from the water by which it
has been adulterated, drinks pure unmingled milk. This
must be difficult ; but is it not much more difficult to
separate the falsehood which has been mingled with true
religion, by various sorts of heretics, and to receive the
divine mysteries without adulteration? Knowing this,
and that we may save the soul that has taken poison
mingled with milk, we have laboured thus far, in this
work, to refute all the adulterating falsehood of heretics,
especially those of the present day ; as though we pre-
sented to you and poured sweet nectar from a golden
dish, we have exhibited to you, unmixed, the divine mys-
teries which are to be believed. AH that we have here so
diffusely written, the Council assembled in Trent, in the
days of Luther, exhibited briefly in a confession of faith
to be repeated by all. We, therefore, now render it for
you into Tamul, as an abridgment of what we have
advanced, and as a divine form of faith prescribed by
that Council, to be received by all who are desirous of
salvation. Let every one esteem this the form of his
faith, and repeat it often during life ; but especiaUy in
the hour of death, if it be possible, let him repeat it with
entire devotion of mind. It is as follows : * I, ,
believe with a firm faith all the divine mysteries con-
tained in the articles of the belief of holy Roman
TAMTJL LITERATURE. 199
Church ; that is, I heartily receive all the observances
and commands observed in the holy Church, and that
have been handed down by tradition from generation to
generation from the days of the Apostles. Moreover, I
receive as the holy Church receives, the seventy-two books
as Scripture ; and as it belongs only to the holy Church to
interpret Scripture, I receive also the interpretation given
by the holy Church. I receive the interpretation of the
divine mysteries, given by the agreement of the Doctors
of the holy Church ; and I never at any time give any
other interpretation. Moreover, I do firmly believe, that
there are seven sacraments, ordained by our Lord Jesus
Christ, necessary to the salvation of man, though all are
not necessary to each person ; and that they are these :
baptism, confirmation, the Lord's supper, penance, ex-
treme unction, holy orders, matrimony ; that they com-
municate grace ; and that these three, baptism, confirm-
ation, and holy orders, cannot be repeated without sin.
I accord that the whole manner observed by the holy
Roman universal Church, in administering the seven
sacraments, is good. Without any reservation, I receive
all that was taught and established by the holy Council
of Trent, on the subject of original sin, and the forgive-
ness of sins. Moreover, I affirm that in the sacrifice of
the mass there is a true sacrifice offered to God for the
quick and the dead ; and that in the Lord's supper there
are not signs, but truly the body, and blood, and soul,
and divine nature, of our Lord Jesus Christ ; that the
nature of the bread perishes, and becomes his body, that
the nature of the wine perishes, and becomes his blood,
and that there is a transmutation according to the doc-
trine of the holy Catholic Church ; and that though the
properties of the bread only be received, or the properties
of the wine only be received, the Lord Jesus is entirely
received, and there is a perfect sacrament. I firmly
200 TAMUL LITERATURE.
believe in purgatory ; and that the prayers and the alms
of the holy Church are beneficial to the souls there
detained. I also affirm, without doubting, that it is
right to worship and to pray to the saints that are in
heaven with the Lord Jesus, and that they intercede for
us with God, and to worship their holy relics ; and
that it is right to set up images of Jesus Christ, and of
the ever holy Virgin, the divine mother, and of other
saints in heaven, and to worship them in a suitable man-
ner. I certainly affirm, that the Lord Jesus gave power
to the holy Church to establish a fund of merit ; and
that great benefit doth accrue to all within the pale of
the holy Church from the merits thus established. I am
certain that the universal, Catholic, Roman, holy Church,
is the mother of the holy Church spread throughout the
world, and the head Church to instruct all others ; and
receive, that the holy Pope, reigning in the city of Rome,
being the regular successor of the chief Apostle, St.
Peter, is the head of the holy Church, and in the place of
the Lord Jesus ; and I swear that I will submit to him,
and obey all his commands. Moreover, I heartily and
without any doubt receive all that has been taught and
established in General Councils, and in other decrees of
the holy Church, and especially in the decrees of the
Council assembled in Trent. And like as the holy
Church has detested, rejected, and cursed every thing
contrary to this, and the evil systems of all heretics, I
also do detest, reject, and curse them. And because
there is no salvation to any but to such as thus believe,
as I receive in my mind, and firmly declare and confess
by my mouth, this universal faith necessary to all, I do
promise to God, and swear that, by the help of God, I
will receive it in my mind, and declare it by my mouth
even to death, without diminishing or altering, and will
labour according to my power, that all who are under
TAMUL, LITERATURE. 201
me may receive, affirm, and teach the same : so let God
and his holy Gospels be my help.'
" The confession of faith, the sum of the Illustration
of Religion, is ended."
The book then closes with the particulars of the place,
date, and quantity of the composition, and the author's
name. It is dated 1728.
I have both laughed and wept when perusing this
book : the ridiculous falsehoods and mis-statements
advanced in it cannot but provoke a smile ; but the
peculiar excellence -of its style, and the want of other
information on the part of those to whom it is addressed,
give it a force and influence among the natives over
which I could not but mourn.
The publication of a Church History in Tamul, an
octavo volume of more than three hundred closely-
printed pages, by the Missionaries of Tranquebar,
afforded perhaps the most suitable answer this work
could receive. I was told at Tranquebar, that a copy of
that History was sent to Beschi, and he never ventured
to impugn its statements.
An analysis of Beschi's great work, the Tembavani, or
" Unfading Garland," would be more than could be
entered upon here. He professes this poem to be a
translation from the work of a holy woman, called Mary
of Agirth ; but its perfectly Tamul style and matter
prove this to be a mere pretence.
In his Grammar of high Tamul, speaking of this kind of
poem, which has by some been denominated epic, he says :
Attamen quas Latini tradunt Poematum regulas non observ-
ant, fyc. " In these compositions, they do not follow the
rules prescribed by Latin critics ; they generally take up the
narrative or fable ab ovo, ' at the beginning.' It is also
an invariable rule, after the invocation, and the statement
K 5
202 TAMUL LITERATURE.
of the subject, to open the poem with a description of
the hero's country, and the capital where he is supposed
to have reigned or flourished ; and these are represented
in the most favourable colours ; not such as they are
believed to have been, but such as the poet chooses to
describe them. In this description, the rains which de-
scend upon the mountains, the streams which flow from
them, and the consequent fertility of the country, never
fail to have their place." *
Of this poetical licence he has availed himself to the
full extent, in the composition of Tembavani. It was
intended to supply the place of a translation of the holy
Scriptures ; but every doctrine, fact, and superadded
legend is so accommodated to the notions and circum-
stances of the Hindoos, that the whole might be sup-
posed to have been the composition of a native, who had
never set his foot beyond the boundaries of his own
country ; and whilst it recognises many important and
sublime truths, it has a tendency, at the same time, to
confirm and establish innumerable errors.
The hero of the poem is Joseph, the reputed father of
our Lord. The particulars of his life, and those of the
life of the blessed Virgin, are recounted with pretended
accuracy ; and innumerable miracles are feigned, to
heighten the interest. The colouring given to the facts
of the extraordinary birth and infancy of the divine
Redeemer must shock any one who has tasted the sim-
plicity of the Gospel-history ; and is calculated to reduce
it, in the estimation of the Hindoos, to the rank of one
of their own mythological fables. The Old-Testament
history, both canonical and apocryphal, with many fabled
particularities, is related to the holy family, on the occa-
sion of the flight into Egypt and the return, chiefly by
Babington's Translation, p. 112.
TAMUL LITERATURE. 203
angels supposed to attend on the infant Saviour. The
New-Testament history, and the legends of the Romish
Church, are given in the form of prophecy, to satisfy the
inquiring mind of Joseph before his death.
As a specimen of the style, we select a few verses out
of the second canto, relating to Jerusalem, to the de-
scription of which city the whole of the canto is devoted.
" This city, from its universal advantages, may be
compared to religion ; from the brightness of its orna-
ments, may be compared to day ; from its extent, it may
be compared to the world ; from the keeping of its walls,
it may be compared to a pure virgin ; from its crowded
state, it may be compared to the sea ; to its enemies, it
may be compared to the anger of saints ; for goodness, it
may be compared to heaven, and heaven may be com-
pared to this city.
" Like as the great sea surrounds the golden world,"
(earth,) " so was the beauty of the wide moat, varying its
bright waves, and surrounding the walls," (of Jerusalem,)
which shone like a multitude of the solar rays, rose like
a mountain to the water of the clouds, and pierced the
sky.
" This extensive moat, at the foot of the heaven-
reaching walls, seemed like a silver shackle to detain the
beauteous city on the sea-girt earth ; for fear it should
esteem the earth an unsuitable situation, and ascend to
heaven as a more appropriate place.
" This moat was deep as the deeply-rooted affection of
the great ; the green weeds in it played on its surface
unstable as the affection of the mean ; and the lotus, out-
shone by the beauty of the damsels, could not stay within
the city, but here opened its tender leaves, and breathed
its fragrance.
" There were swarms of contending crocodiles, show-
204 TAMUL LITERATURE.
ing teeth sharp as swords, and curved like the fair new
moon, opening their fleshy mouths, and flashing fire from
their eyes, as though the moat had formerly been deep-
ened to hell, and the demons lying there had assumed,
and wandered about in, a terrifying form.
" The beauty of the golden walls was as though the
ever-fair earth, on a day of rejoicing, had put on a
crown of pure and radiant gold : they were no more to
be surprised than the temper of holy men, who are filled
with goodness beyond desire, and who keep their minds.
" As the golden mountain is surrounded by clouds, the
city, surrounded by a wall enclosing all wealth within it,
had a gate which, when opened, was as though the
earth had opened a casket, in which all its treasures had
been collected with a desire to display them for universal
advantage."
The remaining part of the description is equally ima-
ginative ; designed to please the fancy of a Hindoo, rather
than to convey a knowledge of facts.
The following extract will exhibit the method in which
doctrine is inculcated in the Tembdvani : the first two
verses are represented as the words of the Saviour,
addressed to Joseph ; the third contains Joseph's reply.
" Embarking on the ship of true renunciation of the
world, and setting up therein the tall mast of strong
determination, spreading the two broad sails of devotion
and godly fear, whilst the breeze of the excellent gifts of
God blows upon them, the pilot of unceasing meditation
steering them through the sea of this sinful world, they
shall reach the desired haven of eternal bliss.
" But whilst the ship of renunciation thus sails along,
some, by corruption of the penance they had commenced,
will sink into the sea of sin and perish, as though by the
TAMUL LITERATURE. 205
up-setting of the vessel ; some among them, (one or two
only,) seizing with earnestness the raft of repentance,
and floating in a sea of tears, directing their course
straight forward, shall obtain the joys of heaven. Thus,
although it is difficult rightly to perform penance, it is
far more difficult for those who leave off that which they
had commenced, to reach the shores of heaven.
" Joseph the possessor of the branch which blossomed
with honey-dropping flowers, attended to ah 1 the divine
Son uttered ; and, by the mouth of his ear drinking in
the nectar poured from the vessel of truth, thus replied :
' We may consider the wicked like to an unbaked earthen
vessel, which, when broken, it is easy to join again, and
to bake in the furnace of penance ; but as it is impossible
to join again a vessel broken after it is once baked, so it
is most difficult for those who have left off to be penitent
to be restored.' "
Amazing ingenuity, indefatigable industry, and the zeal
of a mind worthy of a better cause, may be traced in
every page of this work : it is so extensive as to form
two large and closely- written quarto volumes. As a lite-
rary composition, and as an amusing book, it is invalu-
able ; but when regarded as the masterpiece of the most
celebrated Romish writer that has appeared among the
Hindoos, and as the best information, as to Scripture
history and doctrine, supplied to them by the talented
men sent from Rome for their evangelization, it conveys
a revolting but correct idea of the regard to expediency,
rather than to truth, and to the inclinations of their con-
verts, rather than to their best interests, shown by that
body, whose exertions and successes were for a time the
astonishment of Europe.
206 MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD.
CHAPTER XVII.
JANUARY TO JUNE, 1823.
MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD.
BEFORE the middle of January, 1823, Messrs. Lynch
and Stead set out on their journey to attend the annual
District-Meeting, about to be held in Jaffna.
They travelled on horseback down the coast as far as
Negapatam. From thence they visited Trichinopoly, for
the purpose of opening a small chapel, erected in the
cantonment of that place by the exertions of the religious
soldiers of His Majesty's Royal Regiment, about forty in
number, who were kindly assisted and encouraged by the
excellent Chaplain, the late Rev. Mr. Banks, and many of
the officers of the station.
On their return from Trichinopoly to Negapatam, their
embarkation for Jaffna was delayed several days by the
dangerous illness of Mr. Lynch, whose exertions and
exposure in preaching and travelling had brought on a
severe attack of fever. On his recovery he proceeded to
Jaffna. The result of the arrangements of the Meeting
was, that Mr. Stead was appointed to Batticaloa, on the
Island of Ceylon, and Mr. Lynch and myself to Madras,
without the additional help we had hoped to obtain.
Meantime, the whole labour of the Station devolved
upon me for more than two months. I have since some-
times wondered how I bore the fatigue of three services
every Sunday, and of engagements every evening in the
week. I was under the necessity of devoting all my time
to the work of the Mission, but never experienced more
pleasure in its performance.
MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD. 207
On Sunday, the 16th of February, at seven o'clock in
the morning, I conducted English service in the Black-
Town chapel ; returned to Royapettah, and at ten com-
menced the Tamul service, in the course of which I read
prayers, baptized two adult natives and two children,
married a native couple, preached in Tamul, and admi-
nistered the Lord's supper to the native members of the
society. At seven in the evening I preached again in
English, and celebrated the sacramental service with the
English society.
The two adults whom I baptized on that day had been
brought for that purpose from Ellichpoor, nearly eight
hundred miles from Madras, by a family of our Christian
natives, who had been there in the service of an English
gentleman, and now attended him on a visit to Madras.
This is one of many instances in which our people, scat-
tered through the country by their temporal occupations,
have given us proofs, on their return, that they had not
forgotten, during their absence, the spiritual interests of
themselves and others.
Before Mr. Lynch's return to Madras, I received occa-
sional assistance in the English services from the Mission-
aries of the London Society ; the Rev. William Sawyer,
of the Church Mission, also offered me the help of one of
his native Assistants. The union of spirit and affection
generally exhibited in Madras by the Missionaries of the
different Societies, whilst it is quite compatible with a
conscientious preference for their own religious commu-
nions, affords a pleasing proof of their Christian temper,
as well as zeal ; and has often been to each other a rich
source of gratification and comfort.
In the month of April, we sustained a serious loss, by
the death of Mr. Aylward, a young man employed in one
of the Government offices, who for several years had
given us his assistance as a Local Preacher and Class-
208 MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD.
Leader. He had been particularly useful to the military
part of our congregations, both in the Fort and at St.
Thomas's Mount, and in diligently maintaining a reli-
gious correspondence with those members of our society
who had been removed to distant parts of the country.
Being now, by the degree of proficiency I had attained,
relieved from the necessity of constant attention to the
study of Tamul, in the months of April and May, I
employed a Teacher of the Portuguese language ; and, by
a little application, gained a colloquial knowledge of that
tongue, in the corrupt form in which it is used in India ;
and translated and composed in it a number of sermons,
in hope of finding some opportunities of usefulness among
that part of the Portuguese population whose knowledge
of English was not sufficient to enable them to profit by
our English services.
Though it was not till subsequent to this period that
we commenced public preaching in Portuguese in the
neighbourhood of Madras, I found my new acquisition of
immediate advantage, in my daily intercourse with the
people. The language, as it is commonly spoken, can
afford no literary pleasure ; it is calculated rather to
excite a degree of disgust ; but as a means of conveying
spiritual instruction to many hundreds who are other-
wise inaccessible to a Missionary, it is well worth the
trifling labour necessary to acquire it.
On the 19th of May, I assembled our Mission-schools
in the chapel of Eoyapettah, for the purpose of a public
examination. The circumstance of their being at several
miles' distance from each other, had hitherto deterred us
from bringing them together ; but, thinking it would
promote the general interest, and, by creating some de-
gree of emulation, rouse both masters and children to
greater activity, I devoted this day to that purpose, and
presented clothes and books as an encouragement and
MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD. 209
reward to the most deserving of the children. Amongst
them were a few native girls, whose docility and improve-
ment were remarkable, and made us regret that we had
at that time neither means nor suitable Teachers, to
attempt even one separate school for native female
education.
These difficulties no longer exist to the same extent :
the education of Hindoo females has become a subject of
great interest with the Christian public ; and the increas-
ing number of those who have been thus educated is
lessening the difficulty of obtaining persons competent to
teach, and diminishing the prejudice which still exists in
India against females being instructed at all.
The month of May is reckoned, in India, the hottest
in the year ; the wind from the west, called at Madras
" the land wind," blows hot and dry, and sometimes
prevails a considerable time without intermission day or
night ; whilst the thermometer ranges from 90 to up-
wards of 100 in the shade. The season is usually ren-
dered more tolerable by the alternating of the sea-breeze,
which springs up towards evening, struggles against the
land-wind, and, though sometimes overcome, generally
prevails to a few miles inland, and, affording some miti-
gation of the heat, seems to refresh every thing that has
life. Birds and cattle, as well as man, are sensible of its
effects : its approach is often announced by the cawing of
the crows, till then drooping their wings in the shade,
and gasping for breath with their beaks wide open.
The land-wind produces little effect on Europeans
whose constitution is good : invalids are much exhausted
by it ; and are commonly removed to houses near the
beach, for the full benefit of the sea-breeze. The most
usual plan for mitigating the heat, is to fix over the open
doors and windows, on the windward side of the house,
mats of grass, or of the root of the cusa-grass, which
210 MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD.
latter yields, when wet, an aromatic smell : natives are
employed to throw water on these mats, and the hot
wind passing through them occasions evaporation, and
causes a delicious coolness in the air. I never adopted this
method ; and am doubtful whether it is suitable for per-
sons whose avocations make it necessary frequently to
leave the house thus cooled, and pass through an atmo-
sphere of very different temperature.
The heat of this season had not been remarkably
great ; but it occasioned an indisposition which confined
me to the house for some days. The prickly heat and
biles from which I suffered were painful and disagree-
able ; but I recovered sooner than some of my friends
who were laid up from the same cause.
In June I took a short journey, the chief object of
which was, to visit the society formed in His Majesty's
69th Regiment, then recently removed from Cannanore,
on the Malabar coast, to Wallajahbad.
Wallajahbad is a military cantonment, about forty
miles west of Madras ; and is considered only a night's
journey from that place for a palankeen with a full set
of bearers.
I employed only six bearers on this journey, as I
intended to make two or three stages of it, and to take
the opportunity of conversing with the natives, and dis-
tributing religious tracts.
On the 5th of the month, on my way to Wallajahbad,
I proceeded to St. Thomas's Mount, and in the evening
preached in the school-room. After supping with my
hospitable friends there, I entered my palankeen, and
travelled as far as Serapanumchairy, a small village about
eighteen miles from the Mount.
As soon as I arrived, early in the morning, I had a
small congregation, in a number of persons who came to
tell me of a man who had been attacked and died there
MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD. 211
of the cholera morbus on the preceding day. The sub-
ject of death led me to speak of the origin of death, and
the remedies and hopes afforded by Christianity. I read
to them a Tamul tract on the Last Judgment : they
heard me attentively ; and remained under the tree where
I rested till I desired them to leave me, that I might
take breakfast undisturbed. In the course of the day I
was visited by many others : reading, conversation, and
the distribution of tracts employed me till evening ; and
I was encouraged to hope that many of the people would
remember the things they had heard.
At five o'clock in the morning of Saturday, the 7th, I
arrived at Wallajahbad ; and whilst looking for some per-
son to direct me, was met by Surgeon Gibson, who
kindly invited me to his house, insisted on my company
to breakfast, whilst he sent for the Leader of our society,
and engaged me to breakfast with him every morning
during my stay.
I waited on Major Leslie, the commanding officer of
the 69th, who desired me to conduct divine service for
the regiment on the following day : he had already
directed an unoccupied part of the officers' quarters to
be prepared for my accommodation. I preferred this
arrangement, as it left me perfect master of my time, and
more at liberty to pursue the objects of my Mission, than
if I had been entertained by any private individual.
In the afternoon, according to previous engagement, I
preached in Tamul, to a congregation of natives, chiefly
the wives of English soldiers, professing Christianity,
though few of them had heard the Gospel in their own lan-
guage. They were very attentive, and some of them ap-
peared much impressed. One of them said, that she feared
she should have laughed to hear an European preach in
Tamul ; but, on the contrary, she was cut to the heart by
what she heard. They were thankful when I promised
212 MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD.
to preach again to them at the same hour the next
day.
In the evening more than sixty persons were present
at an English prayer-meeting : many of the soldiers took
part in the service, and prayed with great fervency and
propriety.
The sea-breeze not reaching Wallajahbad, the night
proved dreadfully hot, and I arose feverish and unre-
freshed. It was Sunday ; before sunrise, the regiment
was on parade, and formed into a square ; seats for the
women and children were provided within the square ;
the great drum was placed as a reading-desk to support
the Prayer-Book and Bible ; the band played church-
music ; and thus, in the open air, I read prayers and
preached to a large congregation of my military country-
men, including the officers of the regiment.
In the forenoon I met the class, in which I found
about forty members ; and addressed an exhortation to
a number of others, who had requested permission to
attend.
At three P.M. the natives assembled more numerously
than the day before. Several who appeared affected by
the truth, gave us reason to believe, by their subsequent
conduct, that the word had not been preached to them in
vain.
Returning to my quarters, I was so overcome by the
heat and fatigue, that I knew not what to do. I spread
the palankeen-mattress on the ground, and, throwing my-
self upon it, requested to be left alone ; but, after trying
to rest for two hours, I did not feel much refreshed.
In the evening I preached to the soldiers in a long,
narrow room they had engaged for their religious meet-
ings : it was exceedingly crowded ; and more than could
hear stood outside, round the door and windows. The
communicants, who remained at the celebration of the
MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD. 213
Lord's supper, after the conclusion of the evening ser-
vice, quite filled the room : many others thought it hard
they were not allowed to remain as spectators. It was a
solemn and profitable season ; and especially so to many
who, before that day, had never seen a Missionary of the
society to which they had for some time belonged. I
was myself much cheered and animated by the services of
the evening.
Monday morning, at seven o'clock, I again met the
pious soldiers to take leave of them. In the course of
the day I visited the Hospital, and found one of our
society under severe affliction, but enjoying the consola-
tions of the Gospel. Many of the invalids were atten-
tive, while I read prayers and gave an exhortation. I
visited an old native Heathen, who had requested the
praying soldiers to make use of his bungalow to meet in :
he had seen them engaged in reading, or other devotional
exercises, under the shade of trees in the neighbourhood ;
and, though he could not speak English, made them
understand that they were welcome to his bungalow as a
place for prayer. When I inquired into his motives, he
said he thought them pious men ; that when they were
engaged in worship, he used to attend to pay his respects
to their God, and then return again to his labour.
When I asked where he thought their God was, he said
he supposed in the book, meaning the Bible, which he.
had seen them read attentively. He appeared pleased
that I took some pains to inform him on the nature of
Christianity ; and thankfully received a few tracts.
This day I refused to baptize a child whose parents
were living in concubinage ; a crime too common in
India, and which, I am persuaded, would be considerably
checked, if all Ministers would refuse baptism to the
offspring till the unlawful connexion should be dissolved,
or the parents made man and wife by marriage. By
214 MADRAS AND WALLAJAHBAD.
constantly refusing to baptize such children except on
these conditions, I believe our Missionaries have, in some
instances, remedied much evil, and promoted the comfort
and improved the morals of many of our countrymen.
I entered the palankeen at sun-set ; my six bearers,
induced by the promise of an extra rupee, carried me to
St. Thomas's Mount by the following morning, a journey
of thirty-two miles. I rested there during the heat of
the day, and reached home in the evening a good deal
fatigued, but thankful for the favourable openings pre-
sented to me in my excursion of the past five days.
Towards the end of June, we celebrated the fourth
Anniversary of the Wesleyan Missionary Society in Ma-
dras. The Missionaries of the London Society, as on
former similar occasions, kindly afforded us their valu-
able assistance. The collections amounted to about ^630
sterling, being more than those of any former year; a
good feeling was exhibited by the people, and in every
department of our work we saw reason to hope for
prosperity and increase.
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 215
CHAPTER XVITI.
JULY TO SEPTEMBER, 1823.
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
I NOW prepared for a Missionary excursion of some
months through the interior of the country, for the
purpose of visiting a number of small congregations,
consisting of English, Portuguese, and natives, who had
rarely the opportunity of coming to Mission-stations ;
and could seldom enjoy the privileges of the Christian
church, except by the occasional visits of travelling
Missionaries. The hope also of valuable opportunities
of conversational intercourse with the heathen natives on
the subject of religion, and of recommending Christianity
to those who had never before heard of it, or were igno-
rant of its nature ; of scattering more widely the seeds of
knowledge and true religion, by the distribution of tracts
and portions of the holy Scriptures in the languages of
the people ; of enlarging my personal acquaintance with
the country in general, and obtaining information on the
comparative importance of different places to which our
attention as Missionaries had been directed ; induced me
the more readily to undertake this journey. It was con-
sidered also that my state of health rendered it necessary
to relax for a time from the confinement and labours of
the Madras station.
Mr. Mowat, who was still at Negapatam, fully accorded
with our views ; and kindly consented to part for some
time with his Assistant, Mr. Kats, that he might come to
Madras, to attend to the native societies and congrega-
tions, under Mr. Lynch's directions, during my absence ;
216 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
only urging that, in the course of my journey, I must
visit Negapatam.
I was detained a few days after Mr. Kats's arrival, to
be present at the re-opening of our place of worship at
St. Thome, which had been somewhat enlarged and
beautified, and furnished with a pulpit and seats. One
of the sermons on the day of re-opening was in Portu-
guese ; and attracted an audience so considerable, as
forcibly to show the importance of establishing regular
services in that language.
On Monday, the 7th of July, 1823, I passed the day
in conference with the Missionaries of our own and other
Societies, who afforded us the pleasure of their company at
the Mission-house in Royapettah. We went thence in the
evening to the monthly Missionary prayer-meeting, held
in Black-Town. We returned ; and at midnight I en-
tered my palankeen, and set out on my journey, reflecting
on the innumerable advantages, both as to myself and my
work, I had enjoyed since I arrived at Madras ; and the
solemn responsibilities devolving on me, from the character
to be sustained and the work to be performed, whether
dwelling among my brethren, or travelling as a Christian
stranger through a heathen land.
On the following day, I found no protection from the
heat in the choultry at Tripatoor, though it served to
screen me from the direct rays of the sun : a severe pain
in my head was the consequence ; but I was not hin-
dered from conversing with some natives who came to
see me, and gladly received a few Tamul tracts. We
resumed our journey in the evening, and proceeded to
the neighbourhood of Mauveliveram.
Mauveliveram, or Maha Bali poor am, " the city of the
great Bali," (one of the former monarchs of India, styled
also Bali Chakkra Varti, or " Bali, Lord of the uni-
verse,") was once, it is said, a great and very populous
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 217
city ; but is now no more than a small village, inha-
bited chiefly by Brahmaus, who are here surrounded by
monuments of the antiquity and influence of their system
of superstition.
On Wednesday, as soon as day dawned, I walked from
my resting-place to look at these ancient remains, which
have so often been described ; and was soon surrounded
by a number of Brahmans, one of whom undertook to be
my guide.
A little to the north-east of the village is a temple
built of hewn stone, partially in ruins, its base being
continually washed by the sea, which, the Brahmans told
me, by a sudden irruption had overwhelmed great part of
this ancient capital. The form of this temple is pleasing
to the eye : its numerous stories or steps lessen to the
top, which is surmounted by a fine black stone. Its
style differs much from that of the modern temples ; and
many of the sculptured figures on it have much of the
European feature, and are represented with bushy heads
of hair.
To the south are scattered rocks, sculptured in the
form of idol-cars and temples, of no great height or
extent, but displaying the marks of considerable labour
and skill, and illustrating the wild mythology of the
Hindoos.
One of the bas-relief sculptures, on the side of a rock,
entirely exposed, but in good preservation, is remarkable
for the completeness of its idea and execution : it is
several yards high ; its length may be two or three times
its height. The subject is the penance of Arjuna, one of
the ancient warriors, performed to obtain the choolam, or
trident, the all-powerful weapon of the god Siva. He is
represented as standing with his hands joined over his
head, his hair and beard grown long and shaggy, and
his body wasted to the bone, by the long-continued
218 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
extremity of his penance. Heaven, earth, and heh 1 are
moved by his extraordinary perseverance. Siva stands
beside him with the weapon in his hand, gods and
goddesses are descending from heaven, various kinds of
sublunary animals, as well as man, are assembling, and
demons are rising from the abyss, to witness the results.
The symmetry and proportions of these figures are
remarkably just ; and the characters of many of them
seemed to me to be well preserved.
There are inscriptions on some of the rocks, in a cha-
racter not understood by any present inhabitant of the
place ; but which, I was told, had been pronounced to be
of the ancient Cannada language, by some learned natives
who had formerly visited Mauveliveram.
The appearance these sculptured rocks present at sea
has gained for them the name of the Seven Pagodas.
As Mauveliveram is only thirty-five miles from Madras, it
is not unfrequently visited by parties of pleasure. Some
of its former visitants had been mindful of the interests
of Christianity, for the Brahmans were quite aware of the
general subject of the tracts I presented to them. A
present of a rupee gratified the Brahman who had acted
as Cicerone ; but I could not silence the clamours of the
rest, who also wanted presents, until I reminded them
how ill it became men professedly devoted to spiritual
things to be so anxious to obtain a little money.
My palankeen had followed me while I walked among
the rocks : when I had seen all, I entered it, and pro-
ceeded to Sadras, where, as on a former journey, I was
kindly entertained by F. P. Regel, Esq. At four P.M. I
preached in English, to a small, but attentive, congre-
gation ; and, in the evening, conducted divine service in
Portuguese, at the close of which one of the men begged
hard for the sermon I had read ; but my stock in hand
was too scanty to allow me to spare it to him.
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 219
I slept soundly in a tent pitched for my accommo-
dation in front of Mr. Regel's house, and resumed my
journey early in the morning of Thursday. In the
evening I rested in the cabin of a mixed family of
Roman Catholics in Alemparva, who did not object to
my praying with them, and reading and talking on reli-
gious subjects.
On the morning of Friday I rested under a tree, near
a noisy and bustling bazaar. As the most likely method
of attracting attention, I called one of the natives, and
inquired if he could read : he proved to have a very
strong voice ; and, when he commenced reading,
attracted a crowd of people around him. He read the
whole of a Tamul tract on "The Way to Heaven,"
another on " The Last Judgment/' and considerable part
of a third on " The Ten Commandments." He then
said he was tired; and I rewarded him by presenting
him with the tracts he had read. He went away, but
soon returned, saying he had forgot something : it was
to ask me to recommend him to Government for some
office. This gave me a good opportunity of telling him,
and the people around, the object of my mission ; that
whilst every man cared for worldly things, very few
cared for the more important concerns of their souls ?
and that my only business among them was to awaken
them to think on these subjects, and to point out how
they might secure their eternal interests.
On Saturday, as I passed through Pondicherry, I dis-
tributed several tracts, which were eagerly received.
Crossing a river in a boat filled with passengers, I called
for silence, and read and talked to them till we reached
the opposite bank. When we got ashore, one of them
followed me to beg a tract, urging that his child could
read, though he himself could not : he then begged a
few more for some Christian families, that, he said, lived
L 2
220 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
in his village. I gave him what he requested, and sent
him away quite satisfied.
I passed the middle of the day under the shade of a
tree, and was much employed in conversation with the
natives who visited me. Among them was a Fakeer, or
Mahommedan religious mendicant, who seemed ashamed
of his ignorance, and a San-yasi, or Hindoo monk, a
strong hale fellow, who was not able to give any reason-
able account of himself, or of his principles. I advised
him to quit his idle and vagabond mode of life. Here
also I distributed many tracts, which were eagerly
received. In the evening I proceeded to Cuddalore.
On Sunday, 13th, I attended the Mission church at
Cuddalore in the forenoon ; and, in the evening,
preached in a bungalow to a congregation consisting
chiefly of English pensioners, with their wives and
children. Several military officers were present.
I set out at sunrise on Monday, 14th ; and when the
day became advanced, rested at the same choultry where
I had passed a Sunday when I travelled this way before.
After a little refreshment, I walked to the native
choultry opposite, and began to converse with the
people. A Pandaram, a Hindoo religious mendicant,
took part in the conversation ; and, in their usual way of
treating such subjects, began to ascribe every thing to
God, both good and evil. When I stated my views, he
seemed convinced of their correctness, and acknowledged
it before many who listened to our conversation. He
thankfully received some tracts, and hastened after his
companions, who had commenced their journey some
time before. I distributed a few more tracts to those
who could read, and endeavoured to impress on the
minds of all, the great importance of eternal things, and
the folly of allowing temporal considerations to interfere
with their spiritual interests; and was heard with attention.
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 221
One man followed me to my palankeen. I asked,
" Where are you going?" He replied, "To Ramis-
seram." "For what purpose?" "To see the god
there." "What sort of a god is he, brass, wood, or
stone?" "He is self-existent." "But of what sub-
stance is he ?" "Stone." "Has he eyes?" "Yes."
"Can he see?" "No." " Has he hands ?" "Yes,"
&c. "And do you say, that this is God ?" " It is the
image of God." "Impossible! As God is a Spirit,
and omnipresent, it is impossible for any image to repre-
sent him. You may make the likeness of a man, a dog,
a beast, or a serpent ; but you can never make the like-
ness of God." To this he assented ; and I then pro-
ceeded to say, " All adoration rendered to idols is an
insult to God. By pursuing your present intention, you
will provoke his anger, rather than gain his favour.
How foolish it is for you to expose yourself to hunger,
and thirst, and weariness, by so long a journey ; and,
after all, displease the Almighty ! Take my advice, sit
down awhile, and consider that God is present here ; and
that he is equally so in Madras, whence you are come.
Pray him to give you wisdom ; and do not take another
step of your journey, for such a purpose, to Ramis-
seram." I then left him to reflect on what he had
heard, and to read a tract which I put into his hand on
" The Incarnation of Christ."
Tuesday, July loth. In pursuing my journey south-
ward, I experienced some delay by the swollen state of
the three branches of the Coleroon river, which entirely
filled their wide beds, and rushed rapidly towards the sea.
On the banks were hundreds of natives waiting for an
opportunity to cross, to visit, or return from, the Hindoo
feast then holding at Chillumbrum, a large pagoda,
whose high towers I had noticed as I passed on the
road. There is a most fertile tract of land about a
222 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
mile in breadth between the branches of the river : on each
branch I found only one large and clumsy boat, towards
which, when it reached the shore, the rush of people was
so great as to occasion some danger of its being upset :
a military guard restrained the people in some measure ;
but, after all, the boats were so filled, that I was appre-
hensive of accidents. Some of the people told me they
had been waiting there three days. I was thankful to
get safely to the south side of the river, and could not
but wish, that, when I travelled this way again, it might
be neither the Chillumbrum feast, nor the flood of the
Coleroon.
I passed the day on Wednesday, in Tranquebar, in
company with Mr. Schrievogel, a Missionary who had
long laboured in that place, but appeared to have met
with little else but discouragements in his work. In
such circumstances, it is a cheering consideration, that
the labourer is responsible for his faithfulness only, and
not for the results of his endeavours. It is God alone
who giveth the increase.
The following morning I arrived in Negapatam, happy
again to see my fellow-voyagers, Mr. and Mrs. Mowat,
and to be occupied a short time on the Station where I
had formerly resided, and where I should have an oppor-
tunity of witnessing the results of the labours of my
highly-respected brethren.
In the course of my journey thus far from Madras, I
had met with many native Romanists who gladly heard
me, and conversed with me. One poor fellow was
extravagant in his expressions of joy at what I said,
exclaiming to all around, " It is one religion, one faith,
one Saviour, one baptism," &c. It is not to be doubted,
that many of them, notwithstanding the superstitious
fear they entertain towards their Priests, who uniformly
denounce our native schools and religious books, gladly
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 223
avail themselves of all safe opportunities of obtaining an
enlarged acquaintance with Christianity from the Scrip-
tures and tracts in their own language, and conversation
with passing Missionaries.
Whilst particularly engaged among the heathen
natives, I deeply felt the necessity of that ardent zeal
and unwearied patience which should characterize the
true Missionary. It is not enough that he pass through
the country, and declare his character and the ohject he
has in view : to induce the people to hear the Gospel with
attention, he must converse with them, and encourage
them to free conversation by answering their inquiries ;
many of which, as it may be easily conceived, are widely
remote from the chief subject to which he is desirous of
directing their attention. When a Missionary thus dis-
plays a patience and a condescension not usually wit-
nessed in Europeans, the people are apt to take trouble-
some liberties, and to contrive how to promote their own
present advantage. When spoken to with great earnest-
ness on the most awful and important subjects, they
would sometimes reply, " Will you take me into your
service?" "Will you recommend me for a situation to
the Collector, or to Government ?" Or, " I am very
poor, and will thankfully accept any thing you will
please to bestow." And they did not generally appear
well pleased when I told them, that these things I had
nothing to do with ; that my religion condemned an
inordinate care about temporal matters ; and that, till
they obtained more just notions about another world,
they never would be content with their circumstances in
this. In some cases, I thought the first enunciation of
divine truth made an impression on the minds of the hear-
ers ; and though the deceitfulness of the people is almost
proverbial, I indulged the hope, that, in some instances,
" the good seed" was received " into good ground."
224 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
I have often, on these occasions, inquired within
myself, How are the Hindoos to be converted ? Miracles
would not be successful ; for they would refer them to
the art by which their jugglers every day perform their
wondrous feats. The extraordinary relations of sacred
history fail to excite their astonishment ; for their own
books record most marvellous events, with which the
truth of things will bear no comparison. Their prevail-
ing prejudices with regard to caste, the antiquity of the
Brahmanical system, and the necessity of continuing in
the profession of their forefathers, appear contrived to
prepare them to reject the Gospel from the first of their
hearing it preached ; or, if it makes some impression, to
cause it to be immediately effaced. There is nothing but
their accessibleness favourable to the introduction of the
Gospel amongst them ; for though they respect the cha-
racter of European Christians residing with them, their
own interests and practices generally remain unchanged.
It must then be one of the purest and greatest triumphs
the world ever witnessed, when the Hindoos shall bend
to the yoke of Christ. And the conclusion to which I
have arrived is, that whilst an improved system of edu-
cation, and the diffusion of general knowledge, may have
their share in preparing the way for some change in their
religious system, the truth wih 1 only be ultimately suc-
cessful in the hands of men of irreproachable conduct,
residing among the people, and so setting forth the doc-
trines of Christianity by public preaching and conver-
sations, that its light may strongly contend and contrast
with the widely-prevailing darkness of Heathenism.
Let the command of the Divine Author of the Gospel
be perse veringly obeyed, by unceasing endeavours to pro-
mulgate a knowledge of it amongst the adult Hindoos ;
and we may justly hope that those endeavours will be
succeeded by the gracious influences of that blessed
TEN WEEKS TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 225
Spirit, without whose energy we are assured that no
man, of whatever nation, can be effectually turned from
the error of his ways.
In Negapatam I remained eighteen days ; and, during
my stay, relieved Mr. Mowat, whose health was delicate,
from the chief part of his public labours, English, Portu-
guese, and Tamul.
Several persons who had formed part of our congrega-
tions when I formerly resided there had died in the
interval, leaving behind them a pleasing testimony that
they had not heard the Gospel in vain. Many who were
then members of society continued faithful ; and, by
their conversation and conduct, gave proof of their having
valued, and profited by, the advantages of the faithful
ministry established among them : the minds of some
others also, not immediately connected with us, seemed
to be undergoing a favourable change.
I was much pleased with the regularity and progress
of several native schools Mr. Mowat had succeeded in
establishing, into which the use of the holy Scriptures
and Catechisms, as school-books, had been fairly intro-
duced. In visiting the schools, we had several opportu-
nities of addressing the people who crowded round to
witness the examination.
But not the least interesting of my engagements, on
this visit, was the addressing in Tamul a large crowd of
natives, assembled and seated under the trees of Mr.
Mowat' s garden. They consisted generally of the poor of
the neighbourhood ; though there might be some stran-
gers and professed beggars among them. They assem-
bled every Saturday, to receive each a small measure of
rice from the bounty of Mr. Mowat, and of other
respectable inhabitants of Negapatam, who made him
their almoner ; and as none who came were turned away,
L 5
226 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
their number generally amounted to about two or three
hundred. The hour being fixed, they came usually at
the same time ; and their attention to the addresses
delivered to them was secured, by deferring the distribu-
tion of the rice till the conclusion. I preached three
times to this congregation ; and though not sanguine as
to the success of such a conjunction of means for their
benefit, nor hearing of any decided results, I could not
witness the serious attention and apparent good feeling of
many, without hoping that, among these poor to whom
the Gospel was preached, there might be some who
should believe to the saving of their souls.
On the evening of Monday, the 4th of August, I
quitted Negapatam. I now travelled nearly due west,
on a road raised many feet above the land-level, to make
it practicable for travellers, when the country for many
miles round is under water : the cultivation of rice
requires the irrigation of the land, which in this part is
rendered exceedingly valuable and productive by the
waters of the river Cauvery.
Mr. Mowat drove me in his bandy, or gig, about four
miles out of Negapatam ; I then entered my palankeen,
and he returned home. The following day was passed in
a retired village ; where, being free from interruption, I
took the opportunity of preparing communications for
England, relative to the state of our Mission, and the
necessity of further help.
At Pundi, on Wednesday, the 6th, I was visited, soon
after my arrival, by a respectable native, who, from his
conversation, appeared to have thought seriously on the
subject of religion. I gave him a few tracts, and desired
him to invite the chief people of the village, to visit and
converse with me in any place most agreeable to them-
selves. The invitation was delivered and accepted ; two
chairs were brought to the choultry, and placed opposite
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 227
each other, one for the Merasi, or land-owner, and the
other for myself.
The Merasi, a fine, stout, respectable-looking man,
soon appeared, accompanied by a number of Brahmans,
and other attendants, who stood about him whilst he
took one of the chairs : a crowd of the common people
followed, and almost filled the choultry in which we sat.
I seriously felt the importance of the task before me,
whilst I rejoiced at such an opportunity of declaring the
truth of God. In order that all might hear what was
said, and to leave no room for doubt or misrepresenta-
tion, I spoke throughout in a loud and distinct manner.
I commenced the conversation by asserting the value
of the soul, and the importance of its salvation ; and
stated that it was my business to raise a concern for its
welfare in all to whom I had access ; that by sin we
were exposed to death and hell, but that the one true
God who had made us, not willing that any should perish,
had found a ransom, and had given us a true Vedam, or
holy Scripture, teaching us how to obtain and keep the
blessings purchased for us by Jesus Christ ; that the
truths of the Bible claimed regard as the objects of faith,
and its precepts were to be received as the rule of prac-
tice ; that, in obedience to its commands, I endeavoured
to make it known to all, and that I now felt pleasure in
declaring its truths in their hearing.
He heard me patiently to the conclusion, and then
replied : " You call your religion the true religion : does
that imply that our religion is false ? " I asked whether
it was probable that one God would give to the same
race of beings, all in similar circumstances, different laws
and religions. He did not admit the truth of the asser-
tion, that there was only one God ; he thought there
might be more than one ; but supposing there was only
one, he thought he might with propriety give different
228 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
religions to different nations of the world. When I
again objected to this, on the same ground as before, he
inquired, " Who, then, must judge which is the one true
religion, and which are false ? " I argued, that the
authors of some systems, both by their writings and
actions, had shown themselves to be, in many respects,
ignorant and wicked men ; that a religion whose authors
were acknowledged to have been guilty of many enormi-
ties could not proceed from a holy God ; and that a
system sanctioning and enforcing contradictions could
not be the work of a God of wisdom and truth ; that it
was our business to exercise the understanding he had
given us to discern and to choose the right way.
In replying to these and similar arguments, he some-
times spoke with apparent vehemence and passion ; but
was, I believe, merely making the experiment as to the
effect such a manner would have on me. For, if an
Englishman, in conversing with a Hindoo, allows his
resentment or indignation to be roused, there is an end'
to all argument, and the Hindoo triumphs as having won
the day ; but they profess to be great admirers of stern
imperturbability of mind. When the Merasi found that I
was immovable, he became quite mild, and allowed me to
warn him of the condemnation arising from a wilful
neglect or rejection of divine light ; and to recommend
to his serious consideration the subjects of our conversa-
tion, and some tracts I had put into his hand. He rose
to go away, saying, " It is true that there is only one
God, and he is Siven, Vishnoo, Bramha, or Christ, or
whatever you please to call him."
None of his attendants would receive any tracts, from
a fear, I supposed, of displeasing him. Though the
result of my efforts was often, to all appearance, no more
satisfastory than in this case, I felt pleasure in attempting
to accomplish the objects of my Mission ; and indulged a
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 229
hope, that what I advanced on these occasions was not
without effect on the minds of many of the silent and
attentive hearers.
On the evening of the same day I proceeded to
Tan] ore, and was again hospitably entertained in the
Mission-house.
The following day, Thursday, the 7th, I preached in
the church within the Fort to the native congregation.
I felt it an honour to enter the pulpit of the venerable
Swartz, and to address a congregation containing some
whom he had been the means of converting to the truth.
The people were respectably dressed, and behaved with
decorum. I observed that they were chiefly of the
Soodra caste ; and was informed by Mr. Kolhoff, that
three-fourths of the native Christians in Tanjore are of
the same class.
Many of them visited me in the evening, and thank-
fully received from me some of the publications of the
Madras Religious Tract Society. Our walk round the
Mission-garden was rendered more interesting, by the
company of several of the Christian natives. The con-
versation was in Tamul ; in the course of which, some
doubt having been expressed as to the use of a certain
word, Mr. Kolhoff observed, that such were the pecu-
liarities of the Tamul language, that, though he had been
now using it fifty years, he still considered himself
merely a learner.
Early on the morning of the 8th, I quitted Tanjore,
and arrived, about nine o'clock, at Puthupet, a village of
the Christianized Rollers, to which I had been directed by
Mr. Kolhoff.
The Rollers, literally, " thieves," are a numerous peo-
ple, who formerly paid a tax for the privilege of thiev-
ing ; and in the exercise of their profession sometimes
became formidable to the Rajah himself. When the
230 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
country fell into the hands of the British Government,
that tax was no longer exacted : Mr. Swartz preached
the Gospel to the Kollers ; and many of them, by the
influence of good government and instruction, " steal no
more," but cultivate their land, and subsist on its pro-
duce. There are amongst them several small Christian
congregations. Many of those who continue Heathens
still pursue their old profession : upwards of twenty of
them were, about this time, taken at once in the street
of Trichinopoly ; and I was assured there, on the most
respectable authority, that every house occupied by an
European family was under the necessity of employing
one or more watchmen of this class of people, that they
might recognise their fellow-thieves, and give warning of
their approach ; but that it was very rare for any house
thus guarded to be attacked by them.
George Borrow, the enterprising author of " The Bible
in Spain," maintains that the Gipsies are of Eastern
origin, and that the primary stock is to be found among
the Hindoos. Some coincidences are remarkable, and
perhaps worthy of being recorded. He calls the Gipsies,
Caloro ; these people are called Koller. The Gipsies
call blood err ate ; these, iratta. The Gipsies say, cha-
chipe, for truth ; these, chattiapech. Jockey is a Gipsy
word, derived from the name of a whip ; which this
people would call jowk. I think, if George Borrow had
met with the Kollers, he would have pronounced them
Gipsies.
No better evidence of the advatageous results of Mis-
sionary exertions in India need be adduced, than the
conversion and improvement of a large portion of this
people, who considered it their birth-right to defy the
just laws both of God and man.
Whilst I rested in the vestry of the church of the
village of Puthupet, a very small squirrel dropped from
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 231
the roof to the floor ; but, uninjured by the fall, was
so active as to make it matter of some difficulty to
catch him. I succeeded, however, and secured him on
the table. The piercing cries of the old one, when, from
the roof, she saw her young one taken prisoner, induced
me to set him at liberty. The mother then hastened
down the outside of the building, and, entering by the
door or window, seized the young one in her mouth, and
carried him back in safety to his place in the roof.
These squirrels are grey, and not so pretty as those of
England. They abound every where in India ; and, if a
little encouraged, come boldly into the house, and nibble
at the food on the table. A pair of them, finding them-
selves unmolested, formed a nest in one of my book-
shelves in Royapooram, and there reared their young,
till I was obliged to dislodge them, for trying their teeth
on the bindings of my books. The Portuguese call them
rato das palmiras, or " the palmira-rat."
At ten o'clock a congregation of the Christian Rollers
assembled in the church, to whom I preached : though
rude and simple, they received the word with much
attention. The Catechist residing here assured me that
many of them are sincerely pious.
I afterwards visited some of them in their huts ; and
in conversation found the name of Swartz very dear to
them. Some amongst them had been baptized by Swartz
himself.
The morning of the following day, Saturday, the 10th
of August, I arrived at Trichinopoly. Mr. and Mrs.
Rosen again very kindly received me, and entertained
me during my stay at the house adjoining the Mission-
church within the Fort.
In the evening I went out to see the chapel, erected in
the cantonment, about two or three miles distant, by the
soldiers of the Royal Regiment connected with our soci-
232 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
ety. It is a small but neat and substantial building, with
a tiled roof. I found in it a number of the soldiers
engaged in prayer ; and gladly took the opportunity of
uniting with them, and of giving them a short address.
On Sunday I preached twice in this chapel to very
attentive congregations of the English soldiers and their
families ; and in the afternoon assembled as many natives
as I could to attend a Tamul service. They were chiefly
Heathens connected with the regiment, and formed an
uncouth congregation ; but so anxious were they to pre-
vent any disturbance, that the crying of a child created
almost general confusion, every one was so desirous to
silence it. It was apparent that they understood me
well ; and I learned afterwards, that some of them were
affected by what they heard.
On Monday, before sun-rise, Mr. Rosen and I set out
to see the famous temple of Seringham, about four miles
distant. This temple stands on an island which, like
the island of Seringapatam also, more than two hundred
miles up the same river, is formed by the separation and
re-union of the Cauvery, a holy river in the estimation
of the Hindoos. The island itself is accounted sacred ;
and abounds with traces of superstition, with numerous
temples to the honour of different idols, and choultries
for the accommodation of pilgrims.
The outer wall of the great temple of Seringham is
said to be nearly four miles round. We alighted at the
principal entrance or gateway, which is constructed of
stone, in a style very striking and magnificent. Some of
the stones used at the front, and placed across the roof,
are twenty, and some more than thirty, feet in length,
and five feet thick. We ascended to the top of the
staircase, constructed inside the wall, much like that of a
church-tower, but wider. The tower over the gateway is
evidently unfinished ; and we were told that the design
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 233
was to have raised it to four or five times its present
height, which may be fifty or sixty feet. When I looked
at the extraordinary magnitude of the stones, and the
boldness of the design, I was not surprised that one of
the Hindoos who accompanied us should say, that it was
the work of the gods.
There is no doubt that the large stones used in this
building were raised to their places by means of the
inclined plane, a method still in use by native archi-
tects. One of the natives said, that the mound used to
raise these stones was constructed of cotton.
We descended from the porch, and entered the sacred
enclosure, which we found occupied by streets of bazaars
and dwelling-houses, crossing each other, and leading to
the different quarters where the towers are erected, and
religious ceremonies are performed. We passed under
several of the towers, in going to the Thousand Pillar
Choultry, an immense room, the roof of which is sup-
ported by a thousand pillars of stone, and, I suppose,
designed to accommodate the devotees and pilgrims who
assemble at annual festivals. The chief curiosity of this
choultry is the workmanship of some outside pillars,
which have projecting from them, in full relief, a variety
of figures, such as a man on horseback, almost as large
as life, contending with an elephant, a tiger, or some other
ferocious animal. These figures are of one stone with
the pillar. Indescribable care and skill must have been
required in the sculpture, as well as in the removing and
raising of the immense masses of stone of each of which
they form a part.
We were conducted to the flat roof of the Thousand
Pillar Choultry, that we might thence see the gilded
dome, erected over the shrine of the principal idol, which
we were not allowed to approach. In passing and re-
passing through this temple, our eyes were continually
234 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
offended by the most indecent and monstrous figures in
plaster, or paintings on the walls of the same character ;
which might have been intended for personifications of
sin, but are, in the estimation of the Hindoos, the legiti-
mate ornaments of their places of worship. Such is the
character of Hindoo idolatry ! We were also favoured
with a sight of the crown and other regalia belonging to
the idol, which are only used on festival occasions : they
were of pure gold, and richly set with uncut precious
stones. They were said to be worth several hundred
pounds sterling. The monkeys inhabiting this vast
building are of a large size, and very bold. We were
told that, but a few days previous, one of them had run
towards a gentleman standing on the top of the principal
gateway, as though with the intention of casting him
down ; and that it was probable he would have done so,
but for the number of the attending natives, who scared
him away.
On leaving the temple, we were beset by a crowd of
Brahmans, who, as usual, were not ashamed to beg
hard for a little money. On these occasions, I always
rewarded my conductor ; but abstained from further
liberality, lest it should be misconstrued into an offering
to the idols of the place, under which character it was, in
fact, generally solicited.
When we came to the bank of the river, we found the
large boat in which we had crossed it at a great distance,
and therefore entered a smaller boat of very peculiar con-
struction : it was quite round, made of wicker work, and
covered outside with leather or skin. From its circular
form, it turned round in the water, till I should some-
times have been puzzled to tell which bank of the river
we were approaching ; but, being very light, it was
exceedingly manageable, and carried us safely to the
opposite side.
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 235
Mr. Rosen took me to see another large temple, within
the Fort of Trichinopoly, which is now quite deserted,
having been polluted hy the military during the war. I
found several Europeans soldiers and their families resid-
ing under its vast roof : they had built slight partition-
walls, to render their quarters more snug and private.
On Wednesday I again met my favourite congregation,
the natives. They were improved both in numbers and
behaviour : some of them seemed to think seriously on
the subjects brought before them. At the conclusion of
the service, one of the women came to the vestry-door ;
and, by her attitude, showed that she wished to be
noticed, though she feared to intrude. I asked her what
she wanted ; she said she had been in darkness till now ;
but as she had received light, was desirous of acting by
it, and to make a profession of Christianity by baptism.
Another then came, and begged me to baptize her little
girl, the daughter of an European soldier, who had
returned home some years ago. I asked if she herself
had been baptized; she replied, "No." "Why, then,
do you wish your child to be baptized ? Is it not enough
if she is as you are ? " The tears began to trickle down
her cheeks. Another native woman was brought by her
husband, who was an Irishman. He had married her,
though a Heathen ; but, having lately become serious,
aud joined the society, was anxious that she also should
be instructed and baptized : she appeared to be equally
desirous of it.
Although I had no reason to doubt the sincerity of
any of these individuals, I did not feel at liberty to bap-
tize them without further knowledge, or before they had
been more adequately instructed. I therefore gave them
some suitable advice, and recommended them to Mr.
Rosen. He sent his Catechist to instruct them in the
principles of Christianity ; and ultimately administered
236 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
baptism to them and to one or two more, who had not
come forward so prominently on that day ; and I have
since several times heard concerning them, that they con-
tinue to adorn their profession. This was the more
remarkable, as the previous character of two or three of
them had been notoriously bad.
Soon after six o'clock the same evening, I preached
to the English congregation ; and afterwards met the
classes, a service which occupied me till ten o'clock ; the
officers of the regiment having kindly granted permission
to the men to remain out of their quarters till that hour,
if necessary. In this meeting I was greatly encouraged
by finding reason to believe, that my visit and ministra-
tions among them had not been in vain. As during my
stay, so also at parting from them, I received every
demonstration of affection and regard.
I had intended to proceed from Trichinopoly, through
Salem, to Mysore and Seringapatam, and to return
to Madras by way of Bangalore ; but, receiving letters
from Mr. Lynch at Madras, desiring me on many
accounts to hasten my return thither, I was induced
to relinquish my intention, and to choose a nearer
route.
On Thursday, the 14th of August, I quitted Trichi-
nopoly, and travelled through a beautiful country.
Nearly the whole, with the exception of the roads and
hedges, was under water, from the swelling of the river
Cauvery ; which occasions an annual irrigation as valu-
able and necessary to that part of India, as the over-
flowing of the Nile is to Egypt. The bright green of the
newly-sprung paddy, or rice, just rising above the sur-
face of the water, was refreshing to look upon ; the air
was in some measure cooled by the universal irrigation ;
and clumps of trees, of a dark green foliage, sheltering
the cottages of the cultivators, studded the country at
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 237
intervals, as far as the eye could reach. In such scenery,
and at such a season, the providential goodness of God
is mightily displayed ; but the people who enjoy its
blessings do not in general know the Author of them, but
attribute the whole to the river, or to the idols, the
objects of their worship.
I rested in the middle of the day at Kowiladi ; and in
the evening, resuming my journey, travelled towards
Comboconum, nearly fifty miles on the road from Trichi-
nopoly to Madras ; and was there received with bro-
therly affection by the Rev. Mr. Barenbruck, of the
Church Missionary Society.
I had there, also, the pleasure to meet J. Cotton,
Esq., of Negapatam, on an official tour through his
district, who, with his usual kindness, offered me his
tent whilst I remained at Comboconum ; as Mr. Baren-
bruck had not sufficient room even for his own family,
in the small bungalow he was then occupying as a tem-
porary residence.
On Sunday, Mr. Barenbruck's house was well filled with
the native congregation ; a considerable part of it was
composed of the young men of the Christian native
seminary under his care, whose appearance and order
did much credit both to themselves and their instructor.
The following day the young men were catechised on
the sermons they had heard ; and were able to give a
good account both of that delivered by myself in the
morning, and of that by Mr. Barenbruck in the evening.
In my walks with this clergyman, through the streets
and neighbourhood of this large town, I could not but
observe, that his character appeared well known to its
inhabitants. We met with many Heathens, who were
quite willing to hear and to converse on the subject of
religion. I had not hitherto seen so entirely respectable
a native population, or one among whom there seemed
238 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
less bigotry, notwithstanding the large proportion of
Brahmans.
There are in Comboconum several temples, and an old
palace, well worth notice ; but the object which most
strikingly illustrates the superstitions of the people, is a
tank or pool, into which they believe that the Ganges
miraculously flows once in ten years ; though that river
is nearly one thousand miles distant.
Many natives visited Mr. Barenbruck during my stay ;
and I never saw him omit the opportunity of conversing
with them about their spiritual interests : it was evident
that his object was well understood, and his character
generally respected.
On the evening of Tuesday, the 19th, Mr. and
Mrs. Barenbruck accompanied me a short distance in
their bandy, or gig, and then returned, whilst I con-
tinued my journey. I and my bearers were soon under
the necessity of seeking shelter, for a few hours, from
a heavy fall of rain, accompanied by lightning and
thunder. We travelled about twenty-four miles in the
course of the night ; and about seven o'clock on Wed-
nesday morning, arrived at the large town of Myaveram.
I immediately walked down to the bank of the river,
which was crowded by natives washing themselves and
their clothes in the Cauvery, or performing their morn-
ing ceremonies under the porches and on the steps
leading down to the water : some of them seemed to
regard me with proud contempt, and others with some
degree of curiosity.
I was naturally led to speak to them on the subject of
purification ; I admitted that the waters of the Cauvery
would cleanse their bodies, but questioned their efficacy as
it regarded the soul, which they profess to believe is also
purified by daily washing in this river ; and endeavoured
to turn their attention to the " fountain which is opened
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 239
in the house of David for sin and uncleanness," as the
only means of cleansing from sin, and communicating
that " holiness without which no man can see the Lord."
Whilst I enlarged on this subject, one man inter-
rupted me by saying, that the eternal happiness or
misery of the soul was entirely determined by the destiny
written on the forehead by the finger of God. I begged
him to beware of attributing an arbitrary partiality to
the holy and just God ; and endeavoured to illustrate the
undistinguishing regard of God to the whole human race,
by the love of a father to his children, who, without
excepting any, wishes equally the happiness of all. To
this he objected, that God was like many fathers, who
were fond of one or two of their children, and cared not
what became of the rest : on this he laid much stress,
and seemed to think he had the better argument. I
asked him if he was himself a father. He said he was
not. " But," said I, looking on the crowd around me,
"there are many fathers here; I appeal to them whe-
ther what you say does not sound like folly ; I am sure
there is not one who does not wish the welfare of all
his children." This doctrine of God's universal love
appeared to be heard with pleasure by all except the
disputant, who was obliged to content himself by quot-
ing several Sanscrit verses to prove what he had
advanced. I then told them, I had some books on the
subject of the religion I recommended to their accept-
ance, which I would give to any who desired ; but
though many had heard with much curiosity and atten-
tion, none seemed desirous of tracts.
I returned to my palankeen to breakfast, and was
soon followed by a man who wished me to give him, or
recommend him to, some lucrative situation. I advised
him to seek the favour and blessing of God, as being of
the first importance ; and assured him, that if he
240 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL, COUNTRY.
secured them, he should not want for any good thing.
He replied, " I cannot see God, nor do I know him ;
you I know, and to you I look." This was intended for
flattery ; but it contained an awful truth, and discovered
a deplorable state of mind.
After breakfast, I went to a mandabam, in the main
street, leading down to the river : it was a platform of
stone raised about five feet from the ground, having no
walls, but a number of stone pillars supporting the roof,
on which was erected a small tower adorned with images.
Intending to remain here for the day, I began to con-
verse with an individual who stood near. Several per-
sons passing and re-passing stopped to hear our conver-
sation, till, at length, a large congregation was assem-
bled. I then took the opportunity to address them all
on the concerns of their souls and eternity ; and con-
cluded by recommending to their acceptance and atten-
tive perusal some tracts which I held in my hand ; but
they seemed afraid, and would not touch the books till
an old devotee coming up, ridiculed their fear, and took
one of the tracts into his hand ; but, through age, could
with difficulty see to read it.
Sitting down on the ground, in the native fashion, I
entered into conversation with this man, whilst the rest
of the people listened attentively. He appeared to have
no sense of piety, nor even a fear of God ; but to be an
infidel as to all religions. From his language I con-
cluded him to be a man of some learning, and of good
common sense, who, from the absurdities of the Hindoo
system, and his inability to account for the evil and
misery existing in the world, on the supposition that it
is governed by an almighty, just, and merciful God, had
adopted atheistical notions, or, what is nearly allied to
atheism, the opinion, that if there is a God of justice,
there is another of opposite principles.
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMTJL COUNTRY. 241
I related to him the history of the fall of man, and of
the redemption of the world hy the Lord Jesus Christ.
I desired him to look at the works of creation and of
providence, and acknowledge the existence and supre-
macy of one God who is over all. He replied that it
was all in vain ; that the truth could not be known ;
neither would he receive any tracts from me, because he
thought they no more contained the truth than did the
numerous hooks he already possessed on the Hindoo
system.
The circumstance, however, of his taking a tract into
his hand seemed to embolden the surrounding crowd ;
and I was soon under the necessity of applying to my
stock in the bungalow to satisfy their demands. I was
thus busily employed till noon, conversing, reading
aloud, and distributing tracts ; and became so much the
object of attention, that I could with difficulty get time
to eat. After dinner, I was similarly engaged till I set
out on my journey : the clamour and press for tracts
then became so great, that my bearers were quite
angry, and, pushing rudely through the crowd, rushed
with the palankeen into the river, and carried me to the
other side. Several persons forded the river after us to
obtain a tract, like their more successful neighbours, and
ran alongside my palankeen, tiU, at length, I gave away
every tract I had access to without unpacking my
luggage. Of the numbers who this day conversed with
me, or listened, and received tracts, a great proportion
were Brahmans, or men of other high castes.
The following day I arrived at Sheeally, and took
shelter from the sun in a bungalow kept by a native,
who introduced himself to me as a Christian, and
seemed to pride himself in the name, but refused an
invitation to join me, in the evening, in reading the
Scriptures and prayer in Tamul, saying, that he was a
M
242 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMTJL COUNTRY,
Roman Catholic. Though called hy the name of Christ,
he did not appear either to have, or to desire, even the
" form of godliness."
At night I continued my journey, and, travelling
about forty miles, reached Cuddalore, where I was
kindly welcomed by Mrs. Sim and family.
Being requested to preach on Sunday at Cuddalore,
both in English and in Tamul, I determined to remain
for that purpose.
On Saturday morning, I visited the school for the
children of the European pensioners residing there, sup-
ported by their own voluntary subscriptions : it con-
tained few children, but appeared to be conducted in an
orderly manner. At the house of one of the pensioners
with whom I breakfasted, I found a considerable num-
ber of maimed, and halt, and blind native men and
women, waiting for their weekly dole of rice and money.
I called on them to look to their heavenly Benefactor for
the " bread which endureth to everlasting life." Some
of them seemed stupidly indifferent to the importance of
what was spoken, others gave the most serious attention.
On such occasions, I endeavour to give a clear view of
the plan of salvation, to call sinners to repentance, and
direct penitents to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is
seldom that I have had heathen women among my out-
door hearers, except when the congregation has been of
this description, as it would be deemed indecorous for
females, married or unmarried, to stand in the streets or
roads listening to a stranger. There is, therefore, little
opportunity of trying whether they would be more
readily convinced of the truth than the men ; and
though I have known some instances to the contrary,
I have generally observed, that they make little difficulty
of professing Christianity, if their husbands embrace it.
In the evening the lady of the house assembled her
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL, COUNTRY. 243
servants, who were chiefly Christians ; and herself, ano-
ther lady, and two English officers, made part of the
company, whilst I read, expounded, and prayed in
Tamul.
Captain K., one of the officers, expressed himself as
agreeably surprised at the easy flow of words and sound
so ohvious in the Tamul translation of the New Testa-
ment, which he had never before heard read. He told
me he should he very glad if I would see his head ser-
vant, a most honest, trust-worthy man, and, as he
thought, a real Christian, whose zeal in conversing with
his countrymen on religious subjects was very remark-
able, and, he thought, had been successful : he was sure
he would be glad to see a Missionary, and that he would
send for him.
When the man came to me, I was happy to recognise
in him a member of our native society in Royapettah,
who, though, by his engagements with his master, he
had been many months absent from the public means of
grace, had not lost his piety or zeal. One fact relating
to him when he lived in Madras will serve to illustrate
his character, and at the same time exhibit some pecu-
liarities of the natives.
My colleague, Mr. Lynch, had heard that this man
had been beating his wife ; and sent for them both, that
he might ascertain the fact, and afford them suitable
admonition. He inquired from the man, " Is it true
that you have been beating your wife ? " " Yes, Sir."
" What was your reason for doing so ? " " Why, Sir,
you know that my business requires me to be at my
master's house by six o'clock in the morning ; and as
the distance is four miles, I must set out from my own
house at five o'clock. If, then, I must read and pray
with my family before I go, it is necessary for me to rise
at four o'clock ; which I do, and awake my wife also,
M 2
244 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
that she may join me in my devotions. But whilst I
read and pray, she falls asleep again : and for this I have
beaten her." Mr. Lynch inquired from the woman if all
this were true ; she replied, " Yes, Sir." " And do
you think your husband did right to beat you for sleep-
ing during prayer?" "Yes, Sir." Mr. Lynch com-
mended the man's practice of family worship ; but, of
course, advised him not to treat hia wife so severely.
On Sunday morning I preached in the church of
Cuddalore, first to the Tamul congregation, which was
very small and irregular, aud then to an English congre-
gation, composed of almost ah 1 the residents of the place.
One of the gentlemen said, he had not heard the Gos-
pel for many years before that day. At night I again
assembled the natives of Mrs. Sim's household, for
Tamul reading and prayer. I have often wished that
wherever a Missionary visited or lodged, arrangements,
as in this instance, might be made for the native servants
also to hear the message he would gladly deliver to them.
Before quitting Cuddalore, I will relate a circumstance
in its history which connects it with the name of one of
the most remarkable potentates in Europe.
In June, 1783, a vigorous attack was made by the
French, under M. Bussey, on the English army, which,
under General Stewart, had taken up a position to the
south of Cuddalore, Not a single advantage was gained
over the English, and the French sustained a heavy loss.
An incident connected with this attack, and which, in
addition to the interest derived from its romantic cha-
racter, merits notice from the historical reputation of one
of the parties, is thus related by Colonel Wilks :
" Among the wounded prisoners was a young French
Serjeant, who so particularly attracted the notice of Colo-
nel Wangenheim, Commandant of the Hanoverian troops
in the English service, by his interesting appearance and
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 245
manners, that he ordered the young man to be conveyed
to his own tents ; where he was treated with attention
and kindness until his recovery and release. Many years
afterwards, when the French army, under Bernadotte,
entered Hanover, General "Wangenheim, among others,
attended the levee of the conqueror. ' You have served
a great deal,' said Bernadotte, on his being presented ;
* and, as I understand, in India.' ' I have served there.'
' At Cuddalore ? ' ' I was there.' ' Have you any recol-
lection of a wounded Serjeant whom you took under
your protection, in the course of that service ? ' The
circumstance was not immediately present to the Gene-
ral's mind ; but on recollection he resumed : ' I do,
indeed, remember the circumstance ; and a very fine
young man he was. I have entirely lost sight of him
ever since : but it would give me pleasure to hear of his
welfare.' ' That young Serjeant,' said Bernadotte, ' was
the person who has now the honour to address you ;
who is happy in this public opportunity of acknow-
ledging the obligation, and will omit no means within his
power of testifying his gratitude to General Wangen-
heim.' " The Serjeant had become one of the most dis-
tinguished Generals of France. It is almost unnecessary
to remind the reader, that he subsequently attained the
exercise of sovereign power in Sweden.
The moon shone brightly at two o'clock in the morn-
ing, when I set out on my journey, and the air had been
made deliciously cool by a thunder-storm during the
night. At six o'clock I reached Pondicherry ; and,
hearing that high mass was to be celebrated in the
French church at seven, curiosity induced me to go, as
I had never before witnessed it. It was the festival of
St. Louis : the servants of the French Government were
required to attend ; the church was therefore well filled.
The service was conducted by a noble-looking French
246 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMTJL COUNTRY.
Priest, who wore a long beard. When the host was
elevated, I looked round the assembly, and seeing that
every individual except myself was in a posture of wor-
ship, either kneeling or standing, I concluded that I was
the only Protestant present. The whole service was
imposing in its character. But of what avail are good
singing, the ringing of bells, changing of posture, and
splendid garments, where there is nothing to inform the
understanding, or to engage the heart ? It concluded by
both Priest and people three times exclaiming, Five le
Roi !
On returning to the house where I was entertained, I
found some natives waiting to speak with me ; to whom
I presented tracts, and desired them to meet me in the
afternoon.
I dined with a large and mixed party of different
nations. English, French, Portuguese, Tamul, and, I
think, Hindostanee also, were spoken at the table ; but
the number of languages did not much assist us in
communicating with each other. However, it did not
appear that those parts of the conversation not under-
stood were any great loss : the intermixture of French
and Hindoo blood does not seem to have formed a graver
character, than that usually attributed to our continental
neighbours.
In my own room I met a small company of natives,
who attentively heard the word of God, and thankfully
united in drawing near to a throne of grace. Captain
K.'s servant was one of them. When another, who
resided in Pondicherry, complained of the want of oppor-
tunities for Christian instruction and edification, no Pro-
testant Missionary or Teacher residing in that place, he
replied with his usual energy, "What can you expect
here ? " Ithu Babylon, allava ? " This is Babylon, is
it not ? "
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 247
Having heard from Madras that my return was not
immediately necessary, I thought I could not be more
usefully employed than in traversing other parts of this
extensive and populous country, to converse with the
people at all opportunities, and scatter among them the
Gospel and tracts in Tamul which still remained of the
large supply I had carried with me when I set out.
Altering my course, therefore, I proceeded in a north-
western direction towards Wallajahbad.
We left Pondicherry at three o'clock in the morning of
Tuesday, the 26th of August ; and, missing our way,
travelled eight hours and a half before we reached the
small town of Permacoil, about twenty miles from Pondi-
cherry ; where, though much tired, I had an opportunity
of pursuing the object of my journey by conversation,
and distribution of tracts.
In the afternoon we proceeded a few miles further to
Matrantam Sheoor, a small village, where we had hoped
to find shelter for the night, my bearers being too much
tired to go on to Atcharawauk, the regular stage. We
found, however, no choultry, but a mud-built shed, with
a thatched roof, so low, that it would not even admit the
palankeen. Whilst at a loss where to find shelter from
the rain, which now threatened to fall in torrents, a kind
old Heathen offered to admit my palankeen into his
house, though he could not allow me to sleep there, and
to accommodate me with a board in the choultry, on
which I might spread my mattress, and rest till morning.
I walked into his house, and found several women
employed in spinning a coarse description of cotton, and
another winding the yarn off the cop into hank. He
told me that they received raw cotton from their employ-
er, a native manufacturer, and returned it in hank, their
delivering the whole being ascertained by the weight. Out
of one vis (about three pounds) of cotton, they spin
248 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
sixteen hanks, and receive for their labour eight fanams,
about fourteen-pence, English money. One woman spins
only one to one and a half hank per day ; and conse-
quently earns one penny, or a fraction more, as her
daily wages. I did not ascertain the length of their
hanks ; but as the yarn appeared to me to be about the
fineness of No. 6 English yarn, and they spun sixteen
hanks from three pounds of cotton, I should suppose
their hanks to be about the same length as our own,
eight hundred and forty yards. Of course, there is, in
the south of India, much finer spinning than that now
described ; but I never found so favourable an opportunity
of inspection as in the instance now referred to. The in-
struments they used for cleansing, loosening, and spinning
the cotton, are remarkable for their ingenuity and simpli-
city. A wish to gratify my friends at home with a sight
of what differs so entirely from their complicated and
scientific machinery for the same operations, induced
me afterwards to procure and bring home specimens of
them, which are now deposited with my friends at Man-
chester, where they have been seen and admired by some
of the most eminent spinners of the day. Drawings of
these machines have been executed by a much-respected
artist and fellow-townsman ; from which accurate sketches
have been taken, and, with a description, are presented
to the reader on a subsequent page.
I tried to explain to my native host and this family of
female spinners the superior method by which the same
kind of work was done in my own country. The women
expressed great astonishment at hearing of so many
spindles turned by the same power, but the man seemed
to understand ; he, however, in his turn, was much sur-
prised at learning, that the cotton to be spun was not held
in the hand, but supplied also by machinery.
He returned with me to the place I was to occupy for
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMTJL COUNTRY. 249
the night, and remained in conversation with me for
several hours. An inquiry from me whether he could
read, elicited a reply in the negative, and an explanation
of the cause which very considerably interested me. He
said that his parents had sent him to school, and would
have given him an education ; but the troops of Hyder Ali
scouring the country, had driven the whole family, consist-
ing of forty or fifty persons, from their home. They fled to
Sheeally, where they all died of disease or famine, except
himself and three other young people ; and consequently
he had had to struggle with many disadvantages in early
life. To show me, however, his regard for learning, he
called his eldest son, who had just come in from follow-
ing the plough ; the Barada Pwrana, written on olas,
was sent for, and I listened to his reading for about half
an hour. In return, I took out my Tamul New Testa-
ment and tracts, and for some time read and explained to
them. He had already begged me to allow him to pre-
pare supper for me. About nine o'clock it appeared.
There was a large quantity of boiled rice, in a brasen
dish ; two kinds of curries, on separate leaves ; in ano-
ther leaf, stitched into the form of a cup, was ghee, or
clarified butter ; and in a brasen pot was mulugu tanni, a
hot vegetable soup, made chiefly from pepper and capsi-
cums. A number of leaves (I think, of the banyan-tree)
stitched together, formed a plate such as the natives of
all classes eat from, never using the same more than
once.
I thrust my hand into the rice in native fashion, and
put some handfuls on my plate of leaves. My host stood
near, with the mulugu tanni in his hand, which he poured
out at intervals, and the ghee also, to moisten the rice
to my taste ; and recommended me to try first one curry
and then the other, with a politeness most pleasing, as
being quite natural and unaffected. He was amused by
M 5
250 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
my want of expertness in eating with my fingers ; but
appeared highly gratified that I ate with confidence, and
made a hearty meal. After some further conversation, he
retired, and I slept soundly in the open shed, without
the least fear or alarm.
The subjoined wood-engravings are executed from cor-
rect drawings of the complete set of Hindoo cotton-
spinning machinery, which I procured at Madras, and
brought over to England, as mentioned in page 248.
No. I. is a cotton-cleanser, or gin, consisting of
two rollers of teak-wood, through which the cotton is
NO. I. COTTON-CLEANSER,
passed, in order to cleanse it from the seeds, and make it
fit for use.
No. II. is a cotton-bow ; and has a great resem-
blance to the hatter's-bow, used for bowing wool in our
own country. The cotton being spread underneath this
machine, the string, which derives elasticity from a com-
plicated arrangement of strings on the frame of the bow,
is struck with a heavy mallet of wood, causing it to vibrate
strongly amongst the cotton, which is thus reduced to a
TEN WEEKS TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 251
loose, fleecy state : and this simple operation serves the
purpose of that of carding in England.
NO. II. COTTON-BOW.
NO. III. SPINNING-WHEEL.
252 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMTJL COUNTRY.
No. III. is the spinning-wheel. The wheel itself is
composed of two sides, formed of cross pieces, connected
at the extremities by strings, to serve in lieu of a circular
frame ; so that it is, in fact, an octagonal wheel. This
machine is of teak-wood, extremely heavy, and strong in
proportion to its size. The spindle, which is very small,
is fed by the hand with the cotton prepared by the bow,
No. II.*
NO. IV. REELING-MACHINE.
No. IV. is a machine answering to the English reel,
composed of pegs fixed upon a frame with slides, round
* Mr. Edward Baines, junior, of Leeds, in his History of the
Cotton Manufacture, pages 66 68, has introduced these sketches
of Hindoo machinery, and the substance of the description, with-
out any acknowledgment that he found them in the first edition
of my " Personal Narrative." For the correct sketches thus appro-
priated, I was indebted to my early friend and school-fellow, Michael
P. Calvert, Esq., the talented artist, of Manchester. The description
was written by my brother, Mr. Holland Hoole, of Manchester, with
whom I deposited the machinery, and some beautiful specimens of
Hindoo manufacture, at the mills of Messrs. Philips and Lee, in
Salford. Mr. Baines acknowledges his obligations to many persons
for assistance in the compilation of his book ; but omits to mention
from what quarter he obtained the information and sketches, here
described, which strike every reader as most curious and original.
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 253
which pegs the cotton yarn is formed into hanks. I am
unable to explain the precise mode of using this machine ;
but am informed, by very good authority, that in Russia
linen yarn is reeled upon a similar principle, but the pegs
are fixed in the wall.
The cost of the whole of this complete set of machinery
for spinning cotton, was about thirty-five shillings ster-
ling.*
It may well excite our surprise, that, with such rude
machines, and from cotton of a peculiarly short staple,
the Hindoos should be able to produce the fine yarns re-
quired for the manufacture of the Arnee muslins. But such
is the fact ; and it affords proof of their extraordinary
skilfulness, and patient application, in those pursuits
to which they have been trained from their childhood,
and which they have inherited from their forefathers.
The scheme of introducing British cotton-spinning
machinery into India will, I think, be attended with
many difficulties. The habits of the Hindoos must
undergo a mighty change, before they will submit to the
* A literal copy of the invoice of these articles, in the imperfect
English of the native broker whom I employed to purchase them,
may amuse the reader :
Rev. E. Owl,
One Cotton Cleanzer
Dr.
R s 5 4 o
One Wheel Gig
380
One Worldy Gig
1 12
One Cotton Bow
7 n n
Two Iron things and four Lather things ... 12
Cooly hire for Do. office to your Geordon-
house n 9 R
Three Gony-bags, <K* Packing
088
Madras,
8th Feb. 1828.
Rs. 18 15 2
Contents Receved,
P. CONDAPAH.
254 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
confinement and regular labour of a cotton-mill. And,
on the Corornandel coast at least, it may well be doubted
whether the machinery itself can be kept in working con-
dition, on account of the extreme moisture of the atmo-
sphere, which rusts and corrodes every thing made of
iron to such a degree, that it is likely the cotton will
adhere to the rollers, &c., and the work be spoiled. It
is probable, however, that many improvements may be
effected in different branches of the native manufactures,
in the course of years, by the gradual and judicious
application of machinery. This may also greatly assist
Missionary objects, if the converted Hindoos should be
able to find employment in the establishments of Euro-
peans, so as to avert the ruin which now generally would
result in their temporal affairs, on their embracing Chris-
tianity, and the prospect of which at present deters
multitudes of them from obeying the convictions of their
judgment and conscience.
27th. A journey of five hours brought us to Atchara-
wauk about nine o'clock. The burning sun did not
permit me to venture out, so I conversed with only a few
individuals, and distributed some tracts.
Early in the afternoon we proceeded to Carangooly, a
large and neat village. It was tiru-ndl, or " holy-day ; "
the inhabitants were carrying an idol in procession, and
the streets were thronged with holiday-people. Having
determined to remain for the night in the choultry, I
began to converse with one of the first persons I met ;
but he could not or would not stay to hear much.
Another was more patient and attentive, and I was soon
surrounded by a great number of people. I endeavoured
to declare to them the love of God in giving his Sou for
the redemption of mankind, and to make them feel it
their duty to consider and return that love. Their
attention seemed fixed, and I continued to improve the
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 255
opportunity by reading and commenting on a tract. It
then grew dark, and I wished to dismiss them from the
front of the choultry, where they had crowded together.
I distributed aU the tracts I had in my palankeen, and
had to assure them I had no more at hand, before they
would go away. Still many of them waited, whilst I
took tea, and unpacked a box to obtain more tracts.
The news, too, seemed to have spread ; for the people
flocked together, and kept me fully employed in answer-
ing their questions, directing their attention to the truths
of Christianity, and distributing tracts, which were very
eagerly received, till past ten o'clock ; and even after I
had laid down to sleep, several persons came, begging to
be excused for disturbing me ; but they had only now
heard of me at some distance, and had come wishing to
receive tracts, and to hear what I had to say.
28th. We travelled about sixteen miles further, to
Sallawauk, another large village, having on the road passed
several places of the same character. I took up my abode
for the day in the vestibule of a heathen temple, which
contained some tolerable sculptures, but seemed partially
deserted. I had soon a number of visitors, sent, I sup-
pose, by my bearers, who had now some notion of my
object in travelling, and took a pleasure in seeing me em-
ployed. They sat down at a short distance during my
breakfast, and diligently read, and talked over, the Tamul
and Teloogoo tracts I handed to them, returning them as
they perused them, and requesting others larger, and more
comprehensive, on the same subjects.
One of these people desired to be allowed to prepare
dinner for me : he did so, and showed himself an excellent
cook, and would receive no money for his trouble ; he only
begged copies of the tracts he had read ; I added a few
others, and he appeared quite delighted, saying, he had
never before heard the doctrines of Christianity. Many
256 TEN \VEEKS* TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
others were anxious to learn all they could, and begged
for such books as would best teach them .the right way.
The willingness of the people of that place, and of some
others, through which I had passed the preceding days,
to hear the Gospel, and to receive the books I had for
distribution, surpassed my expectations ; and was some
compensation for the disappointment I had felt in being
recalled from Trichinopoly, instead of proceeding thence
through Salem to Seringapatam and Bangalore, and other
parts where a visit was expected.
The following day I arrived at Wallajahbad, and took
up my quarters as on a former visit ; the pious soldiers
were rejoiced to see me, and the officers of the regiment
showed me considerable kindness and attention.
My engagements, for a few days, were frequent and
laborious, but exactly such as accorded with the character
and pursuits of a Missionary.
On Friday, the 29th, I conducted two services, one in
Tamul, the other in English. On Saturday morning I
was engaged some time in solemnizing marriages and bap-
tisms ; one of the persons baptized was an English invalid,
advanced, in life, the son of Baptist parents, who had not
presented him for that ordinance in his infancy. In the
after-part of the day, I had another Tamul service, and in
the evening again assembled with the soldiers for prayer.
On Sunday, before sunrise, the regiment was marched
to the Fives Court, which, being enclosed with walls, made
it easier to speak and hear than on the open parade-
ground, as well as affording some shelter from the rays of
the sun, which are hot from the moment of its rise. The
place was rather a strange substitute for a chapel ; but
both officers and men stood with great attention whilst I
read prayers, and delivered a sermon.
In the forenoon I was engaged two hours in meeting
the class of about thirty members. At four in the after-
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 257
noon, I again addressed the native congregation, and was
glad to observe indications of some impression having
been made on their minds ; and at night preached in the
mess-room, kindly lent by the officers, for the purpose,
to a congregation of three times the number that could
have been accommodated in the room we had hitherto
occupied. Several officers attended this service, and one,
who seemed not to have forgotten the good lessons taught
him at his then distant home, partook with us, after the
public service, of the sacred memorials of the death and
passion of our Lord.
On the succeeding Monday and Tuesday, the 1st and
2nd of September, I was similarly employed as on the pre-
ceding days. There were several baptisms : I preached a
few times more to the English and Tamul congregations ;
and had some opportunities of serious conversation with
several of the officers and their families. "When I men-
tioned my intention of soon returning home to Madras,
one lady exclaimed, " Have you indeed a home 1 I have
heard of you in all parts of the country, and thought you
were always employed in travelling about." I was sur-
prised that she had thought me so entirely a wanderer ;
for she and her husband had requested me to baptize
their infant child.
I quitted Wallajahbad about midnight, and when I
awoke, at day-break, the following morning, found myself
in the neighbourhood of the great temple of Conjeveram :
a Brahman soon appeared, and offered his services to show
me the whole establishment. I was first conducted to a
Mandabam, a sort of porch opposite the entrance to the
temple, but at some distance from it : this was a new
erection not quite finished, and entirely of stone ; said to
have cost *fifteen thousand pagodas, or upwards of 5000
sterling. It consisted simply of pillars supporting a square
roof, surmounted with characteristic devices. Each pillar
258 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
is of one stone, about twenty feet in height, and two feet
square, sculptured on every side with Hindoo gods and
goddesses : the bare indecency of many of these sciilp-
tures proves, that notwithstanding English influence and
the general diffusion of a small degree of Christian light,
the Hindoos are unchanged in their moral and religious
character, and will remain so even under their increasing
advantages, till they entirely cast off their own abominable
system, and embrace the pure precepts and doctrines of
the Gospel. The temple is large, and of similar construc-
tion to other Hindoo temples of like magnitude. It has
an outer and inner wall of great height, on which, at irre-
gular distances, are erected pyramidal towers, several
stories high. The extensive prospect to be seen from the
top of the highest tower, is a sufficient reward for the
fatigue of the ascent. Within the walls are shrines for
the different objects of worship, and shelter for thousands
of people : there is also a large tank, with stone steps on
every side, down to the bottom. Much of admirable
workmanship and skill is displayed in the architecture
and sculpture of its various parts : a particular examina-
tion of the whole establishment would be the work of many
days.
On returning from the temple, I was accompanied by a
considerable number of Brahmans to the place where I
intended to pass the day. I drew out some tracts, and
entered on my usual topic, the necessity of the atoning
sacrifice of Christ to reconcile man to God, and to give a
title to heaven : some were attentive, but most of them
did not seem to like the subject ; and, on the whole, did
not form a promising congregation. After breakfast, I
recommenced reading and speaking, and continued till a
native reader belonging to the Church Mission in Madras,
visiting the schools in this neighbourhood, came up and
afforded me very seasonable relief ; he also read and spoke
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMTJL COUNTRY. 259
a considerable time. I distributed many tracts ; and, as
at several other places, found it necessary to deny the im-
portunity of some who were not content with one or two,
but desired a specimen of each sort in my possession.
In a dispute with one Brahman, I was asked, " Is God
a Spirit ? How then did he create matter ? Is the soul
God, or something distinct from God ? Is the soul im-
mortal 1 Then it is eternal ; for what has no end can have
had no beginning; but if the soul is created, it must
have had a beginning, and is therefore perishable."
Many of them delight to speculate and converse on such
subjects, rather than to have their sinful and dangerous
condition pointed out to them, and the will of God con-
cerning them stated and enforced.
Intending to visit Vellore, I proceeded from Conjeveram
to Cauverypauk, about seventeen miles, where I passed
the middle of the day ; but, though I went out into the
streets, found little even of curiosity among the people of
that town to hear what an European stranger had to say
on the subject of religion. In the evening, a journey of
about ten miles brought me to the large town and can-
tonment of Arcot, where I was kindly received by the
Chaplain, as on my former visit.
On the evening of the 5th, I had a small, but atten-
tive, Tamul congregation, consisting chiefly of persons
professing Christianity. I am not aware that any Mis-
sionary was ever stationed at Arcot, though the place and
its neighbourhood are very populous ; and less has been
attempted there among the natives than in any quarter
offering equal advantages.
The following day I proceeded to Vellore, where I was
hospitably entertained during my stay by Commissary
Penn. Within the Fort of Vellore is a large Hindoo
temple, containing specimens of native device and sculp-
ture, as admirable as those of any I ever visited : it is
260 TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY.
now entirely out of use as a temple, and occupied as an
arsenal by the British.
Vellore has long been visited by the Missionaries of
the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, residing
at Madras. I found the Eev. Mr. Falke, of that Mission,
diligently labouring in a large and well-conducted
school : he seemed to have met with some discourage-
ments during his visit, which he had protracted to seve-
ral weeks. He had been told on the one hand, that he
had nothing to do with the English inhabitants, and on
the other, had been warned against public preaching and
conversation among the natives ; but his diligent zeal
had found means and opportunities of attempting to
benefit the inhabitants of all classes. On Sunday, the
7th, I heard him read prayers and preach in English,
and remained, with considerable part of the congre-
gation, at the celebration of the Lord's supper. In the
after-part of the day I had attentive congregations, both
English and Tamul.
On Monday I returned to Arcot ; and, in the evening,
preached in a private house to the same congregation as
before. On the evening of Tuesday I again reached
Conjeveram, and had many applications for tracts from
natives who had seen or heard of those I had distributed
the previous week. About eight o'clock at night, I
received a polite invitation from A. Maclean, Esq.,
assistant -Collector and Magistrate, and the only Euro-
pean residing in Conjeveram ; on whom I had not
waited, because I had no acquaintance with him, or
letter of introduction. He was surrounded by his assist-
ants and officers, and was diligently discharging his duty
as Magistrate ; his acquirements in the languages enabling
him to do it with ease, and without the assistance of
interpreters. I remained with him the following day,
and visited the temple of Little Conjeveram, a place of
TEN WEEKS' TOUR IN THE TAMUL COUNTRY. 261
great celebrity among the natives, but containing nothing
superior to those temples which I had already seen.
Whilst resting at Amrambaidoo, on the following
day, on my way to Madras, I was recognised by a
native Brahman, who said he had heard of me from a
great distance as distributing tracts, and conversing
about religion. I think I was applied to by all in the
village who were able to read.
In the evening of Thursday, September llth, I
reached the Mission-house in Royapettah, having tra-
velled about six hundred miles, and been absent nearly
ten weeks, during which I had been chiefly engaged in
conversing with strangers. In few parts of the world
could I have travelled so long with so little annoyance ;
and though a professed Teacher of a strange religion
which I was anxious to propagate, my movements
seemed to excite no jealousy among the people. May
the bread thus widely cast upon the waters be found
after many days !
262 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
CHAPTER XIX.
SEPTEMBER, 1823, TO MARCH, 1824.
THREE MONTHS' TOUR TO THE SOUTH AND
WEST.
RETURNED to Madras, I again entered into the regu-
lar work of the Station, and found cause for encourage-
ment and perseverance. In the native department
especially, an increase was apparent, both in the number
of hearers, and in the interest felt by the congregations.
At the Tamul service, in Black-Town, on Friday even-
ings, the doors and windows were usually occupied by
Heathens or others who desired to hear the Scriptures
read and explained, but did not dare to enter our place
of worship, either on account of their own scruples, or
because they feared persecution or inconvenience if they
identified themselves with us. Some of these were
regular in their attendance ; and though I never saw
them, except on those occasions, I hope the partial
knowledge of Christian doctrines and principles which
they must thus have acquired, will not have been entirely
in vain.
In our labours among the natives, our principal defi-
ciency, at that time, was the aid of an active native Assist-
ant ; who might follow up, by conversations and familiar
intercourse with the people, the public and stated exertions
of the Missionary. Those members of our native society,
whose acquirements qualified them to act as School-
masters, were already engaged in that capacity ; and we
could only hope and pray, that the help we required in
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 263
this important work might in some way or other be
raised up for us.
On the 14th of September we were gladdened by
the safe arrival of Mr. England, a brother Missionary,
sent to our assistance by the Committee in London.
The relief from considerable part of the English work,
afforded to me by Mr. England's arrival, gave me an
opportunity of commencing the study of the Teloogoo
language.
In my late journeys I had found, that a knowledge of
that language would have enlarged my sphere of use-
fulness while travelling. A great part of the population
of Madras also use this language ; but none of the
Missionaries, at that time residing there, had paid any
attention to it. Another reason which urged me to the
acquisition of Teloogoo, was its similarity, in many
respects, to the Cannada language, vernacular in the
Mysore country, whither I was directed to proceed by
the letters Mr. England brought with him from the
Committee ; and although it would then have been im-
practicable for me entirely to quit our native societies
and congregations in Madras, for want of a Tamul
supply, I did not conceive it improbable that circum-
stances would, in a short time, favour my proceeding
thither, to re-commence our exertions in the neighbour-
hoods of Bangalore and Seringapatam.
My Teloogoo teacher was a poor Brahman, of the
neighbouring village of St. Thome, whose chief pecu-
liarity seemed to be a thoroiigh and sincere belief of all
the absurdities of the Hindoo system. I think he was
the only native of tolerable education I ever met with, so
blind and entire in his attachment to idolatry and all its
concomitant observances. He was generally unwell from
bathing every morning in the public tank ; because, in
his opinion, it was more meritorious to bathe in cold
264 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
water, and in the open air,, than to use warm water
within the house, though the latter -was permitted in
case of indisposition. He was one day taken very ill
whilst attending me ; but though apprehensive of the
cholera morbus, which at that time was raging dreadfully
on every hand, his scruples would not permit him to take
the specific I offered him ; though he knew it had been
successful, in other instances, in checking the disorder.
The laxity of the notions of some Hindoos, and the
miserable subterfuges with which they quiet their minds
on religious subjects, may be illustrated by the following
circumstance :
An old acquaintance of mine, a Brahman Moonshee
of the College, came to see me, with one or two others :
they found me in the burial-ground, contiguous to the
chapel in Royapettah, superintending the opening of a
grave. Desirous of improving the opportunity, I ad-
verted to the solemn subject, naturally occurring to our
minds from the appearances of the place in which we
stood, and pressed on them the importance of ascertain-
ing whether our systems of faith and practice were
calculated to promote and secure our happiness in the
eternal world. My friend did not seem much at ease
whilst I talked on this subject ; but replied, that one
religion was as good as another ; that every man would
be right if he could only think so ; and illustrated his
meaning by kicking a clod just thrown up, and saying,
" Let a man believe this earth to be gold, and keep it as
such, it will make him as happy as though it were gold
in reality." I replied, " Yes ; but if he take his clod to
the bank, or to the mint, and present it as so much pre-
cious metal, he will soon be undeceived as to its value ;
and exactly thus shall we be brought to trial in the day
of judgment, when our eternal destinies shall be fixed.
The inquiry then will not be, how we esteemed our
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 265
different systems, but what both they and we are in the
just estimation of the Almighty : and how awful will it
be, to continue under delusion till it shall be too late to
remedy the evil ! "
By frequent conversations of this description, the
views and objects of Christian Missionaries become ex-
tensively known among the natives ; and though the
result may not appear in any decided success, the raising
of doubt, and excitement of inquiry, are almost necessary
consequences, and may be calculated to have their effect
on the general mind and feeling of the people.
In November, Mr. Lynch opened a small room in
Chintadrypett, (a populous neighbourhood between our
house and Black-Town,) erected for the purpose of a
school and occasional preaching. I preached several
times to attentive companies of natives in this place ;
but was not able to give it regular attention, in addition
to the engagements of equal or greater importance already
formed in other quarters.
It being still considered desirable that I should visit
our society in Bangalore, and the affectionate people in
Mysore and Seringapatam, before Mr. Lynch, who
intended returning to Europe, should take his departure,
and make it less practicable for me to leave Madras, I
prepared for another journey ; in the course of which I
purposed to visit the hills near Salem, which had recently
become the subject of general conversation, as possessing
a cool and salubrious atmosphere, and being peopled by a
race of different character from that of the surrounding
lowland districts.
It was now the middle of what is usually the wet
season in Madras ; but the rains had this year entirely
failed, and the whole country was parched with drought.
Rice, the aliment of the natives, had become very dear,
and great distress was felt as the consequence in almost
N
266 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
every class of the community. But though in other
respects unseasonable, the weather was favourable for
travelling.
As on all similar occasions, I was liberally supplied
with tracts and books in various languages, for gratuitous
distribution among the natives, by the active and valu-
able Bible and Tract Societies existing in Madras. I
carried with me on this journey more than one man's
load of these publications, being in all several thousand
copies.
Early in the morning of Wednesday, the 3d of Decem-
ber, I again left Madras ; deeply impressed with a sense
of the mercies hitherto vouchsafed to me, and with
humble trust for a continuance of them in the journey
before me. I felt the necessity of divine influence and
blessing to my individual happiness, and to insure
successful results to the labours in which I was engaged.
In the forenoon I reached Poonamallee, about thirteen
miles from Madras, where there is a Fort and canton-
ment, and a large native village ; there is also a small
village of pensioners from the British army, who have
retired here with their families to end their days in
peace. Some of these had expressed a wish that we
should come and preach to them. They assembled soon
after my arrival in the humble cottage of one of their
number, when I took the opportunity of speaking to
them individually on their spiritual concerns, and of
leading their addresses to the throne of grace. Many
of them shed tears whilst they recounted their long-
continued course of ignorance and sin, and spoke of the
greatness of that mercy which had called them at the
eleventh hour. I rejoiced at the grace of God manifested
in the change that had taken place in them ; and, draw-
ing out a class-paper, took down their names as members
of society on trial, with a confidence, which the event
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 267
has proved well founded, that this would be the begin-
ning of a good work in. that place.
From this time they had a claim on our attention as
Missionaries, which has invariably been paid to them.
Several who were present on that occasion have since
exchanged worlds, in the enjoyment of the assurance and
consolations inspired by a belief of the truth ; and their
places have been more than filled up by others who have
joined themselves to those who remained. We have now
in Poonamallee a very neat bungalow, which is used as a
chapel and school-room ; and at one end has a separate
room, which accommodates an English pensioner and his
family, who acts as Schoolmaster, and takes care of the
premises.
At that time, however, we had not a foot of ground in
Poonamallee ; but obtained for our services in the even-
ing the use of the native church, a thatched building of
mud, erected for the accommodation of the Christian
natives, by the Rev. James Hough, a pious and zealous
Chaplain, formerly resident in Poonamallee, who is now
the perpetual Curate of Ham, the diligent author of the
" History of Christianity in India." The place was
crowded by a mixed company of Europeans and natives.
The latter waited patiently till I had dismissed the Eng-
lish part of the congregation, and I then exhorted and
prayed with them in their own language. The good
influence resting on the whole assembly was indicated by
their seriousness and attention from first to last.
Towards midnight I left Poonamallee, and proceeded
about eighteen miles further, to Tripassoor, where I
arrived in the morning of the 4th. This is also a station
for the residence of European pensioners, who occupy
several lines of buildings within the Fort, now in ruins.
Fishing seems to be the favourite occupation of the
pensioners residing here, the immense tanks and lakes of
N 2
268 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
the surrounding country affording plenty of fish. The
exposure incurred in this pursuit has given to many of
the men an extraordinarily ruddy complexion, not con-
fined to the face only, and seeming to justify the appella-
tion of " red men," which the natives in some places
give to Europeans. I was met by three of them some
miles before I reached Tripassoor, so anxious were they
to show how much they valued the visit of a Christian
Minister. The round bungalow, erected on a bastion of
the Fort, for the accommodation of travellers, being occu-
pied by some who arrived before me, I took shelter
for the day in a choultry at a short distance, in the
coolest part of which the thermometer rose to 90. In
the evening I preached in the school-room, which was
well filled. After baptizing a child, and dismissing the
English congregation, I addressed in Tamul the few
natives who had assembled ; and afterwards went to the
house of one of the pensioners, to converse individually
with such as wished to become decidedly religious.
I then entered my palankeen, and travelled towards
Wallajahbad, which is nearly forty miles distant from
Tripassoor. The sun was hot the next day before we
reached Chellampatri Cotoor, a Teloogoo Romanist vil-
lage. In the first place which I entered, to seek shelter
from the heat, I was welcomed by some hundreds of fleas,
which covered my legs in an instant, and would soou
have covered me entirely, had I not hastened away. I
was kindly conducted by the inhabitants to a verandah in
the church-yard, where I soon became an object of curi-
osity and attention, and passed a pleasant and, I trust,
an useful day.
The Schoolmaster, a Romanist Brahman, and many
other sensible and inquiring men, conversed very freely
on religious subjects ; and gave me an opportunity of
^peaking plainly and closely, of recommending to them
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 269
the pure Gospel, and pointing out the folly and danger
of trusting in any thing for pardon and salvation, hesides
the blood of Christ our Saviour. The Brahman thank-
fully received a copy of the Gospels and Acts in Teloo-
goo ; to others I presented tracts.
On the morning of Saturday, the 6th, I arrived at
Wallajahbad, where the forenoon was occupied in waiting
on the families with whom I had been acquainted at pre-
vious visits ; in the afternoon I looked at a, piece of
ground which we thought eligible for the site of a chapel
and school-room ; in the evening I preached with much
liberty to a crowded congregation.
On Sunday, from half-past six till eight, I was employ-
ed in meeting part of the class ; at ten, I attended
divine service, conducted by the Chaplain, the Rev. Mr.
Boys; at one P.M. I met the remainder of the class;
most of the members of it were happy in the enjoyment
of the privileges connected with clear views of divine
mercy, and a personal reception of its blessings ; I then
addressed a congregation of natives, most of them camp-
followers, Protestants, Romanists, and Heathens, alto-
gether about fifty, who attentively heard the Gospel in
their own language. I was then just in time to hear the
Chaplain's afternoon sermon, which, like that of the fore-
noon, also contained sound doctrine, and was impressively
delivered. After dining with the Chaplain and his excel-
lent lady, I hastened, at seven in the evening, to the
meeting-room, which I found crowded inside, and sur-
rounded without at every opening where any thing could
be heard, and preached till the sound of drum and trum-
pet warned the military part of my congregation to
attend the roll-call.
After service, as I was speaking to the Leader about
erecting a room to serve as a chapel and native school, it
was mentioned by a person present, that the Collector
270 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
would probably give some assistance, by permitting trees
to be felled for the roof and other parts of the building ;
and he added that if no other place could be procured,
he would give part of his own garden to erect it upon.
Accordingly, on Monday morning, I went over to
Conjeveram, and mentioned to Mr. Maclean the object of
my visit. He exceeded my request by recommending a
larger and more substantial building than that I had
contemplated, and kindly engaged to supply all the mate-
rial, if we would find labourers. Encouraged by this
success, I returned to Wallajahbad, and waited on the
Commandant, who immediately offered to give any spot
of ground that might be most eligible. The following
day I measured the part I had selected, and received
a written grant of it to the Mission. I headed a paper
for subscriptions, to which about 45 was ultimately
subscribed, chiefly by the military officers and men sta-
tioned in Wallajahbad. The chapel was soon completed ;
and, though possessing no furniture besides an excellent
pulpit, the gift of a lady in Madras, and a few rude
benches, it is useful as a place of worship to the pious
Europeans or natives, occasionally forming part of the
fluctuating military population of Wallajahbad ; and is
often occupied by interesting and attentive congregations
at the quarterly visits paid to that place by our Mission-
aries in Madras.
In visiting the hospital, I found an encouraging in-
stance of the benefit resulting from our exertions. A
soldier, who lay to all appearance near death, but waiting
patiently for his change, in the blessed prospect of eter-
nal life, said that at my first visit to Wallajahbad he was
awakened to a sense of his sin and danger, and that at
the second visit he found peace to his troubled conscience
in receiving the sacrament. Whilst I was engaged with
this man, the Surgeon came in, and uncovered the face
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 271
of a man apparently dying, to whom he called my atten-
tion. He was a Romanist, who had before objected to
see me ; but was now willing. His prejudices seemed to
give way to a sense of his spiritual wants whilst I spoke
to him ; and he made no objections to being prayed with.
On Tuesday afternoon I again met the native congre-
gation, and recommended them to assemble regularly till
my return ; leaving them a few manuscript Tamul ser-
mons, to assist them in conducting their religious ser-
vices. During the whole of this visit I received many
kind attentions from the inhabitants of Wallajahbad of all
classes ; and though quite worn out by the active labours
required from me, I could not but rejoice in the full oppor-
tunities for useful exertion with which I had been favoured.
In the evening of Tuesday, the 9th, I quitted Walla-
jahbad. We rested in the open road for several hours in
the middle of the night ; and at ten the next morning
we arrived at a small village called Puthucheri, where
we took shelter from the sun, in a fine shady grove of
tamarind-trees. Here I passed the day in necessary rest,
conversing with any natives who came to see me. The
chief subject of their conversation was the dearness and
scarcity of rice, in consequence of the dryness of the
season ; a topic of mournful interest to them. For
though, in regular seasons, the poorer natives can by
their daily labour procure a comfortable sufficiency of
food, many of them were now suffering extreme priva-
tions ; and famine, which for some months after carried
off many thousands of them, had now begun to stare
them in the face. A tract which was received by one
visitant was afterwards found deposited on one of the
boxes near ; some unexpressed fear had deterred the man
from carrying it with him.
On our journey on Thursday morning, we passed
through a country beautifully varied by hill and dale.
272 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
The jungle of the uncultivated parts was of a rich
and bold character, having a considerable proportion of
lofty trees interspersed in it ; but the whole was equally
parched for want of rain ; and the crops had perished,
except here and there, on a low spot of ground watered
from a neighbouring tank or well. I rested for the day
at Wandewash, a Fort in ruins, about thirty miles from
Wallajahbad. This was formerly a place of great im-
portance, but is now entirely deserted. The bungalow
for travellers is built on the walls of the Fort, and com-
mands clear air and an extensive view, and is quite
retired. I passed the day in reading and revising some
Taniul composition. I set out early in the evening, and
distributed several tracts as I passed through the town.
At ten o'clock on the morning of the 1 2th, I rested in
the tamarind grove to the east of the northern hill of the
fortress of Ginjee, or, as the natives called it, Tchenjee.
During the heat of the day, I had the opportunity of con-
versing with a few natives. At four P.M. I went into the
fort ; the walls are several miles in extent, enclosing three
high hills, and three or four low ones, all strongly fortified
in the Hindoo manner, but entirely deserted. A mau, with
a sharp pruning-knife in his hand, went before me to clear
a path through the jungle, with which this once-busy spot
is now almost entirely overgrown : we were not without
apprehension of disturbing some serpents in our path. I
ascended a kind of tower of eight or ten stoiies, which I
thought of Moorish architecture ; and at the highest story
was surprised to find a contrivance for a continual supply
of water, by earthen pipes, communicating under ground
with a reservoir at the top of one of the hills, at a distance
of many hundred feet.
After visiting a large building, which my guides called
the granary, and another, which they said was the boxing-
court, I proposed ascending one of the hills, to see the
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 2/3
buildings at the top. My attendants wished me to attempt
the southern one ; but finding, on inquiry, that a chasm in
the rock, over which there was at present no bridge, would
interrupt us before we reached the summit, I decided on
the northern one, because it appeared most interesting and
easiest of ascent. Several persons who had accompanied
me thus far, refused to ascend the hill ; nor was I as-
tonished at this, when I had made the trial myself : I was
obliged to rest three times before I reached the top ; and
my head bearer, whom I had never known exhausted by
the longest march, complained of weariness and aching
legs.
The ascent is by steps, partly cut out in granite rock,
of which the hill consists, and partly built of the same
material. At the top I found temples and choultries, and
palaces and granary, all of elegant and durable structure :
the stones and rubbish about part of the foundation of
one of the temples, had been recently disturbed, probably
by some person in search of hidden treasure. There was
water in a reservoir which was said to be inexhaustible.
Whilst taking rest, and enjoying the extensive prospect
afforded from so elevated a spot, I inquired into the his-
tory of the Fort, and had a number of traditions recounted
to me, differing much, as might be expected, from the
written accounts we have of it. My guide said that it
was commenced and completed by one King, in whose
family it continued three generations only ; that the last
of the three, Derasingha Rajah, was besieged by the
Nabob of Arcot for some arrears of tribute, when the Fort
stood the siege as long as would be required for a tama-
rind-tree to be raised from the seed, come to perfection,
and bear fruit, a period of not less than twelve years.
At that time the Fort was throngly inhabited, and con-
tained twelve thousand houses ; but from what I observed,
I should suppose there is not a twelfth of that number at
N 5
274 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
present, in all the neighbourhood about Ginjee. The Fort
itself is entirely unoccupied, except by innumerable mon-
keys, of a very bold character, and which bound unmo-
lested from rock to rock.
The side of the hill was so steep, and many of the
granite steps so slippery, that before descending, it was
necessary to take off my boots, as a precautionary mea-
sure ; for one slip might have been fatal. It took us half
an hour to descend. On my way back I saw a good deal
of sculpture, highly finished in the Hindoo style ; an
immense smoothly-wrought slab of granite, probably in-
tended, like that in the Fort of Chunar, as a seat for the
tutelary deity of the place ; and a cylindrical roller of the
same stone. Many sculptured pillars and blocks were
lying near the gate, as though dragged there for the pur-
pose of removal, and seemed to me of the same descrip-
tion as those I have seen in Pondicherry, and which I
was told were brought from Ginjee when that place was
in the hands of the French.
Though I passed three hours within the walls of Ginjee,
I saw but a small part of it ; so many days would not
more than suffice to examine all that is worthy of attention.
It is, however, not very safe to linger about such places ;
fevers of the worst description are often taken, by breath-
ing the air of undisturbed jungles and uninhabited
buildings. I was much tired, and thought myself unwell
after my return : I soon retired into my palankeen under
the shade of the trees, with my mind filled with solemn
reflections, excited by the review of those silent and
stupendous monuments of the vanity and instability of
human power and greatness. It is scarcely possible
that the Christian, contemplating such a scene, should
not call to mind the words of Christ, " Heaven and
earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away ; "
and, " He that doeth the will of God shall abide for ever."
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 2/3
A large and well-executed oil-painting of the ruins of
Ginjee hangs in the staircase of the East India House,
in Leadenhall-street.
A run of about four hours, the following morn-
ing, brought me, about nine o'clock, to the village of
Anantapooram. It had a clean appearance, and the sur-
rounding fields and gardens seemed well cultivated. On
my arrival, my attention was attracted by the sound of
children repeating their lessons. I soon found my way
to the school, and had some conversation with the master
and others who came in. The curiosity of the people
seemed roused, and they kept me employed the whole
day, in reading and speaking to them : many listened
attentively to my detail of the main facts and doctrines
of the Gospel.
In the course of the forenoon, an old man, with a head
and beard of shaggy grey hair, brought me a present of
flowers and pomegranates ; the latter were of the best I
ever tasted. I followed him to his hut, in a garden,
whose produce, he said, was the whole subsistence of him-
self and family, except what he received as alms. I asked
why he did not shave ; he said, he had a vow upon him,
made in sickness, five years ago, to present the sum of
five pagodos, (about 1. 15*.,) if he recovered, to the
temple at Tripetti, which he had not been able to perform,
and until he had performed it, it was not lawful for him
to shave or dress his hair.* I endeavoured to persuade
him, that all the good he had ever received must have
proceeded from the one true God, the only proper object
of worship, who could not be pleased by any observances
which gave his honour to graven images.
I distributed several tracts in this place ; with the
Prayogithen, or astrologer of the village, I left a copy of
the Gospels and Acts, in Teloogoo, and with another
person, St. Matthew's Gospel, in Tamul.
Is not this illustrative of what is referred to in Acts xxi. 23 ?
276 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
In the evening we travelled on to Tricaloor, and found
a good bungalow, in which to pass the night, and to
enjoy the following day, which, being Sunday, I had
determined should be a day of rest from travelling both to
my bearers and myself.
In the morning of Sunday, the 14th, I rose refreshed,
and very thankful for all the mercies I had hitherto ex-
perienced on this journey. I walked out to look at the
temple, which is very large : on the whole, Tricaloor
seemed a place of more importance than I had imagined.
Several peons visited me : the head peon was very polite
and complimentary : he said, they expected the Padre's
(Missionary's) coming would give them some rain, of
which the country was so much in need ; there was,
indeed, more appearance of rain than there had been for
a considerable time.
At ten o'clock, I collected my bearers and others as a
congregation in the bungalow, and, though all heathens
except one, they were very attentive, as were also some
standers by, whilst I read and talked to them about an
hour. I could hardly help smiling at the humble, simple
look of the only native Christian in the company, when
he found he made himself the object of attention and
curiosity by repeating after me, aloud, the Confession and
the Lord's Prayer. The poor fellow could neither write nor
read, and from fear, I believe, of making mistakes, made
several.
A young native, of some literary acquirements, who at
Wallajahbad had prevailed on me to allow him to accom-
pany me as reader and amanuensis on this journey, after
considerable reading and conversation, this day expressed
his wish to become a Christian. I advised him to read
and pray, that he might obtain the necessary information
and decision of character, reminding him of the conse-
quences of taking the profession of Christianity. I was
not quite satisfied as to his motives and sincerity. He
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 2/7
travelled with me several weeks, and after I returned to
Madras, corresponded with me from Bangalore, where he
had procured a situation. I saw him last in Madras,
where he had some engagement in the college, hut still
remained an idolater : he is one of many instances in
which I declined administering the initiatory rite of bap-
tism to persons who wished to unite themselves with us,
lest their instability or insincerity should bring a disgrace
on the cause.
About noon, I was visited by Rohonautachariar, a young
Brahman of some respectability : he came on horseback,
and had a long-poled parasol of red silk, two or three
times as large as an umbrella, held over his head by an
attendant, who walked by the side of his horse. He pro-
fessed to be better acquainted with Sanscrit than with any
other language ; but received a tract in Teloogoo, and the
Gospel of St. Matthew, in Cannada. There was a degree
of honesty and candour in his countenance and bearing,
that quite attached me to him. After we had conversed
some time, he asked my opinion of idolatry, and listened
very attentively without attempting to controvert what I
advanced. He said he had never before been acquainted
with the nature of Christianity ; and, as he went away,
invited me to his house, saying, he would send me word
when he was at home, as he was now going about some
business which might detain him.
In about two hours he returned with two of his Brah-
man friends, one of them past middle age, of an honest,
open countenance ; the other was bold, quick, and very
disputatious. We had a long conversation on the nature
of God, of the soul, of true happiness, of heaven, of sin,
and of the torments of the damned. The young and
the old Brahman seemed pleased with my arguments ;
and if they said any thing, it was by way of inquiry ;
but the disputatious one kept up the argument as long as
2/8 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
he could with propriety. I found it of great advantage
not to allow him to wander from the point in dispute,
which the natives are very apt to do, and to remind him
of what he had himself admitted. At last he acknow-
ledged, that I was perfectly right ; and said, that the
same doctrines were to be found in some of their
Shastras, but that they contained opposite doctrines too,
which must also be received. I endeavoured to point
out the folly of embracing contradictions. I spoke of
the doctrine of atonement, and contrasted the powerless
and inefficient observances and ceremonies of the Hin-
doos, with the provisions of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
They were very attentive, and appeared struck with my
earnest and serious manner.
I then walked with them to their own village, about
two miles distant, and endeavoured, by the way, to apply
what they had heard and admitted to be reasonable and
good, and to show them the beauty and consistency of
truth. Their houses were very respectable brick build-
ings, with flat roofs; they had spacious verandahs in
front, where they received me, and where a considerable
crowd of men soon assembled: the women, and girls,
most of whom had probably never before seen an Euro-
pean, peeped out of the doors, or leaned and listened
from the house-tops. I proposed that we should read
and converse about aTeloogoo tract on "Regeneration :"
it was read, and entirely approved. Having been with
them about an hour, I prepared to leave them, but not
before I had reproved the gross flattery and impiety of
one of them, who, quite in consistence with their pan-
theistic notions, told me that I was the Supreme Being.
They would not let me depart without receiving a brasen
dish full of the betel leaf, and areka nut, which are
chewed by the natives, and which I handed to the bear-
ers who had followed me, and a quantity of native sweet-
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 2/9
meats, which were far from disagreeable. They gave me
a general invitation to come and see them whenever I
should again pass that way. Several of them accom-
panied me out of their village, and I did not leave them
before I had exhorted them to forsake their lying vani-
ties, and turn to that one true God whom they had now
in words acknowledged.
What a blow would it be to Heathenism, if the popu-
lation of a Brahman village like this should be converted
to the faith of Christ ! But how hardly can this be ?
Their pride of caste forbids it. Those who embraced
Christianity would be discarded by their friends and fami-
lies ; and, as their present income is derived from houses
and lands given to them in consideration of their per-
forming certain duties in connexion with idolatry, if they
forsook the one, they must lose the other, and most
probably be reduced to poverty and want. However, I
could not but hope, that the information and books I
had given them would lead to inquiries and discussions
that would not be without their use.
On Monday morning we travelled on to Pillirombatti,
through a country for the most part uncultivated, and
covered with wild and luxuriant jungle. The greater
part of that which was cleared for cultivation, and which
this month should have been covered with a crop ready
for the sickle, was neither ploughed nor sown, in conse-
quence of the long-continued drought, and did not even
yield a sufficiency of grass for the cattle, which were
driven about in large herds to great distances in quest of
pasture. The people of a village where we stopped a
few minutes to procure a guide, were loud in their com-
plaints on this subject. I told them it seemed to me,
that God was entering into judgment with the inhabit-
ants of this country for their impiety and idolatry, and
that the present distress was a call on them to repent.
280 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
I had not been long in Piilirombatti before a consider-
able number of people came round me. I addressed
myself to one man particularly, who appeared the most
attentive, whilst the rest listened to our conversation. I
was thus employed two or three hours in reading and
speaking ; and, judging from their countenances, could
not. help thinking, that a lasting impression had been
made on the minds of some of them. As I passed along
the road in the evening, two men looked earnestly, and
followed after me. I called them, and gave each of
them a tract, and a few words of advice, which they
received with great respect.
At seven P.M. my palankeen was put down in the
open street of a village called Palacheri, where I was
soon visited by a number of people, who seemed to have
no object but to satisfy their curiosity by gazing on me.
I spoke to them, but it seemed in vain ; either they did
not comprehend what I said, or were stupidly indifferent
to it. At length I was visited by a Brahman, who
entered freely into conversation on religion. Several
others made their appearance, and seated themselves in
the verandah of the house opposite to which my palan-
keen was standing, and the street now became thronged
with attentive listeners.
Having brought them to acknowledge the necessity of
an atonement of infinite value in order to the reconcili-
ation of sinful man to God, and perceiving I had gained
their serious attention, I preached the Gospel to them
with as much feeling as I ever had in addressing any
audience : their inquiries showed how much they were
interested and impressed by what they heard. I endea-
voured to display to them the deformity and sin of
idolatry ; and they heard with the countenances of men
who assented to the truth. They begged I would give
them books, that they might keep these tilings in
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 281
remembrance. " But," they said, " what can we do if
you do not come again for twelve months, or even for
six months?" I told them, that if they were truly
desirous to know more of these things, I would visit
them again, and pass a few days among them ; they
said, " Come, and we will prepare a place for you, in
which the people may assemble together to hear."
Although I had now been engaged with them three
hours, I hardly knew how to send them away ; but
refreshment and sleep were necessary to fit me for my
journey the following morning. I therefore dismissed
them with a prayer, that God would show to them, and
incline them to walk in, the right way.
Notwithstanding my wish again to visit this people,
and redeem my promise to them, our deficiency of
strength in Madras and its neighbourhood never per-
mitted me to do so ; nor, as far as I have heard, has any
Missionary since visited them. Nor, indeed, except the
number of stations and labourers be considerably
increased, is it probable that many of those to whom I
preached the Gospel on this journey, will ever hear it
again ; for, including the Missionaries of all Societies
labouring among the Tamul people, there is, on an
average, only one Missionary to about a million of souls.
Wherever we turn, we find towns and villages in which
the Gospel was never preached, and thousands of sinful,
but immortal, beings who never heard so much as the
name of the only Saviour of sinful man.
For the succeeding three days I travelled slowly by
way of Calcourchy, Chinna Salem, Tallivashell, Autoor,
and Pootrampollium, employing myself in the manner
already described, conversing with all who would con-
verse with me, and leaving tracts in the hands of such as
could read them, and were desirous of having a succinct
statement of the important doctrines and facts brought
282 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
to their notice. Complaints of poverty and distress in
consequence of the drought were made to me in almost
every place ; the whole of what is considered the wet
season, from October 15th to December 15th, having
passed away without a single shower of rain.
On December 19th, I arrived at Salem, having been
seventeen days from Madras, during which I had not
travelled, on an average, more than fifteen miles per
day.
Mr. Cockburn received me in a friendly manner, and
had the kindness to offer me the use of a bungalow on
the Sheravaraya hills, for any length of time I might
choose to remain there. In the evening he took me out
to see a few tumuli, (of the hundreds there are in that
neighbourhood,) which he had dh'ected to be opened.
They were each found to contain a large earthen jar, or
rather globular vessel, generally filled with dust ; but, in
one instance which I saw, bones were found also, estab-
lishing the fact, that these tumuli were graves, perhaps
for the ashes remaining after the body had been con-
sumed by fire, the usual mode among the Hindoos of
disposing of their dead. If the bodies were buried
entire, it must (from the size and form of the receptacle)
have been in a sitting posture, with the knees bent close
to the person. None of the sects of the Hindoos inter
in this manner at the present day. The natives who
attended us knew, from common report, that these
tumuli were graves, but had no information as to what
nation or class of people they were who had practised
tliis method of interment.
On the morning of the 20th, I proceeded to the foot
of the Sheravaraya hills, about two hours' run from
Salem; and at eight A.M. began to ascend on foot, by
a steep and rugged path, which required care and
exertion at every step. Much of the road was zigzag,
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 283
and sometimes circuitous ; the whole, however imperfect,
had been made by great labour ; some skill also had been
used to make the ascent as easy as possible. The sun
was burning hot, and would have rendered the toil too
great for me, had it not been for the almost continual
shade afforded by the trees and bamboos which flourish
on the sides of the hills. The notes of the jungle fowl,
(which, in appearance, are so like our domestic poultry,
that when I saw them, I thought some traveller had lost
his live stock,) the antics of the monkeys, and the widen-
ing prospect which I sometimes turned about to enjoy,
combined, in some measure, to beguile the way, but
could not persuade me it was either short or easy.
I met several of the mountaineers, whose appearance
and manners verified the description given of them.
They were robust, good-looking men ; each of them, in
addition to their cotton dresses, carrying a long, thick,
woollen cloth or camblet, a covering which their climate
renders necessary. They seemed of a taciturn disposi-
tion, and answered my questions in as few words as pos-
sible, without showing any desire of holding further
communication. They spoke Tamul in a manner rather
different from the people of the low country, but quite
intelligibly ; and it was evident that they understood
what I addressed to them.
After a walk of about three hours, we stood at the top
of the pass. From the moment I reached this point,
which was said to be an elevation of about five thousand
feet, the weariness I had felt in the ascent was entirely
dispelled by the bracing effect of the clear atmosphere,
between twenty and thirty degrees colder than that of
the valley ; and I was delighted with the varied and
extensive prospect commanded by such an elevation.
When I reached the bungalow, it wanted about half an
hour to noon. My thermometer packed in my box, still
284 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
stood at 83 ; but, exposed to the open air, fell immedi-
ately to 68.
Most of the houses or huts erected on these hills, for
the accommodation of those who occasionally visited them,
were constructed of the rough stones which lie scattered
on every hand, but which, from want of roads and skilful
workmen, cannot be gathered and piled on each other, to
form a building, however rude, without considerable
trouble and expense. That erected by Mr. Cockburn, for
himself and family, was of squared trunks of trees, fixed
perpendicularly side by side into the ground, to form the
walls, and roofed by tiles, brought up the hills with im-
mense labour. The bungalow I occupied for a few days,
was about thirty feet in length and sixteen in breadth,
constructed chiefly of bamboos : mats of split bamboo
formed the walls ; the upright stakes of bamboo to which
they were fastened, supported the roof, which also was
framed of bamboo rafters, and cross pieces, and thatched
with long grass.
During the night, I was awoke several times by the
cold ; all the clothes and covering I had being insufficient
against the wind, which pierced through every crevice.
When I arose, the thermometer which was hanging near
me stood at ,54, a low temperature for 12 degrees north
of the Equator ; and I found it necessary to move about
quickly to maintain any degree of warmth. My walks in
the course of the day introduced me to many beautiful
spots ; the whole country is very romantic ; in the valleys
the soil is rich and deep, producing wheat and other spe-
cies of grain ; and in the gardens, planted by Mr. Cock-
burn and others, English vegetables, of every description,
were cultivated with success ; most of the hills are rugged
and rocky, but covered to the top with trees, among which
the cedar is said not to be uncommon.
The mistrustful policy of the natives has led them to
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 285
forsake their villages in the immediate neighbourhood of
the situation chosen by Europeans : there are no traces to
be found of one large village, described by a gentleman
who pitched his tent near it in traversing these hills some
time ago. The hill country is, I understand, twenty or
thirty miles in length, and five or more in breadth. My
native informants said, that these hills were governed by
three different chiefs, each of whom had his village, and
separate district ; that there are no Brahmans among them ;
that none of them are able to read, and that their chiefs
decide all their disputes ; so that there had not yet been
an instance of their bringing any cause into the English
courts.
One of the mountaineers I conversed with this day was
more than ordinarily communicative ; he admitted their
general ignorance, and seemed pleased when I spoke of
schools for the instruction of their children. A Christian,
servant to one of the gentlemen, overheard our conversa-
tion, and, when I left him, took up the subject ; the man
replied, " The gentleman speaks very kindly ; but does he
not wish to instruct us, that he may ship us off to his own
country?"
On my way home in the evening, curiosity brought a
number of them about me, and kept them attentive, while
I called them to forsake their idolatry, and accept the offers
of divine mercy, by faith in the only Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
On the 22d, 1 was kept within doors great part of the
day, by the state of the atmosphere : a dense cloud rested
on the hills, which would have speedily wet me to the
skin, had I ventured out ; and would not have allowed me
to find my way to any certain point, by the devious foot-
paths of the jungles and mountain sides.
Meantime, I found it necessary to send one of my
bearers every day to Salem, a run of four hours, to
286 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
bring -what I required for daily consumption : nothing
but milk and honey being to be purchased on the hills ;
bread, rice, fowls, mutton, and even the ingredients for
curry, had all to be brought from that distance. No wine
or spirits could be procured even in Salem ; and, as I
found my store too low to last me to Seringapatam, I was
under the necessity of dispatching another of my men to
Trichinopoly, which, though almost ninety miles distant,
was the nearest place at which a supply of these articles
could be had.
At sunrise, on the morning of the following day, I set
out with one of my bearers to visit Tulasiwillie, (the
Sweet-Marjoram Village,) the nearest principal village of
the mountaineers. We walked a considerable distance
without meeting any one : the first person we met, told us
we were in the wrong path, and, after some intreaty, and
the promise of a reward, reluctantly undertook to conduct
us. He took us up the mountains and down the valleys,
by a rugged and narrow path, impassable to any but per-
sons on foot, and admitting only one abreast, through a
romantic country, the lower grounds of which were here
and there beautifully cultivated, the fields manured, and
the furrows deeper than those I had generally observed in
the ploughed fields of other parts of the country ; the
hills and higher grounds were uncleared, and covered with
trees and thick underwood. When we approached the
village, my guide was very unwilling to proceed ; we came
upon it alljat once, its situation being so sheltered as to
conceal it from the view on whatever side it may be ap-
proached.
I sent my unwilling guide to present my respects to the
Gavunden, or chief, and to say I wished some conversation
with him ; meantime I observed that the village was very
still ; not a sound proceeded from it. It consisted of about
thirty houses, all constructed in the same manner ; they
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 287
were of a circular form, made chiefly of split bamboo, in-
terwoven with upright stakes fixed into the ground : these
wicker walls are plastered with mud in the inside, so as to
exclude the wind ; and, with the roof, which is a thatch
of strong grass continued almost to the ground, form a
habitation that keeps out the weather, and has consider-
able appearance of neatness and comfort ; the whole was
much superior to many of the villages of the plains.
My guide returned with the intelligence, that ah 1 the men
of the village were absent on a hunting excursion, and no
one knew when they would return. Elks, stags, bears,
and other wild animals abounding on these hills, were, I
suppose, the objects of their pursuit. I was told that ten
or fifteen miles further at Palacadu, was another large
village ; but my guide refusing to accompany me, and as I
doubted the possibility of finding my way through such an
extent of wilderness, I returned to the bungalow about
mid- day.
Soon after two o'clock, I set out to see the temple of
Sheravaraya. A walk of about an hour and a half brought
us to the foot of the hill, whose summit is the highest
point of land in the whole range.
A good part of the way up, we had to push through the
bushes, as there was no path ; the whole was so steep and
rugged, that my guide, one of the mountaineers, turned
about and complained that he was tired, whilst the bearer
who accompanied me was left behind, at a considerable
distance. At length we gained the summit, and found an
extensive piece of table-land, on which there were very
recent marks of bears, probably the long-snouted ant bear,
from the holes they had dug in the earth. There were
also, on the summit of the hill, two cars of simple con-
struction, to be borne on the shoulders of men at their
idolatrous festivals.
I returned a little way down the hill, by a paved road
288 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
of large rough stones, to the entrance of the temple. The
temple is nothing more than a dark cave in the side of the
mountain ; the entrance to it six or eight feet wide, and
four feet in height ; surrounded by a thicket, and a few
huts or sheds, entirely without inhabitant. I was told I
could not enter the cave without giving great offence, and
was therefore not able to ascertain its extent ; but, looking
into it, I could see a few small stone figures of bulls ; and,
besides some other idols in the usual style of Hindoo
workmanship, at the extremity of the visible recess, an
image of Vikkinespuren, the god of accidents and hinder-
ances. As there are no Brahmans among this people, they
themselves perform their own religious ceremonies, which
are probably very few. The place had about it an air of
solemnity and mystery, calculated to impress the minds
of a simple and superstitious people.
The first village we passed on our return was perfectly
deserted ; our guide said that the people were gone to
their work : the next village had some inhabitants ; one
man, at the request of my bearer, ran up into a tree to
gather a few wild oranges for me, which he did with asto-
nishing agility, stepping from one branch to another with
as little difficulty as if he were walking on the ground.
The women and children kept at a distance, except one
woman who brought a quantity of milk for me, in a mea-
sure formed by part of a joint of the bamboo : not wishing
to defile the vessel in her estimation, by drinking from it,
I put my hands together to form a channel to my mouth,
in the manner customary with the natives, whilst one of
the men poured out for me to drink. I had soon drunk
enough ; but both hands and mouth being occupied, I had
no means of expressing myself, and was obliged to con-
tinue drinking till I had finished the whole.
My guide now hastened us onwards, as the day was
fast declining ; he took us by a better road than that we
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 289
had before walked over, and brought us home just at
dark, when I was thoroughly tired by my day's journey-
ings. Though the direct rays of the sun had been hot,
the continuation of a cool breeze throughout the day had
enabled me to take the longest ramble on foot I had
enjoyed since leaving England.
On my return, I found a letter from Madras waiting for
me at the bungalow. It had been forwarded from Salem ;
to which place, as to every station occupied by Europeans,
there is an established post. The mail-bags are carried by
men, who run singly from stage to stage about ten or
fourteen miles each, having no other weapon for defence
than a staff, with a few links of iron chain at the upper
end, whose sound, they say, frightens serpents out of
their path : at night they frequently carry a lighted faggot
of eight or ten feet in length, whose blaze enables them
to choose their way. Nothing was more common, in
whatever direction I traversed the country, than day and
night to be passed or met by these posts at full trot, who,
in the south of India, are usually called TappMs ; in the
north they are called Dawks. These mails, at an average,
are carried about a hundred miles in twenty-four hours ;
and the letters are charged about four anas, or sixpence,
for every hundred miles.
Parcels of small weight are forwarded to the principal
stations by the same sort of conveyance, but not quite so
quickly : the post for the conveyance of parcels is called
the Banghy ; the expense is regulated by the weight and
distance.
On the following day, I had an opportunity of speaking
to several persons on divine things ; and in the evening
I read the Scriptures, and prayed with the natives about
me.
On the 25th, being Christmas-day, I held service twice
in the bungalow, with my own attendants, and such
o
290 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
strangers as we could prevail upon to attend : they were
very attentive to what they heard. I was much pleased
by a visit from two Heathens, in the service of a gentleman
then visiting the hills. One of them had been for some
time inclined to Christianity, but had wavered between
Popery and Protestantism ; the other had been awakened
to a sense of the sin and folly of idolatry, by a tract I
had presented to his fellow-servant, when he had before
come to me for conversation and advice. Both desired
baptism ; but as my acquaintance with them had been
short, and as I understood they were going to Madras, I
gave them a letter of introduction to our Missionary
' there, hoping that, on trial, they would be found suitable
candidates for that sacred rite.
In my evening walk I met a poor native, whom I
discovered by his conversation to be a Romanist : he had
been baptized about twelve months. He proved deplor-
ably ignorant ; but, appearing sincere and teachable, I sat
down and gave him some instruction as to the'nature and
intention of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whose
church he wished to belong. He heard very thankfully
what I said ; and seemed to want words to express his
obligation to me, when I had knelt down and prayed with
him and his companion, who, being a Heathen, had now
probably for the first time bowed his knees to worship
the true and living God. Returning home, I passed a
company warming themselves at a tile-kiln. I asked
them if any man could endure the fire even for one day ;
and, by the terrors of the Lord, endeavoured to induce
them to quit their idolatry, and turn to the only true
God.
I walked out again to Tulasiwillie, in the afternoon of
the 27th. The Chief was not at home ; but a party of
the people were working in the threshing-floor, with
whom I had a long conversation. I proposed establish-
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 291
ing a school for the instruction of their children ; but
they said it was not necessary, for neither they nor their
forefathers had ever learned to read. They were atten-
tive to what I said to them ahout God ; and especially
with regard to the present drought and scarcity, as being
under the direction of his providence, and a token of his
righteous displeasure towards a guilty people, who re-
fused to acknowledge and to serve him. I spoke also of
sin and its deserts, of heaven and of the only way to it ;
but they seemed to have sat down contented in the dark
valley of the shadow of death. Yet I rejoiced in the
hope, that one day, even here, Christ shall be known,
and his name loved and revered.
My bearer was now returned from Trichinopoly with
stores for the journey. In the night, hearing loud sing-
ing in the shed where my people slept and ate, and kept
a large fire to warm themselves, I walked out to see who
was indulging in such vociferation ; and found it was the
bearer, who, though but just returned from so long and
hasty a journey, was treating his companions by reciting
a poem which took him two or three hours. He had
bared himself to the waist ; and, seated before the fire on
the ground, moved his body backwards and forwards, as
if to keep time, intent on nothing but the subject of his
song. In answer to my inquiries afterwards, he said he
could not read, bat had learned that long poem by
having had it recited to him. Its subject was one of the
Hindoo mythological romances.
On the 28th I again visited the Roman Catholic and
the Heathen I had seen a few days before ; and invited
them and some others to assemble for divine worship in
the evening. In consequence, I had a good congrega-
tion, who heard me read and speak with considerable
attention. I thus took leave of the natives of these hills,
leaving behind me a few tracts and a Gospel in Tamul ;
o 2
292 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
hoping that my residence there of eight days had not
been without its use, and that some correct knowledge of
Christ, however faint, had been introduced among them.
May it prove to them the savour of life unto life !
About seven o'clock on the following morning we
began to descend from the hills of Sheravaraya. When
I set out, my face was blue with cold ; but a walk of two
hours brought me to the valley, where the thermometer
stood at 84 in the shade. On the top of the pass I
met the Collector, Mr. Cockburn, coming from Salem ;
whence he had been driven by indisposition to seek the
cooler atmosphere of the hills. He had ascended on
horseback, without having had to alight very frequently,
being mounted on a Pindaree pony, an animal accustomed
to climbing.
My people being too much tired by descending the hill,
to allow them to set out immediately on our proposed
journey to Mysore and Seringapatam, I passed the
remainder of that and the whole of the following day with
the gentlemen of Salem. A man with whom I had met
and conversed in coming down the hill waited on me for
further conversation, and to receive the Gospel and tracts
I had promised him. The words of eternal life are thus
scattered abroad among the Heathen, with the hope that
they may not be entirely without special and lasting
effect.
On the 31st of December I quitted Salem, and rested
for some hours in the middle of the day in a village,
where the people continued to loiter about me, but
would not give their constant and serious attention to
what I had to say. Amongst them was a begging Pan-
daram, or religious mendicant, fantastically dressed and
ornamented, carrying, as is the custom with some of
them, a round plate of metal, which, struck by a stick,
served as an accompaniment to his singing, and gave
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 293
notice of his approach to those who were charitably
disposed. He asked me some questions, which fully
elicited his ignorance ; and was so serious in listening to
what I said, as to give me hope that some impression
had been made on him. When I paused, however, he
commenced striking his substitute for a bell, and singing
aloud. I desired him to desist ; he begged me to give
him alms of cloth or money ; and appeared astonished
when I told him it would not be charity, but sin, to give
him either the one or the other. An explanation of my
meaning led me to expose his character as an useless
member of society, and a professed beggar, in such a
manner as to increase his embarrassment, and make
many of the people laugh aloud, an evidence that they
were not very bigoted. He asked what he must do, if
he gave up this way of life ; his question was easily
answered by asking in return, "What do others do?"
He persisted in his request till I dismissed him with a
peremptory refusal ; recommending him to prefer the
welfare of his soul to the idle ease of his vagabond mode
of life.
Some Brahmans came, who said they had heard of me
at a distance, as conversing with the people and distri-
buting books. I gratified them by letting them hear for
themselves, and giving them a few tracts.
Though the last day in the year, and at a season which
is accounted comparatively cool, the thermometer stood
at 90 in the shade. The drought seemed general
throughout the country. I passed several extensive
groves of fine palmira-trees ; and was now and then
delighted with a green paddy-field, or a garden watered
from wells ; giving the eye some relief from the barren
glare and dreariness of the country at large.
On the morning of the 1st of January, 1824, I arrived
at Sankerrydroog ; a place whose rocky hill and almost
294 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
inaccessible fortress made it of importance during the
time of war, but, in the present peaceful state of the
country, entirely useless and forsaken.
The bungalow for the accommodation of travellers
being in a retired situation, I passed the day in the study
of Teloogoo.
In the evening I walked to the Pettah, a mean-looking
village. Seeing a small Roman Catholic church, I went
towards it ; and was observed by a man, who ran round
and opened the door for me to enter. It presented
nothing more than the paltry ornaments usually found in
small native churches. I asked the man if there were
any Christians in this place ; " Yes," he replied ; " I am
a Christian, and the Minister of this church." I told
him, I must doubt his veracity both as to the one and
the other. He seemed astonished ; but I explained my
meaning by asking him what was indicated by the mark
he wore on his forehead, a mark confessedly heathen in
its origin, and designating the wearer as belonging to one
or other of the idolatrous sects of the Hindoos. These
marks are considered part of the full dress of a Hindoo ;
and, though belonging to heathen idolatry, are worn by
many who, though Christians in name, are more anxious
to maintain their caste and respectability, than their con-
sistency as professed followers of Christ. I have seen so
many Roman Catholics wearing these marks, that I am
doubtful whether their Priests have ever required them to
lay them aside.
This Catechist, or Teacher, finding I would not con-
sider him a Christian so long as he wore that mark,
acknowledged that he was wrong ; and, taking a corner
of his cloth, wiped it from his forehead, saying he would
never wear it again. We entered into conversation ; and
I found him amazingly ignorant of even the first princi-
ples of Christianity. The qualifications necessary to a
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 295
Teacher of religion seemed never to have occurred to his
mind ; the only reason he could give for filling that
office was, that his father had filled it during his life, and
that it had fallen to him by way of inheritance.
He followed me to the bungalow, and continued with
me till late at night. I presented him with a Gospel in
Tamul, solemnly charging him to read it as the word of
God ; and a tract exposing the image-worship of the
church of Rome.
Much reliance is not to be placed on the assent or ap-
proval of a native, expressed in conversation : their notions
of politeness often deterring them from fully expressing
their real sentiments : however, I could not but hope that
whatever effect my conversation with this man might have
produced, the perusal of the word of God would be
blessed to the enlightening of his understanding, and the
amendment of his heart.
I felt that the indulgence of hopes like this was neces-
sary to reconcile me to my present circumstances. Whilst
I wandered a solitary stranger in a heathen wilderness,
weighed down with a sense of my unworthiness ; whilst
I bore and scattered around the precious seed of God's
holy word ; I remembered my native land, and its rich
privileges ; and could not but long after the opportunities
enjoyed by my brethren, even in Madras, of assembling
with the pious people of their charge, and recounting
together the mercies of the past year, with united
prayers and determinations for increased faithfulness and
zeal in the year now commenced. I was encouraged by
remembering that, though absent from them, I should
not be forgotten in their addresses to the throne of
grace ; and that in thousands of assemblies in my native
country, the cause in which I was engaged would, on these
days, be pleaded with faithful and persevering prayer.
On the morning of the 2d of January, I travelled for
296 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
some hours along a road which, like the country around,
appeared entirely of a kind of alabaster rock, barren,
rugged, and sharp. I observed two of my men, laden
with books and other luggage, quite barefooted, after
having been three hours on the march on this rough and
pointed road, sportfully running a race with their burdens
on their heads ; strongly illustrating how custom inures
the human frame to what at first sight would be considered
next to impossible.
We rested for the day in an excellent bungalow in
Bhawani, a village delightfully situated on the junction of
the river Bhawani with the Cauvery. It contains some
considerable temples, and the inhabitants appeared wealthy
and respectable. The soil of the neighbourhood is good ;
and, notwithstanding the dry season, the vegetation was
very beautiful.
Soon after my arrival, I was visited by some of the chief
officers of the temple, attended by music, and about twenty
dancing- women. I received their compliments, and wished
to dismiss them ; but they were unwilling to go, without
having performed for me. I assured them I could not enjoy
their performance, and did not approve of their mode of
life ; that my business was to recommend men to turn
from their idolatry, of which this was a part, and worship
the only one God in spirit and in truth.
They went away, I suppose to some service in the tem-
ple, and returned in about an hour, crowding into the
room where I was writing : they behaved respectfully, but
were very inquisitive about my watch, and compass, and
thermometer, which were lying on the table. I answered
some of their inquiries, talked to them on religious sub-
jects ; and finding that some of the women also could
read, having been taught for the purpose of learning the
songs used in the service of the temple, I gave them a
few tracts, and sent them away.
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 297
In the afternoon, I was visited by one of the principal
officers of the temple. He acquiesced in what I advanced
on the subject of religion, and observed that it was said,
that one day all the world would be of the same faith. I
told him that this was a subject of inspired prophecy, and
that we were expecting its accomplishment. He men-
tioned the tracts I had given to the dancing-women, and
afforded me an opportunity of explaining the subject of
them, and the intention of their distribution : I con-
cluded by presenting to him a Gospel in Tamul. I
now set out to continue my journey, and finding some
persons waiting outside, distributed a few tracts amongst
them.
A journey of about six miles in the evening brought us
to Tarepollium, a poor village, with nothing to invite the
traveller's stay, except a shed in which his people may rest
for the night. Seeing some holes in the ground, I in-
quired the occasion of them, and was told that the people
had been hunting rats, which they make an article of
food. I asked one of the villagers what religion they
were of; he answered that they had no religion, and that
none of them were able to read : he excused himself from
calling his neighbours to hear what I had to say, thoiigh
he had himself listened attentively to what I said on the
will of God as to the eternal salvation of man, and the
love he had displayed in the gift of his Son Jesus Christ.
In this remote district of Coimbatoor, the influence of
the Brahmanical system seems less general than it is to
the north and east ; and among the thousands of its in-
habitants, there are great numbers who, in receiving Chris-
tianity, would have less falsehood to unlearn, and fewer
prejudices to overcome, than those of their more educated
and polished countrymen. But no Mission has yet been
established among them.
On the morning of the 3d, I travelled about five hours
o 5
298 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
through a well-cultivated and fruitful country. We
rested at Gopaulchittypollium, a large and respectable
village. A number of Brahmans and others came round
me ; and for two hours I endeavoured to deliver my soul,
by faithfully instructing and warning them. One of them
said, he would take the tract I gave him to his superiors,
to consult with them on the subject.
It was near midnight when we reached Sattimungulum,
where I had determined to rest the whole of the following
day. My bearers, aware of my practice of resting on the
Lord's day, made an extra effort to reach this populous
neighbourhood, where they knew there was a good bunga-
low, and they should find comfortable accommodations for
themselves.
I rose before sunrise on Sunday, the 4th, and had a
delicious and refreshing bathe in the river, which I en-
joyed, unconscious of any danger. In the course of the
day, however, I was warned not to bathe in the river,
because it is infested with alligators : if there were any,
I escaped their notice.
Never did I feel a greater horror of Heathenism than
was produced in my mind on this morning, by an examin-
ation of the idol-car belonging to the temple of Sattimun-
gulum : as such cars generally are, it was covered with
carved figures, representing different characters and
actions, not only highly indecent, but so monstrously
abominable, that they could not, I conceive, be imagined
even by any whe are unacquainted with the mysteries of
iniquity, unfolded by the mythology and rites of the
Hindoo superstition.
On my return to the bungalow, I sent a messenger
into the streets, to distribute a few tracts, and recom-
mend them to the perusal of the people, and to invite
them to come and converse with me on the subjects they
referred to.
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 299
I soon had a return to this invitation, in a visit from
some Brahmans and others, to whom I opened my com-
mission. The obligations of man to God, the divine per-
fections, particularly that of holiness, the great evil of
sin, the inefficiency of any good works or of ceremonies
to remove its guilt, the necessity of an atonement of
infinite value, the mercy of God displayed in providing
such an atonement in Jesus Christ, the difference between
Christianity and Heathenism in their nature and effects,
and the present and eternal advantages resulting from a
sincere acceptance of the Gospel, were the topics of my
discourse. They heard attentively; and the answers I
made to some objections advanced by them, would serve
to impress these important subjects more deeply on their
minds. I felt thankful that I was not ashamed of the
Gospel of Christ, from a conviction that, when fairly
stated, it would commend itself to every man's conscience
in the sight of God.
The neighbourhood of Sattimungulum is infested with
tigers : the natives pointed out to me a small cave on the
opposite bank of the river, that had been the haunt of a
very fierce one, which had been shot not long before by
an English gentleman. It was reported that one had
carried off a man that day at noon, at a distance of only
six miles from Sattimungulum, and on the road I had to
travel the next day ; another person had been seized and
carried off, it was supposed by the same tiger, but a few
days previous.
On Monday, the 5th, I did not succeed in getting my
bearers to set out till after sunrise ; such was their dread
of tigers and wild elephants, which abound a little further
on the road I had to travel, that, till I reached Mysore,
they would not travel except in open day.
We rested during the hottest part of the day, under
the shade of luxuriant trees and jungle, on the banks of
300 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
the Bhawani. The thermometer stood at 89 in the
shade.
On the morning of the 6th, we were four hours in
ascending the romantic mountain-pass of Gujlehutty, the
road being steep and difficult, though much labour and
skill had been used to clear and level the path, to make it
as easy as possible. I was told that a gentleman ascending
this pass with a fowling-piece, and followed by a native
servant, was met near the top by an enormous tiger,
which he was fortunate enough to shoot dead, in the act
of crouching to spring upon him ; but when he turned to
his servant, he found that by excess of terror the poor
fellow's reason was irrecoverably fled ; and that he still
continues in the neighbourhood in the same state, subsist-
ing on a pension settled on him by his master.
At the top of the pass, I was surprised to see an
English burial-ground, containing tombs, and a consider-
able number of graves ; and was informed that it was the
place of interment of the English officers and pioneers,
who had died whilst employed in the unhealthy task of
clearing away the jungle, and constructing the road up
the pass.
My day's rest in the bungalow at the top of Gujlehutty,
was the more delightful from the lower temperature of the
atmosphere, when compared with that of the plains below :
the thermometer fell to 73 in the shade.
For more than an hour the following morning, we
travelled over beautiful table land, a good part of it culti-
vated, and the rest appearing well worthy of the labour
of cultivation : I thought it one of the most delightful
spots I had seen in the interior of India. We then stood
on the edge of the hill, from whence to the north we had
an extensive view of the country of Mysore, on which we
were now entering. We travelled till noon, when we
reached the village of Ardanhully, the frontier village of
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 301
the territories of the Rajah of Mysore. The most suitable
place I could find wherein to take shelter from the sun,
was a small mandabam, or open platform, covered by a
roof supported by four stone pillars. Here I had several
visitants, and endeavoured to improve the opportunity
by conversing with them on the usual topics. Thermo-
meter 76.
The following day I rested under the shade of trees, on
the border of a large tank, in the village of Coinoor : the
water of the tank was nearly exhausted ; what remained
was dreadfully filthy, but was yet drunk by the cattle and
the poor thirsty sheep and goats, and carried away in
pots apparently for culinary purposes, by the women of
the village.
At night I slept at Nanjungode, and on the morning of
the 9th, arriving at Mysore, found at the Residency the
usual kindness of reception, and the rest and refresh-
ment I required, after the exposure and privations of the
journey of the preceding nine days.
On Sunday, the llth, I preached twice in English, in
the house of one of the servants of the Rajah, to an
attentive congregation of Indo-Britons and others.
The next day I was desired to visit a sick man, and
found, under the influence of a wasting fever, a Fran-
ciscan Friar, a Portuguese native of Goa. He told me
that in the course of his journeys through the country,
he had visited Chittoor : there he had been presented
with a New Testament in Portuguese, by one of the ser-
vants of Mr. D'Acre, who at the same time pointed out
to him the errors of Popery. The things he had heard
and read so impressed his mind, that when he returned
to TeUicherry, he publicly renounced Romanism, and
attended the Protestant church. He was now on his
way to Madras, in the hope of being received into the
service of one of the Missions established there ; but,
302 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
having fallen sick by the way, and all his money being
expended, he had sent for me, hoping I would render
him some encouragement and assistance.
The frankness of his manner, and the corroborating
testimony of several persons who had known him in his
ecclesiastical character when he formerly passed through
Mysore, left no room for doubt as to the truth of his
story ; and I cheerfully engaged to assist him on his
journey to Madras, leaving him at liberty on his arrival
there to follow his own plans.
In the house of a medical man in the service of the
Rajah, a child was shown to me perfectly fair, with light
hair and eye-brows, and a tinge of pink in the eyes : he
was the son of native parents of dark complexion, who
had other children, and, esteeming it a misfortune to have
a child of this description in their family, had given it to
the Doctor to bring it up as he pleased. The facts were
so well attested, that I could not doubt their correctness.
It is a rare circumstance ; but, I was told, not a solitary
one : the colour of the hair and eye-brows clearly distin-
guish such children from the offspring of Europeans by
Hindoo females.
On Tuesday I went over to Seringapatam, and, on
that evening and the following, had very attentive Tamul
congregations ; several of the heathen inhabitants
having assembled with those professing Christianity from
curiosity to hear an Englishman preach in their lan-
guage.
Returning to Mysore on the morning of the 15th, I
was overtaken on. the road by a procession of several
elephants attending one of the Rajah's kinsmen who had
been down to the Cauvery to wash. These enormous
animals moved more rapidly than the pace of my palan-
keen bearers ; and although they are known to be per-
fectly at the command of their drivers, I was not suffici-
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 303
ently familiar with them to dismiss all sense of alarm, as
they were urged past the palankeen, and quite close to
it ; for my bearers thought it enough just to make way
for them, without going out of their road.
At Mysore I had an opportunity of addressing a con-
siderable party, assembled at the baptism of a child.
The next day I again went to Seringapatam, where I
baptized a child of native Protestant parents, and in the
evening preached in Tamul.
I was told that some of the Heathens who formed
part of my attentive congregation on this occasion, when
they had their usual visit the next morning from the
prayogithen, or astrologer, whose profession it is to
announce to each family the lucky or unlucky nature of
the day, told him they did not wish to hear his non-
sense ; he could tell them nothing about then- souls, but
that the white Padre had given them good advice : to
some of the Christians of the congregation they
expressed a wish that they could embrace Christianity.
In this, as in almost every other, neighbourhood in
India, the encouragement and countenance that would be
afforded by the constant residence of a Missionary are all
that is required to induce many natives to embrace the
profession of our holy religion.
At this my last visit to Seringapatam, I found many
houses thrown down, and many thoroughfares obstructed
by operations which were in progress for the discovery of
treasure;, under the direction of the Rajah of Mysore. It
was supposed, that large sums had been secreted under
the former Rajah's, or Tippoo Sultan's, reign. It was
curious to see the old temples and houses which the
excavators discovered twelve or twenty feet below the
level of the present surface. Much property was
damaged or ruined, and many streets rendered almost
impassable ; but no treasure was found. Since my return
304 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
to England, I have been informed, that not one Euro-
pean now resides in Seringapatam, and that it is almost
forsaken by the natives themselves. Thus has it been
with respect to very many far-famed capitals in the East.
On the evening of the following day, (Saturday,)
having returned to Mysore, I preached in Tamul to a
crowd of native Heathens, who had assembled to witness
the baptism of a native man, and his wife and child :
the man had long been reading tracts and other books in
Tamul, that had been supplied to him by his Christian
master, from an anxious desire for his conversion. It
was a solemn occasion ; and I thought a lasting impres-
sion in favour of Christianity was effected on the minds
of the Heathen who were present.
On Sunday, the 18th, I preached twice in English, and
had about twelve communicants at the celebration of the
Lord's supper. Both here, and in Seringapatam, I had
again the most pressing entreaties to remain, or to use
such influence as to get for them a resident Missionary.
But as we had not yet been able to re-occupy Bangalore,
I could not encourage very sanguine hopes of the accom-
plishment of their wishes.
Being favoured by the kindness of Mr. Cole with an
order for the Rajah's bearers, on the 19th I set out for
Bangalore. As I travelled post, I had little opportunity
of speaking to the people ; but being detained a short
time at Madoor, I had a conversation with the Cutwal in
the hearing of a crowd of natives, on the nature and
excellency of the Christian religion, at the close of which
he received a copy of the translation of the Gospel of St.
John in the Cannada or Canarese language.
The following day I arrived in Bangalore, where I was
hospitably welcomed and entertained, as at my first
arrival there, by the Chaplain, Mr. Malkin.
In Bangalore I remained seven days, and in the course
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 305
of them preached seven times to very attentive English
and Tamul congregations. Our small building, formerly
described, was too small to accommodate all who
attended.
The English society was under the care of a sensible
and faithful Leader, who afterwards fell, with many of
his religious comrades, in the expedition against the
Burmese. The class had not been long formed ; but the
advancement and steadiness of its members indicated the
peculiar suitability and usefulness of that mean of grace
among military men, when far removed from the public
ordinances of religion.
Among the natives who attended the Tamul services
was a young man whom I had baptized in Madras, and
who was now employed by some pious gentlemen in
Bangalore, to sell or otherwise distribute religious tracts
and books to the natives. He afterwards came again to
Madras, and, under the direction of the Missionaries of
the London Society, continued zealous and faithful in
his endeavours to promote among his countrymen the
knowledge of the Gospel. It is worthy of remark, that
he was the son of an English officer by a native woman,
and, like too many under similar circumstances, was left
entirely to the care of his mother, who brought him up
a Heathen ; but being found and instructed by some of
our people, he thankfully embraced the profession of
that which his convictions assured him was the truth.
Though aware of his parentage, he continues to dress in
the native costume, as being more economical, and better
suiting with his engagements and circumstances.
When I quitted Bangalore on the morning of the
27th, I felt very unwell and feverish, and did not take
my usual morning's walk. Not apprehending any seri-
ous consequences, I continued my journey, as also the
following day, when I lost all appetite, and was unable
306 THREE MONTHS' TOUR
to take any thing but toast-water. Several of my bear-
ers also fell sick ; but, meeting with a supply of others,
and hoping to succeed in procuring post-bearers a li
further on the road, I continued to press towards Chit-
toor, the nearest place where medical aid could be
obtained.
I was carried into Chittoor on February 1st; a
the house of Mr. D'Acre, received all the attention that
could be paid to me. The fever was one incident to the
hills and jungles of India ; and, being frequently fatal, my
friends were apprehensive it would have proved so in my
case. I took no food for a fortnight, and was wasted
almost to a skeleton. Mr. D' Acre's assiduities and
medical skill contributed greatly to the preservation of
my life at this critical juncture. At length, by the
divine blessing on the means employed, the disorder took
a favourable turn ; and although I was left so weak as to
be unable to rise or walk without assistance and support,
some hopes began to be entertained of my recovery.
Meantime I was cheered by the kind attentions of my
friends, who gave me as much of their society as possible.
The Rev. W. Reeve, of the London Missionary Society,
on his way from Madras to Bellary, passed several days
in Chittoor, and animated me by his brotherly conver-
sation, his sympathies, and prayers.
The kindness and concern on my account displayed by
the Christian natives of Chittoor, surpassed any expecta-
tions I had from them. This is a fact which justice to
them forbids me to omit mentioning, and the recollection
of which binds them to my heart in the ties of gratitude
and affection.
Having gained strength sufficient to bear the motion
of the palankeen, on March 1st I proceeded on my
journey to Madras ; and, on the morning of the 3d, was
met at Sree Permatoor by my brother Missionary, Mr.
TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. 307
England, who had kindly come thus far on the road to
meet me. We passed the day together in the bungalow
there, and in the evening proceeded to the Mission-house
in Royapettah.
In the course of that month I had a slight relapse of
the fever, whilst on a visit at the house of my friend,
Mr. Crisp, in Kilpauk ; hut, by care, and the beneficial
influence of the sea-breeze, continued gradually to
recover, and was soon enabled to resume some share of
the labours connected with the Mission.
Subsequently to my last visit to the Mysore Country,
as recorded in this chapter, the Wesleyan Missionary
Society resumed their Mission in Bangalore, where there
are now two Stations, one for the Tamul department,
and another for the Canarese. A printing-press is in
full operation, and the Mission is in a most encouraging
and prosperous state. The city of Mysore, likewise, is
occupied as a Mission Station ; as are also Goobee and
Coonghul.
Salem has been taken on the list of the Stations of
the London Missionary Society.
308 REMARKS ON FACILITIES FOR MISSIONS.
CHAPTER XX.
REMARKS ON FACILITIES FOR MISSIONS.
THE attentive reader of the preceding pages must have
been struck with a few very important facts which it has
been their chief design to illustrate, facts connected with
the best interests and welfare of one of the largest and
most remarkable portions of the human race, a numerous
and partially civilized people, who in the course of divine
providence have been brought under the influence of the
British Government, and whose state and prosperity are
nearly related to those of our own country, and will pro-
bably affect them closely to the end of time.
It will appear, that there is no direct political hinder-
ance to the spread of Christianity among the Hindoos.
The Missionary is allowed unrestrained intercourse with
the people : within their temples, in their towns, their
villages, by the road-side, he can converse with and
address them ; and though he possess no advantage
beyond that of the European character, which generally
insures him attention and respect, and can bring no
influence to bear upon them other than that of plain
truth and argument ; yet, this being all a good cause can
require, and having already been partially successful,
there is no room to doubt, that, in the end, it will prove
effectual to the accomplishment of the object.
The natives themselves are under no restraint with
regard to availing themselves of the opportunities afford-
ed to them, by Missionary establishments, of obtaining
Christian or general knowledge for themselves or their
children. They have nothing to fear from being known
REMARKS ON FACILITIES FOR MISSIONS. 309
to converse with us, or from sending their children to our
schools.
As the whole country is open to Missionary exertions,
it would he endless to point out where additional Mis-
sions might be advantageously established, even within
the circle described in the preceding narrative. Stations
occupied by Europeans have comforts and facilities not
to be found on stations entirely native. The society of
fellow-countrymen, medical attendance, and the ready
procuring of the necessaries of life, make a residence on
European stations in many respects desirable ; but of
these, there are many still entirely unoccupied. Walla-
jahbad, Arcot, Vellore, Seringapatam, and the French
settlement of Pondicherry, (if the French Government
would permit an English Missionary to reside and labour
there,) are all places of importance, with populous neigh-
bourhoods, offering the advantages above mentioned. In
such large native towns as Conjeveram, Chillumbrum, or
Tricaloor, or on the Sheravaraya Hills, Missionaries might
reside with the certainty of commanding the attention of
a considerable proportion of their numerous inhabitants.
But notwithstanding the accessibleness of the people,
and the facilities enjoyed by the Missionaries already
residing among them, it is a fact which should be plainly
stated and clearly understood, that the mass of the peo-
ple of India remain in the same state of ignorance and
superstition as ever. Some, but comparatively few, have
been converted to Christianity ; and a degree of general
knowledge both of religious and scientific truth has been
partially diffused ; which, though enough to raise doubt
as to the correctness of their own systems in the minds
of thousands of the Hindoos, has not been sufficient,
either in degree or operation, to convince and determine
them to alter their profession, to forsake their own system,
and embrace the Gospel.
310 REMARKS ON FACILITIES FOR MISSIONS.
The reasons of their continuance in their ancient pro-
fessions are not difficult to be assigned. Independently
of the natural enmity of the human heart to doctrines so
humbling to the pride of man as those of the Gospel, the
Hindoos have many particular causes of attachment to
their own system. Their education is decidedly reli-
gious ; consequently, their earliest associations are con-
nected with their superstitions and idolatrous worship.
The wealth of their religious establishments, their vast
temples, their ponderous cars, the immense concourse of
people assembling at their splendid annual festivals, and
the general example, cannot be without an imposing
effect on the minds of the lower and uneducated classes ;
whilst the intimate connexion of their most favourite lite-
rature, and every department of their philosophy and
science, with their system of religion, tend to impress it
on the minds of the educated, and to identify it with
their interests and literary honour. The system of caste,
too, is dear to the higher classes, as securing certain
degrees of superiority and respectability, entirely inde-
pendent of personal character, or of the possession of
wealth or learning. It has been strongly argued, that
Hindoos taking the profession of Christianity should
relinquish the peculiar observances necessary for the
maintaining of their caste, and give up all the advantages
connected with it, as being part of an idolatrous system.
But whether this be enforced upon them or not, it is
equally certain to the mind of a Hindoo, that, when he
becomes a Christian, he shall be disowned by his friends,
separated from his family, deprived probably of his por-
tion of the paternal inheritance, and excluded from the
circle in which he has been accustomed to move. There
are but few individuals who have courage to make these
sacrifices, even when convinced of the truth ; and a great
proportion will wait till knowledge and conviction become
REMARKS ON FACILITIES FOR MISSIONS. 311
so general, that whole families, and villages, and tribes
shall agree at once to renounce idolatry, and seek for
admission into the Christian church. Many with whom
I have conversed, and who have assented to the truth of 1
Christianity, have declared that they only waited for such
an event.
There is little room for doubt that this will be ulti-
mately accomplished ; but the means at present in ope-
ration are very inadequate to the hastening of such
desirable and extensive results. Of the Missionaries sent
to India, a certain proportion may be calculated to fail
from the baneful influence of the climate, it being
ascertained that the average length of Missionary life in
India is not more than seven years ; others fail to
acqxiire the languages, which are necessary for familiar
intercourse with the people. And when such acquisi-
tions have been made, and the confidence of the natives
secured, the removal or death of the Missionary will
often disappoint the fairest hopes of harvest ; and his
successor will find himself under the necessity of acting
as though at the very commencement of the work. The
Missionaries already engaged find considerable difficulty
in widening their sphere of action amongst the Heathen,
from the attention and care demanded by the small
societies and congregations already formed ; whilst their
labours among these also are not so fully efficient or
widely successful, as they would be rendered by more
enlarged means for the erection of chapels, the possession
of burial-grounds, and the more extensive establishment
of both male aiid female schools.
It is a natural inquiry of the people, " What shall we
do with our dead?" The want of a burial-ground on
two of our Stations in India has deterred many, both
Roman Catholics and Heathens, from uniting with us, as
312 REMARKS ON FACILITIES FOR MISSIONS.
they would thus exclude themselves from the privileges
of their own communions, without, in this respect,
securing tantamount advantages in ours.
In addition to these causes, it must be remembered,
that the number of Missionaries in India is extremely
small ; for, taking those of every Society into account,
the proportion is not that of one to each million of
inhabitants ; their most zealous and well-directed exer-
tions must, therefore, be unequal to even the partial
instruction and information of the great mass of the
natives.
It will be understood that our exertions have not been
confined to natives only ; but that our own countrymen
and the descendants of Europeans have shared the atten-
tions, and been benefited by the labours, of those who
have been sent forth as the messengers of the churches.
The improvement and evangelization of those parts of the
community of India will have their corresponding effect
on the surrounding heathen population. Many of the
natives have already learned to distinguish those of our
countrymen who are truly Christian in their character
and deportment ; and they must increasingly feel the
force of the truths attempted to be propagated among
them, when their due influence is exemplified before their
daily observation.
Patriotism, therefore, and Christian benevolence, de-
mand the continued support of the Missions already
established in India, and will dictate also the propriety
and necessity of their multiplication and increase. With
this object in view, these remarks are offered, which, it is
trusted, are authorized by the simple details of the
preceding pages ; and their correctness, it is hoped,
will be further established by the remaining part of my
Narrative.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1824. 313
CHAPTER XXI.
1824.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1824.
THE year 1824 was remarkable for circumstances
which will cause it ever to be remembered by all who at
that time resided in Madras and the south of India.
The continuance of the drought, which, even in January,
immediately after what ought to have been the wet
monsoon, had been already so destructive to vegetation,
that I had seen many of the houses of the natives
unroofed, for the purpose of giving the old thatch as
fodder to the cattle, in the hope of keeping them alive
till rain should again renew the face of the earth ; the
consequent scarcity and famine by which, notwithstand-
ing the liberality of the Government, and the extraordi-
nary exertions of private charity, both European and
Hindoo, many thousands terminated a miserable exist-
ence ; the prevalence of the cholera morbus, whose
ravages were not confined to the starving population,
but extended to all classes, and carried off some of the
highest officers of the local Government, occasioning
mourning in every circle, if not in every house ; the
expedition against Burmah which took from us many
dear and highly-valued military friends, who were never
to return : all combined to form an era not easily to be
forgotten.
The reader who has not witnessed a drought in a
tropical climate can hardly imagine its effects : men and
cattle were to be seen lying dead ; and the latter, being
frequently allowed to remain unburied, tainted the air
with noxious effluvia ; the fish at the bottom of the
p
314 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1824.
tanks and rivers having no means of escape, became a
seasonable prey to the kites and crows, and ultimately
these latter not unfrequently dropped dead from the
wing, exhausted by heat, and want of sustenance.
In many instances the prejudices of the Hindoos gave
way to the stress of their necessities ; persons whose
difference of caste would under other circumstances have
been an entire bar to intercourse, might be seen crowd-
ing together to partake of the food prepared for them by
the hand of charity. There were, however, many excep-
tions, sufficiently illustrative of the iron reign of super-
stition over the Hindoos. One day, whilst we were at
dinner in the Mission-house, in Madras, a woman, much
worn by hunger and fatigue, came into the garden, and,
standing opposite our door, gently lowered from her back
a tall lad, reduced to a mere skeleton, unable to stand or
move without help, imploring pity and assistance. I
immediately directed the rice and curry on the table to
be taken to them ; but the woman both rejected it her-
self, and refused it to her famishing child, because it was
against the rules of her caste to eat any food cooked or
touched by Europeans !
An excursion through Tripassoor, Wallajahbad, and
Poonamallee, in the month of April, in company with my
colleague, Mr. England, afforded us many opportunities
for preaching in English and Tamul, for conversation with
the natives, and for distributing a number of portions of
the holy Scriptures, and tracts. It was our decided con-
viction, that itinerancy, reduced to a system, and regu-
larly attended to, would greatly forward the objects of
our Mission among all classes : we accordingly gave some
intimations of our intention to revisit some of the places
after a certain time, which subsequent events, however,
did not allow us to fulfil.
In May, Mr. England and myself travelled together
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1824. 315
down the coast to Negapatam, to attend a District-Meet-
ing to be held there. Our journey both going and
returning was chiefly remarkable for the intense heat we
had to endure, whether we rested under the shade of
trees, or in the choultries, and bungalows. Sickness
was prevailing to a great extent : we had in consequence
many applications for medicine, which was sometimes
administered by Mr. England, and received by the people
with a confidence in its efficacy, which, though almost
ludicrous, no doubt contributed to the advantage of the
patients.
In Pondicherry we waited on the Romish Bishop, who
received us with great dignity and kindness. As he was
not much more master of English than I of French, we
soon adopted Tamul, in which he conversed fluently, as
the medium of communication. As it was merely a com-
plimentary visit, I had 110 intention of entering into any
discussion ; but when he adverted in terms of disappro-
bation to the labours of the Bible Society, and their
agents, in the hearing of a number of natives who had
surrounded the entrance to witness the interview between
their Bishop and a heretic Missionary, I entered into the
dispute, and challenged him to point out any of those
essential errors he professed to complain of in the Tamul
translation of the holy Scriptures, and invited him to
co-operate with us in the revision of the new translation
then in hand.
About twenty miles south of Pondicherry we visited
the famous pagoda of Chillumbrum. This structure,
which is held in high estimation by the Hindoos, is said
to extend 1332 feet by 936, and is entered by a lofty
gateway, under a pyramid 122 feet high, built of enor-
mous stones forty feet long and more than five feet
square, and all covered with plates of copper, adorned
with a variety of figures neatly executed,
p 2
,'J16 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1824.
After inspecting the interior of this extraordinary
monument of Hindoo superstition, on our return to the
outer gate, I preached to a large assemblage of Brah-
mans and others, and delivered a testimony against their
absurd idolatries and superstitions, which they did not
misunderstand. Some of the Brahmans became rather
abusive ; but for this we cared very little. The good
seed was deposited in the memories of many, and
perhaps in their hearts also. The event we leave with
God. The accompanying sketch gives a correct repre-
sentation of one part of the interior of the temple of
Chillumbrum.
BRAHMAN BATH, WITHIN THE TEMPLE OF CHTLLUMBRUM.
At Negapatam we were met by four of our Mission-
aries from the north of Ceylon, who, with ourselves,
were partakers of the attentions and hospitalities of Mr.
Mowat, and the other British inhabitants during the
meeting. Mr. Lynch announced to us his intention of
returning home, a failure of health, and other circum-
stances, having rendered advisable a visit to his native-
land. He accordingly embarked from Madras in the
following July, with the blessings and prayers of him-
TOURS AND DUTIES OT 1824. 317
dreds, who had been benefited by his ministry, and had
a high regard for his character.
Soon after the arrival of Mr. Carver, who, in August,
came over from Jaffna, in Ceylon, to supply the vacancy
occasioned by Mr. Lynch' s departure from Madras, 1
accompanied him through the Circuit we usually tra-
velled, in which Conjeveram (mentioned page 257) is one
of the most important and interesting places.
The Collector's bungalow at this place, where we were
entertained, is built on the bank of an extensive pool,
then quite exhausted of water by the drought, but
retaining sufficient moisture in the mud to emit a
noxious air, and promote the production of insects.
At night the heat within doors was so great, and the
insects so annoying, that both Mr. Carver and my-
self removed into the open verandah, and stretched
ourselves on the floor to sleep. I awoke with a
burning fever, which confined me for two or three
days, and then passed off without doing me further
injury.
This indisposition hindered me from witnessing an
absurd ceremony performed at that time in Conjeveram,
in the temple of Vishnu. At the bottom of a deep tank
within the courts of the temple, was an idol of wood,
which, according to tradition, had lain there undis-
turbed for forty years, and was now only rendered
approachable by the dry ness of the season. At a time
appointed, the mud was opened, and the multitude
gratified by a sight of the object of their worship :
gallons of milk and conjee, or rice-water, were poured on
the image, which was then adorned with sweet-scented
flowers, and covered with a fine muslin cloth, bordered
with gold. Thus ornamented, he was visited and
adored by thousands of persons, many of whom had
travelled a considerable distance for the privilege. After-
.318 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1824.
wards he was again consigned to his favourite residence,
the mud at the bottom of the tank.
Much of the superstition of the Hindoos, like that of
the ancient idolaters, is connected with their hopes and
fears in reference to the seasons, the supply of rain, and
the success of their agriculture. One evening, on this
visit to Conjeveram, whilst standing at the entrance of a
temple, and surrounded hy a crowd of Brahmans, I told
them, that the time was approaching when they and all
mankind would agree in worshipping the only true God.
After some whispering among themselves, one of them
said, " You worship only one God in your country : does
it rain there?" implying a doubt, that the seasons could
be regular in a country where one God was worshipped.
One of them asked, "Why does it not rain here?" By
way of answer, I pointed to a boy who stood near, and
asked, "How many fathers has that boy?" They
replied, " Only one." " But suppose he should call
several men father, and honour them as his father
should be honoured ; and, absurder still, should say to
that tree, and to that stone, ' Thou art my father,' and
neglect and disobey his real parent ; would he not justly
be angry with him, and chastise him?" "Certainly."
" This is exactly your case. You neglect God, your
heavenly Father; and, choosing gods after your own
imagination, pay honour and worship to senseless idols :
is it a wonder, then, that God chastises you by sending
you no rain for two years ?" One of them observed,
"We also acknowledge one Supreme God ;" but all were
silenced, and seemed ashamed, when I inquired, where
they had a temple to his honour, and what worship they
offered to him. In their professed knowledge of God,
and their practice of idolatry so inconsistent with that
knowledge, the Hindoos come peculiarly under the
description of the Gentiles, given by the inspired Apos-
TOXJRS AND DUTIES OF 1824. 319
tie : ** When they knew God, they glorified him not as
God, neither were thankful ; hut became vain in their
imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image
made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-
footed beasts, and creeping things." (Rom. i. 21 23.)
The severe indisposition of Mr. England, which con-
tinued some months, and prevented his taking a regular
part of the engagements of the Station, necessarily con-
fined our exertions, for a considerable time, within their
ordinary circle.
In the month of October, our little band of labourers
was diminished by the death of Mrs. Mowat, in Nega-
patam. Independently of the attachment arising from
our having been companions on the voyage from our
native country, and fellow-sufferers by the destruction of
our vessel, the amiableness of her disposition, and her
regard for the work of the Mission, caused her loss to be
much deplored by myself, and, in fact, by all who had
known her. Our deep sorrow was only mitigated by the
cheering assurance afforded by her character in life, and
the dispositions manifested even in the delirium which
preceded her dissolution, that the event which we
mourned was to her one of infinite advantage.
Mr. Mowat was now alone on his Station ; and it was
thought advisable that I should visit Negapatam, to
relieve him for some time from his engagements, and
afford him the cheering influence of society.
Nothing of particular interest occurred on this journey
to Negapatam, (which I commenced on November 3d,)
till the third night, when I reached the banks of the
inlet of the sea near Alemparva, and, finding neither
boats nor boatmen, was obliged to commit myself to a
very rude raft with three of my bearers ; the palankeen
320 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1824.
and the rest of my party were, by the same means, got
over with some difficulty.
The few hours I passed in Pondicherry were employed
in inquiring for books ; and I fear the result affords too
correct an illustration of the state of literature among the
inhabitants of that settlement. I was directed to a
little, dirty shop, where perfumery and other small
articles were vended : amongst them were a few soiled
volumes of French novels, which seemed to serve the
double purpose of a circulating library, and a stock for
sale. The object of my search being noised abroad, I
was met in the street by two men, who offered for sale
Thomas a Kempis, in French, and the Dialogues of
Fenelon, in Portuguese ; which were the most valuable
books I saw in Pondicherry, except the library of a
medical man lately embarked for Europe, from which I
selected a good copy of the Vulgate, and a curious
English Bible, in black letter.
At Cuddalore I passed a Sunday of rest and enjoy-
ment in the society of some friends then resident there ;
one of them recently returned from Burmah, where the
severities of the campaign had been destructive to his
health, and induced a disease which shortly hastened him
to a premature grave. The circumstances of the follow-
ing day formed a contrast to the pleasures of the preced-
ing, not uncommonly experienced by the English tra-
veller in India. Instead of the comforts of a house, and
the society of agreeable friends, I had to take up my
quarters in a ruinous shed, from which I had previously
dispossessed two ragged horses.
The last two days of my journey I suffered the incon-
veniences of a deluge of rain, which swelled the rivers,
and laid miles of the country under water : in many
places we found deep and rapid torrents, where a few
days before scarcely a drop of water could be obtained.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1824. 321
Those that were fordable were passed without boats by
the native passengers, the women as well as the men
wading fearlessly breast or shoulder high, retaining only
one fold of their cloth about their persons, the rest being
carefully borne on the head, to afford dry clothing when
the opposite bank was gained ; the part of the cloth that
had been wet would then be wrung and carried in the
hands, spread out to the sun and breeze to dry. The
costume of the natives is thus admirably suited to the
climate and circumstances of the country ; the boots,
stockings, &c., which the English traveller retains in
India, are in general of more inconvenience than
use.
Some of the torrents were not fordable, and, not being
supplied with boats, had to be crossed by rafts of a very
peculiar description. These rafts consisted of a number
of common earthenware pots, such as are used by the
natives for carrying water and boiling rice ; many of
them had the appearance of having been recently em-
ployed in cooking : they are of a globular form, with
short necks and rather narrow mouths, of the capacity
of three or four gallons each. A slight frame of split
bamboo, fastened about the necks of twenty or thirty of
these pots, disposed into a square, served to keep them
together, and to form a sort of deck. Tin's frail float
was generally managed by two men, one on each side the
river, who, by ropes attached to the raft, guided and
drew it across, with the passengers who were adventurous
enough to risk themselves and their property upon it.
In the middle of some of the torrents, where the water
was exceedingly rapid, it was with no small interest we
watched the water eddying about the mouths of the pots
on which we were standing : it would not have required
a much greater agitation of the water to have filled them,
and, at best, to have made it necessary for us to swim
p 5
322 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1824.
for our lives. Through care, however, and the protection
of Providence, we met with no accident.
On this journey, I employed the leisure it afforded me
in translating some of our hymns into Tamul. Those
hitherto iised in our congregations were the work of
Danish or German Missionaries, and of course adapted to
metres and tunes imperfectly known to us. In my
translation from Mr. Wesley's Collection, I retained the
English metre of each hymn ; and we soon had the grati-
fication of hearing our Tamul congregations, at public
worship, utter the same sentiments and unite in the same
melodies with our English congregations throughout the
world. These translations, beside having the approba-
tion of the brethren of our own Mission, were adopted
by J. D'Acre, Esq., of Chittoor, who purchased a consi-
derable portion of the edition printed at Madras in the
following year, and introduced the use of these hymns
into his congregation. The published copy contains
seventy-three hymns, to which I have since added about
thirty, which were incorporated in subsequent editions.
The following specimen will afford the reader some
idea of the degree in which Tamul may be accommodated
to English metre and rhyme :
ENGLISH VERSION.
" Now I have found the ground wherein
Sure my soul's anchor may remain,
The wounds of Jesus, for my sin
Before the world's foundation slain ;
Whose mercy shall unshaken stay,
When heaven and earth are fled away."
TAMUL VERSION.
Ippoth'en /"it mil nileyai
Tarikkum nilattey kanden,
Yf.su en pavangalukkdi
K&yapatt&r end' ariven,
V&nam bumium ozhindum
Averin irakkam nirkum.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1824. 323
I may here be permitted to express my satisfaction
and thankfulness, that, by the translation of our Hymns
and Catechisms, which have gone through several editions
in the Tamul language, as well as by the publication of
many other Wesleyan works in the same tongue, so
much has been done to place permanently before the
reading Hindoos clear statements of divine and saving
truth, and to furnish them with suitable forms for
public, social, and private worship.
On the llth of November I arrived at Negapatam,
where I found my bereaved colleague requiring all the
consolation and assistance I could afford. In taking
from him the burden of the public and private services, 1
had opportunities of observing the effects of his exertions
amongst various classes of the inhabitants, and rejoiced
to find that he had not laboured in vain.
A new chapel, erected by subscription on land pre-
sented for the purpose by an inhabitant, was a testimony
to the usefulness and acceptable nature of Mr. Mowat's
ministry. I had the pleasure of opening this chapel on
the 21st of November. My sermon was in Portuguese,
as the chief part of the congregation were persons using
that language ; several of the English residents also were
present, to show their approbation and afford their assist-
ance. On the Tuesday evening following I preached in
Tamul in the same place. The chapel was principally
intended for evening services in Portuguese and Tamul,
as the church in which the English congregation assem-
bled was too large for frequent services, and was not
convenient to be illuminated for evening worship.
I thus continued in Negapatam till the close of the
year 1824.
324 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825.
CHAPTER XXII.
1825
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825.
IN the beginning of January, 1825, Mr. Mowat's
family and myself were visited by a fever which had been
prevalent for several months throughout the whole of
India. The attack usually commenced with severe pains
in the joints and limbs ; it continued only a few days,
rarely proved fatal, but in many instances left effects very
difficult to shake off.
Being tolerably recovered by the 8th, I commenced
my journey to return to Madras, and passed the follow-
ing day, being Sunday, at Tranquebar with one of the
Church Missionaries then stationed there. At his request,
I preached in one of the churches erected by the vene-
rable Missionaries of former days ; but, though pleased
with the appearance and attention of the congregation,
I could not conclude favourably on the state of religion
among the people, when, out of upwards of a thousand
who profess Christianity, not more than one hundred
attended public worship. A faithful ministry of the
word of God, and a vigilant pastoral superintendence, are
equally as necessary to the prosperous continuance as to
the commencement of a Mission.
The rains of the monsoon had now ceased, and had
left a delicious coolness in the earth and air, affording
some respite from the burning heat which is the general
character of this unenviable climate, and of which we
had experienced such an undue proportion for the past
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825. 325
two years. The thermometer now ranged from 76 to
80 in the shade ; the land was covered with the promise
of harvest, trees of all descriptions had put on their
new and best foliage, and the brisk and merry move-
ments of the beasts of the field, and of " every bird of
every sort," indicated that they also enjoyed the tempe-
rature of the season. January and February are the
pleasantest months in the year in the south of India,
during which the European hopes to gather new strength,
to enable him to bear the succeeding heats.
My journey to Madras was shorter as well as pleasanter
by the mildness of the season : we were only seven days
in travelling one hundred and eighty miles ; which, how-
ever tedious it may appear to the mere English traveller,
is good running for one set of palankeen-bearers.
I found Mr. England in Madras still indisposed, and
consequently a good deal of work awaiting me. Encou-
ragement, however, was not wanting ; several Roman
Catholics began to attend our Tamul preaching, who
subsequently united themselves to us, and became steady
and useful members of our society.
The attention and opposition of the Romish church
were more particularly roused about this time, by our
commencing a Portuguese service in St. Thome, in which
Mr. Martins, the Franciscan Friar, (mentioned page 301,)
who had now li ved with us twelve months, and had afforded
evidence of his sincerity and conversion, took a part.
He had held some communications, whilst residing with
us, with Fre Clemente, the head of his order in Madras,
a very respectable and somewhat clever man. I have
now one of his letters addressed to Martins, in which,
after labouring to convince him of the errors into which
he had fallen by embracing the Protestant faith, Clemente
concludes with the following questions :
1. Qutero. An tua ecclesia sit antiqua vel nova ?
326 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 182.1.
2. Vera Christi ecclesia aut fallibilis aut infalli-
bilu ?
3. Vel homines possunt salvari in ecclesia Romano,
vel non possunt ?
4. Ecclesia Lutherana, si fuit in mundo ante Luthe-
rum, vel erat visibilis vel invisibilis ?
5. Vestra ecclesia si fuit in mundo ante Lutherum,
vel fuit sancta, vel non sane fa ?
6. Scriptura sacra non est nata cum Luthero, sed
earn accepit ab ecclesia Romano quando ab ea defecit in
anno 1517. Qweero igitur hoc modo ecclesia Romana a
qua Luthenis accepit scripturas sacras, vel fuit tune tem-
poris vera vel falsa ecclesia ?
It is not my object here to enter into the controversy,
but to show that there is some activity among the
Romanists of India, and that they did not part with
Mr. Martins, or, as they called him, Fre Jose de Santa
Anna, without an effort ; and that Missionaries to that
part of the world should be prepared not only to labour
amongst the Heathen, but to enter into the lists, and
combat with some advantage against the advocates of the
Romish faith.
Our schools, having now a regular proportion of our
attention, began to revive : the means of Christian
instruction afforded in them received a valuable addition
by the introduction of the " Wesley an-Methodist Cate-
chisms," of which copies had reached us from England.
A translation of the First Catechism was soon in the
hands of our native children ; the exceUency and suit-
ableness of this epitome of Christian truth were evinced
by the readiness with which the whole was understood
and committed to memory by them. I found a trans-
lation of the Second Catechism a work of more time ;
it was, however, subsequently finished, and extensively
used in our schools ; and it was also read with great
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825. 327
interest by our adult natives. I had not completed a
translation of the Third Catechism when I quitted India.
The St. Thome school, chiefly composed of children of
Catholics, was for some time in an irregular state, from
the threats of the Priests against those who attended
our preaching, or sent their children to the schools :
after a little opposition, it recovered itself, and improved
considerably.
In the month of February, Mr. Crisp, of the London
Society, who had been dangerously ill, came with his
family from another part of Madras to reside with us at
our Mission-House, for the benefit of a change of air.
The advantage he derived was greater than could have
been anticipated, and strongly evinced the salubrity of
our situation, which, though low, is free from the stench
of the burning-grounds, where the bodies of the dead
natives are consumed by fire, (the general method of
disposing of the dead amongst the Hindoos,) and from
the other annoyances common to crowded neighbour-
hoods in India, and from which few situations in the
vicinity of Madras are exempt.
Whilst Mr. Crisp occupied my rooms in Royapettah, I
made the experiment of living in Black-Town, with the
design of giving more attention to our societies and con-
gregations there : the object I had in view was for a time
accomplished, but at a considerable expense of rest and
comfort. I occupied one of the rooms under the chapel
in Black-Town, which during the day was agreeably cool
at this season ; but in the evening and throughout the
night, the hosts of musquitoes that filled the air, and
indefatigably laboured to satisfy their thirst for blood,
defied all attempts at repose. I endeavoured to screen
myself by curtains, but I found it impossible to keep
them all outside ; as a farther security, notwithstanding
the heat of the climate, I enveloped myself in a boat-
328 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1&5.
cloak, which was yet an insufficient defence against their
attacks. These troublesome insects will insert their sharp
probosces through the slightest crack in a boot, and of
course triumphantly avail themselves of any larger aper-
ture. After a few nights of defensive warfare, I was
fairly beaten out of my town-quarters, and never at-
tempted to take them again.
As the only Tamul Preacher on the station, I was so
much occupied by the regular engagements of the Mis-
sion, that I had little opportunity of following my incli-
nation for general itinerancy through the country, to
scatter more widely the seeds of Christian truth. In
February I travelled no farther than Poonamallee and
St. Thomas's Mount. In March I again visited the
same places, accompanied by Mr. Martins, who preached
and conversed in Portuguese, whilst I attended chiefly to
English and Tamul. On this visit Mr. Martins waited
on the Romish Priest residing at Poonamallee, but found
him too strongly entrenched in bigotry and self-import-
ance to allow of any intercourse with a heretic.
From Poonamallee we extended our excursion to Tri-
passoor ; the hot sun and deep sand made it a journey of
more than half a day, though only a distance of eighteen
miles. Here I preached in English and Tamul, and
baptized a native woman, who had been married to an
Englishman, without any inquiry, on the part of the
Minister, whether she was a Heathen or a Christian.
On conversing with her, I found reason to believe that
she was a suitable candidate for the sacred rite ; and as
the party assembled on the occasion was a mixture of
Europeans and natives, I repeated some portions of the
service in both languages.
Meantime I had caused to be published to the Portu-
guese, that Mr. Martins would preach to them ; but
being Romanists, they let us know that they would not
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825. 329
assemble except in their own chapel, and that if he would
perform mass or preach to them there, they would attend.
On our return by way of St. Thomas's Mount, we had
an opportunity of conversing with many Romanists.
The worship of the blessed Virgin and of saints is cer-
tainly considered by the common people as more import-
ant than the worship of God through Jesus Christ.
The great day of the annual heathen festival at St.
Thome, held in April, occurring this year on a Sunday,
gave us an opportunity of making our message and
intentions known to a great number of strangers. We
had made it a practice, every Sunday morning, about an
hour before the commencement of public service, to place
a man at the gate, with a handful of tracts, whose busi-
ness it was to invite passengers to attend the chapel, and
to give away the tracts to any who might be desirous
of them. On the day of the feast, many were induced
to enter and inquire ; we calculated that upwards of a
thousand persons received tracts and portions of the
holy Scriptures in their own language. Some who
resided in the neighbourhood came again afterwards for
more tracts or further information ; and many who came
from a distance no doubt carried with them to their
quiet habitations, something better calculated to inform
their minds and mend their hearts, than the gaudy
pageant they had come to witness.
In my evening walks in our own neighbourhood for
conversation with the natives, I sometimes met with
persons who thought themselves quite competent to
argue on the subject of religion, and were ready to stand
forward as champions of Hindooism. The following is a
tolerable specimen of their mode of argumentation and
defence.
I had walked out with a handful of tracts, and had
distributed several, with a few words of conversation or
330 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825.
advice to the persons who received them. Passing by a
door where two natives were sitting in the shade, I asked
if they ever read : " Yes," replied one, " when we have a
little time to spare, we read." " That is a good custom,"
I said ; " by attending to your daily occupations, you
procure a livelihood and support your families ; by read-
ing, you cultivate and improve your minds." "Yes,"
answered he, " but learning assists us also in our busi-
ness." I replied : "Of course it does, and therefore is
valuable ; but as the soul is immortal and more valuable
than the body, that learning which has reference to the
soul and its eternal welfare is of the greatest importance ;
' What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world
and lose his own soul ?' I therefore recommend these
books to you ; for they treat entirely on these subjects."
"0," said the speaker, "I know the sum and substance
of those books ; it is that a man cannot be saved except
he become a Christian ; but we know better than that.
It is said in your Scriptures, ' that it is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God;' and yet you Europeans
who profess to believe this, have taken one kingdom after
another, and are amassing wealth till you have possession
of almost the .whole world. You have likewise many
excellent precepts, but do not obey them ; we have the
same ; so in the end, what difference is there between
your religion and ours?" I told him there was one
especial point of difference to which T was desirous of
directing his attention ; it was, that the Gospel pointed
out a clear way whereby a sinner might find acceptance
with God, and obtain ability to obey those precepts which
so few attend to ; and thus find eternal happiness in the
enjoyment of God ; that this was the plan of salvation
by the Lord Jesus Christ. He would not allow that this
constituted any essential difference, and maintained that
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825. 331
it rather established the superiority of their system ;
for Christianity taught only one incarnation, but
Hindooism had many. I then endeavoured to show,
from the characters and actions ascribed to those incar-
nations in their sacred books, that, even supposing the
history of them to be true, they had no reference to the
salvation of the soul from eternal perdition to the enjoy-
ment of perfect holiness and happiness in the presence of
God for ever ; that the works of the infinite God, like
himself, are perfect ; that what he had once done did not
require to be repeated ; and that thus " Christ had once
suffered for sins."
After much controversy, which attracted a crowd of
people around us, he exclaimed, " The great God who
made all the nations of the world, has made also all the
religions of those nations ; and as they are all his work,
it is unnecessary to go from one religion to another : I
have a well in my own house, why then should I go to
another house to draw water?" I replied, "Suppose
God should make a great well in the middle of the town,
and declare that there was something so divine in the
waters, that those who drank of them should never be
sick, but constantly healthy and vigorous, would not the
people be quite right to leave their private wells, and draw
out of that to which God has invited them?" He saw I
was about to draw the comparison, and interrupted me by
starting another subject ; so I arose, and offering some
tracts to the bystanders, walked towards home, for the
night had overtaken me.
With such arguments as these they satisfy themselves
and silence those Europeans who, without having the
conversion of the people at heart, or making the subject
a matter of thought, sometimes venture to recommend
Christianity to the natives, or, by drawing a comparison
between the two systems, endeavour to show the supe-
332 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825.
riority of their own. It is not an uncommon thing to
meet with gentlemen well acquainted with the native
languages, and otherwise well informed, who plainly avow
that they dare not converse with the natives on the
subject of religion, from an inability to meet the argu-
ments which they use.
In the month of May, Mr. Carver and myself took a
journey of ten days through the interior : besides our
intercourse with the people by the road sides and in the
choultries, we had attentive congregations of all descrip-
tions of persons at Chingleput, Wallajahbad, and Tri-
passoor.
At Wallajahbad, we found our schoolmaster suffering
from the cholera morbus, from which it is probable he
would not have recovered, had not our arrival afforded
him the requisite medicines.
From thence we proceeded to Conjeveram, to witness
the procession of the Hindoo festival, held there annually.
We reached the town an hour before day-break on the
morning of the 30th of May ; but, early as it was, and
notwithstanding the torrents of rain that had been falling
that night and the preceding day, we found the roads and
streets crowded by strangers, who had assembled from all
the country round to attend the feast, or, as they ex-
pressed it, " to see God" Many of them wearied by their
journeys and privations, were lying promiscuously on the
damp ground in the open air, with no other covering
than their thin cotton cloths : when we saw this, we did
not wonder that many who attend these festivals, from
even no greater distance than Madras, never live to return
to their families.
At six in the morning we proceeded to the temple to
witness the commencement of the procession. At a signal
given by loud explosions of gunpowder and native music,
the lofty gates of the entrance were thrown open, and
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825. 333
the idol was presented to view ; it was worshipped by a
simultaneous lifting up of hands, a cry of Sdmi ! Sdmi !
or, " Lord ! Lord ! " from the assembled multitudes, and
was carried in procession along the street.
The idol represented the human figure, under the full
size, profusely decorated with ornaments, and seated on
a platform borne on the shoulders of men. Several
Brahmans were on the platform with the idol, greatly
increasing the burden of the carriers ; several were em-
ployed in fanning the object of their worship, as though
to keep him cool during this unusual exertion, or to pre-
vent him from being annoyed by flies : one of them held
in his hand a sort of crown, apparently of brass, and
almost in the form of a bell, which, as the procession
moved along, he was incessantly employed in applying
to the bare heads of those who presented themselves for
the purpose.
A number of sepoys and peons were employed under
the direction of the Collector, or English Magistrate, to
moderate the rush of the people, as on former occasions
many persons had been killed ; on this, a woman was
much hurt by one of the elephants (attending the pro-
cession) inadvertently putting his foot upon her. It was
extraordinary that we heard of no other accident having
occurred in the movement of so vast an assemblage : it
was calculated that the people occupying the main street,
leading to the entrance of the temple, and commanding a
view of it, amounted to eighty or a hundred thousand.
The people were dressed in their best clothes and gayest
ornaments ; they appeared to attend the procession with-
out any act of devotion, more than the occasional lifting
up of their hands and crying as above ; and manifested
much the same feeling as may be observed in England in
the dissipations of a fair or a wake.
A grand display of fire-works, in which the Hindoos
334 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825.
excel, had been prepared for the evening ; but the torrents
of rain which fell hindered this intended addition to the
attractions of the festival.
On the 2nd of June we visited Trivalloor, about three
miles from Tripassoor, where there is a considerable tem-
ple, and a number of Brahman families.
I sat down in front of the temple, and, being sur-
rounded by Brahmans, asked a number of questions con-
cerning their god, and drew acknowledgments from them
which assisted me in exposing the absurdities of their
system and worship. They endeavoured to defend idolatry
by urging that God has a body or form ; that if not, an
image may express some of the divine attributes, and that
at least idols are necessary to assist ignorant people in
their worship. The coincidence which exists between the
arguments of these Brahmanical advocates of idolatry and
of those who advocate the idolatry of the Romish church is
worthy of notice. The Brahmans disagreed among them-
selves, however, as to what part of their system was defen-
sible, and by what arguments it should be supported. At
length they asked why we erected places of worship if
we abhorred idolatry ; for if we worshipped God without
body or form, invisible and omnipresent, he might be
worshipped in all places alike. This question gave me
an opportunity of explaining the nature of Christian
worship, and of stating some of the principal doctrines
and facts of our holy religion. Many showed great
attention, and at the close a few received copies of the
Gospel in Tamul : others refused them.
On our way home in the night, we alighted from our
horses, in the vicinity of a temple and a large tank, to
refresh ourselves. Whilst there, we had another illus-
tration of the prejudices of the people. A poor man,
who appeared to be very lame, told us the history of his
misfortunes. I held the light, and Mr. Carver put out
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825. 3.35
his hand to examine the man's leg that was hurt ; but
the poor fellow started back with horror, exclaiming that
he was a Brahman, and must not be touched by us !
In July I was again left alone on the Madras station,
by the departure of the brethren Carver and England,
to attend the District-Meeting to be held in Jaffna ; but,
on the ICth of that month, was relieved and cheered by
the arrival, from England, of Mr. and Mrs. Williamson,
who came to assist, as fellow-labourers, in the great
vineyard.
Mrs. Williamson was of a peculiarly amiable disposi-
tion, and rendered herself a favourite wherever she was
known : she was, however, too tender a flower to be so
far transplanted from her native soil. Though not sub-
jected, like most of us, to the exposure and fatigue of
removals and travelling in India, she finished her course
on the 1 9th of July in the following year, having been
only twelve months in Madras.
Mr. Williamson did not last much longer : though
apparently of a robust constitution, he soon felt the
influence of the climate. At the demise of Mrs. W. he
was labouring under an indisposition, from which he
never recovered, an attack of inflammation in the liver,
which rendered severe treatment necessary. I witnessed
the operation of opening the abscess in the liver, by a
deep incision with a surgical knife, A sea voyage was
recommended, and he embarked for the Cape of Good
Hope ; but, before he arrived at that place, he sank
under the influence of disease, and was consigned to a
watery tomb.
Thus early were this young couple snatched from life,
and from a field of labour, in which there was reason
to believe they were fitted for considerable usefulness.
.Such circumstances remind us of the sovereignty and
independence on all human agency, of Him, who, whilst
336 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1626.
he commands us to labour in his vineyard, would have
us salutarily to feel that we are not necessary to the
accomplishment of any of his great and gracious designs.
The brethren, on their way to the District-Meeting,
suffered considerably from sickness and detention by con-
trary winds. They did not reach Madras again till the
beginning of September. "We rejoiced that arrange-
ments had been made to divide our District, so that it
would be no more necessary either for us, or the Mis-
sionaries on the Island of Ceylon, to cross the seas for
the purpose of attending a District-Meeting.
The month of August proved a sickly month in Ma-
dras : several members of our congregations died ; and in
the composure and triumph with which they met death,
gave proof that they had not listened in vain to the
declaration of the truth.
The services connected with our Missionary Anniver-
sary were this year rendered additionally interesting, by
being made the occasion of introducing to our native
congregation a knowledge of the general state and num-
bers of our society throughout the world. This was
accomplished by means of a report, drawn up in the
Tamul language, and read by myself to a numerous and
attentive audience. Much interest and evident surprise
were excited among the natives by the statement of the
extent and numbers of our society, and by the descrip-
tions of the condition of the Heathen, in other parts of
the world. The report, when printed, was much sought
after by the heathen as well as Christian natives. A simi-
lar meeting has been held, and a report in Tamul published,
every year subsequently; which have tended to excite
inquiry among the natives, and to diffuse general know-
ledge ; nor have they failed to produce corresponding
liberality according to the means of the people. By the
statement of the Madras Report, for 1828, the natives
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825. 337
had contributed in that year nearly ^610 to the funds of
the Society. It is not a little remarkable that several
of the contributors are Heathens, making no profession of
Christianity.
A visit to Wallajahbad in September was not distin-
guished by any circumstances essentially differing from
those previously described. My journey in November
was more interesting.
On the 21st of November, I went to Poonamallee, and
found the congregation, to whom previous notice had
been given, assembled in the court-yard of one of the
pensioners. On late visits to Poonamallee, not having
any house or building that would accommodate the con-
gregation, we had held the services in the open air.
On this occasion, it was a clear and beautiful evening ;
the air was so calm as to allow of lamps being hung in
the trees, which formed extensive and convenient chande-
liers ; the chairs and benches, brought together from
various quarters, were soon well filled by persons of all
hues, from the pale worn-out European to the black
Hindoo. I took my station in the verandah, raised two
or three steps from the ground, and felt it a pleasure to
preach to a people amongst whom religion was making
daily progress. I was afterwards called to visit the dying
chamber of one of our congregation. It was cheered by
peaceful resignation and a good hope through grace :
the last end of several persons in this place alone, has
been to us an encouraging proof that we have not la-
boured in vain, and of itself would have been a sufficient
reward for our dangers and toils. To every quarter, how-
ever, of the occupied field, we can look with pleasing
recollections of some who escaped thence to a better
world; we see others also preparing to follow them ; and in
the language of the holy Apostle may say, " Now thanks
be to God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ,
Q
338 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825.
and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us
in every place."
I proceeded to Wallajahbad and Chingleput ; at both
which places the English congregations were attentive,
and the native congregations more numerous than usual.
On my way from Wallajahbad to Tripassoor, I passed
through Keelcheri, a village which I had never visited
before, chiefly inhabited by Romanist Teloogoo natives :
it contains a neat chapel also, and was the residence of a
Romish Priest. The latter personage, a Frenchman,
whose name is Austrey, welcomed me kindly, and gave
me a good deal of his company. Being the only Euro-
pean residing in the neighbourhood, he seemed to have
conformed himself in a good measure to the native mode
of living. His dress was only a shirt of coarse calico,
and a pair of loose drawers of the same ; a rude staff
assisted him in walking ; a slight ailment in one of his
legs rendering its support necessary ; otherwise he was a
strong hale man, though seventy-eight years of age. His
residence was a square of the verandah of the chapel,
only large enough to contain his chair, table, and couch ;
his library consisted of a Latin Vulgate and a few vo-
lumes of Cicero. He conversed in Latin with fluency
and ease, and was very communicative.
He told me he had left France in 1 788, and, referring
to the Revolution, he said he thought it attributable to the
assistance and countenance afforded by Louis to the Ame-
rican colonies in their struggles to throw off the British
yoke. During his residence in India, he had made many
proselytes ; he had now under his care three thousand
souls, scattered through about twenty villages, among
which his colleague was itinerating. I asked if he was
acquainted with the Abbe Dubois ; yes, he replied,
he knew him exceedingly well, they had been colleagues
many years : he had neither seen nor heard of the pub-
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825. 339
lication of the Abbe's " Letters on Christianity in India ;"
and when I told him of the character the Abbe gave to
the Hindoo Komanists, he said it was not correct of them
all. When I inquired if he belonged to the order of
Jesuits, which I had reason to believe he did, he replied,
Societas Jesu extincta est. I referred to the smallness
of his habitation, and the absence of many comforts ; but
he said, Satis est, satis est. In him I found a reali-
zation of what I had often fancied might be the character
and state of many of those talented men, who, when
they were driven from Europe, with a zeal worthy of a
better cause, penetrated into the interior of countries
than very partially known, and raised from amongst the
heathen population a community and an influence in
some measure compensating for what they had lost in
Europe.
The proficiency in religious knowledge he required in
his people, did not extend beyond the Creed and Cate-
chism ; with regard to every thing else, they were taught
to say, that they believed as the holy Eoman Catholic
Church believes. It was no wonder, then, that when I
conversed with some of his people, among whom was a
catechist, and others employed as assistant teachers, I
found them ignorant of the essential doctrines of Chris-
tianity. They listened, however, with candour and atten-
tion to my statements concerning justification by faith in
Christ, and the influences of the blessed Spirit of God,
on both which subjects they seemed to have been in pro-
found ignorance. Such, there is reason to apprehend,
is the state of the great majority of the Romanists of
India. With little knowledge, much of superstition and
ceremony, and an absence of all that is vital and sancti-
fying, it cannot be expected that their moral or religious
character should stand higher than that of their heathen
neighbours ; nor is it a matter of surprise, that the
Q 2
340 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825.
difficulties in the way of Protestant Missionaries should
have been considerably increased by the unworthy asso-
ciations thus connected with the name of Christianity
amongst the Hindoos.
My host got very warm on the subject of the Reformation
and Protestantism ; he wondered at the presumption of
men in rejecting doctrines which had been received by the
church for ages, and confirmed by such a host of saints
and learned men, and became angry when I told him that
the heathen priests had just the same arguments in their
favour. However, we parted friends, and with mutual
expressions of good- will.
Setting out before sunset, I could not but admire the
situation chosen by the Priest for his church and place
of residence : it is a high spot, in the midst of a fertile
country, commanding a pure free air, and an extensive
view. "Were equal judgment exercised by Europeans in
general, in the choice of their residences, it is probable
they would more frequently enjoy robust health, similar
to that of my aged friend.
The 30th, I passed at Tripassoor, and was led to con-
trast the present state of the place, with its religious
condition when I first visited it. It was then unnoticed,
and hardly known, even by name, to the Missionaries of
Madras. A feeling of compassion for the religious desti-
tution of such a number of our fellow-countrymen as are
pensioned here, and the probability of being serviceable
to their native wives and their rising families, appeared
now to have roused the zeal and attention of the Mis-
sionaries of different Societies. Those of the Church
had frequently visited them, and assisted in their school ;
those of the London Society had given them some atten-
tion, and formed a religious society of some of the more
serious and steady amongst them. At every visit I
thought I discovered improvement, but at none more
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1825. 341
than at this, when the gratitude of some of the people
seemed to have no bounds.
On the 18th of December, I opened another place for
Tamul preaching, in the centre of Black-Town, in Madras.
It was only a bungalow, or temporary erection of bamboos
and palmyra leaves : but being in a populous neighbour-
hood, and near a crowded market, it was calculated to
afford opportunities of addressing multitudes, to whom
we otherwise should have had no access. The result
proved that we had not miscalculated in this respect :
the shed itself, for it was little better, would accom-
modate one hundred and fifty persons ; we calculated
there were as many in it at its first opening ; and the
open front and side were generally crowded by Heathens,
or others, whose prejudices and fears would not permit
them to enter a place dedicated to Christian worship.
This place continued to be useful as a school and
preaching-house, till the middle of 1828, when, from its
frail construction, having been a second time blown down
by a hurricane, as we had not the means of construct-
ing it more durably, we removed the services to the old
chapel, on the Mission premises. It is still, however, a
desirable object with us, to see a place for Christian
worship, of a more permanent character, in that part of
Madras, for the special use of the natives ; conversations
in the streets and bazaars are of use in drawing attention
and awakening inquiry ; but stated and regular instruc-
tion must be given under circumstances more favourable
to thought and devotion.
342 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1826.
CHAPTER XXIII.
1826.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1826.
IN January, 1826, we held our District-Meeting, in
Madras, for the first time, and took the opportunity of
all the brethren being assembled, to wait on the Go-
vernor, Sir Thomas Munro. Our visit appeared to in-
terest and gratify him ; he inquired into our operations
and prospects, and dismissed us with assurances of the
full protection of Government, and his own good wishes
for the success of our labours.
My engagements were now chiefly among the natives,
and I had the pleasure of seeing considerable improve-
ment both in the schools and congregations : still, how-
ever, it was seed-time rather than harvest ; a time of
scattering abroad the means of knowledge and happiness,
more than of gathering many souls into the church.
The congregations, especially in the bungalow mentioned
in the last chapter, were considerably increased; many
hundreds of Heathens, of all classes, there heard the
word of God read and explained, and some of our
own people were roused into increased activity by ob-
serving the interest and inquiry thus excited amongst
them.
In February I again left Madras, for an excursion
among the natives in the interior. On the 22d I passed
the day under a tree on the banks of a large tank, where
I was visited by several persons, who listened to my con-
versations. Among other applicants for tracts, was a
TOUR AND DUTIES OF 1826. 343
Mahommedan religious mendicant, or Fakeer, who ap-
peared in some measure convinced of the truth. He
said, he would translate the tract I gave him into Per-
sian ; and inquired where I lived, with a view to visiting
me at some future time.
The person who had charge of one of the temples in
the neighbourhood presented himself before me ; his
body disgustingly daubed over with holy ashes : in his
hands he held a metal dish, filled with the same sub-
stance, into which he desired me to throw an alms for
the temple. I told him, that I did not believe the idol
of the temple to be God ; and that, as its worship was
hateful to Him, I should be doing wrong if I complied
with his request. He appeared satisfied with my rea-
sons ; but rejoined, that gentlemen generally gave some-
thing. It is not an uncommon thing for Europeans, by
a thoughtless liberality, to lead the Heathen to suppose
that they approve of their absurd customs and impious
worship.
When I had commenced my journey in the afternoon,
I was overtaken by a young man, who requested a larger
book than the tracts he had received. I gratified him by
a copy of St. Mark's Gospel, and was rejoiced at the
opportunity of leaving in that heathen neighbourhood so
suitable a portion of the word of God.
I passed two days at Chingleput, where I preached in
Tamul, and had the attendance of several Europeans who
understood the language. In Wallajahbad, I passed
three days in the usual manner, and was encouraged by
the numbers and attention of the congregation.
On the 28th I proceeded to Conjeveram, where, from
my frequent visits, I was pretty well known. A circum-
stance occurred here illustrative of the inquiry and
gradual change taking place in the minds of some of the
natives. It should be remembered, that there was still
344 TOURS AND DUTIES OF l82tf.
not one Christian in the whole population, though con-
sisting of some tens of thousands.
Two of the men who came to me brought with them
a copy of the Tamul translation of Mrs. Sherwood's
" Indian Pilgrim." They said, it was borrowed ; and that,
within the past two months, they had read the whole of it
by lamp-light, being obliged during the day to attend to
their occupation of weaving : their object now was, to get
an explanation of some parts of the book that to them ap-
peared obscure. They said, it was eight years since they
first heard of Christianity ; that within that time they had
read many tracts, distributed here by Missionaries, and
had perused the whole of the New Testament, which had
been lent them from one of the schools. They once
visited Madras, for the purpose of seeing a Missionary ;
but, not knowing under what name to inquire for him,
except as Master of all the charity-schools, they traversed
that extensive town and neighbourhood, and returned
home, a distance of about forty miles, worn out with
fatigue and disappointment at not having accomplished
their object. When I told them, that it was their duty
to be baptized, and make an open profession of what they
believed to be the truth, one of them readily answered,
that the Apostle had said, that " Christ had not sent him
to baptize, but to preach the Gospel ; " thus showing,
that he had read the New Testament with attention,
though he misapplied the passage. They said, they were
not ready to make the sacrifices a profession of Chris-
tianity would require ; and asked, if it were not possible
for them to be saved without baptism. I gave them my
views on the subject, and prayed with them before I sent
them away.
On the road, in the evening, I was met by a man who
requested a tract, reminding me that I had given him one
about twelve months ago.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1826. 345
On the 2d of March, I arrived in Chittoor, and was
welcomed in a hearty and Christian manner by Mr.
D'Acre, who had sent his people out several miles to
meet me.
Here I remained thirteen days, enjoying all the plea-
sure that could be afforded by Christian society and a
prosperous religious establishment.
Every morning and evening, at family worship, more
than one hundred persons were present ; the congrega-
tions on Sundays consisted of several hundreds, and
twice, when I preached in the open air, there were up-
wards of a thousand natives present ; many of them pri-
soners in the jail, who were allowed to assemble in their
irons to hear the word of God ; and I certainly never saw
a more attentive assembly.
The number of native females in the school was up-
wards of one hundred ; many of them read with ease and
fluency ; when I examined the school, more than twenty
married women attended, and gave proof that, though
they had entered on the cares and concerns of life, they
retained their skill and diligence in reading the word of
God. It was with no common feelings I congratulated
them on the privileges they enjoyed above their fellow-
countrywomen, and pointed out their duty in consequence.
I baptized upwards of twenty natives on this visit, and
married several couples.
When I left Chittoor, I was accompanied by Mr.
D'Acre as far as Vellore, where 1 found a wide field for
exertion, both among the natives and Europeans.
Before the end of the month I returned to Madras,
gladdened and encouraged by what I had seen of the pro-
gress of the truth, and by the opportunities afforded to
me of proclaiming the Gospel to thousands of Hindoos
and Mahommedans. I was persuaded that a change was
silently but perceptibly taking place in the views and
Q 5
34G TOUR AND DUTIES OF 1626.
feelings of a portion of the vast population of India ;
that many hundreds are convinced of the folly and sin of
idolatry, though their hearts are not sufficiently affected
hy the truth to induce them, for its sake, to forego those
social and civil privileges from which they would be im-
mediately excluded if they avowed themselves Christians.
A removal of such impediments would soon add thousands
to the visible church ; but it is, perhaps, more desirable
that our numbers should be comparatively few, and con -
sist of those who are ready to "count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ."
During my absence from Madras, Bishop Heber visited
the Presidency, and won all hearts by that devoted and
cheerful piety for which he was distinguished : when our
brethren waited on him, he expressed great interest in
our Missions, and spoke in high terms of what he had
seen of them in Ceylon. I was in hopes of meeting him
on his proposed return to Madras, which, however, was
prevented by his untimely death at Trichinopoly, an event
which was deplored by all classes in India as a general
calamity.
My routine of engagements, in Madras and its neigh-
bourhood, were now uninterrupted, till we were all thrown
into deep affliction by the demise of Mrs. Williamson, on
the 19th of July. Mr. W. became also dangerously ill,
as before mentioned, and, for a short time, my own
health was in danger of suffering by our increased anxie-
ties and constant labours.
Mr. Williamson's indisposition, and the entire absence
of native assistance, made it necessary for me to devote
myself to regular work. With the exception of one visit
to Wallajahbad, I did not leave the precincts of Madras,
till the close of the year. On the 23d of December,
Mr. W. embarked for the Cape of Good Hope, but died
at sea, as already stated.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 182? AND 1828. 347
CHAPTER XXIV.
1827 AND 1828.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1827 AND 1828.
IN the commencement of 1827, I removed from the
Mission-house in Royapettah, to Royapooram, a village
about five miles distant from the former, but only one
mile north of the town of Madras, to which I was desirous
of paving closer attention.
This arrangement lessened my exposure to the
sun and rain, and aiforded to Mr. Carver and myself
opportunities of establishing some additional services,
both English and native. The schools in Black-Town
became more efficient, and, in the course of twelve
months, more members were added to the society than
for some years previously.
In March, Mr. Bourne arrived from England, and
proceeded down the coast to Negapatam, to assist Mr.
Mowat.
In the course of a journey I commenced on the 13th of
June, I visited many places where I had before preached
the Gospel. A few particulars shall suffice.
At Poonamallee I found one, who was suffering much
from sickness and pain, and not far from death, exhibit-
ing the same holy dispositions as those observable in
believers, under similar circumstances, in our own highly-
favoured land. He shed tears of joy, and his face
beamed with holy triumph, whilst he related his feelings
and prospects ; and, referring to the dealings of God
towards him, he said, " Whilst he afflicts with one hand,
he supports with the other."
348 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 182? AND 1828.
It was about midnight when I reached Tripassoor ; but
I was even then visited by one of my old friends, and, in
the morning, had breakfast hospitably provided for me,
as my own boy had failed to come up.
I preached here three times : in visiting the school, I
heard about twenty of the children repeat by heart the
twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew.
On the night of the 1 5th, when sleeping at a choultry,
between Tripassoor and Wallajahbad, I was awoke by the
cry of Pambu, pambu ! "A serpent, a serpent!" My
bearers were all on the alert, the serpent had passed
between them and me, without touching any one.
Having ascertained that it was not the hooded serpent,
or cobra de capella, which their superstitious reverence
will not allow them to destroy, though it is one of the
most deadly reptiles in existence, they killed it, and
then found that it was the kazhuthei virian, literally,
" ass viper," a serpent whose bite is fatal.
We far less frequently hear of injury sustained by the
bite of serpents, than might be anticipated from their
numbers, and the practice of the natives of sleeping on
the ground. During my residence in Madras, five ser-
pents of a venomous kind were killed on the Mission
premises, but no person was injured by them. A short
time before I left Madras, a man, who brought me a note
from Mr. Carver to Royapooram, was, on his return,
bitten by a serpent, near the gate of the town : though
it was midnight, he obtained assistance from the chapel-
keeper, and a native doctor succeeded in checking the
influence of the venom ; which in two or three days seem-
ing to have recovered its power, he was affected as at the
first, and, becoming dangerously ill, requested to be bap-
tized, that he might die a Christian, as he had for some
time been a candidate for admission into the Christian
church. The same doctor was again called to him, and,
TOtJRS AND DUTIES OF 1827 AND 1828. 349
by means of his specifics, was successful in restoring him
to perfect health.
Singular as it may appear, the natives suffer more
from the attacks of rats than of serpents. The former,
which exist in great numbers and variety, take advantage
of the men being soundly asleep, and eat the skin from
the soles of their feet, so near the quick, as often to
make it difficult for them to walk for some days after-
wards. I was awoke and astonished one night, by some-
thing tugging at my ear ; it was a rat : the moment I
stirred, my visitant made good his retreat : had my sleep
been more sound, I should probably have suffered severely.
At Wallajahbad, I was employed as usual, in the cha-
pel and in the school, for four days.
On the 20th, I set out for Vellore. In passing through
Arcot, I was recognised by a native, who said he had
formerly seen me at Conjeveram, and now again wished
for tracts. I exceeded his request, hy giving him a
Gospel also.
At Vellore, I was kindly entertained for three days, by
Captain Wahab ; and had an opportunity of preaching
to attentive congregations, English and native. From
thence I proceeded to Chittoor, where I coidd not long
remain ; but again, for a short time only, enjoyed the
society of my friends, both English and native. A
journey, as rapid as circumstances would allow, brought
me back to Madras, on the morning of the 30th of June.
This was the last time I had the pleasure of seeing
Mr. D'Acre. In the beginning of 1828, he fell a victim
to a severe fever, which, from the description .1 heard of
it, was similar to that of which I was cured at his house,
four years before, in a great measure, hy his attentions
and skill. In him the Government lost a valuable ser-
vant, and the cause of Christianity in India a liberal and
laborious friend.
350 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1827 AND 1828.
In the course of the year 1827, our Tamul school-
master in Black-Town, a native Portuguese, who had
become a Protestant about two years before, evinced
more than ordinary zeal in publicly reading the Scrip-
tures and other Christian books, and in refuting both
heathenish and Eomish idolatry, and calling the natives
to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When
I arrived at the chapel on Sunday mornings, to conduct
Tamul service, I usually found the front of it crowded
with natives, listening to his reading and exhortations.
Spontaneous exertion on the part of the natives is
what we particularly wish to see ; as likely to proceed
from right motives, and being an encouraging indication
of the workings of divine influence. We have not been
without several valuable instances of this kind, both
among our immediate congregations and those members
who had been removed to a distance from us : and may
not some important results be anticipated from the
labours of a few faithful men, though their number and
character may, to a casual observer, appear unworthy of
notice ? The walls of the city have been compassed, and
though the force be apparently inadequate, let them
continue to be compassed in the name of the Lord, and
they will one day fall down suddenly, so that every man
may go up into the breach that is before him.
Another means which has been employed by the bre-
thren at our different stations, and which should, perhaps,
have been before adverted to, is the establishment of
daily morning service, at an early hour, either in the
chapel or the Missionary's house, at which we had not
unfrequently an encouraging attendance of strangers, as
well as of our own people and the children of the schools.
By these frequent services, by school examinations, and
continual intercourse with the natives, the Missionary
becomes familiarized with the people and the language ;
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1827 AND 1828. 351
and there are perhaps weeks and months in which he
reads and speaks more in the languages of India than he
does in his own.
The hurricane which occurred in December, 1827, was
the most violent that had been experienced in Madras for
some years. On the 5th I had left home early, married
a native couple at the chapel, and had gone thence to
Perumboor, the residence of the Rev. "W. Sawyer, of the
Church Missionary Society, to be present at the opening
of a beautiful little church he had erected in his garden,
for Tamul worship. In the afternoon a singular murky
blue line of clouds near the horizon, to the north-east,
attracted my attention, and, together with the extreme
coldness of the day, led me to expect rough weather. I
postponed an engagement I had that evening, and has-
tened home ; but did not reach it before the rain had
commenced, the wind being from the north-west,
which continued till towards midnight, when it blew a
tremendous hurricane from the north-east. I lay down,
but not to sleep ; the increasing violence of the wind
filled me with anxiety for the shipping in the roads, and
for the many thousands of inhabitants of fragile dwell-
ings on shore. I once rose to satisfy myself whether the
tremendous roaring was that of the wind only, or whe-
ther the sea had not passed its bounds, and was ready to
swallow us up. The storm increased in violence ; and,
giving up thoughts of rest, I stood where I was not much
exposed to the tempest, to watch its progress. Large
trees in the garden were torn up by the roots, and
others were laid prostrate on the ground. In a grove of
cocoa-nut trees opposite, several were torn up, and others
snapped in the middle ; they waved to the wind like so
many stalks of wheat. All the natives in the garden left
their more imperfect shelter and came into the hall,
where they lay on a heap ; the dog appeared to sympa-
352 TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1827 AND 1828.
thize with their fear, and crept whining into a corner.
The storm continued unabated till after sunrise ; but in the
midst of it I saw naked natives, who might have been
imagined to be demons of the storm, hurrying away Avith
fruit, timber, or any other wreck they could lay their
hands on.
Wishing to have a view of the sea, I tried to ascend to
the top of the house, by the flight of steps outside, lead-
ing to the terraced roof ; but was obliged to return for
fear of being carried away. I ventured up when the
storm was somewhat abated, and had my fears for the
shipping increased by the violence of the surf, and the
distance from the shore at which it began to break.
I now ventured out to see the damage which had been
done ; the road, in many places, was obstructed by the
uprooted trees ; our chapel in Black-Town was partially
unroofed, and consequently drenched inside ; the bungalow
for school and preaching lay prostrate on the ground. In
another part of the town, the beautiful high front of a
new Romish church had been blown down upon the roof,
which was forced in, and the expensive furniture of the
interior destroyed. A Romanist, who witnessed the de-
struction of my temporary chapel, exclaimed, " There
goes the Protestant religion : " when his own chapel gave
way, he assumed a more serious tone. On the beach,
large stones, heavier than a man could lift, were thrown
up to a considerable distance ; heavy boats had been
blown from their moorings, and rolled over and over,
throwing down walls and palisades in their progress for
several hundred yards. Five vessels lay complete wrecks
within three miles of each other on the coast ; but the
crews had in general got on shore. I saw one poor native
woman who had been killed by the falling of a strong
wall ; but, on the whole, fewer lives were lost than might
have been apprehended.
TOURS AND DUTIES OF 1827 AND 1828. 353
The hurricane extended with equal violence to forty or
fifty miles in-land, but not to so great a distance either
north or south.
At the close of 1827, I prepared to pay a visit to my
native land, hut was induced to defer that pleasure for
another year, by the wishes of the brethren, expressed in
the District Meeting of January, 1828.
A journey in February to Wallajahbad, in which I
visited several places frequently mentioned, accompanied
by the schoolmaster, whose character has already been ad-
verted to, did not present any incident of unusual interest.
In the course of it I distributed about fifty Gospels and
nearly a thousand tracts. My engagements, both at home
and abroad, continued to be such as before described.
In March I became the subject of some indisposition,
which unfitted me for my work ; Mr. Bourne came up
from Negapatam, on the 1st of May, to supply my place.
I now made trial of change of air, and foUowed medical
advice until July, without experiencing any amelioration,
when my friends agreed with my medical advisers that a
sea voyage and a residence of some time in my native
land had become absolutely necessary for my restoration.
Accordingly I embarked in the " General Palmer," on
the 20th of July, 1828, and was accompanied to the
vessel by Mr. Carver, who had displayed the greatest kind-
ness to me during my indisposition, and several Brahman
natives, whom curiosity led to visit and examine the ship.
I had then been, within a few weeks, eight years in In-
dia, more than six of which had been happily passed in
Madras. I could not quit the scene of honourable labour,
and some degree of usefulness, without regret ; I never re-
vert to Madras without feelings of pleasure ; and flatter
myself that the additional information concerning it,
offered in the following chapter, will not be unacceptable
to the reader who has accompanied me thus far,
354 CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS.
CHAPTER XXV.
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS.
BEFORE entering upon an account of my voyage home,
I lay before my readers some remarks on subjects not
fully treated upon in the preceding chapters.
Madras is a place of greater political than commercial
importance. Though it is the chief port in the south of
India, the circumstance of its possessing no harbour or
shelter for shipping, causes it to be shunned at some
seasons, and renders it at all times less desirable to trade
at than the other Presidencies ; the coasting trade is
difficult and limited. All goods being embarked and dis-
embarked by Masoola boats managed by natives, English
seamen are rarely seen ashore ; and it would m scarcely be
possible to pick up an English boat's crew from amongst
the whole population. It is said to have been nothing bet-
ter than a fishing village, before it was fixed upon by the
British as the seat of Government ; and it is obvious that
a great part of the site of Black-Town was formerly a part
of the salt ditch, or back-water, which may be observed,
a little way within the beach, for many miles both to
the north and south ; and of which Cochrane's canal is a
part, deepened so as to make it navigable for boats as far
north as Pulicat.
A view of the ecclesiastical establishments of Madras
would afford some assistance in estimating its importance.
The Romish Clergy are numerous, and are to be seen, as
is never the case in England, walking abroad in the habit
of their orders ; the Franciscan with his gown and the
cord about his waist, the Capuchin with his hooded
cloak, &c. There are also some of the Clergy of the
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS. 355
Armenian Church, who, I was informed, have this pecu-
liarity, that they must be married men to be eligible to
these distant appointments ; and that for ten years, the
period of their engagement, they leave their families in
their native land. Madras has now, for several years,
been the seat of an English Bishop : previously an Arch-
deacon and several Chaplains supplied the churches
of the established Church of England. Two Pres-
byterian Ministers, of the Kirk of Scotland, officiate
at St. Andrew's. The Incorporated Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel had two Missionaries in
Madras ; its affairs are conducted by a Committee of
resident gentlemen. The Church Missionary Society had
also two Missionaries, and a similar Committee. The
London Missionary Society had two Missionaries, and the
Wesleyan Missionary Society the same number.* The
Male and Female Asylums, for the support and education
of the orphans of British soldiers, contain many hundreds
of children ; and, together with the free-schools of Fort
St. George and Black-Town, and those connected with the
different Missions, provide for the Christian education of
a considerable portion of the offspring of those persons,
British and native, whose indifference or poverty would
have consigned them to ignorance and Heathenism. The
reading population is supplied with Bibles and tracts by
the active local auxiliaries of the British and Foreign
Bible and Tract Societies.
The British community of Madras consists chiefly of
the members and servants of the Government, in active
service, and a few lawyers and merchants.
The English congregations of the different Mission
chapels are composed chiefly of descendants of Europeans,
* For the Statistics of the Madras Presidency, and a View of the
Missions of each Society according to the most recent returns, see the
Tables appended to the Introduction.
356
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS.
or Indo-Britons, a rapidly-increasing and important race,
forming a link of connexion and communication between
the British and the Hindoos.
The chief employment of persons of this class is, that
of clerks in the different offices of Government. Being,
in many instances, the children of persons holding high
situations, and not having before them the example and
circumstances of the lower and middling classes of Eng-
lish society, they are inclined to despise mechanical pur-
suits, as low and unsuitable to them ; whilst, in point of
fact also, their adoption of the English mode of living
has made it impossible for them to compete with the
natives in cheapness of labour, or to obtain a comfortable
subsistence in such employments.
The moral and spiritual condition of the thousands of
this portion of Indian society has been obviously improv-
ing for some years past. One of themselves, a very
respectable and intelligent man, told me, that twenty years
previous he did not suppose there were three families of
this description in Madras, in which the sacred duties of
reading the Scriptures and prayer were attended to ; but
now we could reckon many, who, in this respect and in
the general consistency of their deportment, would bear a
comparison with their Christian brethren in any part of
the world. Many of them are liberal and active in reli-
gious and charitable institutions ; valuable auxiliaries and
assistants to Missions have been raised up from among
them ; and we doubt not they will, ultimately, bear a con-
siderable part in Christianizing the aborigines of India.
The descendants of the Portuguese are not of such a
promising character; these, with few exceptions, are
kept in ignorance by their attachment to the religion of
Rome ; and their indolence secures their poverty. Their
credulity and superstition were exemplified by the crowds
who, in 1827, visited, with offerings and presents, the
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS. 357
grave of a notoriously wretched woman in Royapooram,
where miracles were said to have been wrought ; the false-
hood of which was so manifest, that the Romish Bishop
of St. Thome issued an order, that the practice should be
discontinued.
The condition of the Hindoos, their prejudices and
superstitions, have been, in some large degree, described
in the preceding narrative. There is one annual observ-
ance of theirs briefly aUuded to, p. 101, the full descrip-
tion of which ought not to be omitted, as I frequently
witnessed it : the natives term it, chedl audl, " swing-
ing," or, literally, "playing on a pole." This play, or
sport of Heathenism, bears the usual characteristics of
absurdity and cruelty.
In Royapettah, where I witnessed the observance for
several years successively, a pole, thirty or forty feet high,
was planted in the ground perpendicularly, having an
iron pivot on the top, on which rested the middle of an
horizontal yard or cross pole, which might also be about
forty feet in length : this latter was managed by a rope
attached to one end, reaching down to the ground, by
means of which it could be made to turn upon the centre
as fast as the people could run : near the other end of
the cross pole, attached to a short rope, were two bright
iron hooks ; and at the extreme end was a short rope,
about the length of that to which the hooks were
attached.
By slackening the rope, for the management of the
cross pole, the other end, to which the hooks were
attached, was lowered to a platform, higher than the
heads of the assembled multitude, from whence, when it
was raised, was borne into the mid-air a man, with no
other dress than a waist-cloth, and supported only by the
muscles and flesh of the middle of the back, into which
were thrust the iron hooks ! When the cross pole, thus
358 CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS.
laden, had regained its horizontal position, it was turned
quickly on the pivot, hy the persons holding the rope at
the other end, moving round with it at a good pace.
It was impossible to look at the deluded votary of
superstition thus painfully suspended, without a sicken-
ing horror ; not merely from an idea of the agonies
endured by him, but also from a fear lest the flesh
should tear by his weight, and that, falling from a height
which would insure his destruction, he should, by death,
complete the sacrifice thus offered to the infernal gods.
The rising of the flesh taken up by the hooks seemed
to threaten such a catastrophe ; and the short rope at
the extremity of the pole being within reach of the per-
son suspended, was, perhaps, intended to afford, in such
a case, some chance of safety. Some of the persons thus
suspended appeared fearful of falling, and held constantly
by the rope ; or, by this means, they perhaps hoped to
relieve themselves of some degree of the pain which must
be endured. Others, more bold and hardy, made no use
of the rope ; and, as though happy as well as fearless,
thrust their hands into their cloth, and, taking out a
profusion of flowers, provided for the occasion, showered
them abroad amongst the people, who struggled to catch
and preserve them, as though they had been blessings from
heaven : one fellow, by way of additional bravado, fired
a pistol, which he had stuck in his waist for the purpose.
I never pressed through the assembled crowds near
enough to see the hooks put into the flesh ; but was told
that the only means used to deaden the pain was a smart
blow, given with the open hand, on that side of the back
into which the hook was to be inserted. From the indif-
ference with which they mingled with the crowd after the
ceremony, and the smallness of the streams of blood I
have seen trickling from the wounds, I should suppose
that a less quantity of blood than would be imagined is
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS. 359
lost by the devotees. I think I have seen five or six
persons swing in one day.
Swinging is neither practised nor sanctioned by the
Brahmans ; at least they have always disavowed it to me ;
and I never observed any besides the lower classes of the
Hindoos conducting or participating in the ceremony. It
is said to be observed in consequence of vows made in
time of sickness or danger, or for the obtaining of chil-
dren or some other desired object. It is not improbable
that facts have afforded good ground for the observation
common in India, that the persons who swing are gene-
rally notorious rogues, who thus manifest their gratitude
at having escaped the punishment due to their crimes.
Immorality is not inconsistent with the religion of the
Hindoo system, as might be expected from the character
of the objects of their worship. I have had repeated to
me a prayer in doggerel verse, said to be used by some
servants, in which assistance and protection in all sorts of
peculation and thievery are expressly implored !
Another curious practice of the Hindoos is that of
feeding the bird vulgarly called the Brahmany kite : this
bird is considered the representative of Garuda, the bird
and vehicle of Vishnu, as the eagle to Jupiter. Garuda is
described as possessing something of the intellect and form
of a man, as well as the pinions and habits of a bird ; a
well-executed brass cast of Garuda, as bearing Vishnu and
two of his wives, is in the possession of my brother in
Manchester. The time of feeding these kites is on Sunday
morning, when many respectable natives may be seen on
the public roads with small baskets, containing bits of
flesh. They call out, "Hari! Hari!" one of the titles
of Vishnu, till the kites, accustomed to the call, hover
within a few yards of the ground, and stoop on the
wing to catch the bits of flesh thrown up to them by
their worshippers.
360 CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS.
With the Mahommedans of Madras I had only occa-
sional intercourse ; they seldom appeared in our congre-
gations, and their haughty assumption of superiority to
all other men, especially in religious matters, renders
them, humanly speaking, more unlikely to be converted
to Christianity than the Hindoos. I have, however,
known several instances of conversion among them, and
have had hopes that the constitutional energy and
superior mind of some of them would be successfully
directed to the promotion of the faith they had embraced.
One Mahommedan, of great age and venerable appear-
ance, had frequently visited me, and, notwithstanding
his pretensions of superiority, allowed me to talk to him
on religious subjects. The object of his visits was at last
opened, by a very serious inquiry of how much I would
allow him, monthly, if he induced a hundred Mahomme-
dan families to embrace the profession of Christianity !
This reminds me of an account given to me by a re-
spectable Roman Catholic native, whom I knew many
years, of the manner in which his family were converted
from Heathenism.
Several generations ago, before the English power in
Madras extended so far as Poonamallee, there died in that
village a Hindoo of the Velala caste, or class of farmers,
leaving his property to be divided between his two sons,
each of whom was already the head of a family.
The two sons disagreed about the division of the pro-
perty ; and the younger, thinking himself aggrieved, car-
ried the cause before a magistrate, who determined that
the case should be decided in the manner sanctioned by
the custom of the country.
Accordingly, he and suitable witnesses proceeded to the
estate which was the subject of litigation, and the two
brothers were required to attend and point out their
respective claims. A dish of burning coals was then
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS. 361
provided, and the elder brother, who claimed more of the
property than the younger admitted him to be entitled to,
was required to take the vessel of fire upon his bare head
and carry it over the land, on the supposition, that as
soon as he had passed over as much of it as he had a
right to, the dish would, judicially, become too hot to be
endured, and that wherever it should be thrown down,
there providence indicated should be the border of his
possessions. The elder brother took the fire on his head,
and ran with it from one end of the estate to the other :
it was, of course, decided that the whole belonged to him,
and that the younger brother had no just claim to any
part of it !
Whilst the poor fellow was smarting under his loss and
chagrin, a Romish Priest came into the neighbourhood :
the man waited on him, and related the whole affair,
entreating him to use his influence for the recovery of his
property. The Priest engaged to do so, if he would become
a Christian ; and, on this assurance, the man brought all
his family and dependents, to the amount of about fifty
persons, to be baptized. After they had been received
into the bosom of holy Church, when the Priest
visited their house, the head of the family pointed out a
figure of Pilleiar or Ganesa, the elephant-headed deity of
the Hindoos, which had long been the object of their
domestic devotions, and with which the women and
children were unwilling to part. " O," said the Priest,
" that is no great matter ; it may continue, only let them
make the sign of the cross before it." After a time the
crucifix was substituted in its place.
The condition on which, for several generations, the
heathen and Christian branches of this family inter-
married, affords a further illustration of their views of
Christianity. It was, that a heathen female marrying
into the Christian family should be baptized, and that a
362 CONCLUDING REMARKS ON MADRAS.
Christian female marrying into the heathen branch should
become a Heathen. It is but lately that the Roman Catholic
part of the family has determined that no more of their
relations should return to Heathenism : in consequence, the
intermarriages have ceased, as the Heathens will not con-
tinue them under any other consideration.
It is scarcely necessary to add, that the Priest did not
fulfil the expectations he had caused the poor man to
entertain ; and that the whole estate to this day remains
in the heathen branch of the family.
The whole population of Madras, whose varieties of
character and circumstances are thus attempted to be
illustrated, presents a most open, extensive, and impor-
tant field for Missions, and a field promising, ultimately,
the greatest triumphs to Christianity. Every section of
the Missionary force has already had its degree of success,
and our own has had much reason to be encouraged.
The erection or purchase of seven chapels, two of them
of good size, the others smaller, chiefly by contributions
among the people, the establishment of as many congre-
gations, which, though not numerous, are affectionately
attached to us, and zealously devoted to the cause, the
prosperity and increase of the eleven schools, superin-
tended by our Missionaries, none of which were in
existence twelve years ago, are sufficient testimonies of
the divine blessing having been on our Mission, and will
justify the attachment of the labourers to the field, and
the hopes which they indulge of an ultimately abundant
harvest. These prospects, as well as the increasing
facilities for Missionary operations afforded by the labours
of the Bible and Tract Societies, should stimulate the
zeal of the church to increased exertion, and lead us to
" pray the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth
more labourers into his harvest." " For the harvest
indeed is great, but the labourers are few."
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 363
CHAPTER XXVI.
1828.
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND.
THE passengers were all embarked by the evening of
the 20th of July ; but we did not get under weigh till three
o'clock on the 21st. A strong breeze from the land
occasioned a favourable commencement to our voyage,
and Madras, with its spires and noble range of buildings
on the beach, soon receded from our view. I could not
leave India without feeling that I left behind much that
was dear to me ; and even the cheering thoughts of a
visit to England, and the anticipations of restoration to
health, were chastened and partially subdued, by a re-
membrance of the work, the friends and the colleagues,
from whom I was to be separated, at least for a time.
The following day a stiff breeze considerably ruffled the
sea, and occasioned much motion to the vessel : as I sat
on deck, a heavy spray dashed over the weather side of
the ship, and drenched me from head to foot ; a fellow-
passenger, more unfortunate still, trying to escape from
it, fell heavily on the deck, to his considerable hurt and
annoyance.
On Sunday, the 27th, at day-light, we saw the island of
Ceylon. The mountain called the Friar' s-hood, and the
whole line of coast, as I had seen it from the ship Tanjore
on my voyage out, were in view. I still look at Ceylon
with pleasure, because I know that much has been done
to free it from slavery and superstition, and that every
day the champions of the cross are there successfully
combating the powers of darkness.
The day proved excessively hot : the wind failed, we
R 2
3b'4 VOYAGE TO ENGLAND.
lay still on the water, and all was calm, as though pur-
posely to allow us to assemble for divine worship.
Great pains were taken to make a comfortable church,
by the arrangement of seats, and by spreading out awn-
ings to screen us from the sun. The passengers and
crew, the women and children, were all in their cleanest
and gayest apparel ; my congregation consisted of about
one hundred persons, the whole of whom paid great
attention, whilst I read the morning service, and preached
from, " Seek ye first the kingdom of God."
The confinement of ship-board, and the sort of fare to
which we were necessarily restricted, had no tendency to
hasten my recovery ; and I continued to suffer much from
indisposition.
Before many weeks had elapsed, the tedium of a sea
voyage began to be complained of by the passengers ;
and some of my books were borrowed and perused by per-
sons, who, under other circumstances, would have thought
it severe drudgery to read religious works. Two or three
years' old newspapers which I possessed, became highly
valuable, and were borrowed in succession, and carefully
returned, after having been entirely read over, from the
advertisements on the first page, to the bottom of the
last column on the fourth. Many of us were of opinion,
that it would have been a profitable speculation for the
Captain, or any of the officers, to have had on board a
stock of books as a circulating library, to be available
only to those who thought proper to subscribe.
We had a good deal of boisterous weather in August
and the beginning of September. We were then in the
neighbourhood of the Cape of Good Hope, well called by
the Portuguese Capo des Tempestades ; the thermometer
ranged about 60, and it was felt to be exceedingly cold
by us who, for many months previously, had been living
in a temperature thirty or forty degrees higher.
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 365
On Sunday, the 7th of September, it was a lovely morn-
ing ; the wind was favourable, and invited us to crowd
sail; about half-past ten all assembled to prayers. At
noon we experienced a lull ; the sun shone bright and
warm, the surface of the waters was unruffled, and not a
cloud appeared in any quarter : we were becalmed for
several hours. In the midst of it the Captain astonished
us all by taking in studding-sails and gallant-sails, and
reefing top-sails, as though in expectation of rough wea-
ther. He had been consulting his glass, a barometer of
peculiar and very delicate construction, and was right in
his conjectures as to what might be expected : before
midnight the severest gale we had experienced began to
blow, and continued, with little abatement, for seven
days : as it came from the north-west, it was direct
against us, and it was with some difficulty we could
maintain our ground.
The perils of eating and drinking, during a gale of
wind, cannot be easily imagined by those who have never
experienced them. We were one day taking lunch at
twelve o'clock, when the vessel rolled so greatly, that the
cheese could not be kept on the table : the Captain de-
sired one of the passengers to put it on the swinging-
tray, over the table, on which the decanters and glasses
were placed : in doing as he was desired, he stayed the
swinging of the tray with his hand, when, in a moment,
by a roll of the vessel, decanters, tumblers, wine-glasses,
cheese, and ah 1 , were poured from it to the floor, and
involved in one general smash.
During part of the time this gale continued, the sky
was cloudless, and the sun shone brightly ; its rays pass-
ing through the showering spray, which was broken and
scattered by the wind from the top of every wave, formed
a sort of rainbow, presenting us with the beautiful phe-
nomenon of a hundred miniature rainbows at one view.
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND.
On the 14th we saw the southern coast of Africa. On
the 1 6th, one of the seamen on the weather top-sail yard,
trying to ship the studding-sail boom, fell down into the
main-top, and was severely hurt.
A favourable wind sprung up on the 17th. The pas-
sengers spent most of the day on deck, enjoying the
sight of the land as we sailed along, from point to point,
continually varying the bold and mountainous scenery,
and sometimes coming very near the shore, much de-
lighted at the fair prospect of at last accomplishing that
difficulty of the voyage, doubling the Cape. We could
discern nothing on the shore, except here and there a
shrub on the sandy beach and bleak-looking hills.
At noon, on the 18th of September, we were fairly in
the Atlantic Ocean, out of sight of land, and fifty miles
to the west of the Cape of Good Hope, with a moderate
wind and quiet seas.
Our voyage now became invariably delightful for many
days, the weather allowing us undisturbed sleep at night,
and permitting us, during the day, to occupy ourselves as
we chose.
On the 28th and 29th more than usual care was
observed in navigating the vessel. The longitude was
ascertained with exactness ; the log was thrown out every
hour, to give the rate at which we passed through the
water ; and, during the night, the bell was sounded every
hour, and answered by the man on the look-out at the
bows of the vessel, by the cry of, " All's well."
On Tuesday, September 30th, before day-light, as I
swung in my sea cot, I heard the cheering news of,
" Land in sight ! land a-head ! " It was the island of
St. Helena.
Our making this island had been naturally a matter of
anxiety to us : our water was nearly expended, our live
stock scant and poor, our Indian potatoes and yams had
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 367
been long exhausted, and we had no substitute, except
rice and maccaroni. Our hope of refit and refreshment
depended on our sailing direct on the south-east part of
St. Helena, a small island, whose extreme length is only
about nine miles ; (a mere speck in the vast ocean we
were navigating ;) and our touching there, under Pro-
vidence, rested on the correctness of the chronometers,
and the skill of the officers in taking solar and lunar
observations. Instances were mentioned of vessels hav-
ing passed it but a few miles to the west or north ; and,
when they discovered their error, having been unable
to return at all, or having had to beat about for two or
three weeks before they could retrieve their mistake ; for
the wind, all the year round, blows strongly, and, with
little variation, from about the south-east, and renders
a return to the island almost impracticable : it was
delightful, therefore, to find that the land, when dis-
covered, was direct a-head of us, to the north-west.
I did not leave my cabin before I had made every
arrangement preparatory to going ashore. When I went
on deck, we were a mile or two from land, which pre-
sented an appearance singular and awful. The accounts
I had read, and the views I had seen, had certainly failed
to convey an adequate conception of the scene then
before me ; a dark rock, of amazing height, rising pre-
cipitously out of the sea, roughly jagged and peaked at
the sides and top, without any vegetation, except here
and there a patch of moss rendering the general barren-
ness more remarkable. As its appearance was unin-
viting, so its rugged steepness seemed to render it
impracticable to land.
This is the side by which the island is always ap-
proached. While I gazed on it, I could not help imagin-
ing the feelings of the great warrior, whose name had
made Europe tremble, when he came in sight of the
368 VOYAGE TO ENGLAND.
gloomy rock where he was to be imprisoned for the
remainder of his days.
Signal-posts on the top of a nearer, and of another a
more distant, mount, bespoke the former vigilance of its
possessors : we saw nothing about them to indicate that
they are used at present. For about half an hour we
glided round the north-east corner of the island, passing
point after point of the same grand and gloomy character.
At length we came in sight of a small fort, situated on a
rock, rising abruptly from the level of the ocean, as
nearly as I could judge, to the height of five hundred
feet ; whilst the back part of the rock assumed a conical
form, and rose to three or four times that height. At
this fort every ship must speak, before she is allowed to
approach the anchorage. The rock on which it stands
would seem to be of the same abrupt character below as
above water ; for we passed it fearlessly, under full sail,
within, perhaps, fifty yards distance, and read, on the
fortified point above us, the words, " Send a boat."
This it did not prove necessary to do, as several men
appeared on the walls, one of whom hailed us with a
speaking-trumpet, and inquired our name, &c. The
Captain answered, and we were allowed to proceed. I
could then uninterruptedly enjoy the scene, and thought
it one of the finest I had ever gazed on : the lofty main-
mast of the vessel, hung with sails, seemed nothing in
height, when compared with the precipice under which
we were passing, and from the top of which an orange
might have been thrown by the hand upon our deck ; or,
by opening the guns, which we saw in war-like order, it
would have been easy to annihilate us in an instant.
From thence we traced the road, winding and descend-
ing towards the valley, in the bosom of which lies James-
Town, the only one in the island, and which formed the
bay in which we must anchor. The town soon burst on
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 369
our view ; presenting, as the most prominent objects, the
church and the Governor's house, surrounded by many
other buildings of less magnitude, and of a neat and
pleasing appearance.
With the exception of a few trees, of dingy green, the
valley appeared as barren as the mountain-rocks on each
side of it ; but the eye was relieved in the back-ground
by a plantation of firs round Alarm-House, crowning
and adorning a point equal in height to any within
view.
We had no sooner cast anchor than we were visited by
the Doctor of Health, whose duty it is to ascertain whe-
ther there is any disease on board, before any person
from the ship is permitted to land, or any from the shore
to visit the vessel. After the usual inquiries, the hoist-
ing of a white flag announced that communication with
the land was permitted, and boats came alongside imme-
diately, for the accommodation of passengers. The
morning was remarkably fine ; cloudy, without rain.
We passed through the fortified gate of the town at
twenty minutes before ten, whilst the musical band of the
European regiment on the island was performing on the
parade in front of the hotel, which we entered to order
dinner and inquire for conveyances.
After an hour's delay, I and three others procured a
low, open, four-wheeled carriage, drawn by two horses, in
which we moved quickly through the town, towards the
hill on the left. The ascent was rendered easy by a zig-
zag road on the side of the mountain, guarded, on the
lower side, by a stone wall. As we ascended, the
grandeur of the scenery and the apparent dangers of the
road increased, till we came to one part which had not
the defence of a wall ; when the fears of a lady, who was
one of the party, obliged us to walk the horses. To
remove our apprehensions, the driver coolly assured us,
R 5
370 VOYAGE TO ENGLAND.
that the horses knew the way as well as he knew it
himself.
As we proceeded, we several times looked back, or
rather down, at the diminished houses of James-Town,
and at our own and other vessels in the harbour, which
appeared but as specks on the water ; till at length both
they and the line of horizon became indistinct, and were
lost in the distance and haze.
A neat little box, at the side of a hill before us, had
attracted our notice, when suddenly the driver stopped the
horses, and, directing our attention down the side of the
mountain to the left, said, gruffly, " There is his grave,"
meaning Buonaparte's. We gazed down the steep ; and,
in a warm nook of the valley, beautifully green, and
strongly contrasting with the general barrenness, beheld
the spot which had received the remains of the most ex-
traordinary man of his day, overshadowed by a weeping
willow, and encircled by two enclosures, the outer one for
the preservation of the tree and the grass-plot round the
grave. This was a deeply-interesting moment : I gazed
in silence and with solemn reflection on the wondrous
ways of Him, who " removeth kings and setteth up
kings," who " abaseth the proud," and " giveth the
kingdom to whomsoever he will." The entire absence of
monument and inscription seemed irresistibly to imply,
that the extraordinary nature of his character rendered
them unnecessary ; and that the everlasting rocks and
heights which form the island, would ever be chiefly fa-
mous as being his tomb, as they had before been as his
prison.
We were told we should visit the grave on our return ;
and accordingly proceeded to the house in front of us,
which had before attracted our attention, and which we
learned had been the residence of General Bertrand, till
a better house was prepared for him, in the immediate
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 3/1
neighbourhood of Longwood. We alighted, and wel-
comed the refreshment offered to us by the woman of the
house ; for the low temperature of the mountain air had
given unusual keenness to our appetites.
To Longwood-House, the former residence of Buona-
parte, we now hastened. Its situation is on high table-
land, commanding an extensive prospect, and insuring
pure air, and a bracing temperature. The approach to it
is through a long avenue of trees, of peculiar appearance,
having long narrow leaves of a dark green hue, and
branches hung with moss, as though but recently left by
the waters of a deluge.
We alighted in a court-yard, where we already found
a party of visitors ; with a few of whom I entered a
stable, and admired the strength and beauty of some
English horses, kept for the purposes of the farm, to
which the grounds about Longwood are now converted.
I was about to retire, when the Doctor of the island, who
was with us, observed, " This was Buonaparte's bed-
room." " Yes," said one of the grooms ; " and in this
corner, where the horse stands, he was laid in state."
We were next taken to the house, for the most part
constructed of timber in England, and sent out to be
raised in St. Helena, for Buonaparte's immediate accom-
modation. It was then used as a barn ; fodder for cattle
and implements of husbandry occupied the apartments
in which Napoleon had read, walked, and conversed.
The house subsequently erected for him, and which was
scarcely completed when he died, was magnificent, and
finished in good style ; but its walls and passages were
forsaken and silent, and its garden neglected. An officer
occupied two rooms of it occasionally ; and a French
family, employed in the new experiment of the produc-
tion of silk on the island, lived in some of the out-
buildings. From the floor of the kitchen had been taken
372 VOYAGE TO ENGLAND.
the three stones which covered Buonaparte's grave, and
marked the spot of his interment. They have not been
replaced by others ; and their absence gave an air of
dilapidation to the place, with which the feelings of the
stranger accord, when he hears with wonder the strange
cause of their removal. " It was a prison, after all,"
exclaimed one of our party, whilst we were admiring the
building and its situation. There was nothing about the
house, or the reflections to which it gave rise, to induce
us to remain much longer ; so we plucked a few flowers
in the garden, and took our leave of Longwood.
Returning about a mile and a half, we came again to
the nook in the valley where Buonaparte was interred, and
walked by a circuitous, descending, and rather dangerous
path, to take a nearer view of the grave.
It was a beautiful little spot, to which he used to
retire to read, or to converse with Madame Bertrand ;
and it was because he had said, " If I die on the island
I could wish to be buried here," that he was interred in
this place rather than elsewhere.
The place was kept by an English sergeant ; the walk
was neat and clean, and the surrounding hedges filled with
flowering shrubs. A beautiful spring gushes out hard
by, from which Buonaparte was supplied with water : we
all drank of it, and pronounced it excellent. Whilst
others were making observations and inquiries, 1 walked
round the grave, and, picking up a stone for a memorial,
joined the party, now moving off towards the carriage,
which waited for us at some distance.
The interest I had felt in visiting the monument of
Hyder Ali, at Colar, and the forsaken palaces and mau-
soleum of his son, Tippoo Sultaun, in Seringapatam,
appeared as nothing, in comparison to the deep interest
excited by visiting the grave of him who had been the
theme of every man's conversation from my earliest
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 373
childhood, and in whose proceedings the fate of nations
seemed to be involved. If kings should go on pil-
grimage, let them visit this valley in the island of St.
Helena.
In descending the hills, on our return, we used only
one horse, and had a wheel locked. It was terrific to
view the roads we had to pass ; but we got down in
safety. On approaching James-Town, we again noticed,
at the head of the valley, a mountain-stream, which sup-
plies water to the inhabitants and shipping. It leaps
from its bed in the mountain, down a steep of consider-
able height, in a clear, connected stream : before it has
fallen half the distance it appears scattered like rain ;
and seems to the eye to be lost, or evaporated, ere it
reaches the bottom ; where, however, it collects in a
basin, called the Devil's Punch-bowl, and, again assuming
its form as a torrent, hastens through the valley, which
it fertilizes, and, passing through the town, empties itself
into the sea.
At four o'clock we reached the hotel, and sat down to
dinner, which was indeed a feast ; the potatoes, cauli-
flowers, turnips, and other vegetables, to us who, in our
passage from Madras, had been ten weeks on the salt
ocean, out of the reach of such articles of food, had a
more delicious flavour than any artificial dishes, and
excited our thankfulness while we enjoyed them.
A call for brandy and water, so common a beverage in
India, was answered, to our astonishment, by an assur-
ance that they had no spirits, and were not allowed to
sell any ; that, by a local regulation, a limited quantity,
for private consumption only, was allowed to be im-
ported : we had heard of the sobriety of the Europeans
on this island ; it was now accounted for : but though
the fact might be instructive, and the abstinence salu-
tary, the sore complaints which were vented bespoke
374 VOYAGE TO ENGLAND.
any thing but admiration of the bye-law, or an intention
to profit by it subsequently.
Having tasted the blessings of the land for about
twelve hours, we entered the Governor's barge, and re-
turned to our vessel for the night.
On the following morning I re-visited the shore, and
remained till past noon ; the Government gardens and
the stone-quarry were the most interesting objects I met
in my rambles ; the former were necessarily small and
poor, from want of earth, the latter was more in cha-
racter with the nature of the island, which seems to be
one great rock.
I did not see any thing in the state of the people,
whether black or coloured, that appeared to indicate the
existence of slavery ; and it was with surprise I observed
against the wall, the following advertisement :
" To be let by Public Auction,
On Monday, 29th September, 1828,
At
For one year,
Two male Slaves, one of them an excellent Fisherman.
Conditions to be mentioned at the time of sale."
On inquiry, I was informed that slavery was fast dimi-
nishing in St. Helena, chiefly by the influence of a regula-
tion of Government, that all children born subsequently to
the year 1818 should be free. The waiters at the hotel
were pointed out as instances of the comfort and respect-
ability of many of the slaves. None of them are allowed
to be sold ; but they may be let or hired, at the option of
their owners, and, if desirous of their freedom, may
usually purchase it by a few years' industrious attention
to business. We saw coloured men, of very respectable
appearance, who had thus liberated themselves.
The Africans, and the people of mixed race, with whom
I conversed, seemed very ignorant on religious subjects ;
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND. 375
many of them confessed their inability to read, though
there are several schools on the island, under the auspices
of Government. The whole population, about five thou-
sand, is nominally Christian ; there are two churches
supplied by two chaplains of the East India Company,
who are the only Ministers on the island.
Europeans appear to enjoy excellent health in St.
Helena ; their comparatively robust figures contrasted
strikingly with the wan countenances and feeble frames
of those of us who had been long resident in India.
None of our party, however, were inclined to remain ; and
there appeared to be no regret when, at four in the after-
noon of the 1st of October, we weighed anchor and set
sail for our much-desired home.
The report of a piracy, recently perpetrated in these
seas, which had been communicated to us at St. Helena,
created a little additional excitement on board our ship ;
the invalid soldiers were mustered in military order, and
the arms and ammunition examined and arranged, so as
to be available at the shortest notice.
On the 9th of October we crossed the Equator, in 20
W. Long.
In the course of the night of the 10th, an old sea-
man died. He was committed to the deep in the usual
manner, stitched up in his hammock, with a quantity
of old iron, or other heavy material, to cause the body
to sink.
On the 16th I seemed to have lost all the advantage
which the voyage and our touching at St. Helena had
afforded me, and became increasingly unwell : my indis-
position continued to the end of the voyage ; but I was
carefully attended by the Surgeon and two other medical
men, fellow-passengers. Confinement to my cabin was
more tolerable to me than it would have been to many
others ; in the evenings I had usually the society of
376 VOYAGE TO ENGLAND.
several of the passengers, who displayed much sympathy
and kind attention. One of the greatest inconveniences
I had to suffer, was the application of a large blister,
when we had a great deal of motion from the violence of
the wind and seas.
After the usual vicissitudes of fair and foul winds, of
painful anxieties and cheering hopes, we discovered the
Scilly lights, on the morning of the 1/th of November,
and, when day broke, had our eyes gladdened by a view
of our native shores.
On the 22d of November, 1828, I landed at Graves-
end, from whence I had embarked in May, 1820; and
soon hastened to my friends, whose attentions, with the
air and comforts of my native home, effected, in some
measure, that restoration of health and vigour, which was
the object of my return.
ON
THE HINDOOS.
IT would be going beyond the plan and object of the
present work to attempt entirely to unravel the pretended
mysteries of the Hindoo Mythology, or to exhibit the
system in all its parts ; if, indeed, that may be called a
system which abounds in the grossest absurdities and
most evident contradictions. But were it desirable even
to accomplish such an object, the want of sufficient
leisure for the undertaking would render it at present
impracticable.*
The intelligent and curious reader, however, will not be
displeased to find a few extracts and translations from
Tamul works, illustrative of the notions of the Hindoos
on some most important subjects ; and which may not
be without their use and interest, as displaying the degree
of traditional light which has been preserved amongst
them for ages, perhaps from the patriarchal times ; and
the intricate paths and windings of error on divine
subjects, into which the human mind has deviated, when
not favoured, as in the ancient church, with continual
revelations ; or, as under the dispensation of the Gospel,
with a full manifestation of the " whole counsel of God."
* All the information which can be desired on Hindoo Mythology
may be found in Ward's " View of the History, Literature, and
Religion of the Hindoos ;" and in Dr. DufTs work on " India and
Indian Missions."
3/8 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
These passages and observations have been reserved to
this place, and been thrown together, rather than scattered
through the narrative, as circumstances might have deve-
loped or suggested them, that they might be commented
on with greater advantage, and referred to by the reader
with readiness and ease.
NOTIONS OF THE HINDOOS CONCERNING GOD.
THERE are some among the Hindoos who, from the
blinding and debasing influence of unrestrained licentious-
ness, and others who, from the scepticism naturally
resulting from the absurdities and superstitions of idolatry,
and the unfounded claims of false religions, or the proud
assumption of superiority to vulgar prejudice, venture to
deny the being of God, and refuse to acknowledge any
moral difference between what is called good and evil,
virtue and vice. The Hindoos generally, however, acknow-
ledge the existence of one Supreme and Eternal Being,
from whom all things have proceeded, and for whose
pleasure they exist.
The two principal sects of the Hindoos, the Vaishnavas
and Saivas, each strenuously contend for the supremacy
of the chief object of their worship, and the consequent
inferiority of the other.
DOCTRINE OF THE SAIVAS.
THE Saivas, or worshippers of Siven, declare that the
Supreme, the invisible Parabaram, appeared or became
embodied in the form of Siven and Satti, the former male,
the latter female, and made all things as well as all
persons, including both Vishnu and Bruhma ; and con-
tend that these, and all other beings, shall finally be
absorbed into the divine essence from whence they have
proceeded.
OF THE HINDOOS. 379
The following translated extracts, the former from
Sivanyanasittiar, and the latter from Arunajala-puranam,
both of them works of the Saiva sect, will illustrate their
sentiments.
SIVANYANASITTIAR.
"We will place upon our heads" (an expression denot-
ing profound reverence) "the flowery gracious feet of the
Mother, who dwells with the Father, the Lord, who,
although without favour, or desire, or disposition, or
enjoyment, having the power of love and pleasure ; he,
the resplendent immaterial, becoming material and as-
suming a form, becoming also female, becoming the earth
and its riches, formed and blessed innumerable souls ;
dwelling amongst his faultless servants, having granted
to them great delight, and freed them from mortal
birth.
" We will continue and grow in perfect and boundless
love, placing on our heads the blooming lotus of the feet
of Param, who is without beginning, middle, or ending,
the god possessed of boundless splendour, grace, and
wisdom ; and whom the inhabitants of earth praise, as
pressing to his side the mother of the terrestrial world,
and as the jewel of the crown of the blessed, who danced
at Chillumbrum, * gloriously resplendent, adorned with
the half-moon, and wearing long shaggy hair, red like
coral."
* A large and much-famed temple on the Coromandel coast, one
hundred and forty miles south of Madras, esteemed very sacred, and
visited by multitudes of strangers at the annual festival. (See p. 221.)
It was not regarded with great respect during the war, and is more
open to European visitors than most principal temples I have visited ;
I have more than once proclaimed the truths of the Gospel within its
walls. It is said that formerly three thousand families of Brahmans
were connected with the temple at Chillumbrum, but that, at present,
there are not more than three hundred,
380 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
ARUNAJALA-PURANAM.
" In the day of the dissolution of all things, Ari,
(Vishnu,) Ruttren, (Siven,) Magesen, the gigantic Satha-
siven, with the principles of life, sound, and power, shall
be absorbed by Para Siven ; Para Siven will remain in
the possession of all surpassing attributes."
The worshippers of Siven say that he has five faces :
in the character of the first, Sattiyos atham, he creates ;
in the character of the second, Tatpuradam, he pre-
serves ; in the third, Agoram, he will destroy ; in the
fourth, Esanam, he governs ; and by the fifth, Vamam,
he illuminates.
They attribute to him the vilest human passions, and
read with delight the filthy romances in which he is
represented as the chief actor.
There are, however, some devotional compositions of
his worshippers, in which, addressing Siven as the Su-
preme, they have attained to the truly sublime ; and, in
the most appropriate language, have displayed a correct-
ness of sentiment and ardency of devotion, which we
cannot but admire. It is only by the recurrence of the
names of Siven and of Tiruperundurei, the place of the
abode of the idol addressed, that we are reminded of
the idol-worship in which the language is used. The
following extracts are from a work, entitled Tiruvasagam,
or Holy Reading : I adopt the translation given in Ellis's
unfinished work on the Rural.
TIRUVASAGAM.
"0 Lord ! my Father ! even mine, who am the slave
of those that love thee ! Thou art the light of truth,
which pervadeth both my body and my soul, which melt-
eth my heart and dispelleth the darkness of falsehood !
OF THE HINDOOS. 381
Thou art a placid sea of honey, agitated by no wave,
Siven of Tiruperundurei !
" Thou who art pure intelligence, not requiring the
aid of either speech or thought, teach me the way in
which I should speak of thee !
Thou art not fully comprehended even by the contem-
plative sages, the gods, or any order of beings ;
Thou art the spirit which pervadeth all spirits ; thou
art the sure remedy against repeated births ; *
Thou art the pure light, which shineth in the midst of
expanded darkness, Siven of Tiruperundurei !
" Thou art unqualified happiness, what more can
they require who are united to thee ?
Thou art the full weight without diminution, thou art
unadulterated nectar, thou art a hill of unextinguishable,
eternal light ;
Thou comest in the words and in the sense of the
scriptures, and art for ever fixed in my mind ;
Like undammed water thou flowest into my thoughts ;
Siven of Tiruperundurei !
" Lord, thou hast taken thine abode within me,
what more can I ask ?
Sun, arisen in my mind, that by continual solicita-
tion I may propitiate thee !
Thou art he whose lotus-feet are placed on the heads
of the gods, Siven of Tiruperundurei !
" The expanded ether, water, earth, fire, and air, these
thou art not,
But, without form, art hidden among them ; I rejoice
that I have seen thee now with the eye of the mind."
In the last two stanzas, the author clearly distin-
guishes between the material universe and God, whom
* On the subject of repeated births, or metempsychosis, vide infra.
RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
he regarded as the all-pervading Spirit, the soul of
the world; a distinction not maintained by all Hindoo
writers; nor, indeed, uniformly by those who seem some-
times to assert it clearly enough, the same writer at one
time distinguishing between the universe and God, and
at another time asserting that the universe is God.
DOCTRINES OF THE VAISHNAVAS.
THE Vaishnavas, or worshippers of Vishnu, contend
for the supremacy of Vishnu, and his superiority to Siven :
they attribute the production of Bruhma, the creator,
and Siven, held by them to be the destroyer, to Vishnu
as the first great cause, and declare that all things have
proceeded from him, and to him they will return.
They ascribe to Vishnu three dispositions, Irasatham,
Tamatham, Satuvigam ; by the first of these, as Bruhma,
he creates ; by the second, as Vishnu, he preserves ; by
the third, as Siven, he destroys.
In the Irusameiavilaccam, a Hindoo controversial work
in the Tamul language, which, if translated into English,
would, perhaps, throw more light on the general system
of the Hindoos, and the different doctrines held by the
contending sects, than any work that has yet appeared
on those subjects, are the following verses, expressing the
notions of the Vaishnavas :
IRUSAMEIAVILACCAM.
" As the spider spins its thread from its bowels, and
takes it in again, so the Vedas declare that all worlds have
proceeded from glorious Vishnu, and that to him they
will return.
" At the period when the earth, air, water, fire, the
heavens, and the great systems, and the inhabitants of
heaven faded and died,* Vishnu alone remained in exist-
They assert that there have been many creations before the pre-
sent, and that there shall be many more after this world is at an end.
OF THE HINDOOS. 383
ence ; from the lotus of the navel of that glorious Vishnu
sprang Bruhma (the creator) ; and in many places of the
Ruku Veda it is said that Bruhma begat Siven."
My Tamul teacher, Govinda Moodely, belonged to the
Vaishnava sect. He argued for the supremacy of Vishnu ;
and would sometimes assure me that all the worship
offered to any being, was, in effect, received by Vishnu,
as supreme, and that the worship of Christians was
accepted by him.
The Vaishnava system is said to be more modern than
the Saiva, and to have had its rise in a village about
thirty miles from Madras, called Stree Permatoor, or the
Town of glorious Vishnu. The literature of this sect is
neither so extensive nor respectable as that of the Saivas.
Of the eighteen Puranas, or scriptures for the vulgar, ten
are Saiva Puranas, four only are Vaishnava Puranas, two
are Bruhma Puranas, and the remaining two relate, one
to the sun, and the other to fire.
It is scarcely necessary to observe, that the study of
the Vedas, the books accounted most sacred, and which
are said to be four in number, is restricted to the Brah-
mans ; and that persons of lower caste cannot read them,
or even listen to the reading of them, without being guilty
of maha pavam, " a great crime." A suspicion, that the
motive for concealing these books from the people is an
evil one, prevails to some extent ; and the most learned
Tamul Heathen I ever met with, conversing with me on
the subject, a short time previous to my quitting Madras,
said, that he understood some of our learned countrymen
in Bengal had obtained copies of the Vedas ; and he
trusted that, with their usual anxiety to promote general
knowledge, they would publish them ; because, in that
case, the displeasure and threats of the Brahmans would
would not deter him, though not a Brahman, and others
384 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
of lower caste, from perusing them, and obtaining a
knowledge of their contents.
The following extracts from Tiruvaimoshi, " Words of
the Holy Mouth," the principal work in the Tamul lan-
guage on which the tenets of the Vaishnavas are founded,
will show how their principles differ from those of the
Saivas, as illustrated by the preceding quotations. The
translation is adopted, with little alteration, from Ellis' s
Rural.
TIRUVAIMOZm.
" Thou art in the heavens, thou art above the moun-
tains, thou dwellest in the ocean,
Thou revolvest in the earth ; but though amongst all
these, thou art every where present, thou art every where
hid;
Thou art amongst other worlds, among systems beyond
the reach of thought,
And thou sportest also in my soul : wilt thou ever thus
remain concealed, without manifesting thy form ?
" Thou art the water, thou art the earth, thou art the
fire, thou art the air, thou art the extended ether,
Thou art the two regulating lights, thou art Siven,
thou art Ayen (Bruhma) ;
Thou, who boldest a sharp disk and white couch, to
me the sinner
Wilt thou not one day come, giving joy to earth and
heaven ?
" To rejoice earth and heaven thou assumedst a
dwarfish form, and displayedst thy power ;
Father of the energy which supports the earth and
heaven,
1 perceive thee by meditation, and dance with delight ;
Thou wilt assuredly one day approach me in this
world !
OF THE HINDOOS. 385
" Who but he possesseth in the highest degree the
highest virtue ?
Who but he vouchsafeth clearness of understanding,
to dispel the fantasies of the world ?
Who but he is the lord of deities, free from all afflic-
tion ?
Bow, my soul, at his resplendent feet, by which the
miseries of the world are removed.
" He removeth the impurity of the mind, and causeth
the flower of purity again to blow ;
His knowledge is eternal and immeasurable, but his
knowledge is not derived from the organs of sense ;
He is intelligence, he is perfect goodness ; by the past,
the present, or the future,
He is not affected ; he who is my life hath no superiors.
" He who is himself all things and all persons ; who,
as every sect
Believe, is not connected with the five senses ; who is
the consecrated image of the mind,
The life of the soul; even he may be attained by
attaining the power of perfect devotion, abstracted from
all sublunary things."
CONCERNING BRUHMA.
BRUHMA is one of the Hindoo Triad ; to him are at-
tributed the creation of the world and the production of
the Vedas. He must not be confounded with Brahm or
Parabaram, whom all allow to be supreme, though no
worship is paid to him, except under the form of Siven
or Vishnu, and from whom, it is generally acknowledged,
that even the Triad themselves, as well as all other
beings, have had their origin ; the Vaishnavas and Saivas
have both appeared desirous to identify their respective
tutelary deities with Brahm, as the great first cause.
s
386 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
It may have been already observed, that the sects
differ in their account of the production of Bruhma ; the
Saivas saying that he was formed by Siven ; whilst the
Vaishnavas relate, that as Vishnu lay sleeping on the sea
of milk, a lotus grew from his navel, up the stalk of
which Bruhma proceeded from the body of Vishnu, and,
resting on the petals of the flower, performed his devo-
tions to the being from whom he sprang : he then
entered on the work of creation.
He appears, however, to have been ungrateful to his
parent ; for in the Arunajala-purana, it is related that
Bruhma, entering Vygundam, the heaven of Vishnu,
addressed him to this effect : " How is it, that I, who
created all things, am not said to be the greatest, whilst
it is affirmed that thou art the greatest in the world, and
that I was born from thy navel? As it is impossible to
execute a painting without a wall to paint on, * so, if I
had not created, where would have been thy work of
preservation ? Cease, therefore, to boast thyself as being
the preserver ; if thou dost not, I will create another,
who shall preserve in thy stead ; and thou hadst now
better plunge and hide thyself in the sea of milk, before
the demons come and sink thee." Then commenced a
desperate battle between them ; they lifted and threw
each other, and wrestled up and down till the universe
trembled, the mountains became dust, the tanks for
water were destroyed ; the sun, moon, and stars were
darkened ; the old serpent, who bears the earth, no
longer able to sustain the weight, stretched forth his
head ; and all the gods covered their eyes, thinking that
it was the termination of the Calpa, or age, the time of
absorption. Then all the gods, with Indra at their
The paintings of the Hindoos are usually executed on the walls
of their temples and houses, and not moveable as ours are, on paper
or canvass.
OF THE HINDOOS. 387
head, complained to Siven. Siven immediately took the
form of a great mountain (or pillar) of fire, entirely
passing through all worlds. When Bruhma and Vishnu
saw this phenomenon, they said, " Why should we fight
thus ? let us explore the depth and height of this moun-
tain ; and he that first succeeds shall be the greatest."
Bruhma, changed into a bird, tried to reach the top ;
while Vishnu, transformed into a boar, tore up the earth
with his snout and tusks to an amazing depth, to find the
base of the fiery mountain : he was the first to give up
the attempt, and concluding that it must be an appear-
ance of Siven, he worshipped him. Meantime Bruhma
fled upwards, his wings battered and wasted by the exer-
tion, till he met a flower, falling from the garland that
adorned the head of Siven, to which flower he told his
distress, and prayed him to corroborate his testimony,
when he should assert to Vishnu that he had seen the
top. " They descended together, and when Bruhma
asserted he had seen the top, the flower said he told
the truth. In a moment, the mountain of fire opened,
and out darted Siven, who cursed Bruhma and the
flower, but expressed himself pleased with Vishnu.
Bruhma was convicted of lying, and on this account, it
is said, his worship was abolished, and is discontinued
to the present day.
An annual festival is held by the Hindoos, in comme-
moration of this appearance of Siven ; lights are put up
on the towers of their temples ; and at Trinomaly, the
mountain in the Carnatic, into which the fiery appear-
ance is said to have changed, an enormous torch or lamp
is lighted, that can be seen for many miles.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE HINDOO TRIAD.
IT would weary the most indefatigable inquirer, were
we to go into an enumeration of the various forms, rela-
s 2
388 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
tions, and modes, in which these deities are worshipped.
It shall suffice to say, that from them are fabled to pro-
ceed the muppattimukkodi devergl, the three hundred and
thirty millions of gods, in whose existence the Hindoos
profess to believe, and from amongst which array of
" gods many " they find little difficulty in selecting one
for every occasion, and for every possible purpose.* It
will be more interesting to inquire whether the notion be
correct, that in this system we have a corruption of the
scriptural doctrine of the Trinity.
There are some points in the two systems which may
be paralleled and compared, and assist us in coming to
a conclusion on this subject. The Hindoos attribute
to the different persons of their Trimurti, or Triad, sepa-
rate and distinct offices. Sectarian zeal induces them
sometimes to assert what may appear contradictory to
this ; but their general doctrine is, that Bruhma creates,
Vishnu preserves, and Siven destroys. The intelligent
and learned will judge what correspondence there is in
this doctrine with that of the holy Scriptures, in which
the work of creation and providence are equally attributed
to the three persons of the ever-blessed Trinity ; Apollyon,
or the destroyer, being a term applied only to the enemy
of God and man; whilst, instead of entire destruction
being threatened to the whole universe, we are assured
that eternal duration and conscious happiness are to be
the portion of all holy and intelligent beings.
We have seen also that a temporary duration only is
allotted by the Hindoos to their Triad : they had an
origin ; they are to come to an end ; these, as well as
other imaginary deities, and men, and the whole uni-
verse, being, according to their system, to be absorbed
A native man, having observed one of my English friends in
Madras say grace when about to sit down to dinner, said, " Ha, very
good custom, pray the god in the belly to digest the meat /"
OF THE HINDOOS. 389
and lost in the divine essence, from whence, it is said,
they did proceed. The Trinity of the Bible is eternal :
" In the beginning God (Elohim, plural) created the
heavens and the earth." The Spirit, in the language of
Scripture, is the " eternal Spirit ;" and to the Son the
Father hath said, " Thy throne, God, is for ever and
ever." The holy and ever-blessed Trinity, " from ever-
lasting to everlasting," is God unchangeable.
The Triad of the Hindoos, according to their own doc-
trine, exists separate from the divine essence, Brahm,
the one-eternal God. In conversation with me, they have
frequently insisted on this distinction, making the Triad
inferior to Brahm, and dependent on him ; superior
only to all other beings in the universe, but inferior to
the Great Supreme, into whom they, as well as all other
creatures, are to be absorbed, to exist no more, unless he
should choose again to afford to them, and the rest of
the universe, a separate existence.
There appears, then, nothing in the character of the
persons of the Hindoo Triad on which to ground the
supposition, that this doctrine is a corruption of the scrip-
tural doctrine of the Trinity. The offices attributed to
Bruhma, Vishnu, and Siven, the limited duration assigned
them, and the assertion of the distinct and independent
existence of Brahm, the Great Supreme, all show this
system to have been entirely of the imagination of man's
heart, a structure of fables, having no part of its foun-
dation in the great mystery of godliness, revealed to the
patriarchs, and handed down to us in the Scriptures of
truth.
If it may be still thought that the agreement of the
number with that of the persons of the Godhead is a suf-
ficient indication of the Hindoo doctrine having had its
origin in truth ; I answer, that this number is purely
accidental ; no sacred or mysterious signification is
390 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
attached to it by them, as far as my knowledge extends ;
and we as frequently, perhaps more frequently, hear
them speak of the Panchakartar, the five lords, (vide
supra, p. 380,) than of the Trimurti, the three gods.
General remarks, on the probable origin and intention
of the Hindoo system, are deferred to the close of this
essay.
CONTEMPT FOR IDOLATRY EXISTING AMONGST
THE HINDOOS.
GENERAL as the influence of Hindooism amongst its
votaries may seem to be, it is not universal in its sway.
In few cases does it appear to have any hold on the con-
science ; by the educated part of the community it is
regarded as a system of priestcraft, by which they feel
themselves enslaved ; and by the Brahmans it is looked
at and supported only as the means of securing ease,
profit, and honour. I have conversed with many Brah-
mans on the subject of their professed belief and practice,
but do not remember to have met with more than one,
possessing such learning and information as are within
the reach of them all, who maintained his belief in the
Puranas, or defended, on other principles than those of
expediency, their idolatrous worship and superstitious
rites.
There have been writers in the Tamul language, and
it may be in the other languages of India also, who,
probably without any knowledge of Christianity, have
bAdly attacked and exposed the national superstition ;
the most eminent and popular of such writers in the
Tamul language, is the author of Siva-vakkiam, a work
of some antiquity, and very generally known.
Ellis, who, when writing on these subjects, appears
almost to have fancied himself a Hindoo, says, concern-
ing this work, " It may be doubted whether it is entirely
OF THE HINDOOS. 391
orthodox : the author of it eschews alike the figurative
mythology of the Puranas, and the mystical philosophy
of the Upanishats and Agamas ; he denies the efficacy
of all religious ceremonies, whether prescribed by the
Smritis, or invented in more recent times ; derides the
notion, that the Almighty could have made an inherent
difference in his creatures, as in the Hindoo system of
caste ; and, finally, with the doctrine of metempsy-
chosis, rejects most of the dogmas believed by the various
sects of the Hindoos."
As a specimen of the style and tenets of this author,
Ellis quotes the following five stanzas.
SIVA-VAKKIAM.
"Formerly, how many flowers have I gathered and
scattered,
How many prayers have I repeated in a vain worship !
While yet in the prime of my life, how much water
have I poured out !
And, moreover, how often have I encompassed the holy
places of Siven !
This I have left off; for the wise, who knows the true
God, the Lord of heavenly beings,
Believe not the idol of the temple, apparent to the
eyes, to be God, nor lift up to it their hands.
" While taking up the water and throwing it again into
the water (in performing the sandya and other rites) what
is the object on which you think ?
On whatsoever you think you have thrown all the
water vainly ;
Think on the root, think on the seed, and on the benefit
arising from, that seed ;
When you are thus able to think, you may approach
the feet of God.
392 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
." It is not Ari, (Vishnu,) it is not Aren, (Siven,) it is
not Ay en, (Bruhma,)
Far beyond the black, (the colour of Vishnu,) the white,
(the colour of Siven), or the red, (the colour of the
Bruhma,) soars the everlasting cause,
It is not great, it is not small, neither is it male, nor
female ;
Beyond every state of corporeal being it is farther,
farther, farther still.
" What, wretch, is caste ? Is not water an accumu-
lation of fluid particles ?
Are not the five elements one, and the five senses one ?
Are not the several ornaments for the neck, the breast,
and the feet, equally gold 1
What then is the peculiar quality supposed to result
from difference in caste ?
" As milk, once drawn, cannot again enter the udder,
nor butter, churned, be re-combined with milk,
As sound cannot be produced from a broken conch, nor
the life be restored to the dead body,
As a decayed leaf, and a fallen flower, cannot be re-
united to the parent tree,
So a man, once dead, is subject to no future birth."
I was never able to obtain a complete copy of Siva-
vakkiam, but have frequently heard verses of it repeated
by the natives, and have met with quotations from it in
Tamul works. The following I have translated from a
Tamul manuscript, in which they occur as quotations :
they will further illustrate the distaste and contempt for
idolatry, and its accompanying superstitions, which have
grown up in the midst of Hindooism, amongst some of
the natives themselves ; and prove that amongst the
Heathen, there is a degree of knowledge and truth con-
tending with ignorance and error.
OF THE HINDOOS. 393
SIVA-VAKKIAM.
"Though you read without interruption the four
Vedas, and all the Shastras, you shall not thereby obtain
a knowledge of God.
Abstain from concupiscence, and contemplate your
own minds ;
Then shall God dwell in you, in an imperishable
form.
" Though you read the four Vedas without any inac-
curacy,
Though you daub yourself all over with holy ashes,
God will not appear ;
Melt your mind, and mould it into God ; proclaim his
truth ;
Then shall you reach and behold the immeasurable
splendour !
" What, wretch, is the holy mount ? What,
wretch, is the Irukku (Rig) Veda (said to treat on cere-
monial rites and cleansings) ?
What, wretch, is the lofty idol ? What, wretch,
is the natural image ?
What, wretch, is the thread wound round the baked
earthen pot (in idolatrous worship) ?
Know that they are all as perishable as exquisitely
wrought silk?
" What, wretch, is the Veda ? What, wretch, is
the interpretation ?
What, wretch, is the instruction ? What, wretch,
is the Vedanta?
What, wretch, is the divine foot ? What, wretch,
are the distinctions ?
Study, study to know thyself, and so instruct others !
s 5
394 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
" Hear, ye (Brahmans) in whose mouth is the Veda.
Who kindle a fire, and pour into it clarified butter, who
take pleasure in bathing daily in the water :
Reflect and discern the fire and the water (the evil and
the good) that is within you :
Then shall ye approach the immeasurable splendour.
" The adorning of the person, the furbishing of bells,
the putting up of lights, the burning of perfumes,
All these are performed on the same principle, as that
on which a butcher kills a sheep, cuts it up, and cries out
for buyers ;
What sort of worship is the offering of flowers,
In a building constructed of a multitude of choice
trees ?
" You bathe and dress the body,
You meditate and repeat prayers every day,
Is it in the Munda mantra, or Mula mantra ?
In which mantra (or prayer) is it that God is present ?
"Ye fools, who bathe in the water morning and
evening,
And remain in the water a long time, like so many
frogs,
Eise early in the morning, and acknowledge the Three-
eyed (Siven) to be the first cause, and you shall get to
heaven.
" Why do you sprinkle water, why do you stand (in
the posture of worship, till your arms are tired?
Ye foolish men, who neglect to draw the water of your
minds,
If you will take the water from the iron and separate
the dross (Hindoo alchymy) ;
The light who is contemplated, and you and I shall
become one.
OF THE HINDOOS. 395
" You were born in water, and you perform ceremonies
in the water ;
Of whom do you meditate when you take up water and
sprinkle it in the river?
Attain to him who is the root, the seed, and the pro-
duce, and you will reach the feet of God.
" You are like buffaloes, (fond of the water,) but do
not cleanse away the faults of the mind,
Like frogs you bathe in the pools,
Your Four-faced one (Bruhma) failed to obtain the
vision of God, though he flew upwards like a bird,
But, whether or no, turn your mind inwardly, and you
will behold it.
" To what purpose are flowers and water, and the
pleasing temples ?
The heart is the altar, the soul is the image, he is
every where ;
To him who is the five senses, the frankincense and
the fire,
And who plays as a dancer, (an allusion to the history
of Siven,) there is neither morning nor evening.
" You are distracted by the science of men, who,
though born from the womb, pretend to know all
things,
Consider for yourselves what is the nature of God, and
the M r ay to him ; what consciousness or death remains to
those who are absorbed into the Deity ?
" The books read by disciples, ornamental and pleasing
learning,
Idols and gods, and the four Vedas,
And all the senseless raving of books carefully pre-
served,
Were wholly regarded as vile, when I had seen God."
396
The expression of sentiments like the preceding, many
of which are so opposite to the prevailing superstition, is
not merely tolerated, but, in some degree, popular among
the Hindoos. A regard to temporal interest, or the hope
of averting affliction and calamity, may suggest the out-
ward acts, and rouse and strengthen the inward principles,
of an idolatrous superstition in the minds of many ; but
the better judgment of others leans towards the senti-
ments so boldly expressed by this author. ^Vhilst such
opinions are broached among themselves without affecting
the general peace, it would be absurd to suppose that the
judicious and well-directed efforts of Christian Mission-
aries are hazardous to the safety of the country, or
calculated to disturb its tranquillity.
ON REPEATED BIRTHS, OR THE TRANSMIGRATION
OF SOULS.
ONE of the absurdities of the Hindoo system, ridiculed
by the author from whose writings the preceding extracts
are made, is the doctrine of metempsychosis, or of
repeated births of the soul.
The liability to repeated births is professed to be the
great evil to which all creatures are subject, so long as
they continue in separate existence from the divine
essence ; an absorption into Deity, and the loss of indi-
vidual consciousness, being the only means whereby any
creature can escape " the sea of mortal birth."
An European imagination can scarcely fancy the extra-
vagance of the tenets held orthodox on this subject : the
following statement of the number of births to which a
creature is subject, is extracted from the Togei section of
the Sadur Agaradi, and occurs under the head Pirappu
Birth.
" Births are divided into seven classes ; those of gods
of men of beasts of birds of reptiles of fishes
OF THE HINDOOS. 397
of things without locomotive powers, such as vegetables
and minerals.
" In these births are enumerated different kinds, or
degrees, to the amount of eight millions four hundred
thousand ; (through every one of which a creature may
have to pass before he obtains absorption;) in those of
the gods, one million four hundred thousand ; in those
of men, nine hundred thousand ; in those of birds, one
million ; in those of reptiles, one million one hundred
thousand ; in those of fishes, one million ; in those of
things without power of locomotion, two millions. Some
authorities, however, differ from the above, by attributing
two hundred thousand varieties of births, additional, to
the gods, and an equal number less to things without
power of motion, making, in the aggregate, the same
number of varieties, eight millions four hundred
thousand."
In the Nigandu, a literary work of great merit, the
defects inseparably attaching to the beings subject to
these births are thus enumerated.
NIGANDU.
" Imperfection of knowledge, obscuration of intellect,
weakness arising from pain or pleasure, delusion of pas-
sion, designation by name, division into tribes or families,
decay from age, and the impediments matter opposes to
exertion ; he who is free from these is Lord of all."
It is singular enough that they should hold the senti-
ment, that none but human beings can obtain freedom
from these defects, or final deliverance from this almost
endless repetition of births ; that the gods themselves, in
order to gain absorption into the Deity, must submit to
human birth. Thus, whilst the system amuses an extra-
vagant imagination, and lulls the natural apprehensions
of man, in respect to an immediate futurity of eternal
398 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
rewards and eternal punishments, as suggested by con-
science, reported by tradition, and clearly revealed in the
Scriptures of truth, it soothes the aspiring pride of his
nature, representing him as only one step removed from
the Divine Essence, divided from it by a narrow boundary,
which the initiated and persevering may successfully pass,
by virtue of their own exertions.
NOTIONS OF THE HINDOOS CONCERNING THE
DIVINE ATTRIBUTES.
IF some of the preceding extracts discover a justness
of thought and propriety of language relative to Deity
beyond what we might have expected to find amongst
such gross idolaters as the Hindoos, there are some other
passages of their writings, which would serve to show
that the nature of God has been made a subject of spe-
culative inquiry, the results of which have been given
with an air of accurate definition, and as laying claim to
the character of entire and positive truth.
A modern Tamul author, partially enlightened by a
knowledge of the Bible, speaking of the degree of infor-
mation on divine subjects displayed by the Hindoos,
observes :
" It is evident that the ancient Hindoos held the ex-
istence of one supreme God, and attributed to him the
eight qualities of infinite wisdom, infinite intelligence,
infinite power, infinite happiness, having no name, no
kindred, no decay, no liability to evil, thus implying his
omnipresence, his omniscience, and his almighty power ;
yet it is equally evident, that when the sects took rise,
they embraced the notion that the Supreme does not at
all superintend the affairs of this world, but has under
him certain inferior deities : these they worship ; but to
him whom they acknowledge to be the one Supreme, they
render neither worship nor service, and only make men-
OF THE HINDOOS. 399
tion of him to adorn their poetry, or to form a subject of
argumentative discussion. It is true there are some
called Nyanis, or wise men, and others called Vedantis,
embracing the abstruse system of the Vedanta, who pro-
fess to rise above these sectarian dogmas ; but as they
mingle with the polytheists, observe the customs of their
country, and do not form themselves into a separate body,
nor bear witness to their own doctrines, their wisdom is
small and of no avail."
In the Nigandu, a respectable literary work already
quoted, the divine attributes are introduced and men-
tioned in an order and form exactly corresponding to the
verse in which the defects of beings subject to birth are
enumerated, as quoted above.
NIGANDU.
" He who is possessed of infinite wisdom, intelligence,
power, and happiness,
Who is without name and without kindred or tribe,
Who is without age, and not liable to impediment,
He who possesses these qualities is Lord of the
world."
The Rural of Tiruvalluver is a poetic work on morals,
of great merit as a literary performance, and highly
esteemed amongst the Tamul natives, for the beauty of
its language and the truth of its sentiments : it consists
of one thousand three hundred and thirty stanzas. The
author, Tiruvalluver, commences his book with an acknow-
ledgment of God, in a style which, in the production of
an Heathen, we cannot but greatly admire ; and through-
out the whole he evinces a singular degree of freedom
from many of the strong prejudices of the Hindoos,
although he frequently illustrates his positions by allusions
to the mythology and doctrines of the superstition of his
country.
400 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
Mr. Ellis, in his unfinished work on the Rural, aii
invaluable manual to every Tamul scholar, has given a
poetic version in English of some parts of this work :
the following is a prose translation of the first chapter,
which is entitled Kadavul Vazhtu, the Praise of God, and
commences the section treating on Virtue. In this trans-
lation I have followed the gloss of Parimelazhager, who
has written a Tamul prose version and a comment on
every stanza. A manuscript copy of the whole of this
heathen commentator's learned and ingenious work is in
my possession.
RURAL.
"As A is the first of all letters, so the Eternal God is
chief in all worlds.
What do men profit by learning, if they worship not
at the feet of Him who is pure intelligence ?
They who cleave to the glorious feet of Him who
moves over the flower, (the heart of his worshippers,) shall
live for ever happy in the highest heaven.
Never shall there be any evil to them who cleave to the
feet of Him who has neither desire nor aversion.
The two deeds (good and evil) connected with igno-
rance, shall not cleave to them who render that praise
which acknowledges the truth of the being of God.
They who continue in the path of the infallible law of
Him who has not the five organs of sense, shall enjoy
eternal bliss.
A deliverance from that anxiety to which the mind is
subject is not possible to any, except those who cleave to
the feet of Him who has no similitude.
To swim the sea of vice is not possible to any, except
those who cleave to the feet of Him who is a sea of
virtue.
The head which does not bow at the feet of Him who
possesses the eight attributes, has itself no quality, but
OF THE HINDOOS. 401
is like an organ of sense deprived of its distinguishing
property.
They who do not cleave to the feet of God shall not be
able to swim the sea of mortal birth."
Some degree of original truth, connected with subjects
of the greatest interest to man, may be traced in many of
their most highly esteemed compositions, the knowledge
of which could not be attained by mere human ingenuity
or conjecture, but must be attributed to the preservation,
by tradition or otherwise, of some portion of God's reve-
lation of himself. The Hindoos were, at a very early
period, formed into a separate people, and were far remote
from the highly-favoured nation to whom was vouchsafed
a continual and miraculous revelation from God ; yet they
appear to have received, by tradition, some, at least, of
that knowledge on divine subjects, which was, doubtless,
preserved by the children of Noah, and handed down,
entire, for some generations after the general deluge ; and
which, it may be safely conjectured, was universal amongst
mankind, before the introduction of idolatry. These
rays of divine light, however, are now so refracted by the
whole atmosphere of error, the only medium through
which they shine on the Hindoo, and so obscured by
superstitious fancies, as to afford to the mass of the
people no satisfaction of reason or judgment ; and, conse-
quently, they fail to have a due influence on their con-
sciences and conduct.
The Christian easily seizes on those passages in their
writings which express sentiments according with the
system of revealed truth, happily so familiar to us ;
whilst the deluded and ignorant Hindoo attributes to
those passages which we would select as excellent, either
in doctrine or morals, no authority superior to that of
others, which are absolutely false, and to the last degree
402 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
absurd. Having no certain standard to which they may
refer, no test whereby to prove all things, and hold fast
only that which is good, the truths regarding Deity, of
which they possess any knowledge, are to them almost
without power and without value. The fact of no worship
being offered by them to the supreme God is sufficient
proof of the truth of this assertion.
CONTEMPLATIVE SAGES, OR ASCETICS.
THE characters most highly esteemed amongst the
Hindoos for their religious attainments, are not those
who scrupulously perform the numerous ceremonies
enjoined by their superstition, nor even those devotees
who inflict on themselves severe bodily torture, as else-
where described ; but the contemplative sages, who are
said to retire from the world, and employ themselves in
the exercise of meditation. What proportion of such
characters there may be amongst them at present, or
whether there be any at all, is difficult to be ascertained ;
descriptions of them abound in their books, the prin-
ciples they are said to maintain are generally lauded and
admired, and the full adoption of those principles in
theory, and a practical conformity to them, are con-
sidered as securing the highest perfection of human
nature on earth, and the certain absorption of the soul
into the divine essence, whenever it may separate from
the body.
These ascetics are described as cultivating and main-
taining a more than stoical indifference to pleasure and
pain, whether mental or bodily, an entire disregard to
the rights of property, and an utter contempt for every
thing connected with the present world : this part of
their character is intimated in a pithy proverb, not unfre-
quently in the mouths of the Hindoos :
OF THE HINDOOS. 403
" Nyanattukku ulugam pe,
Ulugattukku nyanam pe."
" The world is the devil to wisdom, and wisdom is the devil to the
world."
Whilst it may appear strange that such stoical recluses,
acknowledged to be entirely useless members of social
and civil society, and securing no religious advantages to
any but themselves, should be so highly esteemed ; the
respect entertained for them must be regarded as dis-
playing the disposition subsisting in the human mind,
even under the most unfavourable circumstances, to render
homage to any system professing to deliver its adherents
from the trammels of earthly desire, and the consequent
dominion of passion ; and to give a serenity, however
cold, to the soul, which is to extend beyond the period of
its connexion with the body, and its continuance in the
present world.
The process by which a man may arrive at this state of
perfection is distinctly and concisely described by Pari-
melazhager, in his commentary on the first stanza of the
third chapter of the Kural. His language is thus trans-
lated by Mr. Ellis :
PARIMEL-AZHAGER.
" A strict adherence to the proper rule is true devo-
tion. By thus adhering to the rules appropriate to their
respective tribes or states, virtue increaseth ; by the in-
crease of virtue sin is abated ; by the abatement of sin
ignorance is destroyed ; by the destruction of ignorance
the difference between time and eternity is known ; and
reflection on the evils of mortal birth, and disgust at the
pleasures enjoyed, in transient succession, in this world,
and in the heaven of inferior deities, arise ; by reflecting
on these the desire of eternal beatitude (or, rather, absorp-
tion) is produced ; from this proceeds the abandonment
404 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
of the fruitless works, which are the cause of mortal
birth, and the practice of meditation ; and from medita-
tion true knowledge ; the distinction of that which is
external, as MINE, and of that which is internal, as I,
then ceases, and these two affections are thus renounced
with abhorrence. It is thus to be explained."
The disposition of mind thus described, and generally
applauded as the highest perfection of human nature,
appears to be exactly that of the suicide, who is disgusted
and weary of the world ; and, therefore, to use the com-
mon phrase, puts an end to his existence.
The following translations, by the same scholar, from
the Tamul version of the Bhagavat Gita, describe the
character and practice required in these ascetics ; and
the latter from Ozhivil-oduccam, intimates the sentiments
with which they are said to regard even the religion of
their country.
BHAGAVAT GITA.
" Than he who has performed every species of auste-
rity ; than he who has acquired every branch of learn-
ing ; than he who has assiduously performed every
religious rite, the contemplative sage is more excellent :
adhere thou, therefore, to the practice of contemplation.
" Having, by the study of the various branches of the
sacred writings, acquired a complete knowledge of them,
and having overcome the deception of the objects of
sense, he whose firmness no object can disturb, beholds,
with the same indifference, gold and a broken potsherd,
and viewing, unmoved, the vast dance of the illusions of
this world, rests serene in the midst of it.
" He acts regardless of the fruit of his actions ; he is
alike affected towards his most intimate friend and his
most bitter enemy ; he is the same to all mankind, to
him with whom he is connected, and to him with whom
OF THE HINDOOS. 405
he is not connected ; to him who walketh in the path of
the sacred scriptures, and to him who acteth contrary
to their precepts : such an one may be truly called a con-
templative sage.
" Hear, now, the pre-eminent nature of contemplation,
which leads to eternal happiness ; having utterly rejected
all desires, however difficult to resist, and considering
nothing as his own ; either in the cave of a mountain or
in some other place, proper for contemplation, where he
is not subject to any kind of disturbance,
" Here, having spread smoothly the sacred grass, (cusa,)
having spread over it the skin of an antelope, and covered
it with a clean cloth ; being seated thereon ; and, for the
purpose of purifying his thoughts, having restrained his
mind from wandering, and having wholly restricted the
senses to the act by which he is occupied ;
" Keeping his head, his neck, and body without mo-
tion, in one posture, fixing his eyes steadily on the point
of his nose, divesting himself of all desire tumultuous as
the waves of the ocean, and of all bodily fear, confining
his wandering mind within itself, let him think solely on
me, (Chrishna, as a form of deity,) This is (yogam, or)
contemplation . ' '
OZHIVIL-ODUCCAM.
" They shake their heads when they behold the power-
ful delusion which causes the distinctions of Vishnu,
Bruhma, and Indra, of life and death, and they smile as
they contemplate the frenzied dance of the illusions of
the world, those who have learned to know themselves."
The third chapter of the Kural, a work already quoted,
is entitled Nittar Perumei, or " the Greatness of Asce-
tics," and will further illustrate the estimation in which
this class of devotees are held.
406 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
KURAL.
" The perfection of lovely verse consists in displaying
the excellency of those ascetics who walk by rule.
" Estimating the greatness of ascetics, is like counting
the number of those who are born and die.
" The greatness of those who, knowing the nature of
both worlds, put on virtue in this, is higher than the
world.
" He who, by the hook of resolution, governs the
elephant of the five senses, is a seed fit for the soil of
heaven.
" Indra, lord of the inhabitants of the wide heaven, is
witness to the power of him who restrains his five senses.
" The great perform things difficult to be done, the
mean cannot perform difficult things.
" The world is possessed by the man who understands
the properties and relations of taste, sight,- feeling, sound,
and smell.
" The sayings of scripture set forth the greatness of
the men of weighty words.
" The wrath of those who have attained the summit of
the hill of virtue, cannot be borne even for a moment.
" They are called (andanar, or) beautiful, because they
extend their benevolence to ah 1 living creatures."
The following translations from different works illus-
trate the same subject, and particularize some of the
advantages supposed to arise from the attainment of this
character.
DEVICAL OTTIRAM.
" He who hath truly attained the state of a contem-
plative sage, having diverted the organ of sense from
pleasure to truth, and being released from transitory
fears and delights, will obtain a happiness which the
gods have never beheld."
OF THE HINDOOS. 4()/
TIRUVARUD PAYEN.
" They who, inclining their mind to exalted wisdom,
have attained a state of mental happiness, are at rest :
say what besides is so.
" Those of mature understanding, who are no longer
attached to works by which the three worlds are ob-
tained, enjoy even in this, the happiness of the world to
come.
" Although they possess knowledge, which extends to
all things, they will here know only one thing.
" Reflecting on the unhappiness of the ignorant, their
compassion swells like a flood."
NYANADICARAYER CAPPIAM.
" The instability of this mortal body is like a ship
when sailing on the sea, or when overwhelmed by the
boisterous rage of the winds ; of all who have assumed
a corporeal form, none have remained permanently on
the earth, for the soul is disunited from the body, even
as the bird which quits the egg, and soars singing to
the sky.
" The eminent devotees, considering that wordly pros-
perity is transient, as a drop of dew falling from the tip
of a blade of grass on the sand, as smoke rising from
the fire into the sky, as the bubbles, formed when the
rains falls abundantly from the clouds, or as the gay
flowers on the trees aspiring to the heavens, have ap-
proached that which is not transient, and, having for-
saken all, are freed from every taint of guilt.
" As the robber death follows incessantly the inha-
bitants of the earth, and entering, by means of disease,
or of his own accord, on a sudden seizes and bears away
their lives ; the holy devotees, considering that the time
of his coming is unknown, vigilant and fearless, are
always prepared for him."
408 RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS STATE
THE description given in the preceding section is
applicable to few, if to any, of the thousands of the
people with whom the European, if he chooses, may
hold daily communication. It is obvious to all con-
versant with the Hindoos generally, that they are either
blind devotees, excluding all exercise of reason on the
nature or propriety of their superstitious observances,
which is probably the case with the majority of them ;
or scepticism takes the place of superstition, sincerity
ceases to have any share in their constant attention to
the numerous ceremonies they are bound to perform, and
a heartless hypocrisy is induced upon a character already
debased by natural corruption and ignorance of the
'truth. This latter remark applies especially to the
Brahmans and others, whose superior education, or more
vigorous natural powers, have emboldened them to think
for themselves on the superstitions demanding their
homage and observance.
As they have no notion of the infinite demerit of sin,
and of eternal punishment, as its just consequence, it
is no wonder they imagine its penalty may be easily
avoided. I believe it was in the Bhagavat Purana I read
a story, which was related to illustrate the efficacy of one
of the names of Vishnu, in averting the consequences of
sin. The story describes a man, who had been exceed-
ingly wicked : he had one son, whom he called Narayana,
a name of Vishnu. When he was about to die, Yama-
gingiliergl, or the angels of Yama, the Hindoo Pluto,
waited around him to seize on his guilty soul, the
moment it should quit his body, and to hurry it into
the presence of their master to be sentenced, as his
crimes had deserved,, to one of the temporary hells,
OF THE HINDOOS. 409
fabled in their mythology. The dying man, wishing to
have his son near him at the moment of dissolution,
called him several times, repeating his name, " Narayana,
Narayana," when such was the efficacy of that name,
though pronounced without any devotional intention,
that the messengers of justice could not seize on his
guilty soul, and he escaped the punishment his crimes
had merited. These absurdities are regarded by many
as truth. An old palankeen-bearer, who travelled with
me several days on one journey, was accustomed to He
down at night, crying, " Rama, Rama," till he fell asleep ;
if he awoke during the night, he cried, " Rama, Rama ;"
and when he arose in the morning, he repeated the same
words. It is not uncommon to meet with mendicants
who, whilst they sit to receive the alms of passengers,
incessantly repeat the names of the gods ; in the course
of one day uttering the same word many thousand
times. Various trifling ceremonies, and especially wash-
ing according to the prescribed rules, or bathing in the
Ganges, and other sacred rivers, are esteemed efficacious
to the removal of moral poUution.
The doctrine of fate, as held by them, has a tendency
to blunt their natural sense of accountableness, and
prevents them from entertaining any influential appre-
hension of right and wrong : perhaps the notion that
they are ruled by fate, is one cause why they evince so
little shame or emotion of any kind, when detected in
the perpetration of falsehood or fraud ; and may, in part,
account for their patient endurance of privation and
suffering, whether arising from necessity or religious
choice.
With such views, and with the vile examples of the
gods before them, in their mythological histories and
songs, it is no wonder that the " too superstitious "
Hindoos are an immoral people, notwithstanding the
T
410 RELIGIOUS STATE OF THE HINDOOS.
beautiful precepts scattered in their books ; and that
appalling cruelties and vices are practised under the
sanction of a religion, framed under the influence, and
calculated to gratify the most corrupt propensities, of the
human heart.
It may not be denied that morality, kindness, natural
affection, and hospitality, in some measure, exist amongst
the Hindoos ; but it may be safely averred that none of
these are owing to their religion, a system which would
influence the mind to close its vision against that " light
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,"
and which is favourable to truth and goodness, divine or
human, only so far as such partial regard or acknow-
ledgment may appear necessary to strengthen some parts
of its system, and more effectually detain the minds of
men in spiritual slavery and the trammels of superstition.
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS
THE CHARACTER, THE PROBABLE ORIGIN, AND THE
PRESENT INFLUENCE OF HINDOOISM.
ON a review of the Hindoo system, the main princi-
ples of which have been thus partially exposed, and its
more prominent features illustrated, by the light shed
from the devotional works of its votaries and dupes, and
by the opposing views of those who, though within the
precincts of its sanctuary, have ventured to let in upon it
some of the natural light of reason, we are led to inquire
what proportion of truth it may contain, how that truth
has become amalgamated with so much error, and what
is the aspect of the whole system, in reference to Chris-
tianity, now introduced amongst the people by the labours
of Missionaries.
The views thus afforded of the Hindoo system are
deemed sufficient to demonstrate, that there has been no
more truth admitted into its composition than was abso-
lutely necessary to give it some degree of consistency,
and maintain a connexion between its monstrous and dis-
proportionate limbs, whilst it should receive the homage,
and secure the mental and spiritual bondage, of the succes-
sive generations of a hundred millions of the human race.
The Hindoo system admits the being of a God, the
necessary and rational foundation of any religious belief :
having acknowledged this, it stops short, and denies to
the supreme Author and End of all being, any interest or
x2
412 CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ON HINDOOISM.
interference in the affairs of the world ; and allows him
neither the fear nor the love of man, neither reverence
nor worship. Among the hundreds of the temples of
India, there are none to his honour ; among the thou-
sands of its priests, there are none for his service ; yet it
is professed that no creature, except man, can attain to a
knowledge of him and union with him : to man it is
possible ; but, in order to attain it, entire renunciation
of all that is desirable and proper to humanity is en-
joined, and is to be attained not by any gracious assist-
ance, not in answer to prayer, but by the exercise of
natural powers of the mind ; on the accomplishment of
this object, being and consciousness become extinct, and,
to use their own figures, are like the bursting of a bubble
on the water, or a particle of combustible matter floating
in the air, when drawn with the flame of a lamp. Can
any system be more unjust and derogatory to the divine
character than this, or more calculated to increase the
natural pride of man's heart, and, in affection and desire,
remove him far from God ?
Hindooism acknowledges a superior and invisible
agency, in the government and continuance of the world ;
but it is not the agency of a gracious and superintending
Providence, the paternal care and tender mercies of God
over the works of his own hands : the government of the
world is taken out of the hands even of the fancied
Creator, and committed to agency, at best, of a mixed
character ; storms, earthquakes, and general calamities
are said to be sami vileiatt, "the Lord's play ; " and en-
demic diseases, and family or personal misfortunes, are
attributed to the interference of some inferior demon.
This part of the system is so constructed as to produce
and perpetuate a slavish superstition, without a particle
of that consoling security and holy joy, resulting from the
conviction that the " Lord God omnipotent reigneth."
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ON HINDOOISM. 413
It is remarkable that a system, entirely of heathen
origin, should profess to record and believe several incar-
nations of a being worshipped as God. The Avatars, or
incarnations of Vishnu, are ten in number, one of which
is said to be yet to come ; his votaries seem to have no
difficulty in believing his identity, whether he is born of
human parents, as Crishna, or starts in a moment from a
stone pillar, as Narasingha, the Man-lion. The debauch-
eries of one incarnation, the cruelties of another, the
frauds of a third, and the monstrous improbabilities of
them all, appear to be received without difficulty. To
afford a good example, to atone for transgression, or to
redeem man from present and eternal misery, was no part
of the object with which these incarnations are said to
have been performed ; and yet it may not be an impro-
bable conjecture, that the idea of incarnation was bor-
rowed from revealed truth, and that, perhaps, even be-
fore the coming of Christ. However, it should be borne
in mind, that these incarnations are peculiarities of the
Vaishnava system, which is said to be comparatively
modern in its origin ; and they may have been intended
as counterfeits, to discredit or supersede the belief of the
incarnation of God, in the person of our blessed Re-
deemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The existence of sin is generally admitted by the Hin-
doos, though with very imperfect views of its extreme
turpitude and awful consequences. The removal of its
guilt by bodily sufferings, certain forms of words and
ceremonies, and the possibility of entire deliverance from
it by abstraction, in which the mind requires no aid
beyond its own energies, as believed by the Hindoos,
might induce us to conclude, that the existence of sin
had only been acknowledged in order to be made light
of, or to give cause to ceremonies, and find employment
for the ever-busy mind of man.
414 CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ON HINDOOISM.
The belief of the liability of the human soul to a
supernatural influence, both good and evil, exists amongst
the Hindoos, as may have been observed by the attentive
reader of the translated extracts already given. This
doctrine, as propounded in revelation, has a most im-
portant bearing on the character, the dignity, and the
interests of man : its effect, as held by the Hindoos, is to
promote superstition, and consequent misery, and to give
a considerable degree of popularity to the pretenders to
magical power and skill.
A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness,
are insisted on by Christianity, as necessary to the hap-
piness and safety of the soul ; and the means are pointed
out whereby this great change in the character and spi-
ritual relations of man may be effectually wrought. The
Hindoo also expects to be born again, and to be im-
proved, perhaps, by the change ; but it is after his death
that he looks for this advantage, in the transmigration of
his soul to another body, in which he hopes to have less
of temporal suffering, and more ease and sensual enjoy-
ment.
Another peculiarity of the Hindoo system already
adverted to is, that it denies the distinct individuality
and immortality of the soul. The Hindoos are not
taught to desire eternal life, or even to hope for it ; a
temporary state of existence, more pleasurable than the
present, either on earth or in the lower heaven, the sen-
sual paradise of Devendren, is, in general, the utmost of
their expectations and their wishes. Eternity of rewards
to the righteous, and eternity of punishment to the
wicked, are excluded from their systems of doctrine ;
and, in consequence, no motive is presented sufficient to
correct the tendencies of corrupt nature, or efficiently to
alarm and trouble the conscience. The whole is " cun-
ningly devised," if not to deceive the understanding, to
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ON HINDOOISM. 415
captivate the will and affections, to soothe the pride, and
to gratify the corrupt inclinations of the human heart.
It would be an interesting, though a melancholy, task,
to trace the gradual formation of this system, and the
engrafting of its monstrous errors on the truths which it
partially acknowledges : this, however, is not practicable ;
it now stands before us in all its horrible disproportions,
with the marks of remote antiquity about it ; and it
would be fruitless to attempt deciding which parts
may be called its first formations, or its last addi-
tions. There are about it, especially in some of its
less important ceremonies and enjoined observances,
sufficient evidences of human contrivance ; but, when we
contemplate the main features, and the whole of the sys-
tem, we may justly suspect something more than mere
human imagination and ingenuity.
The place it assigns to God ; his exclusion from in-
terest and interference in the affairs of men ; the incarna-
tions of which it boasts ; the ease with which it professes
sin may be removed, and its consequences averted ; the
perverted use it makes of the doctrine of supernatural
influence on the mind; the ingenious invention of the
transmigration of souls ; the horrible doctrine of absorp-
tion, and the difficulties in the way of obtaining even that
feigned deliverance from the evils of repeated births ; the
concealment from the vulgar of the Vedas, the books
esteemed most sacred ; the character of its objects of
worship ; the immorality, cruelty, superstition, and
degradation of both passions and intellect, produced and
encouraged in the worshippers ; and the effectual manner
in which this system is interwoven with ah 1 that is
esteemed honourable and desirable in the world ; all inti-
mate to us, that as a scheme for the deception and spi-
ritual thraldom of mankind, it has had the cunning
assistance of an intelligence superior to man, and owes
416 CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ON HlNDOOISM.
much of its substance and character to diabolical sugges-
tion. We have no reason to suppose that the enemy of
God and man has lost his ancient desire for divine
honours ; he is as truly worshipped, under various forms,
by the idolatrous Hindoos, as by the devil-worshippers of
Ceylon ; we may therefore conclude, that what appears
above human imagination and contrivance in the Hindoo
system, and particularly those parts of it that aim at
superseding and neutralizing the divine and saving truths
of revelation, proceed from the father of lies, the old
serpent, that still deceiveth the nations.
It may now appear almost superfluous to add any
thing on the aspect of this system, in reference to Chris-
tianity, as at present attempting to be introduced in
India, by the labours of Missionaries. It is essentially
hostile. There are, however, one or two peculiarities
which have not yet been mentioned. There is an extra-
ordinary spirit of toleration towards all other systems of
religion. The Hindoos do not wish or endeavour to
make proselytes ; they profess that, as their religion is
good and sufficient for themselves, so the religion of
others may be equally suitable for those amongst whom it
is found. This, at first view, may seem an advantage, as
it leaves no room for the fear of persecution ; but, what-
ever it may be in this respect, it creates an indifference to
truth, neutralizes the spirit of inquiry and research, and
induces them, passively, to yield their minds to the domi-
nion of error. We may regard it a no inconsiderable
point gained, when the mind of a Hindoo is excited to
sincere and earnest inquiry after religious truth.
Another obstacle presented by Hindooism to the pro-
gress of Christianity is, that the whole scheme of society
is founded on the system : the distinctions of caste, so
essential to its continuance, are guarded by established
custom, by superstitious theories, and by the veneration
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ON HINDOOISM. 417
attaching to antiquity. The whole of this frame must be
shaken, before any part can be materially affected. The
difficulty does not lie in the re-organization of the whole ;
but in producing an influence so powerful and so
extended as to act at once and efficiently on all classes
and portions of such a numerous people : the agency
which breaks up the present system will effect a new
order of things, without any convulsion, or requiring any
additional energy. Let the present artificial adhesion of
the different parts be dissolved, and nothing that is real
in rank, or wealth, or character, will be lost : Chris-
tianity will maintain in full value whatever is estimable ;
but it has, perhaps, achieved no conquest of greater
difficulty than that which is now contemplated, in the
equal reduction of high and low caste to its renovating
influence.
To be added to these, are the pride of learning and the
prejudices of a deceitful philosophy, closely interwoven,
as they are, with the prevailing superstition. These are
difficulties Christianity had not to contend with in
ancient Rome. Throughout the Roman world, it is said,
that the priests had neither any sacred writings nor any
determined faith ; religion was distinct from morals and
philosophy ; amongst the Hindoos it is combined with
both ; and, though both are defective, they powerfully
assist it in maintaining its ground, and will continue to do
so, imless the correct systems which we possess be assisted
in their promulgation by something more powerful than
their own inherent truth and value. True learning and
correct philosophy will probably follow, rather than pre-
cede, the general reception of Christianity in India.
Thus have I attempted to describe, however defect-
ively, the character and position of that system with
which the truth of God has already commenced a con-
test, by the diffusion of the sacred Scriptures, and the
T 5
418 CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ON HlNDOOISM.
personal exertions of the Messengers of the churches ;
partly with a view to afford what information I possessed,
to any who might wish to inquire into a subject in which
the greatest interests of so many of our fellow-men and
fellow-subjects are involved ; but chiefly in the indulgence
of an earnest hope, that these plain details will have the
effect of stimulating Christian zeal to more active energy,
and of promoting still wider and more powerful co-opera-
tion in the prosecution of the noble task, to which a
considerable portion of the church has already addressed
itself. It is true, that if the great work to be effected
were not divine in its authority, its encouragements, and
its influence, we might reasonably, on a view of the great
difficulties to be encountered, shrink from exertion, and
lay aside all expectation of success ; but, having the
command, the promise, and the prophetic declarations of
the God of mercy and of truth, we are determined not to
be weary in the prosecution of our benevolent designs,
knowing that, " in due season we shall reap, if we faint
not."
AN ACCOUNT
THE VIOLENT METHODS ADOPTED BY THE CHURCH
OF ROME
TO PROSELYTIZE THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA, OR
THE MOUNTAIN COUNTRY OP TRAVANCORE, IN SOUTH
INDIA.*
THE very ancient churches of the Syrian Christians, as also
all other eastern churches, were at no time subject to the
Pope of Rome.
It was their practice never to wander from their native
country. They also held that celibacy is not necessary for
the clergy. On these accounts they have gradually increased ;
so that at this day, there are more than one thousand four
hundred churches.
They call themselves Nasatmapilleigl ; and their clergy
Cassanars.t From early antiquity they have been accustomed
to conduct divine service in the Syrian language. From
the fourth century of the Christian era, it has been reported,
that the Patriarch of the Hindoos had his residence in the
city of Seleucia, (the capital of the Persian empire,) near to
Babylon.J The Bishop of Antioch, in Syria, was formerly
accustomed to consecrate him to his office.
* Translated from Walther's " Tamul Church History," Tranquebar,
1735.
t Nasatmapilleigl, is a term compounded of three words, and means,
" children of the lapsed soul." Cassanar is compounded of two words,
and means "lords of the elephant." Human nature is often represented
by the Hindoos, under the figure of a maddened elephant. The tenn
" Cassanar" implies the mastery which the persons_to whom it is applied
are supposed to have over their passions.
\ At the Council of Nice, A.D. 325, there was present Johannes, who
signed himself as Bishop of Persia, and of the greater India. At the
same Council it was decreed, Canon 33, " Let the See of Seleucia, which
is one of the eastern cities, be honoured likewise, and have the title of
Catholicon ; and let the prelate thereof ordain Archbishops as the
other Patriarchs do, that so the eastern Christians who live under
Heathens may not be wronged by waiting the Patriarch of Antioch's
leisure, or by going to him j but may have a way opened to them to
420 AN ACCOUNT OF
Since the destruction of Seleucia, the Bishop of (Seleucia
or) Babylon has had his residence in Mosul, which is sup-
posed to be ancient Nineveh. The Metrani, or Metropolitan
of the Syrian Christians, is sent thence to this country. He
has chief authority among those Christians, both as to secular
and spiritual affairs.*
In 547, Cosmo, the Egyptian, wrote thus : " In Taprobane,
or Ceylon, and in Malayala, there are churches of Christ.
The Bishop of Calicut receives his appointment from Persia."
Their doctrines, in many particulars, agree with the doc-
trines of the Protestant church.
1. In the adminisration of the sacrament of the Lord's
supper, they use leavened bread, and wine : and they do not
teach that they are changed into the sacred body and blood of
Christ.
2. They use no images, but only the sacred symbol of the
cross.
3. They have only two orders of clergy : the Priests, and
the Deacons, or Stewards of the church. These marry, if they
choose, three or four times ; and even marry widows.
4. Marriage with them is not a sacrament.
5. They know nothing of sponsors in baptism, or of nyana-
uda-pirappu, which perhaps may be rendered, baptismal rege-
neration.
6. They know nothing of confirmation,
7. Of Auricular Confession, or of,
8. Purgatory.
In cases of severe sickness, they send for the Priest, and
desire him to pray for them ; but they are unacquainted with
extreme unction.t
supply their own necessities. Neither will any injury be done to the
Patriarch of Antioch thereby, seeing he has consented to its being thus,
upon the Synod's having desired it of him."
The word " Metrani" means one who has chief power ; it is used
indiscriminately to mean Bishop, Metropolitan, or Patriarch.
t Dr. Buchanan visited these churches in 1806 ; and I cannot resist
the opportunity of enriching these pages with some extracts from the
very interesting volume, to the publication of which, the Syrian Chris-
tians and the church generally are so greatly indebted.
" From the Palace of Travancore, I proceeded to Mavely-car, and
thence to the hills at the bottom of the high Ghauts, which divide the
Carnatic from Malayala. The face of the country in general, in the
vicinity of the mountains, exhibits a varied scene of hill and dale,
and winding streams ; these streams fall from the mountains, and pre-
serve the valleys in perpetual verdure. The woods produce pepper,
cardamoms, and cassia, or common cinnamon ; ;ti <> frankincense, and
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. 421
When the Portuguese Admiral, Vasco de Gama, with
several ships, touched at the coast of Cochin, in 1502, the
other aromatic gums. What adds much to the grandeur of the scenery in
this country is, that the adjacent mountains of Travancore are not
barren, but are covered with forests of teak-wood, (the Indian oak,) pro-
ducing, it is said, the largest timber in the world.
" The first view of the Christian churches in this sequestered region
of Hindostan, connected with the idea of their tranquil duration for so
many ages, cannot fail to excite pleasing emotions in the mind of the
beholder. The form of the oldest buildings is not unlike that of some of the
oldest parish churches in England, the style of building in both being of
Saracenic origin : they have sloping roofs, pointed arch windows, and
buttresses, supporting the walls. The beams of the roof being exposed
to view, are ornamented ; and the ceiling of the choir and altar is cir-
cular and fretted. In the cathedral churches, the shrines of the de-
ceased Bishops are placed on each side of the altar. Most of the
churches are built of a reddish stone, squared and polished at the quarry,
and are of durable construction. The bells of the churches are cast in
the foundries of the country ; some of them are of large dimensions,
and have inscriptions in Syriac and Malavalim. In approaching a
town in the evening, I once heard the sound of bells among the hills ;
a circumstance which made me forget, for a moment, that I was in
Hindostan, and reminded me of another country."
" I have now visited eight churches, and scarcely believe that I am in
the land of the Hindoos ; only that I now and then see a Hindoo temple
on the banks of the river. I observe that the bells of most of the
churches are within the building, and not in a tower; the reason, they
said, was this : when a Hindoo temple happens to be near a church, the
Hindoos do not like the bell to sound loud, for they say it frightens their
god. I perceive that the Syrian Christians assimilate much to the
Hindoos, in the practice of frequent ablutions for health and cleanliness,
and in the use of vegetables and light food.
" I attended divine service on the Sunday : their Liturgy is that which
was formerly used in the churches of the Patriarch of Autioch. During
the prayers, there were intervals of silence ; the Priests praying in a low
voice, and every man praying for himself: these silent intervals add
much to the solemnity and appearance of devotion. They use incense
in the churches : it grows in the woods around them ; and contributes
much, they say, to health, and to the warmth and comfort of the church,
during the cold and rainy season of the year. At the conclusion of the
service a ceremony takes place, which pleased me much. The Priest
(or Bishop, if he be present) comes forward, and all the people pass by
him as they go out, receiving his benediction individually. If any man
has been guilty of any immorality, he does not receive the blessing ; and
this, in their primitive and patriarchal state, is accounted a severe
punishment. Instruction by preaching is little in use among them now ;
many of the old men lamented the decay of piety and religious know-
ledge, and spoke with pleasure of the record of ancient times. They
have some ceremonies nearly allied to those of the Greek church. Here,
as in all churches in a state of decline, there is too much formality in
the worship ; but they have the Bible, and a scriptural Liturgy ; and these
will save a church in the worst of times ; these may preserve the spark
422 AN ACCOUNT OF
Syrian Christians sent ambassadors to him ; saying, that as
they had heard that he was the servant of a Christian King,
they prayed him to take them under his protection. They
also sent him the sceptre of their King, who had died only a
few days before. He received them and their present, and
formed a treaty with them : but the time came when they
had reason to repent of this step ; for the Portuguese used
every means to bring them under the power of the Pope.
The first Priests who visited these Christians in 1545, were
Franciscans ; they saw that their cause would not prevail,
without aid from the secular arm.
In 1546, the Franciscans established a seminary in Cranga-
nore, or, as it is otherwise called, Nodungaloor ; and taught
the Latin language, and the ceremonies of the Romish
Church, to the children of the Syrian Christians. But when
the youths thus educated had been ordained Priests, the
Syrian Christians regarded them as belonging to another
people, and would not permit them to enter their churches.
In 1557, the Jesuits of Goa found that these Christians
always persisted in asserting that they were not Latinists, but
that they were of Syrian descent. Seeing that no other plan
would succeed, they removed from the convent of San Paolo,
in Goa, and established a seminary at Veippicottah, near
Nodungaloor, in which they taught the doctrines of the
Church of Rome, to the children of those Christians, in the
Syriac language. In this undertaking they expended much
money ; they also had printing types of the Syriac language,
prepared in Rome.
But those who were educated in this seminary did not
venture to change any of the doctrines which they had
received from their ancestors, but continued afterwards, as
they had before been accustomed, to mention the name of the
Bishop of Babylon, in the celebration of divine service in
the church.
and life of religion, though the flame be out. And as there were but
few copies of the Bible among the Syrians, (for every copy was trans-
cribed with the pen,) it is highly probable, that if they had not enjoyed
the advantage of the daily prayers, and daily portions of Scripture in
their Liturgy, there would have been, in the revolution of ages, no vestige
of Christianity left among them."
" In every church, and in many of the private houses, there are
manuscripts in the Syriac language ; and I have been successful in pro-
curing some old and valuable copies of the Scriptures and other books,
written in different ages and in different characters." Christian
Researches.
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. 42.3
When the Jesuits found that this plan also was unsuccess-
ful, they inveigled Mar Joseph, at that time the Metrani of
those Christians, and forced him away to go to Rome.
The Metrani arrived in Portugal in 1558. He there made
so favourable an impression on Queen Donna Catherina, to
whom he had rendered some service, that she decided that it
was unnecessary for him to go to Rome ; and she dismissed
him with great kindness, that he might return to India.
Meantime, after the ahduction of Mar Joseph to Europe, a
new Metrani, Mar Abraham, had arrived in India from
Mosul, and had been joyfully received by the Syrian Chris-
tians. But afterwards, by the return of Mar Joseph, the
people were divided into two parties. Mar Joseph appealed,
concerning this matter, to the Viceroy of Goa, who wrote
letters to Cochin, and caused Mar Abraham to be seized, and
thrown into prison. He was afterwards put on board ship,
to be sent to Europe. But the ship touching at a certain
coast, (Mosambique, then belonging to the Portuguese,) he
made his escape, and again reached Mosul. From that place,
with a most persevering courage, he travelled overland to
Rome.
There, in 1560, he engaged to conform to the Romish
Church, and received consecration to the office of Metrani,
from Pope Pius IV. He set out on his return to India ; but
on his arrival at Venice, it was discovered by the people of
that city, that he had never been regularly ordained Priest :
and by command of the Pope, whom he had deceived, he was
made Priest with all the usual ceremonies.
During Mar Abraham's absence, Mar Joseph threw off the
disguise, and taught the old doctrines which he had abjured
when in Portugal, swearing that he would never teach them
again. When this was known to Pope Pius V. he wrote to
Goa in 1567, commanding that Mar Joseph should be deposed,
imprisoned, and sent to Rome. He arrived there, and died
within a few days afterwards.
When Mar Abraham reached Goa, with the power con-
ferred on him by the Pope, the authorities of Goa did not
acknowledge him ; but said it was necessary for them to
write to the Pope whom he had deceived, to give him better
information. They placed Mar Abraham in a convent, from
whence, however, he escaped, and was received with ecsta-
sies of joy by the Syrian Christians, who had meantime
endured great persecutions from the Portuguese, and were
now instructed by him according to their ancient faith.
424 AN ACCOUNT OP
Intelligence of this reached Pope Gregory XIII., who
addressed a letter to Mar Abraham in 1578, commanding him
to attend a Council which should he held in Goa ; and fur-
nished him with a letter of safe conduct, engaging that no
harm should happen to him.
He went, because it was impossible to escape from the
Portuguese, whose authority was now paramount in India.
He there took an oath that he would never again teach the
old doctrine. He was obliged to promise that he would be
obedient to the Romish Church ; and that he would cause all
the so-called heretical books written in the Syriac language,
to be sent to Goa, that they might be burnt. He acknow-
ledged his error, that when, on his return from Rome, he had
a second time ordained his Priests, according to the form pre-
scribed to him there, he had not used wine, but had adminis-
tered an empty cup, with the bread : it was on this account
decided that the ordination was void ; he had, therefore, to
ordain his Priests a third time, in the presence of certain
Jesuits, who understood the Syriac language.
When Mar Abraham returned to his own people, with the
exception that he ordained his Priests in the way which had
been prescribed by the Council, he continued to do all things
as he had done them before. Some days afterwards, he wrote
a letter to his Patriarch in Mosul, informing him, that the
Portuguese were continually beating at his head, as a hammer
at an anvil, and that he had, therefore, been under the neces-
sity of attending the Council in Goa. This epistle fell into
the hands of the Portuguese.
At that time, a Syrian, whose name was Mar Simeon, came
to Malayala. He professed to have been sent by the Patriarch
of Mosul, to supersede Mar Abraham. He was immediately
joined by a great number of the people, and assumed the
office of Metrani, in the town of Nadaturutti. Great feuds,
in consequence, arose between him and Mar Abraham. The
Syrian churches were convulsed and divided. Mar Abraham
complained to Goa, and the Portuguese afforded him their
patronage and protection.
Mar Simeon yielded to the persuasion of certain Monks,
and went first to Cochin, and then to Goa; from whence he
was sent to Portugal and to Rome.
In 1685, Pope Sixtus V. decided that Mar Simeon was
not a Metrani, and caused him to be sent to Portugal.
From a convent in Lisbon, Mar Simeon wrote several letters
to India, stating that he was the true Metrani. One of them
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. 425
fell into the hands of Menezes, Archbishop of Goa, in 1599,
who immediately sent it to the chief Inquisitor in Lisbon;
There is no doubt that, had Mar Simeon been then living, he
would have been condemned to suffer death.
At that time Mar Abraham acted without disguise. In
1590, he was invited to attend a Council in Goa. He returned
for answer, that " a cat, once bitten by a serpent, would be
afraid at the mere sight of a piece of cord." *
Pope Clement VIII. having been made acquainted with all
these circumstances, addressed a letter, on the 27th of January,
1595, to Alexis de Menezes, an Augustinian Monk, who was
about to proceed to Goa as Archbishop, directing that if Mar
Abraham was the guilty person he had been represented to be,
he should depose him, and appoint some Romish Ecclesiastic
in his place. This, Gouvea, one of his own order, has re-
corded in his Memoir of Menezes.
Whilst Menezes was Archbishop of Goa, he laboured more
to reduce the Syrian Christians to the authority of the Pope,
than in any other supposed duty of his office.
When Menezes arrived in India, he inquired into every
circumstance relating to Mar Abraham ; and, having ascer-
tained that he had applied to Mosul for another Metrani, he
gave the strictest orders that no Syrian, Persian, or Armenian
Priest should enter India from any quarter, without his per-
mission. All travellers, both going and returning, were there-
fore closely examined ; and one, who was discovered, was
sent back by the way he came.
On the 17th of December, 1597, a letter was addressed to
Menezes, who was at that time absent from Goa, informing
him that Mar Abraham was dead. He immediately conse-
* A reply which would be well understood by those to whom it was
addressed. Some serpents, when at rest, have very much the appear-
ance of a piece of cord. Father Martin, who is often quoted, says,
" When I had been two days in Aoor, after assisting in the evening,
with Father Bouchet, at the prayers and other pious exercises, usually
offered up in the church, we entered the room where two of our Fathers,
who were come to pay me a visit, were saying their breviary by the light
of a small lamp. I then fancied I saw, in the middle of the room, a
kind of rope, in the form of a horse's halter ; whereupon I took it up in
order to carry it to the lamp, and there examine whether it was good for
any thing. But how great was my surprise, when I found that my sup-
posed rope was a serpent, which was raising itself up in order to bite me.
In my fright I shook it from me, and it was killed that instant. I won-
der I did not perceive the motion of the serpent sooner ; or, that it did
not bite me the moment I put my fingers to it. But this would have cost
me my life, the bite of the serpent in question being found mortal."
426 AN ACCOUNT OF
crated Francisco Roz, a Jesuit, as his successor. But after he
had returned to Goa in the month of May, it was decided, in
assembled Council, that the office should be conferred on the
venerable Archdeacon George, whom Mar Abraham had ap-
pointed to succeed him, and who was much esteemed by the
Syrian Christians. The above-mentioned Francisco Roz, and
another of the same order, were therefore sent to help the
Archdeacon, and to obtain his signature to a statement con-
taining the doctrines peculiar to Rome. The Archdeacon
replied, that he had no need of help ; and he also desired a
delay of four months before he should give his signature.
Within that time he hoped that a new Metrani would arrive
from Mosul. The Syrian Christians afterwards assembled a
Council in Angamallee, their principal city, and caused it to
be reported every where that they had sworn to continue
steadfast in their ancient faith ; and that they would not
renounce it, even at the cost of life itself.
Towards the close of the year 1597, Archbishop Menezes
wrote to announce that he himself was about to pay them a
visit. The Archdeacon, with a view to prevent him, returned
as answer, that if any one not a Jesuit were sent to him, ho
would give his signature. The Archbishop accordingly sent
a Franciscan ; and the Archdeacon wrote a statement, profess-
ing himself a Catholic ; that he believed as the holy Church
believed ; and that he held that the Pope was the universal
Pastor of the Church. But he omitted the word " Roman ;"
and the affair remained unsettled.
On the 27th of December, 1598, Archbishop Menezes set
out from Goa ; and on the 1st of Februaiy, 1599, he reached
Cochin. He immediately summoned the Syrian Archdeacon
to appear before him. The Archdeacon, with his Council,
feared that the Portuguese would place some restrictions on
the pepper trade, in which his Christians were engaged.
They found also in their records, that it was not against their
ecclesiastical law for a foreign Metrani to conduct divine ser-
vice in their churches. Prepared by these considerations, he
collected a force of three thousand men, and proceeded to
Cochin. He and his Cassanars fell on their knees before the
Archbishop, and kissed his hand ; and were received by him
with great favour.
PROCEEDINGS AT VEIPPICOTTAH.
The Archbishop desired the Archdeacon to accompany him
to Veippicottah. He there delivered a sermon on John x. 1,
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. 427
to the effect that all Ministers who were not appointed by the
Pope were " thieves and robbers." The Archbishop attended
the daily morning and evening prayers of the Syrian Chris-
tians ; but at first he was not aware, that, when they prayed
for the Bishop of Babylon, they styled him the universal
Pastor of the Church. When he was informed of this, he
assembled the Jesuits, and the Archdeacon and his Cassanars.
He pronounced, that the Pope was the only head of the church
on earth ; and declared, that the Bishop of Babylon was a
heretic. He directed a denunciation to be read in Latin, and
to be interpreted into Malayalim ; and then commanded the
Archdeacon and his Cassanars to sign it. When they hesi-
tated to consent to this, the Archbishop, looking at the Arch-
deacon, said, in a threatening manner, " Sign it, Father ; for
' now also the axe is laid to the root of the tree ! " : The
Archdeacon and his Cassanars said nothing in reply, but
affixed their signatures.
When the Syrian Christians heard tidings of this event,
they assembled in vast numbers, and offered the most deter-
mined opposition. The Archdeacon endeavoured to pacify
them ; but they declared they would not forsake their ancient
faith, though it might cost them the loss of all things, and
even of life itself. On this account the Portuguese them-
selves reproached the Archbishop. But he replied, " It is
the Lord's business ; he will direct ; " and, quitting Veippi-
cottah, he went to Paroor.
PAROOR.*
The inhabitants of that town were greatly incensed by
what they had heard, and assembled in the church at which
he had arrived, purposely to oppose his proceedings. When
he prepared to administer confirmation to them, they cried
out, " We do not want this ceremony, which the Portuguese
have invented for the purpose of making us slaves." The
* Buchanan gives the following interesting description of Paroor :
" Not far from Cranganore is the town of Paroor, where there is an
ancient Syrian church, which bears the name of the Apostle Thomas.
It is supposed to he the oldest in Malabar, and is still used for divine
service. I took a drawing of it. The tradition among the Syrians is,
that the Apostle continued at this place for a time, before he went to
preach at Mielapoor and St. Thomas's Mount, on the coast of Coro-
mandel, where he was put to death. The fact is certainly of little con-
sequence ; but, I am satisfied, we have as good authority for believing
that the Apostle Thomas died in India, as that the Apostle Peter died
at Rome."
428 AN ACCOUNT OF
Archdeacon then went out, and brought in eight or ten chil-
dren, whom he placed before the Archbishop, and desired him
to confirm them.
THE NORTHERN DISTRICT.
The Archbishop then visited the five principal churches of
the Syrian Christians to the north of Cochin. He preached
a sermon, according to his practice, on two subjects ; first,
" the errors in doctrine held by the Syrian Christians ;" and
secondly, " the necessity of submitting to the authority of the
Pope."
THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT.
Finding that he was ill received in those places, he returned
to Cochin on March 1st, 1599 ; and, as the Christians of the
south bordered more closely on the Portuguese, he proceeded
to Pirkadu, south of Cochin, and administered confirmation
without the consent of the Christians of that place. Thus at
that time, and often subsequently, he violated his own written
engagement, to which he had affixed his seal, not to interfere
with the Syrians in their churches, until they should have
held a General Synod.
The native King of Cochin, fearing that the Archbishop
intended to make these Christians subject to the King of
Portugal, imposed on them a tax, to be levied at certain
periods ; and commanded them to continue attached to the
Archdeacon. The Archbishop then proceeded to Udiamper.
UDIAMPER."
Udiamper, in former times, had been the residence of some
of the Metranis of that country. The Archbishop caused it
to be published, that as there had been no Metrani in that
place for the space of two years, he would confer ordination ;
and sent a message desiring the Archdeacon to come to him.
The Archdeacon wrote in reply, that a Council must as-
semble in order to decide whether the Archbishop should
bear sway amongst them ; and that his present proposal was
Udiamper is thus noticed by Buchanan : " In a tour to the in-
terior, we first visited Udiamper, or, as the Portuguese writers call it,
Diamper. This was formerly the residence of Beliarte, King of the
Christians ; and here is the Syrian church at which Archbishop Meuezes,
from Goa, convened the Synod of the Syrian Clergy in 1599, when he
burned the Syriac and Chaldaic books. The Syrians report, that while
the flames ascended, he went round the church in procession, chanting a
gong of triumph." Christian Researches.
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. 429
contrary to the agreement he had formerly entered into. The
Archbishop answered, " I act by command of his Holiness
the Pope ; to whom all the churches in the world ought to
yield obedience."
The Archdeacon then charged all his Christians, under
pain of a curse, to have no intercourse with the Archbishop.
When this direction was known in Udiamper, the inhabitants
of that place said contemptuously to the Archbishop, " The
confirmation you administer is unnecessary. Our children
had their heads anointed with oil, after their baptism." But
the Archbishop threatened them with the power of the Portu-
guese, as superior both to that of the Archdeacon and of the
heathen Chiefs ; and proceeded to confer ordination on thirty-
seven persons, without requiring any qualification.
NADATURUTTI.
Before the last week in Lent, he came to the town of
Nadaturutti. The next day he invited on board his vessel
some of the most respectable Christians of the place, and won
them over by a great show of kindness, and by large gifts of
money. He procured the interest of Mapilleimattu and
Mapilleimaney, two of the principal inhabitants, who proved
of great service to him.
He celebrated Palm Sunday with great pomp ; but the
Cassanars and the Christians took no part in it.
On Holy Thursday, a Jesuit preached in the Malayalim
language.
On the next day, Good Friday, the ceremony of worshipping
the crucifix was conducted with much display. A Cassanar,
who had been cursed by the Archbishop, happening to enter
the church, he caused him to be expelled with great tumult.
In the evening many of the Cassanars, and some other of the
Chiefs, came to the Archbishop, renounced, by oath, the
Patriarch of Babylon, and were received into the Romish
Church. Thus the inhabitants of Nadaturutti were the first
to submit to the Archbishop. On this occasion he rejoiced
greatly, and considered how he might displace Archdeacon
George, and introduce Thomas Curia, his relative, into the
office of Metrani.
On Saturday, he conferred Priests' orders on many persons
who had before been rejected. Francisco Roz, the Jesuit,
met him, and said, " A few months ago I celebrated mass in
this place, and when I elevated the host, all the Christians
covered their eyes, and would not look upon it. When I
430 AN ACCOUNT OF
showed them the image of the holy Virgin, they said, ' We
want not that abomination ! We are Christians ! We are
not idolaters !' They also chastised one of their young men
for mentioning the name of the Pope in his prayer."
The Archbishop celebrated the festival of Easter with
great magnificence ; and on that occasion, those of the
northern district, who had hitherto been stoutly opposed to
him, as well as those of the southern district, yielded obe-
dience to the Romish Church.
After the service of the day, the Christians held a love-feast,
called nerka, or " concord." This feast used to be celebrated
with corn and prepared fruit, of which a double portion was
allotted to their Pastors. (1 Tim. v. 17.) When the Arch-
bishop was invited to join them, he said he was unable to
attend, begged them to excuse him, and gave them his bless-
ing. They then sent him plantain- fruit and honey-fritters as
his portion.
The next day he proceeded to Nagupeli, near to Varan-
door; and admitted many persons into the Romish Church
by confirmation.
MOLANDURUTTI.
The same day, the Archbishop went for the second time
to Molandurutti. But the King of Cochin had levied a new
tax on the Christians ; and had sent some of their chief men,
bound as prisoners, to the Archdeacon. Therefore, not
one of them joined the Archbishop, as they had done on
the former occasion.
The Archbishop went again to Udiamper. In the course of
an interview which he had there with the Prime Minister of
the King of Cochin, he angrily struck his staff three times
upon the ground, and sharply reprimanded both him and his
master ; threatening that the King of Portugal would be
revenged. The Minister then assembled the Christians, and
very strictly enjoined them to submit in all things to the
Archbishop. By this threat of coercion, the Archbishop
induced a great number to submit to him without delay.
The next day he administered confirmation to those Chris-
tians, and said to them, " I have cursed the Archdeacon,
who has joined himself to heathen Chiefs in opposition to
Christianity, and refuses to submit to his Holiness the
Pope, Christ's Vicar upon earth. You must abandon him,
and receive me as your head." To this the people appeared
to assent. In the evening he visited the sick, and distributed
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. 431
alms to the poor ; and appealed to them whether this was not
conduct suitable to their Metrani.
When the Archdeacon heard that the Archbishop had suc-
ceeded in three principal places, he was greatly perplexed.
He wrote an answer to a letter which the Archbishop had
addressed to him some time before ; prayed that his fault
might be forgiven, and that he might be admitted into the
Romish Church. The Archbishop was overjoyed at^this, and
wrote to him that he accepted his submission, on condition
that he should give his signature, and swear to ten particulars,
which he would specify.
He afterwards went to Cochin, and engaged the Governor
of that place to use his influence with the King of Cochin,
that he might assist him in reducing all the Syrian Christians
to the power of the Pope ; and then went to Nodungaloor,
and, with the help of the Jesuits, wrote and arranged the
particulars necessary for the Council, which was about to
assemble.
When the Archdeacon saw that there was no protection for
him, he went to meet the Archbishop in Veippicottah ; and,
falling at his feet, he said, " I have sinned against heaven, and
in thy sight." He entreated him to forgive his fault. The
Archbishop accepted his submission, and raised him to his feet.
He afterwards made an agreement with him privately, as to
the proceedings to be adopted at the approaching Council at
Udiamper.
THE COUNCIL OF UDIAMPER.*
On the 20th of June, 1599, the Archdeacon and all the
Cassanars, and the other Elders of the Syrian Christians, the
Archbishop, the Governor of Cochin, many Romish Priests,
and some chief persons among the Portuguese, assembled as a
Council in Udiamper.
This Council met together nine times successively. Many
of the sacred truths held by the Syrian Christians were per-
verted ; and all the doctrines of the Council of Trent, as be-
fore described, were confirmed aud adopted.
The holy Scriptures, in the Syriac language, were altered
and corrupted in many passages, to make them agree with the
Latin version.
It was determined, that the King of Portugal should receive
* For a most full account of the Council or Synod of Udiamper, and a
translation into English of its Acts and Decrees, see the second volume
of Hough's " History of Christianity in India."
432 AN ACCOUNT OF
those Christians under his protection ; and that they in return
should defend the holy Catholic faith. Thus were they re-
duced to a nominal conformity to the Romish Church ; and,
in reality, were brought into subjection to the King of Portu-
gal. It was with reference to this proceeding that the King
of Cochin called confirmation " the Portuguese mask."
Marriage was thenceforth forbidden to those Cassanars who
yet remained unmarried, under penalty of a curse. It was
also decreed, that the second marriages of those Cassanars
who were already married, and the marriages of such as had
been united to widows, were null and void. The case of such
as were married for the first time the members of the Council
determined to refer to the decision of his Holiness the Pope.
It was also decreed at the same time, that married men were
not eligible to discharge the functions of the Priest's office ;
but that those who would divorce their wives might continue
in the priesthood. (Matt. v. 32.)
Whilst the Council thus proceeded, many of the Christians
uttered the bitterest complaints of being forcibly separated
from the Metrani, to whom they had so long been subject ;
but they complained in vain ; for the Archbishop had taken
an oath from full three parts of the Cassanars assembled in
Council, at the time of their ordination.
At the close of the Council seventy -five Priests were ap-
pointed to seventy-five churches in the neighbourhood of
Udiamper, according to the ceremonies of the Romish Church.
Previous to this there had been no distinction among them,
except the difference occasioned by age and seniority.
On the 26th of June, 1599, the Council closed. Its pro-
ceedings were attested by the Archbishop, by one hundred
and fifty-three Cassanars, and by six hundred and sixty other
persons.
The Archbishop had especially won over eight of the Cas-
sanars ; these and certain Jesuits introduced the rites of the
Romish Church among those Christians.
Under the pretence that the baptism which the Cassanar of
the place had administered according to the rites of his own
Church, was void, Menezes privately re-baptized all the inha-
bitants. He visited the churches in other places for the same
purpose ; he took an oath from those Cassanars who had not
attended the Council, and divorced them from the women
whom they had married.
On the 3d of July, he observed the holy-day of St. Thomas.
But he directed that Mar Sapor and Mar Pheroz, or Beroses,
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. 433
the Teachers who came from Babylon in the year 822, should
be no longer numbered in the catalogue of saints.
ANGAMALEE.
He also proceeded to Molandurutti and to Angamalee, and
reformed the churches in those places.*
* Buchanan gives the following interesting notice, headed,
" slngamalee, a Syrian town, containing three churches. January t
1807. 1 have penetrated once more inland to visit the Syrian churches.
At the town of Cenotta, I was surprised to meet with Jews and Chris-
tians in the same street. The Jews led me first to their synagogue, and
allowed me to take away some manuscripts for money. The Syrian
Christians then conducted me to their ancient church. I afterwards sat
down on an eminence above the town to contemplate this interesting
spectacle ; a Jewish synagogue and a Christian church, standing over
against each other, exhibiting, as it were, during many revolving ages,
the LAW and the GOSPEL to the view of the heathen people.
" Angamalee is one of the most remote of the Syrian towns in this di-
rection, and is situated on a high land. This was once the residence of
the Syrian Bishop. The inhabitants told me, that when Tippoo Sultan
invaded Travancore, a detachment of his cavalry penetrated to Angama-
lee, where they expected to find great wealth, from its ancient fame.
Being Mahometans, they expressed their abhorrence of the Christian re-
ligion by destroying one of the lesser churches, and stahling their horses
in the great church. In this place I have found a good many valuable
manuscripts. I had been led to suppose, from the statement of the Por-
tuguese historians, that possibly all the Syrian manuscripts of the Bible
had heen burned by the Romish Church at the Synod of Diamper, in 1599 ;
but this was not the case. The Inquisitors condemned many books to
the flames ; but they saved the Bible, being content to order that the
Syriac Scriptures should be amended agreeably to the Vulgate of Rome.
But many Bibles and other volumes were not produced at all. The
Syriac version of the Scriptures was brought to India, according to the
popular belief, before the year 325. Some of their present copies are
certainly of ancient date. Though written on a strong thick paper, like
that of some MSS. in the British Museum, commonly called Eastern
paper, the ink has, in several places, eat through the material in the
exact form of the letter. In other copies, where the ink had less of a
corroding quality, it has fallen off, and left a dark vestige of the letter ;
faint, indeed, but not in general illegible.
" There is a volume which was deposited in one of the remote churches
near the mountains, which merits a particular description. It contains
the Old and New Testaments, engrossed on strong vellum, in large folio,
having three columns in a page ; and is written with beautiful accuracy.
The character is Estrangelo Syriac ; and the words of every book are num-
bered. But the volume has suffered injury from time or neglect. In
certain places the ink has heen totally, obliterated from the page, and left
the parchment in its state of natural whiteness ; but the letters can, in
general, be distinctly traced from the impress of the pen, or from the
partial corrosion of the ink. I scarcely expected that the Syrian church
would have parted with this manuscript. But the Bishop was pleased to
U
434 AN ACCOUNT OF
Angamalee had been the residence of the Metrani from the
remotest antiquity. The inhabitants received the Archbishop
with great honour, and spread cloths of silk over the way by
which he approached. He continued there for a considerable
time, and administered baptism to some native Malayalas.
He committed to the flames many of the ancient books written
in Syriac, which he found in the MetranPs library, and acted
in the same way in other places.*
He determined that for the future the Metrani should have
his residence in Kodungaloor, (Cranganore,) because, at that
time there was a Portuguese fort there. From that place he
proceeded to Tiruvankodu (Travancore).
When the Archbishop had visited the churches round that
neighbourhood, he returned to Kaduturutti, the first-fruit of
his labours ; and conferred priests' orders on many Cassanars.
The Archbishop then heard that Philip II., King of Spain
present it to me, ' It will be safer in your hands than in our own,' allud-
ing to the revolutions in Hindostan. ' And yet,' said he, ' we have kept
it, as some think, for near a thousand years.' ' I wish,' said I, ' that
England may be able to keep it a thousand years.' In looking over it,
I found the very first proposed emendation of Dr. Kennicott, (Gen. iv. 8,)
in this manuscript ; and no doubt it is the right reading.' "
The Doctor adds, in a note, " Most of the manuscripts which I col-
lected among the Syrian Christians, I have presented to the University of
Cambridge ; and they are now deposited in the public library of that
University, together with the copper-plate fac-similes of the Christian
and Jewish tablets." Christian Researches.
In another place, he says, " The cathedral church of Angamalee
is the largest of the Syrian edifices, and contains the tombs of Bishops
and Archbishops for many centuries. As I approached the town in the
evening, I heard the sullen roar of the great bell reverberating through
the mountains. When the Romish Archbishop Menezes visited this place
in 1599, the Christians strewed the way up the bill with flowers as he ad-
vanced. And yet he came to bum their ancient library and archives.
As the flame ascended, the old Priests wept ; but they were obliged to
hide their tears, dreading the Inquisition at Goa. The Archbishop pre-
sented himself next day to the multitude, arrayed in hi.s pontificals, re-
splendent with gold and precious stones. To this day they have a lively
tradition of the splendour of his robes blazing in the sun, and forming a
striking contrast with the plain white garments of their own primitive
church."
" If any thing can consign to perpetual infamy the name and pro-
gress of this barbarian, surely it must be the destruction of so many an-
cient and invaluable documents of the Christian church. It is indeed
painful to follow a man thus carrying misery and destruction along with
him, and dispensing them on the right hand and on the left, as his am-
bition or his ignorance might suggest ; and, what is worse, for the pro-
pagation of a spiritual tyranny, which, it was hoped, would reach to the
utmost boundaries of the earth." Professor Lee's History.
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. 435
and Portugal, had died during the year ; and, it being neces-
sary for him to return to Goa, he was obliged to desist from
further visitation of the churches.
He assembled the Cassanars of the neighbourhood of Cochin,
and the chief persons of the churches round about ; and an-
nounced to them the appointment of the Archdeacon to act as
Metrani, until the Pope should appoint some one else to the
office. He also associated with him, as his helpers, Francisco
Roz, and another Jesuit. Archbishop Menezes then set
out for Goa, where he arrived on the 16th of November,
1599. He thus completed his journey, and his visitation
of the Syrian churches, within the short space of eleven
months.
Menezes continued in Goa three years, in the exercise of
the authority of the deceased Viceroy. After his return to
Europe he was made Viceroy of Portugal ; he died in the
city of Madrid. The Spaniard, Manuel de Faria, has thus
written concerning him : " If this celebrated Prelate had not
returned to Spain, he would certainly have been reckoned in
the number of the Saints. Men generally suppose, that he lost
that distinguished honour, because of the difficulty of dis-
charging perfectly the duties of the high offices which he
sought, or which were spontaneously conferred upon him."
In 1601, by command of Pope Clement VIII., the above-
mentioned Francisco Roz was appointed as the first Latin
Bishop over the Syrian Christians. For more than a thou-
sand years previous, they had been governed by Syrian
Metranis only.
In 1605, Pope Paul V. removed the seat of the Metrani
from Angamalee to Cranganore ; and made the diocese subject
to the Archbishop of Goa.* And thus, for about sixty years,
the Jesuits governed the Syrian Churches. But as Vincent
Maria, a German Carmelite Monk, has written, " Those
Bishops oppressed them as though they had been slaves.
* Dr. Buchanan visited Cranganore on December 9th, 1807- He
says, " This is that celebrated place of Christian antiquity where the
Apostle Thomas is said to have landed, when he first arrived in India,
from Aden, in Arabia. There was formerly a town and fort at Cranga-
nore, the Portuguese having once thought of making it the emporium of
their commerce in India ; but both are now in ruins. There is, however,
one substantial relic of its greatness. There is an Archbishop at Cran-
ganore, and subject to him there are forty-five churches ; many of which
I entered. In some of them the worship is conducted with as much
decorum as in the Romish churches of the west of Ireland." Christian
Researches.
u 2
436 AN ACCOUNT OF
Their dominion was intolerable, but it nevertheless continued
for a long time."
More particularly Garcia, the last Bishop, who came to the
see in 1654, held the Syrians in such contempt, and treated
them so insolently, that they resorted to extreme measures.
Twelve Cassanars conferred the office of Metrani on George
Cambu, the successor of George the Archdeacon. By an old
canon law in their book of church discipline, permission
is given to adopt such a mode of proceeding in case of
extremity. In like manner, from early antiquity, it has been
the custom for the Patriarch of Alexandria to receive con-
secration from the Presbyters of the church.
When this affair came to the knowledge of Pope Alex-
ander VII., he was of opinion that the schism had been occa-
sioned by the mismanagement of the Jesuits. With the
view of repairing the breach, he immediately dispatched four
Carmelites to India. One of them was the aforesaid Vincent
Maria, who wrote an account of the whole in the Italian
language.*
In 1657, he and another arrived at Cannanore, and pro-
ceeded by land to Calicut. Previously to that, the Syrians
had already addressed letters to the three Patriarchs of
Babylon, Alexandria, and Antioch, requesting them to send a
Metrani. The Patriarch of Alexandria, whose residence was
at Cairo in Egypt, sent one, whose name was Abdallah.
When Abdallah landed at Surat, two Capuchin Monks of
that place gave notice of his arrival to the Visitors of the
Inquisition in Goa. He was apprehended at Mielapoor, and
sent by the Jesuits to Cochin. When this fact was known
to the Syrian Christians of that place, they rose, and sought
means to rescue by force their newly-arrived Metrani. But
the Portuguese of Cochin closed the gates of the fort, and
" III Fiaggio all' Indie Orientali, del P. F. Ftncenzo Maria, di 6'.
Caterina da Siena. Fol. Roma, 1673.
" A Voyage to the East Indies, performed by F. Vincent Maria, of St.
Catherine of Siena, Procurator- General of the bare-footed Carmelites,
and sent to India, by way of Turkey and Persia, by the Pope, together
with F. Joseph of St. Mary, who also wrote an account of his travels.
This author divides his work into five books. The first and last contain
the journal, and an account of all the remarkable things he 'saw on his
way going and returning. The second treats of the affairs of the Mala-
bar Christians. The third and fourth, of the various natives of India,
their manners, customs, wealth, government, religion, plants, animals,
&c. The whole is a faithful, exact, and learned account of all things
remarkable in those regions, and has scarcely ever been equalled."
Churchill.
THE SYRIAN CHURCHES IN MALAYALA. 437
suddenly sent Abdallah away to Goa, where he suffered death
as a heretic, by sentence of the Inquisition. * The Syrians
were justly indignant at this outrage, and chased away the
Jesuits from every part of their country. They entered into
a compact that they would be subject in all things to their
own Archdeacon only, whom they acknowledged as chief.
The Carmelites, before mentioned, saw all this, and sought
to set it aside. Canbu, the Archdeacon, requested them to
consecrate him. They replied that they were not Bishops ;
that if he wished consecration, he must lay aside the office he
had assumed, and humbly ask pardon for the offence of which
he had been guilty.
Vincent Maria proceeded to Cochin, and requested the
Governors of that place to afford him their assistance. He
went afterwards to Cranganore, and the inhabitants of that
place upbraided him with the murder of Abdallah. But
others of that Church received him with honour, and declared
that they only rejected the dominion of the Jesuits.
The Carmelites went to Mangattu ; they assembled the
Cassanars of the churches belonging to that district, and held
a Council, at which those churches consented to submit to
them, until another Metrani could come to them from Rome.
When the Carmelites returned to Cochin, they were in-
formed by letter from Goa, that they must give up their
Mission, and proceed elsewhere. But they pledged them-
selves not to exercise their office in any places belonging to
the Portuguese ; and continued to prosecute the object of
their Mission. But the Jesuits greatly obstructed them.
Garcia, the Jesuit Archbishop, wrote to the Carmelites to
be attentive to his interests. They replied that they dili-
* A friend of mine, the Rev. John Hands, many years Missionary
of the London Society, at the Bellary Station, which he had the honour
to commence under circumstances of peculiar discouragement and diffi-
culty, informed me that he had twice visited old Goa : once, in the year
1822, when the Inquisition was still standing, but closely shut up. He
with much difficulty obtained admission, when he visited and examined
the cells and dungeons, all of which, save one, he found empty and open.
One was securely closed, in which, he was afterwards told, the instru-
ments of torture, &c., were deposited. But at his second visit, in the
year 1827, the vast pile of building described by Dellon and Buchanan,
was hastening to ruin. There was no difficulty in obtaining access to it ;
but such was the extent of its dilapidation, that it was not considered
safe to venture into some parts of it, and it was not without difficulty he
discovered the passages leading down to the gloomy dungeons. So may
every building perish, erected to the service of the mis-called holy Inqui-
sition !
u 3
438
AN ACCOUNT OF
gently kept that object in view. Be showed their letter to
some of the Syrian Christians, and by this kind of expedient
he induced many persons to secede from them.
COUNCIL OF RAPULIN.
In the year 1657, it was determined, with the consent of
the Archdeacon, that a Council should assemble in the town
of Rapulin. They met after Ascension-day, and the Arch-
deacon thus addressed the people : " It is not fit that our
ancient Church, which has for so many hundred years con-
ducted its own affairs independently of the Portuguese,
should anew submit to the yoke which it has thrown off.
We all know that the friendship of Archbishop Menezes was
forced upon us. Other Churches of the East have not sub-
mitted to the Latin Church. Shall we alone submit ? Per-
haps they will say, that consecration to the office of Metrani
conferred by Presbyters, is invalid. But do not the Cardinals
of Rome consecrate the Pope himself?" By this address, he
persuaded the people not to join the Carmelites, and retained
them in his own interest.
Subsequently, however, that people again separated into
two parties. On the 22d of July, many of the Cassanars
fell prostrate before the Carmelites, acknowledged their sin of
schism, and received absolution from them. The people of
Mangattu, a district in which there was a principal church,
refused to submit. But the Carmelites formed a treaty with
the heathen Chief of that district, and awed the Christians
into submission.
On September 8th, the representatives of twenty-four
churches assembled in the town of Muttan, and held a
Council. It was there decided that the consecration to the
office of Metrani, which had been conferred on the Arch-
deacon, was no consecration. It seemed as though they were
certain that the Archdeacon must yield to this decision. But
when a letter was sent, warning him that if he submitted, he
would meet with the same fate as Abdallah, there was again
an end of the whole affair.
On the 23d of September, another Council assembled in
a church near Cochin. The Jesuits directed that on that
occasion, the Carmelites should publish a Bull, addressed
to those Christians by the Pope, in which they were com-
manded again to yield obedience to the Jesuit Archbishop.
But this direction was altogether disagreeable to the
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. 439
Carmelites, and they only read the Bull which the Pope
had committed to them. Joseph,* one of their number,
received the office of Metrani : this did not meet with the
approbation either of the Jesuit Archbishop, or of the
Archdeacon.
The Carmelites finding that they did not succeed in any
quarter, returned to Cochin, and again assembled a Council,
on the first Sunday of our Lord's Advent ; and, taking leave
of the forty -four Cassanars who had united with them, they
embarked for Italy, on Christmas-day.
Hyacinth, one of the four Carmelites, returned to Ma-
layala, on the 10th of March, 1658, by Portuguese vessels ;
and for two years presided over those Syrian Christians,
who still continued in communion with the Romish Church.
He discharged the duties of his office, by aid from the hea-
then Chiefs. He died at an advanced age, on the 8th of
February, 1660.
In 1659, Garcia, the Jesuit Archbishop, died in Cranga-
nore. On the 16th of December, 1659, the office of Metrani,
which the fore-mentioned Joseph, the Carmelite, had received
in India, was confirmed to him in the city of Rome.
When he was setting out on his journey from Rome, on
the 7th of February, 1660, Cardinal Barberini, wrote, and
sent to this Metrani of the Syrian Christians, the Bull of
plenary indulgence, which Pope Paul V. had issued
in 1607. It was of small importance that the Bull was
out of date ; according to that Bull, any one who has per-
formed certain ceremonies, attended certain masses, and
made certain gifts, may obtain forgiveness of sins, for sixty,
or a hundred, or two hundred, or three hundred days ; or for
three or seven years.
Towards the end of April, 1661, he arrived in India, and
" Prima Speditione all' Indie Orientali dell P. F. Gioscppe di Santa
Maria," 4to, Roma, 1668.
" This author was sent by Pope Alexander VII., to the Malabar
Christians of St. Thomas ; he was a bare-footed Carmelite, and has in
tliis book left us a most curious production. He gives a very particular
account of the places and people he saw, birds, beasts, and other ani-
mals ; and of the philosophy of the Brahmans, their secrets, and of all
the other Malabars, as also of the infinite number of their gods. Hence
he proceeds further to treat of the vast empire of the Mogul, of the
pearl-fishery, of the Sabeans about Bassora, who pretend they received
their religion from St. John the Baptist ; and concludes with the errors
of the Jacobites, Nestorians, Greeks, Armenians, and other eastern
sects." Churchill.
440 AN ACCOUNT OF
was received at Cochin with great honour. The Jesuits in
that place, and the Archdeacon, were much afraid of him.
He sent two Carmelites to Cranganore, and commanded
them to prepare the great church in that place for his
reception.
On the 22d of August, he made his first visitation to
the church in Muttan ; and on the 26th, to the churches
in Pirkadu, with great pomp.
Afterwards the Archdeacon came to Molandurutti : he
and the Italian Metrani sent certain persons to the town of
Tiruppuvanattar : and when the Brahman Ministers of the
Queen of Cochin had assembled, they held a Council for a
whole month. But the pride and cruelty of the Italian
Carmelite Metrani were the cause of an entire separation
among those Christians. The Metrani himself, in the
History which he composed, wrote as follows : " All the
devices which Luther, and Calvin, and other heretics in-
vented, were resorted to in that assembly ; and the force of
arms was necessary in order to raise the fallen truth."
A Magistrate of the Cochin country then raised a corps of
one hundred men, and surrounded the church which the Arch-
deacon occupied in Molandurutti. The commander of the
Portuguese also came from Cochin with great force. One
night the Archdeacon made his escape, and the Italian Me-
trani has recorded, that he was much grieved at the escape of
a man who was fit prey for the Inquisition ; but that his rage
was somewhat appeased by the circumstance, that although
they could not burn his body, they had committed some of his
pillaged property to the flames.
The Dutch turned these disturbances to their own advan-
tage. In January, 1662, they seized upon Cranganore, and
the Syrian Christians joined neither them nor the Portuguese ;
but waited to see whether they should ever be delivered from
their power. It appeared as though the blood of Abdallah,
and other martyrs, cried aloud to heaven for vengeance.
When the Dutch took possession of Cochin, in 1663, Joseph,
the Italian Metrani, was under the necessity of leaving, toge-
ther with the Portuguese. He therefore transferred the office
of Metrani to the Cassanar, Alexander Canpu, and introduced
him to the Governor. On that account the Governor treated
him with much respect, and greatly strengthened the interests
of the Dutch, by means of the disunion between him and the
Archdeacon.
In 1664, Baldfieus, the Dutch Minister, who had been the
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. -441
instrument of great spiritual benefit to the Christians of
Ceylon,* addressed a letter to the Archdeacon, inviting him to
meet him for the purpose of a friendly conference,' on religious
subjects. But he refused, alleging as a reason, that he was
held in .contempt ; while his enemy Alexander Canpu was
treated by the Dutch in Cochin with great honour.
On the 24th of January, 1664, the Italian Metrani, Joseph,
embarked on his voyage from Goa ; and arrived in Rome, on
the 6th of May, 1665.
Subsequently to these events, the Portuguese Jesuit Supe-
rior in Ambalkattu, tlie Bishop of Cochin in Mampalli,
and the Italian Carmelite Bishop, in Verapoli, have conducted
the affairs of the Church of Rome in those quarters, t
* For an account of Baldaeus and his labours, see above under the
head of Ceylon.
t In December, 1806, Dr. Buchanan visited Verapoli, and gives the
following information concerning it : " This is the residence of Bishop
Raymondo, the Pope's Apostolical Vicar, in Malabar. There is -ft college
here for the sacerdotal office, in which the students, from ten to twenty
in number, are instructed in the Latin and Syriac languages. At Pulin-
gunna there is another college, in which the Syriac alone is taught.
Here I counted twelve students. The Apostolic Vicar superintends
sixty-four churches ; exclusive of the forty-five governed by the Arch-
bishop of Cranganore, and exclusive of the large diocesses of the Bishops
of Cochin, and of Quilon, whose churches extend to Cape Comorin, and
are visible from the sea. The view of this assemblage of Christian con-
gregations excited in my mind mingled sensations of pleasure and
regret ; of pleasure, to think that so many of the Hindoos hate been
rescued from the idolatry of Brahma, and its criminal worship ; and of
regret, when I reflected that there was not to be found among the whole
body one copy of the Holy Bible.
" The Apostolical Vicar is an Italian, and corresponds with the Society
de propagandd Fide. He is a man of liberal manners, and gave me
free access to the archives of Verapoli, which are upwards of two
centuries old. In the library I found many volumes marked, Liber
hereticus prohibitus. Almost every step I take in Christian India, I
meet with a memento of the Inquisition. The Apostolical Vicar, how-
ever, does not acknowledge its authority, but places himself under
British protection." Referring to the Doctor's intention to visit Goa,
he said, " I do not know what you might do under the protection of a
British force ; but I should not like" (smiling, and pressing his capacious
sides) " to trust my body in their hands."
" We then had some conversation on the subject of giving the Scrip-
tures to the Roman Catholics. I visited the Bishop two or three tinien
afterwards : at our last interview he said, ' I have been thinking of the
good gift you are meditating for the native Christians ; but, believe me,
the Inquisition will endeavour to counteract your purposes by every
means in their power.' I afterwards conversed with an intelligent
native Priest, who was well acquainted with the state and character of
the Christians, and asked him, whether he thought they would be happy
442 AN ACCOUNT OF
In 1676, the Archdeacon Thomas Canpu died ; and Carme-
lites were afterwards sent from Rome, who were directed to
appoint some one to succeed Alexander Canpu, in the office
of Metrani. His namesake, Mar Thomas Canpu, afterwards
became his successor.
In 1708, a Syrian Metrani, whose name was Mar Gabriel,
arrived from Elias, the Patriarch of Mosul, to preside over
the Christians of the northern district ; and took charge of the
twenty-five churches of Pallipoor.
In 1709, the above-mentioned Mar Thomas Canpu, the
Metrani of those in the South, who had formerly joined the
Romish Church, in a letter addressed to Ignatius, the Patri-
arch of Antioch, complained that Mar Gabriel asserted, that
there were two natures and two persons in Christ ; and re-
quested him to send another Metrani to decide the difference
which existed between them. (See the section which treats on
the Nestorian controversy.) Moreover, there was this difference
also, that Mar Thomas celebrated the Eucharist with amira,
leavened bread ; and Mar Gabriel with patira, or unleavened
bread.
It is believed that John, who came from Jerusalem, intro-
duced that practice of the Greek church into the twenty-
two churches, under the care of Mar Thomas ; namely, the
Armenian Mar Thomas Cana, in the fourth century of the
Christian era ; and Seren Perumal, who rebuilt Calicut in the
year 907,- and was afterwards King of Cranganore, gave a
royal charter * to those Christians, constituting those in the
to obtain the Scriptures. * Yes,' answered he, ' those who have heard
of them !' I asked if he had got a Bible himself. ' No,' he said ;
' but he had seen one at Goa.' "
* " There are ancient documents in Malabar, not less interesting than
the Syrian manuscripts : certain tablets of brass, on which were en-
graved rights of nobility, and other privileges granted by a prince of a
former age ; the Christian tablets are six in number. They are com-
posed of a mixed metal ; the engraving on the largest plate is thirteen
inches long, by about four broad. They are closely written ; four of
them on both sides of the plate, making, in all, eleven pages. On the
plate reputed to be the oldest, there is writing perspicuously engraved in
nail-headed or triangular-headed letters, resembling the Persepolitan or
Babylonish. On the same plate, there is writing in another character,
which is supposed to have no affinity with any existing character in
Hindostan. The grant on this plate appears to have been witnessed by
four Jews of rank, whose names are distinctly engraved in an old Hebrew
character, resembling the alphabet called the Palmyrene ; and to each
name is prefixed the title of Magen, or chief, as the Jews translate it.
It may be doubted whether there exists in the world any documents of
THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN MALAYALA. 443
south district, Kulastripilleigl, or children of the high caste
woman ; and the Christian natives in the north district,
Streepilleigl, or children of the woman ; and thus a difference
of caste obtained amongst them at an early period.
In 1711, the Christians in Malayala were found to be about
one hundred thousand.
On the 6th of January, 1728, Mar Thomas returned an
answer to a letter which had been addressed to him from
Tranquebar, in 1727 : in which he complained that one half
of his people had joined the Fathers of San Paolo, (the
Jesuits,) and the Carmelites.
He died in the same year, and they placed in his office
his son-in-law, who bore the same name.
In 1730, another Metrani arrived in Surat from Babylon,
to supply the place of Mar Gabriel, who had died that year.
On that occasion, the Jesuit Superior, who was otherwise at
enmity, and the Carmelite Bishop united, and prevented his
coming.
May the Lord protect and save those our brethren, and
restore them to their former prosperity !
so great length, which are of equal antiquity, and in such faultless pre-
servation, as the Christian tablets of Malabar. As no person can be
found in this country, who is able to translate the Christian Tablets, I
have directed an engraver at Cochin, to execute on copper-plates a fac-
simile of the whole, for the purpose of transmitting copies to the learned
Societies in Asia and Europe. The Christian and Jewish plates together
make fourteen pages. A copy was sent in the first instance to the
Pundits of the Shanskrit College, at Trichnir, by direction of the Rajah
of Cochin : but they could not read the character." Christian
Researches.
THE END.
LONDON: PRINTED BY JAMES NICHOLS, HOXTON-SQUARE.
UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY
t A 000 095 385 1