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ing on them. I am fully convinced of the facts before stated, as well as my first officer, and several of the watch on deck at the time; and am, &c.

JOHN LENNON.

Cumbrian's Reef, or Gadd's Rock.—The shoal named Cumbrian's Reef, or Gadd's Rock, is no longer doubtful, Lieutenant D. Ross, marine surveyor to the Hon. East India Company in the Eastern Seas, having examined it on the 9th of January, 1817. He found it to be a small and very danger. ous shoal, about 100 yards long, upon which the boat found two fathoms water about the middle of the rock, and it is situated in lat. 21 43 N. bearing S. 2 E. from the highest part of Little Botel Tobago Xima

BOMBAY.

The following extracts from the journals and letters of the American Missionaries, contain remarks made at the moment, to gether with more minute accounts of many of the Hindoo observances than are commonly to be met with. Commercial men rarely pay any attention to these things, which are passed by as common occurrences, and not in the line of their business, while Travellers seldom spend time enough in a place to witness such facts as take place on certain stated times only and therefore, the series of these customs escapes them. They fall particularly within the observation of those Missionaries whose object it is to introduce Christianity, on the banishment of idolatry and its rituals.

A DEVIL DANCE.-May 26, 1816. Witnessed the devil-dance. In consequence of the beastly appearance of those engaged in it, their frantic movements, and their loud and discordant vociferations, they seemed like beings, actuated by him, in honour of whom the dance was attended. Many on this island render a kind of worship to the devil, through fear of him. When they saw the brethren, supposing them to be men sent by Government, they were intimidated, and began to make their escape. Brother Chater, who could speak to them in their own language, quieted their fears, and conversed with some of the leading men. They did not like to own, that they worshipped the devil, but made some awkward apologies for attending the dance.

SACRIFICES; HOW PERFORMED.

At a small temple in the suburbs, I reasoned with the Priest on the folly of idol

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worship. At another place, there were se veral hundreds of images, under one small shed, which served for a temple. The images were mostly made of wood. So far as I know, this temple is the only place on the island where sheep are sacrificed. Here, at some seasons, scores of them are offered up to wooden gods, in the compass of a few days. In the first place, the sheep is bought from the drove, at from half a rupee to a rupee and a half, according to its quality. It is led to the house of the persons, who are to offer it in sacrifice. Select guests assemble. Musicians are employed. Their rugged sounding instruments begin the hideous clang. They consecrate the victim by besmearing his head with several kinds of colouring stuff, such as they apply to their own bodies for religious purposes. They also compel it to drink some toddy, a kind of liquor extracted from the palm tree. The persons more immediately concerned in the offering prostrate themselves before the victini, with the same reverence with which they bow before their gods. Considerable time is spent in this way. In the mean while, three or four females prepare each of them two or three earthen pots, one placed upon the mouth of the other, all whimsically painted, and in the top-most one are lighted torches. Thus, all things being ready, the band of music takes the fronts (for the heathen sound a trumpet before them when they perform any special religious service;) the females, with their pots and torches upon their heads, are next in rank, and a confused train of men, women, and children, together with the victim, complete the procession. The music is struck up with redoubled violence, and all start for the temple. A number of persons accompany the procession through the streets, who are employed to dance, yell, play, and perform a variety of tricks, which are childish and ridiculous, indecent and disgusting. When they arrive at the temple, the whole procession with the victim, march round it several times. Then the victim is brought in front of the idols, where the same ceremonies are performed as at the house of the sacrificer. After this, the head of the victim is severed from the body, and placed before the idol. The belly is also opened, and a part of the liver is taken out and offered in like manner. Then the procession return and feast upon the flesh of the animal. Their sacrifices are usually the fulfilment of some vow which has been made to the idols.

SERPENT WORSHIP.- July 29.

On this day they pretend, that the serpent makes his appearance. The place of his fancied appearance is a rocky spot; and

around a crevice in a large rock is built an arch about twice the size of a large oven. Here the people are coming and going, from morning to night, and the latter part of the day the crowd from a great distance around is immense; so great indeed, that many of the people, who come with their various offerings of milk, butter, parched rice, flowers, &c. for the serpent, cannot force their way to the spot, but approach as near as is practicable, and throw their offerings as far forward as they can. Many persons, who have live serpents to exhibit, gather around on the occasion, and find it a very profitable season; for the people offer also to those live serpents, money, milk, and rice. Many of the persons, who exhibit these serpents, are females; they handle them with as little hesitation as they would a necklace; and they are almost constantly bawling," Nag poojah," that is, worship the serpent! This is their manner of inviting the people to come and pay their homage to the snakes which they have to exhibit. At this ceremony the females are far more abundant in their offerings than the men.

While a part of the multitude are engaged in their offerings, others are employed in a great variety of diversions either for amusement or for gain.

COCOA-NUT OFFERING.-Aug. 7. To-day is performed on this side of India, a famous religious ceremony, called the Narral poojah. Narral signifies a cocoa nut, and Poojah signifies religious worship. Hence it is often called cocoa nut day.

This religious ceremony consists chiefly in making offerings to the sea; or rather to the imaginary deity, whose peculiar province it is to controul the watery element. The offerings consist of cocoa nuts, flowers, leaves, coius of copper, silver, and gold, and sometimes, it is said, they offer pearls and diamonds. They wade some distance into the water, cast away their offerings, mutter their prayers, and bow in adoration to the god of the sea.

An origin, as ridiculous as it is fabulous, has been assigned to this annual ceremony. But as it is performed at a time, when it is supposed that the severity of the monsoon is past, and when the native boats, after being closely blockaded for more than two months, may again safely venture out to sea, it is most probable that this ceremony is performed as a kind of thank-offering to the sea for again becoming propitious; and also to the watery element generally, because that quantity of rain has been given, on which depends the harvest of the year.

On this occasion, it is thought that 100,000 people assemble on the sea-shore near the fort of Bombay. Some of the Parsees and Mussulmauns join with the Hindoos in this idolatrous worship. Sports of various kinds accompany the ceremony; and the temporary toy-shops and refectory stalls are so numerous, as to render a great part of the scene more like a fair than any thing else. WORSHIP OF THE Cow.-Aug. 11. Several persons were engaged in wor Wreaths of flowers shipping the cow. were put on the head of the cow, and also the sacred paint and oil. Rice and flowers were offered to the cow, and the pitiable, yet rational, accountable, and immortal beings bowed their faces to the earth in adoration of the dumb beast. With what peculiar fitness may it be said of such," Every man is brutish in his knowledge."

The usual method of worshipping the cow is by walking around her a certain number of times, and repeating forms of prayer appropriated to the service.

In another place, a Parsee was seen soliciting charity for the dogs. They have a high religious veneration for this animal. It is a part of their religion to provide for them in times of scarcity, and persons are often employed to go about the streets and feed the dogs with bread, cakes, and sweetmeats.

This worship of the cow will remind the Classical Scholar of the devotions paid to Isis, to Io, &c. among the Egyptians, the Greeks, &c. on various occasions.

GODDESS OF WEALTH, WORSHIPPED.

August 31, 1816.-Yesterday and to-day the heathen have been engaged in one of their annual religious ceremonies. It is the worship of Gauri, one the names of Parvatee, or Luxummee, the goddess of wealth, and mother of Gunputtee. An image of the goddess is fitted up, clothed, ornamented, decked with flowers, and set in an armed chair, in such families as are able to have one, and the poorest people are obliged to accommodate their goddess with a piece of board, or a basket. Yesterday the image was made ready in their houses; and in the afternoon and evening there was, particularly among the lower sorts of people, abundance of music and dancing, males and females engaging in an indecent manner, and all accompanied with many instances of intoxication.

This evening the images were carried in procession, with music and dancing, to the sea shore, and a great multitude of them being seated upon the beach, the people,

with redoubled violence, by music, singing, | gin of that discipline, for which the old and dancing, performed their closing wor- Tuscans were so famous." Cicero addsship of the goddess. The processions were for a long time coming and going; and each company, after worshipping their image for the last time, stripped it of every thing which was of any value, and threw the remainder into the sea.

DEITY SPRUNG FROM THE GROUND.

Aug 30. To-day is called Yakadussee by the Hindoos. It is the name of one of their goddesses, to whom the day is consecrated. The goddess became incaruate and destroyed a demon who was distressing the world by his infernal violence. When she had destroyed the monster, it was ordained, that the joyful event should be commemorated by one day annually devoted to religious ceremonies, performed in honour of the triumphant goddess. The day is said to be observed throughout India. The people fast, or pretend to fast, twenty-four hours, perform extraordinary ablutions, and visit and worship the image of the goddess. The people of Bombay perform a pilgrimage to a holy village called Wallakashwer, which is at the south western extremity of the Island. They do not go to this place because there are not images of the goddess in other places, but because the image in this place is supposed to be of pre eminent virtue. It is of stone, and they say that it was not wrought by human art, but that it sprung spontaneously out of the ground. They pretend to say the same of images of many of their other gods. But many of them are so sensible of the absurdity of it, that they cannot avoid laughing when it is mentioned. Whoever dies on this day is sure, say the Hindoos, to escape all future births, and to become absorbed in the Deity.

The learned reader can scarcely belp, on this article, recollecting the passage of Cicero, concerning Divination, in which he relates that “ A man being at plough in a certain field of Etruria, and happening to strike his plough somewhat deeper than ordinary, there started up before him out of the furrow, a Deity, whom they called Tages. The ploughman, terrified by so strange an apparition, made such an outcry. that he alarmed all his neighbours, and in a short time drew the whole country around him; to whom the God, in the hearing of them all, explained the whole art and mystery of divination: which all their writers and records affirmed to be the genuine ori

much like these laughing Hindoos—“ none can be so silly as to believe that a God was ever dug out of the ground: and an attempt to confute such stories would be as foolish, as to believe them." De Divin, ii, 23.

Alas, for poor Christianity, when a similar story pollutes its history!

"When the inhabitants of Impruneta had resolved to build a Church to the Virgin, and were digging the foundations of it with great zeal, on a spot marked out to them by heaven; one of the labourers happened to strike his pickax against something under ground, from which there issued presently a complaining voice or groan. The workmen, being greatly amazed, put a stop to their work for a while; but, having recovered their spirits after some pause, they ventured to open the place, from which the voice came, and found the miraculous image. Impruneta is about six miles from

Florence.

The following Observance of the Jews deserves notice. Is it known in Scripture? Prayers at the Grave, in the eleventh Month.

Aug. 21. Observing a number of Jews in their burying ground, I went to them. They were engaged in repeating prayers at the grave of a man who died eleven months since. The prayers were in Hebrew. A white cloth was spread over the whole length of the grave, incense was burning at the head of it, and flowers were scattered over it; and the children of Abraham, a people accursed of the Lord, and yet beloved for their father's sake, were standing with their faces set towards their Jerusalem, and bowing to their beloved Deity, all of them often cently mumbling over what none of them repeating amen, while the priest was indeunderstood. I inquired the cause of the ceremony. They replied that to day the friends of the deceased gave an entertaingive three entertainments on account of a ment for their custom required them to departed relative: the first seven days after his death, the second at the end of four months, and the third in the eleventh month. On these feast days the friends repair to the been mentioned. grave to perform the ceremouy which has

The burying ground of the Jews is of

Vide Memorie Istoriche della Miracolosa Immagine, in Firen. 1713. 4to. p. 53, &c.

considerable extent, and the graves in it are | of native land holders belong to it. Their very numerous. Most of them have grave letter is signed by 13 jurors. stones, and on many of them epitaphs in Hebrew are inscribed.

CEYLON.

The letters of all these classes are copied at length and transmitted to the corresponding secretary. They are very handsomely expressed. They all acknowledge duty of manumitting slaves, as fast as a the reasonableness, the humanity, and the regard to the safety of the community will

We have formerly set before our readers the resolutions of the Dutch proprietors of Slaves, respecting the future liberation of that class of servants: we now take a plea-admit. The Chitties say, after fully and sure in announcing the effect of that measure on the native Ceylonese.

As soon as the determination, which the Dutch Gentlemen of the special jury had come to, was known, all the native jurors at Colombo immediately resolved to come to a similar determination; and letters were written to the chief justice by the jurors of the respective classes of the Mahabadde, Mahomedans, Fishermen, Chitties, and Veilales, informing his lordship that they nanimously concurred in opinion with the gentlemen of the Dutch special jury.

The Mahabadde class of Cingalese is supposed to comprise a population of about 24,000, scattered through the island. Their employment cousists principally of cutting down the cinnamon, and preparing the bark for exportation. Their letter was signed by 25 jurors.

cheerfully acceding to the proposal of the Dutch jury, that they regret that this benevolent design could not have been sooner accomplished, and are "sensible, that by such a procedure, they not only alleviate the misfortunes of a portion of their unhappy fellow creatures and their future offspring, but there by discharge a most important duty as christians, and evince a due sense of the precepts of the holy religion they profess."

INTELLIGENCE FROM PERSIA, received by way of India, hints at an opening in behalf of Science, that, perhaps, could little be expected: the notion of a printing-press, and of translation from the works of Djaurs (infidels) is certainly something new in the annals of Persia. Tabriez is the capital of the first princiThe Mahomedans in Ceylon are principality, and the residence of the Prince Repally the descendants of Arabs, who settled gent, who is an enterprising man. along the coast of India, in the 9th aud to England for a printing-press, which 10th centuries. It is estimated that there may prove a powerful engine in enlightare between 30 and 40,000 of these people, force, and will probably succeed to the ening Persia. He is disciplining a large scattered along the coast, besides a considerable number in the interior. They are an active race, and carry on a considerable portion of the retail trade of the island. Their letter is signed by 15 jurors.

The Fishermen are a very numerous and powerful class of people. The fisheries are a considerable source of revenue, and are carried on principally by this class of men, whose caste is next in rank to the Vellales. Their letter is signed by 18 jurors.

The ancestors of the Chitties many years ago came over to the island from the peninsula of India. They settled in Ceylon for the purpose of carrying on trade and manufactures. They are not a numerous race; but are in general affluent, and for the most part professed christians. Their letter is signed by 10 jurors.

The caste of the Vellales is reckoned the first in rank among the Cingalese. They are in great numbers in the parts of the island, now principally inhabited by the Aborigines. Most of the head men are chosen out of this class, and the majority

throne.

He sent

Kermanshaw is the second principality, and the Prince is elder brother of the Prince Regent; but the former is the king's son by a concubine, and the latter by a lawful wife.

A spirit of general improvement is increasing in Persia. A prime minister lately inquired of an English officer, what would be the expense of translating the British Encyclopædia into Persian ?

PRINCE OF WALES'S ISLAND.

Literary Institution.

A public library and reading rooms have lately been established here by subscription; and the following is the substance of the resolutions passed at a general meeting held the 8th October, 1816, and adopted as regulations for the library.

Each subscriber to pay twenty-five dollars for the first collection of books, and four dollars monthly for keeping up the library. Subscribers to be invited to contribute from their private collections to

wards the first formation of the library, and a conveniently situated room to be procured and plainly fitted up for the reception of the books, &c. The library to be opened on the 1st of January, 1818, and continue open every day for the use of subscribers, from six in the morning till nine at night. A committee of management, consisting of five members, including the treasurer and secretary, to be chosen annually, and charged with all the concerns of the library: the committee to hold a meeting at least once in every month, and a secretary and treasurer to be appointed to act under their instruc tions. An annual meeting of the subscribers to be held in the month of October, when a new committee is to be elected, and a treasurer and a secretary chosen or continued. All rules and regulations proposed by the committee, must be ap proved by a general meeting. A collection of Malay and Eastern manuscripts to be formed, as well as specimens of the productions of art and nature from the various countries around. Books taken from the library by subscribers, to be returned within the following periods:-a quarto volume one week; octavo and duodecimo, five days; and not more than four volumes at a time. A subscriber losing or mutilating a volume, to pay double the price of the work. New works to remain two months in the library for public use before they are taken out by subscribers. Strangers residing with a subscriber, may be admitted to the library during their temporary residence on the island. After the 1st of January, 1818, no new member to be admitted a subscriber unless proposed by three members, and ballotted for, and to pay a donation of fifty dollars. The following English papers, the Morning Chronicle, the Times, and Bell's Weekly Messenger, also the Indian, periodical works, and one newspaper from each Presidency, to be commis.

sioned.

Public School and Church.

A public school for the instruction of the native youth has been established at this island, towards which, the government has granted a donation of fifteen hundred dollars, and have subscribed two hundred dollars per month. A suitable edifice is to be erected in George Town. The number to be admitted is not limited; to the Rev. Mr. Hutchins the highest credit is due for his indefatigable exertions in proposing and furthering this philanthropic institution. The committee, consisting of the chaplain, and some of the

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principal gentlemen of the settlement, are unremitting in their labour, and anticipate with pleasure the impulse which the active mind of the new Governor, Colonel Bannerman, is so well calculated to give to every measure for ameliorating the condition of the natives.

dency is proceeding with the utmost expeThe erection of a church at this presidition, and is expected to be fit for the performance of divine service by the arrival of Governor Bannerman.

NEW SOUTH WALES.

We congratulate our countrymen on the PROGRESS OF CIVILIZATION made and making in this remote Colony. Who would have thought, a few years ago, of a Poet Laureate for Botany Bay-of routs," at homes," and other gaieties, now ordinary there?-Who would have honoured a draft on the Bank of New South Wales?

and how many other things are now established in that Colony, concerning which the same question may be asked;-who would have thought of them?

LOYALTY AND GAIETY, on Jan. 18, 1817.

We cannot resist giving our readers the following description of the celebration of her Majesty's Birth Day, which verily in loyalty aud spirit throws into the back ground many descriptions we have seen of the celebration of festivals by their more fortunate countrymen in other parts of the East. This is truly gratifying to that loyalty which Britons must always feel, however remote from their native country.

66

Saturday last being the anniversary of her Most Gracious Majesty's Birth Day, the Royal Standard and Union Jack were displayed at their wonted stations of Fort Phillip and Dawes' Battery, and the accustomed honours of a royal saiute from the battery, and a feu-de-joie from the troops, who were drawn out in presence of his Excellency the Governor in Hyde Park, were paid on this auspicious event.

"A Levee was afterwards held at Government House, where his Excellency received the compliments and congratulations due to the occasion from the civil and military officers and the other gentlemen; and, notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather, this Levee was more numerously attended than any ever before witnessed in the colony. After the usual compliments were gone through, the offer

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