Calcutta may, perhaps, contain | doos, whom they honour with the name of Raja, (king), live at Calcutta. The name of one is Raju Petamburu, and that of the other Raju Krishnu. They are both of the Kaisthu cast. The latter is an affable young man, speaks English very well, and does not seem ill informed, on many subjects. Raju Krishnu's about 4000 Europeans. The native town is to the N. E. of the English houses, but particularly to the north. It is very long and immensely populous. Calcutta being the capital, there is a much greater proportion of native houses built of brick, than in any other city in Bengal. The great bulk of the native houses, how-house, at Calcutta, is fitted up, ever, even in Calcutta, are made of mud, bamboos, and straw, though, within the body of the town, they make the natives tile their houses, instead of thatching them, to prevent fires. Yet, notwithstanding this precaution, almost every year, in the hot season, the fires are truly dreadful. Hundreds of houses are frequently burnt down in an hour, and many individuals perish. The rapidity of the flames is inconceivable, and the indifference of those native spectators, whose houses are at a sufficient distance, is astonishing. The sufferers have seldom any relief, except recourse to their own industry. It is often suspected, that many of these fires owe their origin to a desire of plunder; though, when it is considered, that the materials of these houses, in the dry weather, catch fire like tinder; that they contain the fire-place, &c. and that the natives leave the embers of their hookas, (pipes) &c. in the most careless manner, the wonder is, that the fires are not more numerous, and more destructive. in some measure, in the English stile. It contains large pier glasses, couches, chests of drawers, desks, two or three hundred chairs, elegant chandeliers, &c. &c. In an upper room, is a stone image of Gopeenat'hu, one of the forms of Krishnu, a cubit and a half high. Upon this god are several gold necklaces, and a necklace of jewels, containing a very large pearl, of great value; on his legs are gold rings; on his loins a gold belt; on his wrists, gold rings; on his arms, plates of gold; in his nose, a ring set with jewels, and in his hand a gold flute. He has also a covered seat, or throne, of silver, and a number of rich gilt garments. The different gold and silver utensils, with which the worship of this god is performed, are valued at a lack of rupees. The gold and jewels worn by the ladies of the raja's house are of immense value. The raja's wife wears a hand ornament, which contains jewels to the amount of 80,000 rupees, and another valued at 70,000. The raja wears two pearl necklaces, each containing 100 pearls, and his gold dishes. and cups are very numerous and valuable. Many of the natives of Calcutta are immensely rich. A few of them are said to be worth not less than a hundred lacks of rupees. The Hindoos are naturally very Among these, the two chief are, lascivious, and their feasts, songs, Sookhumuyurayu, a banker, and dances, &c. strengthen these evil Nimoomulliku. Some of the rich propensities. I am informed the Hindoos, keep English coaches. number of women of ill fame at It is said, also, that many begin to Calcutta is incredible. Very mabe fond of drinking tea, Two Hin-ny of these women are the daugh ters of the Bramhuns, who have been married to the Koolinu Bramhuns. As the Koolinus marry a great number of wives, and are unable to provide for them, the greater part of them are drawn to vicious courses. The native shops, opened for the sale of English goods, are prin cipally in the China-bazaar. The native manufactures, are mostly sold in the Buru-bazaar though some English goods are sold there also. The sale-rooms opened by Europeans, are very large, and the stock very valuable. Obituary. REV. ABRAHAM AUSTIN. THE late Mr. Austin had been the respected and useful pastor, of the particular Baptist church, Elim chapel, Fetter-lane, London, upwards of thirty years. When a young man, he was afflicted with a slight obstruction in the bowels, and this continued gradually to increase, till it terminated in his death, July 5, 1816, in the 67th year of his age. Expecting to procure a more extended memoir of Mr. Austin, for the use of the Baptist Magazine, than we at present possess, we content ourselves, for the present, with giving a short account of his last illness, and death. It is about six weeks since, that he was under the necessity of declining preaching, and the last time that he addressed the Church was on the first Lord's day in June, when he administered the ordinance of the Lord's supper. He then considered it probable, that he should not again engage in that service; though afterwards, as the first Lord's day in July approached, he cherished the hope of once more administering that ordinance but it pleased Him, who (To be continued.) doth all things well, to take him to his rest and his reward, two days before. During the whole of his illness, he manifested that calm equa nimity of mind, by which he had been remarkably distinguished, With a deep sense of his unworthi ness, and in expectation of a speedy removal to the world of spirits, his correct sentiments of the way in which God justifies the ungodly, and his steady conof Christ, supported his soul, fidence in the atoning sacrifice while he rested without fear upon the precious promises of the gospel. To one of his ministering brethren, who called upon him about a fortnight before his death, he said, "My mind is quite happy; I have no remarkable degree of enjoyment; but I am resting on the rock. Christ my only hope, is ever," he was still happy, not-ing. Dr. Winter began by readwithstanding he was extremely ing parts of John, xi. and 1 Cor. nervous, (a disorder very adverse xv. Mr. Dan Taylor, (who had to a settled frame of mind,) yet been Mr. Austin's intimate friend he was never heard to express the for more than forty years) delileast doubt or wavering, but held vered the funeral oration. The the beginning of his confidence 560th Hymn of the Selection, was firm unto the end. given out by Mr. Ivimey, and the To his children, on the morn-service was concluded in prayer, ing of the day of his departure, by Dr. Rippon. he said, "I cannot speak much, but if I could, I would tell you of the preciousness of Christ:-Oh! my children, seek to know him, for nothing else will do to die by." Here he ceased, over powered by his feelings. - yours; On the following Lord's day, two sermons were preached at Elim Chapel, in reference to the afflictive event, to very crowded and serious congregations. Mr. Ivimey preached in the morning from Matt xiv. 12, "And his disciples came and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus." Mr. Hutchings preached the funeral sermon in the evening, from Rev. xiv. 13, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord," &c. Mr. Austin has left a widow, five sons, and a daughter. MRS. MARY KEIGHLY. In the course of the day, he said, "I know in whom I have believed." At another time, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." To one of the deacons he said, "Remember me to all the friends," adding, pray excuse me, for I cannot talk." In the evening, he clasped the hand of his eldest son, and said, "May every blessing attend you and I can say no more." This, it is thought, was intended to be addressed to MRS. MARY KEIGHLY, of Unone of the deacons, who had just dercliff, near Bradford, Yorkshire, left the room. These were his was an honourable member of the last words, and, in about an hour Baptist church, at Bradford, in after, he fell asleep in Jesus, and that county, for upwards of fortyentered on his glorious inhe-eight years. No particular acritance. count of her first religious impresThe funeral of Mr. Austin wassions is left; and as she spent on Friday the 12th of July. His her years in comparative privacy, remains were interred beneath nearly on the spot on which she the meeting-house, where he had was born, her life furnishes scarce so long preached "the unsearch-any materials for the biographer. able riches of Christ." About Suffice it to say, that, from the sixty of his friends attended in commencement of her religious mourning-coaches, to pay the last profession, her whole conduct tribute of respect to their be- was remarkably blameless, her loved and lamented pastor. The love to the house of God great, pall was supported by the Rev. her attendance on the public orDrs. Winter and Rippon, Messrs. dinances of religion constant, her Button, Hutchings, Ivimey, and general conversation pious and North. The service was solemn, edifying, and her endeavours to and the scene of the crowded and do good, according to the ability weeping auditory, deeply affect- she possessed, unremitting. Hav ing no children of her own, she | lovely and pleasant, and in their deaths they were not long divided. Mrs. Chambers was born at Low Hall, in the village of Yeaden, near Bradford, in Yorkshire, Jan. took under her care the children of her husband's brother, who were left motherless. To them she became a mother, and they, in return, entertain a very grate-27, 1737. Her parents were ful sense of her kind attention to wealthy and pious, and among them, and of the goodness of God the principal supporters of the in placing them under her wise Baptist Church in the neighbourand faithful care. About five ing village of Rawden, the oldest, years ago, she was dangerously ill, and, at that time, the only Bapand, during her illness, exceed- tist church in that part of Yorkingly resigned and happy. Her shire. She was favoured with a expressions were edifying, but liberal and pious education; and cannot now be recollected with it pleased God to call her, by his sufficient accuracy to be repeated. grace, in early life, so that, at the Her last illness was short; and, age of seventeen, she became a to the regret of her friends, she member of the church above was, during the greatest part of mentioned, then under the pastoit, incapable of speaking so as ral care of Mr. John Oulton, to be understood. She, however, whose father was, for many years, gave decided evidence that her pastor of the Baptist church at mind was happy, her hope un- Liverpool, and who had been shaken, her prospects unbe- himself, at the Bristol academy, clouded. To her pastor, who a fellow student with the late exvisited her a few days before her cellent Mr. Day, of Wellington, dissolution, and who said to her, and who continued to preside, "You are now near to glory," with much honour and usefulness, though she had not spoken intel-over the church at Rawden, till ligibly for several hours, summoning up her strength, after many efforts to speak, she replied, so as to be distinctly heard, "I am, I am." Little more could be collected from the broken sentences, which, now and then, dropped from her lips, but her serenity of mind was visible till her immortal spirit took its flight, which was on Saturday, the 3d of February, 1816. Bradford. W. S. MRS.ELIZABETH CHAMBERS. MRS. ELIZABETH CHAMBERS, of Rawden, near Bradford, was an intimate acquaintance of the above-mentioned pious woman, and survived her just three weeks. In their lives, they were after the commencement of the present century. She committed to writing an account of her experience, from the commencement of her religious concern, until the year 1769, the greater part in the form of a diary, which, afterwards, family cares and afflictions, probably, obliged her to discontinue. These papers are interesting to a considerable degree, but are too long, for insertion in this memoir. From them it appears, that, when about 16 years of age, she fell into a lowness of spirits, and was deeply impressed with a sense of death and eternity. She thought it was high time for her to seek after things that were as durable as her immortal soul. But how to set about this great work, she was, as she expresses it, at a to give me some light and knowledge into the mystery of salvation. I then began to see, that Jesus Christ was just such a Saviour as I needed, and often found my heart drawn out in love to him-but my unbelieving heart was long before I could believe his willingness to receive me. Many were the doubts and fears, with which I was then distracted. I found my weanedness to the world increase more and more, and my chief concern was to get a clearer knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to know myself in loss, exclaiming, on a review of the exercises of her mind, Oh, it is impossible to describe the devices of Satan to still my conscience." Many of them, she relates, which are no ways uncommon to persons under awakenings, young as she then was. However, her concern for her soul was abiding; her convictions became stronger, and her views of sin more clear and affecting. "I then began to find," says she, "that I had sinned against God with a high hand, and an outstretched arm. I found I was under the curse and condemna-terested in those great and inestion of the holy law of God, and could see nothing but an eternity of misery before me." This conviction was still more deepened, and the consequent distress more increased by a sermon she heard, from Isa. i. 2. 'I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.' She speaks of spending the following night on the brink of despair. Here she began to cry unto God; for, says she," Refuge failed me in every other place. If I staid where I was, I thought that I must certainly perish, so that I was resolved to throw myself at the feet of a merciful God, and if I must perish, I would perish there. But it is impossible to express the slavish fear it (this step) was attended with. I was afraid, the very ground would have opened, and swallowed me up, both body and soul, into everlasting misery. But, as the hea-was my Saviour and my Redeemer, ven is higher than the earth, so are his thoughts above our thoughts. God did not deal with me according to my deserts, but according to the riches of his grace in Christ Jesus. I found secret prayer and meditation very useful. By these means the Lord was pleased, by his good spirit, VOL. VIII. timable blessings, that were laid up in him for every repenting returning, and believing soul. I found that nothing but the blood of the Lamb of God, could take away the load of guilt that lay upon my conscience. I still had fears, that the work of grace was not begun in me; but, at times, the Lord was pleased to give me to see, that he had begun that good work, and would not leave me till he had perfected it." She had still her difficulties, but, after describing them, adds, "Praised be God, for enabling me, by his good spirit, in some measure to comply with that precious invitation of our dear Lord's, Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This blessed promise, I did, in some measure find fulfilled in my soul, and saw, with some degree of clearness, that Jesus Christ and that he would, in due time, bring me off more than a conqueror." This was prior to her being 17 years of age. In that year she became a member of the church. She informed me, that she first felt reluctant to our Lord's positive injunctions, especially to baptism, in its primitive mode of 3 B |