School at Cotym. Feb. 28, 1821-We could not leave Munro Island yesterday until past eleven, owing to. the delays of our boatmen ; and it took us nearly 24 hours to return to Cotym. In the afternoon, I went to visit Mr. Baker's School, which is evidently in good order, and well attended to; but has not yet been a sufficient time established, to produce any thing remarkable. Several of the boys, however, shewed marks of intelligence; and, above all, of willingness to learn. I was surprised to see two little girls among them, as that is quite a novelty in India. Manaracah. March 1-1 accompanied Mr. Baker this morning, on a visit to the jungle Church of Manaracah; seated in a most wild and romantic country, about three hours' walk from Cotym. It is only remarkable for its beautiful situation; but we were much pleased with our reception, and glad to find that the Natives seemed as much pleased with our visit. Visit from the Metropolitan. On our return, we dined with Mr. and Mrs. Bailey and, in the evening, the Metropolitan came to us in state; which he had kindly consented to do, in order to afford me the gratification of seeing him in his pontifical robes. He wears a mitre on these occasions; and the pastoral crook, or crozier, is carried before him. The latter is of a very ancient form, having the top ornamented with gold, and the staff made of polished black wood, with a stripe of silver descending spirally from the top to the bottom. After a short time he took off most of his robes, and kept on only the usual one of crimson silk. He sat and conversed with us for about an hour; and confirmed me in the impression which I had before received of him-that of his being a Gentleman and an humble Christian. He spoke in terms of warm gratitude, of the benefits conferred on his people and himself, by the English Nation and more especially by the excellent Colonel Munro, who seems beloved by them all. He allowed, unreservedly, the state of wretched ignorance in which the Syrians are planged: and since the arrival of the Missionaries, he found, from his conversation with them, that he had every thing to learn-all was new to him. He appeared particularly pleased with the wellknown saying, which 1 begged Mr. Fenn to explain to him, of our revered Sovereign, who wished that every man in his dominions "might be able to read his Bible, and have a Bible to read." When he at length retired, the three Missionaries accompanied him to his palankeen, with the greatest re spect and deference; by which, and similar means, they render him venerable in the eyes of his people, from the honour which the notice of Europeans in this country always confers and thus, through his influence, they will be able to introduce gra This palankeen was a present from the Ranee of Travancore, and is considered as a mark of dis tinction. dually into the Syrian Church, amendments ́ correspondent with its gradual increase in ' the knowledge of the Gospel. Committee Meeting of the Missionaries. March 2-1 accompanied Mr. Fenn to the weekly meeting for Committee business of the three Missionaries, at which the Metropolitan also attends. It opened with an earnest prayer to God, by Mr. Baker, for His gracious help, and for the influence of His Spirit, in guiding their counsels and labours, with a single view to His glory. The Metropolitan took his share in the deliberations. When the business was concluded, the. Missionaries and I adjourned to the Chapel belonging to the College, and there partook of the most holy and blessed Sacrament, previously to my leaving then-it may be for ever in this world; for I intend, with God's blessing, to recommence my journey after dark; and Mr. Fenn will accompany me on a visit to Cochin, and the northern division of the Syrian Churches. As soon as the Service was over, I went once more to hear the students and boys of the College examined, and was pleased at their correctness as far as they had gone. Final Interview with the Metropolitan. We then visited the Metropolitan ; and it was not without some emotion of sorrow, that He reI finally quitted this venerable man. ceived me, as before, in his little bed-room;" the furniture of which consisted simply of a bed; three chairs, a very small table, a wooden chest, and a brass lamp: from the canopy of his bed, some dresses of ceremony were hanging on a cord, and a very few books lay on the chest opposite the one small window. Besides this little room, he has one other, not much larger, which is nearly empty. Such I pictured to myself, the abode of an Archbishop in the primitive ages of the Church, before the progress of society and civilization had effected a corresponding change. Our conversation was short, consisting mainly of mutual good wishes: but, before I went, he expressed a wish to have from England a print of George the Third; and entrusted me with a commission, with which I was happy to be charged, of conveying a copy of the printed New Testament in Syriac, with a few lines on the first blank leaf, in his own hand-writing, to the Pa triarch of Antioch: and this I am to deliver personally, if possible, on my intended overand journey to Europe. We then parted. May our Heavenly Father bless him, and bestow on him a knowledge of the Sacred Volume, commensurate with his deep and unaffected humility and kindness! and may he become a light, burning and shining and the spiritual darkness of this long-neglectedoffspring of the Church of Antioch! Departure from Colym. After dining with Mr. Baker, I took my leave of the Missionaries and their Ladies; whom, and especially my amiable hostess Mrs. Fenn, I shall ever remember with sincere esteem and affection. Then, accom panied by Mr. Fenn, and by Marcus, the Student, whose name has been mentioned before, I descended the Cotym Hills. We stepped once more into the Mission-boat, and set off on our tour. Cochin. March 4, 1821, Sunday - Mr. Fenn preached an excellent Sermon to us at the Church of Cochin, but there were not above thirty people present; the others, consisting mostly of country-born persons, having gone to a great Roman-Catholic Festival in the neighbourhood: the Church being very large, and capable probably of accommodating 1000 persons, looked sadly empty. Reception at Mamelicherry. March 6- We reached Purovan to breakfast. Here we met the principal Malpan of the College of Cotym: he is an active, intelligent man; wel versed, as Mr. Fenn assures me, in the Scriptures. He came to meet us from Mamelicherry, to which place he escorted us after breakfast, as he himself officiates as one of its Catanars. On arriving at the landing place (for all our visits to the Syrians are still made by water) we found that he meant to give us a sort of public reception. We were welcomed by a crowd of Syrians, with two or three most ancient matchlocks among them, which they fired on our landing; and a small troop of boys, armed with swords and shields, preceded ns with a measured step, guided by a tune, which one sang and the others repeated in chorus, while their instructor in this Pyrrhic Dance animated and encouraged them with conscious satisfaction. On arriving at a favourable spot of ground, we halted for a few minutes, while two of the boys, together with their master, performed some feats of activity, which were no ways remarkable. The dance was then resumed, and continued till we reached the Church; on which half-a-dozen iron pots, filled with gunpowder,were discharged,and made about as much noise as those in St. James's Park. I have mentioned these trifles mainly to give some faint idea of the customs of the Natives; and, though we may esteem them somewhat ridiculous in themselves, and inconsistent with the grave reception due to a Christian Minister, still we were gratified with the intention, and could not but be pleased with the evident and invariable good-will of this interesting people. Influence of the Principal Malpan. We remained till evening at Mamelicherry; and during our stay conversed much with the Malpan: he is a great advocate for the duty of frequent fasting, and does not give his unqualified assent to the measure of allowing the Catanars to marry, although he never openly opposes it; and cannot deny, that the last Bishop who visited them from Antioch, about 60 years ago, • I venture to bestow this name 'upon it, from its greater resemblance to the descriptions yet extant of the celebrated dance of the Macedonian Warriors of Alexander, than to any, other with which I amr acquainted." insisted on it, and actually compelled the four Malpans of his time to take wives. This Malpan's authority and influence in the Syrian Church are very considerable, as he is much respected for his talents and learning: indeed his very obstinacy is useful to the Missionaries; because, as they never even suggest any improvements without consulting him, nor adopt any without his concurrence, they are sure of never doing too much, or of advancing beyond the present light and knowledge which the Syrians pos sess. Improvements in the Syrian Church. The following are the four main improvements, which have been effected with general approbation, or at least without any dislike having been openly manifested: 1. The Marriage of the Clergy. 2. The Removal of all Images from the Churches. 3. The reading a portion of the Scriptures, every Sunday, in the Malayalim. 4 The opening of Schools, attached to most of the Churches. These reforms may be safely considered as general in spirit; although, in fact, from the remoteness of some of the Churches, and the short space of time which has elapsed since the reforms commenced, they cannot be yet said to be in universal operation in a very few more months, with God's blessing, I have no doubt they will be entirely so. Among partial amendments may be reckoned a decreasing estimation, in the eyes of the principal clergy, of pomp and ceremony-a desire, openly manifested, to study the Scriptures-an humble acknowledgment of the dreadful state of ignorance in which they are plunged-grativide toward those who are assisting in rescuing them from itand a greater regard to cleanliness and decency of apparel. Since all this has been effected, through the Divine permission, in the short space of four years, (when Mr. Bailey, the first Missionary, settled among them,) can we doubt, I would say it with humble reverence, but that it seems to be our God's good pleasure, that this once flourishing Church should be restored-sooner, possibly, than many may be aware of? One pleasing feature in the character of the Syrians, I have as yet neglected to bring forward-I mean the great reverence which they shew towards their aged parents and relatives. Even the Malpan could never be prevailed on to sit in his uncle's presence; and I witnessed a similar feeling, in several other instances. Testimony to Dr. Buchanan. In short, though they are in a low state of ignorance, and shew little sense of morality and religion, they have sufficient redeeming qualities, to excite a lively interest in all who have seen and known them. I myself went among them, prejudiced both against them, and against what a great and good man had previously written concerning them. With Dr. Buchanan's account of them in my hand, I went where he went, and sometimes where he went not, and I seize with pleasure this opportunity of offering the testimony of an individual, who has been an eye-witness to most of what has been asserted on this head by the first friend, and now beloved benefactor, of the neglected Syrians. In the evening we took a friendly leave of the Malpan, who accompanied us to the boat; and set off once more on our travels. Udiampoor-Candenade. March7, 1821-We breakfasted at Molundurte, and ascended the river to Carangacherry. We passed the Church of Udiampoor, once celebrated for the Synod held there, at which the Portuguese Archbishop Mene zes destroyed all the Syrian Manuscripts which he could collect, with the exception of the Bible, which he ordered to be corrected according to the reading of the Latin Vulgate our friend Marcus observed, that a Divine judgment seemed ever since to rest upon the place, for they had now no wor. ship there at all: the inhabitants profess Romanism; but the Church is almost in ruins, and they have no Priest: the justness of Marcus's observation is, of course, not to be defended, but it is curious, as shewing the light in which the Syrians still regard the transactions of those days. We had some difficulty in reaching Caran. gacherry, even in our canoe; and the men who rowed us, all volunteers on the occasion, were far more attentive to Mr. Fenn's discourse, than to their work; and the case being so, we were well content to move a little more slowly. At last we arrived there, stayed about an hour, and then returned to Candenade. Of all the Syrian Villagers whom I have seen, those of Candenade pleased me the most-there appeared in them so much can. dour, intelligence, and confidence; and their School was in better order than any other: it was the principal place of abode of the late Metropolitan; and the inhabitants live in more comfort and happiness than else. where. Visit to the Vicar-Apostolic of Verapoli. March 8-Yesterday, between ten and eleven, we reached Verapoli. There we stopped to call on the Roman Apostolical Vicar and Bishop, Dr. Prendergast by birth, as his name indicates, an Irishman; and never was there one whose character seemed more genuinely national: he reminded us of an Irish Gentleman of the days that are past; nor did his tall form appear the less picturesque for being concealed in the loose folds and coarse drapery of a Carmelite Friar, to which Order he belongs. His welcome was really Hibernian: he seemed to open to us his house and his heart. The warmth and friendship of his manner were united with a degree of native humour, that removed all solemnity from his episcopal character, and reminded us far more of a free and gallant ex-officer of the Irish Legion. Yet, although in his conversation he spoke with an eagerness of delight of the exploits of his native countrymen in the late wars, and discovered to us few marks of what could be termed a religious mind (perhaps out of compliment to my uniform), we cannot but hope better things of him than of most other priests of his persuasion, when we know, that he is preaching throughout his diocese against the worship of idols, which is, in reality, the common practice of Indian Catholics; and that he recommends to them the reading of the Holy Scriptures. He also expresses himself as a warm friend to Schools for the Poor. Such but will, it is to be hoped, benefit the cause conduct will little please his present flock; of real piety. May God reward it to him, by blessing his own mind with clearer views of that holy faith, which he will thus be instrumental in propagating! As soon as our frugal breakfast was over, we adjourned to the Library, which contained a number of books, chiefly on polemical divinity, in an almost ruinous state. There were several heretical works; but I was not a little surprised, and indeed shocked, to see among them a New Testament in Portuguese, with the terrible mark of the Inquisition on its back-" Novum Testamentum, Liber Prohibitus." Hardly believing it could be true, I ventured, in spite of the Inquisition, now no longer very formidable to a British Officer in India, to open it, and read a few passages. Several old English Divines were there, in folio, with the same mark, "Liber Prohibitus." There is a College at Verapoli, for the Roman Syrians, containing about 14 Students; and another for a very few Portuguese, who learn Latin sufficiently to be able to read the Roman Liturgy, but probably without understanding its meaning. The Bishop's residence is a part of the College; which is built much in the style of a monastery, but of very small dimensions. There was a Neapolitan Carmelite Friar in company with the Bishop, who told me that he had been eleven years in the country, and could never learn the language for the purpose of better instructing the Natives: he evidently dislikes the proceedings of his superior, and expressed a strong wish for a speedy return to Europe. He seemed a quiet inoffensive man; but possessing little of that high missionary spirit, which should animate those who abandon all the ease and comfort of their homes, to serve God and their fellow-creatures in these distant realms. Paroor. From Verapoli, we proceeded to Paroor, which is supposed to be the oldest Church in possession of the Syrians: a new one is, at present, building in its room. Trichoor. We left Paroor, after dinner; but, owing to frequent shallows in the upper part of the Back-water, we did not arrive at Trichoor till nearly one o'clock to-day The Backwater, on which we have so long been sailing, extends no further in this direction, but is bounded by the hills, at the foot of the Malabar Mountains, on which Trichoar is built. It exhibits the remains of a large fortified camp, in the upper part of which is a fort, at present garrisoned-by 100 Sepoys; it is a useful station for controlling the mountain banditti, who often infest the neigh bourhood. Three of them are now hanging in chains, not far from the village. Carangalacherry. Mar. 9-Mr. Fenn and I set off early this morning, he in a manjeel, and I, to my delight, once more on horseback, for Carangalacherry, the largest of all the Syrian Towns, and the last which we mean to visit. It is distant about 14 miles from Trichoor, and we got there to breakfast. We were received by a large concourse of people; and escorted, as it were in triumph, to the Church, where they pressed greatly upon one another, in order to obtain a sight of us. Mr. Fenn took advantage of the opportunity, to address them on religious sub jects; and they seemed deeply attentive to what he said. There are about ten thousand of them in the town and its vicinity, and they are divided between four Churches. Visit to the retired Metropolitan. After breakfast, we set out, on foot, for the residence of the late Metropolitan; who resigned his situation for the purpose of lead ing a quiet retired life, unembarrassed by any secular affairs. We had about three miles to walk, before we reached his place of abode, and that under the burning heat of a perpendicular meridian sun, so that we were truly glad when we arrived, and partook of a little Madeira and plantains, which the good old hermit had provided for us. He is a little man, with a pleasing expression of countenance; fond of talking, and more inquisitive than Indians usually are when conversing with Europeans. He asked me a great many questions concerning my family in England, how many brothers and sisters I had, where they lived, &c.; and he was greatly amazed that they should, as he found out, live in the same town (London) with Mr. Fenn's family, and yet be personally unacquainted with them. I wished to know what he thought of the new printed Syriac Testament: he said he admired it very much; and, on being asked whether he had dis covered the slightest error in it or deviation from the original, he assured me that he 'knew of none. We staid with him about an hour, and then returned to the Church of Carangalacherry. This aged Metropolitan has built the house in which he resides, within the Honourable Company's territory; in order, by becoming a British subject, to escape the continued insults and persecutions of the inferior officers of the Travancore Government. The line of demarcation in this part, is a small rivulet, which flows close under the Metropolitan's garden; so that he enjoys the vicinity of his countrymen, by whom he is revered as a saint, and is no longer subject to the same oppressions under which they are labouring. A munjeel resembles a seaman's hammock, and is suspended to a very long bamboo pole, and so carried on four men's shoulders: it has a slight awning, and is much lighter than a palankeen, though not so eonvenient. Return to Trichoor. A little after four in the afternoon, we set road was bad, we walked the first mile on out on our way back to Trichoor; and, as the foot, accompanied by several thousands of the people, who testified the greatest pleasure at our having come to see them. As they were very anxious for our stay, Mr. Fenn promised to return to them to-morrow, and pass the ensuing Sabbath among them. On rejoining my horse, the groom informed me that the whole town had been flocking to see him, while we were at the Metropolitan's; and that they had brought to the shed things for him to eat. It appears this simple where he was put up quantities of different people had never seen a horse before, as hood, and they seldom wander far from there are none in their immediate neighbour home. Here, before I mounted, I shook hands, for the last time, with our amiable and interesting young companion, Marcus of Cotym, concerning whom I cannot refrain from adding a few words. He is about 18 years of age, of a lively and strikingly intelligent countenance, and easy gentle manners, though somewhat high spirited: already thoroughly acquainted with the Sacred Writings, and thirsting after knowledge, he has also made considerable progress in the English and Latin tongues, and is quite master of Syriac and Malayalim. His attachment to Mr. Fenn is like that of a son to a father; and every look and action betray it to the least attentive observer. But that which is far more important is, that his progress in Christian knowledge and conduct give every reason to hope, that he is becoming a sincere believer and partaker of the blessings of vital religion. He is, indeed, the subject of love him; and I humbly trust that it will many fervent prayers, for all who know him please our Heavenly Father so to pour out His Holy Spirit upon him, that he may hereafter become a main instrument in restoring to his countrymen the light and consolations of the Gospel of Christ. His farewell to me was full of warmth and affection; and he has promised to write to me, as soon as he has acquired a sufficient knowledge, either of Latin or English, for that purpose. God bless him! We got back to Trichoor by half-pasteight. Conclusion. March 10, 1821-This morning I quitted my kind and excellent friend Mr. Fenn, and proceeded once more on my solitary journey. Blessed be my God, that my last fortnight has been so delightfully spent; and that the general result of my inquiries is the all-butformed conviction, that there are, in this remote and almost unknown corner of the world, between sixty and seventy thousand souls ready to receive the Gospel, as soon as it shall be preached among them unfettered by an unknown and obsolete tongue! With this belief I joyfully proceed; counting that my slight labours and fatigues have been amply recompensed, and have rarely been better bestowed. Recent Miscellaneous Entelligence. American Board of Missions. The Rev. James Richards, Missionary at Tillipally in Ceylon, died there, after long sickness, on the 3d of August, The close of his life was such as might be looked for in a faithful and devoted Missionary. sengers, upon taking them up and turning over a few leaves, put them immediately aside, and read other books. One of them inquired. of the Captain for his Plays; who answered, to my great surprize," Judge in yourself, whether it be right or not to wish for such books on the Lord's-day!" The inquirer said not a word; and, feeling the strong appeal to his conscieuce, was ashamed. Let this be contrasted with our report respecting another Naval Captain, at p. 116 of our last Number. The Rev. Daniel Poor, the associate of the late Mr. Richards at Tillipally, was about to be united in marriage to the Sister of the Rev. Joseph Knight, Church Mis-Caïro, and has been printing the Society's sionary at Nellore. · Arabic Traet on Education. The Rev. W. Goodell and the Rev. Isaac Bird (see p. 23 of the Survey) sailed from New York, with their Wives, on board the "Shepherdess," for Malta, on the 9th of December. They preached in that city several times, and attended various Meetings: about 600 dollars were collected for the Mediterranean Mission. Messrs. Fisk and King left Malta for Alexandria, on the 3d of January. They took with them a supply of the Scriptures, in different languages; and a large quantity of Tracts, in Italian, Greek, Arabic, and Persian: the Tracts in Italian and Greek were printed at the Press of the American Mission, which had been at work at Malta: those in Arabic and Per sian were Tracts of the Church Missionary Society; with the First Homily, in Arabic, of the Prayer- Book and Homily Society. Church Missionary Society. Mr. Deininger (see pp. 447 and 487 of the last Volume) arrived at Malta on the 7th of December, after a passage from Falmouth of 30 days. We quote a pas-sage from his Journal to the honour of Captain White, of H. M. Packet the Prince Regent: Nov. 17, 1822, Sunday.-The Captain laid out all his Bibles and Prayer-Books; but my fellow-paś The Bashaw has an Arabic Press at Mr. Düring and his family reached St. Mary's in the Gambia, on their way to Sierra Leone, on the 28th of December. He there learnt that the Lively, with Messrs. Metzger, Lisk, and Vaughan, and their Wives, had arrived, all well, about a month before. Mr. T. W. Smyth, a native of Bengal, who had been under education some years in this country, embarked at Gravesend for Calcutta, on the 13th of March, on board the Madras, Capt. Clarke, to assist in the Schools of the Society. Jews' Society. Mr. Wolff arrived at Malta, from Alexandria, on the 27th of November; and January, with Messrs. Fisk and King. sailed again, for that city, on the 3d of The Rev. Lewis Way, who with his family wintered at Nice, was to sail from that place, on a visit to the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, at the end of February, or beginning of March; with the view of collecting information relative to the state of the Jews, and of distributing the Scriptures and Tracts. He was to be accompanied by the Rev. W. B. Lewis; who is to continue in the Mediterranean, as a Missionary to the Jews. Miscellanies. DEATH OF HINDOOS ON THE BANKS OF THE GANGES. THE Engraving on the opposite page, taken from a Drawing by a Native Artist, shews some of the superstitious practices connected with the Ganges. Some persons are bathing in its supposed sacred stream; and others are procuring and carrying away its waters for holy purposes. But DEATH is the chief subject of this Engraving, which displays some of the miserable delusions under which the millions of our Hindoo Fellow-subjects leave the world. The man on the couch has been brought down to breathe his last on the borders of the river, while a Brahmin is offering him its waters: the Women are probably the Wives of the dying Men, come to witness this scene-the more afflicting to them, as the barbarous superstitions of their country may require them to sacrifice their own lives on the funeral pile of their Husband; and the very fire which shall consume the living parent with the dead to be kindled by the hand of his own offspring. On the right-hand of the Engraving is a Pagoda, before the door of which another miserable man has been laid, there to breathe out his soul in the presence of his Idol! The Contributions to the Church Missionary Society, will be given in our next. |