The fort is on the shore south of the Black-town, with a large open space between, reserved as an esplanade. On the margin of this opening, next to the sea, and also below the fort, is the fashionable evening drive. Here, weary of lassitude or labor, come all the gentry to enjoy the freshness and glory of sunset. The rushing of the ceaseless surf-the numerous vessels, of varied make the cool sea breeze-the majestic the wide sweep of western sky-the superb equipages the cheerful faces- and the cordial greetings - make it every way charming. In going to "the course," you meet, along the less pretending roads, merchants on their camels, Arabs on their steeds, Burmans and Moguls on their ponies, native gentle

ocean

men in their handsome bullock carriages; while the sircars, &c. are drawn by a single ox, in an indescribable sort of wheelbarrow, or are borne in palankeens.

While in this city, famous for snake-charmers, I sent for some to show me their skill. They brought a boa constrictor, and several cobra de capels; the latter being, as is known, highly venomous, and generally fatal. They were in shallow baskets, coiled up as close as possible. The keeper had a simple flageolet; on hearing a few notes of which, the snake gracefully erected half its length, and spread out its beautiful head and neck to

a breadth of several inches. The keeper sometimes ceased his music, and irritated the creature with his hand; which it bit violently, but without injury, its fangs having been extracted.

These men are often employed to draw forth from their holes snakes which infest gardens and old buildings. Playing on their flageolet, they pass round the suspected places, and if serpents be there, are sure to bring them forth. Without permitting the music to cease, an attendant seizes the snake by the tail, and whirls it round so rapidly that it cannot bite; sliding one hand up gradually, till he gets it firmly by the neck; then, taking a little stone or shell, he crushes out the fangs, and puts it in his basket or bosom, and carries it away. The transaction forcibly reminds one of the passage, Psalm lviii. 5, which compares the wicked, who persist in their ways in spite of counsel or entreaty, to serpents that will not be charmed. This text, as well as Jeremiah viii. 17, where Jehovah threatens to send among Israel 66 serpents which will not be charmed," shows that the trade of these men is of no recent date.

The population of Madras, including all the villages within several miles, is generally reckoned at 420,000. But a census made in 1823 gave only 27,000 houses. This, at seven inhabitants to a house, would make the population about 190,000. Large spaces, even within the walls, are wholly vacant. Allowing for houses omitted in the census, the population is perhaps 200,000. There are populous villages in the neighborhood, containing 100,000 more. One of the most striking peculiarities in the town is the universality with which males and females, old and young, bear upon their foreheads, arms, and breasts, the marks peculiar to their religion, or sect of it.* Some have a red

* Those know little of the world, who advance the existence of sects as an objection to Christianity. Over all Hither India, the same books are held sacred; yet the community is divided into many sects, holding their preferences with bitter zeal and exclusiveness. Brahma has no followers, because, as the supreme God, he is above all concern with mortals. Vishnu and Siva have each their sects, and even these are far from harmony. The worshippers of Vishnu are divided into twenty sects; those of Siva into nine. There are four sects who adore Doorga, and ten devoted to various other objects, which, with some subdivisions, swell the number of Hindu sects to nearly seventy! Collisions, among these, are perpetual and rancorous. At Hurdwar, and many other places, scenes of violence and bloodshed invariably occur at the great annual festivals. The feuds of similar kind which prevail among Mussulmans, are well known, and the bloody character of their conflicts. It was thus also with Jews. Even the followers of Zoroaster, are stated by Gibbon to have been

or blue spot on their forehead; others blue, red, white, or yellow perpendicular lines; others, horizontal lines. Some, in addition to these, have ashes or clay rubbed in lines on their arms and breast. I could not help recurring continually to that text, (Deuteronomy xxxii. 5,) "Their spot is not the spot of his children." The allusion is doubtless to a similar custom. These marks are shown in the picture of a native woman carrying water, page 15, and of a Brahmin, page 78. The former shows also the costume and ornaments of women in the lower classes, as I saw them in the street. The highest classes wear much the same, but of far costlier materials.

Men of distinction have servants running before; and at least two always run beside the carriage. Even persons on horseback are never without one of these runners, who is called syce. It is astonishing how long these men, accustomed to the business from childhood, can endure. The rider never slacks his pace on their account, and they keep up during the whole drive. For a long time, the sight of these poor men destroyed the pleasure of my rides. They, however, do nothing else, and their labor, on the whole, is certainly far less than that of a mechanic with us.

The incident of Elijah running before the chariot of Ahab, (1 Kings xviii. 46,) has been continually brought to recollection by this custom, wherever I have been in India. He had assumed an attitude of great grandeur, in mocking the national faith before the king, and denouncing his sins before all the people; and, after so long a famine, he had now been praying for rain, and already the heavy thunder announced rescue to a starving nation. But in all these honors was he proud? Was he disposed to refuse his lawful king the proper homage of a subject? He would let all Israel see how he honored the ruler of his people, and how far he was from vain-glory amid such triumphs. Gathering his robes about him, therefore, and mixing with those who ran before the king, he did nothing out of the way, nothing for effect, nothing in the least supernatural; but testified, in the happiest manner, not merely his own humility, but that even a wicked king had ceremonial claims, which a good subject should not deny.

divided into seventy sects, in the time of Artaxerxes. The truth is, man will have diversity of opinions, to the extent that opinion is free. Despotism alone makes unity in such matters,

My stay in Madras extended from January 26 to March 17th, 1837, including journeys into the interior. The weather, during this period, was truly delightful. Instead of remarks, resulting from my own experience, I transcribe a table, showing the highest and lowest state of the thermometer, and the mean temperature, for every month in the year:

The state of religious feeling in Madras, at this time at least, is little better than in Calcutta. The concert of prayer, which is held, unitedly, at different churches in rotation, was held, while I was there, at the Scotch kirk. One city minister only, was present, and but thirty-five other persons; though the evening was delightful. The services were just those of public worship, so that it could not with propriety be called a prayer-meeting. But religion seems to be exerting its blessed influence in the city more and more, and recently there have been among the troops in the fort, some forty or fifty cases of conversion.

I was happy to find several Sunday schools, though only that of the Wesleyans seems flourishing.

This city is the seat of several missions, by various societies in England and America. There are Episcopal, Scotch, Independent, and Wesleyan churches, with excellent places of worship, where pastors are regularly settled, who conduct services in the English language. Beside the bishops and six Company's chaplains, there are fifteen missionaries, Episcopal, Scotch, Wesleyan, and American, beside several who support themselves, and are not connected with any board. Of all the regular missionaries, there are but three who are devoted wholly to the natives. The rest preach in English, or take charge of schools, printing, agencies, &c. There are also in Madras fourteen

Catholic priests, and congregations of Armenians, Jews, &c. Some thousands of native youth are gathered into schools under missionary superintendence, and several printing establishments are owned by the missionary boards. The language of the region is Tamul, and in this, there are printed the whole Old and New Testaments, and two hundred tracts, beside the Pilgrim's Progress, Ayah and her Lady, Swartz's Dialogues, &c. Many of these publications, however, need revision, and many are wanted on other subjects.

As regards Christianity among the natives, Madras is behind Calcutta. I inquired of several ministers, and most of the missionaries, but no one knew the state or number of native converts. The nominal Christians are few. As to real converts, one missionary thought there were but two or three in the whole city and suburbs! Another thought there were not half a dozen, at the utmost. No one supposed there were more than that number. Some hundreds have been baptized, with their children; and many have grown up who were baptized in infancy; but the conduct of this body is not always honorable to the cause. Of the Catholics, there are some thousands; but they are distinguished from the heathen, it is said, not by better morals or manners, but only by not smearing their bodies and faces with idolatrous marks.

I had the pleasure of attending the anniversary meetings of the Wesleyan Mission, the Madras Bible Society, &c. They brought me into a pleasing acquaintance with many missionaries from distant stations, and thus enabled me to enlarge my stock of official memoranda.

I was particularly pleased with the Wesleyan plan of having a second anniversary for the natives, in which the services and speeches were in Tamul. The body of the chapel, cleared of the settees, was well filled with natives, who sat, after their fashion, on the floor. They behaved with perfect decorum, and listened with attention. It certainly is a plan happily calculated to enlighten and improve the converts, while it instructs and informs the heathen.

A case has recently occurred, which has excited a great interest among the natives, far and near. Arumuga Tambiran, (literally, the six-faced god,) a distinguished devotee, has been converted to Christianity. He is now very old, having been for fifty years a prominent pilgrim and teacher. Dressed in a yellow robe, the sacred beads round his neck, smeared with ashes and clay, and bearing the various insignia of his high station, he