examining and freely discussing the merits || is given in the Monthly Paper prefixed to this of the Christian religion. But will not such number, accompanied by an engraving. a course rather awaken inquiring minds to a state of more anxious inquiry? I think so; and may He who governs all minds direct them to that fountain of knowledge || which is open for the purifying of the nations of the earth. Asiatic Muscum. Jan. 19. Went with Mrs. Read to the Asiatic Museum. We were not on the whole disappointed. The birds and the few specimens of quadrupeds which are here exhibited are not in a good state of preservation. This I am told is owing to the climate. It is on this account very difficult to preserve any thing of the kind. The first apartment we entered contained a great variety of heathen gods, ancient inscriptions, and the like. Among other things that attracted our particular attention, was a very large wheel, which stood on one side of the room. On inquiry, I found, that this had been one of the wheels used to move the enormous car of Juggernaut. It is not more than five feet in diameter, but very large and strong. The heathen gods are of all descriptions and sizes. Some of elegant workmanship, and others of clay very shabbily wrought. Some are the likeness of men, others of beasts, and others monsters that never had existence. I saw some which had twelve or sixteen faces; others presented the most hideous visages that can be conceived. What infatuation has sin brought into our world! But this appeared in a more horrid aspect as proceeded. we In the next room we saw the native ar mor, and all kinds of implements of war; swords, spears, guns, drums, &c. But what I refer to are the implements for selftorture, and self-immolation which we there saw. These I examined with the more interest as they have been the horrid implements of torture or death to many a benighted pagan. The first that drew our attention was the apparatus for swinging. This, in its simplest form, consists of a perpendicular post erected in the ground, on the top of which turns upon a pivot a crosspiece of considerable length. From the one end are suspended by cords two iron hooks. When a torture is to take place in honor of some god, the devotee presents himself, the end of the pole is brought down, and the hooks forced through the skin and flesh of his back; the other end of the pole is then brought down, and the devotee is thus raised in the air ten or fifteen feet, and whirled rapidly around by a man at the other end of the pole till perhaps the hold in his flesh gives way and he is precipitated to the ground. A full description of this machine, and the method of self-torture which is practised on it, VOL. XXVIII. shocking machine of self-torture. It conThere is also by the side of this another sists of a sort of wooden platform, which is set full of flat irons, shaped at the upper edge like so many knives. They are set in an oblique position within one or two inches of each other, so that a man's foot might, if he stepped on them, come into contact with a large number. Their gods, they suppose, are rendered propitious by the poor Hindoos leaping from some height down upon this bed of torture, and mangling himself in this shocking manner. Seeing some iron rods standing by the railing, six or eight feet long and half an inch in diameter, I inquired for what purpose they had been used. Will you suppose it credible when I tell you that the miserable Hindoos, with the hope of gaining from their gods some peculiar favor by the mortification of the body, actually insert these through their tongues, and have been known to carry them about thus for two whole days. which the Hindoos torture themselves to All the different ways I have heard of in gain the favor of the gods, and the sacrifices which they make, are too numerous to be mentioned here. There is, indeed, scarcely any method of torture or mortification which they do not practise. Surely No one can contemplate the horrid rites of the tender mercies of idolatry are cruel. paganism in connection with the generally depraved character of all pagan nations, and still deny that they need the gospel. The museum contains small collections of shells and minerals, a collection of the utensils, and a fine classical, literary, medinative Indian agricultural and domestic cal, and miscellaneous library. We were well repaid for the hour we spent there. Festival of Suruswutee, the Goddess of Wisdom. The festival of this goddess is celebrated annually. The Hindoos believe that from her they derive their learning and powers of eloquence, as well as their ability to read and write. Hence the students in every Hindoo college, and indeed all Hindoos who can read and write, endeavor to keep this festival. The worship must be performed before the image of the goddess, or a pen, inkstand, and book, which are considered as a proper substitute for the image. Jan. 20. We have seen more of paganism the last three hours than since we have been in India. For the last two days there has been a Hindoo festival. On such days every Hindoo, in whosesoever employ he may be, is free to do honor to his gods. You may judge of the inconvenience of these holidays to all classes, and of the 14 bondage of idolatry, when I inform you that the whole number of Hindoo festivals in the course of a year amount to no less than three months and four days. This may well suit the disposition of the indolent depraved Hindoos. On Tuesday, the first day of the festival, I observed, as I passed along the streets, coolies carrying upon their heads "gods of wood and stone." They were of different sizes; some not larger than children's toys, others nearly as large as a man, and ornamented in the most gaudy style. They were conveying them, as it seems, from the mechanic's shop to the houses of the several worshippers who were able to procure them. I did not observe in a single instance that the multitude in the streets paid any sort of veneration to them as they were carried along. They probably had not yet been consecrated. This, however, would make no difference with the Hindoo's conscience. They seem in reality to have no respect for their gods, but are apparently ashamed to acknowledge themselves idolaters. They have been known, within a few days past, to take a god from one of their temples and to sell it to a missionary for a single rupee. This was done a few miles north of Calcutta by a Hindoo priest. Each festival, it seems, is in honor of some particular deity. The present festival is in honor of the goddess of wisdom. Thousands of new images are made of the goddess and carried to the houses of the Hindoos, where, in private, or in a more public manner, they are worshipped during the continuance of the festival; then they are carried in pomp through the streets and cast into the holy river. This ceremony I witnessed this evening. can return to his fabled place of residence, they are taught to believe is the holy Ganges. Hence they cast the image into the river, and the deity takes his flight. We saw much which shows the inconsistency of idolatry, as well as the want of respect which the Hindoos show for their rites. Some of the images were too light to sink in the water. As they floated on the surface, they attracted the attention of the idle throng, who seemed to covet them, either for some little ornament on them, or wade into the river and rescue a drowning as a matter of curiosity. I saw several god and bring him to the shore. As one was wading out of the water, apparently proud of what he had rescued from the river, he was assailed by another who had as little regard to their religion. They strove for it till the frail god gave way and they settled the contest by one taking a leg, another an arm, and any one that pleased a Can such gods portion of the broken idol. save? How absurd is idolatry! THE last extracts from Mr. Poor's journal were inserted at pp. 371-3 of the last volume, extending to March 31, 1831. The members of the church in the seminary are employed during their vacations as readers, exhorters, and distributors of tracts among the people. The loss of the mission-house and property at Manepy by fire was noticed in the last volume, p. 369. April 9, 1831. From the reports made by the church members this evening of what they saw and heard during the vacation, it appears that the heathen enjoy a great triumph in consequence of the burning of the mission premises at Manepy. They affirm that that event furnishes decisive proof that their god, Ganesa, is superior to the God of the Christians. When re The god was placed in a standing posture upon a platform and adorned with gewgaws, tinsel, flowers, &c. The whole was borne on the shoulders of four men, who were preceded by a priest, as I judged him to be, and a rude band of music. It was followed by a few boys, or half a dozen ragamuffins. I scarcely observed a respectable looking Hindoo in all the processions which we saw. Procession after procession were running from every quarter of the city. Dur-minded that the Tamul temples are someing the hour we remained by the river probable more than a hundred of these processions, each bringing one or more gods, came to the strand, and I doubt not but we saw more than 20,000 people. As soon as the company brought their god to the edge of the water, the music ceased, the image was stript of its ornaments, put into a boat, and rowed a few rods into the river, and thrown over into the water. They suppose that the deity which they worship during this festival takes possession of the image, and receives their adorations and sacrifices; but as soon as the days of celebrating his praises are ended, he wishes to leave his house of clay in which he has deigned to dwell. The only way through which he times robbed, and sometimes burnt, together with the idol gods which they contain; they readily admit that such occurrences are proofs of the imbecility of their gods; but it is enough that they may now, as they think, bring a similar proof against the ability or willingness of Jehovah to protect the missionaries. The burning of the premises furnishes a very good occasion for bringing to view some important principles of the government of God, and of his dealings towards his people. 10. Sabbath. Preached from the text "Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward," showing the benevolent designs of the Almighty in bringing afflictions upon persons of various descriptions. Visit of the Bishop of Calcutta to the Station. April 15. Early this morning, according to a previous arrangement, the bishop of Calcutta, with several other gentlemen, and all the missionaries in the district, with one exception, visited the station. Agreeably to appointment the members of the female boarding school from Oodooville, and of the preparatory school at Tillapally, assembled here. Before breakfast the female school, arranged in order with their sewing and books, were introduced to the notice of the company. Each scholar was required to read a small portion from the New Testament, and in turn to answer questions which the bishop proposed to them, by means of an interpreter, on the leading truths of Christianity. At half past ten o'clock we assembled in Ottley Hall (being the first time it has been occupied on any public occasion) for an examination of the members of the preparatory school, and seminary. After a few remarks relative to the origin and progress of our boarding school system, two classes were hastily examined in English spelling and the first rules of arithmetic. A schedule was then presented containing the course of study pursued by each of the four classes in the seminary, during the last three months, with a request that the bishop would have the goodness to select those branches in which he might wish to have the students examined, it being obviously impossible to examine them in their whole course, in a single day. The fourth class consisting of thirty members were first examined, half of them in construing the New Testament from English to Tamul, and the other half in vulgar fractions. The third class, twenty in number, were then examined in the first lessons on astronomy. The second and third classes were minutely examined in Scripture history and chronology. This exercise was closed by the members of the second class, eighteen in number, repeating each one a different portion of Scripture, selected by himself, proving that the great events, represented by the stone spoken of in Nebuchadnezzar's vision, "which was cut out without hands, and|| which smote the image," &c., will be accomplished in their time, viz. "In the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed." After a short recess, the first class, twenty in number, were examined in Euclid's Elements and in the Gospel of Luke. A few specimens of declamation were then given on subjects relating to the In the latter branch they were examined in accordance with a method of studying the scriptures recently introduced into the seminary, a correct idea of which may be formed by considering the following questions as specimens, viz. What are the contents of the 10th chapter of Luke? What subject is treated of in the 18th chapter? Where may we find the parable of the unjust steward? Hindoo system of mythology and science, closed by an address to the bishop, pronounced by a member of the first class, (though not composed by him) in behalf of his fellow-students; the object of which was to describe in a few particulars the nature of the mental process, relating both to science and religion, through which the members of the seminary have passed, from the time of their being brought under the tuition of the missionaries to the present period. After the address the bishop expressed the gratification he had felt on the occasion, and also presented some weighty considerations to induce the students to persevere in the course on which they have entered, assuring them of his best wishes, and of his readiness to co-operate with the conductors of the seminary in forwarding their designs. Thus ended the exercises of a very busy day. On comparing this examination with those that have preceded it, two circumstances are worthy of notice as being peculiar. One is, that a far greater portion of time than usual was spent in the examination of the classes in biblical studies; the other, that the bishop acted the part of an examiner in all branches to a greater extent than any other person who has hitherto visited the seminary. Before taking leave of us he intimated that it was his intention to furnish us with some memento of his visit, and of his cordial approbation of our plans of procedure. He also requested a statement of particulars relating to the destruction of the mission premises at Manepy, saying it was his intention to use his influence in procuring subscriptions in aid of the repairs of the station. As a substitute for many remarks that might be made, expressive of our views of the character of bishop Turner, I shall only observe that his whole deportment was such as forcibly to remind us of the description of bishops drawn by the pen of inspiration. All who are interested in the welfare of Zion have, we think, cause for special thanksgiving to the great Head of the church, for appointing in his providence such a personage to preside over the interests of the infant church in India. The reflection that we are co-workers together with him in the same part of our Master's vineyard, cannot fail to quicken and encourage us in our work. This excellent prelate, of whom the missionaries speak with so much respect and affection, and who seems to have secured the love and esteem of all the friends of Christianity in India, has fallen a sacrifice to the excessive labors required of him by his extensive diocese. He died on the 7th of July, soon after his return to Calcutta from the visitation in which he was engag. ed when on the island of Ceylon. Mr. Winslow remarks that the spirit manifested by bishop Turner, and his whole conduct while at Jaffna corresponded well with the character given of a bishop by Paul, in his epistle to Timothy. Bishop Middleton, the first who was raised to the episcopal dignity in India, died on the 8th of July, 1822. Bishop Turner is the fourth bishop of that diocese who has died within nine years. Mr. Poor proceeds April 17. Sabbath. At half past six o'clock, attended church at Jaffnapatam where one hundred and five persons, of different classes, were confirmed by the bishop. At eleven o'clock attended church again. The bishop preached from the text, "And Jacob vowed a vow unto the Lord." In the afternoon I preached in Tamul at Nellore from "Better that thou shouldst not vow than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.' Several natives who were admitted to the rite of confirmation in the morning were present. ference, which prevents the introduction of the Scriptures and other religious books into native schools, arises from a very quesculty and danger of a gradual and prudent tionable source; and that the alleged diffi introduction of these books are to a great extent imaginary. In view of this subject we have reason to be well satisfied with what we consider to be the leading feature in our projected college, and which is expressed in the following extract from the prospectus. "It is the moral influence which the projectors of the present seminary wish to keep primarily and most distinctly in view. Should it even appear singular, they are not ashamed of the singularity of attempting to found a college, not so much literary as religious; and indeed literary no farther than learning can be made auxiliary to religion. In a word, their design is to teach the knowledge of God; and developing all the important relations of the creature to the Creator for time and eternity. NOTICES OF OODOOVILLE. 1831, proceeds— 18. Returned to Batticotta in the evening. Since the bishop's arrival in Jaffna, I have at different times had favorable opportunities of learning some of the results of his extensive observation on missionary and other kindred subjects. In view of all Seriousness among the People.-After menthat I have heard, I am much strengthened tioning that a number of the schoolmasters, were in the belief of some important principles of anxious respecting their salvation and that six a practical nature, which I had adopted as individuals, including two girls of the school, the result of my own experience and obserI were candidates for admission to the church, and vation, during my residence among the heathen; particularly, that no substantial that of ten or twelve others he was indulging and permanent advantages can reasonably hopes, while the seriousness of others was wearbe anticipated from the diffusion of generaling off, Mr. Winslow, under date of April 1, knowledge among the Hindoos, excepting so far as it is accompanied with a knowledge of Christianity, the only system which the only wise God has seen fit to reveal for man's guidance; that consequently, schoolbook societies, proceeding on the principle of furnishing books on science and general knowledge, to the exclusion of those of a religious nature, are performing a hazardous experiment: for though there are Bible and tract societies in the country, it by no means follows, either in theory or practice, that those natives who receive supplies of books on science from the book societies will receive books on moral and religious subjects from other quarters; that when the natives become sufficiently enlightened by science and general knowledge to discover the absurdities of the prevailing system, they must almost of necessity be driven to atheism or to the worst species of deism, unless the requisite means are put into their hands for becoming acquainted with the true God and Jesus Christ his son, whom to know aright is life eternal; consequently, that native free-schools, taught by heathen school-masters, which, in conse- Schools. The female boarding-school had requence of their distance from missionary ceived two girls from families more respectable stations, or for any other reason, do not adthan those from which they were usually obtainmit of a vigilant superintendence and direct ed. The native free-schools were prosperous, Christian influence, promise little or nothing in favor of the progress of divine truth; containing 650 boys and 140 girls. Number of that that delicacy of feeling against inter-schools connected with the station was 20. Every degree of excitement produced by the proper use of the means of grace, and through the influence of the Spirit of truth, is attended with hope; as those once awakened (at least among this people) generally become more susceptible of subsequent impressions, and often, after several seasons of awakening, followed by relapses, are at length hopefully converted. A number of cases which have occurred of this character encourage us in regard to those who were awakened, but appear now to be again falling asleep; and excite the hope that many of them, especially many of the children in the schools, may be truly converted at some future period; and that the late excitement may, in their case, be a preparation for a more thorough work. In this view, as well as in looking at those who already give some evidence of piety, the recent display of divine grace calls for our warmest thanksgiving. Preachers Licensed.-Of the young men who have attended the theological class, Nathaniel Niles and Charles A. Goodrich, received license and public designation as preachers of the gospel and candidates for ordination on the 20th January, at our quarterly communion. Timothy Dwight was also examined and approved in respect to his qualifications, but some family reasons and the state of his health prevented his receiving license. The young men who received license also received a public charge, in the presence of the church and congregation. In the afternoon of the same day they both, for the first time, went into the pulpit, and after Goodrich had read and expounded a portion of scripture and prayed,|| Niles preached an impressive sermon, in which he enforced the duty of the native church to raise up and send forth native preachers. NOTICES OF PANDITERIPO. DR. Scudder, under date of April 1, remarks that he did not know that any new cases of conversion had occurred during the quarter. Most of those who had been awakened still attended the inquiry meeting. Two were candidates for the church. Truth appeared to be making an impression on the minds of many. All the children connected with the native free-schools were || formed into a Sabbath school, and the larger|| children and those who appear to be thoughtful are assembled for conversation every Sabbath and sometimes on Tuesday. The members of this class do good among their friends, by praying, reading, and conversation. Dr. Scudder's labors among the Catholics were much as heretofore. Some new tracts had been printed and distributed.. Great opposition was manifested and many of the Catholics had petitioned the governor to put a stop to these efforts to overthrow their religion. The number of native free-schools was 14, containing 420 scholars; of whom 338 were boys, and 82 girls. NOTICES OF TILLIPALLY. MR. Spaulding, under date of March 31, states that he had recently made a tour in company with five native helpers, to the pearl fishery, the same as mentioned at p. 69, vol. xxvi; taking with him a few portions of scripture and 6,000 tracts, all of which they distributed, after reading and explaining them to the people. The candor manifested by the Catholics and heathen from the adjacent continent led him to suppose that a tour to that neglected field would do much towards preparing the way of the Lord. Many Protestants there have joined the Catholics, because they had no teacher qualified to teach them the gospel and administer the ordinances. school continues much as usual as to the Preparatory School. The preparatory progress made in learning. The excitement had a happy influence on the morals of the mentioned in my last quarterly report has school, and I indulge the hope that we may see lasting and most encouraging fruits. The names of the youth admitted on the last of December, 1830, are, Names. Breckenbridge, John Carpenter, Elkanah Crane, Elias W. Kollock, Henry Lawton, Luther McLean, Allen Morrison, William Osborne, Truman Patterson, James Riggs, David Ed. soc. Springfield, N. J. 15 Claremont, N. H. Hea. school soc. Savan- A friend, Burton, Ohio. Young men's union, Sims- Soc. theol. sem. Prince ton, N. J. 13 15 8 14 11 8 12 11 11 Individuals, Londonder- Ladies, Charleston, S. C. G. W. Coe, Esq. Savan Fem. mite soc. Baltimore, Md. Fem. mite so. Baltimore, 10 9 10 In this list there are names of some boys who were in the school before, and in one or two cases the names of boys who formerly came as day scholars. The reason is, where we had evidence that the payments were continued, and where the boy formerly taken almost immediately left the school another appropriation. we considered the benefactors entitled to Church-There has been one addition to the church during the quarter, and as the case is somewhat uncommon and encouraging, I will give the particulars. Death of a female member.-The sister of the schoolmaster who died 27th of June 1830, as mentioned in the quarterly account at that time, first came to the station, supporting her brother by one arm, but a short her attention to him as it seemed more than time before his death, I was pleased with is common among this people. Before he died, he exhorted her to leave idols and believe on Jesus Christ; and as his last dying charge, he told her to keep the Sabbath, to go to church, and to attend the weekly she strictly complied; and though often meetings for women on Friday. With this seldom absent. She was uniformly attenvery infirm and unable to walk far, she was tive and from week to week gave evidence |