When Babjee's mind became impressed with divine truth, he immediately refrained from further intercourse with her, and seemed afterwards uniformly to have just views of the impropriety and sinfulness of such conduct. But his attachment remained unabated, and being much affected with a view of the condition in which she was left, and also with the remembrance of their former engagements to mutual faithfulness, he communicated his feelings freely to some of his Christian friends, and expressed a wish that, if it would not be inconsistent with the precepts of Christianity, they might be regularly married. She was also found on inquiry to be desirous of doing the same. She had acquired considerable knowledge of Christianity, and was prepared to renounce idolatry with all its ceremonies. She was ready also to promise attendance on such means of religious instruction as might be within her reach, and to conform to the precepts of the gospel as far as she understood them. These circumstances, considered in connection with their former acquaintance, (which had been illicit only because the rules of caste which they now renounced would not allow of their being married according to the Hindoo custom,) were thought to furnish sufficient reason to comply with their wishes, and they were married according to the Christian form in the chapel, where he had been baptised. A large number of natives assembled to witness so novel a scene. All present appeared to look on with much interest, and some expressed their surprise at the simplicity, appropriateness, and solemnity of the marriage-ceremony, and also at the duties of the married state as then illustrated and enforced, all so different from the tedious, unmeaning rites, and noisy revelry which usually accompany native weddings.

An extract from one of the recent general letters received from the missionaries, will close what the Committee have to say respecting this mission.

"is now open

"Nearly the whole of India," they say, for the propagation of Christianity, and perhaps no country ever presented a more extensive field for benevolent enterprise. Some will perhaps be surprised at our calling India an encouraging field; but we think the opinion supported by a view of the country and the history of benevolent exertions that have been made in it. The great population of India gives it a claim on the Christian world above In most any other country to which missionaries can have access. places in this country, where the gospel has once begun to take effect, its advance has been steady and increasingly rapid. And perhaps when the people generally shall have become enlightened to see the absurdity of their own religion and the excellence of Christianity, they may at once break the chain of caste, and, throwing off the shackles of superstition, a nation may be born in a day. Considering the greatness of the population, and the character of the Hindoo religion, it is not unreasonable to suppose, that the harvest eventually gathered in India may be as great in proportion to the means employed, as in any heathen country."

CEYLON MISSION.

TILLIPALLY.-Levi Spaulding, Missionary, and wife.

Native Assistants:-L. Payson and Jordan Lodge, Readers; J. Codman and J. Champlin, Teachers in the Preparatory School; Dewasagayam and Paramanthy, School Visitors.

BATTICOTTA. Benjamin C. Meigs and Daniel Poor, Missionaries, and their wives. Native Assistants:-Gabriel Tissera and Nathaniel Niles, Native Preachers and Teachers in the Seminary; S. Worcester, G. Dashie!, J. Griswold, and F. Ahsbury, Teachers in Tamul and English; Methuen, Teacher of English School; Sanmoogum, Tamul Teacher; E. Porter, Assistant; Ambalavanum, Superintendent of Schools.

OODOOVILLE.-Miron Winslow, Missionary, and wife.

Native Assistants:-C. Augustus Goodrich, Native Preacher; Nathaniel, Catechist; R. W. Bailey, Teacher of English and Female Central Schools; J. Lawrence and Joshua, Superintendent of Schools.

C. Kingsbury, Reader, stationed at POOTOOR.

PANDITERIPO.-John Scudder, Missionary and Physician, and wife.

Native Assistants:-T. W. Coe, Reader; S. P. Brittain, D. Gautier, and Sethunporapully, Assistants; John Cheesman, Medical Assistant; Sandera Saguran, Superintendent of Schools.

MANEPY.-Henry Woodward, Missionary, and wife.

Native Assistants:-Sinnatumby, Catechist; Tumban and Catheraman, Readers.

On the 30th of March, 1831, the mission buildings at Manepy were all consumed by fire. They were a dwelling house, church, study, and a large bungalow. Being every one thatched with leaves, the conflagration was exceedingly rapid, and Mr. and Mrs. Woodward, though aided by Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, Wesleyan missionaries from Jaffna who happened to be present, were able to save scarcely any of their effects. Many of the heathens exulted at this event, as if it proved Jehovah to be unable to protect his missionaries against the wrath of their god Ganesa. The missionaries regarded it as from the Lord, and while they bowed in submission to his sovereign will, made it an occasion for explaining to the natives some important principles in the government of God. The loss to the mission, including private property, was estimated at between three and four thousand dollars. Mr. Woodward and his family took up their abode at Oodooville, until some part of their own station should be rendered habitable.

It was only a few days after the fire, that the late bishop of Calcutta visited the district, and on learning the particulars of the event, requested a written account to aid him in stating the case

to his friends in Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta. This was furnished, and upon the arrival of the bishop at Madras, he headed a subscription with one hundred rupees (or nearly fifty dollars) from himself. That subscription amounted to nearly one thousand rupees; and almost double this sum was afterwards raised in Bombay. If the like benevolent effort was not repeated at Calcutta, it was because this excellent prelate was called to rest from his labors so soon after returning to that city. Other individuals in Ceylon and southern India were also active and successful in collecting money to repair the loss; among whom the Committee would gratefully mention J. N. Mooyart, Esq. of Matura, corresponding member of the Board, C. Layard, Esq., and the Church and Wesleyan missionaries, at Colombo, the Rev. Mr. Rhenius, of Palamcotta, and Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Ridsdale and Rev. Mr. Smith, of Madras.

The Committee are particular in acknowledging these acts of disinterested kindness, as they furnish a delightful illustration of that catholic spirit in persons of different religious denominations, which missions to the heathen are so eminently fitted to promote.

The repairs of the church at Manepy were completed just six months after the fire, and on re-opening it for public worship, Mr. Spaulding preached a sermon from Isaiah ii. 17, 18. "And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day, and the idols he shall utterly abolish."

Bishop Turner devoted a day to an examination of the seminary at Batticotta, together with the preparatory and female central schools, both of which had been assembled for the purpose at that place. The day was busily occupied in the examination, and the bishop himself acted the part of an examiner in all the branches. At the close of the exercises, he expressed the gratification he felt on the occasion, and exhorted the students to persevere in the course on which they had entered, assuring them of his best wishes, and of his readiness to cooperate with the conductors of the seminary in forwarding their designs. He also declared to the members of the mission his full concurrence in their plans of procedure.

The missionaries were strongly reminded by what they saw of this prelate, of the description of bishops drawn by the pen of inspiration. His decease took place at Calcutta, on the 7th of July following. His successor, bishop Wilson, is well known to be animated by the same spirit.

The object of the mission in Jaffna is to co-operate with the other missions established there, in bringing the whole population as fast as possible under the influence of Christian instruction. This must be effected by means of the divine blessing on education, preaching, and the press.

EDUCATION.-It may be stated, as the result of experience in India, that no substantial and permanent advantages are to be anticipated from the diffusion of mere general knowledge among the heathen, except so far as it is accompanied with a knowledge of Christianity. No sooner does the pagan become acquainted with the absurdities of his own system, than he is almost necessarily driven to atheism, or to the worst system of deism, unless the requisite means have been put into his hands for becoming acquainted with the true God and his Son Jesus Christ. Our brethren in Ceylon have, therefore, very properly been averse to the establishment of a greater number of free schools, while under the necessity of employing heathen schoolmasters, than they could themselves personally superintend and direct; and they have labored without ceasing in their higher schools-the grace of Christ assisting them-to raise up Christian schoolmasters.

It is animating to witness their success. The number of native free schools supported by the mission, is 95; and not less than 30 of these have already been placed under the instruction of native members of the mission church. Other masters are hopefully pious, and are candidates for admission into the church. The whole course and influence of instruction, in these schools, is Christian; and as the number of pious schoolmasters at the disposal of the mission is annually increasing, and as there is no great difficulty in forming new schools, it is easy to foresee the revolution, which must take place in the whole system of education in the district, should the Head of the church continue to smile upon the missionaries, and should they receive proper assistance from this country. Heathen schoolmasters are employed in the schools only for want of better, and they are now employed only on condition that they renounce their heathenish ceremonies for the time being, attend divine worship on the Sabbath, and learn and recite stated scripture lessons every week. "Men do not gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles." If India, and the heathen world at large, are ever to experience a great moral renovation, it will be mainly by means of biblical in

struction and Christian teachers. The merely civilized Hindoo is found to be farther from the kingdom of heaven, than the vulgar throng that grovels in the dust beneath him. One only hope is in the mighty influence of the cross of Christ. Human learning is not to be despised; as an auxiliary to the gospel it is to be valued and employed; but our dependence must be upon the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The number of boys in the 95 native free schools, at the close of the year 1831, was 2,910, and of girls, 591;—making in all 3,501. About thirty of the schools were suspended during the last quarter of the year, for want of funds; owing to bills of exchange having miscarried, which had been remitted for the use of the mission. These schools have doubtless since been resumed. The free boarding school for females, at Oodooville, called the "female central school," gives continued and increasing satisfaction, as the education of females appears more and more important, and the success and influence of the school more and more manifest. It tends to diminish the prejudices of the natives against sending their daughters to the village free schools, and in some instances has furnished female teachers for those schools. The principal object of the school is, to raise up suitable companions for the native Christian assistants of the mission; and this is also in a more promising state for attainment, by the greater facility of inducing girls of good families to enter it, and the increasing readiness of the young men to seek them for partners. The universal custom in Jaffna of marrying, if possible, among relatives, and especially those of the same caste, and of making a good dowry an indispensable condition, has always operated as a hinderance to settling the pupils of this school suitably in life. As this gradually lessens, the prospects of the school brighten. The religious state of the school is highly interesting. The whole number of pupils is 26; seven of these are members of the church, four are candidates for admission, and five or six are seriously disposed. Indeed it is very encouraging, that none have been long members of this school without becoming the hopeful subjects of converting grace, and no one has been yet known to dishonor her profession. All who have regularly left the school are married to Christian husbands, and are training up their families in a Christian manner; and though some of them suffer occasionally for want of this world's goods, they appear to suffer