to tell them when they were to say it once, and when to repeat it three times.

During one part of the service, in the little square in the middle of the Banna Madua where they read, there were, sitting on mats spread on the floor, ten or twelve Priests: of these, four were reading the Pali Books; and the rest, who knew it by heart, were saying it with them. A consecrated cord, or line, was then drawn from some place where it is kept; and a Priest, who sat in one corner, took hold of it with his hand himself, and also passed it on to his neighbour, who also passed it on, till they each had hold of a part of it. It was held up before them, as if it had been a book; and they continued with it in this manner for an hour or more. It was an extraordinary ceremony, and is used only on extraordinary occasions. Its intention, in being thus held up be fore their face, was to keep off the Devil.

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July 8, 1829-Went this afternoon, with the School Visitor and the Yakbadda Schoolmaster, to a village adjoining Yakbadda, to invite the people to send their Children to the School. The influence of Caste is as strong as ever among the people who have not been accustomed to have converse with Missionaries. of the people, who were very desirous that their Children should learn good things, said, that they could not send them to the School at Yakbadda, because the Teacher was a man of lower caste than themselves. After talking to them on the folly and sin of depriving their Children of the opportunity of learning now afforded them, by their obstinacy and pride, they at last said, that they would send them; though in such a way, that we concluded that they merely said so that we might say no more to them. Others were glad of the privilege thus given them, and at once agreed to send

their Children."

One man, with whom I conversed, had not been at a Place of Worship, nor heard a word about Christianity, which he said he professed, for more than twenty-one years. Nor is this a solitary instance of the indifference to Religion that prevails among these people. I have met with several persons who have confessed to me the same thing.

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so very careless about sending their Childthat the Master, after the most laborious exertion, cannot, on our system of payment, realize more than six or seven dollars a-month; which, as he has a family, and is a native of a distant village, he finds insufficient for the support of his family. Though the School has been established for six years or thereabouts, and many young persons during that time have received instruction in it, yet it is now, and has been for some time back, so badly attended, that we have thought it better that it should be entirely broken up.

Aug. 10-Went this evening to a vil lage near which we intend to establish a School, in lieu of one that we shall be obliged, at the end of month, to give up.

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The Parents have become

Sept. 28 On Saturday last, a man came from Talangama, with a petition that a School might be established in that village, and that we should go to preach to the people. I went there this evening, and found a little Bungalow built for my reception. It was very nicely ornamented with the leaves of cocoanuts, the top covered with white cloth, and the floor covered with mats. There were 25 Children, and about the same number of Adults, more than half of whom were Women. I explained to them the Ten Commandments, and read a few of the Prayers. I also promised to give the Schoolmaster Books, &c., for the use of the Children. All the people were very attentive; and I know not that I have received so much kindness from any Congregation of the Natives before. When I asked them if they would wish me to come again, and instruct them more in the Christian Religion, the Women, particularly, said, Yes, Sir, do come again; we shall be very glad indeed to hear more."

Oct. 1-I was called upon, this evening, by a Buddhist Priest; who has lately begun to be in great sorrow, according to his own account, from finding it impossible to observe many of the precepts which, in his religion, are prescribed as necessary to be observed by all Priests. As there is no forgiveness, according to them, every time they transgress a command of Buddhu, or do any thing which they know to be wrong, they have nothing before them but the prospect of suffering in Hell, for a certain period of time mentioned in their books. As the precepts which relate to the Priests are very different from those laid upon the common people, a person may be a good Buddhist, and be quite incapable of being a Priest. I endeavoured to weaken his faith in Buddhism, by shewing him that

a person could not be very wise, nor know very much of human nature, who would introduce into his religion a set of precepts utterly impossible for men to observe. If Buddhism were true, what a melancholy prospect has every Priest before him: every day that he lives, he only accumulates his sins, and lengthens his punishment in Hell I talked to him a long time about the Creation of the World, and the existence of a Supreme Almighty God: but, as he said that he would come to me again, I did not say much to him about the way to obtain pardon, according to our system; because a person who is not thoroughly convinced that there is a God holy and righteous and true, who has given men commands to keep and laws to observe, and that man has broken these laws a person who is not convinced that he has done wrong against a Being whom he ought not only to believe in, but to love and adore will feel little disposed to ask for pardon. I trust he will continue in his present inquiring state of mind, till he finds out, to his comfort, that Saviour who is able to forgive sins, and to save sinners. Oct. 11, 1829-Preached this morning in Nawala, where the Congregation was much larger than usual, and much attention was paid to the Sermon. The peol ple of this village have lately attended very well, and always listen with great eagerness to the Sermon. In the after noon, I went to Nugagoda, where I had a School full of Children. I also intended to go to Pannikkamulla, but was pre vented by the rain.

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Oct. 19 About a fortnight since, a Priest, residing at the Temple, came to talk to me about Religion. He came again to-night, and remained with me two hours. The subject of our conversation was The necessity of an atonement for sin; which I endeavoured to prove to him, both from the circumstance of all ancient Nations having been accustomed to offer sacrifices, which presupposed a charge of guilt and a conviction of sin in the offerers; and, also, from the case of many modern Nations practising various ablations, inflicting divers tortures on their bodies,undertaking pilgrimages, &c.p and from what is said in our Scriptures on that interesting and important point. He says, the only thing that prevents him from throwing off his robes now is, that if he does, he has no means of support, and he will have to undergo much pers secution, particularly from the Priests.

I mentioned to him many passages of Scripture, which I thought might teach him how to act, and shew him to whom we are to look for help in the hour of temptation. He said, he felt the necessity of being decided, but was not instructed enough yet to say what he should do. He is afraid to come here, lest the other Priests should know it; and dares not take any books to the Temple with him, for fear they should see them. May he be under better teaching than that of man!

Nov. 2-The Priest, mentioned before, has been to visit me. He continues to inquire into Christianity; and says, that, whether he embraces Christianity or not, he is determined to cast off his robes. He much wishes that we should take him among us here, and put him into some situation in which he might support himen self. This, however, we have no intention of doing, as it would give the people room to say that he had thrown off his Priesthood for the purpose of being em-3 ployed by the Missionaries.i

Nov. 10 The Priest has not been here since the 2d; and I hardly expected t he would come any more, as he has been disappointed in his object of getting eme ployment under us. His determination, however, is still to throw off his robes.

Dec. 21-Since the last date, and fors some time even previous to that, I was prevented, by ill-health, from attending to my Missionary Duties in the manner I could wish. I consulted a medical man in Colombo; and after having been under his care for some time, he advised me to go to some other part of the Island, for change of air. By his advice, there fore, and with the sanction of the Brew thren, I left Cotta this morning, with Mrs. Selkirk, who is also not well, ands my two Children, for Baddagame, to see our Brethren Trimnell and Faught.

Dec. 23 Arrived at Baddagame to day, much fatigued with the journey. Had not much opportunity of distributing the Tracts which I brought with me, as we travelled most part by night.

1 Dec. 25-After baptizing a Child be longing to a Servant connected with one of the Mission Families, and of whom both the Brethren have good hope that he is one of God's People, I preached from Luke ii. 414, to a good Congregations The Lord's Supper was afterwards administered to about 14, half o whom were Cingalese, zí eile 17info,"f 30 Dec 27 In the afternoon, I went to

one of the Schools with Br. Faught; where I read Prayers, and preached to a Con gregation of about 20, besides the Child ren belonging to the School. Great at tention was paid by all; and I found, by asking questions afterwards, that a great part of what had been said was well understood by them.

Dec. 31, 1829-Went out with one of the Boys belonging to our Institution at Cotta, whose Parents reside here, and who has come to spend a few weeks with them. I met with a man with whom I had a long conversation, on the Education of Children; the advantages which these Villages enjoy in that respect; and the ob ligation which they are under, both to God, who has put it into the hearts of the People of England to send Teachers to them, and to the Teachers themselves, who have come to reside among them, on purpose to teach them the knowledge of Salvation. He acknowledged the truth of all that I said, and was more communicative than many that I have met with, though ignorant of many things he ought to know, from having lived so many years in a village where the Gospel has been faithfully preached. We read to him, and to two others who came to us while we stood in an old dilapidated Government School, the Tract on Idolatry, which was printed at Cotta some time ago. He requested one for his Child, who had been taught to read at one of the Schools.

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Jan. 3, 1830-Preached in the Church this morning, and in the afternoon at one of the Schools. In returning from the School, met with a poor man who has had a disease from which he suffered great pain for the last five years. He told me, that it came upon him on account of something that he had done amiss in a former birth. I tried to re move this notion; and to shew him, that the disease which had come upon him, and that all diseases which came upon others, are sent by God, to teach man that he is not an independent or solitary being, but under the governance of a superior; and that it will be a great blessing to those who feel the weight of bodily diseases, if, by them, they are led to think upon those greater and more dreadful diseases which afflict their souls, and which entail much greater pain than any that come only on the body. I.

Jan. 13-Went, this morning, to attend the funeral of a little daughter of the Moodeliar who lives in this village: her death was very sudden, as she was not

ill more than twenty-four hours. Shet had attended the Girl's School here for, some time; and was esteemed and be loved for her kind and amiable disposi tion, and her attention to her learning, by both the Brethren and Sisters here; and on this account her funeral was attended by a great number of persons. One thing struck me much, as being a proof of the simplicity of Eastern Manners, as well as an illustration of some passages of Scripture. The way from the house of the Moodeliar to the Church, which is about a quarter-of-a-mile, was covered with white cloth, for us and the Bearers to walk upon. The Service was read by Br. Trimnell: and, as we thought an opportunity of this kind ought not to be allowed to pass unimproved, I addressed the people at the grave-side. All the Girls belonging to the School were present, and many of them were much affected. I was glad, also, to see the attention and reverence manifested by all who were assembled, many of whom had never been present on a similar occasion; as sometimes it is very dif-1 ficult to preserve order and decorum,

Feb. 7-Have been out more frequently among the people than before; and have made a point of speaking! closely to those with whom I have conversed on the particular doctrines of the Christian Religion-the lost state of man, and the ability of Jesus Christ to save us. They have all acknowledged themselves as sinners, but with that same indifference with which they would tell me that I was an Englishman, or that they were Cingalese. Hell seems to have few terrors for them, and Heaven few attractions: they are still uncon cerned.

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However, it is the duty of Christian Missionaries to go about doing good, like their Divine Master. I shall, if God give me health, be more assiduous in my visits among them than I' I have been for some time back. In consequence of my visits, many more than usual attended, both on Thursday Morn-> ing last and on Friday Evening. day the Congregations have been small. Feb. 25 This evening, the Priest came to visit me. He also came last evening, but I was then out in the village. I had heard that he was about to leave the village, and sent for him to have some conversation with him before he left. He leaves because the people will not support him. He says, that they are so poor and so wicked, that, first,

they are unable, if willing; and, secondly, they are unwilling, even if able, to maintain the Priests. I wish it could be attributed to a better motive; that is, to their dislike of Idolatry, and their love to Christianity: but nothing of the kind is yet visible. When he first came to reside here, the ground which he was to occupy was a complete jungle. This he cleared a little, and built a hut:-I cannot call it a house, for it is a far more wretched-looking place than even the poorest of the Natives live in. As there had formerly been a Temple on the ground, he took it into his head to have the whole place cleared. This was done, and the foundation of a large old building was discovered; which he caused to be dug up, in order that he might obtain the stones for building a new Temple. This he actually begun, on a very large scale; and the walls, built of mud and stone, are now about four feet high: this is the state in which they have been for the last year and a half. He began to build, and was not able to finish; his workmen growing slack, and not deeming it so meritorious an act to build a Temple for Buddhu as he would have them think. The ground, being Temple-ground, cannot be appropriated to common use; nor his house, which he has left, be inhabited by any but Priests; hence, he has left both to the Temple here. He tells me that he thinks there are in the Island about 1000 Temples, and 5000 Priests; that he does not believe their Religion is spreading, though new Temples have been built in different parts; that he thinks the offerings now made to the Temples are not so splendid, nor so costly, as formerly; and that, upon the whole, the people pay less attention to their Religion than before. This I know is the case in villages and places where Missionaries have been stationed for some time. Our conversation, which was for about two hours, was chiefly on the Origin of Evil, and the causes, why our God, if He is so great and good a Being as we say He is, per mits it to remain in the world. I endeavoured to draw his mind to Jesus Christ, who has come to redeem us from all iniquity, and to cure the evil which we see and know exists in no small degree in us all. I tried also to impress on him the greatness and unsearchableness of God's wisdom; and if we, poor, short-sighted creatures, cannot know the reason of a thousand different things that we every day meet with, how is it pos

sible that we should know the motives for which God permits evil, or the grounds on which He acts. His ways are not our ways. This, however, had little effect upon him, though it probably gave him ideas which he never had before. On his leaving me, I gave him a copy of the Acts of the Apostles, and of the Epistle to the Romans. I believe he will read them; for though he is not a learned man, he has a great respect for books that form a part of our Religious Writings. When I told him, that, a short time ago, I had given a small book to a Priest, who had torne it, he said it was very bad, and that every one ought to reverence Religious Books.

Jan. 18, 1830-Arrived at Cotta, this morning, from Baddagame. In coming on the road from Galle, I distributed many Tracts, both in Tamul and Cingalese. At one village, I visited a Buddhu Temple lately built, the inner part of which was not yet finished. The images at the entrance-room were not put into shape, nor painted: those in the inner part they were then painting. The Image of Buddhu, in a reclining posture, with his head upon a pillow about 18 inches in diameter and 4 feet long, is 27 feet long. There were others in various postures, sitting &c., in different parts of the building. The Priests, and the Gooroonansee-for this is a name not only given to Schoolmasters, but to the person who instructs the Painters-seeing that I had some Books with me, and finding that none were offered, requested to see one. They did not know that I was a Missionary, as I had not hitherto said a word which would lead them to suppose it. They asked me a second time; and, in an apparently unwilling manner, I gave one to the Priest, who read the titleword to the Buddhists, and others who frequent and Heathen Temples" and, saying a word, gave it to the Gooroonansee: he read the title and the first sentence, and stood perfectly astonished. Before this, they had been very communicative, and had answered every question which I had asked them about the Images, Temple, &c.; but now they would say no more. On coming away, the Priest called out after me, that he would tear the book; which he did, as soon as I was a little way off from him. I gave Tracts to the other Priests whom we met on the road; some of whom received them, and began to read them; while

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