expended, was put down in the accounts | to shock the old shopkeeper, and putting at 100,000 rupees, or £10,000; how his hand to his mouth he cried, "Alas! thousands of rupees were obtained for alas! that you can speak thus; but such the construction of embankments for words would never come out of my reservoirs, and how the said embank-mouth." Whether this said gentleman ments were reported to have been washed did all that the natives attribute to him away, though they never had any exis- I do not profess to determine, but as his tence except on paper. With such a name and deeds are so universally cited state of things, no wonder that old In- in favour of idolatry, there is very dians returned to England with princely strong evidence for believing that he did fortunes; but, happily, those days are not keep himself from idols. Many gone, never to return. years have passed away since he left the country, but his name is known throughout the province, and he is ever spoken of as the sahib who worshipped Juggernath. How important, therefore, for Europeans to abstain from the very appearance of idolatry, lest their conduct be so construed as to confirm the prejudices of the heathen, and to furnish them with powerful arguments in favour of their abominable idolatry.

On arriving at Ganjam, I found to my great disappointment that the "Traveller's Bungalow" was occupied by a person in the salt department, and, as he had a wife and family, there was no accommodation left for me. Expecting to find quarters here I did not take with me either table or chair, so I was in what is frequently denominated " a fix." To make the best of the matter I went in search of an empty house, but on the way I called upon a Mr. W- the harbour master of Ganjam, and related to him my disappointment. He very kindly placed a room at my service, in which I took up my quarters.

To furnish a detailed account of each day's labours would take up too much time and space, so I will content myself by relating a few incidents which came under my notice.

IGNORANCE ACCOUNTED FOR.-As a class the brahmins of India are often spoken of as men of profound learning, but among the brahmins of the present day there is a deplorable amount of ignorance. Exceptions of course there are, but not one in a thousand can be said to have a thorough knowledge of the Hindoo system; indeed, myriads of these so called learned men are unable either to read or write. The other day "KEEP YOURSELVES FROM IDOLS."- I wished to have a receipt from one to In this heathen land we are often re- whom I paid some money, but as he was minded of the importance of the apostolic not able to sign his name, I had to be injunction, "Little children, keep your- satisfied with his mark! When reselves from idols." By neglecting this minded of their ignorance, they often injunction not a few Europeans have account for it by saying that this is the brought disgrace upon the Christian" Kolle jug," or wicked age. A man at name, and confirmed the heathen in their idol worship. Long, too, after they have passed away are their names and examples cited in favour of idolatry. The first evening on which I went to the bazaar I sat down by the side of an old shopkeeper, and by way of introduction I inquired if he remembered W

sahib. He replied, "No, but I remember W- sahib, the Collector of Pooree." As usual, he then went on to sing his praise, to proclaim him as an incarnation of holiness, and as a friend and worshipper of Juggernath. "If he did," I replied, "as you say he did, worship Juggernath, he was a very wicked man, and therefore never mention his name again, but let it perish, let it rot." To hear such remarks about his incarnation of holiness appeared very much

Ganjam accounted for it by saying that they had no time for study; that in the reign of the native kings lands and money were given to the brahmins, and villages were established for their accommodation; but that as they get nothing from the great queen, they were compelled to leave their books and engage in trade and agriculture in order to obtain a livelihood. Unquestionably these reputed learned men find things very different from what they were formerly, and they are now compelled to follow pursuits which would have been repugnant to their forefathers. By degrees, therefore, they are losing the position they once held in the estimation of the people, and instead of being venerated as gods, they are becoming looked upon as ordinary men.

THE SHASTRES AND THE BIBLE. that while the meaning of Krishnu's One morning when the respective merits name was "black," the meaning of of the Hindoo Shastres and the Holy Christ's was the "anointed of God;" Scriptures were under discussion, a that while Krishnu was like themselves brahmin replied that both were true, nothing more than a man, Christ was and had a divine origin. To this remark God manifest in the flesh; that while our native brother Makunda replied by Krishnu's works, like his name, were all saying, that if a book came from God it black, as lying, stealing, and uncleanness, must be pure in its teachings-it must Christ's works were merciful and Godagree with itself-and it must make like; that while Krishnu died for his known the way of salvation. To these own sins, Christ, on the contrary, died statements the man assented, and then for the sins of others; that while Krishnu our brother went on to prove, in a man- was not able to save himself, much less ner most conclusive and unanswerable, others, Christ was able to save all who "that the Hindoo Shastres were not of put their trust in him. divine origin-that they were not of I'M A BRAHMIN!-The phrase, "I'm divine origin, because, instead of being a brahmin" is very frequently uttered pure in their teaching, they taught and by these lords of creation, "who have encouraged lying, stealing, fornication, placed themselves above kings in honour, murder, and all kinds of wickedness; and laid the whole nation prostrate at because, instead of agreeing with them- their feet." In reply to this remark at selves, they were all at variance, one Ganjam, our native brother said, "But saying that Rama was God, another I can see no difference between you and that Krishnu was God, another that any of the lower castes. If I saw in the Juggernath was God; because this was distance a lion, a tiger, an elephant, and inculcating bathing in sacred rivers, a horse, I should have no difficulty in that, pilgrimages to sacred shrines, and that, gifts to holy men; because, instead of making known a Saviour, they simply stated how one was cursed for telling lies and another for committing murder -how this god cut off the head of that, and how others perished on account of their own wickedness-how, in fact, instead of being true Saviours of men, they were nothing less than the exterminators of one another." "Shastres," continued our brother, "so full of impurity and contradictions, and so silent as regards a Saviour, cannot be divine;" and he then proceeded to show how the above conditions were all fulfilled in the sacred Scriptures-how pure were their teachings-how one part agreed with another and how they revealed a Saviour able to save us from our sin in this world, and to bestow upon us eternal salvation in the world to come.

KRISHNU AND CHRIST.-Owing to the similarity in the names of Krishnu and Christ, it is not uncommon for the heathen to say that they refer to one and the same person,-are, in fact, but different ways of pronouncing the same name. This objection being made, Makunda replied to it by saying, that though there was some resemblance in the sound, it was in sound only; that they differed in their names, differed in their natures, and differed in their works;

distinguishing one from another-their heads, ears, feet, shape, &c., being all different. But if four men, of different castes, were coming along in the distance, could you distinguish one from another? As the beasts have different shapes, so they eat different kinds of food and make different kinds of noises, but the brahmin eats the same kind of rice as the sudra, and the sudra speaks the same language as the brahmin. Brahmins, too, like sudras, lie, and steal, and are sent to prison; how, therefore, am I to distinguish a brahmin from anyone else ?"

A SNEERING BRAHMIN ANSWERED.— Not unfrequently sneers have to be encountered from the proud, self-righteous brahmins, and as we look upon them we are often reminded of the Scribes and Pharisees of olden time. As we were preaching one evening in the bazaar one of these modern pharisees said to a pariah, or man of low caste, who stood by, "Come, you go and unite with these Christians." Greatly to our surprise, this outcast gave quite a long quotation from the "Jewel Mine of Salvation," and, turning to the proud brahmin, inquired if he could produce anything equal to that? We need scarcely add that nothing equal to it was produced; and we may safely challenge all the brahmins in India to produce anything

at all approaching to what may be learnt THE CESSATION OF WAR. from the smallest of our books. The outcast pariah who understands the THINK of a condition of the world, (and "Jewel Mine," knows far more of God that world far more populous than now,) and the plan of salvation than he could when there will be no tyrants,—no ralearn from any or all of the Hindoo pacious ambition, no hostile rivalry,Shastres. "We understand more than the no notion possessing the governors and ancients, because we keep God's precepts." chief men of the nations, that the people ROMANISM AND IDOLATRY IDENTICAL. were made merely to subserve their -One morning, as we stood by the side passions and projects; no crafty, fallaof a temple exposing the sin and folly of cious, hypocritical, representations to the idolatry, a bystander observed, "True, people, to stimulate jealousy and hatred we worship an image, but so do you against other natious, in order to make our image is in this temple, and yours is them the willing instruments of violence; in that, pointing to the Roman chapel; no restless vigilance and alarm respecting and if it is wrong of us to worship the designs of neighbouring states; no images, it is equally wrong of you." intelligence of suspicious appearances of When thus met as we occasionally are preparation and armament; no negotia-I never hesitate to say that the Roman tions of alliances, for either aggression Catholics are like themselves-idolaters. or defence. Think of a condition of the The same evening I met with a Roman world, when there will be no exhausting Catholic, an East Indian, and when I alieniations from the rewards of peaceful told him the circumstance and asked him what kind of a reply he would give to a heathen who made such an objection, he replied, "It was difficult to know what answer to give." Speaking of Roman Catholics, I am reminded of an elderly native I met with in Ganjam who professes to be one. His knowledge of Scripture truth is very extensive, but all this he has acquired from the books we have put in circulation. Here, as everywhere else, Popery hates the light of God's book. In reply to a question how it was he turned Roman Catholic, he stated that he was not aware that there was any other religion.

industry, to maintain a mighty apparatus for destruction of both industry and man; no scenes where, in one day, more pain is inflicted than the sum of that which is suffered, perhaps, by the people of all Europe, in the ordinary course of things; when ten, or twenty, or forty thousand men are alive and well in the morning and dead at night,-gashed and bloody, and ready to be tossed indiscriminately into pits; no storming, sacking, burning of towns, or shattering and sinking of fleets; no aged parents, or wives and children, mourning the destroyed relatives, or sinking that mourning in terror for themselves; no devastation of all that AN ATTENTIVE HEARER.-With the peaceful toil has planted and built on the general attention of the people at Gan- plains; no consumption of labour, art, jam I was very much gratified, and science, and genius, in creating or apply. think them far more attentive and ing the machinery of war. Think of the respectful than at Berhampore. On one vast proportion of these (art, science, occasion, as Makunda was speaking on and genius,) hitherto so occupied, and of the eternity of future sufferings, I was what will be the effect of so much applied particularly struck with the attention to all peaceful and beneficial purposes, and appearance of an old man. When in addition to all besides that will be so our brother repeated the word " ananta," employed. Think, again, of all the the old man, with eyes turned towards quantity (if we may express it so,) of the heavens, said after him, "ananta, passion, of feeling, of strong emotion, ananta!" i.e. everlasting, everlasting! Throughout the entire service he seemed much affected, and when it was over he walked with us down the street. As we parted I again urged him to "flee from the wrath to come," as it was "ananta," everlasting wrath. Well would it be if we all felt more and more the importance of everlasting realities.

W. HILL.

that has gone towards, and gone into war, directed to the promotion of public and private good. The stream of sentiment,-of strong interest,-of ardent feeling, in other words, the passion, the affection, which, during the last balf century, has flowed into that river of blood!—think, if it had, instead, flowed through all the channels and streams of 'peaceful benevolence! Will there, in the

better age, be less sentiment and passion so to flow?

MISCELLANEOUS.

HEALTH OF MRS. STUBBINS.-ConAnd then, over all, through all, and as siderable anxiety was caused to many the cause of all, the vital religion of friends by a reference to the alarming Jesus Christ; his kingdom shall be, "from shore to shore, and from the river to the ends of the earth." And be it always remembered, that it is in the progressive prevalence of his religion, as the supreme cause, that, alone, we can look for the advancement toward the state of universal and inviolable peace. It will, in going on, assume into its service and cooperation increasing knowledge, and all improvements in political science and institutions; but it is itself alone, the security that these shall be fully efficient for good. The enlarged promotion of this, therefore, we have to desire and implore above all things. And while we see its advancement but slow as yet, and behold the world under a sky menacing storms and thunders,-let our faith maintain a firm assurance that the Almighty will, at length, fulfil all his promises in universal Christianity and

universal Peace.

The late JOHN FOSTER.

illness of Mrs. Stubbins in Mrs. Goadby's letter last month. The intelligence reached the brethren a day or two before leaving Berhampore, where they had been attending the Conference. We are happy to learn that our esteemed sister is much better. Mr. Stubbins writes-"My dear wife was very ill while I was away at Conference, but is now, I am thankful to say, 'picking up her crumbs again.' All the rest are well." MACCLESFIELD.-On Sunday, Nov. 29, a sermon was preached by the Rev. G. Taylor, returned Missionary, on behalf of our Foreign Missions. And on Monday evening, Nov. 30, a public Missionary meeting was held, when suitable addresses were delivered by the deputation (Rev. G. Taylor), Revs. S. W. McAll, Independent, R. Pool, Wesleyan Free Church, M. Ramsden, New Connection, and J. Maden, after which collections were made in aid of the Missions. The amount from collections and boxes was £8. 14s. 7d.

CUTTACK.-J. Buckley, Nov. 26, Dec. 1, 2; I. Stubbins, Dec. 3.

Contributions

RECEIVED ON ACCOUNT OF THE GENERAL BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY,

From December 20th, 1863, to January 20th, 1864.

Subscriptions and Donations in aid of the General Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by Robert Pegg, Esq., Treasurer, Derby; and by the Rev. J. C. Pike and the Rev. H. Wilkinson, Secretaries, Leicester; from whom also Missionary Boxes, Collecting Books, and Cards may be obtained.