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dicate the truth of their statements; and, in reference to this call, remark

We have just received information from Calcutta, that the Report of our prosperity here has been attacked, and become a discussion in the Newspapers. We have been called upon to give a particular statement of the commencement and progress of the work of God in these parts, which we are going to do. The Cause of Christ will doubtless gain by such invidious attacks, whilst we get thereby more careful in making our Reports. Reviewing our past Journals and Reports, we find no cause to retract any thing. They consist mostly of FACTS, which cannot be undone and we are glad that in expressing our joy at these occurrences, we have often backed it with our fears. If a fact appeared afterwards to have sprung not from the best of motives, that does not undo the fact itself; and having stated that also, we feel no small satisfaction in our minds.

The Missionaries have drawn up an Account of the Tinnevelly Mission,* from its commencement in 1820, till the month of July in last year, detailing the various circumstances connected with their proceedings, and the facts which have taken place; and shewing, to the satisfaction of every Christian mind, that whatever portion of alloy there may be, there is much precious gold; and that, though tares, as might have been expected, have sprung up among the wheat, God has, by the enthusiasm of His Servants and the foolishness of their preaching, turned many from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven.

Nor should it be overlooked, that there are some who view the work in Tinnevelly in a very different light: we allude to the Ninth Report of the Diocesan Committee at Calcutta of the Christian Knowledge Society, who bear the following unbiassed testimony to the success which it has pleased God to grant to Missionary labours in this District. On this subject they thus express their sentiments

It is most encouraging to hear of the wonderful success of Missionary Labours at this Presidency [Madras], more espe

*See Appendix III.

cially in the District of Tinnevelly. The Natives, in this part of the South of India, had long been under the tuition of the Missionaries of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; when, through want of a succession of them, they were kindly taken up by those of the Church Missionary Society: thus verifying, in a double sense, the text that saith, One soweth, and another reapeth. To the great astonishment and joy of your Committee, as many as Eleven Hundred Families have since renounced their Idols, and entirely given up the distinction of Caste; and numbers of them have been added to the Church by Baptism. And certainly it is enough for these converts, though they know no more, to be enabled to say, like the man in the Gospel-One thing I know, whereas I was blind, now I see: and your Committee rejoice, for their object is equally attained, that these Gentiles were not suffered to remain in their idolatry, and that this timely assistance has been afforded by a Sister Society.

TRAVANCORE.

The under-mentioned Stations in Travancore are occupied by the following Missionaries: the Rev. Benjamin Bailey, Henry Baker, and John William Doran, with Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Baker, are engaged at Cottayam; the Rev. Samuel Ridsdale and Mrs. Ridsdale are at Cochin; and the Rev. Thomas Norton and Mrs. Norton, whose return has been already mentioned, at Allepie.

Cottayam.

The obstacles thrown in the way of the Mission by Mar Athanasius's visit have been gradually removed, and the Missionaries appear to be prosecuting their labours with little interruption. On this subject Mr. Bailey writes in April

The disturbances caused in the Syrian Church by the arrival of Athanasius have, in a great measure, subsided. Some of the Catanars, who manifested a very refractory spirit, have been fined by the Travancore Government for disobedience to its orders, and have been made to submit. The Metropolitan, Mar Philoxenus, on whom the government of the Syrian Church at present devolves, has summoned these Catanars before him, and endeavoured to bring them to a just sense of their improper conduct: they have acknowledged their guilt, and promised to obey the Metropolitan's instructions in future. I trust, that, through the blessing of God, the exertions of the Metropolitan to restore peace, harmony, and brotherly love in his Church will be crowned with success.

He appears very desirous to do all in his power for the good of his Church; but his present weak state of health prevents him from exerting himself as he could wish. The late disturbances have affected his nerves exceedingly: we were afraid, some time ago, that he would not be able to resume the management of the affairs of his Church; but I am thankful to say that he is now much better. The late trials appear to have increased his confidence in us.

Our conduct during these disturbances will be fully explained to you by Mr. Fenn, who, I trust, has, by this time, safely arrived in England with his family. I do not see how we could have acted otherwise than we did, or have interfered less than we did: though it may be a general impression, that we were, in a great measure, instrumental in Athanasius's being sent out of the country, I can positively state that we had nothing whatever to do in it: the Travancore Government acted with entire independence of us, and for the preservation of its own authority.

On the same subject Mr. Doran writes→→

The storm that lately assailed the Syrian Churches, by the coming of Mar Athanasius from Antioch, is, at least for the present, quite blown over: not, however, without leaving the marks of its violence behind, in the disgrace, not only specially of the opposing Catanars, but also generally of the Syrian Body.

That we have the full confidence and prayers of the Senior Metran there can be no question: he is kind to a degree: indeed it is impossible to know him, and not to love him.

A Malayalim Service on the Sabbath has been commenced, and is well attended.

At the end of April there were in the COLLEGE 48 Students, from 8 to 20 years of age, divided into Six Classes. Mr. Doran had succeeded in introducing among the Students a more decorous dress than is usual with the Natives, and had assigned separate rooms to the senior Students. Finding that he required assistance in conducting the English studies, Mr. Doran recalled Mr. Roberts from Allepie. Full particulars of the dispositions and progress of the Students have appeared in the Missionary Register of last year (pp. 602, 603); and, in conclusion, Mr. Doran writes

The whole Establishment rises daily in my regard. If I know myself, (but who does?) I feel more and more willing hourly to spend and be spent in its service. Give us only SUITABLE help, and pray that the Spirit may be poured out

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from on high upon us, and I am convinced that this, even THIS, may become as interesting a spot as the eye of the Christian would wish to dwell upon in Pagan India.

In the GRAMMAR AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS, which are 32 in number, there are 918 Boys: of these, Mr. Baker writes

We have met with considerable encouragement in this branch of our Mission, particularly in the Nair Schools. On commencing them, about a year and a half ago, a strong prejudice against our books was observed, and therefore nothing was said about introducing them; but they have, since that time, been gradually brought into use, in all the Schools, without exception.

It is gratifying to learn, that FEMALE EDUCATION is advancing here, as in other parts of India: this was first attempted by Mrs. Fenn and Mrs. Baker, who commenced a School for the instruction of 10 or 12 Girls. Mrs. Baker has since received 18 into her house, of whom she gives the following account:

All these children, except two, are under 12 years of age, and had scarcely learnt any thing before they came: they are now employed, from morning till noon, at their needles, &c.; and in the after part of the day at their books. The first Class read the responses of the Liturgy, which we use at Morning Prayer; and are regularly catechized and examined on the Lord's Day. Under the blessing of God, we have some prospect before us of their turning out well.

On this subject, Mr. Doran thus expresses his sentiments:

As it regards the practicability of educating the Syrian Females, I have only to point to a School which Mrs. Baker supports and instructs at her own charge. I never visit this little Establishment, and see the pretty little children engaged in their equally useful and sacred employments, without mingled feelings of thankfulness and pain-of thankfulness, that even so much is doing; of pain, that so much is left undone. Parents are now so satisfied that their female children are deriving benefit from being under Mrs. Baker's kind care, that many of them are coming forward to solicit an entrance for more. Mr. Baker assures me that he might have a School of 80, had he but the means to support it. Here, then, is a most promising and interesting channel, through which Christian Benevolence and Sympathy may move the Christian heart, which now beats responsive to the calls of Bengal Females, will not be insensible to the spiritual and intellectual wants of Syro-Indian Females. Christianity (alas! falsely so called) has done but little, if any thing, for the Syrian Women.

The marks of degradation are, I believe, equally apparent in Syrian and Heathen Women. I need not say that Female improvement ought to go hand in hand with that of Man, if not to precede it. In making these observations, I am but recording the sentiments and feelings of our whole circle.

To what I have said as to Mrs. Baker, I might add the testimony of Mrs. Bailey; who, from the first, has had from 3 to 4. Girls in her house, and at her own charge.

The number in the Female School, in October, was 18. The PRESS continues under Mr. Bailey's care: an edition of 5000 copies of St. Luke's Gospel, in Malayalim, has been finished for the Madras Bible Society; and, some additional Presses having been obtained, the Missionaries were proceeding with the New Testament, Liturgy, and School Books.

Mr. Baker, in October, takes the following view of the Mission:

On taking a view of the prospect before us, there is reason to think it more encouraging than it has been for a long time; and that chiefly, because the attention of the Missionaries is now directed solely to their Missionary work. Formerly much time was occupied in attending to business which was brought before us by the late Metropolitan; business which was not strictly either his or ours, but made such by circumstances over which we had little or no controul. We are now employed in printing and circulating the Scriptures and religious books, in teaching Children, and in training Young Men for the work of the Ministry, who, we trust, will become our helpers in the work of teaching and preaching to their benighted countrymen.

Cochin.

The Rev. Samuel Ridsdale gives the following account of the population at Cochin, among whom he has been called to labour :

Cochin and its vicinity contain about 300 Protestants, 10,000 Papists, 1000 Jews, 2000 Mahomedans, and 6000 Heathens, making a total of above 19,000.

The whole community, with few exceptions, through the long absence of facilities for education, I found very low as to intellectual qualifications; and through long destitution of a faithful residing Pastor, although they had retained something of the form of godliness, I found the generality affectingly ignorant of its power. The other classes, generally speaking, exhibit an awful specimen of the fruits of human depravity, excited by the unresisted temptations of Satan, countenanced by the example of the world around them, and con

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