the heathen Oriyas myself; and therefore feel the need of a colleague, as well as because it is desirable that at least two should be associated in such an enterprise. You must therefore, immediately send one man; I should urge two or three, so as to secure Mr. Wright's proffered aid. You will remember, Grant and I will be off your funds, and our saved salary will pay for the outfit of both men. If I succeed at all in my plans, these men will be wanted long before they arrive. There will be no danger to health if they arrive before May, or in May. The danger is from June to October in Calcutta. Were they obliged to travel in the hot season it would make a difference, but they will be at home, at least for a time, when they leave the ship; a consideration you must not overlook. In the first part of this statement I have offered the views of others, and only my own so far as the above goes. It may be desirable to state my own expectations, and the reasons which led me to the above conclusion, that it is my duty to engage in this mission. 1. I am not sanguine of doing great immediate good among the Oriyas in Calcutta, though in this point we may be much mistaken. 2. I do think, that with so little missionary labour in Calcutta, there is abundant room for us, and good ground of hope that we shall raise a native Church, and souls every where are beyond all calculation precious. 3. There may be an opening for establishing an English cause; but on this point I have nothing definite to say. The Bethel has again been referred to as being probably open to me, if I will accept it; but here I can say nothing at present. 4. The sphere of usefulness on which my heart is set, and for which, unless I am selfdeceived, I am most fitted, (besides my translations,) is to act as a kind of agent in directing the benevolence of various pious christians of different denominations in India, especially in relation to the Oriyas, and the hill tribes between Midnapore and the Nerbudda territory. My soul burns with desire to see missionaries located from Midnapore to Nagpore, and I think I have arguments and force enough to get something done by the friends of the slave, and the enemies of the Cooley trade. Here is one grand object. Another is get help for Orissa, and help our brethren there, for we sadly want an agent in Calcutta, and perhaps this will do for me, or rather I shall do for it, as well as any one of our number. Finally. As I see no hope of our society alone half occupying Orissa, and making any thing like an adequate effort for its spiritual cultivation, to say nothing of the hilly districts, I hope to raise funds to support men, and depend on you to make strenuous efforts to raise them up and send them out, so as in this way to greatly extend our efforts. This is my plan; to it I wish to consecrate my remaining life, my time, my strength, my all. I tell you just how I feel about it. Perhaps you will see much that savours of a wrong spirit, or ambitious views, or any thing but what is right and lovely, and of good report; but I tell you all that I may not deceive you, though perhaps bitter disappointment awaits me; and I tell you that you may advise, direct, and correct me. In all the above proceedings I have acted on the conviction of my colleagues as well as my own, that the Committee at home will approve our doings, and in this view I most respectfully beg of them to consider the matter. To delay and procrastinate would at the least have involved a loss of twelve months, and probably a loss of the opportunity altogether. On my own part, and that of Mrs. Sutton, this step involves a sacrifice of prospective ease, comfort, and pleasing usefulness, which we cannot but feel. We had, moreover, strained every nerve to build a new and substantial house, and here we said is to be the place of our rest. But these are matters not to be laid in the balance. About the house some arrangement must be made with the society, or my successor; but in the fact that it withdraws brother and sister Lacey from the cantonments to the proper mission premises, I suppose the society will see enough to compensate for any expense it may involve to any party, The work of grace, such an one as we never saw before, is going on in our schools. Not less than nine boys, and five girls, and an old woman who assists in the domestic concerns, are under serious impressions. How many will prove sound converts it is not for us to predict; but the immediate fruits are delightful. Chalea, of whom you have had an account, said to me last night, after many other expressions of an interesting kind, referring to a sermon I preached to them, "I bless, and praise, and adore the Lord that he brought me to this school. I was as a sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of my soul." Our own dear Mary is, we trust, among the happy number. The Sabbath before I left I observed the big tears drop fast while I was preaching from Jer. 1. 4, 5; and all day her conduct evinced the deep inward struggle. She said to Mrs. S., " Mamma, I do not feel so heavy a burden as Christian did, but pray the Lord to show me my sins." She has since, with several others, opened her mind freely to Mrs. S., and met with them to take part in prayer. Phoola, Somnath's betrothed, spoke very tremblingly and fearfully last night. She has never dared to say a word scarcely to me, but the influence of the Spirit, I hope, banished all false modesty, and opened first her heart and then her lips. The children have for us a strong affection, as we have for them, and just before I went to Calcutta I received a letter from one of them begging me not to go. We trust, however, they will find other guardians who will more than fill our places, and gather from the seed we have sown fruit unto life eternal, that both he that soweth and he that reapeth, may rejoice together. I have not had time yet to pay much attention to the boys, but their very aspect, mingling calm seriousness with a glow of sacred pleasure, is delightful. O that these lambs may be safely gathered into the fold, and carried in the bosom of the gracious Shepherd. This hope sweetens my cares, and compensates for many trials. LETTER FROM MR. W. BROOKS. Calcutta, Dec. 17th, 1841. DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER,-By the good hand of the Lord upon us, we have been brought in health and safety to this land of darkness and spiritual death. Our voyage has been long, but, upon the whole, a very comfortable one. We have enjoyed many mercies on board we did not expect. We had, as you will doubtless have heard, two other missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Paine and family, and Mr. Budden, of the London Missionary Society. We had family wor. ship every morning in one of the cabins, and in the evening in the cuddy; and two services every Lord's day, when the weather would permit. The Captain was very agreeable, and did every thing he could for the comfort of his passengers. We crossed the line a second time on the night of Oct. 16th, and sighted land on the 29th but were obliged to put back from contrary winds, and did not anchor in the Madras roads until twelve o'clock the following night. Before day-light the next morning two natives came on board, almost naked, on a catamaran, which is nothing but three pieces of wood tied together with rope made from the husk of the cocoa nut, and they paddle themselves along very slowly with two pieces of board. Almost as soon as the day dawned, numbers of boats and catamarans came alongside of us, with fruit, fish, &c., making no difference on the Sabbath to any other day. We were very kindly received at Madras by Mr. Van Somera, with whom we all were very kindly entertained while we stayed. The surf at Madras sometimes runs very high, and they have boats adapted to it. They tie the planks together, and are so made as to give way to the surf. The natives always make a great noise while rowing; but as soon as the boat gets into the influence of the surf, which lifts the boat up and again dashes it down, they all begin to cry out “Allah! Allah!" I had not my proper hearing for several days from the noise. Mr. Van With our united love, A SUTTON. Somera is a Baptist, but as there is no Baptist Church, he has joined the Independent Church. Mr. G. Peerce baptized his wife while staying there, on his return to India. We went to Mr. Proter's chapel on the Sabbath evening, and to a missionary prayer meeting the next evening. Set sail for Calcutta on the 4th of November. On the 24th we got a pilot on board at the Sand Heads, and met a steamer towing a vessel down, which the Captain engaged to tow us up. While fastening the steamer to our vessel, several of our sailors and officers had a very narrow escape. They had fastened one rope, and were fastening the other by means of the capstan, when, from the force of the steamer, and the men not having sufficient power, the capstan flew round and knocked them in all directions: several were very much cut and bruised, but no lives lost. We anchored safely in the Calcutta harbor on the 26th. The scenery up the Hoogly in some parts is really very beautiful. There are no high lands, but the banks are frequently covered with rich verdure down to the water's edge. How true are the words of Heber, "every prospect pleases, The huts of the natives are miserable places: they look more like hovels than dwellings. We have not yet seen much of idolatry, only in its effects. In going to the river side I have seen them go in and bathe, and then come out and worship the sun. O how thankful did I feel to Almighty God that I had been born in a christian land, and heard of a Saviour, who is both able and willing to save to the uttermost all who come unto him; and how did I wish and pray that these poor deluded fellow creatures, who have souls that must live for ever, might hear, and receive the Gospel into their hearts. I have never yet felt sorry for leaving my native land: but sometimes my heart feels so cold, and I feel so little love to the Saviour, and immortal souls, that I am led to doubt the purity of my motive in coming hither. Pray for me, and for all of us, that we may be enabled to do our duty, and to walk as we ought to walk. My health has been very good, and my dear wife's has been pretty good on the whole, for which we feel thankful. Mrs. Grant has been very unwell: she is now much better, I hope. Mr. and Mrs. Grant, with Miss Derry, left Calcutta for Cuttack on the 14th, all well. It was thought best that I should stay a while longer as they could not lay dák for so many at oue time, and I should have an opportunity of visiting the Baptist Mission Printing Establishment, &c. We are now living with brother Sutton. The Mission brethren in Calcutta, are very kind and united. We attended a breakfast at Mr. Boaz's, on the Tuesday morning after the missionary Prayer Meeting, at which there were thirty missionaries of different denominations. After breakfast they have a discussion, which is sometimes very profitable and instructive. Ar the earnest solicitations of brethren Stubbins and Wilkinson to pay them a visit, determined to make a missionary tour to the south, passing through the district of Khoorda, where of late not much missionary labour has been attempted. Nov. 12th, 1840. After much annoyance and delay, arising from the extortion of the bearers, we succeeded in commencing our journey towards Ganjam this day. Mrs. L. and the children started about 9 a. m., and I followed about 3 p.m. After a pleasant ride of three hours I arrived at Chandaka, a small jungly village, and a bazar. In the afternoon Bamadabe visited the place, and preached, and distributed tracts. He reports that the people listened attentively to his message. 13th. We came to this place, Mandasal, about 10 o'clock to day. It is a large village for this jungly country, and in the afternoon we all proceeded to the common resort of the people (the Bhagbot house) and collected a number of hearers. I spoke to them for some time, and was followed by Bamadabe. Many objections were started to some parts of our message by a captious old man whom the rest of the people put forward as their advocate. The disposition of the people was too disputatious to permit the opportunity being very useful to them. A number of tracts were distributed to such as could read, and the people were entreated to peruse them. Mrs. L. visited the houses of the females and attempted to converse with them. She was the cause of so much wonder to them, and such was their curiosity, that it was some time before she could get opportunity to say anything to them on the only subject about which they especially needed to hear. Last night a poor man (a carrier of Gunga water) disappeared. He was intreated to remain at Chandaka till this morning, and not to travel alone on these roads in the night, but he said he had no fear, and was familiar with wild beasts, and passed on. We passed his yoke and water-baskets this morning; they lay beside the road, about half-way between Chandaka and Mandasal, but their owner was no where to be found: the probability is that he has been carried of by a tiger. Tigers bears, hogs, &c., abound in great numbers in these jungles. It is nine years since I preached at Mandasal. 14th. We reached Koorda about 8 o'clock this morning, and located ourselves in the bungalow belonging to J. K. Ewart Esq., the magistrate and collector of the southern division of Orissa. We ventured upon the kindness of the owner of this bungalow for a few hours, and trust we shall not offend. The people of Koorda, alias Jajalsingh, are notorious for their bitter opposition to the Gospel. I have not forgotten the treatment I received nine years ago from them, and to-day they were exceedingly noisy and abusive, and did little less than hoot Gunga Dhor out of the bazar; however, he succeeded in addressing them, and in distributing books among them. After we had taken breakfast we pushed on to Thunkea, twelve miles beyond Koorda, and we reached the place by seven o'clock in the evening. The road is frightful for night travelling, winding round the foot of hills, covered with small and heavy jungle, and filled with almost every description of wild, injurious animal: we heard the roaring of bears as we passed on our way, and were glad when we arrived at the bazar. Immediately on my arrival I lighted a large fire to cheer, and direct our followers, who were still considerably behind us, This district is moreover infested with those cool blooded, wholesale murderers, called Thugs, and they are, at least to natives, even more to be dreaded than bears and tigers. The bazar of Thunkea consists of one or two miserable huts in the shape of shops, and the village is small and at some distance in the jungles. The government are cheering and benefiting this road, and this place especially, with a traveling bungalow. Vast quantities of grain are exported from the whole district of Koorda to Cuttack on innumerable bullocks and native carts, constantly passing and re-passing. W. Wilkinson, Esq., the late collector of Pooree, very much encouraged the cultivation of land in the district of Koorda, and now the produce of this cultivation has been a most material blessing to the whole of Cuttack, in the late, and the present scarcity. There are comparatively few inhabitants in Koorda. 14th. Early this afternoon we left Thunkea, and travelled to Thangee, another twelve miles of frightful and dreary road. We scarcely saw a village, or even a house all the way, and indeed there seemed to be no room for human habitation. Flocks of deer darted across the road before us, and the growlings of the wild beast were heard from the surrounding jungles. We reached Thangee about six in the evening. Thangee is two miles off the shore of the Chilka lake, and is a considerable village. The government have a few provincial soldiers stationed here, in consequence of the frequent robberies and murders which are committed in the neighbourhood. The first person I saw here was a European sergeant, superintendant of the work people on the new road which the government is constructing from Cuttack down towards the Deccan. This road will cost a large sum of money, but when completed will alter the face of this wild district. Villages will spring up, bazars will be built, Thugs and robbers will disappear, wild beasts will be slain, or retire, and trade and commerce will spread their stimulating influence on all its extent. Here I was soon visited by two of our native converts who have obtained employment among Mr. R's people. They are well in body, but maintain their religious standing with difficulty. They are obliged to work on the Lord's-day, or forfeit their situations. 15th. Lord's-day. We rest to-day, at least till the evening. In the forenoon the native preachers visited Thangee, and Gunga and Bamadabe preached to about 100 people: they heard the Word of Life with some attention: fifty tracts were distributed among the people. I rode over to the village of Balenass, chiefly to look after a boat, and partly to meet the people. A large congregation assembled: they were chiefly of the boatman caste, and were so completely occupied with the hope of letting me a boat, and about how they should therein make the greatest advantage of me, that it was with no small difficulty I could get them to attend, even for a moment, to the subject of religion. "Sir," said they, "we don't know any thing about religion, but we wish to give your honour a boat. When does your honour start for Bhumba." Such were the observations constantly proceeding from one or other of the assembly. In my tent I collected the native preachers and the native christians, to the extent of eight or ten, and had worship with them. I gave them some advice and instruction suited to their peculiar situation, and they seemed a good deal affected. 16th. Yesterday, about five o'clock, p. m., we went on board a boat at Balenass, and an hour afterwards we set sail for Bhumba. The breeze served us till about midnight, when it changed to our disadvantage, and we did not reach Bhumba till afternoon to-day. After remaining at Bhumba house for an hour, we left for Ganjam. Brother Wilkinson had sent his horse and some bearers for us, and we reached his bungalow at five in the evening. On the road we passed a gallows, on which was suspended the bodies of three Thuggs in irons. Our attendants assured me that the road ceased to be frequented for a fortnight after their execution: the people are horrified with the sight. At Ganjam we found brother and sister Wilkinson well in health, and just establishing themselves in this station. Ganjam has been esteemed unhealthy, but is now improved. Its unhealthiness was an occasional visitation, to which all places in India are liable. It is an advantageous missionary station; is a large place of itself, and on three sides has numerous villages at a convenient distance. We were soon surrounded by a number of poor orphan Hindoo boys collected together in an asylum here. These children form sister Wilkinson's care, and their number may be increased to any extent-it will be bounded only by the means of their support and instruction. Brother Wilkinson has a native brother, Balajee, a preacher, and a christian native teacher, Krishnoo, stationed with him here. 17th. This afternoon we walked to the bazar called Brahmanacie, where we collected a number of hearers, Oriyas and Telingas. Balajee first addressed the people, then Bamadabe, and I closed the opportunity. The occasion was usefnl, though much less so than it would have been had not an awkward brahmin quibbled and objected to much of what was said. An objector like this brahmin commonly spreads disaffection through a whole assembly. We gave away about thirty tracts. 18th. To-day we proceeded to another part of the town of Ganjam, to a place near the market square. I commenced by singing jam. The school-master is a very trusty, excellent man. His wife, too, is an interesting character. The widow connected with this family is still in a pleasing state of mind, and anxious to unite with the christians. It was, however, my intention to give you some account of our journey. We first had our tent pitched in the centre of several villages, a few miles from Ganjam. My work is among the females; and if by frequently visiting them, I should awaken inquiry in their apathetic minds, hereafter it may appear that the labour has not been in vain. a few lines of poetry, and the people imme- shall appear, though it be after many days. diately flocked around me. I then preached We have reason for encouragement at Ganto a good number of hearers for about threequarters-of-an-hour with some pleasure and apparent effect. Afterwards Bamadabe and Balajee engaged. Towards the close of the opportunity brother Wilkinson retired with Bamadabe and made another stand in a small adjacent village, and when we had done we joined them there. Here some disputation took place, at the close of which one of our hearers told me that I was too learned and excellent a person long to retain my distinctive characteristics as an asoor, or demon, and that before long, by the weight of my merit, I must rise to the distinction of becoming a hindoo, or perhaps a brahmin. This piece of wit serves to exhibit the view the people have of us-of our descent and moral character: the people were mightily pleased with it, and I could not myself withold a smile. I have often been asked if we were not direct decendants of Rabana, the ten-headed, and hundred-armed demon giant of Ceylon. We distributed about thirty tracts this afternoon. (To be continued.) JOURNAL OF A TOUR. Aska, 30 miles N. W. of Ganjam, Our habitation is a tent. Those who accompany us, are two native preachers, two interesting inquirers, three of our elder school-boys, and some people with the garrys, or native carts, that convey our luggage from one place to another. With regard to the success of our labours, we cannot adopt the same language as do our more highly-favoured brethren of the West Indies. However trite the expression may appear to friends at home, we still have to say, that although we feel assured the work is progressing, yet apparently it is slowly. But in this part of the mission-field we must not judge so much of the success of labour by the number of converts, or the extent of congregations, as by the diminution of prejudices, and leavening of the mass of minds. When we first come our hearts are warm with hopes of speedy success; but we presently find that so complicated a mythology as Brahminism, the growth of ages, so adapted to the depraved affections of the heart, and intertwined with all the prejudices, customs, and usages of the Hindoo-mind, is not to be overthrown in a short period. The promise is, Cast thy bread upon the waters, and it Nov. 6th. Went to a village, where the women recollected having seen me the year before. Inquired, Do you recollect the words that were then spoken to you? The reply was, "How should we remember? Come and live among us; then we will remember and be wise." At first they seemed to have no inclination to listen, or enter into conversation; but excused themselves in the usual way, on account of their ignorance. You say you are ignorant-true; and it is want of inclination to learn that keeps you so. I have come, bringing a light in my hand, (figuratively) and you refuse to look at it, shut your eyes and say, We are ignorant. Told them of the mercy of God in preserving their lives, and giving them so plentiful an harvest. They said, True; acknowledged themselves sinners, and listened to the simple truths of the Gospel. During the conversation a man came up from the preaching at the end of the street, and related all that he had heard, apparently with much interest. Shortly after, a man that had fever came for medicine. We are glad of every instance which proves that they have confidence in missionaries. Sabbath. Two European gentlemen, who are accustomed to worship with us on the Sabbath at home, came to spend this day with us in the tent. Had some interesting conversation with one, who is decidedly pious, on the hindrances to christian enjoyment. They accompanied us to a village; and on our return, one of them, who could speak the Telego language, expressed his regret that he had not also spoken to the people. How delightful the time will be when those who have not come out expressly for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel, shall be found able and willing to lift up their voices for the true God. Met with a most favourable reception at a house where a great many women assembled. They heard well, and desired I would go again the next day. 8th. Mr. W. not well to-day-could not ulfil my desire of visiting the women-spoke |