whole day, they were watching for the ar-round the pile seven times. They then rival of the order. Crowds assembled lifted her up, and placed her between the around them, which made it excessively hot; arms of the putrid corpse, and with two and the stench proceeding from the corpse bands of flax, which were hanging down on was dreadful indeed. It turned out, that each side of the pile, they bound them togethe eldest son, in his haste, had brought ther. O! it was the most disgusting scene, away the order from the Sircar of the court. a terrible demonstration of that text which without the Magistrate having signed it: so says, "Their habitations are habitations o that, when he presented it to the Daroga, cruelty." When thus tied, wood and comhe had refused to allow the ceremony to be bustibles were thrown upon them to a great performed, until the signature was obtained; height. Over all two green bamboos were and this being Sunday, of course they were thrown; the end of the one at the head of obliged to wait till Monday, before it could the pile was fastened to a stake, and the be again presented at the court. O what other end pressed down by men ;-the other disappointed features did they exhibit, when bamboo was held at both ends. The son they found they must fast another day! The now set fire to the pile. It was in an inwoman seemed to lose all her strength: she stant a pyramid of fire-and such a shriek asked permission of the household Brahmin proceeded from the poor creature thus murto lie down; this he refused, till she as- dered, (for I cannot find a softer term,) that sured him she could sit up no longer, when I never heard before: it still vibrates in my he assented. She laid down on the right ear. Then she cried, "Take me out!"side of the corpse, embracing it with her which the old Brahmin hearing, with a disright arm in this situation I observed her torted countenance and violent motions at ten o'clock, when I passed by; and was called, Hurree bol!-The shout was dreadafterwards informed by the natives, that ful. The screams ceased, the spectators she had done the same all night. It must departed, and I returned with feelings better indeed have been a dreadful situation; for conceived than expressed. I could not approach within ten yards of the corpse without a handkerchief to my nose. In this distressing situation she remained till one o'clock on Monday, when the servant I had left there, came running to say the order had arrived; and such was the haste they were in to finish the dreadful work, that although I ran as fast as I could, (about 300 yards,) yet they had hurried the poor woman to the water side. Crowds of natives were pouring in from all sides, laughing, hallooing, and asking, if the tumasha (fun) had begun. It reminded one of the rush that takes place in a village at home, when the news is spread, that a battle, or a bull-bait, is begun in such or such a meadow. The corpse was now brought down; and after washing it, they placed it upon the pile, which had been ready for two days. It was about four feet high, and consisted of large logs of wood, with layers of dry cocoa-nut leaves, and flax spread between, with ghee, &c. thrown over the whole-around it an immense quantity of wood, flax, dry leaves, &c. ready to cover the bodies. The corpse was then laid on the pile, and never shall I forget the awful spectacle it presented when it was uncovered, it was of all colours, red, green, and blue large blisters were raised upon it, and the features of the face were not discernible, as the head appeared a lump of corruption. The necessary ceremonies having been gone through, the son having also been puriGed, in order to fit him for the unnatural office he had to perform, in setting fire to the pile, the Brahmins led, or more pro During the four days which the poor widow passed in this dreadful state, she tasted nothing but a little water and if I ever saw a countenance indicative of repentance for a rash act committed, it was the countenance of this woman; and I have from that time considered, that had she not been stimulated by Brahmins and friends, she would, during the interval between her rash vow and her burning, have certainly recanted. One old Sircar present said, "Why do you cover the bodies with wood? The right way is to make the pile, and set on fire, and then let the woman get iuto it." The answer was, "That may do for your up-country folks, but it will not do for Bengalee widows." By this I consider was meant, that unless they were thus secured, many would escape from the pile. "I cannot conclude this paper without testifying, that several learned natives expressed their wishes, that this inhuman practice might be abolished; and when the dreadful act was committed, the most respectable amongst them, instead of running to the place, walked away. "Another Suttee has taken place at the same ghaut since then, and the circumstances were exactly similar in all respects, except that the last widow had an infant at her breast, and seven other children! J. STATHAM. DELHI. WE conclude the extracts from perly speaking, dragged the poor creature Mr. Thompson's journal. Their interesting nature will sufficiently apologize for their length. "Hurdwar, 6th of April, 1824. "AT Sirdhana, being desirous of seeing the bungalow occupied by our dear departed brother Chamberlain, I called and found it occupied by an Italian priest, who is endeavouring to make the thick darkness worse, by exhibiting to the heathen the professing people of God without the light of revelation. Considering his obligations to the Lord Jesus, and his privileges as being placed in the midst of so large a body as five hundred persons professing Christianity, I could not but advert in our conversation, to his with holding the word of God from them. He, however, considers the scriptures injurious food which no wise parent would give to his child. "In visiting the villages from Sirdhana, I was delighted with the anxiety of the people to hear. At Muzuffer-nager many books were distributed among the people, who flocked to me to hear them. At Munglour and Debun, crowds heard the word: one man, as though he had caught a peculiarity of the gospel, cried out, and all his past sins are done away.' 'Yes,' said I, ' and his mind is renewed, for the spirit of God entering it sanctifies him.' At another village in the Begum's territory two brahmuns were peculiarly anxious to know the contents and possess the word of God. The one before many of his village friends, and the other, in the face of opposing brahmuns, expressed his desire for the word of Jesus as containing the knowledge of salvation. appeal went to my heart; but alas, I could scarcely in a few words effectually direct him. Do thou, O God, graciously deign to answer the enquiry! Not a few such appeals are almost every where made, and many from a sincere desire to know the way of salvation. Although the books of the Hindoos are studied by some with a view only to a maintenance, and are read by others for the idle, romantic, or lascivious tales they contain; I believe the knowledge of them is desired by a few as capable of bestowing salvation. Of this last class, I have met with numerous instances. I have no doubt this desire to obtain the knowledge of salvation forms the leading feature in the minds of many who either take books or attend daily to hear. Throughout the day, beside the crowd around me, there are groups here and there talking of what they have heard, and appearing to take great interest in the subjects discussed. Among the people from the west, I have had numerous applications for Punjabee books from brahmuus and other Hindoos who understood no other character. May we not hope that the sacred scriptures in the varions languages of the country possessing the same advantages, will in like manner obtain an extensive reading? Hindoos from the country of Jumboo, five hundred miles distant, from Kangha, four hundred miles distant, from Shikarpore, a thousand miles distant, and from other countries north and west, and south, eagerly desire the books of Jesus, knowing them to be such. This is encouraging. " Among others at the mela, I met with an interesting young Sikh who had met with Coming to Hurdwar, I hastened to the Watts's Catechism and the Scripture Selecpeople as to those of my charge to whom I tion in Punjabee; and being asked what he am peculiarly bound to preach the gospel. had read therein, he replied,' Of Christ, Many came around me, and we entered im- who had become incarnate.' Being asked mediately upon the two distinguishing fea- for what purpose he had become incarnate, tures of the gospel, the insufficiency of all he said, 'To do away sin.' A brabmun from human righteousness and the all-sufficiency the banks of the Attock being about to read, of the Saviour. I find it never unseasonable took off his shoes; and on my asking the to enter upon a plain declaration of the gos-reason, I was told that it was a custom of pel. A sceptical brahmun first opposed in a subtle manner, not the truth of the gospel, so much as the universally received truth, that there is a heaven and a hell: but after acknowledging this, he saw the propriety of conceding that salvation is of divine grace, and of grace as exhibited in the way revealed in the gospel. A man who heard this discussion, said the next day, that he would remain in his village believing and praying, and come no more on pilgrimage, satisfied that God could save him there. I had before told him what we were to believe, and on the ground of whose propitiatory death and merits we were to pray. the brahmuns. And indeed in some parts of "Delhi, 17th July, 1824. resting his arms on a swing, till his legs were swollen, I went down to the water to "I have the pleasure to acquaint you that him, and reasoned affectionately with him, this day I baptized three persons; two Euassuring him that his self-torment could nei-ropeans, Mr. and Mrs. C. and Sookhu-misr, a ther procure the pardon of his sins nor be brahmun, on a profession of faith in Christ. pleasing to God, and directing him to a better, a divinely ordained righteousness for acceptance with God. He heard me smilingly (being under a vow of silence) and by his looks seemed to acquiesce. The next day, looking for him, I found he was gone, having quitted his tormenting posture at night and departed, but whether from conviction of mind or pain of body, I do not know. "Sookha-misr is the brahmun who accom panied me from Hurdwar. Having taken before, he travelled with them to the north some tracts from me at Hurdwar the year and west, to various places of pilgrimage. He read of the Lord Jesus Christ being the Saviour proposed by Europeans as from God, he read of idolatry being opposed to the spithe little tracts (The purport of the Gosritual worship of God, and he read in one of pel,' last sent up by our dear Mr. Ward,) to forsake father, mother, wife, and chilthat in following the Saviour he was required "The evidence in favor of the gospel arising from prophecy seems to strike many, and comes with a divine force to the mind. Neither Nanuk nor Mahomet were prophecied of, but our Saviour was long the sub-dren,' &c. and make a sacrifice of all he posject of prophecy, and as such expected sessed in the world. These truths affected by the world. The Hindoos say that they him variously during his travels for a whole have lost their Prophetical Writings, they having been sunk in the ocean; a mere fable. year, and at last issued in a desire to become Christians possessing theirs, however, gives desired to see me in the following year at a follower of Jesus, and for this purpose he them a decided superiority. I have heard Hurdwar. This year he came among others. some brahmuns talk of the gospel as the I recognized him, and asked what he had religion prophesied of,' and they have said done with the tracts: he replied, that he that on their examining and satisfying them- still had them and wanted more. Said I, selves from our prophetical writings, theyWhy do you wander about? sit still and would both embrace and propagate the way of salvation thus attested. be instructed in the words of Jesus.' Having previously made up his mind, he observed very justly, that having thrown away his thread, cut off his tuft of hair, and wholly renounced Hindooism, what should hinder "A poor ignorant Hindoo said, that he would believe the gospel if our books would go of themselves to the blind and deaf, and impart to them the power of seeing and hear ing that they might read for themselves. I told him, that if he took the trouble to read them, he would find that the author of the gospel had given sight to the blind and hear-bering the books and chapters it contained, ing to the deaf already. And a young viragee made, I think, a more appropriate reply by asking, Why does not Gunga-jee go to the pilgrims, instead of their coming to her?' The labors of each day being solemnly ended with prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ that his kingdom might come, was in some measure a new scene to the pilgrims; and as it constituted a solemn appeal to God for the purity of my motives and the success of the labors pursued, it much impressed the beholders. "Delhi, 27th April, 1824. "Since my last, I have baptized two young men of H. M.'s 14th Regiment of Foot, who had for some months given proof of their being pious, and expressed their desire to join the church. My pundit Ram-churuna again visits me, and attends worship once every day. His eldest son and some friends, lately made a fruitless attempt to take him away to his village, his paternal estate. The brahmun who accompanied me from Hurdwar, still continues, reading or hearing, and examining things himself. I intreat you to pray for kim, that he may be converted to God. his being admitted to the privileges of a believer in Christ? After this he read the New Testament with much attention, num tains and rivers; and what is of more imcollecting the names of persons, places, mounportance, making a selection of striking pas sages and narratives. "His mind seems wholly purged of all regard to Hindooism, and he gives strong proofs of faith in Christ as the Saviour of Sanctifier: but his unsettled disposition the world, and in the blessed Spirit as the makes me fear that he will not stay here for any length of time. MONGHYR. THE following extract of a letter from Mr. Leslie affords pleasing evidence of a continued blessing resting upon the means of grace at that station: Monghyr, May 27, 1825. "Nothing particular has occurred at this station since I last wrote, excepting the baptism of two other persons, which took place on the 8th instant. One of them was the wife of one of our members; a woman who was for years the plague, not merely of her husband, but of the whole neighbourhood. Her character was notorious for gossip, for scandal, and for sowing discord among her neighbours. But, we trust, she is now a different character. For the last eight or nine months, complaints against her have ceased; and so much has she been humbled, that she has gone and asked pardon for offences committed years before. She has now become a comfort to her husband; and has given him, as well as us, convincing proof that the Lord has touched her heart. The other is the adopted daughter of one of the persons who was baptized last January. She came here some time ago, and was brought to a sense of her state as a sinner, by the preaching of our native brethren. In her conduct she gives us great pleasure, She is constant in her attendance at every meeting; and it is not among the least gratifying of the circumstances connected with her, not only that she has learned to read Hindoostanee herself since she came to Monghyr, but that the appearance of her children, and the devout posture in which they place themselves during the time of prayer at public worship, and her diligence in sending them to school, all tend to shew how operative have been the effects of Christianity on her own mind. I had the pleasure of baptizing them in the same place where I baptized the others; and every thing was conducted with the greatest decorum. Thus kind has the Lord been to us in this dark quarter of the globe. He has been pleased to make the beginning of this year to us an eventful period. Our heart's desire and prayer to him is, that he would continue his mercies, and save the poor deluded people, with whom we are surrounded. At this moment I hear the sound of the music which is played at the offerings presented to the Ganges; and I can see, from the house in which I am now sitting, crowds of people pouring in their flowers, as presents to the insensible stream. "With regard to the schools, although we keep up the same number (eleven) yet we are greatly troubled with the indolence and carelessness of the teachers. We cannot get them to attend to their duty; and are, at this time, about to adopt decided measures with them, either to discharge them, or make each of them always have a certain number of children in his school. We know the teachers can get children to attend. And we have little doubt that they will do so, rather than be deprived of their wages. However, it is some consolation to reflect that schools are not the principal means of the conversion of souls. The preaching of the cross is what God has appointed, and I, therefore, feel the less anxiety about the fate of schools. For my own part, I think that too great a cry is made about education in India, and I cannot help placing it alongside of what you have often heard in England, first civilize, and then preach.' No! I would say, let the preaching of the gospel be the grand object, and education will soon follow in its train. When people begin to feel the power of God (and this they can do without education, as the American Indians and the South Sea Islanders fully demonstrate) then will they see the benefit of education, and begin to seek it with diligence. Certainly it will be admitted by all, that the Apostles did not place so much dependance upon education, as we in this age are apt to do. "The weather at this time is excessively hot. It is with the greatest difliculty I can write this letter, the perspiration runs so profusely off my hands. The thermometer stands now at 90 in the room where I am now sitting, and this although I have all the venetians shut to keep out the heat. My health is on the whole good, although I have been rather poorly this week. JAMAICA. OUR last Number mentioned, that several Moravian Missionaries had been removed from their useful labours on this island, into the world of spirits; some of whom had but just arrived at their post. Little did we then expect that tidings of a similar bereavement, in reference to our own Society, were just at hand. Such, however, is the painful fact. Mr. Phillips, of Anotta Bay, whose convalescence was announced in the same article, had been laid in the grave some weeks before it was prepared for the press, and only two days afterwards was followed thither by his amiable and affectionate partner! Of this very mournful dispensation, we extract the following particulars from letters just received. Mrs. Coultart writes as follows: peated attacks of fever; but after visiting | friend to bedew his lonely grave, or to say Kingston for change of air, some weeks ago, a word over it. A hole, dug in the sandy the accounts we received were very pleasing, beach, contains his earthly remains; but informing us, that they were all in tolerable Jesus can watch over it even there, and health, having benefited greatly by the raise it at the resurrection of the just.visit. When the servant left yesterday Yesterday, the 15th, I preached at Mr. morning, Mrs. Phillips and the babe were Tinson's chapel, and he improved the event both in bed, ill of a fever: the former quite in the afternoon, at Mr. Coultart's, from ignorant of her dearest friend's departure, Rev. xxi. 4-10. to about 2,500 persons. having been removed to another house. It was an affecting period. O! that it may Mr. Coultart is gone to the scene of afflic- appear to have been useful to the souls of tion, intending to bring hither the bereaved, the poor benighted negroes." if able to bear the journey. "Anotta Bay and Mount Charles, both of which could be supplied by one individua! residing at the latter, because the most healthy, now call loudly for immediate attention. Yet, dear Sir, my heart almost misgives me, while making this earnest request, when I think of the numbers already fallen. At present the ravages making by death are alarming. In each house, on our right and left, is one sick; and almost opposite, a good man, member of the church, supposed to be past recovery." Extract of a Letter from Mr. Wm. Knibb, to a friend in Bristol, dated October 16th. “Thas far had 1 written, my dear friend, when circumstances of a truly distressing nature have engaged all our attention, and have shed a deep gloom over our prospects as a Mission. You may have heard that it is woefully sickly here at the present time, and it has pleased the Divine Being to weaken our strength, and to translate to the realms of bliss our dear brother Phillips, who had just formed an interesting Mission at Anotta Bay. The scene was truly distressing, and so rapid was the deadly fever, that time was not given to send for medical aid, ere he was a lifeless corpse. Phillips was at the same time deranged with fever, and but small hopes are entertained of her recovery, if she be yet alive, and the dear little infant also lies on the verge of eternity. This afflicting and mysterious dispensation of Providence has bereaved us Mrs. of a valuable Missionary. Oh! that God may be pleased to sanctify it, and raise up "P. S. Since I finished, Mr. Coultart has just written to say, that Mrs. Phillips died two days after her husband, and the child is at the point of death. O! it is afflictive: the day before they were taken ill, Mrs. P. said to Mr. P. that she hoped they might die together. This God in mercy answered." others to fill the places of those who are called to their final rest. He fell asleep in Jesus on the 11th October, at one in the morning. Brother Coultart went over as soon as we were informed of the event, but he was too late to attend the funeral. He was interred the same day without any kind In a Letter to the Secretary, after stating the particulars of this distressing event, Mr. K. adds, "Truly, we have need to work while it is day, for the night of death seems always at hand. I do hope that God will put it in the heart of some to venture their all for Christ. It is a glorious work; really I bless God for bringing me here, though I feel that I may be on the verge of eternity. There are many stations here which cry earnestly for help, where the people are daily perishing for the lack of the knowledge of Jesus. Mount Charles is as healthy as England, and a Missionary there might be extensively useful. I have been there several times, and would go much oftener, did my strength permit. It is a station, which of all others, I would choose; a school might be established, and much good done, under the divine blessing, to the guilty population around." We trust the spirit that animates this brief extract will be felt at home as well as at the post of danMen who ger. secular objects in view, are hurried to Jamaica with go off the stage with even greater rapidity than Missionaries are-but others immediately press forward to occupy the places they leave vacant. Shall it be otherwise in the case of Christian Missions? |