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occasion, showered them abroad amongst the people, who struggled to catch and preserve them as though they had been blessings from heaven: one fellow, by way of additional bravado, fired a pistol, which he had stuck in his waist for

the purpose.

I never pressed through the assembled crowds near enough to see the hooks put into the flesh; but was told that the only means used to deaden the pain, was a smart blow, given with the open hand, on that side of the back into which the hook was to be inserted. From the indifference with which they mingled with the crowd after the ceremony, and the smallness of the streams of blood I have seen trickling from the wounds, I should suppose that a less quantity of blood than would be imagined is lost by the devotees. I think I have seen five or six persons swing in one day.

Swinging is neither practised nor sanctioned by the brahmins; at least they have always disavowed it to me; and I never observed any besides the lower classes of the Hindoos conducting or participating in the ceremony. It is said to be observed in consequence of vows made in time of sickness or danger, or for the obtaining of children or some other desired object. It is not improbable that facts have afforded good ground for the observation common in India, that the persons who swing are generally notorious rogues, who thus manifest their gratitude at having escaped the punishment due to their crimes. Immorality is not inconsistent with the religion of the Hindoo system, as might be expected from the character of the objects of their worship. I have had repeated to me a prayer in doggerel verse, said to be used by some servants, in which assistance and protection in all sorts of peculation and thievery are expressly implored!

Another curious practice of the Hindoos is that of feeding the bird vulgarly called the Brahminy Kite; this bird

is considered the representative of Garuda, the bird and vehicle of Vishnu, as the eagle to Jupiter. Garuda is described as possessing something of the intellect and form of a man as well as the pinions and habits of a bird; a wellexecuted brass cast of Garuda, as bearing Vishnu and two of his wives, is in possession of my brother in Manchester. The time of feeding these kites is on Sunday morning, when many respectable natives may be seen on the public roads with small baskets containing bits of flesh. They call out, "Hari! Hari!" one of the titles of Vishnu, till the kites, accustomed to the call, hover within a few yards of the ground, and stoop on the wing to catch the bits of flesh thrown up to them by their worshippers.

With the Mahommedans of Madras I had only occasional intercourse; they seldom appeared in our congregations, and their haughty assumption of superiority to all other men, especially in religious matters, renders them, humanly speaking, more unlikely to be converted to Christianity than the Hindoos. I have, however, known several instances of conversion among them, and have had hopes that the constitutional energy and superior mind of some of them would be successfully directed to the promotion of the faith they had embraced.

• One Mahommedan, of great age and venerable appearance, had frequently visited me, and, notwithstanding his pretensions of superiority, allowed me to talk to him on religious subjects. The object of his visits was at last opened, by a very serious inquiry of how much I would allow him, monthly, if he induced a hundred Mahommedan families to embrace the profession of Christianity!

This reminds me of an account given to me by a respectable Roman Catholic native, whom I knew many years, of the manner in which his family were converted from heathenism.

Several generations ago, before the English power in

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Madras extended so far as Poonamallee, there died in that village a Hindoo of the Velala caste, or class of farmers, leaving his property to be divided between his two sons, each of whom was already the head of a family.

The two sons disagreed about the division of the property, and the younger, thinking himself aggrieved, carried the cause before a magistrate, who determined that the case should be decided in the manner sanctioned by the custom of the country.

Accordingly he and suitable witnesses proceeded to the estate which was the subject of litigation, and the two brothers were required to attend and point out their respective claims. A dish of burning coals was then provided, and the elder brother, who claimed more of the property than the younger admitted him to be entitled to, was required to take the vessel of fire upon his bare head and carry it over the land, on the supposition, that as soon as he had passed over as much of it as he had a right to, the dish would, judicially, become too hot to be endured, and that wherever it should be thrown down, there Providence indicated should be the border of his possessions. The elder brother took the fire on his head and ran with it from one end of the estate to the other; it was, of course, decided that the whole belonged to him and that the younger brother had no just claim to any part of it!

Whilst the poor fellow was smarting under his loss and chagrin, a Romish priest came into the neighbourhood; the man waited on him, and related the whole affair, entreating him to use his influence for the recovery of his property; the priest engaged to do so if he would become a Christian, and, on this assurance, the man brought all his family and dependants, to the amount of about fifty persons, to be baptised. After they had been received into the bosom of Holy Church, when the priest visited their house, the head of the family pointed out a figure of Pilleiar

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or Ganesa, the elephant-headed deity of the Hindoos, which had long been the object of their domestic devotions, and with which the women and children were unwilling to part, "O," said the priest, "that is no great matter, it may continue, only let them make the sign of the cross before it." After a time the crucifix was substituted in its place. The condition on which, for several generations, the heathen and Christian branches of this family intermarried, affords a further illustration of their views of Christianity. It was, that a heathen female marrying into the Christian family should be baptised, and that a Christian female marrying into the heathen branch should become a heathen; it is but lately that the Roman Catholic part of the family has determined that no more of their family should return to heathenism; in consequence the intermarriages have ceased, as the heathens will not continue them under any other consideration.

It is scarcely necessary to add, that the priest did not fulfil the expectations he had caused the poor man to entertain; and that the whole estate to this day remains in the heathen branch of the family.

The whole population of Madras, whose varieties of character and circumstance are thus attempted to be illustrated, presents a most open, extensive, and important field for Missions, and a field promising, ultimately, the greatest triumphs to Christianity. Every section of the Missionary force has already had its degree of success, and our own has had much reason to be encouraged.

The erection or purchase of seven chapels, two of them of good size, the others smaller, chiefly by contributions among the people-the establishment of as many congregations, which, though not numerous, are affectionately attached to us and zealously devoted to the cause-the prosperity and increase of the eleven schools, superintended by our Missionaries-none of which were in existence

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twelve years ago, are sufficient testimonies of the divine blessing having been on our Mission, and will justify the attachment of the labourers to the field, and the hopes which they indulge of an ultimately abundant harvest. These prospects, as well as the increasing facilities for Missionary operations afforded by the labours of the Bible and Tract societies, should stimulate the zeal of the church to increased exertion, and lead us to "pray the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth more labourers into his harvest." "For the harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few."

CHAPTER XXVI.

1828.

Commencement of Voyage - Island of Ceylon - Divine service on board-Tedium of sea voyage-Doubling the Cape-Incidents-Island of St. Helena-Appearance and approach of the Island-Visit to Buonaparte's grave and to Longwood-Present state of LongwoodHotel-Slavery-General state of the population— Continuation of voyage-Severe indisposition—Arrival in England.

THE passengers were all embarked by the evening of the 20th July; but we did not get under weigh till three o'clock on the 21st. A strong breeze from the land occasioned a favourable commencement to our voyage, and Madras, with its spires and noble range of buildings on the beach, soon receded from our view. I could not leave India without

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