SINGHALESE DISTRICT.-Extract of a Letter from the Rev. George Baugh, recently from Ceylon, dated January 14th, 1873. THE South Ceylon Mission is the oldest, and, in general success and hopefulness, is far in advance of all our other Missions in Asia. Within the last few years the Mission has so prospered that the openings for usefulness and the demands of the work are now so great, that our agents there are over-burdened with responsibilities which they have no adequate means of sustaining. As a Missionary connected with the District, my duty is to make the facts of the case as widely known as possible, so that all the sympathy and help possible may be given, for the encouragement and furtherance of so fruitful a field of Missionary toil.

The District embraces nearly two-thirds of the island, and fully three-fourths of the inhabitants. Hitherto only some portions of the District have been occupied by our agents, inasmuch as both men and means have been inadequate to do more. But if more means can be afforded, the way is now open to an unlimited supply of men, in native agents of a most efficient kind. Government, too, is more than ever inclined to encourage Missionary efforts, and the whole country is roused to an unprecedented inquiry after truth and knowledge. Moreover, the strengthening of our forces there just now will materially enhance the self-supporting character of the work, and will influence advantageously all our Districts in the East; and if the salvation of souls be a consideration, this will be effectively secured by the proposal, of which the recent revivals there, and the thoroughly Scriptural

piety of our people, are the safest guarantees.

The latest returns of the District are, briefly, as follows, viz.: 4 Missionaries, 24 Native Ministers, 1,741 members, 359 Probationers (on trial), 16 Catechists, 54 Local Preachers,

190 Sabbath-School

Teachers, and 2,766 scholars, 99 Day-School Teachers, and 3,460 scholars, with a total of scholars of 4,350, and 4,309 nominal adherents; giving a gross total of probably more than 7,000 persons bearing the Methodist name.

But the very successes of the past are now giving rise to many difficulties,― labourers and means are inadequate to gather the harvest in!

Every Circuit, or nearly so, has so many mere nominal Methodists that the Ministers have more than they can do to care for the sheep already folded. Besides members there are many mere adherents who cannot be neglected: Kandy has 153, Galle 129, Morotto 632, Colombo 765, and Negombo 897 and these are but approximations. The probabilities are that the numbers are larger in every case; and the conclusion is that the pastor has more than he can well do to shepherd the souls already given us, leaving him almost no time to go to seek the lost ones in the wilds of heathenism! Last year we number only 27 adult converts from Buddhism; and a chief reason is that we have not the means of aggressive operations on their behalf.

Our people are doing almost their utmost financially. The aim has been, and is, to make the work self-supporting, while doing as much for the heathen as possible. Many of our people give regularly a tenth of their income to God, and

some give more. The following figures will speak for themselves. In 1871 there was raised in the District £130. 4s. 4d. for the Home Funds, £1,012. 148. 10d. for the support of the ministry, and £1,289. 28. 10d. for building chapels, schools, &c., making a total of £2,452. 28. 2d. In 1861 the sum raised for the support of the Native Ministry was £218. 138. 4d.; in 1866, £428. 13s.7d.; in 1871, £1,012. 14s. 10d., showing an unprecedented increase of more than 450 per cent. in ten years! But for this improvement of local

funds the District could not have

raised and maintained our present

staff of Ministers and other native agents; every year having added to the number. And this not all; the increase in agents might have been double and treble what it has been if the District had had a small increase in the grant, and a good superior school. But instead of this, it has had no such school, and the grant has been reduced!

The educational work of the District is indeed of the very highest importance. The recent Government Education Ordinance (Ceylon) has opened up so many opportunities for progress in Mission work, that not to be able to avail ourselves of them is cruelly disheartening. The Ordinance is based on "payment for results" only, so that we have the work fully in our own hands, with no "conscience clause," or any other difficulties whatever, to interfere with purely Missionary efforts. Good trained teachers will enable us to make the work pay its own cost entirely, and something more. But for want of such teachers we do not raise a third of what we ought to do.

The grade of payments, and the maximum obtainable per child, annually, will appear from the following view:

For children too young to be examined a capitation grant is made: and a grant is also made to girls for plain sewing. Taking less than half of what we might obtain, with well trained teachers we ought to raise at least £1,500; but at present we do not raise a third of this sum! And then school fees are additional, and they form no insignificant item. Add to all this,

that our teachers are all Mission

ary workers for God, and some idea of the great importance of our scholastic work will appear to most, if not to all. And yet, with all these important considerations, South Ceylon has no superior school at all! For many years it has been a great grief to our Native Ministers, as well as to the Missionaries, that our schools have been little more than feeders of those of Government, or of other denominations. As soon as our boys reach the age of fifteen or sixteen they have to go to other schools to finish their education; and the result almost invariably is, that we lose them entirely, if they lose not religion also. And many of our oldest scholars join the class before leaving our schools, which makes their loss all the greater. Many of them, who might have been among our brightest trophies, have been ruined by going to other schools, where flippant scepticism, or refined sensuality, has been imbibed, and all seriousness has perished! I attribute to this the ruin of many of our young men, and among them the sons of our own Ministers,one of whom is now an open infidel, who was once a probationer in our ranks! In short, I cannot write too strongly of the error and disgrace to us of not having a good superior

school; it is vain for us to blame the past, but the future should be at once provided for. Madras and Mysore have such schools, and Ceylon, North, is favoured now with two of them, while the South, with three-fold better prospects than any of them, has not one! We are praying and working that the disgrace may be removed, and I trust our efforts will not be in vain. With such a school in full operation, we shall soon see our way open to a very blessed extension of the Mission.

In general, the difficulties of the work are the same throughout all Asiatic countries. The highlywrought systems of religion, caste, and customs, hoary with the age of centuries, which everywhere prevail, render the success of Fiji, and such countries, almost impossible in the East. But there are circumstances which make South Ceylon a most favourable battle-field for contending with eastern idolatries.

(1.)

Caste, although existent and powerful, is condemned by Buddhism, and forms no barrier to the conversion of the people. (2.) The women are not secluded, and we have free access to the homes of the people. (3.) Fully half of our members are females, affording every facility for Christian marriage. (4.) Christianity is already established as a family religion with the Singhalese who have embraced it, and who are prepared to be its best propagators, if the necessary aid be afforded.

Moreover, Ceylon lies in the highway of nations, has a maritime connexion with the whole world, and being more or less connected also with all the religions of the East, it forms an important centre whence Christian truth should emanate to all surrounding countries. Ceylon is the Holy Land of Buddhism, and is almost as sacred to Mohammedanism and

Hinduism, so that vigorous action against these systems there will tend to weaken their power everywhere.

Romanism numbers its millions of misguided followers, in Europe and elsewhere, but Hinduism and Buddhism number their followers by hundreds of millions. Moreover the Romanist has the truth, though mixed with deadly error, but the Buddhist has deadly error only! We plead for more means and more men for the work among the myriads of the East,— the East which God has given to England! India and Ceylon are parts of our own empire, having paramount claims upon our Christian sympathy and help.

TAMIL DISTRICT.-Letter from the Rev. John G. Pearson, Batticaloa, June 5th, 1873.-SINCE my last letter was written we have had much to encourage us, and much to try us. Our teachers and our scholars have been bribed to leave us, and some have not been proof against the temptation which higher pay or lower fees presented. Thus our work has suffered a temporary check, but our faith is still strong in God: we are working and trusting, and ere long the difficulty will like its predecessors pass away. But although this has caused us much anxiety, God has been pleased graciously to give us tokens of His presence and blessing.

At Karan-Kottateevo, a station forty miles south of Pulianteevo, until recently unvisited by any Christian influence, a Catechist was stationed some months ago. The work was discouraging; the people were shy with him, but after a time consented that their children should go to be taught. But this was unfortunately stopped, because he one day happened to kill a fowl for dinner, and it is a superstition in this place that no fowls ought to

be killed; hence all his boys left. The place has been visited monthly by the Missionary resident here. The people have been taught and heard from time to time expositions of truth. During our visit in December last, there was an evident movement on the part of some of the villagers in favour of Christianity, which was fostered by the care of the Native Catechist; and last April, when we were there, we had the unspeakable joy of baptizing thirty-four souls. Of these about seventeen were adults: these were carefully examined by the Native Minister, and also by Mr. Rhodes, and showing a desire to "flee from the wrath to come," were baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Their Christian profession will most probably bring them into trouble; the days of persecution are not yet gone from these parts. A month or two ago the Christians in a neighbouring village were assaulted and their property destroyed by some hostile heathen. Let us beg an interest in your prayers, that these feeble Christians may have grace to hold fast their profession, and maintain clean hands, that they may grow stronger and stronger.

Our educational work is also slowly, yet surely, effecting a reformation in the hearts and lives of those who come under its influence. An interesting fact in connexion with our female education in Batticaloa came under my notice two days ago. Whilst sitting at breakfast in the Mission house, I heard a great noise in the road outside. Tomtoms were being beaten, guns were fired, and there was a confused noise. On going out to ascertain the cause, I saw a Tamil funeral procession slowly passing along. There were more than the usual ceremonies, as the deceased girl was of "high caste." Men

bearing torches headed the procession, then came tomtom beaters, &c., &c.; then men bearing firearms, which were discharged at short intervals. After that came the corpse, lying in a gaily-decorated. bed, covered with coloured silk, borne along on the heads of several men. Cloths were spread in the way, and on these the chief mournerswalked; it seemed more like a gay wedding scene than a funeral march. On inquiry, I found that the deceased girl was the daughter of high caste parents, who had carefully striven to make her live and die in the faith of her fathers. Her brief history is as follows:when a child she was sent to our Pulianteevo girls' school, which has been carried on for upwards of thirty years by Mrs. Joshua, the wife of one of our Local Preachers, and there remained till she was ten. years of age. The seed of the Kingdom was carefully sown in her young heart, and Gospel truth began to show itself in her Christian conduct. As soon, however, as the parents heard that she wished to be baptized, they took her away from school, shut her up at home,. and banished all Christian influence. She was soon afterwards married to a heathen man, and they rejoiced. in their supposed success. For ten long years she was excluded from Christian society, and made to observe heathen customs; but the truth had been received, light shone in her heart, she knew that gods of wood and stone could not hear or save, and her trust was in the Saviour Jesus Christ. But after ten years of wedded life,-O what years, if we could have a chronicle of their struggles !-disease showed itself, she took to her bed, and it soon became evident that she was to die. Her father came to her bedside, and said, "Now, this is your last hour, call on Candaswamy and

Kathuavale (Tamil gods) for help.” But to his astonishment she answered, "No, I won't; I've Jesus with me, the Lord Jesus;" adding to the bystanders, "I see the old, big devil coming to me; and then to this (supposed or real) visitant she said, “You rascal, go to my father, he wants you, I don't. I've Jesus with me." After this she sank into insensibility, and as the heathen relatives began to perform their rites, she sank into the arms of death. She was buried, as I said, in heathen fashion, in a little rude spot by the side of the great Batticaloa lake. A little mound, decorated with yellow cocoa-nuts and shreds of silk marks her last resting-place,

but her happy spirit, we doubt not, hymns the praises of God and the Lamb before the throne. Praise God for this soul garnered. To Him be all the glory! while we will take encouragement, and trust to see the glorious promise again fulfilled, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days." The time for Government inspection is come; some of our schools have already creditably passed the ordeal. Next month our Central School is to be examined. We are trying to impart a sound education, both of the mind and heart. Our hands are very full, but health and strength are ours, and work is a delight.

BECHUANA DISTRICT.-Letter from Rev. John Priestley, Thaba 'Nchu, dated June 23rd, 1873.THOUGH Very happy in my work at the Diamond Fields, yet on account of long domestic sickness, I was compelled to ask for a change of stations, for the doctors gave it as their opinion that my wife could not live another summer in that climate, especially as the house we lived in was an iron one, and of course very hot. It was therefore arranged that we should remove to Thaba Nchu, and Mr. Calvert should succeed me at the Diamond Fields. We left the Fields on the 1st of April, and after ten days' travelling in the ox-waggon arrived at our new home. I was not very well on the journey, but managed to keep up, so as to look after matters and preserve my family from the perils of the road. No sooner, however, had we reached Thaba Nchu than I was taken seriously ill. The same night I took to my bed, and for four weeks lay prostrate, sometimes half delirious, with typhoid fever. This

was indeed a work of trial to us, such as I think I never had before. In a small room in the house I lay, my dear wife being also ill, and lying across the bed at my feet, while our infant baby was at the door of death in a room adjoining, nor had we power to wait one on the other. It was indeed the time of our extremity. I ought to have mentioned that my dear wife had been ill for nearly eight months, and before we left the Diamond Fields had a fit, which lasted for about half an hour: it came on suddenly, and took us all by surprise. I shouted to our neighbours for their presence and help, believing that my wife would not come out of the seizure alive. It was a dreadful shock to us all; but God was very good to us, and my wife rallied again. She was so weak, however, when we left New Rush, that she had to be lifted into the waggon. While at Thaba 'Nchu we were all ill together, and could in nowise help ourselves. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel and family (the other Missionary stationed at this place)