ceit; but if once deceived by any one, they are sure to seek revenge. This their neighbours often find true to their cost. About three years ago a Bengalee sircar who had been employ ed to transact business with those near Silhet, having carried on for some time a system of deception with them relative to certain articles of trade, they one day assembled in considerable numbers, seized him, and cut off his head; and afterwards dispersed with all quietness.

With the exception of those who are subject to the Hindoo rajas near them, the Koonkees never worship any of the Hindoo dei. ties. They are however exceedingly afraid of certain genii or evil spirits, whom they suppose to exist, and yield to them a certain degree of religious worship. But of a Supreme Being, wise and good, they have scarcely the most distant idea. They constantly buru their dead; and so strong is their feeling on this head, that if they are disposed of in any other way, they esteem it a disho nor to the family.

The Koonkees have no written language or character among them; and their mode of speaking differs so much, that the northern Koonkees are scarcely intelligible to those in the south: and the dialect of the Nagas appears wholly distinct from that of all the rest. In this however all their dialects agree, that they are monosyllabic. They all contain also, in a greater or less degree, a mixture of Tartar, Chinese, and Burman words.

Of Dress some of these tribes are completely ignorant. Those termed the Nengta-Koonkees, go perfectly in a state of nature; and live in the hollow trunks of trees, never erecting houses. If cloth be at any time offered them, they throw it away with disdain; and regard with a degree of astonishment any stranger who may appear among them clothed. Among the Nagas, however, a certain degree of covering is seen, particularly among the wo men; but the men wear nothing beyond a slight cincture round their loins, which scarcely answers any purpose as a covering. One tribe is said to form a kind of covering by four small pieces of wood slung on a string around the waist, which make a clatter

ing sound when they attempt to run or walk fast.

The dress

of such of them to the west, as wear any clothing, has a distant affinity with that of the natives of Bengal; and that of those on the east with that of the Burmans. That of the men consists generally of one long cloth of which one end is tucked round the waist, and the other thrown losely over the shoulder. That of the women consists of two pieces; one which forms a kind of petticoat, and after once encircling the body, is tucked up so high as to cover the bosom ; and a larger which extends from the shoulders somewhat below the knees.

In their persons, both men and women are strong and robust, and bear a considerable resemblance to the Tatars; their faces are rather broad, and their noses have much of a characteristic flatness. The complexion both of the women and the men, is much fairer than that of the natives of Bengal. In their carriage and manners they have little of the shyness of the Hindoo; they have much more of the frankness of the European.

The Khin tribe have a custom of tattooing the faces of their daughters, in such a manner as completely to disfigure them : this is done before they arrive at the age of maturity, and is said to have been introduced to keep their chiefs from depriving them of their daughters. The Burmans however, as the female children are very fair, contrive to seize them when exceedingly young, and rear them as domestics. In case they get them after their faces have been tattooed, they still retain them as slaves; but employ them in the most menial offices. The men never tattoo their faces this practice is confined wholly to the fair sex.

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Through the immense forests which cover these mountains, these tribes, though not wholly unacquainted with agriculture, cultivate but little grain; and never a quantity equal to their own consumption. To supply the deficiency they bring annually down to the plains, the produce of these hills; such as ivory, timber, wax, cotton, a kind of raw silk called Moog, and a variety of odoriferous gums. These they, with the utmost simplicity and faithfulness, barter for rice, beetle-nut, dried fish, and other articles of food,

which intercourse is highly to the advantage of their neighbours. They raise great quantities of cotton. From the term Zoon signifying in their language, a cotton field, they are sometimes termed Zoons; and this has given rise to an idea that there is a distinct nation among them known by this name; but this idea is quite erroneous. It may not be improper to add here, that in the Assam language the word Koon-kee signifies a basket, which the women among the mountaineers fix on their heads by a piece of string across their foreheads, while the koon-kee or basket rests on their backs. This contrivance, as it brings forward the weight of what they may carry in this koon-kec, renders it easy for them to mount the hills therewith. It is possible that this term may have given rise to the general name by which they are known.

The object in procuring these Koonkees now at Serampore, was, to make them if possible acquainted with letters, and to obtain vocabularies of their own language, in the hope of being able to introduce among them in some future time, the arts of reading and writing, the elements of useful knowledge, and above all, the knowledge of the true God, and the Saviour of men. For this purpose the Bengalee alphabet seems best suited; as their intercourse westward lies immediately with those who read that character.

III. The Sixth Report of the Columbo Bible Society.

We have, in the course of this month, been favored with the Sixth Report of the Columbo Bible Society. This Report is dated August, this year; and we frankly acknowledge that its contents and its complexion afford us peculiar pleasure. Though it wears the modest name of the Auxiliary Bible Society's Report, it in reality embraces all that is done on the island relative either to Schools or to Missions; and the view presented therein is encouraging in a high degree. There are now on the island missionaries from four different denominations of Christians, from

the Church Missionary Society, the Wesleyan Connection, the Independents, and the Baptist Denomination; all of whom, fostered by the wise and liberal care of the Governor, are mutually contributing to enlighten the island, and to plant in its various parts the everlasting gospel; and they have all of them a place in this Re port, which is thus made a complete representation of what is done for these islanders, now brought almost wholly under the benign administration of Britain. That the far famed Taprobane of the ancients should, after this lapse of time, be thus placed under the fostering care of that nation, which at present manifests the greatest desire to promote the happiness of mankind, and should be made the scene of exertion by nearly every denomination of Christians it contains, are advantages far transcending in value any it possesses by nature, or any ever ascribed to it by the pen of ancient mythology.

In the Translation of the Scriptures, much vigor and wisdom are displayed. The loss of the excellent Mr. Tolfrey, seems only to have stimulated his co-adjutors to proceed with greater ardor in their work; and not only is the New Version of the Cingalese Testament completed, and a Glossary formed suitably thereto, which contains particularly the Sungskrita words not in common use; but the Old Testament is placed in a train of preparation; the book of Genesis, the Psalms and the Proverbs are about to be printed this year, and thus through that energy which now pervades Christians of all denominations, a few years are likely to complete a work which has not been accomplished during the three centuries in which this Island has been professedly connected with Christians; although for two of these it has been under the care - of a Protestant nation..

The exertions made respecting Schools, are also highly commendable. These, if they were begun under the former government, have attained their present state of vigor and efficiency through British exertion; and have been highly indebted in the first instance, to the Honorable Dr. Twisleton, now Archdeacon of Columbo. The importance of schools seems however to b

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duly appreciated by every body of Christians there; and all appear to be making efforts in this way according to their respective means and opportunities. One school appears particularly worthy of notice. It is a school for Girls, of which the following account is given in the Appendix:

"There is one new School which deserves to be mentioned particularly, because it is entirely for girls. In Morotto, a very populous district adjoining to Galkisse, in which the country residence of the Governor is situated, a very industrious native woman was in the habit of teaching a few girls to read, for whose instruction she received a very scanty payment; not in money, but each child occasionally brought her a handful of rice or a few betel leaves; and her hut was ill calculated to receive any number of scholars. Lady Brownrigg, hearing of the meritorious conduct of this poor woman, thought she well deserved encouragement, and began by giving her some pecuniary assistance; but conceiving that it wou'd be a very great advantage to the public, if such a woman were enabled to carry on her plan of education upon a larger scale, Lady Brownrigg resolved upon building a School, and a house for the Schoolmistress, to whom she also allowed a salary sufficient for her support. A convenient spot of ground situated near the high road, was accordingly purchased, and a substantial dweling house with a detached school-room, erected. The two buildings are separated by a small court, and the who'e stands in a garden enclosed with a low wall and railing. When the Principal of Schools, in the month of June last, visited this new establishment just then completed, he found 18 girls in the School, nine of whom read Cingalese well, and some of them with great fluency; the rest were learning to spell."

The care which has been manifested relative to a suitable distribution of the various missionaries and ministers whose labors the island now enjoys, deserves particular notice, as it evidently shews that the interest taken in this work is cordial and unfeigned. The following observations relative to placing the Rev.