The clergyman's wife, if disposed and able to do her duty, is almost as efficient a minister of the Gospel as the clergyman himself;—she preaches irresistibly by her example. Mavelikarra, December 17. This is truly a missionary station in the full- est sense of the term. in the centre of a dense heathen population, calculated at about sixty thousand souls, and in the very lion's den of idolatry,—it being one of the most Brahmin-ridden places in the country. The pagodas here-hideous, barnlike, storehouse-looking edifices-are considered of peculiar sanctity, and their innumerable priests are of a most rampant holiness, and heartily detest the Christians, whom they take every safe opportunity to insult and oppress. There are, moreover, about twenty Syrian churches in the district, with large congregations, upon whom the preaching, and still more the example, of a clergyman of the Church of England, cannot fail eventually of producing some blessed effect. In fact, it has done so already, as I was introduced this morning to a very influential lay-member of that communion, who, Mr. Peet assures me, has made up his mind to come over to us very shortly, and who will bring with him a very large accession of strength to our Mavelikarra flock. I was much pleased with the appearance and manners of this old man; there was sincerity in his looks: and if looks are ever to be relied upon as an index of the mind, I have not a doubt that he is sincere. He spoke of the ill-usage to which the Christians are here exposed from the intolerant heathen, but evidently not with any desire to enhance the merit of belonging to a persecuted sect. I told him that, much as I should rejoice in such a convert, neither I nor Mr. Peet sought in any way to work upon his feelings, but trusted that he would simply follow the dictates of his judgment and conscience after faithful prayer to God to direct him to the truth, and briefly recapitulated the principles by which, as I have already stated, we ought in my opinion to be guided in our dealings with the Syrians. He assured me that he would act as I advised, and parted from me promising me his prayers. And most thankful do I feel for the prayers of these poor people, and their good wishes; they are a great comfort and encouragement to me, and I heartily desire to be remembered among them as a good missionary bishop. It is infinitely better than a proud title: it is a blessed one. Mr. Peet, who is a most active and energetic labourer in his Lord's vineyard, and just the man for such a mission as this,-where the new ground is not only to be ploughed up, but to be cleared of all its jungle of thorns, and briars, and noxious weeds, has already made some very important converts from heathenism, and one most valuable one from the Syrians, a Malpan, who has joined our commuuion, and is proving himself a very faithful and useful minister. He has the charge of a large and increasing congregation, to which it is my intention hereafter to licence him. I confirmed this morning seventy-two of Mr. Peet's Mavelikarra congregation, many of them old and grey-headed, whom he has gathered from out the heathen in their eleventh hour. This mission is flourish ing, and we may hope, without presumption, that the blessing of God rests upon it. Illness prevented me from speaking to those who were confirmed as long as I could have wished; and after addressing them for about a quarter of an hour, I was obliged to depute that pleasing duty to my ready and kind interpreter, Mr. Baker. Mr. Peet has no church here at present, and uses a temporary building for divine service; but, like his brethren, he is very zealous on this point, and has selected an excellent site for the erection of one. The country here is very pretty, so far as the innumerable cocoa-nut trees permit you to see it. There is a large dismantled fort,—which, however, could never have been of any strength, -in which is situated the principal pagoda. Close to this pagoda is a most glorious tree, a peepul, which, if it could grow in England, would give fame to a whole county; the spread of the boughs is enormous, and the trunk of proportionate grandeur. I cannot wonder at the poor ignorant natives holding such trees sacred. There is a tree very common here,—I think they call it the piny, from which is extracted an excellent varnish. It has very much the appearance of a beech. I was favoured yesterday with a visit from a rajah who resides at Mavelikarra, a cousin of the reigning rajah of Travancore. He came mounted on a very handsome Arab; and, with his very fat person, and his cloth of gold dress, he really looked not unlike bluff King Harry in the old picture (Holbein, is it not?) of his interview with Francis the First, on the Field of the Cloth of Gold, near Calais. I asked him where he purchased his splendid costume, and to my surprise he told me that it came from England. The stuff must be made expressly for rajahs and baboos, for no one else could (or, at least, would) wear it. My visitor seemed a heavy, dull animal of a man, and I was glad when he took his departure; although, for the sake of Mr. Peet and the mission, I made a point of being very civil to him. Quilon, December 19. This is a very fine place, I mean the Residency, which is all that I have as yet seen of |