( 88 ) TIDINGS FROM TRAVANCORE. [AUGUST, In January last our Mission in Travancore was visited by the Bishop of Calcutta, during the course of his metropolitan visitation. On Saturday, the 23d, the capital of this native kingdom, Trevandrum, was reached; and the Bishop was immediately visited, at the house of the British Resident, by the Dewan Madhava Rao, to whose enlightened administration much of the prosperity of Travancore is owing. In the evening the bishop proceeded to visit the Maharajah at his palace. We must, for the information of our readers, give his names in full, as they appear in the Travancore almanac. They are as follows-"His Highness Shree Palmanabah Dausa Vunchee Baula Rama Vurma Kulashagara Kireeda Pati Munnerag Sultan Rama Raja Bahadur Shamsir Jung.' Most of these names are intended to ensure to the Prince the special protection of Vishnu. May he be brought to the knowledge of Him who is the true Preserver of all who trust in Hini, and thus become, not the servant of Vishnu (Palmanabah Dausa), but the servant of Jesus Christ! The visit of the bishop was returned on Monday morning by the Maharajah, and the first prince of Travancore. The latter gentleman, being fond of reading, and well acquainted with Sanskrit, conversed with much good sense on the subject of the Sanskrit Professorship at Oxford. A visit to the Maharajah's school was interesting; the more so, that by his express desire the Bible is freely taught in this school to all the upper classes. Certainly it does seem strange that that should be done by a Hindu prince which is not ventured to be done by the Christian Government of India. The bishop and his party next proceeded to visit the Church Missionary stations. The first reached was Allepie, where there is a native congregation under the pastoral charge of an ordained Syrian, the Rev. Oomen Mamen. May it become like the lighthouse which the Maharajah has erected at this sea-port, the lamps of which are on the newest and most approved of model, so that the light is visible for twenty-eight miles. Cottayam was next reached, a place beautiful with vegetation, as rich and tropical as that of Ceylon. Here are two colleges, one of the Church Missionary Society, the other of the Syrian church; the first flourishing and full of pupils, the latter deserted. Besides the college, there is the Cambridge Nicholson Training Institution, where future schoolmasters are trained through the medium of the Malayalim language, by the Syrian clergyman, the Rev. George Matthan. While the bishop was at Cottayam, some of the slaves, amongst whom Christianity has been making such progress, walked from a considerable distance to hear him preach. They afterwards visited him, and showed by their answers to his questions that they fully understood him. These were until recently the most degraded of the population of Travancore; but they have been emancipated by their Government, and Christianity, having been introduced amongst them, is freeing them from the bonds of sin. Yet even thus, so despised are they by the upper castes, that a Brahmin official, who came to announce the approach of these slave visitors to the bishop, retreated from them with 1864.] A DAY AMONG CANNIBALS. 89 horror to a distance at least of twenty yards. The improvement, however, which Christianity is accomplishing in their character is becoming so increasingly manifest to the heathen around, that their heathen employers urge them to send their children to the Missionary schools because they learn there to become honest, useful, and good servants. May the Gospel spread amongst the wooded hills of Travancore, and make glad the heart of the wild Araan and the degraded slave, until the proud Brahmin, the haughty Nair, and the prejudiced Syrian, in the changes which they witness, be compelled to acknowledge the Gospel to be "the power of God to salvation!" A DAY AMONG CANNIBALS. (From the "Missionary Herald.") UNDER this heading, recent Sandwich-Island papers publish a narrative of an adventure by a whaleman at the Marquesas Islands, which is not only of thrilling interest in itself, but well exhibits, in one aspect, the great advantages which commerce may and does derive from Christian Missions, from the presence and influence among savage tribes of Christian Missionaries. The value of this case, as a testimony to the happy influence of Missions, is certainly not diminished by the fact, that the man who so nobly used all his influence, ready to sacrifice every thing he had, in the effort to save the life of a stranger, was a Missionary, not from England or the United States, but from the Sandwich Islands, himself a fruit of modern Missions. It appears that the American whaleship "Congress," which sailed from New Bedford in June 1863 for the North Pacific, arrived before the harbour of Puamau, on Hivaoa, Marquesas Islands, January 13, and commenced trading with the natives. Mr. Whalon, first officer, went on shore for purposes of traffic, and passed up the valley with a chief, when the natives commenced chasing pigs, and, at the same time, shouting, apparently for the purpose of calling the people, who came "rushing from all parts of the valley, armed with hatchets and knives." The narrative states "Mr. Whalon, fearing that they meant no good, proposed to the chief to return to the boat; upon which the latter stepped up to him, suddenly seized his hat and placed it upon his own head. This he thinks was a well-known signal among them, for he was instantly seized by a score of natives, thrown down and stripped naked, his hands and feet bound with ropes, which the chief had in his hands, but which he supposed were intended to tie the pigs. "The natives then proceeded to tear up his clothes into small pieces, and cut the buttons off, making a distribution among the crowd. After this they paid their attentions to their prisoner by pinching him severely, bending his fingers and thumbs over the backs of his hands, wrenching his nose, and torturing him in every imaginable way. They would strike at his head and limbs with their hatchets, always missing him by a hair's breadth. For about three hours they continued to amuse themselves and torment him in this manner. He supposed this was the custom preparatory to being killed, as it doubtless is. Some of the natives tried to entice the ship's two boats to come to the shore, and Mr. Whalon's 90 A DAY AMONG CANNIBALS. [AUGUST, boat-steerer was on the point of landing to find him, when they were warned off by a young Marquesan girl, belonging to the family of the Hawaiian Missionary, Kekela." This girl had previously tried to warn Mr. Whalon against going inland with the chief, but she could not speak English, and was not understood. One of the Hawaiian Missionaries, whose name he did not learn, having heard of the trouble, now came, but was unable to converse with Mr. Whalon. A German carpenter also soon arrived, and, being unable to procure his release, promised to stay by and do what he could to save him. At night he was put in the house of a chiefess, who had tried in vain to procure his release, and in the morning the natives again assembled, noisy for their victim. "All his hopes of relief had now fled, and he began to look for death as certain, as the chiefess would soon be called on to release him. About this time, which was early in the morning, the German, hearing the natives speaking of the arrival of the Hawaiian Missionaries, Mr. Kekela and wife, in the neighbourhood, despatched the other Hawaiian for him; and the natives, finding that Kekela had been sent for, hastily untied the hands and feet of their prisoner. "Kekela and his wife are Hawaiian Missionaries, sent out from the Sandwich Islands, and supported by the Hawaiians. They live in a neighbouring valley, but, at the time of the capture of Mr. Whalon, were on a visit to another island. Kekela soon arrived, with the chief under whose protection he lives, and instantly commenced remonstrating with the natives for their inhuman treatment, and besought them to release him. They demanded a ransom, and, after a council among themselves, decided to release him for a whaleboat and six oars, upon which Kekela told them to take his boat. At this offer, however, Kekela's chief demurred, as this would deprive their settlement of their only boat. The discussion now waxed warm between the two chiefs, during which Kekela declared that he was ready to give up any thing and every thing he possessed, if he could but save the foreigner's life; an instance of disinterested philanthropy, which the annals of Missions cannot surpass. After some further parley it was agreed to give a musket and some other trade in exchange for Mr. Whalon, which was immediately done, and he was led beyond the boundary which separated the domain of the two chiefs." Mr. Whalon was now taken to the house of Kekela, and was "astonished to find a pleasant, airy cottage, furnished in a neat and tasty manner, much after the style of a New-England farm-house, surrounded by a garden, where flowers, trees, and vegetables grew abundantly." "Mr. Kekela assured Mr. Whalon that, had the natives demanded all he had, he should have given it to release him. In conversation with Kekela regarding the progress which Christianity was making among the people, Kekela stated it as his opinion that his efforts among the adults were not encouraging, but that among the youth he had promise of great success, having now forty regular attendants on divine worship on the Sabbath. Mr. Whalon bears testimony to the upright Christian character of Kekela and wife, and of the great influence which they have over the natives in their settlement. Kekela is a most industrious man, thus setting a worthy example to the islanders. 1864.] POETRY. 91 "Mr. Whalon's emotions on reaching the ship can better be imagined than described. He had been rescued from the savages and returned to his vessel through the efforts of a native Hawaiian, a stranger, who had been prompted to act in his behalf by the teachings of the Christian religion, of which he gave the most exemplary evidence. During twentythree years' voyaging around the world, he says he has never passed through a more eventful cruise than this one, nor anywhere met with strangers who have won his gratitude and affection as these humble Hawaiian Missionaries, living on the Island of Hivaoa, to whose efforts alone he owes his life. Nothing that he could give to them could cancel the debt he owes, and he says, whenever Kekela stands in need, let him know, and he shall share with him. Of course both Captain Stranburg and Mr. Whalon rewarded Kekela and his chief with such gifts as they had at their disposal, and they returned to the shore. "Speaking of Mrs. Kekela, Mr. Whalon said he was surprised to find. a native Polynesian so courteous, kind, and polite, and so well educated. Her manner and conduct at all times were lady-like. It is the best commentary on the transforming power of religion. Kekela and his wife could speak broken English just enough to be understood, and supplied all his wants. "After Mr. Whalon had been released, and escaped to Kekela's house, he inquired the cause of his seizure by the natives, and learned that it was done out of revenge for the kidnapping of Marquesans by the Peruvians, who had stolen a cargo of men and women from this and the neighbouring islands. Some of these kidnapped natives had been returned by the Peruvian Government, but many had died on the passage to or from Peru, while others had had various diseases, including the small-pox, which they brought back to the group, and it was spreading over the islands. The Marquesans were so incensed with these outrages of the Peruvians, that they took vengeance on any foreigners that might fall into their power, regardless as to who they were." THE HEAVENLY MARINER, THROUGH tribulations deep The way to glory is; This stormy course I keep On these tempestuous seas; By waves and winds I'm toss'd and driv'n, Sometimes temptations blow And o'er the sides break in; When I, in my distress, My anchor, Hope, can cast It holds my vessel fast. Safely she then at anchor rides, Midst stormy blasts and swelling tides. 92 DEATH OF MAR ELIAS, THE NESTORIAN BISHOP. If a dead calm ensues, And there's no breeze from heav'n, Till better times are giv'n; And strive and toil for many a day, But when a prosp'rous breeze And runs as much an hour or more Hid by the clouds from sight See aught my soul to cheer; As at the time of noon My quadrant, Faith, I take, If He the clouds should break. Ere I reach heaven's coast But no, death's waves can't overwhelm, This gulf once safely past, Though rough it is, but short, Safe anchor'd in the port. Once landed on that happy shore, My bark shall cross the sea no more. www [AUGUST DEATH OF MAR ELIAS, THE NESTORIAN BISHOP. THE venerable Mar Elias has entered into rest. He fell asleep in Jesus December 6th, Sabbath morning. He was more than eighty years of age, and, until within a week of his death, remarkable for his vigour, walking on foot to town to attend the monthly concert, a distance of five miles, and visiting to the last, as he had done for many years, the villages of his diocese. He was seriously ill but three days. His mind was clear; and, though greatly prostrated, and his words few, what he said showed the ruling passion strong in death-"God's word," "God's work." When the young men, now God's standard-bearers in the village, asked for his dying charge, it was-" See to it that ye hold fast to God's word;" a charge deeply solemn and impressive, coming as it did from the lips of one who, for so many years, had made that word his staff and constant song. |