readiness and affection which will long be remembered, you came forward at once to assist your brethren. The donations of a few individuals were deemed sufficient to supply their immediate wants, but we are persuaded that still greater exertions would have been made, had the occasion required them. I am now authorized to inform you, that 500 Old Testaments, 400 New, and 300 Psalters, in Tamul; 200 Old Testaments, 150 New, and 500 Psalters, in Portuguese, have been purchased and distributed.*

That we may be able to render them further assistance and anticipate their future wants, a new edition of the Scriptures in Tamu! should be instantly prepared, and for this nothing is wanting but funds. There are Tamul presses at Tranquebar and Vepery, and persons to superintend them.

3. The third class of Christians are those who speak the Malayalim or Malabar. These are first, the Roman Catholics, in number 150,000, composed partly of converts from Heathenism, and partly of proselytes from the Syrian church; and secondly, the Syrians who

*The receipt of these is thus acknowledged by the Missionaries, Kohloff and Horst, (in a letter dated Tanjore, 21st April, 1810,) with the most fervent gratitude. "We, and those among our Christians that have been apprised of it, acknowledge and revere the pious solicitude of your worthy committee, for the spiritual welfare of our flocks and for the conversion of the Gentiles on the coast, which hath prompted you so liberally to dispense unto these poor natives, the invaluable treasures of the word of God. Rest assured, worthy Sir, that this generous contribution for relieving the spiritual wants of the Tamulers, hitherto unparalleled among the European gentlemen in India, will be amply repaid by the acquisition of many souls to the kingdom of Christ, and by the heavenly joy which the pious and liberal contributors will feel, when so many saints brought to Jesus by the divine word of salvation, distributed to them by your committee, shall hail them and you as the authors of their everlasting bliss."

Adams's Religious World Displayed, Vol. i, page 211.

retain their ancient form of worship. No estimate has been made of their population, but the number of their churches is ascertained to be fifty-five. There are then, perhaps, not fewer than 200,000 Christians who use the Malabar language.* A translation of the Scriptures into it was undertaken four years ago by their bishop, assisted by some of his clergy, and it is presumed, that the work is going on.t The four Gospels are in the press, at Bombay; and nearly printed off. Syriac being formerly spoken by these mountaineers, their Liturgy and Scriptures are in that language. "The priests occasionally expound the Scriptures in the Malayalim to the people, but this good custom, like many others, is gradually falling into disuse. Some of the people understand the Syrian prayers, but the Syrian language is not used in common discourse."S

"Some of the elders of the church were asked, whether they were willing to diffuse the Malayalim Scriptures, if they were aided in the expense. We are most willing,' they

said. One of them added, 'the truth is, that in former times all our people understood the Syriac, but in the lapse of ages the language of the country superseded it. A Malayalim translation ought certainly to have been made before

* Rev. Dr. Buchanan's letters from the Coast.

+ In Cordiner's Description of Ceylon, page 156, it is said that all the New, and great part of the Old Testament, in Malabar, were printed and published by the Dutch clergy, at Columbo. But by the Malabar is probably meant the Tamul.

The four Gospels were submitted to the judgment of Dr. Robert Drummond, of the Presidency of Bombay, author of the Malabar Grammar, who reported that he considered it to be a faithful version of the sacred original, and intelligible to the common people.

Rev. Dr. Buchanan's letters from the Coast.

now; but we have had in later times neither learned men nor competent means. Our three colleges have been destroyed. And being often left without a bishop, ruler, or representative, we have suffered from time to time from the exactions of the Rajah's ministers; nothing could have saved us but the peaceful demeanor and Christian conduct of our people. As to your proposal of circulating the Scriptures in the vernacular tongue, all the fathers of our church will unite with me in declaring that we will most cheerfully do it, if we have the means to effect so good a work."" One of the elders stepped forward and said, "to convince you of our earnest desire to have the Bible in the Malayalim tongue, I need only mention, that I have lately translated the Gospel of St. Matthew, for the benefit of my own children. It is often borrowed by the other families. It is not in fine language, but the people love to read it." It was then proposed to them, that a standard translation of the Malayalim should be prepared and sent to each of the fifty-five Churches, on condition that each Church should multiply the copies and circulate them among the people. "We accept your offer," said the priests, "with thankfulness." One in particular said, 66 I engage for the heads of families in this parish, that every man who can write, will be happy to make a copy of the Scriptures for his own family."*

* Reverend Dr. Buchanan's letters from the Coast.

It was before mentioned that 150,000 Roman Catholic Christians use the same language, to which it may be here added, that the Romish bishop, the Vicar Apostolic of the Pope in India, has consented to the circulation of the Scriptures throughout his diocese; so that there are upwards of 200,000 persons who are ready to receive the Malayalim Bible.

4. We come now to the fourth and last class of native Christians, the Cingalese. In the Island of Ceylon, in the year 1801, the number of native schools amounted to one hundred and seventy; and the number of native Protestant Christians exceeded 342,000. The Christians professing the religion of the Church of Rome, are supposed to be still more numerous.*

No part of India offers such encouragements to attempts at moral improvement, as Čeylon.†

The New Testament has been translated into Cingalese, and printed at Columbo at the charge of Government, for the purpose of supplying the natives professing Christianity. For this information, the Bible Society, from whose last report we have obtained it, profess them

* At Columbo, the highest ranks of natives profess Christianity, and such of them as have received the benefit of a good education, are more conscientious and respectable than their heathen neighbors. Cordiner's Description of Ceylon.

The state of religion in Ceylon is very different from that of any country on the continent of India. Here the ancient form of worship is almost totally forgotten; and the inhabitants live in uninstructed ignorance, perfectly free both from prejudice and bigotry. They have so long wandered in darkness, that they gladly follow the least glimmerings of light. The first openings of religious knowledge, are received by them with transport; and they look up with adoration, to any per son who bestows pains in endeavoring to teach them. The arguments, therefore, which have been advanced against attempting to introduce Christianity amongst the more polished nations of the East are entirely void, when applied to the uncultivat ed people of this Island.

There is no doubt that if ever the government of England pay attention to this subject, the religion of Christ will become as clearly understood, and as well prac tised in Ceylon, as in any part of the King's dominions. Cordiner.

selves indebted to Sir Alexander Johnstone, late Chief Justice in that Island; and, in consequence of his representation, they have determined to appropriate as much as can be spared from the expenses necessarily attending the execution of their vast plans, to promote the circulation of the Cingalese Scriptures.

But must this be suffered? Do we not blush at the offers of assistance from home, where funds are raised with such difficulty, not for want of good-will in the people, but from the unexampled pressure of the times, and where also all that is raised may be employed with such effect in benefiting the other three quarters of the globe? Asia must be our care; or, if not Asia, India at least must look to none but us. Honor calls, as well as duty; your reputation for liberality requires, that you render their assistance unnecessary. Let us make haste then and anticipate their supplies, and thus prove to our friends and the world, that the mother country need never be ashamed of her sons in India.

What a splendid spectacle does she present! Standing firm amidst the overthrow of the nations, and spreading wide the shadow of her wings for the protection of all, she finds herself at leisure, amidst the tumult of war, to form benevolent projects for the best interests. of mankind. Her generals and admirals have caused the thunder of her power to be heard throughout the earth; now her ministers of religion perform their part, and endeavor to