there are not among them one hundred individuals sufficiently learned to understand words of frequént occurrence in the present Translation. The Station in which we are placed affords great advantages for obtaining a knowledge of what is to be considered pure colloquial Cingalese; as that which is in use among the Kandians is unmixed with foreign terms. We have thought it our duty to pay much attention to the acquisition of the common language, with the view of assisting in the preparation of such a Translation as will meet the wants of the people.

For the establishment of this Mission on a permanent footing, application had been made to the Colonial Government, under the sanction of the Local Authorities, for a grant of land whereon to erect the buildings requisite for a Christian Institution. These would, for the present, comprehend a DwellingHouse, School Rooms, and a Printing-Office.

BADDAGAMME.

Mr. Ward's indisposition, while attending at Nellore the Annual Meeting of the Missionaries, has been already mentioned. He set out on his journey thither in the evening of the 9th of September, Mr. Mayor remaining in charge of the Station; and was joined near Calpentyn, his former Station, by Mr. Lambrick, from Kandy. They preached to the people at Calpentyn, and arrived at Nellore on the 19th; having passed several villages near Manar, which were almost depopulated by the Cholera, of which fatal disease numbers were dying at Manar. He left Jaffna on the 10th of October; and, having parted with Mr. Lambrick at Colombo, where they were very kindly entertained by Sir Richard Ottley, he reached Baddagamme on the 26th. In a few weeks his health became quite re-established.

For the MINISTRY OF THE WORD among the people, Mr. Ward has been enabled to prepare himself earlier than he had hoped; having preached his first Cingalese Sermon about ten months after his arrival at Baddagamme. He writes on this subject, in the true spirit of a Missionary—

I intend to turn all the knowledge of the language which I can acquire to the immediate benefit of the people. They are perishing for lack of knowledge: they must have the Gospel

declared to them in their own tongue, publicly, privately, from house to house, and from village to village. To turn this people from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, more vigorous efforts must be made than have yet been madesome means adapted to the end.

The foundation-stone of the Church was laid on the 14th of February, in the presence of a great concourse of Natives. Mr. Ward gives some account of this ceremony :—

The principal Headman in this part of the District attended. He had before sent a subscription of 50 rix-dollars toward its erection, and a considerable number of the Natives who were present, came forward and subscribed according to their ability The subscriptions on the occasion amounted to upward of 20%. Br. Mayor, Mr. Glenie, the Head Modeliar, and myself addressed the people. Rice, curry, and fruits were provided, for all who chose to partake thereof. About 350 Children were present.

Until the Church is finished, Divine Service is held every Sunday in the School Room. Of the attendance at these Services, the Missionaries thus speak, at the end of October:

The Boys' and Girls' Schools, consisting of nearly 100 Children, attend on Sunday Mornings. The attendance of Adults fluctuates from ten to fifty, and occasionally more. The people in this neighbourhood are not so scrupulous about caste, as they are in some other parts of the Island. Indeed, with the exception of a few mechanics and washermen, they are generally of one caste. Yet there exist prejudices, even between individuals of the same caste; and these prejudices have been manifested in one or two instances, with respect to a distinction of seats: there are some families more respectable than others, though of the same caste; and these expect a distinction in seats from the lower orders: some also are employed under Government, and these look for a distinction: and we have hitherto found it necessary not to indulge them with an elevated seat, but with a distinct one: a bench is placed, either in the front or on one side, on which the Headmen and those of higher families sit. The Modeliar, or principal Headman in the Pattoo (division of district) is yet more distinguished, by sitting on a chair.

In December, the Missionaries state

The Congregation has recently been much larger than usual. The people have more leisure from their agricultural pursuits, at this season of the year, than at any other; and hence not only have our Congregations been larger, but our Schools also have

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been better attended. The marriage ceremonies also have been more frequent lately than they usually are, and these have tended to increase the attendance on Sundays: we do not, indeed, marry on Sundays, for we find that their marriage ceremonies are often attended with some unpleasant disputes; but the friends of the parties generally attend on the publishing of the banns. In places where there is no Minister, the banns are published in the houses of the parties, by the Government Schoolmaster of the Village; which is considered equivalent to marriage: but, as the people around us make use of us for this purpose, we require that the banns should be regularly published in our School Room. We are speaking now of those persons who have been baptized in their infancy, and whose names appear in the Village Register: and this is the case with most of the people in our neighbourhood.

We are sorry to observe that the Headmen and respectable families around us, seem to pay less attention to our Sunday Services than some of their poorer neighbours. They have lately erected on a hill within sight of us, a "Bana-madooa;" a temporary building, where the Priest reads the fabulous stories of Budhu, called the "Bana." We are, in some respects, glad of this, inasmuch as we are persuaded that it will tend to the furtherance of the Gospel. We wish that Budhism was more known than it is; for then we might more easily expose its fallacy and absurdity. The people, in general, are ignorant of the system which binds them: they profess a sacred regard for their ancient writings, while they know not the foolish things contained in them.

many

The Missionaries have resolutely set their faces against that prevalent abuse of the Sacred Ordinance of Baptism, which has led to the degradation of the Christian Name. Mr. Ward writes

Some people applied to have their Children baptized; but I refused them, on the ground of their not attending Divine Worship. The Country is full of baptized persons, who worship Budhu and the Devil. We have resolved to baptize the Children of those persons only, who attend the Public Worship of the True God; or those Children, who regularly frequent our Schools.

In reference to another village, a few miles from Baddagamme, it is stated:

Marjuana is generally visited on Sunday Afternoons. A few attend; but we have to lament, that, at present, there is so little disposition to attend the preaching of the Word. May the Lord awaken this people to a sense of their real condition, and incline their hearts to seek him! There are a few who pay

more than ordinary attention; but it cannot be said of these that they continue in His word, and therefore they are not His disciples indeed.

At the end of last year, the Duty of the Fort Church at Galle continued to be discharged by the Missionaries, as it had been for nearly eighteen months. They felt much at the prospect of leaving a large garrison destitute of Public Ordinances, and more especially as the Congregation was improving in regularity and seriousness; but the supply of this Duty was found to interfere so greatly with the direct work of the Mission, that the Missionaries, at their Annual Meeting, resolved to request the Governor to relieve them of the charge.

On the subject of the CINGALESE SCRIPTURES, the Missionaries at this Station entirely agree with those at Kandy. Mr. Ward writes

A considerable number of English Bibles and Testaments have been distributed in the course of the year: but the Cingalese Scriptures lie on hand; chiefly on account of the high style of language into which they are translated. There is a wide difference, between the written language, or that which appears in the ancient writings of the Cingalese, and that which is commonly in use. The generality of Cingalese Readers cannot understand their ancient books; and I am sorry to say that the language into which the Scriptures are rendered, too nearly resembles that in which those books are written. A Cingalese must unavoidably feel many difficulties, in first reading the Christian Scriptures; arising from the novelty of the doctrines, and from the people, the places, and the circumstances mentioned. We should, therefore, be careful not to augment those difficulties, by unnecessarily introducing words which he cannot understand.

In March of last year the SCHOOLS which had been formed were Seven in number. Two of these are for Boys and Girls, in Baddagamme: the other five are situated at different distances between Baddagamme and Galle, and are as follows:-Gannegamme, 3 miles

Marjuana, 4 miles-Telicada, 6 miles-Lelwella, 6 miles-Kembia, 8 or 9 miles. The average attendance, in March, was 159 Scholars, but the number which occasionally attended was nearly double. Both Cingalese and English are taught in the Boys' School at Baddagamme; in all the rest, Cingalese alone.

At the close of the year, the state of these Schools is thus reported:

Our Schools are increasing in the number of their attendance, and we hope also in utility. Those at Baddagamme are evidently doing so. Many of the Boys, having committed to memory the whole of a Scripture Historical Catechism, are now learning the Sermon on the Mount. The Gannegamme School is, for the present, given up; on account of the misconduct of the Master, whom we have dismissed. The Marjuana School is well attended, and some of the Boys improve in their learning. The Telicada School has suffered through the illness of the Master: he is now, however, recovered; and is again engaged in teaching his Scholars. At the Kembia School, we have thought proper to reduce the Master's pay; and we fear, unless he becomes more diligent, that we must dismiss him.*

The Missionaries are naturally anxious to procure competent and conscientious Assistants. They write, in reference to this point

The Schoolmasters are required to attend us every Wednesday Evening, when they give in their weekly reports, and repeat a portion of Scripture which they have to learn during the week, and receive instruction according to their particular circumstances. We have a few Youths in our School at home, who, we trust, will, in time, supply us with Schoolmasters; and who, having been initiated into our plans, will be more likely to follow our instructions.

These Schools are conducted, so far as is found practicable, on the National System, which seems greatly to interest the Children: but the Missionaries are decidedly of opinion, from their own experience and from their observation of other Schools, that the System of Mutual Instruction will never be efficient in the Schools of Ceylon, until a more regular attendance of the Scholars can be secured. On this subject, the Missionaries say

This small attendance is owing chiefly to the poverty of the people, who keep the Children at home, whenever they have work to do in the fields: others are perfectly indifferent, whether their Children are instructed or not; and some still retain their prejudices against Christian Instruction. It requires the most unwearied perseverance on our part, to keep the Boys together at all. If the Schools are left to the Native School