masters, but for a few days, the Scholars decline in their attendance. We have, therefore, not increased our number of Schools, though we might have done this to a considerable extent. There are several places within twelve miles of our residence, where we have been importuned to establish Schools; and, indeed, we propose to do so when we can find suitable Masters, and have leisure to visit them. Without a constant course of visiting and superintendence, Schools in this country will not prosper.

By the last advices, the School Labours of the Missionaries seemed on the point of being much extended. They write

Government has Schools in almost every populous village in the Southern Districts. In this and the adjoining District of Matura, there are nearly forty Government Schools; but, owing to the want of superintendence, they have hitherto been inefficient. Since the removal of Mr. Glenie to Colombo, he has succeeded to the situation of Principal of the Government Schools; and is anxiously endeavouring to make them the means of spreading the knowledge of Christianity among the people. To aid him in the accomplishment of this object, we have agreed to take the superintendence of those Schools in the Districts of Galle and Matura; Government defraying our expenses. This arrangement will take place from the 1st January, 1822. It will bring upon us a great increase of labour; but will be the means, we trust, of extending our influence and usefulness among the Native Population,

The Missionaries give some salutary cautions against indulging undue expectations from the Schools :

Your expectations must not be too sanguine in respect of Schools, We have many things here to damp our hopes:1st. The state in which the Children enter the Schools-in perfect ignorance; without any distinct idea of good and evil. 2dly. The irregularity of their attendance; and the consequent difficulty of carrying into effect any System of Instruction. 3dly. The continued influence of the Parents and Friends, many of whom will take the Children to worship Budhu, or to do homage to the Devil. These things remind us, that, if we would see our Schools prosperous and useful, we must be patient and persevering in labour, and abound in our prayers to God for His blessing.

Yet they are not backward to state the advantages which they witness from the Schools. Mr. Mayor

says

The Children learn with great quickness, and very readily comprehend what they hear. The parts of Scripture which

have been read to them and explained, they retain in their memories; and are able to answer questions upon them with remarkable correctness. That they are fully convinced of the folly of idolatry, and believe in the existence of the One True God, I cannot doubt: I have even observed several of them much affected by the Truth. We have received two promising Boys into our house out of school-hours: they are employed in little services about the premises: Mrs. Ward happening accidentally to pass the room where one of them sleeps, saw him on his knees, apparently offering up his prayers to God.

To the Girls' School, in particular, the Missionaries call the attention of their Countrywomen:

If the Female Christians of our highly-favoured Country could but realize to themselves the deplorable condition of females in Ceylon-who, having been wholly deprived of instruction in their youthful days, are now held in utter contempt even by their own Husbands, and looked upon by them as inferior beings to themselves-they would reflect with delight upon the existence of a School among them, as at once calculated to raise them from their degradation and to enlighten their minds with the light of eternal truth. Christian Females! pray for them! Similar Schools to this may be formed in every populous village in this district, if competent persons could be found to superintend them.

On another occasion they write, in reference to this School

The average number of Scholars, in actual attendance, is about fifty. They are taught to read and sew; and, before they are dismissed for the day, a portion of the Scriptures is read to them, on which they are catechized. We have no School-house yet erected for them: at present they meet in our verandah, seated in rows, on mats. It is delightful, to see this little group of black children, hitherto ignorant of the great God who created them, and of the compassionate Saviour who redeemed them, now gathered together to hear the words of life, and be trained up in the fear of the Lord and in habits of industry. Many a time have they been led to the Devil's Dance; but never, till lately, to the House of Prayer and Thanksgiving.

Mrs. Mayor forcibly urges the cause of these poor Girls, by depicting the degraded condition of their

Children to attend regularly, we have found it needful to give them clothes, twice in the year: notwithstanding this, the other day one of the Girls said that she had no clothes to attend School in several others immediately joined in her complaint. I endeavoured to represent, as strongly as I could, the impropriety and ingratitude of the complaint and implied request: many of their countenances expressed trouble, but only this child had sufficient feeling and resolution to confess that she was very much ashamed. I left them for a few minutes; but was soon obliged to return, on account of their making a great noise. This noise was occasioned by a general attack on the Child, for having made confession. You may judge from this, that the moral feeling of our poor Girls is at a very low ebb. I think, notwithstanding this, that they are improving a little, and becoming more affectionate and more attached to the School.

It is gratifying, however, to find, that still more decisive evidence appears that the labour which has been bestowed on these Children has not been without

fruit, it may be hoped, unto eternal life. Mr. Mayor writes, June 19, 1821

Mr. Ward was called upon, last Sunday week, to visit a Young Woman on her dying bed, who was among the number of those who first attended our School, and had afterward married, and lived at Galle. Finding herself daily growing weaker, she did not, as formerly she would have done, desire some Heathenish Ceremony to be performed, but sent for the Missionary, and requested him to pray for her: she said, she had heard of Jesus Christ at Baddagamme; and that she trusted in Him to save her. She very earnestly desired to have prayers offered up for her. Mr. Ward saw her about a quarter-of-an-hour before she expired. She was permitted, by her dying testimony to the Truth, to afford much encouragement to us to persevere in casting abroad, on every hand, the good seed of the Word of Truth; for when we least expect it, the mind may be enlightened from above to perceive the truth and excellency of that instruction, which seemed, at the time, to be given in vain. May we have to tell of many poor benighted Heathens, being thus enlightened and delivered from their gross darkness, and brought to look unto Him, who can alone redeem them!

We need much the aid of your prayers, that the Spirit of the Lord may be poured out upon us; and that His gracious influence may descend on the hearts of a people long enslaved by Satan.

Mr. Ward adds

This is the first Cingalese whom I have yet seen at all seriously anxious about eternal concerns. She is, I trust, the first

of many, whom I shall be permitted to witness inquiring their way to Zion!

Experience has, however, taught the Missionaries to view appearances of success with much caution. One or two Adults had awakened hope concerning them; but they soon sunk back into the apathy and wordly-mindedness which characterize this people. The gross darkness which hangs over them, is, however, gradually dispersing; but patience must here have her perfect work, until the arm of the Lord be revealed. There seem, however, as yet, to have been very few instances throughout the Island of genuine conversion among the Natives. The hope of worldly honour and emolument appear to have been the real inducement, in most of those who had excited better expectations concerning them. The Missionaries write

You cannot be more anxious for our success than we ourselves are: but, at present, our chief consolation and hope must be in the Divine Promises; which convey the infallible assurance that the Heathen shall be given to Christ for His inheritance.

The seed of truth is now scattering around us; and we trust, that, through the quickening influence of the Spirit of Life, it will not be cast in vain. But we have need of patience; and we desire, rather that our Brethren every where should unite with us in earnest prayer for the manifestation of the Divine Glory in these benighted regions*, than that they should raise the voice of triumphant praise as though the Kingdom of God and of His Christ were already established among us.

The Committee will close their account of this Station, by some extracts of a communication addressed, by two Gentlemen in the Civil Service of the East-India Company on the Madras Establishment, to the Treasurer of the Society's Corresponding Committee in that Presidency. These Gentlemen are Members of the Society; and, on their way home, touched at Galle. Their statements will be read with pleasure :

Baddagamme is distant thirteen or fourteen miles from Galle, in an almost easterly direction. The way is up a river, named the Gindra-one of the largest in the Island.

Some further evidences of the deplorable state of the Native Mind are given in Appendix XV,

To give you an idea of the scenery in this part of Ceylon, it would be necessary to transport you in imagination to some of the most picturesque parts of England. Nothing can be more beautiful than the rich variety of hill and dale, forest and underwood, which prevails here: it wants, however, a more abundant population and more cultivation to render it completely interesting. The roads are carried among an immense variety of trees, of the finest description: the hills are covered to their tops with foliage, interspersed with beautiful shrubs and creepers; but they can be only enjoyed in prospect, it being dangerous to ascend them on account of the wild beasts and snakes with which they abound. Those parts of the valleys which are cultivated have a much more English appearance, than any field we ever saw in India. The people do not generally assemble in villages, but build their huts among the trees: they are usually surrounded by a small piece of ground, separated from the rest by a wooden paling.

The Mission House is situated on the side of a hill close to the river, on which the Missionaries have received a grant of land from Government. On inquiring how they came to fix upon this spot as the field of their labours, Mr. Mayor said, that, on his first arrival at Ceylon, he settled in the Town of Galle; but, finding that he could have little intercourse with the Natives, and that more of his time than he thought right was engrossed by Europeans, he resolved to quit Galle, and live in the country: having heard some Gentlemen speak of the beauty of Baddagamme, he visited it, and fixed upon the spot now occupied by the House. It was then a mass of rock, covered with jungle. With much labour he cleared the ground of wood, blew up the rock, and levelled the spot upon which the House now stands. It is a very comfortable abode, in the Bungalow fashion; but large enough to contain three families: the pillars are of the iron tree, which abounds here, and is of incredible weight and strength. He is now employed in erectting the Church, a few yards distant from the House: he encountered here the same difficulties from large masses of rock. Both the Church and the House are built of the pieces of rock which before occupied the ground-that ground, which was probably, the resort of wild beasts, snakes, and other noxious animals; but which human art and labour will soon reduce to a state fit to form the Temple of the Lord of Hosts, in which holy beings love to dwell, and from which many a sacrifice of prayer and praise will, we hope, ascend to the throne of God-an emblem this, of that Spiritual Temple, which these good men are engaged in erecting.

They find the people among whom they labour, like the rocks which cover the hills-hard, and insensible to every Godly motion; their hearts exalted with pride-that master of human