THE MISSIONARY OBSERVER. OCTOBER, 1877. The Juggernath Festival. BY REV. J. BUCKLEY, D.D. THE recent Car Festival at Pooree was unusually late (July 12th), and the number of pilgrims from a distance was very small; but it is melancholy to think of the thousands and tens of thousands that flocked to Pooree four or five months since, and sad to write that the number that visited the shrine last year amounted to nearly one-third of a million of souls; so that the wooden god has still a strange fascination for the millions of India. The brethren who witnessed for Christ at the recent festival were, besides myself, T. Bailey, Ghanushyam, Makunda Das, Haran, Neladri, two of the students, and a colporteur. We were somewhat hindered in our work by the rain, but had some good opportunities of making known the gospel of Christ. Juggernath has got back to his old home, and is again seated on his throne of jewels. The confidence of his votaries in his power and glory, and even in his beauty, ugly as he is, is still strong. The repairs that have been made in the temple have rendered it safe to worship in it-so it is said; but we are assured that they have been very imperfectly executed. Amid the dreadful darkness which for many centuries has prevailed here, it is cheering to the Christian to observe a few faint streaks of light, and to believe that they are the precursor of much brighter scenes. We cannot but hope that there are some even in Pooree, wholly given to idolatry as it is, who in secret attentively read the Word of Christ, and are favourably disposed towards His gospel. At one of our preaching stands a young man argued in favour of Christianity, and against Hindooism; he afterwards told the brethren that their words were to him "fragrant as the sandal-wood, and sweet as the elixir of immortality." You will be interested to know that our native friends met with the father of Soda Sebo, and that he referred with fatherly feeling, though with bitter sorrow, to his son. He wept as he told them of the expense he had incurred in having him taught Sanscrit, and said how he had hoped that his son would grow up to be an honour to the family; instead of which, by breaking caste and becoming a Christian, he had destroyed the family honour and done mischief that could never be repaired here or hereafter. He seemed much affected. O that he may be led to see that in winning Christ his son has secured the highest honour and advantage; and may he, too, by the grace of God, secure that "one pearl of great price" which enriches those who possess it, though they part with all to gain it ! One of those recently baptized at Cuttack is a young brahmin of Pooree-Bala Krishnoo Rath. He is about twenty-two years old, and considering the school in which he has been taught, has a remarkable knowledge of Scripture. He was a friend and companion of Bancha Nidhi, who was baptized a little more than a year ago. Before he knew the grace of God, he was in one of the maths (religious houses) at Pooree, and wandered from place to place covered with ashes, and otherwise presenting a disgusting appearance. How wonderful the change the grace of God effects in such an one, and how encouraging the assurance that it can do for thousands what it has done for him! Serious Rise of Prices in Orissa. DR. BUCKLEY writes:-"We are passing through a very critical and serious state of things. Rice and other articles of daily consumption are double the ordinary price, and it is certain that many of the poor around us must be suffering greatly. The pressure is felt, or soon will be, in the management of our Orphanages. It is no light matter to fill hundreds of hungry mouths, when rice is so dear as it is now. Unless it should please God to send us the needed help in this country, our friends at home must be prepared for a special application both for native preachers and Orphanages. I am thankful to say that the last few days the market has been easier, and rice is just now a little cheaper. During the week copious rain has fallen, which has been most opportune; but the exportation of grain from Orissa to the famine districts the last few months has been so very unusually great, that any failure in the next harvest would be a serious calamity. I hope it may please God to avert it. We must trust in Him at all times. God is a refuge for us." I was asked to visit a young man, an Englishman, who was in prison for striking the mate of the ship in which he was one of the crew. I thought as I was going of the words, "I was in prison, and ye came unto me;" and though I could hardly hope that he was a disciple of Christ, I tried to lead his thoughts to Him. He appeared to be about eighteen, could not read, had a widowed mother who lived at Portsmouth, and who, he said, often prayed for him. I reminded him that his mother would be very sad if she knew where he then was, though even in that case it would comfort her aching heart to know that there were Christian friends who cared for and instructed him. He was soon afterwards removed to Calcutta. THE MISSION BOAT“HERALD.” 401 And now I must refer to another scene, the like of which I never saw before, and which, it may be safely added, the reader never has seen and never will see. The jailer pointed out to me among the prisoners a poor leper, whose hands and feet had been eaten away by the loathsome disease. It was hard to see what crime against society could have brought him there, and harder still to believe when I was told that he had been connected with two others in a murder case, and sentenced to two years imprisonment ! A poor leper, without hands or feet, maliciously aiding and abetting in a murder case! Alas for poor human nature! Let us drop a tear over its depravity. Another thought I could not resist. O if we were but as earnest in doing good as this unhappy sufferer without hands or feet was in taking away life, how much more might we do for our Lord and Saviour! The Mission Boat ↔ Herald.” A NEW and interesting sight on the Orissa rivers is that of the Mission Boat Herald. By means of this boat places can be visited in the rainy season which would otherwise be inaccessible. For the cold weather, too, it is very useful for missionary journies. In a recent letter Mr. Miller writes: A photograph of the Herald was sent to Mr. Pike, which I hoped to have seen in the children's magazine or in our own. She is pronounced by all who have seen her to be a very nice boat-in fact a model, from which several others are now being built. Her length is forty-six feet, width seven and a half feet. She has two cabins, one twelve feet, the other ten feet long, with another twelve feet long for cooking. She has a large forecastle, also a spacious recess near the stern, on the top of which is a good sized fowl house. In the front cabin we have two benches, which make capital seats or beds, with a table in the centre, also shelves, and two small almirahs. I know of no boat on the river so conveniently and nicely fitted up. She has, of course, a mast, sail, oars, anchor, punt, etc. The Sunday School at North Street, Leeds, has provided funds for two very beautiful flags; also for a complete set of Government Maps of Orissa, recently published. The flags were made in London under the direction of Mr. W. Bailey, who furnishes the following description of them :: Two very beautiful flags, made by Messrs. Neave & Co., Leadenhall Street, have been presented by the Sunday school of North Street, Leeds, for the mission boat Herald. The one for the mainmast, which will be very attractive to the natives, is a blue burgee, and the design is a dove in flight with an olive branch in its mouth, which is very effectively shaded. The name of the boat is in white letters. The other flag is a St. George's Cross, and is intended to be used as an ensign. The bright colours of the flags contrasting with the green foliage on the banks of the Orissa rivers, and the clear water over the sandy beds, will give a cheeriness to the little craft as she sails along on her errand of mercy. A complete set of Government Maps of the country, in a portable form, are being sent out by funds supplied from the same school, and as the province is largely intersected with rivers, these will be of great service. The larger rivers are very circuitous, and the banks in some parts very high. Mr. Miller, in a recent communication, says, that but for the flag of the boat it was sometimes difficult, when they had been three or four miles into the interior, to make their way to the anchorage. The nearer we can bring our Juvenile Missionary Associations into contact with the missionaries in the field, the more interest will be awakened in the work. Report of Bhoordah. THE following report from our worthy brother, Shem Sahu, was received too late for insertion in the Annual Report. We send it to the press, together with the note which accompanied it, just as it was received, and from these communications friends at home will see the command our brother has obtained of the English language. TO REV. W. HILL, Secretary of the General Baptist Missionary Society, England. MY DEAR SIR,-I beg to submit my report of the Khoordah church-am sorry it has been delayed so long-for which I hope you will kindly excuse me. I must take this opportunity to thank you heartily for so kindly sending me the Magazine. I am now receiving it regularly from Dr. Buckley. I have given an account of our work during the year, and know not what to write more. I thought several times last year to write to you now and thenbut something or other has prevented me from doing so till now. I cannot promise, but if spared will try to do so this year. You will find from our report that we intend having a new chapel at Khoordah. May I not humbly expect the sympathy and help of Christian friends in England? Hope self and Mrs. Hill, with children, are enjoying your fatherland. With our united nomaskars to you all, I remain, my dear sir, Khoordah, June 5, 1877. KHOORDAH REPORT, 1876-7. The lapse of another year calls upon us again to furnish a report of our "labour of love" for Him whose we are and whom we serve; we therefore gladly avail ourselves of the present opportunity to do so in what follows. THE CHURCH. Desirous to exhibit the state of our little church at Khoordah consistently with truth, we have to state, with deep humiliation, that while some of our members are active, others are justly chargeable with too much lukewarmness, and do not exhibit that awakening concern for the salvation of their souls and the prosperity of the Redeemer's cause which they ought. We deeply mourn over this, and pray that the Lord may pardon and quicken them. Notwithstanding our defects and discouragements, we are thankful that it has pleased the Lord to grant some encouraging proofs of His favour during the past year. In our last report we expressed a hope of increase, and now have the pleasure to say that our expectation has been in some degree realised. Ever since our settlement here, though blessed year by year with the conversion of precious souls from among our nominal Christian community, we had always ardently longed for the day to gather souls into the fold of Christ from among the heathen: and with heartfelt thank SHEM SAHU. fulness to "God that giveth the increase' and "causeth us to triumph in Christ” we have to inform our friends that we had the pleasure of witnessing such a highly important day during the year under review. On the 9th July, 1876, we had the privilege of baptizing into the faith of Christ and admitting into our church fellowship an aged gooroo of Barrampoora, in Banki estate. Our brother, spending about a month with us after his baptism, went back to his own village. We had the pleasure of seeing him more than once since that time, and not many days back from the date we are now writing we saw him again in our house, and had an opportunity of exhorting him to "cleave unto the Lord." In addition to this, two others from our community have also been baptized, and, we are thankful to say, are now walking "in newness of life." We pray for those baptized during the year that they may be kept steadfast unto the end. It has pleased the Lord to remove by death three of our females. Of these two were members of our church, and from their consistent walk until the time they were no more, we hope they are now sleeping in Jesus. But of the other, we deeply regret to say, we cannot express such a hope. Our public services on the Lord's-day and week-day evenings have been regularly maintained throughout the year, THE LEGACY OF THE LATE MRS. SUTTON. and we humbly trust the word preached among us has not been altogether without Divine blessing. We have some hopeful inquirers, and two approved candidates, unto whom the ordinance of baptism, God willing, is to be administered shortly. Some of our heathen neighbours have occasionally attended our services on Sundays, and this has been a special cause of gratification to us, as we believe a few of them are sincerely disposed. Upon the whole, we think our prospects rather more encouraging than when we last reported; and should it be given to us, by the grace of God, to be humble and to be more constantly about our Father's business, we believe we shall soon have greater success. LABOURS AMONG THE PEOPLE. As we had time and ability, we have tried during the year to make known the way of salvation to the people, both by the living voice and by distribution of gospels and tracts. Besides visiting the important festivals, two tours were taken during the cold season. The first extended as for as Barmool, on the Sumbulpore road, and the second as far as Tangy, on the Ganjam road. In the one we were joined with the Piplee brethren, and in the other by Mr. Brooks. During these tours we had numerous opportunities of preaching the gospel to hundreds of perishing heathen. The incidents, too, that we met with were very encouraging, and the satisfaction we experienced while thus labouring was such as it is not often our privilege to enjoy. We commend our labours to Him who is "the Lord of the harvest," and pray that He would bless them abundantly. NEW CHAPEL AT KHOORDAH. The importance of having a new and enlarged chapel at Khoordah was referred to in our last report, and now we have 403 the pleasure of reporting progress. A short time before our last report was published, we began among ourselves to obtain contributions, and we are glad to state that, although almost all of them are very poor, they promised to raise about a hundred rupees among themselves, of which nearly half has been realized. The European gentlemen of the station have very generously helped us in the matter, and we feel it our duty thankfully to confess that their contributions have exceeded our expectations. We brought this matter before the Orissa missionaries when assembled in conference at Cuttack, and it gives us pleasure to state that they not only sanctioned it, but encouraged us very much by promising to help to the extent of their ability. Though our plan is not quite completed, it is supposed that the sum required to build a substantial chapel, capable of accommodating 150 persons, will probably exceed 1,500 rupees. Up to date, the total sum received or promised amounts to about 500 rupees. Further donations are earnestly solicited, and, as "the Lord hath need of them," we trust His people will cheerfully give. Donations for this object will be thankfully received by Shem Sahu, Khoordah, Orissa; or by any of the Cuttack missionaries. The following donations in aid of the new chapel at Khoordah are thankfully acknowledged : : The Legacy of the late Mrs. Sutton. THE friends of the Mission will note among the receipts of last month the sum of £389 28. 1d. (being the equivalent of two thousand American dollars) from the Will of the late Mrs. Sutton. In the letter of instructions it is stated that "the only directions in Mrs. Sutton's Will regarding the application of the funds are as follows, 'to be expended by said Society in training native Oriya preachers in Orissa, India, according to the wish of my late beloved husband."" Twenty-two years have passed away since Dr. Sutton's death, and Mrs. Sutton's return to the United States; but in Orissa, and the |