Page images
PDF
EPUB

and surrounded by a richly ornamented varandah, supported by light, elegant, fluted, gilt pillars; the whole is capable of containing sixty persons, and is about twenty two feet in height. It moves on four wheels; the hinder ones eight feet in diameter, with a breadth of twelve feet between them. It is drawn by six immense elephants, (with a driver on each,) harnessed to the carriage by traces, as in England, and their huge heads covered with a sort of cap, made of richly embroidered cloth. The pace at which they moved, was that of a slow trot, of about seven miles an hour, they were very steady, and the springs of the carriage particularly easy. As it is crane-necked, the elephants turned round with it on coming back with the greatest facility. The shape of the body is extremely elegant, resembling a flat scolloped shell, and painted dark green and gold. The elephants are an exact match, but, as stated, of an enormous size. The whole was constructed by native workmen, assisted by one half caste Frenchman, under the immediate directions of the Rajah." (P. 146, 147.)

We might here introduce a remarkable adventure with a wild elephant, or the chace of an antelope. But we omit them for the sake of an entertaining narrative, which may serve as a lively illustration of our Saviour's words, that the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. The scene of it is laid at Seringapettah, a village not far from Tritchinopoly, celebrated for the dexterity of its thieves.

"Some years ago, a detachment of the king's artillery, intending to halt there for the night, was advised of this propensity of the natives, and recommended to be well on their guard against it. The two officers in charge of the detachment, as well as the men, ridiculed and scorned the idea of these poor wretches, (such they seemed to be,) being able to rob the King's artillery, but took the precaution of placing sentries over all the tents, and a double one at that of the quarter guard, with orders, rendered unnecessary by the awakened pride of the sentries themselves, to be more than usually watchful. The inhabitants, through the means of the native servants, heard that their skill in thieving was set at naught, and their vanity was proportionably piqued. Next morning the officers, rising early, missed nothing, and began to exult in their security, when one of the serjeants arrived, with shame and dismay pictured on his countenance, and informed them, that the whole of the arms belonging to the main guard were missing, and that all the natives had abandoned the village. Every search, though undertaken instantly, was in vain, and the detachment was compelled to march away unarmed, and fully aware of the reception they would be likely to meet with from their corps, when their disaster became known. The manner in which this dexterous theft was achieved, long remained unknown; but many years afterwards, when the circumstance was almost forgotten, the villagers themselves voluntarily surrendered the arms to the authorities of the country, and declared they had taken them merely because their skill in thieving had been called in question; and observed, in confirmation of this, that they had not taken a single article, with the exception of the arms, which they now restored. Being asked how they had contrived to steal them from the centre of a tent, the guard sleeping around them, and two sentries outside, they gave the following account: Several of them stripped themselves naked, and oiled their bodies over, that, if caught, they might not be easily held; they then approached that part of the tent where the sentry in the rear was posted, who, as usual, was walking about twenty paces backwards and forwards. The night was dark, and the most bold and dexterous among them advanced obliquely towards the tent, creeping on his belly, lying still while the sentry was

pacing towards him, and only moving on slowly and cautiously, when his back was turned. In this way he arrived at the tent, and his black body was, in the dark, invisible to the sentry. He now, with the utmost adroitness, lifted up a part of the side of the tent, having carefully removed one peg, and soon found that all the guard was asleep, relying on their double sentries. By this time the other villagers had followed their leadar, and were all lying in the same posture, with the head of each touching the feet of the one who bad preceded him. In this way, the arms, being slowly removed, without the slightest noise, by the most advanced thief, were with equal caution, passed along from one to another, until the whole were scured, and the thieves retired as they came, unseen and unsuspected." (P. 41, 43.)

But the interest, excited by all these, and different other anecdotes such as books of travels ordinarily furnish, is absorbed in that, awakened by the more valuable facts which are collected in this diary, respecting the present state and future prospects of our holy religion, both in that country, where patriarchs, apostles, and even our blessed Saviour himself laboured and bled, or in that more benighted land, to which we yet trust that the East India Company will be disposed to realize in its best sense the promise held out in the motto of their arms--

Redit a nobis Aurora, diemque reducit.'

In remarking on any of the statements, contained in this narrative, we of course take the facts as we find them in the pages of the field officer, and leave him to vouch for their authenticity.

The first important particular, which we are desirous of citing from this pleasing volume, is the substantial confirmation which it gives to the statements of the late Dr. Buchanan concerning the Syrian churches of Travancore. It is well known to the public, how much suspicion has been cast on the representations and researches of that excellent man, by persons who have found the high opinion they had been led to form of the Syrian Christians, disappointed by the subsequent result of a personal observation. We look upon the establishment of that valuable author's veracity, as a matter of considerable moment to the Christian public; because, if he was capable of giving to the world exaggerated or embellished representations of facts, which passed immediately under his own eye, that circumstance detracts most fatally from his authority, not only as a writer on the state of Christianity, heathenisin, and Mahometanism, in India, but also, as a divine, descanting on the great truths and dutics of religion; for who can place confidence in the judgment of a man on matters of opinion and sentiment, who even sees and hears through the medium of a distorting imagination? We think, however, that we can sufficiently account for the impression, which has been made on the public mind concerning Dr. Buchanan, without any impeachment either of his judgment or of the veracity of others. Dr. Buchanan did certainly write with the enthusiasm of one who felt what he stated. We should indeed pity the man, wlio could see all that he saw, and hear what he heard, without being moved by it, or who could address a public, capable of conferring such extensive benefits on the various classes of persons, whom he visited, Hindoos, Mahometans, and Christians of opposite and even, (we are sorry to be obliged to say,) of hostile churches,

without giving to his statements all the strength which was necessary to their effect. Further than this we are firmly persuaded, that he has not gone. Later researches have not really falsified any fact, which he has reported, as true. Yet such was the nature of the particulars he exhibited to the public eye, such was the painfully interesting contrast between the scenes of impurity and blood, which were darkly alluded to in one part of his heart-thrilling tale, and the real though ignorant Christianity of the churches, which he brought into clearer light in another, that the imagination of his readers was roused by it, and, as always hap pens in such cases, easily overran the sobriety of his statements. The feelings of the public had indeed been accustomed to be moved by statements, relating to that interesting people; witness the following account of them in Cave's Life of St. Thomas, published about a hundred and fifty years ago, which could not fail to engage the affections of the christian world in their favour. "From these first plantations of Christianity in the Eastern Indias by our apostle, there is said to have been a continued series and succession of Christians, hence called Saint Thomas Christians, in those parts unto this day. The Portuguese at their first arrival here found them in great numbers in several places, no less, as some tells us, than fifteen or sixteen thousand families. They are very poor, and their churches generally mean and sordid, wherein they had no images of saints, nor any representations, but that of the cross They are governed in spirituals by a high priest, whom some make an Armenian patriarch of the sect of Nestorius, but who in truth is no other than the patriarch of Muzal, the remainder, as is probable, of the ancient Seleucia, and by some, though erroneously, styled Babylon, residing northward in the mountains, who, together with twelve cardinals, two patriarchs, and several bishops, disposes of all affairs, referring to religion; and to him all the christians of the east yield subjection. They promiscuously admit all to the holy communion, which they receive under both kinds of bread and wine, though instead of wine, which their country affords not, making use of the juice of raisins, steeped one night in water, and then pressed forth." Such obscure sketches as these having been given from time to time of this remarkable body of oriental christians, surrounded by wretched idolaters, when Dr. Buchanan came forward to fill up the outline, and give body and substance to the representation, Utopian pictures were immediately drawn in the minds of all his readers, which led him to expect a state of purity, innocence, and christian simplicity, which when investigation failed to authenticate, the mistake, according to the natural propensity of men to shift the blame of their own errors upon the shoulders of others, was attributed to an inaccuracy in Dr. Buchanan, when in fact it existed only in the excited imaginations of his readers. The following extracts will probably set this matter on the right foundation:

"With Dr. Buchanan's account of them in my hand, I went where he went, and sometimes where he went not; and I seize with pleasure this opportunity of offering the testimony of an individual, who, however obscure JANUARY, 1824.-No. 261.

76

and unknown, has been an eye-witness to most of what has been asserted on this head by the first friend, and now beloved benefactor, of the neglected Syrians. He is gone to reap the fruits of his labours, from a master who is not unrighteous, that he should forget our work and labour of love; but the cause of christianity itself requires that those who have had the opportunity of convincing themselves, should join in rescuing others from believing the imputation so readily cast on the veracity of a good christian." (P. 101, 102.)

The following extract of a letter from the truly pious and indefatigable Mr. Hough, is too valuable a testimony to the veracity of the celebrated Dr. Buchanan, not to be preserved.

"December 30th.-Madras.

"Dr. Buchanan's account of these people has been most undeservedly depreciated. I travelled with his book in my hand; visited four of the churches which he describes; compared his descriptions with what I saw; and actually found that his language, glowing as I thought it when at a distance, did not adequately express my feelings on the spot. I would not envy the feelings of the man, who could visit a body of christians, in the mountains and wilds of Malabar, still, notwithstanding their degenerated condition, loving and assenting to the word of God, confessing their ignorance, and desiring to be taught, with other emotions than those of Dr. Buchanan.

"I asked several gentlemen in Travancore, whom I heard retailing the current complaints of the Doctor's exaggerations, whether they could mention a single fact, wherein he had departed from the truth; and not one. replied in the affirmative. The Missionaries felt at first, that the state of the people did not answer the expectations, which the African researches had tended to raise in their minds: but it does not necessarily follow, hence, that the pictures there given were false representations. I do not think they charge the Doctor with one inaccuracy, and verily believe they thank him for writing in the animated style he adopted." (P. 372.)

Of the extent of Indian idolatry the author draws a painful picture.

Thousands of Indians, passing along, on account of some great heathen festival, gave animation to the scene, and communicated a favourable idea of the amount of the population in this part of the country; but that feeling was not unaccompanied with regret, in witnessing the numbers whom the corruption of human nature, and the seductions of Satan, had brought to bow the knee at shrines and temples erected in honour of him: bere and there they were so numerous, that great care was necessary to avoid hurt. ing some by riding over them; nor could I proceed among them faster than at a walk."

We copy some remarks on visiting heathen temples, in the hope that the hints they suggest may not be lost upon our Indian travellers.

"The pagoda here is a very large one, and in great repute; and is a good specimen of what such buildings usually are. Four squares of stone walls one within another, having gateways in the centre of each wall, facing the four cardinal points, and the gateways of the second walls surmounted each with an immense pagoda-shaped tower, form the principal outline of the building. The detail is filled up with rich, but badly executed ornaments, in the most lavish profusion, and designed to express several imaginary adventures and attributes of the silly god to whom the whole is dedicated. Who this one was, I did not trouble myself to enquire. His shrine is in the centre of the whole, and a brahmin offered to

conduct me to it, if I chose to pay for admission; this I declined, being aware that they consider the money so paid as an offering in honour of their god." (P. 26, 27.)

"I know not how far a Christian can be justified in going, for the mere purpose of gratifying his curiosity, to visit the temple of a miserable idol, when that visit is given out by the brahmins, (and unquestionably regard. ed by the natives,) to be made as a mark of respect to the idol itself." (P. 50.)

That there are native Christians in British India, worthy of the name, and consequently entitled not only to the protection, but to the respect and favourable regard of their superiors, may be exemplified in this exhibition of the liberal spirit of Christianity by a native boy at Tranquebar, which we copy from our author.

"He had lately been undertaking a journey, to defray the expenses of which his uncle had presented him with a pagoda; but being already possessed off five fanams, he contrived to subsist on that, and expended the pagoda in the purchase of a Tamul bible. (P. 29.)

"The boy, having been sent on a journey by his master, on arriving at a Choultry took out his Tamul bible, and began to read to himself. Ashamed of the false shame which prevented his reading aloud, he began to do so; and soon after an old man entered the Choultry, and the scene passed which is detailed in Ayavoo's letter, in a style and language far more interesting than any account I could offer." (P. 30.)

The boy read to his aged companion, prayed with him, and, finding that he valued the book, presented it to him

"In a spirit of Christian charity which can only be fully appreciated by those who are acquainted with the natural selfishness of the poor heathens, and the sacrifice which, as a boy, Ayavoo had made to obtain it. He will not remain long without procuring another." (P. 30.)

But this is no solitary, insulated fact, at variance with the general strain of the author's observations.

"I have become acquainted," (says the traveller,)" with that which is quite sufficient to convince me that those pious men, who bestow labcur and money on the maintenance of missions among the heathen, neither labour nor spend in vain. The harvest may be delayed, but it will come, and the sower shall reap the fruits of his seed.” (P. 35.)

"The general result of my inquiries is the all-but-formed conviction, that there are, in this remote and almost unknown corner of the world, (he is speaking now of the Malabar coast,) between sixty and seventy thousand souls ready to receive the Gospel, as soon as it shall be preached among them unfettered by an unknown and obsolete tongue." (P. 115.)

Indeed the great want of the scriptures for circulation in the ver nacular languages spoken by Christians in India, notwithstanding all the efforts of societies and missionaries, is attested by many facts. In the Tinevelly country, Messrs. Rhenius and Schmidt

"Discovered a considerable number of self-called Christian congregations, some Catholic and some Protestant, but most of them plunged in

Eight shillings.

† About one shilling.

An open public building, erected on the road side for the convenience of travellers.

« PreviousContinue »