In 1838 a considerable addition was made to the agency of the mission which resulted in greatly increasing its sphere of operations and their usefulness. Mr. Mead had been compelled to visit England on account of ill health, and so successfully pleaded the cause of the Shánárs, that the Directors of the London Society resolved to reinforce the mission on a large scale. Five missionaries left England with Mr. Mead: and on their arrival four new stations were added to the two already existing, as the residence of a missionary. Immediately after, two thousand persons placed themselves under instruction in one year. Mrs. Mault's boarding school was enlarged to 120 girls and printing presses were established at Nagercoil, Neyoor and Quilon. A seventh head-station has since been founded at Santapuram.

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It is impossible in this brief sketch to detail all the elements of the progress which these interesting missions have since exhibited: and which have greatly encouraged both the missionaries who labour and the friends who support their efforts. At the present time the London Mission in South Travancore contains seven chief stations, and about two hundred and fifty outstations; superintended and instructed by eight missionaries, and 105 catechists. The native christians so-called number 17,600 persons; amongst whom, owing to the high standard of admission into church fellowship, only 700 are reckoned church members or communicants. The boys in the Boarding Schools number 104; and the girls, 230: 6000 boys and 1000 girls are taught in day-schools. The three presses have lately been brought together at Nagercoil; in the hope that one wellmanaged establishment will better provide for all the printing which the mission needs. The various physical agencies required in such an extensive mission have long since been completed, though their preparation has cost both a large amount of time and anxiety, as well as a considerable expenditure of money. The out-stations have their village chapels and school-rooms. The head stations have the houses of resident missionaries; large, well-built chapels; and large school-houses for the boarding schools. In some cases a christian village has risen up at the station : in others, the christians are still mixed with the heathen population in general. To these must be added the three printing offices at Neyoor, Nagercoil and Quilon, that have already been mentioned. Of all the Travancore stations, two of the prettiest and most compactly built are Santapuram and James' Town. The former of these, "the city of peace," lies midway between Neyoor and Nagercoil, being about six miles from each. It lies opposite a noble hill which stretches far into the well-tilled

rice plain. Its pretty parsonage; its neat church, already too small for the demands of the christian population; its flourishing girls' school, containing more than a hundred girls; its lace establishment; its almshouses for poor widows; its well planned village; and huge well; all reflect much credit on the perseverance and energy of Mr. Lewis, the missionary by whom it was founded. The station of James' Town, once rejoiced in the euphonious title of Pichi-gudi-iruppu. 'the town of the beggars.' It was then an out-station of Nagercoil; but on its establishment as the head of a district, it ceased to be poor, either in appearance or in fact, and received from its missionary a new name. In addition to the usual buildings the station has been planted with a large number of cocoanut trees. Among the out-stations of this district are the earliest villages which embraced christianity in the time of Mr. Ringeltaube. Mylády is one of them, Agateswarum another: another in the district of Santapuram is known by the singular name of Ananda-náden-gudi-iruppu. I shall never forget the happy faces of the Shánár girls in the school at this station, as they plied their merry spinning-wheels, and sang with glee, "Oh! that will be joyful, when we meet to part no more."

Little can the dwellers in English cities imagine how hard a trial it is to a European missionary to spend year after year of his tropical life, almost entirely surrounded by a native population. Who can wonder if hypochondria, low spirits, and stagnation of mind and body spring from the loneliness in which some are isolated. I was glad to perceive that the missionaries in South Travancore, in order to counteract such evils, were accustomed to hold frequent meetings at each other's stations: and also that they had secured in the hills around them a pleasant place of retirement for their sick members in the hottest season of the year. In the ghauts, immediately to the north of Nagercoil, and distant about fourteen miles, a few years back they discovered a series of water-falls. These falls are situated about eight hundred feet above the plain. Close at their feet is a platform of rock just large enough for a house, and having a fine view of the falls. Here a neat little dwelling has been erected, sufficiently large to contain two families; and in the burning season just before the monsoon sets in, the invalids of the mission are able to retreat to this retired spot, to enjoy its cooler air and the many natural beauties with which its scenery abounds. The upper fall comes down between two giant rocks, rounded and scored by the perpetual action of the mountain torrent, while trees and creepers of immense size, fed by its waters, gracefully shade and overarch the silver stream to which their own life is due.

From the platform the view obtained across the plain is one of the most exhilarating kind. Up the valley the rice-fields stretch away for miles; studded every where with topes of palms: and where hills project, their terraced slopes shew with what care and diligence the hand of man strives to obtain the fruits God showers on this world's soil. When I saw it, the people were every where reaping the golden rice harvest, but most of them were SLAVES.

The TINNEVELLY mission was revived from its lethargy by Mr. Rhenius, who with his colleague Mr. Schmid went down to Palamcottah as a missionary of the Church Missionary Society in 1820. Mr. Hough had endeavoured by the aid of Swartz's fund to carry on the missions of the Christian Knowledge Society, but the Society in England could not supply him either with men or more money. He then applied to the Church Missionary Society; and as Mr. Rhenius and Mr. Schmid were in Madras, prepared to enter on a new sphere, they were directed to proceed to Tinnevelly. Besides giving some attention to the older stations, they founded new ones for their own Society, and having started upon the sound principle that no caste distinction should be permitted in their churches and schools, they soon began to build up around them congregations both numerous and sincere. People came flocking to them for christian instruction in a way that had never been seen before: large as the influx had been at times in the province of Tanjore. New stations were soon formed, as Dohnavur, to which a third missionary, Mr. Schafter, was appointed; and Suviseshapuram, placed under another, Mr. Muller. In 1829, there were 6,000 persons under instruction; of whom however, acting more strictly than their predecessors, Mr. Rhenius and his colleagues had baptized less than 1,000. In that year, the Society for Propagating the gospel, which had taken up all the missions in South India held by the Christian Knowledge Society, sent to Tinnevelly their first missionary Mr. Rosen: and thenceforth the two Societies advanced side by side, engaging in their common work with common plans, and gradually increasing the agency by which they endeavoured to carry it out. It is impossible in this brief sketch to enumerate even the chief incidents illustrative of the history of the Tinnevelly mission. Time would fail to describe faithfully the zeal and earnestness of Mr. Rhenius and his brethren: the controversy into which they were led with their Society, and Mr. Rhenius's abrupt dismissal: the carrying on of two separate missions by the parties: the death of Rhenius and the gradual reunion of all the congre

gations to the Society again: the establishment of new stations to the west and south among the purely Shánár population, and their extension to the north among others more wealthy and independent: the proceedings of the Heathen Society formed at Trichendoor to put a stop to christianity; and the persecutions which at length they incited against the christians: the serious out-break which took place at Nalloor, (Mr. Schafter's station :) the trials in the Courts: the bitter feeling excited by Mr. Lewin's attack on the missionaries and their converts: the increased success of the mission following the failure of the persecutions; its continued spread to the north among the more independent people, especially the Retties near Sawyerpuram; the entire destruction of all the heathen temples or devil pyramids in some of the older seats of the mission, which have become altogether christianized:-the great increase of European agency of all kinds; the growth of many christian agencies and Societies among the native christians themselves for preserving their faith in their own families and spreading it where it is unknown-these things constitute some of the striking features of the Tinnevelly missions, which have received their chief impulse and reaped their largest success during the last twenty years. At the present time there are 35,000 christians in Tinnevelly, of whom nearly 4,000 are communicants: 6,000 boys are under instruction in Vernacular schools and excellent Boarding schools are maintained for the young, containing 360 boys and 490 girls. These agencies are great in number and well concentrated.

If we now make a summary of the efforts made for the Shánár population in general by the two Church of England Societies in Tinnevelly and the London Missionary Society in Travancore, the result will appear as follows. Of the whole Shánár tribe, half a million in number, about one-tenth, or 52,000, are under christian instruction and have means provided for securing to them regular instruction and worship: of this large number 4,600 are communicants: 12,000 boys attend the Vernacular schools and the Boarding schools contain 500 boys and 800 girls. The number of chief stations is 25: of European missionaries, 24: and of native catechists and preachers, 254. Sixty years ago, scarcely one of these stations existed. A few natives only in Palamcottah were christians. Thirty years ago, the work had fairly begun, it has been continued with earnestness: new labourers have been added: and this is the great result: 4,600 adult communicants: 12,000 boys in day schools: 52,000 people under regular instruction. Of the number of

devil temples, pyramids and idols destroyed in Tinnevelly, I know nothing but in South Travancore, Mr. Mead assured me, that after extensive enquiry, it has been found that not less than 20,000 devil images and pyramids have been destroyed: while two Romish Churches with their altars and images have also been made over to the London Mission.

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Had time permitted I should have liked to describe some of the christian stations in Tinnevelly among this interesting people: to point out the flourishing village with its rows of well-built houses; its green milk hedge; its gardens of mangoe and plantain trees; its extensive palm topes; its cocoanut and betelnut trees; its roads lined with trees; its fine stone wells: its Court house for the village puncháyat: its mission house and schools and best of all the well-built Gothic Church, with its tall tower, appearing through the green foliage and by its pealing bell summoning the native christians morning and evening to the house of prayer. Or I might tell of the printing presses which supply the christian young with suitable maps and books of instruction: and then turn in contrast to the dark, low shed with the hideous idols, devouring their offspring, placed under the gloomy umbrella tree; might mark the small attendance on the annual festivals, the destruction of the devil pyramids and temples; and then impressed with the mighty contrast, exclaim in the language of the Bible: "What hath God wrought!"

WHY THE SHANAR CONVERTS ARE SO NUMEROUS.

Having glanced at the history of the Shánár mission, it will be well to consider certain practical questions suggested by the facts of that history. The first of these enquiries is: WHAT PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES have caused so many persons to embrace christianity in Tinnevelly and Travancore, whereas the converts in other parts of India are so few? The great distinguishing fact which lies at the bottom of the case is, that the SHANARS, not being Hindus by birth, are only partially bound by the laws of caste. They form a caste by themselves, and as they occupy all together one great locality they can act almost as if they were not a caste at all. If then a Shánár become a christian, he does not become an out-caste from his people, and is not cut off from all intercourse with his friends, as a Brahmin is in like circumstances. The penalty paid for becoming a christian is in the case of the latter, the loss of every thing: in that of the former, little or nothing. Another fact is, that they are much accustomed to act together: and it is a general feeling in a family