protested, saying that, until I acknowledged I had no more to say, the matter could not be concluded. Sometime before the close of the meeting, as soon as the Musalman tumult commenced, the Brahmins had managed to convey themselves out of the place, being alarmed at nothing so much as Musalman fury.

"On the 18th of April, I again appeared to reply to the Musalman. My opponent was not forthcoming, though I had waited half an hour in his mosque, and in reply to the messengers of the Jury he said, he was coming. After waiting some time, my reply was read, and as my opponent was not present, the Jury gave him other eight days for consideration; at the same time handing over my reply.—At the expiration of the eight days, the Jury again sat to hear the Musalman's reply to my second paper, but he not making his appearance, they declared the discussion at an end.

"On the morning of the 18th instead of being in his place, Ibrahim Sahib collected all the Musalmans at the corners of the different streets, and haranguing them, declared the missionary was beaten; the Musalman had conquered, and now the missionary must become a Musalman. This occurred at the very time when the Jury were sending messengers after him. The discussion being over, the difficulty now was to obtain the decision in writing from the Jury, as until that could be obtained, the Musalmans must enjoy their street triumph. Besides, the intelligence of the discussion was spread all over the Mysore country, in less than a week from its commencement, and it was of great importance to myself to have the matter cleared up. In every street I was asked what the Jury had decided in the matter. Had I allowed the matter to slip through, I should have been hooted through the streets, perhaps as long as I remained in the town. It cost me two months hard work to get the entire matter settled. Several of the Jury being Government servants, felt their honour at stake, but two of their number were greatly afraid of the future conduct of the Musalmans towards them; and it required every exertion of the remaining three to screw up their courage to put their signature to the documents. At the close of two months the Jury furnished me with a most lawyer-like statement of the whole affair, not omitting a single matter. It occupied seventeen pages of foolscap paper, and besides those there were other seventeen foolscap sheets which came before them, but which, my opponent not being present to hear, are not included in this document. During the two months which intervened, between the close of the discussion and delivery of the decision of the Jury,

I was hooted by the Musalmans in every street in which I preached. One morning, one of them in his rage cursed me, by saying, I should become ashes, if I took the name of the Koran into my lips. Another said, suiting his action to the words, he would cut me to pieces if I did not let the Koran alone. Another said, that before they began to discuss with me they ought to have given me a thorough beating. Their anger was much increased, because the discussion had lead me to read very carefully, the entire of Sale's edition of the Koran, with Savary's notes. I referred them to chapter and verse, and told them many things before the Hindoos, of which the latter had never heard, and which were very unpalatable. This, I believe, was the great reason why the discussion so soon closed, for I promised them I would make known all the matters of the Koran before I had done with them.

"As soon as the papers from the Jury were sent to me, I published their account of the discussion, and their decision thereon, with their signatures. This I distributed through the Pettah. The effect of this has been very remarkable. From the first day on which I circulated the tract up to this time, not a single Musalman has opened his mouth to me in the way of opposition. They listen to our preaching in greater numbers than formerly, but it is always in silence. If I had dropped the matter, at any point short of publishing the tract, I saw clearly that the Musalmans would have the advantage over me in the streets, as they could lie adinfinitum. But when there was once the decision of the Jury to which to appeal, I should have no occasion to fear the face of

any man.

"For two years past there has been a remarkable demand for the four Gospels in Hindoostanee by the Musalmans. Up to this time, we are quite at a loss to know what is done with all the books we have given amongst them. Matthew appears to be the favourite gospel with them. Nothing is clearer than that many of them read the gospels, for they talk about their contents. But there is a fatal blindness resting upon their minds. They cannot perceive in Christ, "God manifest in the flesh." Their principal aim appears to be, to collect passages in which Christ is called the "Son of man ;" and we have been surprised many times at their total rejection of the divinity of our Saviour.-Some of them say, the Paraclete promised by Christ to come after Him, is Mohammed. But in this case they shew their blindess, for they leave the entire connexion, and entertain two ideas only, the Paraclete is to come ;-the Paraclete is Mahommed.—Thus, they fully believe that Mahommed being promised, and having come as a prophet, is superior to Christ."

During the last few years, the people in the neighbourhood of Bellary, the oldest station in the Canarese country, have seemed to be drawing nearer to the kingdom of God. For a long period the missionaries have preached in the town, and wandered through the villages; have visited, revisited and visited again the great festival at Humpee, proclaiming the love of Christ to a sinful world; yet almost in despair of penetrating the dense mass of ignorance and irreligion in which they were engulphed. But signs appear that their labours have not been in vain, and that if carried on still, with faithfulness and zeal, they will soon result in widespread and substantial fruits. In the towns near Bellary a considerable acquaintance with the facts and principles of Christianity is found to prevail. In parts where the gospel has been longer and more fully preach-. ed than in others, the people evince a deeper interest in it: although in some minds there is exhibited a steady and bitter dislike. The missionaries are no longer regarded as strangers. Their character and errand are well known, and many are most anxious to hear their message.

Not long since Mr. Shrieves set out on a preaching tour through the district, and met with the most striking illustrations of the progress which the gospel has made in the people's minds. On his arrival at Kosgee, the people crowded round, and being encouraged by the presence of several hundreds, he preached to them upwards of three hours. They did not like to go away as long as he was able to speak. On telling them that he intended to stay with them for eight days, they were pleased and came in great numbers daily. He was obliged to make two companies of the people who came, to enable the teacher and himself to speak to them audibly.

Again he proceeded to Kumply, a large town where there are many weavers. On beginning to preach in the Pettah, the people came in crowds to hear him. He invited them all to visit his tent at any time they wished: they consequently came every day in increasing numbers: those who came were mostly weavers, but there were some of other castes also. He always had a large and attentive congregation from five to nine o'clock in the evening. Seeing the people were so anxious for instruction, he felt it necessary to stay longer with them than he had intended. On learning this fact they were much pleased. Many of the people called him into their houses, when many gathered together to hear and to ask questions. Some acknowledged that Christianity was true, saying; we see that this is the only way by which we can be saved. Others said; we are ready to embrace Christianity. A remarkable spirit of

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enquiry was prevalent among them. He distributed nearly three cooly loads of Scriptures and tracts. After staying with them twenty-four days, he told them that he was going away: they asked him to remain another week still.

The native catechists meet with a similar reception, and are often hospitably entertained by enquirers, as we saw in the neighbourhood of Cuddapah. The catechist, John Reid, in one of his journeys visited Kumply, Errode and other places, in all of which he preached the gospel and had conversations with the people. Many heard the message, and most listened with attention. Some assented fully to the excellence of Christianity, and said they were hindered from embracing it by caste. At Errode, which is in the Nizam's country, after he had preached, the people brought rice and milk, and said if any thing else were required, they would readily furnish it, and refused money when offered to them. A man who had seen him before, said he remembered with pleasure what he had heard about Christ. The tracts offered were taken with great eagerness. At Kundakul the people expressed much pleasure in hearing the gospel. They took a light away from a neighbouring temple, saying it was of no use there and would do for him to read by. They urged him to remain another day, promising to supply him with all he required.

When Mr. Stanger was recently returning to Bellary from a tour, he found two men who had come from a distant village, and said they were going to Bellary. On being asked why they were going thither, they said; We want to hear of the true God and to be instructed in the Christian religion. Mr. Stanger asked; Why are you so anxious about this. They replied; We have often heard that the padres at Bellary say that an idol is nothing, and that all who worship idols will go to hell; we have given up the worship of idols for the last year, and wish to serve the true God. They accordingly came to Bellary. One of them after a short time left, and the missionaries have not seen him since; the other seemed much in earnest; he made very gratifying progress in the knowledge of the truth, and gave them every reason to believe that he loved it too. Accordingly he was baptized in the Mission Chapel.

The annual festival at Humpee has long been celebrated for the enthusiasm with which its rites were celebrated. But even there, the gospel is winning its way. Even there, where the Hindu kings once reigned in splendor, and where they rendered Hindu idolatry powerful, the gospel is beginning to enlighten the understanding and to change the heart. It

is evident from the meagre attendances at the festivals, that although the self-interested and crafty supporters of idolatry, strain every nerve in decorating the cars, in order to dazzle the eyes and impress the minds of the multitude with superstitious fears, thereby to maintain their hold in their hearts, yet the people seem to invest them with less importance than they once did. They are being impressed with the fact that Hinduism is on the wane; and that Christianity is gaining ground, and will eventually be the only religion of mankind. The attendance at Humpee last year was smaller than it has ever been in years gone by. Tradition reports that formerly the yellow silk flag used in the idol's procession, was bought, in the days of his prosperity, for thirty thousand rupees, i. e. £3000. Last year a wealthy merchant bought it and placed it on the temple for three hundred and fifty rupees or £35! Is not the power of idolatry waning fast?

A step beyond the mere general assent to the truth of Christianity is the hard one of publicly professing it. Though many hold back, and endeavour to persuade others that they are Christians without that profession, yet some are found willing to make it, and brave all the difficulties by which such a step is beset. Others again are ready to make the profession without feeling the conviction, and thus put a difficulty on the missionary's side. These things are thus stated by Mr. Hardey.

"About June last, a Rajput, began to visit me, and brought with him a volume of the Old Testament in Canarese, which had been given to him many years ago in Bellary. He appeared very desirous to understand our Scriptures, and was particularly fond of the Book of Psalms. I engaged to read with him once a week. This continued for some time, when he invited me to his house. He had a large number of females and children, all of whom, in the Hindu fashion, he gave to me. He afterwards wished to be baptized and all his house. He said he would work in the garden, but I must provide for the women and children. But this providing for new converts always has been, and will, for a long time to come, be a great difficulty in the way of baptizing these people. Until there are many more Christians, most of those who now become such will be great sufferers, if not cared for by the Mission. One day I said to this man: If you become a Christian, you must renounce all caste. He at once replied, "I will forsake it, and I will give you a proof if you wish it, that I forsake it." I at once called a servant who was a heathen pariah, to bring the bread. I cut a piece of the bread and gave it to him, and he ate it in the presence of Mrs. Hardey, the servant and