blishment of the colony was, their desire to turn to good account a temporary religious excitement among a class of people who call themselves Kálagnánis from believing in a prophetic Purána, termed Kálagnána or knowledge of the times. In this extraordinary book which may be about two hundred years old, great changes regarding the prevailing sects Brahmans and Lingaits are prophesied. Teachers of the true religion are described as coming from the west and the fall of the great city of Seringapatam is announced as a sign that these prophecies are about to be fulfilled. Stirred up by these predictions, some of the leaders of the Kálagnána sect applied to the London Missionaries at Belgaum for counsel and assistance. Having failed in convincing them of their sincerity, they addressed themselves in 1839 to the Basle missionaries at Dharwar, and requested them to come and teach them the way of truth; assuring them that there were thousands of people of the same mind, who desired most earnestly to be instructed in the doctrines of the true religion. It was evident from the first, that the wishes of these people were not altogether free from worldly considerations; but the missionaries felt it their duty to take the matter up. Several visits were accordingly paid to the Kálagnánis; and the brethren at Dharwar and Hubli were now and then much encouraged by manifestations of an apparently sincere desire after truth on their part. At last, Mr. Frey who was stationed at Hubli, determined on going amongst them, and staid for several months at Bentur, one of their principal villages, instructing all who would come. Matters came to a decision in the latter part of the year 1840, when only twenty people appeared steadfast. These assured Mr. Frey that they would follow him to the asylum which he promised to establish for them; and measures were adopted to commence it.

Early in 1841, the Government granted the mission a piece of waste land, including sixteen acres of stony ground for building, and about a hundred for cultivation, on the same conditions on which Hindu cultivators receive such waste lands: and Mr. Frey, with the consent of the Home Committee, commenced building a mission house and a few native huts. When, however, the settlement was so far advanced that colonists could be admitted, Mr. Frey and his brethren were sadly disappointed by their inconstancy. All who had promised to come refused to give up caste and their former connections. The movement of the Kálagnáni gradually subsided, as they found themselves persecuted by their own people, and the whole plan, as far as they were concerned, fell to the ground. The experiment added another to the long list of proofs already existing that

a broad line separates the christian community from the Hindus; that he who passes it, even as an enquirer, is a marked man; and that even the smallest approach towards christian convictions is resented publicly and privately as a breach of caste rules. It costs as much therefore to enquire as to decide. Nothing apparently will alter such a state of things but the entire abolition of the caste system. That consummation is hastened by every violent disruption of its bonds; and such must our converts for a time be content to bear, assured that their own sufferings make the way more easy for their successors. Failing in its special object, the Malasamudra colony has proved a useful location for the few christian converts which the mission has gathered in from the heathen. There is hope that it will share in the success which the other stations of the Dharwar Mission have recently begun to enjoy.

SECOND GROUP OF MISSIONS: MANGALORE.

The second distinct group of stations and converts in the Basle Evangelical mission is found in and around Mangalore. This town was the first location of the mission on its establishment in 1834; it has always possessed the largest staff of missionaries, and has in several respects been made the head-quarters of the mission. The labours of the brethren however are not all alike; the chief difference being the same as is found over all India between those of town and country stations. Mangalore has a large and important mission in the town itself: but there are two country stations in connection with it, at Mulki and Honore, on the sea coast, and distant, we believe, respectively fifteen and forty miles from that town. Of the latter stations we will speak first.

The narrow strip of land on the west coast of India in north Canara is inhabited by several varieties and castes of people. They are to a great extent Hindu, and the brahmins exercise the same sway over them as they do over the Tamils of Tanjore. Two castes are specially abundant, the Billavas and Bants; they are both low and poor, and amongst them the mission has obtained a large number of converts. The BILLAVAs are cultivators of the palmyra tree from which they make toddy: in name they resemble the Yiravas of Travancore; in habits and employment they are like the Shanars of Tinnevelly. The BANTS, called also Vokilme, are the farmer-caste, and live by cultivating the soil: they are a rude, boisterous people and rather difficult to manage. The fishermen also have given converts to the mission, but they are much addicted to drink,

ing and less ready to hear the gospel. These people, with others like them, evidently constitute a portion of the aboriginal tribes of India : they speak not the pure Canarese language, but a separate tongue the TULU: and though subject to the brahmins, who are numerous in some spots, especially at Uddapi, their religious notions are in many respects distinguished from those of their priestly masters. Like the Shanars and Yiravas, these castes retain the aboriginal worship of Hindustan, the worship of demons: and like them, from a variety of causes, are peculiarly open to the instructions of the christian church. Of the peculiarities of demon-worship we shall now speak but briefly, as the subject will be fully discussed in the lecture on the Shanar missions.

The belief in demons is very deeply rooted in the hearts of the Tulu people, and many of them defend it with great warmth. They believe that there are a great many demons who, in by-gone times, were mighty men upon this earth but have left it as spirits and are now in the presence of God. They assert according to their ancient legends, that the demons asked God for food, and He advised them to get it from the Tulu people. If these give them food, which consists in the offerings of rice, fowls, pigs, toddy and water, according to the commandment of God, the demons pray for their worshippers, bless them in their house and business, heal their diseases, protect them from the influence of evil spirits and bad men, punish those who hurt them and can even be intreated to torment and kill their enemies. For this reason the demons which are supposed to have taken up their abode in a house, are called together every evening by the sound of a drum, as they may have left during the day the house committed to their care. But if these demons do not get their food, they are believed to visit men and cattle with disease and even death. When misfortune or illness occurs, it is ascribed to the demons. The priest is immediately consulted. He first looks at the stars, as the brahmins do; or according to their own fashion, puts a winnowing fan upon fresh boiled rice, pronouncing at the same time some magic formula, as the sticking on or not of the rice to the fan is considered ominous. He then names one of the demons or some deity as the cause of the evil. Upon this revelation, sacrifices are immediately brought to the offended, deity, either in secret or in the presence of many others, and if a god is. the cause of the misfortune, money and feasts for the brahmins are promised. In their public sacrifices, the priest and another worshipper of demons pretend to be possessed by the spirit, which is to be appeased by the offerings. There are demons who are supposed to be the guardian

not only of houses and families, but of whole villages; for these a great feast is celebrated at least once a year, at which all the inhabitants of the village present their offerings; and people come from a distance to offer such gifts as they may have vowed to the demons, when in danger. Thus are they kept in constant fear and slavery.

Absurd as it may seem, the people hold to this worship with great tenacity. They offer a variety of reasons in its defence: and endeavour to shew that they have no ground for accepting the gospel in its stead. "We too worship God. Daily we invoke him, saying: Nárayan our Lord, thou art our preserver, give us our daily food. We do whatsoever God puts into our mind. He causes us to do both good and evil.” "God has sent these demons, therefore we are obliged to serve them, or they will kill us, or torment us in various ways. They are servants of the Great God, whom we must do our best to please, as we try to keep on good terms with the officers of the East India Company." "If the demons were nothing, how could they work miracles, kill men suddenly or heal their diseases in a moment." "We must serve both God and the demons. Our forefathers have done so and prospered. We should die if we forsook this worship." "The demons are kind masters; when we fall sick, we make or promise offerings to them, and they make us whole. When we wish to revenge ourselves, we may ask them to vex our enemies and they will fulfil our prayer." "What can we know of these things, we are blockheads. Who of us has seen heaven and hell, who knows what will happen to-morrow?" "As soon as God will appear to us in bodily form, we shall believe in him." "How can we meditate on such sublime subjects; we are wholly occupied with care for our food." These arguments appear weak, and easy to be answered; but they have acquired great strength among the people, and prove a strong obstacle to the acceptance of a better faith. The missionaries do not generally spend much time in refuting these errors, but rather try to effect an entrance into their hearts by appealing to their consciences, by convincing them of their sins and directing them to Christ. Coming as a religion of gentleness and mercy, as a religion suited to the poor and degraded, and finding less hinderance from caste prejudices among them than among the Hindus, the truth of the Bible has met with great success among these classes of the people. Including Mangalore, there are three principal mission stations among them: and the churches number two hundred and twenty communicants, in a community of five hundred and sixty individuals. Twenty years ago not one of these was a Christian. Mulki is the most

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important of the village stations. It was founded, and for several years managed, by Mr. Ammann, one of the most energetic and persevering missionaries in the Tulu district. It has two outstations attached, at Uchila and Gudde, and its missionary is in constant intercourse with the people at Cáp, Pertur, Uddapi and other places near, in which the Bant and Billava castes abound. The gospel has entered the door which Providence opened for it, and its preachers have now only to work steadily in this garden of the Lord, reaping the fruit of souls converted by his grace. It will readily be imagined that congregations newly gathered from the degradation of Hindu idolatry and of demon worship exhibit great weakness of moral principle, even where that principle does exist. Such "little ones" have been numbered among the churches in all ages, and the defects which prevail in their practice now, are precisely those which form the burden of the apostolic epistles when Christianity was new. The intellectual incapacity of the lower castes is also much against their rapid progress. They do improve and will improve still more, but at the outset it is found that they comprehend with difficulty the great truths of the gospel. Long and repeated instruction is necessary. When examined on what they have heard, they often say: We have it in our heart, but it will not come into our mouth. There is considerable truth in what a woman once said to one of the missionaries, who complained of her dulness in learning the word of God: 'If you pour water into a sieve it all runs out, but still the sieve is made clean.'

The mission in the town of Mangalore, like others similarly circumstanced, has to deal with both the upper and lower classes of the population. From the latter it has drawn a very large number of its members, including of course a few of the ubiquitous Tamils; but the higher classes have not been forgotten. Several years ago an English school was established, which was attended by many of the younger members of influential native families: while constant discussions have taken place with the mercantile and priestly castes, and the gospel been preached throughout the town. By these means several individuals both from among the brahmins and the trading classes have been drawn into the church. In December, 1843, three young men, who had long known the gospel and had nursed their convictions of it in secret, resolved to profess it openly. They were all brahmins. Two of them, Bhagavantráo Kamsika and Mukundráo Kamsika, were Concan brahmins, in poor circumstances, who after receiving an education in the English school had obtained employment in the printing office. The third, Anandaráo Kaundinya was a Sárasvata