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sions lingered on and on till each of the old men was dead. Three of them survived till 1837: and one of them, Caspar Kohlhoff, died only in 1844. The total number of missionaries that had joined these several stations during the first hundred years of their history, is just above fifty and their converts amount to more than fifty thousand. Whatever deficiencies there were, we must remember that the Lutheran missionaries were the very first to occupy the land: the first to find out what Hinduism really is: the first to oppose caste: the first to exhibit the peculiar character of Hindu converts; the first to meet the difficulties by which the work of Christ in India is beset. To the men then we must render high honour; as we admire the fidelity, consistency and perseverance with which they carried on their labours. They lived not in the days of missionary reports and platform speeches. No magazines chronicled their difficulties or sought sympathy on their behalf. Scarcely a man of them ever returned to Europe. They came to India young; in India they lived, in India they died. They lived amidst wars and raids, amidst plunder and confusion: they lived in an age of gross irreligion, and they fought their part manfully and to the last. Peace be to their ashes honour to their memory!

The conduct of their mission and its long experience, convey to modern missionaries several lessons of great value. The attractions of influence and wealth increased the number of their converts. The missionaries being few in number, and latterly becoming fewer still in proportion to the demand for them, these converts were of course committed much to the care of catechists: especially as they were scattered in several places around the chief seats of the missions. With the strong prejudice which exists in South India between the castemen and those of no-caste, it was difficult even for the missionaries, and much more so for the catechists, to maintain among the converts the Bible doctrine of man's equality with man in respect to blood and race. That the missionaries did try to carry out the doctrine we know; but that the opposite doctrine did influence them, we also see in the case of Rájnaiken, who, though a more distinguished christian than his brethren, could not, because of his origin, be ordained to the christian ministry. With the introduction into the church, of men actuated by worldly motives, and with the increase of wealthy Sudras (as in Tanjore) holding important Government situations, the evils of caste-prejudice mightily increased. The influence of the missionaries was wholly carried away by it, and proved unable to stem the torrent of spiritual pride which was

sweeping before it all the unity and even purity of the church. The dissensions of the Corinthians at the Lord's table were renewed in South India. The Sudra with the gold ring, the embroidered dress, and Cashmere turban, puffed up with pride of birth, was invited to sit in the high places of the church, while the poor christian Paria was bidden to stand in the doorway, taking care that he should by no means touch with his unclean body the garments of his holy superior. Such was the lamentable end of the first mission to India in its first stage. I have dwelt upon it long in order to put in a clearer light the present condition of the Tamil church. From this origin it sprang out of these evils it emerged; and with these evils amongst others its missionaries are fighting to the present hour.

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THE MODERN TAMIL MISSIONS.

The history of modern missionary efforts in this portion of the Madras Presidency needs only to be briefly sketched. These efforts have been put forth only since the commencement of the present century, and are therefore comparatively recent. Just as the light of the Tranquebar missions was fading away, the era of modern missions in England and America began. Attention was soon drawn and that most naturally to the country where they had so long been carried on. The first arrival of a stranger among the Tamil missions was that of Mr. Loveless, of the London Missionary Society, at Madras in 1805. As an interloper in the East India Company's territories, he would not have been allowed to preach to the natives, especially in those days of terror and fear of rebellion. Dr. Kerr therefore, the excellent chaplain of Madras, procured for him the mastership of the Madras Asylum by which he might procure an honourable livelihood, and prove useful to the community in general. After a while, Mr. Loveless erected a chapel in Black Town for the benefit of the East Indian population, then greatly neglected. By his gentle manners and unobtrusive goodness, he acquired great influence among them, and is remembered with affection to the present day. It was only after the charter of 1814, that missionaries were allowed to leave England for the Company's territories almost without restriction: but that charter once passed, the face of Indian missions rapidly changed. The Church Missionary Society began a mission in Madras under Mr. Rhenius in 1816, which was located in Black Town. Mr. Knill and others of the London Society joined Mr. Loveless; and commenced

Tamil services at Vepery and Persewaukum. The Wesleyan missionaries also entered the Black Town and Royapetta: and founded new missions both for Europeans and natives. Branches of these missions soon spread beyond Madras: and before the last Charter was granted in 1833, five stations had been established in the Tamil country, in addition to the old missions of former years, and to the stations also newly founded in the Telugu and Canarese territories. The progress of the Tamil missions was therefore but slow and gradual. Since the Charter of 1833, and therefore within the last twenty years, numerous additions have been made to all these missions. Several new Societies have entered the field; and many entirely new districts have been occupied. Within the same period, the old and decayed missions have been all revived.

At the present time the Tamil missions occupy a most important position. In the districts named above, no less than 67 missionaries are engaged either in the charge of christian churches or in preaching the gospel to the heathen. The catechists are 130 in number; and the native churches, include 16,130 individuals, of whom 4036 are communicants. The Vernacular schools contain 7100 boys and 2100 girls. The English schools contain 2840 scholars. The stations in which these missions are carried on occupy various localities, but are distributed chiefly into three groups; in the town of Madras and its neighbourhood, in the province of Tanjore, and in the district of Madura. Two isolated missions of some importance have gradually risen up at Coimbatoor and Salem, in the districts lying just under the ghauts on the borders of the Mysore. These two missions are distinguished by their admirable schools, intended both for christian and heathen scholars.

The town of MADRAS presents an aspect very different from that of Calcutta. In Calcutta the native population is concentrated in a solid mass of streets and houses, about six miles long and one mile broad. The native town is therefore compact and well defined, the river Hooghly and the Circular Road furnishing it with distinct boundaries. The suburbs also are similarly compact. But in Madras the native population is scattered over a wide surface, and appears in numerous separate districts. The part most densely peopled is the Black Town, probably the oldest of all the native settlements which make up Madras. It is situated close to the sea, having the suburb of Ráyapuram at its north end, and the Fort and Esplanade on the south side. It is a mile square, and is laid out with great regularity: the streets of the more respectable classes, the native merchants, being particularly clean and neat. One peculiar fea

ture of the Madras houses contributes much to this neatness, the erection of the piol or covered verandah, which is placed directly on the road-side, and appears to occupy the whole front of the space in which the house stands. The piol does not appear in the brick houses of north India: though in the larger ones, there is provided a seat at the entrance for the door-keeper and his visitors. A small river running along the west side of the Black Town, quite cuts it off from the extensive suburbs especially as there is also reserved to it a broad plain, where cattle are penned, sheep are fed, or rice is cultivated. Crossing this stream and plain by one of the numerous bridges, the visitor finds to the west and south-west, the important suburbs of Vepery and Pursewaukum, covering a large space of ground and containing a large population. South of the Fort runs the Mount Road leading to St. Thomas's: having on each side for some distance the best European shops. Between the Mount Road and Vepery is another populous suburb Chintadripettah, with a large bazar. Farther south are Royapettah and St. Thome. The European population, with the English churches, are scattered over this immense space of ground, greatly to the discomfort of visitors, who are quite lost in the bewildering similarity of winding roads, twin bridges, avenues and lanes.

The different missionary stations occupy the best spots in Madras and its suburbs; and several establishments have been founded in important villages and towns in the neighbourhood. As is proper for the chief town of the presidency, the residence of the heads of the government and of the mercantile community, the number of stations and missionaries is large: nor have they failed under the blessing of God to reap substantial fruit from their toil. The number of missionaries is thirty-two, supposing all present and the stations amount to fourteen. The native churches include 700 communicants, in a community of 2,600 converts. As in Calcutta, the English missionary schools flourish more than in the country they contain about 1,600 scholars. The vernacular boys' schools also contain 1,600 scholars; and the girls' day schools, 1,400 girls. The Auxiliaries to the Bible and Tract Societies are in a flourishing condition. The former has almost a larger sphere for its labours than any other auxiliary in India, owing to the great number of Tamil christians. The latter also excels many societies in possessing a very extensive variety of vernacular tracts, suitable not only to the Hindu and Muhammedan population, but also to the Roman Catholics.

The BLACK TOWN has received a larger share of missionary effort than

any other portion of Madras: such effort having continued almost un broken from the time of Schultz to the present day. The Church Missionary Society has under its charge five hundred converts and several vernacular schools. The mission occupies pretty much the site of Schultz's station in the division termed John Pereira's; in addition to another location of the society near Dr. Kerr's church. The London Missionary Society, in addition to its English chapel and the Free school attached thereto, maintains an English institution for native scholars. On the southern face of the Black Town also, the Free Church Mission has its well known institution both for male and female scholars and students: besides a branch school on the Mount Road in the suburb of Triplicane. On the sea-beach, the Established Church of Scotland has a similar institution, with a branch school at Egmore. These three societies have no less than 1,400 scholars and students in their institutions, in which as in Calcutta and Bombay, a thorough Christian education is imparted in the English language. Their day-schools for Hindu and Muhammedan females contain more than 700 girls, many of whom belong to respectable families: they are far superior to any thing of the kind to be seen in Calcutta. In the Black Town the Wesleyan Missionary Society has its principal English chapel: and there is a small native mission connected with it. Here also the American Board has its valuable press.

The suburb of VEPERY stands next in importance not only in relation to the amount of its population, but also to the missionary labour expended upon it. The old Vepery Mission, founded by Fabricius and subsequently watched over by Gerickè and Dr. Rottler, is still continued by the Propagation Society: while the Leipsic Lutheran Mission has founded a separate station for a large body of native christians who sprang from the Vepery Mission, but disconnected themselves from it a few years' ago. In Vepery also and Pursewaukum, the London Missionary Society has its large native church, several vernacular schools, and the well known Girls' Boarding school under the charge of Mrs. Porter.

In Chintadripettah, lying between Vepery and the Mount Road, the American Board has its principal native mission, including a well-taught English school and several Tamil schools both for boys and girls. Farther south in Royapettah is the native mission of the Wesleyan Society, including a native congregation of a hundred and fifty persons and also several schools. The most southern mission is that of the Propagation Society at St. Thome, under the charge of Mr. Brotherton.