"Before I left the capital of Tanjore, the Rajah was "pleased to honour me with a second audience. On this ❝occasion he presented to me a portrait of himself, a very "striking likeness, painted by a Hindoo artist at the Tanjore Court*.-The Missionary, Dr. John, accom→

66

panied me to the palace. The Rajah received him with "much kindness, and presented to him a piece of gold "cloth. Of the resident Missionary Mr. Kohloff, whom "the Rajah sees frequently, he spoke to me in terms of

high approbation. This cannot be very agreeable to "the Brahmins; but the Rajah, though he yet professes "the Brahminical religion, is no longer obedient to the "dictates of the Brahmins, and they are compelled to "admit his superior attainments in knowledge. I passed "the chief part of this morning in looking over Mr. "Swartz's manuscripts and books: and when I was com

"

ing away Mr. Kohloff presented to me a Hebrew "Psalter, which had been Mr. Swartz's companion for "fifty years; also a brass lamp which he had got first " when a Student at the College of Halle, and had used "in his lucubrations to the time of his death; for "Mr. Swartz seldom preached to the natives without pre"vious study. I thought I saw the image of Swartz in

དྷྭ སྐ ས

* It is now placed in the Public Library of the University of Cambridge.

"his successor.

Mr. Kohloff is a man of great simplicity "of manners, of meek deportment, and of ardent zeal in "the cause of revealed Religion, and of humanity. "He walked with me through the Christian village close "to his house; and I was much pleased to see the affec❝tionate respect of the people towards him; the young 68 people of both sexes coming forward from the doors on "both sides, to salute him and receive his benediction.”*

* That I may give to those who are interested in the promotion of Christianity in the East, a more just view of the character of Swartz's successor, the Rev. Mr. Kohloff, I shall subjoin an Extract of a Letter which I have since received from the Rev. Mr. Horst.

"The Rev. Mr. Kohloff is sometimes rather weak, on ac"count of so many and various cares that assail him without "ceasing. He provides for the wants of this and the Southern "Missions (Tritchinopoly excepted) by disbursing annually " upwards of one thousand pagodas (about £.250 sterling) out " of his private purse, partly to make up the difference between "the income and expenditure of this and the Southern Mission (of which I annex an Abstract) and the rest in assisting the "deserving poor, without regard to religion; and for various "pious uses. To him, as Arbitrator and Father, apply all "Christians that are at variance, disturbed from without or " from within, out of service or distressed; for most of our "Christians will do any thing rather than go to law.

"All these heterogeneous, but, to a Missionary at Tanjore, "unavoidable avocations, joined to the ordinary duties of his "station, exercise his mind early and late; and if he be not of "a robust constitution, will undermine his health at last. "Happily, several neighbouring Churches and new congrega

"tions,

"September 4th, 1806.

"Leaving Tanjore, I passed through the woods in"habited by the Collaries (or thieves) now humanized "by Christianity. When they understood who I was, "they followed me on the road, stating their destitute "condition, in regard to religious instruction. They

were clamorous for Bibles. They supplicated for "teachers. We don't want bread or money from you, "said they; but we want the word of God.'-Now, "thought I, whose duty is it to attend to the moral "wants of this people? Is it that of the English nation, "or of some other nation?”

66

Tritchinopoly, September 5th.

"The first Church built by Swartz is at this place. "It is called Christ's Church, and is a large building,

"

美味

tions, belonging to the Mission of Tanjore, afford Mr. Kohloff "frequent opportunities to relax his mind, and to recruit his "health and spirits, by making occasional short excursions to see these new Christians, who were professed thieves only a few years ago, and many of them are now an honour to the Christian "profession, and industrious peasants. It is pleasing to behold "the anxiety with which a great number of our Christian child"ren inquire at such times when their father will return; and "how they run several miles to meet him with shouts and "clapping of hands, and hymns of thanks to God, as soon as "they discern his palankeen at a distance."

66 capable of containing perhaps two hundred people. "The aged Missionary, the Rev. Mr. Pohlè, presides "over this Church, and over the native congregations at "this place. Christianity flourishes; but I found that "here, as at other places, there is a famine of Bibles.' "The Jubilee was celebrated on the 9th of July, being "the hundredth year from the arrival of the messengers of "the Gospel. On this occasion their venerable Pastor

preached from Matth. xxviii. 19. Go ye. therefore, "and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name "of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy "Ghost.-At this station, there are about a thousand "English troops. Mr. Pohlè being a German, does not "speak English very well; but he is reverenced for "his piety by the English; and both officers and "men are glad to hear the religion of their country preached in any way.- On the Sunday morning, "I preached in Christ's Church to a full assembly, "from these words, For we have seen his Star in the "East, and are come to worship him.' Indeed what "I had seen in these provinces rendered this text the "most appropriate I could select. Next day some "of the English soldiers came to me, desiring to know "how they might procure Bibles. It is a delightful

thing, said one of them, to hear our own religion

preached by our own countryman.' I am informed "that there are at this time above twenty English "regiments in India, and that not one of them has "a chaplain. The men live without religion, and "then they bury each other. O England, England, it

f

"is not for thine own goodness that Providence giveth "thee the treasures of India!

"I proceed hence to visit the Christian Churches in "the provinces of Madura, and Tinavelly.”

The friends of Christianity in India have had it in their power to afford some aid to the Christian Churches in Tanjore. On the 1st of January of the present year (1810,) the Rev. Mr. Brown preached a Sermon at Calcutta, in which he represented the petition of the Hindoos for Bibles. A plain statement of the fact was sufficient to open the hearts of the public. A subscription was immediately set on foot, and Lieut.-General Hewitt, Commander in Chief, then Deputy Governor in Bengal, subscribed £.250. The chief officers of government, and the principal inhabitants of Calcutta, raised the subscription, in a few days, to the sum of £.1000 sterling. Instructions were sent to Mr. Kohloff, to buy up all the copies of the Tamul Scriptures; to distribute them at a small price amongst the natives, and to order a new edition to be printed off without loss of time *.

* The chief names in this subscription, besides that of General Hewitt, were Sir John Royds, Sir W. Borroughs,

John