intercommunity of Religions-that he was, in fact, of the same opinion as some of our own worldly-wise people at home, who think that every man may be saved, if he is sincere in the Religion which he professes. He appears, comparatively, shy of my company, since I told him that our God allowed of no rival→ that if our Sacred Book was right, his must be wrong, and his worship of Budhu sinful and abominable-and that, on the contrary, if he or any of his Sacred Books was in any degree or measure right, ours were all false, and a fabrication from beginning to end. It has been with me a particular point, to make this declaration to others, whenever an opportunity offered. I have lost ground among them, I find, by this proceeding; but it is a great point gained, if they have a right understanding of this

matter.

Of another Priest, Mr. Lambrick says

He has thrown off his Yellow Robes; by which act he relinquished the Priesthood, and professed himself to be an inquirer into the truths of our Holy Religion. But, wishing for clearer marks of real conversion, I have restrained rather than urged him forward; and have charged him to count well the whole cost before he began to build. I would fain hope well of him; but I do not wish to add to the number of those in this Island, who have evidently taken up the Christian Name from worldly motives.

The Committee learn, with pleasure, from an eyewitness of Mr. Lambrick's labours, that he is "most usefully" occupied. His Congregation is large; and so is his School, which is conducted on the National System. The Children are making rapid progress. He is highly respected; nor is he without evidence of the Divine Blessing on his labours among the Military of his charge.

I begin (he says of himself) to understand much of what is said, and to speak a little in broken and interrupted language. Oh, how I long to have my tongue loosed, that I may preach Christ unto them! Pray for me, that, with all boldness, and faithfulness, and affection, and singleness of eye and heart, I may be enabled to declare to them the Salvation of the Gospel.

Baddagamme.

Of Mr. Mayor's removal from Galle, Mr. Lambrick writes

N

Br. Mayor has resolved, with the full concurrence of us all, to move from Galle some miles into the interior, where he will give himself wholly to the Natives. The neighbourhood is well peopled; and he will be able to establish many Schools, which will at the same time serve for occasional Places of Worship. Oh that the Lord may bless him and his labours, to the conversion of sinners!

From Mr. Mayor himself, the Committee learn, that he did not find in Galle the proper means of becoming well acquainted with the great body of the Natives; and that, encouraged by the extent of population and the apparent willingness of the inhabitants to receive instruction, which he found on his excursion up the Gindra mentioned in the last Report, he proposed to his Brethren, after repeated visits up the river, that he should settle in the midst of the Natives. Of his situation he gives the following description:

The villages are extensive, and may be compared to Parishes in England. The Village of Baddagamme contains about 1000 Inhabitants: a person passing through the Country would not suppose that it contained more than 50. Their houses are built of mud and sticks, concealed by their plantations of Cocoa Nuts.

Before we began to build our House, we repaired a smal' Bungalow, which had been built for a Collector, as a place to reside in occasionally for a few days. Our house was completed in five months: it is large enough for two small families, and very comfortable. From the hill on which our house is situated, we have a delightful prospect of a winding river, fruitful valley, well-cultivated fields, and distant mountains.. The Government gave us a free grant of the land.

Mr. Mayor removed to Baddagamme in August, and entered his new house at the end of November.

Of the climate in the southern part of the Island, Mr. Mayor speaks very highly:

Our climate is really delightful. I suppose no part of the Eastern Peninsula is near so healthy. We know nothing, through Divine Mercy, of that languor which many complain of. I have never felt myself so strong and able to exert myself, as I do now. The heat suits me, even better than I could have expected. I am never oppressed by it. There is a great difference between the northern and southern parts of the Island. The

heat in the north is at particular seasons intense: at other parts of the year, they have incessant rain. In the south, we have always a pleasant breeze, which prevents us suffering from the heat. It has pleased God to bring us to a good land, and I trust that He will prosper the work which he has given us to do.

Of his labours and prospects, Mr. Mayor says—

We have a good congregation on Sundays-sometimes upward of a hundred Children, besides Adults. They seem to be gradually losing their confidence in the doctrines of Budhu, and even to be ashamed of them. They confess that our Religion is more reasonable, and more suitable to the wants of man. The Priests have much less candour than the people: it is so much their interest, they think, to believe a lie, that they resist every argument adduced in support of the truth. In the Maritime Provinces, they are not men of much learning; neither are they held in much esteem.

There is good hope of the Children receiving the truth; but they want suitable Schoolmasters. To be really useful among them, we must not multiply our Schools beyond our power of personally attending to them*.

Calpentyn.

Mr. Ward, as has been stated, has left Calpentyn, and joined Mr. Knight. The Committee will, however, give some account of his proceedings while he remained at Calpentyn.

He entered on this Station at Michaelmas 1818, and continued in it till July 1819. His Journal for the three-quarters of a year in which he laboured there, discovers the true spirit of a Missionary.

On Mr. Ward's first arrival, he preached in English; but as few understood him, he began to preach twice in Tamul, every Sunday, by the help of an interpreter. An extract of a Letter of April 16. 1819, will shew Mr. Ward's labours and discouragements :

My first attempt toward forming a congregation has been among the Protestant Christians. To form them into a regular

* Some communications from Mr. Mayor will be found in Appendix X.

+In Appendix X, are printed Extracts of Mr. Ward's Journal,

congregation, in which the ordinances of Divine Worship may be instituted, and among whom the doctrines and precepts of the Lord may be constantly declared, and to gather their children under a course of Christian Instruction, has appeared an object of great importance. Wherever we find Natives who have been baptized, and who consider themselves Protestant Christians and there are many such persons in this District, most of whom, indeed, have again degenerated into Heathenism), we should endeavour, I think, to instruct them in the nature of that Religion which they profess. At this I have uniformly aimed: but the difficulty of gaining their attendance is hardly to be conceived. I have visited them at their huts: I have overthrown their objections: I have reasoned with them, and endeavoured to persuade them to attend Church. Some of them, perhaps, have promised to come, and they probably have come the following Sunday; but they require the same visiting, and the same persuasion, in order to bring them again.

In this way I have been going on these six months; and it is a rare thing to see twenty Natives at Church, even now. My greatest hope and comfort are, at present, in a few descendants of Europeans, who attend constantly; and I do trust that a few of them have felt the power of the Word of God. There is also one poor Native Christian, whose heart, I have every reason to believe, God is drawing to himself.

My conversations have been principally with Roman Catholics. Indeed the greater part of the population of this neighbourhood 'is of that persuasion; and they form the most serious obstacle to the progress of Truth. I have already experienced some opposition from them. They have taken some of their children from the School. They have also, once, by a procession, with shouting and beating of tom-toms, disturbed me in preaching in the .Church. There is a part of this village, which is a little detached from the other, and which consists almost entirely of Roman Catholics and Heathen. When we came hither, this quarter presented, on the Sabbath Day, a shocking scene of riot, drunkenness, cock-fighting, and gambling. By the blessing of God, I have succeeded, I hope, in a great measure, in putting these practices down. I have made many attempts to gain some footing for the regular preaching of the Gospel among these people, but hitherto I have not succeeded.

Of his Schools, Mr. Ward writes, at the close of 1818

There are now sixty-two Boys in the Native Schools-more than double the number of those which formerly attended. There is certainly the prospect of much good being done among them.

A great part of them are Roman Catholic Boys: their Parents object to read the Scriptures themselves, while they permit their children to read them. There are about ten Mahomedan Boysshrewd lads: they have hitherto objected to join the others in prayer, at the opening and close of School: last Wednesday, after I had catechised them, as I do every week, I said to these Moormen Boys--" Do you never pray?" "Yes."- "Do you not kneel down to pray?" "No: we sit down."- "To whom do you pray?" "To our Priests."-" Ah!" said I, "We pray to the God who made the heaven, and earth, and all things: is it not better to pray to Him, than to a man who must die?". "Yes."-"Why then do you not join us in praying to God?" They said that they would kneel down, and pray with us, in future.

-

I have appointed a Schoolmaster to Manar, who has now nearly forty Boys. His Salary is regulated according to the number of Boys attending: if more than 20, six rix-dollars-more than 30, eight—more than 40, ten rix-dollars per month.

In April he writes

The English and Tamul School had very much increased in numbers: we had more than 100 names on the lists. The School at Manar also was going on well: but the Epidemic has entirely put a stop to them. Seventy persons were carried off here in about three weeks.

It was, indeed, an awful season. The Natives were so alarmed, that they would not stir out of their huts, The stillness of death prevailed; except, indeed, that we heard, on every side, the bitter and lamentable cries of the relatives of the deceased. It has now, thank God! subsided.

We embraced the opportunity which this visitation afforded, for the purpose of manifesting to the people the spirit of Christians. We visited them frequently, when all their own friends and relatives had forsaken them: we administered medicine, and supplied them with whatever our house afforded; and, by the blessing of God on our efforts, some have been restored to their former health.

Mrs. Ward had also succeeded in getting together a few girls, but they have been lately kept at home.

I have established a small School at a Village about two miles from this place, where I also preach occasionally to a few Natives.

Mr. Ward's state of health, however, rendered his removal from Calpentyn unavoidable. Till the latter end of June he had enjoyed, in general, better health