Missionary Magazine

AND

CHRONICLE.

INDIA.

SOUTH TRAVANCORE.

THE following review of the early history, progress, and results of the Society's labours in Travancore, has been kindly furnished by the Rev. J. O. Whitehouse, at present on a visit to this country, and we are persuaded it will be read with great interest by all those who delight in tracing the progressive steps by which a numerous body of people, once the victims of gross ignorance and idolatry, have been brought into the light and liberty of the Gospel:

"The map which forms the Frontispiece to the present Number is designed to furnish the intelligent and earnest student of the subject of Christian Missions with an outline of a part of the field occupied by the London Missionary Society in Travancore.

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Travancore is the name given to a small kingdom stretching along the southern portion of the western coast of India.

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From a small fort, a few miles east of Cape Comorin, its boundary line runs along the range of the western Ghauts, at an average distance of forty miles from the shore of the Indian Ocean, and having traversed a distance of about 175 miles in a north-westerly direction, suddenly bends towards the west, and makes its exit along the Periar river in the ocean, which forms its western boundary. Within these ocean and mountain borders there is included the small province of Cochin, which has a native government distinct from Travancore; and after this deduction there remains an area of about 6500 square miles, which forms the kingdom of Travancore.

"There is a legend which seems to indicate that the land now occupied by the kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin, together with a small portion of territory north of the former, was once submerged by the ocean, and the legend states that the recession of the sea was owing to the penances and prayers of a hero, who, as an atonement for past guilt, bestowed the land thus acquired on the

Brahmins.

'There may be a foundation of truth in this. It is certain that the Brahmins are a highly favoured class in Travancore, and a class exerting a very powerful influence on the Rajah and higher native officers, and, of course, through them on the kingdom in general.

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'Though the Brahminical religion has been for a long period the acknow

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for so long a time of proper medical treat- the service, and wished to be admitted to it. ment, the stump had not entirely healed, and the health of the poor man was so affected that I do not think it likely he has many days before him on earth. He seemed to me a very simple, earnest Christian. A few years ago he was a bigotted Hindoo. It has been common to say that persecution would scatter Hindoostanee Christians like chaff, but thanks to the grace of God, this is not the only case presented last year when Hindoostanee Christians were found ready not only to suffer, but to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.

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"On Sabbath, March 6th, we had a very interesting service. Wazeer Singh, a Seikh by birth, and for several years a Sepoy in the 28th Bengal Native Infantry, was received by baptism into the Christian Church. This man had heard the Gospel four years ago from the mouth of an American Missionary at Saharunpore. A favourable impression was then made in his mind, which has not been since effaced. In April of last year he was sent with a company of his regiment from Shahjahanpore to Budain in Rohilkund. There was no Missionary at the place, but Mr. Edwards, the magistrate, was in the habit of collecting for public worship every Sabbath all who bore the Christian name. This man heard of

His request was of course complied with. He then told Mr. Edwards he had long wished to become a Christian, but it was impossible for him to be so while he remained in the army, and he begged Mr. E. to obtain his discharge. This was done, and he was taken into Mr. E.'s service. Less than a month elapsed when the whole country was in a blaze. Mr. E. survives that dreadful period after having passed for months through a series of adventures and perils more remarkable than those imagined by the liveliest writer of romance, and for his preservation he is more indebted to this. man than to any other. Wazeer Singh clung to his new master with unswerving fidelity; he gave him most valuable counsel on some most critical occasions, and in his service exposed his life to most imminent danger. When at Allahabad I met Mr. E., whose schoolfellow I had been many years ago in the Inverness Academy, and from him I heard first about Wazeer Singh. I conversed with the man, and was much pleased with his apparent simplicity. On his master's coming to Benares as judge, I had many opportunities of conversing with him, and of instructing him in Divine truth. For some weeks he came almost daily to the Mission-house. His knowledge was very limited, but he had got a hold of the great leading doctrines of Christianity; he had given no ordinary proofs of his sincerity; he was very eager for baptism, and we did not think it right to delay the administration of the rite. A large Native congregation was present on the occasion, and I trust we had the Divine presence and blessing."

"THE JOHN WILLIAMS.”

TWELFTH MISSIONARY VOYAGE TO WESTERN POLYNESIA.

PORTIONS of the Journal of the Missionary Deputation, descriptive of their visits to Aneiteum, Eramanga, and the Loyalty Islands, having already appeared in our last Number, the following extracts will refer to the other Islands visited in the course of the same voyage, and where, through the labours of Native Agents, the way is preparing for the wider spread of the Gospel.

In order to throw light on some of the allusions in the Journal, it may be proper to explain that when Messrs. Drummond and Harbutt, the Deputation, arrived at Aneiteum, they found at anchor in the harbour the "John Knox," a Missionary schooner, built at Glasgow, and sent out by the supporters of the New Hebrides Mission to enable their Agents to prosecute their labours on the Islands in the vicinity of Aneiteum in a more efficient manner. According to previous arrangement, therefore, Messrs. Geddie and Inglis made their first trip in the "John Knox," in company with the "John Williams."

"The John Williams' sailed from Apia, Upolu, on the 27th of May. She had on board the deputation, Messrs. Harbutt and Drummond, with the family of the former; Mr. and Mrs. Gordon, on their way to join the mission of the United Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia, in the New Hebrides; three Rarotongan teachers and their wives, two natives of Savage Island, and a young man who had attended for some years the Malua Institution, returning to his father, who is a Samoan teacher labouring on Savage Island; also a youth who had been some time in Samoa, returning to Nengone, his native land. On the following morning, we came to anchor at Matautu, Mr. Pratt's station on the island of Savaii; and in the afternoon of the same day, we left Samoa, and bore away for the New Hebrides.

TANA.

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"As we approached Resolution Bay, (11th June,) we were suddenly thrown into a state of considerable excitement and alarm, by the vessel striking upon a small hidden rock, jutting out a considerable way from the reef, on the left-hand side of the entrance. She stuck fast for a short time; but, by the aid of the wind and sails alone, she was very soon got off, and into deep water again, without sustaining any damage but the loss of a small piece of her false keel, and a very little of her copper torn from its place. Just when the thought was passing through our mind that perhaps the John Williams' had done the work God had assigned her, and that perhaps he would provide for those on board a home on Tana for a season, from which might radiate a light that would disperse her moral darkness, and bring her degraded sons to the foot of the cross, just at the moment this thought flashed across our

imagination, God interposed for the safety of the vessel, and read us a lesson of another kind, by taking us in safety into our desired haven. The John Knox' followed hard after us into Port Resolution, and was soon at anchor by our side.

"It will be remembered by our readers, that the John Williams,' when she called at Tana, in 1854, landed on the south-east side of the island, at a place called Iuakaraka, about twelve miles from Resolution Bay, two teachers from Aneiteum, who were placed under the protection of Iarisi, a chief who had been induced to ask for teachers, when at Aneiteum, from the good effects he had seen produced there by the teaching of the Missionaries. Prosperity has attended the labours of these teachers at the above station. They live there in safety, and most of the people, if not all, listen to their instructions.

"Three other Aneiteum teachers were placed, some time ago, in the bay of Port Resolution. On the morning of our arrival, these teachers met us on board the John Williams.' Some of them had been sick, but were again well. They stated that the people had been very kind to them, and that they had never suffered from hunger. They had plantations of their own; but some of their taro was rotting, as they needed not to use it, they were so abundantly supplied with food by the liberality of the people. But we must not omit to state that these teachers are all chiefs of some importance on Aneiteum, that they have connections among the Tanese, and that they would have been supplied with food, even if they had not been teachers. They also stated that all the people at the harbour, whether heathen or professedly Christian, respect the Sabbath. They do no work in their plantations, nor fish, nor fight