Tuis is the time of your annual convocation, and as this is Wednesday, the day on which your attention will be especially turned to India, you will not be surprised when I tell you that home thoughts, associations, and affections are predominant with us to-day. How grateful would it be to us, after a year's labour and toil, in this land of cruelty and darkness, could we appear in your midst as the representatives from the churches in the East! As you meet this year at Derby, I have no doubt you will have a glorious meeting, for Derby is famed in the annals of General Baptist history for its large and interesting Associations. May you have much of the Divine presence in all your deliberations; and may ministers, elders, and deacons, return to their homes with a greater determination than ever to spend their strength in the service of Jesus, and to spread the doctrines of our Israel in the world! With such a creed, and such authority, surely there should be no lack of zeal in preaching the gospel to every creature.

A week ago, we were groaning with the intense heat; the rainy season however has now commenced, and the change delightful, beyond description. Though the hot season has been unusually mild, we have had some very trying days and nights. On Saturday night last, we had what the natives call the "fiery wind," and during its continuance it is almost as terrible as the simoom or pestilential blast of the desert. Our beds were as though they had been scorched by a furnace, and though we were so much

in need of

"Tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep," we were compelled to pass the night in tossing to and tro. On Sunday morning our ears were gladdened with the sound of rain; the thermometer in a few hours sank nearly twenty degrees. And now, thanks be unto Him who "changeth the seasons," we have delightful weather.

Our labours during the hot weather have been confined to Berhampore, and the surrounding villages, but as we have within an area of five or six miles a population of at least sixty thousand, we have found abundance of work.

which we

We have a large market on Saturday, invariably attend. A few weeks ago, on reaching our preaching stand, I found Balagi explaining to a number of strangers, the first verse in the first chapter of the gospel of John. I was rather

Berhampore, June 22, 1859. amused and pleased with his exposition" but I began to wonder what could be the reason of his explaining this scripture! After waiting a time, I was delighted to find, that the strangers above referred to, had read the gospel of John. When Balagi had finished his address I entered into a conversation with them, and their knowledge of Christ quite surprised me. I invited them to come and see me the next day, but one of them replied, saying, "Sunday is your day for worship, and shall you be able to receive visitors?" "O yes! I can receive all visitors that come to converse upon religious subjects." Accordingly they came; my conversation was carried on with the leader of the party-and I will now give you the results of our interview in the form of question and answer. Q. Who was Jesus Christ? "The Saviour of the world." When he became incarnate what

A.

Q.

form did he assume? A.

"The form of a man."

Q. Whose son was he?

A.

Q.

"The son of Mary and Joseph." Where was he born?

A. "In Bethlehem of Judea." (He then described accurately the geographical position of Judea. This knowledge he said he did not get from the New Testament, but from an Oriya geography he had in his possession.)

Q. Can you tell me any events that happened in Judea, about the time of Christ's birth?

A. "About the time of Christ's birth a new star appeared in the heavens, and guided by its light, wise men laden with presents from the east came to see and worship Christ. Herod, the king, sought to destroy the life of Christ; and to do this, he slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and surrounding region that were under two years of age." He went on to describe the character of Herod, and did not hestitate to call him a "wretch and a vagabond"!!

Q. Was he successful in taking away the life of Christ?

A. "No! Joseph was warned by the angel of the Lord in a dream to take the young child, and flee into Egypt."

Q. How long did Christ stay in Egypt, think you?

A. "I dont know exactly, but I should think about twelve years; however they did not come back until Herod was dead."

Q. Can you tell me anything about the preaching and miracles of Christ?

A. "With the preaching of Christ he was not so familiar, but the miracles of Christ had made an indelible impression upon his mind, and he went on for a long time, describing miracle after miracle. He gave a most graphic account of the blind man (John ix.) being restored to sight, and he sat down and showed me, as he thought, how Christ sat on the ground and made clay of the spittle &c."

He would not wait for my questions, but went on to describe the scenes and circumstances under which Christ diedhis resurrection and ascension. He had evidently read the Acts as well as the gospels. Before he left me, he said, I know something about "the creation, the fall, and flood." I gave him a number of books, and he said, "I shall go home and write a poem in Oriya; I shall begin with Adam and finish with Jesus Christ." I was deeply interested with the interview, and could not but rejoice that a heathen native, living far away from any missionary or native preacher, should have received so much religious light. Who shall say that bible distribution is a failure?

On the second sabbath in this month, we received a young man into the church. He had been a candidate for some time, Mr. Goadby baptized. Last Sunday, Mr. Goadby and I went to the "new village." I am very happy to tell you that our young brother conducted the whole of the service; his text was 1 John, iv. 19. The whole of the sermon was written (not by a native pundit) but with his own hand in Oriya. His pronunciation was very good indeed, and the mistakes he made were very few. I have since looked over the manuscript, and I have been very pleased with the correctness in the orthography and the idiom. When we left England together I endeavoured to impress upon his mind the importance of writing the language, and I am very glad that he has taken my advice. He preaches again on Sunday next, so that you may now fairly consider our brother to have entered upon his work. May a kind providence watch over him, and make him as eminent in this land, as his now sainted father was in our Connexion at home.

I CANNOT forget that this is the great day of the Association, and that while I am writing, in all probability, the Committee are deliberating on the affairs of the Mission. I am separated from you "in presence, not in heart." The love of Christ knits our hearts together: and very sweet to us is the hope of meeting at last in our heavenly home. Oceans cannot divide those whom the precious bond of the Saviour's love has made one. Pursuing my daily toil, I feel the unspeakable sweetness of the christian's hope. sometimes wish that my hope were clearer and brighter; but I would not be without it for ten thousand worlds.

I

I must now give you a little information on what has taken place since I last wrote. And first, I am very thankful to say that Miss Butler, after spending six weeks at Pooree, has returned in decidedly better health, which I trust it will please the Lord to preserve. We have also had the pleasure of welcoming amongst us brother and sister Hill, from Berhampore, and have no doubt that their coming amongst us is in accordance with the will of God, and will be followed by His blessing.

Dear old Gunga seems to be renewing his youth; he is looking much better,

and appears in every respect stronger and better than he has been for several years past. He has been to Pooree, for two or three weeks, to help brother Taylor and the native brethren with him; and on his return, hearing of a festival at a little distance from Khoorda (thirty miles south of Cuttack), he was very anxious to go as it had never been visited, so I encouraged him and Thoma to go. The account they gave of their journey was very pleasing. It was computed that there were nine thousand persons on the principal day. The people from Khoorda, who had often heard the gospel, were disposed to revile, but many others hearing their discourses, and seeing the books they had to distribute, were very much astonished, and said, What new thing is this? We never heard such words as these before: they are very good words. One man said, that a sahib had been to his village three years ago, and had spoken just the same words as they did, referring no doubt to a visit of brother Stubbins; but to a large number the message was altogether new. One or two persons remained with them several hours and heard them explain the word of the Lord more fully. They also met with a youth in the government school

well acquainted with our books. Oh! that the Spirit's power may render the word successful. I may add that there are 200,000 souls in the Khoorda district. The care of the Lord over our two brethren was remarkably manifested. When they had reached the other side of the Katjuri river, on their return, they saw a boat, which had been overloaded, upset in the middle of the stream, and several were drowned. They had thought of crossing in the same boat but were prevented, no doubt by the gracious care of Him who numbers the hairs of our heads. I am sorry to say that Sebo Patra has been laid aside from his work by fever, for five weeks; he seems somewhat better now, though not strong. Sebo has an extensive knowledge of the Hindoo system, and can generally silence any brahmin by arguments from the Hindoo shastres: he has laboured long and laboriously, but would have been a more useful man if he had been less under the influence of his wife, who has not walked consistently. The patriarch had a special revelation, "In all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice;" but ordinary servants of God, not being thus favoured, are expected to exercise their own understanding and judgment. This is, I think, the weak point in Sebo's character. Rama Chundra went a few days since to visit his son, who is deputy magistrate at Jajipore. I was delighted with the anxiety he evinced to make his journey, as much as possible, a preaching one; and I was more than delighted to hear, as I did a little time since, that the people at Jajipore, bigoted heathens though they are, so far from being displeased that a native christian had been appointed deputy magistrate, expressed their satisfaction at the appointment, and said that they should now have justice done them. This is an important testimony to the practical effects of christianity, the more worthy of attention as coming from the lips of idolaters. I cannot but repeat the hope expressed in a former communication, that the dispersion of some of our native christians will be for the furtherance of the gospel.

I was much gratified with an incident which I heard recently from Makunda Das, one of our members who is at the False Point lighthouse, on the bay of Bengal. The only Europeans there are the superintendent of the lighthouse and his wife. She became very ill of fever, and was very anxious and troubled in spirit, but no minister could be obtained. She wept much; and at length appealed to him. Could he not read to her, and

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pray with her? Could he not say a word to comfort her troubled spirit? He took the English bible and read the 14th chap. of John; and she was evidently comforted and refreshed by these precious words of Christ. He then knelt down and offered prayer for her. This was, of course, in Oriya. I thought it an interesting and touching circumstance that a native christian, employed on the establishment, should be the means of communicating spiritual instruction and consolation to one of another race at a time when it was so much needed. I referred some time ago to a temple for the worship of Jaganath being built at the False Point by a European gentleman, now deceased, whose name I will not mention. It has recently been pulled down by order of government.

I am glad to learn that the home authorities have recently written to India respecting the suppression of the detestable swinging festival; and the locat officers have been applied to for their opinions; though the official letter was written in a very cautious strain, and the measures suggested were such as perhaps might be effectual a century or two since. It may be put down with perfect safety at once. This has been done in Bombay; and I feel certain that, so far as Orissa is concerned, all that is required is an official order for its suppression. There is not the smallest reason for apprehending danger. This is simply an affair of getting money. It may seem strange to English people that any should be so silly as to be swung round a post with hooks in their backs, to have their tongues slit, and to walk on trenches of fire for a few pice; nevertheless, it is so. We see them after the festival going about_begging, taking the hooks with them. Two years ago, two of the brethren (Mr. Stubbins and Mr. Brooks) went to a festival of this kind at Banki, when, besides the hook swinging, they saw several whose tongues were slit; they also saw as many as four hundred of these trenches of fire, and at a given signal, as many persons walked over them. The scene seemed more like hell than earth. It is high time that this cruel and demoralizing practice was put down by the strong arm of the law. If the people choose to have a little fun, and to collect a little money from those who are spectators, let it be done in some other form, and no one will object. I have good reasons for expressing an opinion that the last festival of this kind, two months ago, will be the last in Orissa.

J. BUCKLEY.