disgusting exhibition. I felt a consciousness of doing wrong in witnessing it. I was also somewhat appalled at the magnitude and horror. of the spectacle; I felt like a guilty person on whom all eyes were fixed, and I was about to withdraw. Bat a scene of a different kind was now to be presented. The characteristics of Moloch's worship, are obscenity and blood. We have seen the former: now comes the blood. "After the tower had proceeded some way, a pilgrim announced that he was ready to offer himself a sacrifice to the idol. He laid bimself down in the road before the tower as it was moving along, lying on his face, with his arms stretched forwards. The multitude passed round him, leaving the space clear, and he was crushed to death by the wheels of the tower. A shout of joy was raised to the god. He is said to smile when the libation of the blood is made. The people threw cowries, or small money, on the body of the victim, in approbation of the deed. He was left to view a considerable time, and was then carried by the hurries to the Golgotha, where I have just been viewing his remains. How much I wished that the Proprietors of India Stock could have attended the wheels of Juggernaut, and seen this peculiar source of their revenue. in a few hours. This morning, as I passed the Place of Skulls, nothing remained of her but her bones. And this, thought I, is the worship of the Brahmins of Hindostan, and their worship in its sublimest degree! What then shall we think of their private manners, and their moral principles! For it is equally true of India as of Europe-It you would know the state of the people, look at the state of the temple. "I was surprised to see the Brahmins with their heads uncovered in the open plain falling down in the midst of the sopders before the horrid shape,' and mingling so complacently with that polluted caste." But this proved what I had before heard, that so great a god is this, that the dignity of high caste disappears before him. This great king recognises no distinction of rank among his subjects, all men are equal in his presence.' Juggernaut, 21st June, 1806. "The idolatrous processions continue for some days longer, but my spirits are so exhausted by the constant view of these enormities, that I mean to hasten away from this place sooner than I at first intended. 1 beheld another distressing scene this morning at the Place of Skulls; a poor woman lying dead, or nearly dead, and her two childreu by her, looking at the dogs and vultures which were near. The people passed by without noticing the children. I asked them where was their home. They said, they had no home but where their mother was.'-O, there is no pity at Juggernaut! no mercy, no tenderness of heart in Moloch's kingdom! Those who support his kingdom, err, I trust, from ignorance: they know not what they do.' "As "As to the number of worshippers assembled here at this time, no accurate calculation can be made. The natives themselves, when speaking of the numbers at particular festivals, usually say that a lack of people (100,000) would not be missed. I asked a Brahmin how many he supposed were present at the most numerous festival he had ever witnessed. How can I tell,' said he, how many grains there are in a handful of sand?' "The languages spoken here are various, as there are Hindoos from every country in India: but the two chief languages in use by those who are resident, are the Orissa and the Telinga. The border of the Telinga country is only a few miles distant from the tower of Juggernaut. Chilka Lake, 24th Juse "I felt my mind relieved and happy, when I had passed beyond the confines of Juggernaut. I certainly was not prepared for the scene: but no one can know what it is who has not seen it. From an eminence on the pleasant banks of the Chilka Lake (where uo human bones are seen), I had a view of the lofty tower of Juggernaut far remote; and while I viewed it, its abominations came to mind. It was on the morning of the Sabbath. Ruminating long on the wide and extended empire of Moloch in the heathen world, I cherished in my thoughts the design of some Christian Institution, which, being fostered by Britain, my Christian country, might gradually undermine this baleful idolatry, and put out the memory of it for ever." Annual Expenses of the Idol Juggernaut, presented to the English Government. [Extracted from the official acounts.] Rupees. 1. Expenses attending the table of the idol. 36,115 ........ 3,030 5. Ditto of his elephants and horses. "In item third, wages of his servants,' are included the wages of the courtesans, who are kept for the service of the temple. Item sixth, what is here called in the official account the state carriage,' is the same as the car or tower. Mr. Hunter informed me that the three state carriages were Rupecs 69,616 £.8,702 decorated this year (in June 1906) with upwards of 2007. sterling worth of English broad cloth. "Of the rites celebrated in the interior of Juggernaut, called the daily service, I can say nothing of my own knowledge, not having been within the temple." “TH SYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN INDIA. [From the same.] HE Syrian Christians inhabit the interior of Travancore and Malabar, in the south of India, and have been settled there from the early ages of Christianity. The first notices of this ancient people in recent times are to be found in the Portuguese histories. When Vasco de Gama arrived at Cochin on the coast of Malabar, in the year 1503, he saw the sceptre of the Christian King; for the Syrian Christians had formerly regal power in Malay- Ala. The name or title of their last King was Beliarte; and he dying without issue, the dominion devolved on the King of Cochin and Diamper. "When the Portuguese arrived, they were agreeably surprised to find upwards of a hundred Christian churches on the coast of Malabar. But when they became acquainted with the purity and simplicity of their worship, they were offended. These churches,' said the Portuguese, belong to the Pope.' Who is the Pope?' said the natives, ⚫ we never heard of him.' The European priests were yet more alarmed, when they found that these Hindoo Christians maintained the order and discipline of a regular church under episcopal jurisdiction: and that, for 1300 years past, they had enjoyed a succession of Bishops appointed by the Patriarch of Antioch. We,' said they,' are of the true faith, whatever you from the west inay be; for we come from the place where the followers of Christ were first called Christians.' "When the power of the Portuguese became sufficient for their purpose, they invaded these tranquil churches, seized some of the clergy, and devoted them to the death of heretics. Then the inhabitants heard for the first time that there was a place called the Inquisition; and that its fires had been lately lighted at Goa, near their own land. But the Portuguese, finding that the people were resolute in defending their ancient faith, began to try more conciliatory measures. They seized the Syrian Bishop, Mar Joseph, and sent him prisoner to Lisbon, and then convened a synod at one of the Syrian churches called Diamper, near Cochin, at which the Romish Archbishop Menezes presided. At this compulsory synod one hundred and fifty of the Syrian clergy appeared. They were accused of the following practices and opinions:-That they had married wives; that they owned but two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's supper; that they neither invoked saints, nor worshipped images, nor believed in purgatory: and that they had no other orders or names of dignity in the church, than bishop, priest, and deacon.' These tenets they were called on to abjure, or to suffer suspension from all church benefices. It was also decreed that all the Syrian books on ecclesiastical subjects that could be found, should be burned; in order,' said the inquisitors, that no pretended apostolical monuments may remain.' language and liturgy. This point they said they would only give up with their lives. The Pope compromised with them: Menezes purged their liturgy of its errors; and they retain their Syriac language, and have a Syriac college unto this day. These are called Syro-Roman churches, and are principally situated on the sea-coast. "The churches in the interior would not yield to Rome. After a show of submission for a little while, they proclaimed eternal war against the Inquisition; they hid their books, fled to the mountains, and sought the protection of the native princes, who had always been proud of their alliance. "Two centuries had elapsed without any particular information concerning the Syrian Christians in Malay-ala. It was doubted by many whether they existed at all; but if they did exist, it was thought probable that they must possess some interesting documents of Christian antiquity. The author conceived the design of visiting them, if practicable, in his tour through Hindostan. He presented a short memoir on the subject, in 1805, to Marquis Wellesley, then GovernorGeneral of India; who was pleased to give orders that every facility should be afforded to him in the prosecution of his inquiries. About a year after that Nobleman had left India, the author proceeded on his tour. It was necessary that he should visit first the court of the Rajah of Travancore, in whose dominions the Syrian Christians resided, that he might obtain permission to pass to their country. The two chief objects which he proposed to himself in exploring the state of this ancient people, were these:-First, to investigate their literature and history, and to collect Biblical manu scripts. Secondly, if he should find them to be an intelligent people, and well acquainted with the Syriac Scriptures, to endeavour to make them instruments of illuminating the southern part of India, by engaging them in translating their Scriptures into the native languages. He had reason to believe that this had not yet been done; and he was prepared not to wonder at the delay, when he reflected how long it was before his own countrymen began to think it their duty to make versions of the Scriptures, for the use of other nations. Palace of Travancore, 19th Oct. 1806 "I have now been a week at the Palace of Trivanduram, where the Rajah resides. A letter of introduction from Lieut. Colonel Macaulay, the British Resident at Travancore, procured me a proper reception. At my first audience his Highness was very inquisitive as to the objects of my journey. As I had servants with me of different castes and languages, it was very easy for the Brahmins to discover every particular they might wish to know, in regard to my profession, pursuits, and manner of life. When i told the Rajah that the Syrian Christians were supposed to be of the same religion with the English, he said he thought that could not be the case, else he must have heard it before; if, however, it was so, he considered my desire to visit them as being very reasonable. I assured his Highness that their Shaster and ours was the same; and shewed him a Syriac New Testament which I had at hand. The book being bound and gilt after the European manner, the Rajah shook his head, and said he was sure there was not a native in his dominions who could read that book. I observed that this would be proved in a few a few days. The Dewan (or Prime Minister) thought the character something like what he had seen sometimes in the houses of the Sooriani. The Rajah said he would afford me every facility for my jour ney in his power. He put an emerald ring on my finger, as a mark of his friendship, and to secure me respect in passing through his country; and he directed his Dewan to send proper persons with me as guides. "I requested that the Rajah would be pleased to present a catalogue of all the Hindoo manuscripts in the temples of Travancore to the College of Fort William in Bengal. The Brahmins were very averse to this; but when I shewed the Rajah the catalogues of the books in the temples of Tanjore, given by the Rajah of Tanjore, and of those of the temple of Ramisseram, given me by order of the Rannie (or Queen) of Ramnad, he desired it might be done: and orders have been sent to the Hindoo college of Trichoor for that purpose. Chinganoor, a Church of the Syrian Christians, Nov. 10th, 1806. "From the palace of Travancore I proceeded to Mavely-car, and thence to the hills at the bottom of the high Ghants which divide the Carnatic from Malayala. The face of the country in general, in the vicinity of the mountains, exhibits a varied scene of hill and dale, and winding streams. These streams fall from the mountains, and preserve the vallies in perpetual verdure. The woods produce pepper, cardamoms, and cassia, or common cinnamon; also frankincense and other aromatic gums. What adds much to the grandeur of the scenery in this country is, that the adjacent mountains of Travancore are not barren, but are covered with forests of teak wood (the Indian oak), producing, it is said, the largest timber in the world. "The first view of the Christian Churches in this sequestered region of Hindostan, connected with the idea of their tranquil duration for so many ages, cannot fail to excite pleasing emotions in the mind of the beholder. The form of the oldest buildings is not unlike that of some of the old parish churches in England; the style of building in both being of Saracenic origin. They have sloping roofs, pointed arch windows, and buttresses supporting the walls. The beams of the roof, being exposed to view, are ornamented; and the ceiling of the choir and altar is circular and fretted. In the cathedral churches the shrines of the deceased bishops are placed on each side of the altar. Most of the churches are built of a reddish stone, squared and polished at the quarry; and are of durable construction. The bells of the churches are cast in the founderies of the country: some of them are of large dimensions, and have inscriptions in Syriac and Malay-alim. In approaching a town in the evening, I once heard the sound of the bells among the hills; a circumstance which made me forget for a moment that I was in Hindostan, and reminded me of another country. "The first Syrian Church which I saw was at Maveley car; but the Syrians here are in the vicinity of the Romish Christians, and are not so simple in their manners as those nearer the mountains. They had been often visited by Romish emissaries in former times: and they at first suspected that I belonged to to that communion. They had heard of the English, but strangely supposed that they belonged to the church |