Journal of a Tour in Ceylon and India; Undertaken at the Request of the Baptist Missionary Society, in Company with J. Leechman ...

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1852 edition. Excerpt: ...him; but by reading the Scriptures he was convinced of their truth, and was baptised. Some in their heathen state get a vague notion of God, and of heaven and hell. Daknarayan and Giridhor seem both pious, intelligent, and useful men. On Tuesday morning we set off in our tiny fleet for Khari. We met many little saltees, generally pushed along by a pole, some by men, others by women; and passed pretty villages on slightly raised ground; the flat paddy-fields stretching between them. Around the villages grew Palmyra palms, plantains, dates, and tamarinds. It is a pity that the natives have a prejudice against cocoa-nut trees; I saw very few. Some parrots were visible; many minors, elegant white paddy-birds, and others of the winged race. In addition to the saltee, they use a still smaller boat; a tree hollowed out thus: There is here and there a foot-path; and at some distance from our track, a raised road. Mr. Pearce was going along it one night in a palky, when a fearful storm burst 152 KHARI. upon them, and they lost their way; he discerned at last, in the dark, a cottage, and knocked. " Who is there? " He replied, "A European, who has lost his way." The door slowly opened, and there stood four men with clubs in their hands, ready to use them. When they saw him, they became at once quite friendly. It was a father and three sons; two of the latter accompanied him some distance to show him the way. Another time, in a heavy storm, the bearers put down the palky and ran off. He saw a cottage, and ran to it. There were only two women in it, a mother and daughter. He said, " May I stay in your verandah? " " Certainly," they said; and there he laid down and rested. When about to leave, he offered them a trifle; but they refused it, saying, ..".