consequently acquire, and the instructions under which they act while on foreign missions, peculiarly fit them for propagating Christianity in India, as much by their example as by the doctrines which they preach.

I therefore am very happy to hear that the Wesleyan missions in this island are in daily expectation of the arrival from England of five additional missionaries; this increase of their numbers will enable them to send more missionaries than they have hitherto been able to spare to the province of Jaffna, which is one of the most important, if not the most important station on the island for the establishment of a mission.

As I understand that you are anxious to have all the local information which can be procured respecting that province, I have the pleasure to send you a copy of the largest and the most accurate map which has ever been made of that part of the island. I have marked upon it the different places in the province of Jaffna, at which the Portuguese originally built churches, and at which the Dutch either rebuilt or repaired them, together with the distances at which each of those churches was situated from the other. I have also marked upon it the different parts of the district in which the Catholics, the Hindoos, and the Mahometans, have at present places of worship; most of which have been erected since the time of Baldæus, who published a very accurate and interesting account of the province of Jaffna, in the year 1671, a small edition of which, as far as it relates to the state of Christianity in that province in his time, is about to be published at my request by the Wesleyan missionaries. In forming your opinion as to the means which ought to be taken for the conversion of the people of that province, it may be interesting to you to be made acquainted with the feelings which they entertain upon the subject of Christianity, and the various channels through which the doctrines of that religion have been, and may be, circulated among them, without either delay or opposition. I therefore take the liberty to present to you a Sanscrit and a Tamul translation of a sermon which was preached before the supreme court at Jaffia, on the 22d of June, 1815. The Ceylon Government Gazette of the 19th of July, which accompanied it, will explain to you the nature of the occasion upon which it was delivered, and the object which I had in view in causing it to be translated. The circumstance of the Sanscrit and Tamul translations having been made by a Brahmin, who is one of the chiefs of the most ancient and most sacred Hindoo Pagoda in the province,

and who is himself very highly respected by the natives for his learning, and for his knowledge of their religion and their customs, is a clear proof that the Hindoos of Jaffna are by no means averse to receive any information which may be of fered them respecting either the history or the doctrines of the Christian religion.

I was some years ago, after a long and an attentive consideration of the character of the natives of Ceylon, fully convinced that the most effectual manner of improving the morals of the people would be, to diffuse among them the principles of Christianity, and to introduce into the system of administering justice in this island, the invaluable institution of trial by jury. I therefore, in the year 1807, formed a plan for having an Auxiliary Bible Society at Colombo, and in the mean time caused Cingalese and Tamu! translations to be made by my translators of the late Bishop Porteus' Evidences of Christianity; a work which I had previously ascertained, after much local inquiry, to be peculiarly adapted to the understandings of the natives; and early in the year 1809, I undertook, with the approbation of the local government, a voyage from this island to England for the express purpose of submitting to his Majesty's ministers a plan for introducing the trial by jury into these settlements; his Majesty's ministers most graciously approved of my plan; and at my suggestion secured by a charter under the great seal to every respectable native of these settlements, whatever his religion may be, the right, which no native in any other part of India is at present allowed, of sitting as a juryman in any criminal case in which a native may be tried before the supreme court of criminal judicature. Under this regulation of the charter, a great number of respectable and distinguished natives of each of the principal casts of the province of Jaffua, are summoned to attend the supreme court at every criminal session which is held for that province. The persons who were in attendance upon the court as jurymen at the time the sermon, of which you have the translation, was delivered, were the most respectable, and the most distinguished men of the Bramin, Villale, Madapalle, and Carrea casts, which four casts comprehend (together with the class of the Mahometans, who were also in attendance) every person of influence, who is in any way connected with the religion, the agriculture, the manufacture, or the trade of the country. The manner in which the attention of these persons was attracted by the solemnity, as well as by the novelty of the scene, and the great practical purposes to which they saw the principles And

sanctions of our religion applied, before their eyes, in reminding the judge at the moment he was opening a criminal session, of the awful responsibility under which he was bound by his oath, to administer justice among their countrymen, excited their curiosity, and interested their feelings to such a degree, as to make thern the most certain and the most ready channels which could be found for circulating among the natives of the country such parts of the history and the doctrines of the Christian religion as the sermon was intended to explain.

There is one circumstance in particular which makes it very desirable that no delay should take place in establishing a mission in the province of Jaffna; it is the deplorable state of the persons who belong to the three casts known by the Game of the Slave or Covia, Palla, and Nallua casts; these persons form by far the most numerous class of inhabitants in that province: they are considered by the rest of their countrymen as slaves, and are kept by their native masters in the mast abject state of degradation; they profess the Hindoo faith, but have little or no real sense of religion; their habits are consequently depraved, and they are concerned in most of the offences which are committed in their province. The misery to which they themselves are dooned, and the alarm which their depredations frequently create in the country, have for many years rendered their situation a subject of my anxious consideration.

Having made myself thoroughly acquainted with the origin of the casts to which they belong, the tenures upon which they are held, and the different laws which have, from time to time, been passed for their protection, I have subnitted a plan to government by which the present generation, as well as their descendants may be completely emancipated. An attentive observation of the measures which have been adopted by the Wesleyan missionaries for the purpose of civilizing the slaves in the West Indies, has afforded me much information upon the subject, and leaves no doubt on my mind of the advantage which the province of Jaffna would derive were missionaries of the same connexion to undertake the moral instruction and civilization of the slaves of that province.

Allow me, before I conclude, to congratulate you on the spirit of inquiry which has been excited among the Budhu priests by the exertion of your missionaries; the conversion of the Budhu priest at Galle last year; and that of the chief of the Ava priests at this place in the present year, are the effects of that spirit, and elearly prove how much the cause of

Christianity has already been promoted in India by the establishment of the Wesleyan missionaries on this island.

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Extract of a Letter from Mr. LEIGH to the COMMITTEE, dated Sydney, New South Wales, March 2, 1816.

THROUGH the good hand of God upon me, I have completed my voyage, and entered on the important work of preaching the gospel in New South Wales. Having arrived from my eighth tour through the different settlements, I sit down with an intention to write you an account of my entrance on, and the present prospect of the mission. On the 10th of August, 1815, I arrived in Sydney har bour in good health, after a voyage of about five months. On the 11th, I waited on his Excellency, Governor Macquarie, accompanied by Mr. Eager. My business was to acquaint his Excellency with my mission, and by whom I was sent. His Excellency said, "It is of no importance by what name we may be called, if we are but sincere in our profession. I believe your intentions are good, and therefore you may expect from me every encouragement you desire; and I wish you the same success in your mission you wish for yourself.”

When our conversation ended, his Excellency requested Mr. Eager to give me such information of the colony as was necessary, that I might arrange my plan of proceeding through the different settlements as 1 judged best. He also gave me much advice. I thanked his Excellency for his great kindness, and returned to my lodgings not a little impressed with a sense of the goodness of God to me in a strange land. I know you all say, Amen. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Bless the Lord, O my soul !

My next business was to inquire after the classes that had been mentioned to you; and I was grieved to find that satan had entered among them, and had scattered the feeble few. But, thank God, I found one class consisting of six persons, who have since continued to meet, and I hope that the fear of the Lord is among them of a truth, and that they will shew forth his praise continually. August 24th, I met a few men and women who professed a regard for Methodism, and wished to enjoy their privileges. I explained to them the rules of society, and formed two classes, containing six members each. Since the 24th, we have had the pleasure of seeing three classes established, in addition to the three above mentioned. One at Parramatta, one at

Windsor, and one at Castlereagh. The number of members in society is at this time 44. Eligible leaders have been chosen. We have likewise a steward, one local preacher, and an exhorter. By the account you will perceive, that we are but few, and I may say feeble: yet, blessed be God, we live in expectation of an increase. I took the first opportunity of calling upon the clergy, the Rev. Messrs. Marsden, Cooper, Cartwright, and Fulton, from all of whom, I have received the treatment of friends and ministers of Jesus Christ; and can say, from my knowledge of them, that they are men of God, and strive to reclaim the outcasts of Israel. May Jehovah crown their labours with great success !

My circuit extends 150 miles, which distance I travel in ten days. I preach at 15 places, and in every place there appears to be a desire to hear the word of God. All that I can do is to preach once in three weeks in each place. This is complained of in most places, as being too

seldom. But what can I do? Come over

and help us, ye servants of the Most High! The desire of the people to whom I preach, is, to have more missionaries; and therefore I hope you will send two to me. I need not urge my own situation as an inducement, but would say, there are numbers of persons that will wish such labourers good speed; and many have not the opportunity of hearing the gospel plan of salvation, except from the lips of a missionary. There is every encourage ment we can expect from the state of the colony. The people are very hospitable, and many have been so to me; besides, there is a general desire to have the gospel preached.

We have likewise the pleasure of seeing four Sunday Schools established in the colony, which are now in a flourishing state, and I hope much good will attend them. We shall be much obliged to any of our friends in England, for books necessary for these schools. All I brought out with me are in use, and we have no expectation of procuring any more in the colony.

About six weeks since, a member of our society, a soldier, was stationed at Newcastle, a settlement distant about forty-eight hours sail from Sydney, from which place he has informed me, that when he landed, he could not find any place where the gospel was preached or prayer made. He resolved to begin a prayer-meeting; and I am happy to find that he succeeded beyond his expectations. I believe they have prayer-meetings every evening he is off duty. If you send two missionaries, I think one may be well placed there, although I conceive that

such a mission would be attended with in camps, and food being scarce and some expense at first, as the people live dear. Notwithstanding, if you are pleased to appoint me to visit Newcastle, or any other island, I shall willingly comply.

I will give you an account of a Sabbathten o'clock in the morning; dine and ride day's work in the country. I preach at seven miles, and preach at two; ride six miles, and preach at five; from thence I ride six miles, and preach at seven in the evening. I am some time afraid that my constitution will not stand the labour, the climate being so very hot, and having to travel in the heat of the day. But the pleasing sight of the people flocking to and others with stools on their shoulders the house of prayer, some with chairs, word of God, urges me to persevere; and to sit upon, when assembled to hear the while I am praying and weeping for their place before your missionary meeting the souls, I forget my fatigue. Could I but sight I have frequently beheld, I believe missionaries, and we will support them. every heart would exclaim, Send them May the Lord grant that our hands may not hang down for want of missionaries! days since, to converse with me about A poor man walked fourteen miles, a few the salvation of his soul.

I sometimes