The friendship that you have ever entertained for my husband was met on his part by feelings of no common nature; and the affection which you bear his memory, makes me sensible that you will highly appreciate this testimony of his gratitude and regard.

I have the honour to be,

my dear Sir,

Your much obliged and obedient,

AMELIA HEber.

December 31, 1827.

PREFACE.

THE painful task of editing the works of the late Bishop of Calcutta having devolved upon his widow, she is anxious to state that her principal object in publishing the following Journal is, that its readers may be made acquainted with the nature and extent of the duties performed by the Bishop during the short time he presided over the Indian Church, as well as with the difficulties he encountered in the visitation of his extensive diocese.

Although written in the shape of a diary, the greater part of the work formed his correspondence with the Editor, a fact which she hopes will be borne in mind, should some consider that he has dwelt less upon the professional objects of his journey than

might have been anticipated.

The Letters to his friends in England, from which extracts are given, together with the sacrifice of his dearest affections which he was so frequently called upon to make, sufficiently prove that he never lost sight of his high calling, nor suffered any circumstances to interfere with the object for which he left his native land.

eye,

In the unreserved confidence of such communications, it will be supposed that there was much of a nature uninteresting to the publie and that omissions were consequently necessary. Had it pleased God to spare the Bishop's life it was his intention, after revisiting the same countries, to publish, corrected by further experience, an account of his travels from the notes, in which light only he considered the work now offered to the world. If the Editor has retained too many proofs of her husband's attachment to her and love for his children, or too many traits of that kindness of heart for which he was so eminent, some allowance should be made for the feelings of one whose pride it now is, as

it was her happiness, to have possessed the undivided affections of that heart whose qualities she so well knew and so fondly valued.

During a residence of five weeks in Ceylon, the Bishop had not leisure to continue the account of his first Visitation, which concluded in that beautiful country; but as it was a part of his diocese which, in many points of view, particularly interested him, he intended writing at some future period his recollections of the island, aided by the Editor's journal, which for that purpose was written more in detail. She has endeavoured to supply, in some degree, the deficiency, by inserting a few pages in the third volume.

Having thus explained the circumstances under which the work was written, and her motives for its publication, the Editor begs to be allowed to express her gratitude for the great and invariable kindness received by her husband and herself during their residence in India. For the active furtherance of his views in the promotion of Christianity,

for the deference paid to his wishes, for the hospitality, friendship, and respect which he met with from his Clergy and from all the military and civil servants of the Company, in whatever part of the country his Visitations led him, as well as from the King's Government in Ceylon, she can now but offer her own heartfelt thanks. That the Bishop highly appreciated the reception which he experienced, may be generally inferred from his journal; but the Editor is convinced that the following extract from a private letter will be peculiarly gratifying to the members of Government in Calcutta, to whom, especially to Mr. Lushington, the Secretary for the Ecclesiastical department, he always considered himself as under much obligation:

The Members of Government have done every thing for me which I myself wished for, and which was in their power to do: and Mr. Lushington has just now been exerting himself in Council to carry a point for me of great consequence." Nothing can be fuller or more considerate than the Letters which have been sent to the different commissariat and military officers to attend