preference to natives professing Christianity. The chief argument for the retention of this system is precedent. It was the practice of the first settlers. But it has been often observed, that what might be proper or necessary in a factory, may not be tolerable in a great Empire. It is certain that this system confirms prejudice, exposes our religion to contempt in the eyes of the natives, and precludes every ray of hope of the future prevalence of Christianity at the seats of government.

'Jaffna-patam, in Ceylon, Sept. 27, 1806.

From the Hindoo Temple of Ramisseram, I crossed over to Ceylon, keeping close to Adam's bridge. I was surprized to find that all the boatmen were Christians of Ceylon. I asked the helmsman what religion the English professed who now governed the island. He said he could not tell, only that they were not of the Portuguese or Dutch religion. I was not so much surprized at his ignorance afterwards, as I was at the time.

"I have had the pleasure to meet here with Alexander Johnstone, Esq.* of the Supreme Court of Judicature, who is on the circuit; a man of large and liberal views,

* Now Sir Alexander Johnstone, Chief Justice of Ceylon..

the friend of learning, and of Christianity. He is well acquainted with the language of the country, and with the history of the island; and his professional pursuits afford him a particular knowledge of its present state; so that his communications are truly valuable. It will be scarcely believed in England, that there are here Protestant Churches under the King's government, which are without ministers. In the time of BALDEUS, the Dutch preacher and historian, there were thirty-two Christian Churches in the province of Jaffna alone. At this time there is not one Protestant European Minister in the whole province. I ought to except Mr. Palm, a solitary Missionary, who has been sent out by the London Society, and receives some stipend from the British government. I visited Mr. Palm, at his residence a few miles from the town of Jaffna. He is prosecuting the study of the Tamul language; for that is the language of this part of Ceylon, from its proximity to the Tamul continent. Mrs. Palm has made as great progress in the language as her husband, and is extremely active in the instruction of the native women and children. I asked her if she had no wish to return to Europe, after living so long among the uncivilized Cingalese. No, she said; she was all the day long happy in the communication of knowledge.' Mr. Palm has taken possession of the old Protestant Church of Tilly-Pally. By reference to the history, I found it was the church in which Baldæus himself preached (as he himself mentions) to a congregation of two thousand natives; for a view of the Church is given in his work. Most of those handsome Churches, of which views are

given in the

plates of Baldæus's history, are now in rains. Even in the town and fort of Jaffna, where there is a spacious edifice for Divine Worship, and a respectable society of English and Dutch inhabitants, no Clergyman has been yet appointed. The only Protestant preacher in the town of Jaffna is Christian David, a Hindoo Catechist, sent over by the mission of Tranquebar. His chief ministrations are in the Tamul tongue; but he sometimes preaches in the English Language, which he speaks with tolerable propriety: and the Dutch and English resort to hear him. I went with the rest to his Church; when he delivered extempore a very excellent Discourse, which his present Majesty George the Third would not have disdained to hear. And this Hindoo supports the interests of the English Church in the province of Jaffna. The Dutch Ministers, who formerly officiated here, have gone to Batavia or to Europe. The whole district is now in the hands of the Romish priests from the College of Goa; who perceiving the indifference of the English nation to their own religion, have assumed quiet and undisturbed possession of the land. And the English Government justly preferring the Romish superstition to the worship of the idol Boodha, thinks it right to countenance the Catholic Religion in Ceylon. But whenever our Church shall direct her attention to the promotion of Christianity in the East, I know of no place which is more worthy of her labour, than the old Protestant Vineyard of Jaffna-patam. The Scriptures are already prepared in the Tamul language. The language of the rest of Ceylon is the Cingalese, or Cey lonese.'

"Columbo, in Ceylon, 10th March, 1808.

I find that the south part of the Island is in much the same state as the north, in regard to Christian instruction. There are but two English Clergymen in the whole island. 'What wonder,' (said a Romish priest to me) that your nation should be so little interested about the conversion of the Pagans to Christianity, when it does not even give teachers to its own subjects, who are already Christians?' I was not surprised to hear that great numbers of the protestants every year go back to idolatry. Being destitute of a Head to take cognizance of their state, they apostatise to Boodha as the Israelites turned to Baal and Ashteroth. It is perhaps true, that the religion of Christ has never been so disgraced in any age of the Church, as it has been lately, by our official neglect of the Protestant Church in Ceylon.

'I passed the day at Mount Lavinia, the country residence of General Maitland, the Governor of Ceylon; and had some conversation with his Excellency on the religious state of the country. He desired I would commit to writing and leave with him a memorandum of inquiries which I wished should be made on subjects relating to the former prevalence of the Protestant Religion in this island, and the means of reviving and establishing it once more. His Excellency expressed his conviction that

some Ecclesiastical Establishment ought to be given to Ceylon; as had been given to other colonies of his Majesty in America and the West Indies. He asked what was the cause of the delay in giving an Ecclesiastical Establishment to the continent of India. I told him I supposed the chief cause was the mixed government of our Indian Empire. It was said to be a question at home, who ought to originate it. Had there been no revolution in Europe to distract the attention of the nation, and had Mr. Pitt lived, many things of a grand and arduous character would have been done which are yet left undone. There are now three missionaries of the London Society established in three different parts of the island. It gave me great pleasure to find that General Maitland and the senior Chaplain at Columbo, the Honourable Mr. Twisleton, had afforded their patronage in the most liberal manner to these useful teachers. Government has allowed to each of them an annual stipend.-In returning from the country I passed through the groves of CINNAMON, which extend nearly a mile in length. CeyIon is believed by some of the Easterns, both Mahomedans and Hindoos, to have been the residence of the first man (for the Hindoos have a First Man, and a garden of Eden, as well as the Christians): because it abounds in "Trees pleasant to the eyes, and good for food;" and is famous for its rare metals and precious stones. • There is gold, bdellium, and the onyx stone.' The rocky ridge which connects this happy island with the main land, is called Adam's Bridge; the lofty mountain in the middle of the island every where visible, is called Adam's Peak: and there is a sepulchre of immense length, which they