ion of the Hindus. They abhor it for its polytheism and idolatry. When I went to India the Koran had not, so far as I know, been printed in India. All copies of it were in manuscript and were scarce and costly. Some 10 or 12 years ago an attempt was made in Bombay to print the Koran in lithography and succeeded well. They were so pleased with these copies that other editions of different sizes were soon printed and many thousand copies were issued. They were purchased and carried or sent to be sold in Arabia, Persia, and other countries. For the last 10 years I was in India, as good a copy of the Koran could be purchased for one dollar as could be procured for 8 or 10 dollars for the first 10 years I was there. One rich man was so pleased with these printed copies that he printed an edition of 1,000 copies in beautiful style and distributed them. Rich men also often purchased a number of copies and distributed to people around, and sent them into those parts of the country where the Koran was supposed to be scarce. And such liberality and zeal have not been limited to Bombay. A native prince at Lucknow not long since expended $2,500 on an edition of the Koran in Arabic with a Hindustanee translation and commentary, which was designed for gratuitous circulation. Thus private zeal and liberality supplied the want of a Koran Society to furnish the destitute. I should not be surprised to hear of the formation of Koran Societies upon the plan, object, and agency of Bible Societies.

There is no priesthood among the Mohammedans in India. A man who can read and expound the Koran is called a Moolah. As people generally do not understand the language of the Koran (which is Arabic), they often assemble in the mosques and private houses to hear the Koran read and explained. Mohammedans fast during the month of Ramazan in India, as they do in Turkey and other countries. The fast consists in not eating or drinking any thing in the daytime. In the night they may eat and drink as much as they wish. Still this mode of fasting for a whole month is often a severe duty, and hard discipline. In many places are the tombs of reputed saints which are held in great veneration, and many people in their vicinity make vows to them. These saints have generally an anniversary or annual festival, when people assemble, often many thou

sands, to perform their vows and offer their prayers to the saints. These reputed saints occupy a place among the Mohammedans in India similar to what Romish saints have among the Roman Catholics in Europe. Mohammedanism in India consists much in local usages and popular superstitions, which have no authority in the Koran. Many go on pilgrimages to Mecca, and such as live to return are afterwards much respected among their people.

The Mohammedans are fond of religious discussion and controversy. Not restrained by any rules of caste, they can associate freely with Europeans. A few distinguished men among them have become Christians and honored their profession, but they are generally more opposed to Christianity than the Hindus. They have made considerable use of the press within a few years past for vindicating their religion and confirming the faith of their people. The most spirited controversy between Mohammedanism and Christianity has been in Northern India. Some able works have there been published on both sides, and the subject has excited much attention.

Christian writers on Mohammed have generally said that he performed no miracles and acknowledged in the Koran that he had not power to perform any, and they refer to places which are supposed to acknowledge or imply this want of power. But the Mohammedans do not admit that their prophet wanted this evidence of his mission's being divine. So far from this they believe that he performed many and wonderful miracles, and that signs and miracles and prodigies in testimony of his divine mission were frequently taking place around him. A work called the "Light of Mohammed," printed at Lucknow, at Agra, and at Carrapore, contains accounts of more such miracles and prodigies than all that are in the New Testament. this work 12 editions had been printed when I left India, and devout Mohammedans appeared to have entire confidence in its assertions and statements. Such views of Mohammed, of his mission and his works are more firmly and generally held by the Mohammedans in the northern parts of India, who have obtained their religion and their traditions from Persia, than in the southern parts where they have obtained their principles from Arabia.

Of

The Mohammedan religion has made but little progress in India since the decline of their political power. Now and then some Hindu who has lost caste or is involved in trouble with his own people, will join the Mohammedans and become incorporated with them. According to the Hindu theory of caste, any person not a Hindu, whoever and whatever he may be, is lower than any Hindu who has always observed the rules of his caste. But practically the Mohammedans occupy a much higher social position even in the view of the Hindus themselves than the low caste Hindus. So when a Hindu of low caste becomes a member of the Mohammedan community, he rises in the social scale and in general respectability. Considering the state and circumstances of the low caste Hindus and the manner in which they are treated by the high castes, and that by becoming Mohammedans they at once come under their protection and often secure other advantages, as employment, relief from pecuniary embarrassment, a marriage connection, etc., (for the Mohammedans hold out these advantages to proselytes,) it appears strange that more Hindus do not become Mohammedans.

The progress of Christianity and other causes now in operation in India, will strongly affect the Mohammedans in common with all other classes of the native population, and when they see the Hindus losing all confidence in their sacred books, neglecting their idolatries and rites and ceremonies, some of them becoming Christians and others sinking into scepticism and indifference to all religion, it appears not unlikely that the Mohammedans may become animated with zeal for propagating their faith, and that this religion may spread faster than it ever did when urged on by all the force of political power and wár against Hinduism in the state it then was. There is no prospect of Mohammedans again acquiring much political power in India, but considering the state of the native population and the various causes in operation affecting their religious character, it does not appear improbable that Mohammedanism may yet spread and become the religion of a much larger proportion of the people of the country before it shall be numbered one of the provinces of the kingdom of Immanuel, and its inhabitants become his obedient and happy subjects.

THE PARSEES.

The Parsees are a class of people who live chiefly in the western parts of India. Their number was found at the late census of Bombay, to be about 75,000 in that small island. They are also numerous in Gujerat, and a few are settled in most of the seaports and large cities in the southern countries of Asia. Their ancestors fled from Persia some centuries ago to escape the persecutions of the Mohammedans, and after wandering about for considerable time, became quietly settled in Gujerat. They are the most intelligent, wealthy, and enterprising of any class in the native population of India. The religion of their ancestors when they escaped from Persia, was the system of Zoroaster, the same as the religion of the ancient Persians, in the times of Cyrus and Xerxes. Their Scriptures are called the Zend Avesta, and are ascribed to Zoroaster. There has been much difference of opinion in respect to the time when he lived, how many there were of this name, and whether the work, called the Zend Avesta, was really written by any one of this name, or was not rather written long after the reputed epoch of any of the Zoroasters.

The Zend Avesta comprises several parts which are seldom used together. These are called the Vandidad, the Yasna or Izashne, and the Vispard. The Parsees appear generally to believe in two self-existent and eternal Beings, called Hormazd, the good deity, and Ahriman, the bad deity. The former produces all the good and the happiness that are in the world, and the latter produces all the evil and the misery that are in the world. Some believe that both these deities derive their being from one anterior, called Zarwan, though who and what this being was or is, they are not agreed. They believe in great numbers of good and evil angels, who have the power and the disposition to interfere in human affairs, and their religion consists in part of rites and supplications to procure the aid and protection of the one class, and of deprecations and other means to avert the power and displeasure of the other class. They have great reverence for fire, and they worship, gazing at the sun, moon, and stars, and often at fire wherever seen. Some among them say

they contemplate the sun, moon, etc., only as symbols of the Deity, and that their worship is really aimed to the invisible, omnipresent, and omnipotent God. But probably many and perhaps most of them when gazing upon the sun in their worship, think of nothing beyond the visible object they are contemplating.

In their temples consecrated fire is kept continually burning. It is preserved with much care, and many rites and ceremonies are performed upon it and to it. Fragrant kinds of wood, gums, spices, etc., are thrown upon it, or offered to it. Their reverence for fire prevents their even using it for the self-indul gence of smoking tobacco, or any other substance. And as gunpowder can only be used in connection with fire, their reverence for this element prevents their using gunpowder for the destruction of human or of animal life. So they never become soldiers nor huntsmen. I am not aware that they ever make an image or symbol of any deity, and consecrating it, worship it as the Hindus prepare and worship the idols of their deities. But the Parsees address their prayers and praises to great numbers of supposed spiritual beings. They also address their prayers to created objects in such a way and spirit as appear clearly to deserve the name of religious homage.

The manner in which they dispose of their dead is peculiar. The Hindus generally burn their dead. The Mohammedans bury their dead. But the Parsees neither burn nor bury their dead. Large cemeteries are prepared with much labor and expense. They are open, (have no covering over them,) and are surrounded with high walls. They are intrusted to a particular class among them, and no others ever go into them. These persons take charge of all dead bodies, and perform the ceremonies of disposing of them. These bodies are carried into the cemeteries and deposited there, exposed to the sun, atmosphere, etc. The bodies of the wealthy are covered with a screen of brass wire, but the bodies of the common people have no covering put over them, and so are soon devoured by vultures, crows, etc., which may generally be seen in great numbers hovering over the cemeteries, and sitting on the walls. The bones are from time to time collected and put into a part of the cemetery till they are all decomposed. They attach great importance to their rites of burial.