murmurs.

an increase which he imputes to the increasing luxury of the higher and middling classes, and to their expensive imitation of European habits, which make many families needy, and anxious to get rid, by any means, of the necessity of supporting their mothers, or the widows of their relations. Another frequent cause is, he thinks, the jealousy of old men, who, having married young wives, still cling to their exclusive possession even in death, and leave injunctions either with their wives themselves to make the offering, or with their heirs to urge them to it. He is strongly of opinion that the practice might be forbidden in Bengal, where it is of most frequent occurrence, without exciting any serious The women, he is convinced, would all be loud in their praises of such a measure, and even of the men, so few would have an immediate interest in burning their wives, mothers, or sisters-in-law, that they would set themselves against what those who had most influence with them would be so much interested in having established. The Brahmins, he says, have no longer the power and popularity which they had when he first remembers India, and among the laity many powerful and wealthy persons agree, and publicly express their agreement, with Rammohun Roy, in reprobating the custom, which is now well known to be not commanded by any of the Hindoo sacred books, though some of them speak of it as a meritorious sacrifice. A similar opinion to that of Dr. Marshman I have heard expressed by the senior judge of the Sudder Dewannee Adawlut. Others, however, of the members of the Government think differently. They con

ceive that the likeliest method to make the custom more popular than it is would be to forbid and make it a point of honour with the natives; that at present no woman is supposed to be burnt without her own wish certified to the magistrate; that there are other and less public ways to die (on that account more liable to abuse than the suttees) which might be resorted to if this were forbidden; and that if we desire to convert the Hindoos, we should above all things be careful to keep Government entirely out of sight in all the means which we employ, and to be even, if possible, over-scrupulous in not meddling with, or impeding those customs which, however horrid, are become sacred in their estimation, and are only to be destroyed by convincing and changing the popular mind. When Christian schools have become universal the suttee will fall of itself. But to forbid it by any legislative enactment would, in their opinion, only give currency to the notion that we mean to impose Christianity on them by force, and retard its progress to an almost indefinite period."

"21st January 1824.

I went this day to Calcutta to attend a meeting of the Church Missionary Society, and returned, after an early dinner, with Archdeacon Corrie."

"2nd February 1824.

"I went to Calcutta for a confirmation, which I held the next day in the cathedral; the number of persons who attended were 236-a good many more than were expected, as barely two years have elapsed since the last performance of the ceremony by Bishop Middleton. Most of them were half-castes; but there were, however, several officers, and from twenty to thirty European soldiers, and three grown-up women of the upper ranks. They were apparently very seriously impressed with the ceremony, which to me, I will own, was almost overpowering. God Almighty grant his indulgence to me, and his blessing on those for whom I then prayed, for Jesus Christ's sake!"

"21st April 1824. God grant that my good; and better, far This day I christened prosper her with all

"I entered into my forty-second year. future years may be as happy, if He sees better spent than those which are gone by! my dear little Harriet. God bless and earthly and heavenly blessings ! We had afterwards a great dinner and evening party, at which were present the Governor and Lady Amherst, and nearly all our acquaintance in Calcutta. To the latter I also asked several of the wealthy natives, who were much pleased with the attention, being, in fact, one which no European of high station in Calcutta had previously paid to any of them. Hurree Mohun Thakoor observing 'what an increased interest the presence of females gave to our parties,' I reminded him that the introduction of women into society was an ancient Hindoo custom, and only discontinued in consequence of the Musalman conquest. He assented with a laugh, adding, however, 'It is too late for us to go back to the old custom now.' Rhadakant Deb, who overheard us, observed more seriously, 'It is very true that we did not use to shut up our women till the times of the Musalmans. But before we could give them the same liberty as the Europeans they must be better educated.' I introduced these Baboos to the Chief Justice, which pleased them much, though perhaps they were still better pleased with my wife herself presenting them pawn, rosewater, and attar of roses before they went, after the native custom.”

M

"24th April 1824.

"The cholera morbus is making great ravages among the natives. Few Europeans have yet died of it, but to all it is sufficiently near to remind us of our utter dependence on God's mercy, and how near we are in the midst of life to death! Surely there is no country in the world where this recollection ought to be more perpetually present with us than India. All persons experienced in this climate deny that any of the country fevers are contagious. A very blessed circumstance, whatever may be its immediate cause."

"14th June 1824.

"I have had a very interesting and awful ceremony to perform in the ordination of Christian David, a native of Malabar, and pupil of Schwartz, who had been for many years a catechist in the employ of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge in Ceylon, and now came to me, recommended by Archdeacon Twistleton, and qualified with the title of a colonial chaplaincy by Sir Edward Barnes, the Governor of the island. David passed an exceeding good examination, and gave much satisfaction to everybody by his modesty, good sense, and good manners. He was ordained deacon on Holy Thursday, on which day also I held my visitation, and had a good attendance of clergy, and a numerous audience, notwithstanding the early hour at which it was celebrated. On Trinity Sunday I had the satisfaction (though by me it was felt at the same time, in some degree, a terrible responsibility) of ordaining him priest. God grant that his ministration may be blessed to his own salvation, and that of many others! He was lodged during his residence in Bengal in the Bishop's College, and received much attention and kindness from Lady Amherst and many others. He preached on Thursday evening at the Old Church, and it was proposed to publish his sermon; but this I thought it best to discourage.”

Heber's letters to Miss Dod fortunately continued to be frequent, and these enable us to follow every step of his career with even greater interest than that called forth by his Journal:

"CALCUTTA, 15th December 1823.

"My last letter, my dear Charlotte, though begun at a rather early period of our voyage, yet as I had no means of sending it before we reached India, will have told you of our safe arrival,

and our rapid and prosperous voyage. Emily and I have since continued to enjoy perfect health, but our poor, dear little girl, who landed from the Grenville the picture of health and happiness, and who remained well and in good spirits during the first month, now that the cool and pleasant season has commenced from which Europeans in general derive unmixed benefit, has been struggling for the last three weeks or more with a tedious low fever and a weakness of digestion which have sometimes made us both very, very uneasy. We hope she is better, but she recovers very slowly, and our best hope seems to be in a little excursion to the coast in a pilot vessel, in which her mother is to accompany her. We have no reason to think the illness occasioned by climate, and she derived so much benefit from her voyage in the Grenville, that another cruise, though a short one, we trust may restore her. On this, next to Providence, we are taught to place confidence. I have been very busy; busier, indeed, than I ever was before, except during the Oxford election, and this constant occupation has kept my spirits from flagging. But to my poor wife this is a heavy trial; were this otherwise we should both enjoy our present situation. I have a field of usefulness before me so vast that my only fear is lest I should lose my way in it.

"The country, the society, and, at this season, the climate are all very agreeable, and there are several amiable and excellent people here, who have shown us much and cordial kindness, and whose friendship would, in any country, be a valuable privilege. Of the country we have as yet seen little, except in our voyage up the river and in the vicinity of Calcutta. But all Bengal is described to us as like those parts which we have seen-a vast alluvial plain, intersected by the innumerable arms of the Ganges, overflowed once a year, but now covered with rice-fields, divided by groves of tall fruit- trees, with villages under their shelter, swarming with a population beyond anything which Europe can show and scarcely to be paralleled in China. Calcutta when seen from the south, on which side it is built round two sides of a great open plain, with the Ganges on the west and Fort William standing in the centre, is a very noble city, with tall and stately houses, ornamented with Grecian pillars, and each, for the most part, surrounded by a little apology for a garden. The churches are not large, but very neat and even elegant buildings, and the Government House is, to say the least of it, a more showy palace than London has to produce. These are, however, the front lines; behind them ranges the native town,