201 APPENDIX. ABDOOL MESSEEH. THE following interesting history of this convert is given in a Report of the Church Missionary Society: "He was born at Delhi. His original name was Shekh Salih. His father is considered a learned man, and gains a livelihood by teaching children. Shekh Salih was instructed by his father, and made considerable proficiency both in the Persian and Arabic languages. “When he was about twenty-one years of age, he came with his father to Lukhnow, in quest of employment; and after some time, became moonshee, first to an English merchant, and then to an officer in the East India Company's service. At this time Abdool was so zealous a Mussulman, that he induced a Hindoo servant of the above officer to become a Mohammedan. The master finding some fault with him for his of ficiousness, he was so offended as to leave his employ, and return to Lukhnow, with a determination of having no more communication with 201 the British. After this he engaged in a variety of pursuits, and visited different parts of the country, being always very attentive, and endeavouring to render others so, to the Mohammedan observances. "At length, after having been about a year in some situation under the Nabob of Lukhnow, he went into the Mahratta country, and engaged as a trooper in the service of Ibrahim Ali Khan, one of the chieftains of the Javudpore Rajah. While under the command of this chief, Meer Khan, another chieftain, at that time in the service of the same Rajah, was sent to murder Rao Scivac Sing, the rival of the Javudpore Rajah. This transaction is well known in India. Meer Khan swore on the Koran, that he came to mediate a peace between his employer and the Rao, whom he no sooner decoyed into his tent, than, having gone out on some pretence, he caused the cords of it to be cut, and ordered his attendants to stab the visiters involved in its folds. The ill-fated Rao cut his way through the folds of the tent with a dagger, and bravely defended himself until overpowered by numbers; his head was severed from his body, and after being carried about in triumph, was sent to the Rajah. This Scivac Sing, Abdool relates, was a young man of very interesting appearance; and pity for his untimely death, with the horror excited by the 29 sight of his head, exposed as a spectacle, raised a feeling of disgust at the perfidy of mankind. Abdool had hitherto been a stranger to such treachery; and considering, as he says, that he himself was liable to be made the executioner of equally inhuman measures, he resolved on quitting the army, and earning his bread in some peaceful way, by any labour, however degrading. This determination he put in practice; and returning to Lukhnow, supported himself by preparing green paint. "At the end of about a year, Abdool went to Cawnpore to visit his father, at that time engaged as private tutor in the house of a rich native, who lived in the premises next to those of the Rev. Henry Martyn. He here heard of Mr. Martyn's preaching to the poor natives, who assembled on the lawn before his house on Sundays. He determined to go, as he expressed it, to see the sport. Mr. Martyn was explaining the commandments to the people, when Abdool went to hear; and he was struck with the observations that were made, and considered them as both reasonable and excellent. had previously been perplexed about the contradictions maintained by the different Mohammedan sects, and this Christian instruction appeared to him better than any he had as yet received. He told his father what opinion he had formed, and begged him to get him some employment at Cawn He pore, where he might hear of more of these things. His father was acquainted with a friend of Sabat, who was then living with Mr. Martyn; and through this friend, Abdool was engaged, in May 1810, to copy Persian writings for Sabat. He obtained a lodging on the premises, without making known his wishes. Here he had many opportunities of obtaining the information which he desired, particularly by inquiring of the native Christian children the subjects of the lessons which they had learned in school: and by this mode, he was enabled to gain some insight into Divine Truth. "When Mr. Martyn had finished his translation of the New Testament into Hindoostanee, the book was given Abdool to bind. This he considered as a fine opportunity; nor did he let it slip. On reading the word of God, he discovered his state, and perceived therein a true description of his own heart. He soon decided in favour of the Christian religion; but still concealed what was passing within him, till Mr. Martyn being about to leave Cawnpore on account of his health, Abdool could no longer refrain from asking his advice with respect to his future conduct; earnestly desiring at the same time, to be baptized. It was agreed that he should go down to Calcutta with Sabat and Mr. Martyn, from whom he received a solemn warning of the danger of a false profession. During the |