officers houses were ransacked, and every body found in them murdered. Upon the arrival of the 19th Light Dragoons under Colonel Gillespie, the Sepoys were immediately attacked; 600 cut down upon the spot; and 200 taken from their hiding-places, and shot. There perished, of the four European companies, about 164, besides officers; and many British officers of the native troops were murdered by the insurgents. Subsequent to this explosion, there was a mutiny at Nundydroog; and, in one day, 450 Mahomedan Sepoys were disarmed, and turned out of the fort, on the ground of an intended masIt appeared, also, from the information of the commanding officer at Tritchinopoly, that, at that period, a spirit of disaffection had manifested itself at Bangalore, and other places; and seemed to gain ground in every direction. On the 3d of December 1806, the Government of Madras issued the following proclamation. A PROCLAMATION. The Right Hon. the Governor in Council, having observed that, in fome late instances, an extraordinary degree of agitation has prevailed among feveral corps of the native army of this coaft, it has been his Lordship's particular endeavour to ascertain the motives which may have led to conduct fo different from that which formerly diftinguifhed the native army. From this inquiry, it has appeared that many persons of evil intention have endeavoured, for malicious purposes, to impress upon the native troops a belief that it is the wifh of the British Government to convert them by forcible means to Chriftianity; and his Lordship in Council has obferved with concern, that fuch malicious reports have been believed by many of the native troops. The Right Hon. the Governor in Council, therefore, deems it proper, in this public manner, to repeat to the native troops his affurance, that the fame refpect which has been invariably fhown by the British Go vernment for their religion and for their customs, will be always continued; and that no interruption will be given to any native, whether Hindoo or Muffulman, in the practice of his religious ceremonies. His Lordship in Council defires that the native troops will not give belief to the idle rumours which are circulated by enemies of their happiness, who endeavour, with the bafeft defigns, to weaken the confidence of the troops in the British Government. His Lordship in Council defires that the native troops will remember the constant attention and humanity which have been shown by the British Government, in providing for their comfort, by augmenting the pay of the native officers and Sepoys; by allowing liberal penfions to thofe who have done their duty faithfully; by making ample provifion for the families of those who may have died in battle; and by receiving their children into the fervice of the Honourable Company, to be treated with the fame care and bounty as their fathers had experienced. The Right Hon. the Governor in Council trufts, that the native troops troops, remembering these circumftances, will be fenfible of the happinefs of their situation, which is greater than what the troops of any other part of the world enjoy; and that they will continue to obferve the fame good conduct for which they were distinguished in the days of General Lawrence, of Sir Eyre Coote, and of other renowned heroes. The native troops muft at the fame time be fenfible, that if they fhould fail in the duties of their allegiance, and fhould show themselves disobedient to their officers, their conduct will not fail to receive merited punishment, as the British Government is not lefs prepared to punish the guilty, than to protect and diftinguifh thofe who are deferving of its fa Your. It is directed that this paper be tranflated with care into the Tamul, Telinga, and Hindooftany languages; and that copies of it be circulated to each native battalion, of which the European officers are enjoined and ordered to be careful in making it known to every native officer and Sepoy under his command. It is alfo directed, that copies of the paper be circulated to all the Magiftrates and Collectors under this Government, for the purpose of being fully underflood in all parts of the country. • Published by order of the Right Hon. the Governor in Council. G. BUCHAN, Chief Secretary to Government. Dated in Fort St George, 3d Dec. 1806.' Scott Waring's Preface, iii-v. So late as March 1807, three months after the date of this proclamation, so universal was the dread of a general revolt a mong the native troops, that the British officers attached to the native troops, constantly slept with loaded pistols under their pillows. It appears that an attempt had been made by the military men at Madras, to change the shape of the Sepoy turban into something resembling the helmet of the light infantry of Europe, and to prevent the native troops from wearing, on their foreheads, the marks characteristic of their various castes. The sons of the late Tippoo, with many noble Mussulmans deprived of office at that time, resided in the fortress of Vellore, and in all probability contributed very materially to excite, or to inflame those suspi cions of designs against their religion, which are mentioned in the proclamation of the Madras Government, and generally known to have been a principal cause of the insurrection at Vellore. It was this insurrection which first gave birth to the question upon missions to India; and before we deliver any opinion upon the subject itself, it will be necessary to state what had been done in former periods towards disseminating the truths of the Gospel in India, and what new exertions had been made about the period at which this event took place. More than a century has elapsed since the first Protestant missionaries appeared in India. Two young divines, selected by the University University of Halle, were sent out in this capacity by the King of Denmark, and arrived at the Danish settlement of Tranquebar in 1706. The mission thus begun, has been ever since continued, and has been assisted by the Society for the promotion of Christian Knowledge established in this country. The same society has, for many years, employed German missionaries of the Lutheran persuasion, for propagating the doctrines of Christianity among the natives of India. In 1799, their number was six; it is now reduced to five. The Scriptures translated into the Tamulic language, which is vernacular in the southern parts of the peninsula, have, for more than half a century, been printed at the Tranquebar press, for the use of Danish missionaries and their converts. A printing press, indeed, was established at that place by the two first Danish missionaries; and, in 1714, the Gospel of St Matthew, translated into the dialect of Malabar, was printed there. Not a line of the Scriptures, in any of the languages current on the coast, had issued from the Bengal press on September 13. 1806. It does appear, however, about the period of the mutiny at Vellore, and a few years previous to it, that the number of the missionaries on the coast had been increased. In 1804, the Mis sionary Society, a recent institution, sent a new mission to the coast of Coromandel; from whose papers, we think it right to lay before our readers the following extracts. * March 31, 1805.-Waited on A. B. He says Government feems to be very willing to forward our views. We may stay at Madras as long as we please; and when we intend to go into the country, on our application to the Governor by letter, he would iffue orders for granting us paffports, which would fuperfede the neceffity of a public petition.Lord's Day.' Trans. of Miff. Society, II. p. 365. In a letter from Brother Ringletaube to Brother Cran, he thus expresses himself. The paffports Government has promised you are fo valuable, that I fhould not think a journey too troublesome to obtain one for myself, if I could not get it through your interference. In hopes that your ap plication will fuffice to obtain one for me, I enclose you my Gravefend paffport, that will give you the particulars concerning my perfon.' Tranf. of Miff. Society, II. p. 369. They * There are fix focieties in England for converting Heathens to the Chriftian religion. Society for Miffions to Africa and the Eaft; of which Meffrs Wilberforce, Grant, Parry, and Thorntons, are the principal encouragers. 2. Methodist Society for Miffions. 3. Anabaptift Society for Miffions. 4. Miffionary Society. 5. Society for promoting Chriftian Knowledge. 6. Moravian Miffions. They all publish their proceedings. They obtain their passports from Government; and the plan and objects of their mission are printed, free of expense, at the Government press. 1805. June 27. Dr fent for one of us to confult with him on particular business. He accordingly went. The Doctor told him, that he had read the publications which the Brethren lately brought from England, and was fo much delighted with the report of the Directors, that he wished 200 or more copies of it were printed, together with an introduction, giving an account of the rife and progrefs of the Miffionary Society, in order to be distributed in the different fettlements in India. He offered to print them at the Government prefs free of expenfe. On his return, we confulted with our two brethren on the fubject, and refolved to accept the Doctor's favour. We have begun to prepare it for the prefs. Tranf. of Milf. Society, II. p. 394. In page 89th of the 18th Number, Vol. III, the Missionaries write thus to the Society in London, about a fortnight before the massacre at Vellore. Every encouragement is offered us by the eftablished government of the country. Hitherto they have granted us every request, whether folicited by ourselves or others. Their permiffion to come to this place; their allowing us an acknowledgment for preaching in the fort, which fanctions us in our work; together with the grant which they have lately given us to hold a large fpot of ground every way fuited for miffionary labours, are objects of the laft importance, and remove every impediment which might be apprehended from this fource. We trust not to an arm of flesh; but when we reflect on these things, we cannot but behold the loving kindnefs of the Lord. In a letter of the same date, we learn, from Brother Ringletaube, the following fact. The Dewan of Travancore fent me word, that if I defpatched one of our Chriftians to him, he would give me leave to build a church at Magilandy. Accordingly, I fhall fend in a fhort time. For this important fervice, our fociety is indebted alone to Colonel -, without whofe determined and fearless interpofition, none of their miffionaries would have been able to fet a foot in that country.' In page 381, Vol. II, Dr Kerr, one of the chaplains on the Madras establishment, baptizes a Mussulman who had applied to him for that purpose: upon the first application, it appears that Dr Kerr hesitated; but upon the Mussulman threatening to rise against him on the Day of Judgment, Dr Kerr complies. It appears that in the Tinevelly diftrict, about a year before the Maffacre of Vellore, not only riots, but very ferious perfecutions of the converted natives had taken place, from the jealoufy evinced by the Hindoos and Muffulmen at the progrefs of the gospel. "Rev. Sir, I thought you fufficiently acquainted with the late vexations of the Chriftians in those parts, anfing from the blind zeal of the Heathens Heathens and Mahometans, the latter viewing with a jealous eye the progrefs of the Gofpel, and trying to deftroy, or at least to clog it, by all the crafty means in their power. I therefore did not chufe to trouble you; but as no ftop has been put to thofe grievances, things go on from had to worse, as you will fee from what has happened at Hickadoe; the Catechift has providentially efcaped from that outrageous attempt, by the affiftance of ten or twelve of our Chriftians, and has made good his flight to Palamcotta; whilft the exafperated mob, coming from Padeckepalloe hovered round, the village, plundering the houfes of the Chriftians and ill-treating their families, by kicking, flogging and other bad ufage; these monfters not even forbearing to attack, ftrip, rob, and miferably beat the Catechift Jefuadian, who, partly from illaefs, and partly through fear, had fhut himself up in his houfe. I have heard various accounts of this fad event; but yesterday the Catechift himself called on me, and told me the truth of it. From what he says, it is plain that the Manikar of Wayrom, (a Black peace-officer of that place) has contrived the whole affair, with a view to vex the Chriftians. doubt not that these facts have been reported to the Rev. Mr K. by the Country-prieft; and if I mention them to you, it is with a view to fhow in what a forlorn ftate the poor Chriftians hereabout are, and how defirable a thing it would be, if the Rev. Mr Ringeltaube were to come hither as foon as poffible; then tranquillity would be restored, and future moleftations prevented. I request you to communicate this letter to him with my compliments. I am, Sir, &c. Manapaar, June 8, 1805. " I This Letter left a deep impreffion on my mind, efpecially when I received a fuller account of the troubles of the Chriftians. By the Black underlings of the collectors, they are frequently driven from their homes, put in the ftocks, and expofed for a fortnight together to the heat of the raging fun, and the chilling dews of the night, all because there is no European Miffionary to bring their complaints to the ear of Government, who, I am happy to add, have never been deficient in their duty of procuring redrefs, where the Chriftians have had to complain of real injuries. One of the moft trying cafes, mentioned in a poftfcript of the above letter, is that of Chriftians being flogged, till they confent to hold the torches to the Heathen Idols. The letter fays, "the Catechift of Collefigrapatnam, has informed me that the above Manikar has forced a Chriftian, of the Villally caft, who attends at our church, to sweep the temple of the Idol. A fevere flogging was given on this occafion. " -From fuch facts, the poftfcript continues, "you may guefs at the deplorable fituation of our fellow-believers, as long as every Manikar thinks he has a right to do them what violence he pleases. " • It must be obferved, to the glory of that Saviour, who is ftrong in weakness, that many of the Neophytes in that diftrict, have withftood all these fiery trials with firmness. Many alfo, it is to be lamented, have fallen off in the evil day, and at leaft fo far yielded to the importunity of their perfecutors, as again to daub their faces and bodies with paint and afhes, after the manner of the Heathen. How great this fall |