derful way to missionary enterprise. It lies on the east coast of Africa, from which it is separated by the Mozambique channel. It is about 900 miles long and 300 broad, that is, rather larger than France; and contains about 5,000,000 inhabitants. The island was discovered in 1506 by the Portuguese; and repeated ́ attempts have been made at various times by the French to establish settlements, and by the Jesuits to introduce the Roman Catholic religion in the island. English missionaries were permitted by King Radama I. to reside in the island and to proclaim the Gospel, between the years 1818 and 1828; and in that period the London Missionary Society sent thither fourteen teachers, who reduced the language to writing, translated and printed the whole Bible and other books, established two large congregations in the capital, 100 schools, and several preaching stations; 10,000 children were instructed, and 200 adult natives made formal profession of the Christian faith. Radama I. died in 1828, and was succeeded by a queen who expelled the missionaries, persecuted the Christians unto death, and cut off nearly all intercourse between the people of the island and other nations. She died in August, 1861; and the present king, Radama II. again opened the island to the commerce of the world, and invited missionaries. The London Missionary Society has resumed its work, has raised a sum of 7,000l. and has sent twelve missionaries to the island. Fourteen Roman Catholic missionaries are said to be already in Antananarivo. The Church Missionary Society has sent two missionaries, and these have been followed by two more, the Rev. J. Holding and Rev. W. Hey, sent by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel to found a mission there, and ordained for that purpose by the Bishop of Mauritius, on his return from England to his diocese, in June, 1864.

CHAPTER X.

WORK IN ASIA.

INDIAN DIOCESES.-CALCUTTA—MADRAS-BOMBAY.

CALCUTTA.

In the reign of Queen Elizabeth a company of merchants applied to her for a charter of incorporation, and obtained by that deed, on the 31st December, 1599, an exclusive right of trade in the Indian and Chinese seas, for a term of fifteen years. The charter thus given was renewed from time to time, and from this humble commencement the "East India Company” gradually rose into a commercial body with gigantic means, and at length, by the force of unforeseen circumstances, assumed the form of a sovereign power, while those by whom it was directed continued in their individual capacities to be without power or political influence; thus presenting an anomaly without a parallel in the history of the world.

Numerous and of vast extent as the other British colonies may be, their direct value to the mother country sinks into insignificance when compared with that of the mighty empire which, within less than a century, England has, on the continent of Asia, acquired for herself. A hundred years have not yet run their course since the only property which she owned in that part of the world consisted of the factories and trading stations belonging to a few of her adventurous merchants. And now

she is mistress of a territory which, if measured by square miles, presents an area four or five times larger than that of France, and is peopled by at least 140,000,000 inhabitants.

British India, it is well known, is divided into the three presidencies of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay. We will therefore first speak of Bengal; its capital city, Calcutta, being likewise the capital of the whole empire and chief seat of government, though the earliest possessions of the East India Company were in that part of the country now included in the presidency of Madras.

The commencement of the power of the English in Bengal dates from the year 1652, when their first settlement was made at Hooghly. This was in 1698 removed to Calcutta (then an insignificant village), and Fort William was built; but it was not before 1765 that the English obtained absolute power in Bengal.

The first Protestant mission in Calcutta was opened in 1758 (the year after Clive's celebrated victory at Plassey), by the Rev. John Kiernander, in connexion with the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; and the first church and schools built there (on which he expended upwards of 100,000 rupees) were monuments of his Christian liberality and zeal.

Thus the eighteenth century witnessed the rapid growth of British power in India, and the successive stages of the development of its dominion. On that field of conquest were beheld some of the noblest displays of human enterprise and glory, and a host of able men might be seen in every department of the State extending and consolidating an empire which dates its existence from the days of Hastings and Clive; the military daring of the one, and the statesmanlike genius of the other marking them out as worthy of this high distinction. But while wealth and territorial aggrandisement were daily resulting

from energies almost without parallel in history, while civil and military talents of the first order were daily employed in the furtherance of this single object, not a care seems to have been taken, not a thought bestowed on the interests of religion; a worldly empire was to be established, and worldly means were deemed its only fitting instruments. The Gospel which they professed, and on account of the profession of which they looked down with pity and contempt on the idolatrous superstitions of the conquered race, can scarcely be said to have held even a subordinate place in the minds of the first British rulers of India. Individual exceptions there were indeed; bright examples of zeal, and faith, and Christian love; but still the mass was either corrupt or indifferent, so that it is on record, that the Lord's day was disregarded, and that few persons ever thought of attending church the only exceptions being Christmas and Easter days, on which occasions the natives used to assemble in crowds to see the unusual sight. The Company's chaplains, few in number, attended only to their official duties to their countrymen. No steps were taken by the government for the establishment of schools and missions, and though facilities were sometimes afforded for the purpose (as in the case of the missions in Southern India), yet they were rather the acts of the individuals on whom the government had devolved, than of the government itself. Nothing like a public and avowed recognition of the obligation was ever exhibited, and even in later times difficulties were thrown in the way of its fulfilment.

At length, however, the time approached when the voice of truth and reason began to make known its power. In a powerful address, the whole subject was placed before the government by the Christian Knowledge Society, and in 1813 it engaged the attention of the British Parliament. The establishment of a Bishop and three Archdeacons was resolved upon, and on the

8th May, 1814, Dr. Thomas Fanshawe Middleton, Archdeacon of Huntingdon, was consecrated Bishop of Calcutta, at Lambeth. Throughout this enormous diocese there were at that time but thirty-two clergymen, civil and military (exclusive of the missionaries), and more than half of these were absent from their posts or disabled by sickness. And there were not more than five or six churches in all, divine service being commonly performed in a mess-room, or a barrack, or the official court of the magistrate.

In the course of his primary visitation, Bishop Middleton travelled more than 5,000 miles, confirmed above 1,000 persons, and "set in order the things that were wanting," as far at least as was possible after so many years of spiritual destitution and neglect.

The operations of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel commenced in India in 1818, when 5,000l. was placed at the disposal of the Bishop for missionary purposes.

In 1819 the Society devoted the proceeds of the Royal Letter, amounting to upwards of 45,000l., to the foundation of Bishop's College, Calcutta; towards which the Christian Knowledge, the Church Missionary and Bible Societies also contributed 5,000. each, and a site was granted by the East India Company at Hooghly, about four miles from Calcutta. The original object of this great Missionary College was the education of the native East Indian and European youths for the service of the Church; but it was afterwards enlarged for the reception of lay-students. Another purpose was the translation of the Holy Scriptures and of the Liturgy into the native languages of India. The Rev. Dr. Mill was appointed the first Principal in 1820, but the College was not open for education till 1824— not till after the death of the energetic prelate to whom it owed its foundation.