planation, he fears the whole work will not only be stripped of its authority, but looked upon as altogether unintelligible.' Translation of the Céna Upanished, p. 5.

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• Many learned Bramins,' he adds, are perfectly aware of the absurdity of idolatry, and are well informed of the nature of the purer mode of divine worship;-but as in the rites, ceremonies, and festivals of idolatry, they find the source of their comforts and fortune, they not only never fail to protect idol worship from all attacks, but even advance and encourage it to the utmost of their power, by keeping the knowledge of their scriptures concealed from the rest of the people. Their followers, too, confiding in these leaders, feel gratification in the idea of the divine nature residing in a being resembling themselves in birth, shape, and propensities; and are naturally delighted with a mode of worship agreeable to the senses, though destructive of moral principles, and the fruitful parent of prejudice and superstition.' p. 9.

The author complains loudly of the bad effects, that have resulted from the interpretations, which Europeans have sometimes given of the idolatry of the Hindoos; and which, although plausible, have no foundation. They have supposed that the idols used by the natives in their worship are not considered by them as actual gods, or as real personifications of the divine attributes, but merely as instruments and means for raising their minds to the contemplation of those attributes, which are respectively represented by different figures.' This opinion Ram Mohun Roy declares to be entirely erroneous, and he regrets, that it should ever have been suggested, as the natives have since made great use of it in defending their absurd practices. It had never occurred to them, and it affords a stronger argument in their favour, than any they have been able to advance. On this subject he makes the following remarks. In addition to the argument in question, they give a very animated picture of the present state of religious belief and worship among the natives of Hindustan.

Hindoos of the present age, with a very few exceptions, have not the least idea, that it is to the attributes of the Supreme Being as figuratively represented by shapes, corresponding to the nature of those attributes, they offer adoration and worship under the denomination of gods and goddesses. On the contrary the slightest investigation will clearly satisfy every inquirer, that it makes a material part of their system to hold as articles of faith all those particular circumstances, which are essential to a belief in the in

dependent existence of the objects of their idolatry, as deities clothed with divine power.

'Locality of habitation and a mode of existence analagous to their own views of earthly things, are uniformly ascribed to each particular god. Thus the devotees of Siva, misconceiving the real spirit of the scriptures, not only place an implicit credence in the separate existence of Siva, but even regard him as an omnipotent being, the greatest of all the divinities, who, as they say, inhabit the northern mountain of Cailas; and that he is accompanied by two wives and several children, and surrounded by numerous attendants. In like manner the followers of Vishnu, mistaking the allegorical representations of the Sastras for relations of real facts, believe him to be chief over all other gods, and that he resides with his wife and attendants on the summit of heaven. Similar opinions are also held by the worshippers of Cali, in respect to that goddess. And in fact, the same observations are equally applicable to every class of Hindoo devotees in regard to their respective gods and goddesses. And so tenacious are those devotees in respect to the honour due to their chosen divinities, that when they meet in holy places, the adjustment of the point of precedence not only occasions the warmest verbal altercations, but sometimes even blows and violence. Neither do they regard the images of those gods merely in the light of instruments for elevating the mind to the conception of those supposed beings; they are simply in themselves made objects of worship. For whatever Hindoo purchases an idol in the market, or constructs one with his own hands, or has one made under his own superintendance, it is his invariable practice to perform certain ceremonies, which give it, as he thinks, the endowment of animation,-by which he believes its nature is changed from that of the mere materials of which it was formed, and that it acquires not only life, but supernatural powers. Shortly afterwards, if the idol be of the masculine gender, he marries it to a feminine one, with no less promp and magnificence, than he celebrates the nuptials of his own children. The mysterious process is now complete, and the god and goddesses are esteemed the arbiters of his destiny, and continually receive his most ardent adoration,

At the same time the worshippers of images ascribe to them at once the opposite natures of human and superhuman beings. In attention to their supposed wants as living beings, he is seen feeding or pretending to feed them every morning and evening; and as in the hot season he is careful to fan them, so in the cold he is equally regardful of their comfort, covering them by day with warm clothing, and placing them at night in a bed. But superstition does not find a limit here. The acts and speeches of the idols, and their assumption of various shapes and colours, are gravely relat

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ed by the Bramins, and with all the marks of veneration, are firmly believed by their deluded followers. Other practices they have with regard to those idols, which decency forbids me to explain. In thus endeavouring to remove a mistake, into which I have reason to believe many European gentlemen have been led by a benevolent wish, to find an excuse for the errours of my countrymen, it is a considerable gratification to me to find that the latter have begun to be so far sensible of the absurdity of their real belief and practices, as to find it convenient to shelter them under such a cloak, however flimsy and barrowed. The adoption of such a subterfuge encourages me to hope, that they will in time. abandon what they are sensible cannot be defended; and that, forsaking the superstition of idolatry, they will embrace the rational worship of the God of nature, as enjoined in the Véds, and confirmed by the dictates of common sense.' pp. 11–16.

The following arguments he tells us are the principal ones alleged by the natives in support of idolatry; namely, those who believe God to be omnipresent, as declared by the doctrines of the Védánt, are required by the tenets of such belief, to look upon all existing creatures as God, and to show divine respect to birds, beasts, men, women, vegetables, and all other existences, and as practical conformity to such doctrines is almost impossible, the worship of figured gods, should be admitted.' Another argument is, no man can have, as it is said, by the Sastra, a desire of knowledge respecting the Supreme Being, unless his mind be purified; and as idol worship purifies men's minds, it should therefore be attended to.' And lastly, idol worship has been practised so many centuries, that custom renders it necessary to continue it.' These arguments the author confutes at large, and, as it may be supposed, without much difficulty. He brings forward constantly in support of his positions the authority of the sacred books themselves.

We have thus far considered the prefaces and introductory remarks only of two pamphlets, which, however, comprise inuch the greater part of each. What remains are translations from such parts of the Védas, as treat of the existence, unity, and attributes of the Supreme Being. These pamphlets are entitled, Translation of the Ishopanishad, one of the chapters of the Yajur Véda-and Translation of the Cena Upanished, one of the Chapters of the Sána Véda.

The third pamphlet, which remains to be noticed, is entitled, A Defence of Hindoo Theism, in reply to the Attack of

an Advocate for Idolatry at Madrass, by Ram Mohun Roy, printed at Calcutta in 1817. The works, which we have above mentioned, with some others by the same author, called forth an answer, it seems, from some person in Madrass, whether a native or European it is uncertain, though there are some reasons to think the latter. What motive a christian could have, however, for writing in defence of idolatry cannot be so easily determined. But whoever may have written it, Ram Mohun Roy has returned a very spirited and a very satisfactory answer. In this he exposes anew the pitiable delusions of his countrymen, the indecency and wickedness of their religious ceremonies, and the wretched effects, which they produce on their morals and happiness.

We have dwelt the longer on this subject, because it is novel, at least in this country, and because it is likely hereafter to attract much attention. Ram Mohun Roy is not a christian, it is true, but the doctrine he inculcates differs very little from the christian doctrine respecting the nature and attributes of the Deity. It is the same in its spirit and objects. If he can introduce it among his countrymen, it will be a great step taken towards advancing the cause of christianity in the East. It will be taking down one of the strongest barriers, which the christian missionaries have to surmount. New facilities will be offered for prosecuting their benovolent and indefatigable labours; and by the use of these means, and the aid of Divine Providence, we have more reason, than we ever have had, to hope for a permanent and happy change in the moral condition of a large and populous section of the globe.

Boundaries of the United States.

THE decision of the commissioners under the treaty of 1794 did not terminate the disputes between Great Britain and the United States on their Eastern frontier. The duty assigned to those commissioners, and which, when finished, terminated their authority, was to ascertain the true river St. Croix, intended by the treaty of 1783, and to determine its source and its mouth. The mouth of the river was found to be at Joe's point, and of course any territory below that place, in dispute between the parties, could not then be assigned to the one or the other.

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Accordingly Judge Benson, one of those commissioners, in his manuscript report already quoted, has the following remarks ;—There is still a question concerning the boundary between the two nations in that quarter, and originating also in the treaty of peace; but partaking of the nature of an omitted case, it can be settled only by negotiation and compact." The treaty supposes the St. Croix to empty immediately into the bay of Fundy, and of course, that there would be an entire seaboard boundary, if it may be so expressed, between the termination of the Southern and the commencement of the Eastern boundary of the United States; and it also intended that where the Eastern boundary passed through waters which were navigable, both nations should equally participate in the navigation. The question then is, how is this boundary in the intermediate space between where the mouth of the St. Croix has been decided to be, and the bay of Fundy to be established most consistent with the treaty ? And the judge then suggests the propriety of a line running from Joe's point, by what is commonly called the Eastern or Ship channel, between Deer and Campo Bello islands. This he thinks would be a proper line, but that the authority of his commission did not enable him to establish it.

The islands in the bay of Passamaquoddy, and Grand Menan in the bay of Fundy, are all below the termination or mouth of the river, and lie in waters, through which the commissioners above named presumed no demarcation of boundary had been made by the treaty.

In a communication to congress, immediately after the decision of those commissioners, the president of the United States alludes to the remaining questions yet open between the two nations, and adverts to the several very valuable islands in those bays,' the jurisdiction to which remained yet to be determined.

While the American government thus considered the islands as not definitely assigned to either of the two nations, the British government claimed the whole as belonging to their province of Nova Scotia, and of course, as being excepted by the terms of the treaty of peace from the general clause of confirmation, by which all other islands within twenty leagues of the coast were annexed to the United States. The Duke of Portland, in a letter to the British minister in the United States, expressed very fully this idea; and the king's advocate in New Brunswick distinctly maintained the