bited chiefly by Europeans, and to reside more in the interior among the Natives, the fostering hand of Government would, in all probability, co-operate in forwarding the benevolent views of the Society for the instruction of those whom Divine Providence had placed under their care. Accordingly, the Directors of the Society instructed their Missionaries to this effect, and desired them to embrace the opportunity which now offered of prosecuting the work of their Mission, by going to such parts of the interior as the Governor in Council might be pleased to appoint; so that, by a residence among the people, they might be able more speedily to acquire the language; and that by the instruction, particularly, of the children, in the pure principles of the doctrine of Christ, a foundation might be laid whereon to raise Christian Churches among the Native Cingalese.

Revival of

the Go

vernment

9. Sir A. Johnstone returned to Ceylon in 1811, and the hopes which he had raised soon began to be realized. By his exertions, together with those of Schools." the Governor, Chaplain, and other friends of religion, the care of the Schools was revived. Mr. Ehrhardt was appointed to visit those in the district of Matura, and inquire into the character and conduct of the Schoolmasters, many of whom he found in great disorder, and he exerted himself to promote their better management for the future. In his various journeys he took every opportunity to preach, and to instruct both adults and children. In accounting for the reluctance of many Romanists to receive his instructions, he said that they were exceedingly addicted to the worship of images, before which they fell prostrate on the ground and prayed; and this attachment to idolatry explained, in his opinion, the success of the Romish Missionaries in making proselytes among them, while the religion of the Protestants appeared to them too

CHAP. simple, and was called by them "the Religion of the Company."

V.

Missio

moved to Columbo.

10. Mr. Palm met with equal encouragement naries re- among the Heathen, and, under the auspices of the same authorities, was successful in establishing additional Schools for the various classes of inhabitants. He and Mr. Ehrhardt were, in 1812, appointed to two of the Dutch Churches in Columbo, and were so provided for, that the Society was relieved from the expense of their support. But this did not wholly divert them from their work for the Natives, and in some respects they had better opportunities to serve the Missionary cause than before. The members of the Dutch Consistory were now more friendly than heretofore to their design, and co-operated with them in opening Schools at Columbo for the poorer classes of children. Mr. Ehrhardt returned in a short time to Matura.1

State of
Schools

and Native

at Point de Galle.

11. Mr. Read, who resided at Amlamgoddy, near Point de Galle, was now appointed to superintend Christians the Government Schools in that district, in number about twenty-eight. He found them in a deplorable condition; but they soon began to improve; and they wanted only an increase of able and devout Missionaries for the brightening prospects of Ceylon to be realized. But here also the nominal Christians, whether baptized by the Dutch or Portuguese, were the most unpromising portion of the inhabitants. In March 1813 Mr. Read gave a deplorable proof of the prostration of their minds. About that time, when multitudes were dying of famine, they could not be dissuaded from worshipping devils to appease their wrath, pretending that God was too good a Being to inflict punishment for sin. Such was the too general character of these people.

() Mr. Ehrhardt subsequently left the London Missionary Society, and obtained an appointment in India.

Lord Molesworth, the Commandant at Point de Galle, was an active promoter of Schools and other means for the improvement of the Natives. He took a special interest in the distribution of the Scriptures, Tamul and Cingalese, and also in the establishment of a Military School for every corps, in compliance with a regulation recently received from England. He obtained a supply of books, with whatever else was required for the scholars; and a thousand Common-Prayer Books for the Christians were procured by the Chaplain, Mr. Twistleton.

naries de

12. Nothing, indeed, we must again remark, seemed The want now to be wanting but an adequate supply of Missio- of Missionaries. The hopes encouraged by the various open- plored. ings presented for the moral and religious cultivation of the island, were clouded, in the Christian's view, by conscious inability to occupy the ground which invited him. The Committee of the Columbo Bible Society, while engaged in dispersing the Holy Scriptures in English, Dutch, Portuguese, Cingalese, and Tamul, expressed their regret at the very small number of teachers competent to smooth the way to a general introduction of the Sacred Writings by the impressive aid of oral instruction. This aid was in some measure, ere long, afforded by several Missionary Societies; and the Directors of the London Society, who had not been backward according to their means, expressed their hope that they would "be able to supply their quota to the much-needed assistance of this great and interesting island.”

com

Mission.

CHAPTER VI.

BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY, CEYLON, 1812-1816.

Mr. Chater 1. IN the year 1812 the Baptist Missionaries at Semences the rampore turned their attention to Ceylon, and sent. one of their brethren, Mr. Chater, after his return from Burmah, with a view to establish a Mission on this island.1 He was well received by the British authorities at Columbo, and soon commenced the study of Portuguese and Cingalese. He was permitted to preach to the troops in English, and met with no molestation in the exercise of his ministry. Here, with the assistance of his wife, he established a Boarding School for their support; but as it did not succeed, he relinquished it, and that without regret, for he found that it took him too much from his Missionary work. He purchased some premises in the Pettah2, which he fitted up for Public Worship, and was greatly encouraged by the attendance of the various classes of inhabitants.3

Mr. Siers joins him.

2. In 1814 a young man named Siers, a member of the Dutch Church, joined him, and soon became a valuable coadjutor among the Natives. In the

(1) Periodical Accounts of the Baptist Missionary Society. Vol. iv. pp. 402-405. Vol. v. pp. 141, 142.

(2) Native town in the vicinity of a fort.

(3) Periodical Accounts of Baptist Missionary Society. Vol. v. pp. 168-171. 274-276.

(1) Sometimes spelled Sierce.

same year Mr. Chater had acquired a sufficient knowledge of Portuguese to preach in that language; and at first this service was so crowded, that he began to think of enlarging his Chapel ; but the numbers were soon reduced again within the capabilities of the building.

by an in

3. In the following year he began to preach to Mr. Chater the Cingalese through an interpreter. He was dili- preaches gent, however, in the study of the language, being terpreter. anxious to dispense with this aid; and in its acquisition he found his knowledge of Burmese materially assist him, in consequence of its affinity with the Cingalese. In the meantime, finding that he could by this means communicate with the Natives, though imperfectly, he, accompanied by Mr. Siers, visited some of the strongholds of idolatry in the interior, where they boldly preached the Word of God, and were sometimes listened to with attention. At other times the people, unaccustomed to the appearance of Europeans, fled from them with alarm.5 4. The attendance on his English preaching fluc- State of tuated at different seasons, chiefly owing to the removal of the troops. This year it was better than usual, and he was much encouraged by the steadiness and piety of some non-commissioned officers and privates. But he remarks, "We expect to lose the greater part of our little Church very shortly. Of those in the regiment, some are going to England, and some to Trincomallee. Our congregations are, in general, very small; but the Lord seems not to have forsaken us. One after another is reclaimed from a life of sin; and, so far as we can judge, they appear to become new creatures in Christ Jesus. When we recollect what a glorious change this is, both in its cause and consequences,

(5) Periodical Accounts. Vol. v. pp. 483, 484. 603–605. Vol. vi. pp. 144-147.

his congregation.