in companies of from 10 to 15, with their bodies and hair smeared with ashes, and their faces daubed with various colored paints, each having an empty gourd in his hand, and following each other at the distance of two or three rods, singing in a loud and mournful tone "ang," "ang," "ang,' each man in a different tone, and at a different key. Their music at a distance would fall on the ear with a soothing, saddening, influence, were it not connected with the idea of their religious delusions and assumption. Of the word "ang," which forms the subtance of their song, I could get no satisfactory account. The Sanskrit word "ang" means "body," but they must have some other idea connected with it.

The Bairagis.-They occupy a district of the mela ground by themselves. There are about 2000 or 2500 of them on the ground as they suppose. Elephants are numerous among them. They visit all the places deemed sacred by Hindus. In their peregrinations they go singly, or in small parties as convenience or inclination may happen to lead them. They, as the Nágás, depend entirely on begging for their daily food, and are seldom suffered to feel the pressure of want. Indeed the appearance of the whole tribe of mendicants proclaims that they live on the "fat of the land." The Bairágís profess to worship Sítá Rám and Sáliq Rám. Idols of brass and stone and wood are numerous among them. They play on cymbals and other instruments, and sing before their shrines; they seem to pay especial honors to the incarnation of Rám. They generally wear large, coarse ropes round their waists, and seem to vie with each other in disfiguring their appearance and giving to themselves an unearthly aspect. One of their Mahants told us "they wear these ropes around their waist simply as a kamarband," but this was manifestly a mere evasion. One of their number assured us with all possible gravity, that "they were so entirely freed from sin, and so holy, that even the holy Ganges is made more pure by bathing their feet."

Nánaksháhís.-They are a sect of "Sikh Bairágís," who adopt the principles and doctrines of Nának Shah. They number about 1000 at the mela. They have four principal Mahants. They visit all the sacred places of note among the Hindus. They travel generally in small parties, for the sake of convenience in begging. They tell us that "all persons of family give them food; sometimes wealthy persons make them considerable presents." It seems to be a kind of admitted principle among the Hindus, and which these people are very sedulous in cultivating, that where a man inclines to prefer the endearments and conveniences of social life by marrying and cherishing any of the family relations, he is under obliga

tions, as an offset against this indulgence, to give liberally of the best that he possess to those who, denying themselves all these earthly conveniences, and living a life of religious austerities, pray for them, and thus become their intercessors. With this assumed and admitted superiority over those who consent to partake in the enjoyments of social and domestic life, these mendicants traverse the country claiming as a purchased right, a portion of the best products of the labors of the grihasts, (family folks.)

The Nánaksháhís worship Nának Sháh. They profess to have occasional interviews with the Divine Being, yet when this is sifted a little, it appears so be only with some of the deotás. They however profess to worship only Nának Sháh, and the Granth sacred book which he prepared for them.

As we stood by one morning they were engaged, as some of them said, in worshipping the Granth, as others said in "blessing food which was about to be distributed to bráhmans, &c." They had a platform of earth erected about three feet high, and 30 feet square: over this was a canopy of broidered cloth. They were ranged in a circle or row around the edge of the platform as close as they could stand together. The principal Mahant was repeating shlokas from the Granth, while at certain intervals, or certain expressions, they all joined their hands together and made a respectful bow towards the book. The persons engaged in conversation with us, seemed light and cheerful, and to have their whole attention taken up with what they were saying to us; still at the regular period they did not fail to place the palms of their hands together and pay their respects to the Granth. This sect although calling themselves Udásís, (penitents,) like all the other mendicant sects, look full and fresh in their appearance, and as though the piety of the laboring people would not suffer them to want any thing in the line of eatables. In a word, it is too plain to be mistaken that the principal reason with the greater number of those mendicants for continuing in their sect and their profession, is the superior ease and security with which they procure an abundant supply of all that they consider good to eat, whilst they can live an easy, indolent life, free from care and free from exertion. Aside from this, many of them seem to be bound to their profession by a very slender cord.

Early in the mela, as we were engaged in discussions with the pandits and others, a large overgrown Bairágí with a shaggy head and naked body, pressed his way through the crowd and seated himself on a morhá just in front of Mr. M. and myself, in a most conspicuous position. He drew up his feet on the morhá, and commenced singing to himself in an under

tone, to show that he was not paying any attention to what we were saying. We endeavoured to show him from the word of God that in thus throwing off his clothes and exposing himself he violated not only the command of God but also all the finer and better feelings of our common nature. He did not assent to the justness of any thing which we said, and we thought we had quite failed in reaching his mind. But we were surprised a day or two afterwards to see the same man come into the midst of us and sit down "clothed" and, in some respects like "one in his right mind."

As we stood by to see the course of things at the "bará khána" given to the Nágás and other naked folks, there sat near us an old and shrivelled and feeble woman who had tottered here from a distance. She had one hand full of dry sand, some of us expressed some curiosity as to what she meant to do with it; she immediately explained what she intended to do with it by commencing to eat it; at the same time telling us it was sand which she had taken up by the side of the holy Ganges, and that it would take away all her sins if she would eat it, and that she held it as a most precious treasure. In the mean time she kept throwing it into her mouth in small quantities dry as it was, and toiling and stretching her face to gulp it down and actually succeeded in swallowing nearly all of it while we stood by. The "Prágwálls" (bráhmans, supported by pilgrims resorting to Allahabad), seem now to regret much that the "Company's Tax" has been taken off at this place. They came to us several times during the mela with this complaint that " the taking off the tax had grealty injured them." "Formerly," said they, "when the Company took a rupee as tax from each man, the people thought nothing of paying us six or eight aunas. But now that the tax is taken off and the road to the sacred waters laid open freely to all, the people have found that they are too poor to pay us any thing! They say now the way is open to every body, we can go and bathe as much and as often as we please and no body can prevent us?

Thus the bráhmans deprecate the free access of every body to the water as likely in the end to ruin their prospects.

The "Prágwalls" seem exceedingly anxious to prevent the people from hearing us preach, and from seeing our books. Whilst the people are coming in large crowds about the height of the mela they go out to meet the people at some distance and conduct them in in large companies, and take especial pains when they come near us, to conduct them by "on the other side," lest haply some of them should pause, and hear and have their confidence in the Ganges shaken. I have seen

one individual, conducting as many as three or four companies, past us in one day, always showing deep solicitude lest any of them should even incidentally hear us.

The impression on my mind from the whole of the mela is, that the more intelligent among the Hindus themselves are persuaded that their system cannot stand before Christianity, and that one day it must yield. And I think this impression on their minds would be greatly strengthened, if in their discussions with Missionaries and others, they were drawn over more to the broad, firm ground, which the word of God takes in this matter. Discussions with them are exceedingly apt to run off into the labyrinths of Hindu science. And the shlokas and counter-shlokas of the shástras, and metaphysical discussions about the attributes or absence of attributes in the Divine Being, consume the time and usurp the place of the solemn strong appeals of the Bible, and the developments of the Divine character and attributes, which are set forth in the word of God with a clearness and power that can disturb the most callous conscience. Besides God has not promised to convert or sanctify men by Sanskrit shlokas or the doctrines of the Púráns. His own word is that by which he has taught us to hope for their sanctification. I know it is necessary at times to follow them through the mazes of the shástras, to ferret out all their subterfuges, but it is hard to keep from being hurried there too soon, and spending too long a time in wandering through such dark and unfruitful fields, and I have often seen them bow to the majesty of truth as it is presented in the Bible after a long and fruitless battling over the current phraseology of their metaphysical sciences.

The Jews required a sign (to prove that Jesus was the Christ), and the Greeks sought after wisdom (demanded a system of religion that would accord with the principles of their science), and so do the Muhammadans and Hindus; but our work is to "preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness"-to the Muhammadans impiety and to the Hindus nonsense-but to those who are called and enlightened from above, "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." And while we are often thrown back on the question, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" We are not without evidence that the word of God is going forward and showing to the people the majesty of its power.

Allahabad, March 1st, 1840.

W.

11.-The Orissa Mission-Need of more labourers.

The following is an extract from a letter that we have received from the Rev. J. Stubbins.

"While there are those who are ready to risk their fortunes in Lotteries and different worldly amusements, who contribute their hundreds and thousands towards the erection of theatres, &c. it is matter of fervent rejoicing that there are those who, with much less questionable ambition and infinitely more important objects, contribute liberally of what God has graciously given them for the promotion of his glory and the welfare of their fellow-men. This is a benevolence which will stand the scrutiny of him who hath said Occupy till I come'-one over which they will not mourn in the closing scenes of life, nor through eternal ages.

"Amidst the various claims upon Christian sympathy and liberality perhaps none are greater than are presented by Orissa, so long the seat of vice in its most degraded forms-of every thing shocking to humanity, pernicious to Society and ruinous to the eternal interests of the immortal soul. It however demands our gratitude and praise as Christians, that the awful and infernal gloom which has for ages settled down upon this unhappy province, is gradually being dispersed by the rising beams of the Sun of Righteousness,' and we do trust the day is comparatively not far distant, when this light of life shall shine forth in all its radiant and meridian splendour. In the neighbourhood where I reside, it is almost as common as possible for the people openly to acknowledge that idols and idolatrous worship are false and delusive-that the religion we preach to them, is the only one that can make them happy for time and eternity.' Under these impressions, many with deep seriousness frequently inquire more fully about the plan of salvation; our hopes are raised respecting some who seem almost to have made up their minds to become the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we do trust they will soon declare, this people shall be my people and their God my God.' I was not unfrequently delighted, in some of my tours during the last cold season, to witness the fixed and affected looks of many who had never before heard the word of life, while with eyes glistening with tears they exclaimed Aha! this is truth-this is the religion of God,' &c.

"But how does my soul melt within me, when I reflect upon the limited number of laborers to cultivate this extensive field-that efforts are at present necessarily so contracted to pluck these perishing myriads as brands from the eternal burnings! Surely something more will shortly be done for the salvation of their deathless souls, that we shall not long be left with perhaps not one Missionary to a million Oriyas! But we rejoice in the increase of effort being made at home to send out others to join us. A letter recently received from our Secretary states, that 'a gentleman in Birmingham has offered to pay a third part of the outfit and passage of four Missionaries, if sent out within a year.' We do earnestly hope the offer will be accepted by the remaining portion of the expense being raised. It has occurred to me that some persons in India would rejoice to assist, in connexion with the gentleman who has already so liberally contributed 200 rupees, in bringing out some of the young men who have offered themselves as candidates for Missionary labor in Orissa. Should any feel disposed to assist in a matter of such eternal importance to the