I have just returned from a three weeks' preaching tour, and will now send a short account of it. We left Piplee on the 9th of November, and as the ground was too damp for tent life, remained in Government Bungalows, here and there, for a few days. After leaving our brethren at Bonamalipore, we went to Balipatna, attended the market there, and visited some large villages in the neighbourhood. Whilst staying there, two youths, one of whom is learning English, came for conversation; and were very desirous of knowing what "Jesus Christ's religion" really is. We had much talk with them, found them intelligent, and were pleased to hear that they had read "Jagannath Tested," and were quite prepared to admit the soundness of its conclusions. These lads were very frank; and it was clear that Hinduism had no strong hold upon their judgment. There was no disposition to defend idolatry in these villages; but an old Brahman, who knows a little Sanscrit, followed us to the market, and other places, and favoured us with no little abuse.

A MARKET.

We afterwards went to an exceedingly large market, and had an excellent opportunity of speaking; hence resolved

to visit it a second time. The first day we disposed of one rupee ten annas' worth of books, and on the second occasion disposed of a good number. One of the preachers walked a considerable distance to this market a third time, and was tolerably successful. Many books purchased at this place will find an entrance into villages to which we could not go. Near this market is the tomb of an old Byragge, who is said to have cured many people. Two men went from Pooree to test his claims, one of whom bound his leg and falsely told the Byragge that he had a bad sore on it. The old man replied, "If there is a sore, it will soon get better; if there is no sore, there will be one." The bandage was removed, and the tempter found to his dismay that there was a deep gash on his leg! This old man's son still receives the homage of the people for his father's sake, but is not considered so clever as his sire. We had some conversation with him, but were grieved with the blasphemy of his pantheism. His father's fame is spread widely in those parts.

AN ENGLISH SCHOOL.

We pitched our tent near to a Government aided school of fifty-two lads, all of whom learn English. We heard the

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boys read, and had much talk with the three masters. They were very pleasant, and quite disposed to think favourably of Christianity. I found that the head master had an English Bible, and had read from Genesis to Numbers, underlining the principal verses. He had not commenced the New Testament, but promised to do so at once. I was pleased to meet a reader of the English Bible in such an out-of-the-way place, and the more to find that he was marking important passages. The teachers encouraged the boys to take our books, hence we sold a goodly number, including an English Testament and some Bengalee Tracts. In the village near, we had conversation with a respectable Hindu, who also knew some English. He attempted to spiritualise and refine everything objectionable in his religion, but admitted that he and his friends of the same cast of mind, were forced to go with the crowd, and to observe customs the evil of which he was ready to admit.

UNWELCOME.

We spent one day at a large village, where a rich Zemindar and his brothers resided. They have built a large twostoried house, and have made some beautiful gardens. We called to see them on our arrival, but were unsuccessful, hence went again. After standing for some few minutes, I was asked to sit down on the bare floor, which, as there were chairs to hand, I declined. I offered a New Testament, which was

received very reluctantly. The brothers were evidently wealthy men, but strangely devoid of good manners. I afterwards learnt, that their father had been fined a large sum, many years ago, for unjust behaviour towards some tenants, who had become Christians. I am told, also, that some Bibles were formerly burnt in the village: I trust the New Testament I gave may be reserved for a better end. One of the brothers had a stentorian voice, which I heard for a considerable time after leaving the house. I was reminded by one of them that if I wished to speak to the people the public road was the place, hence did not weary them with a long stay. This is the first time I have been treated with disrespect by wealthy men: as a rule all classes are exceedingly polite. We were well received in the village, and our day's visit was quite a success. Probably we should have ensured a better welcome if we had taken our tents; but as I merely rode a pony, and partook of a meal in a shady grove, returning on the eve of the same day to my tent; and as our preacher did not travel by palkey, there was no special reason for according it to us. As is my

want, I politely declined to answer the frequently recurring question as to the amount of my salary (though I stated the price of my pony); hence, doubtless, the Zemindar found it no easy matter to settle the social position of a sahib who merely came to preach in the villages. May the Lord constrain him to read the New Testament we left, and bless its perusal to highest ends.

:

The journey over I must tell you something of what I saw at Berhampore. The first Saturday I was asked to attend the meeting of a "Young Men's Association," a thing not long started by the junior native preacher, Balunki Padhan. About fifteen were present, young men and lads; some of whom were Hindus who came occasionally to hear and see. A short address on "Covetousness" was delivered by one of the members, after which each one present delivered himself of a text or moral axiom. Singing and prayer, of course, formed part of the meeting, and I was requested to preside and address them the next Saturday, which I did. One feature of the proceedings amused me somewhat. After the address some

one gets up and says, According to our practice it is fitting that we give thanks and praise for the excellent address to which we have just listened!" How often does this principle govern the action of more august assemblies who do not as frankly confess to it! The next day, Sunday, the services, morning and afternoon, were conducted by two young candidates for the ministry. Their applications were considered by the Conference, but "not entertained." The following Sabbath the morning service was taken by the senior deacon, Babu Daniel Mahanty, who gave us a nice sermon; and I preached in the afternoon. On the next and last Sunday of my stay the ordinance was administered, the

pastor. Niladri Naik, presiding. I had been present at the officers' meeting in preparation for the church meeting the previous Tuesday, and was pleased to observe the way in which the native brethren managed the business.

Meanwhile I had paid a visit to Russel Condah. Travelling in a kind of waggon (the body of a shigram fastened on to a common country cart), I went half way the first night, spent the day under a tree, and got to the station early the following morning. During the day I made the acquaintance of our people, and went round inspecting the native town. Russel Condah is very nicely situated on a bit of high land surrounded by rice fields, a small river flowing by it. In the midst of this high ground a mighty rock rises up to the height of perhaps 120 feet, and all round this, at its foot, the houses are built; the native town on one side of it, and the European quarter on the other. I was very favourably impressed with the extremely clean look of the place, and having come from Sambalpur, where brahmans and temples abound, could not help noticing how few sacred threads were visible, and that no temple graced the parts I saw-the principal quarters. My guide told me that there was a temple in another part, and that there were many brahmans in the district. I saw the piece of land that the Mission retains for a house to be put there so soon as the churches shall be stirred up to come to our help with reinforcements to strengthen existing stations and occupy new ones. The native preacher there is an old man, and not vigorous, so that the care of the small Christian community is almost burden enough for him. Here is a place from which the cry seems to come loudly, "Come over and help!" Who will respond? Leaving again in the afternoon I returned to Berhampore as I had come. Another day I paid a visit to Padri Polli, going in the morning and returning in the evening. This is a nice Christian settlement. Among the people are to be found illustrations of the proverb, "He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread;" and of its opposite, "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger." The native preacher, at the time of my visit, was the son of one of the first preachers, who more than thirty years ago assisted in establishing the settlement. The chapel is conspicuous from afar, being "set on a hill;" and having its foundation on a rock, it constantly preaches two parables of deep meaning. A thoughtful observer will, however, gather another lesson; that the "tried

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stone" alone affords a "sure foundation." The great stone upon which this chapel stands is seamed with fissures holding only soft earth, and up these the white ants have made their way, and are now at work, destroying the woodwork of the building. Is it not a good sermon this chapel preaches, though there is "no speech nor language?

On the last Sunday morning of my stay in Berhampore, after the morning service, I exhibited in the chapel a set of eighteen diagrams of the "Life of Christ." The whole congregation remained to the exhibition, and followed the narrative, familiar as it was, with the deepest interest. One morning I

examined the scholars of the mission day-school for the children of the Christian community, and the little ones (they are all small children), acquitted themselves satisfactorily-some were bright intelligent little ones.

On the 7th of November, I started for Cuttack again by road, and arrived there on the 17th, having preached in the villages by the way. I have more than once had to refer to the interest excited in many places by the exhibition of a set of diagrams from the Tract Society of the "Life of Christ," and on this journey also I found them most useful. They serve to fix the attention of the people and give them a more intelligent understanding of the narrative; which will also thus be more impressed on the memory. The large village of Rumbah, through which the road runs, has along its course excellent places for preaching, and I had a fine congregation as I exhibited the diagrams, preached and argued. Beginning here, I preached and worked in the villages daily to the end of my journey, and had no lack of people to see the pictures and listen, and then discuss. As an exceptional thing I mention the fact that after exhibiting and preaching to a good congregation at a large village that I visited from the Tanghi bungalow no one offered any objection or remark; and as the evening was wearing on, I took this as an intimation that my work was done, and retired without the usual controversy. Khoordah, however, many put themselves forward to champion the cause of Hinduism, and the discussion was long and animated.

At

I will close my story by relating a small adventure that befell me the last

stage but one from Cuttack. My plan was to travel very early in the morning, so as to get over my daily stage by, or before, sunrise; but on this occasion I started so early that I had finished a ten

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mile walk before the dawn. I had not long set out from the bungalow, with a man to carry the lantern before me, as it was dark, and we had advanced perhaps a mile, when a peculiar grunting noise close to the road on the right apprised us of the presence of some animal there. A few steps farther on a similar noise proceeded from the left, and yet nearer to us. As I stopped to see from whence it proceeded, a shapeless black mass on the side of the road resolved itself into a bear that sat looking at me as I held the light toward it. I shook the lantern in its eyes, and as it began to move off, followed it in order to frighten it away. It stood and looked back once more, but then again forsook the road and began to shriek and grumble a little way off, as if highly offended. At this point, some other travellers came up, and after venting its displeasure by a

little more growling and grumbling it departed, and we pursued our way in peace.

My absence from Cuttack extended over just five weeks; and I was very glad to become acquainted with the southern portion of the field which has been confided to our care in the province of Orissa. May God hasten the time when a bountiful harvest of souls shall be gathered in through its utmost length and breadth, the fruit of what we now sow in tears, and we shall come again rejoicing, bringing our sheaves with us. Amen.

Friends! you that read these lines, will you not help together by prayer for us, that you may the more heartily share our rejoicing when the times of refreshing shall come? as come they assuredly shall, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it.

We left Sambalpur on Saturday, Feb. 3rd, and pitched our camp some fourteen miles distant. Bala Krishna, the new young brother appointed to Sambalpur, and Moni Swaye, a colporteur from the Cuttack side, and whom I had borrowed for cold season work, were my companions. We had Sunday and Monday for preaching in all the adjoining villages, and we sold over a rupee and eight annas' worth of books, which we thought a very good start, we being near to town and the people mostly supplied. On the following Tuesday we moved camp two or three miles in order to attend Gourpalli market. Here, too, books went well. On Wednesday we started on the

BAMRA RAJAH'S NEW HIGH ROAD, a marvel of jungle engineering, and which certainly does the rajah much credit. Every few hundred feet there are nullahs to be bridged, and sometimes frightful precipices. They are bridged by massive logs of wood, used so extravagantly, as though wood were worth nothing, though I think each small bridge would be a fortune to a woodchopping brigade in a large town. Very comfortably we trotted along this road; but I thought, wait a little till the white ants have had time to work, and till two or three rains have washed down these nullahs, and then every bridge will be a man-trap. They will require much trouble and vigilance on the part of the native overseers, if they are to be kept safe. Query-will they get it?

Our next camp was at a little

KHOND VILLAGE

named Bhadrama. As we prepared to visit it the preacher remarked, "It is no use taking books, as the people are Khonds and cannot read." I replied, "My experience of the Khonds is, if there is only one man in a village who can spell out five words, that one will be sure to buy a book." It turned out as I said; only two could read a very little, but they both took several books, and we left them hard at work spelling them out.

Our next camp was rather a large village, and we began to realize how eager the people were for books. Nearly all who could read besieged me for them. We now left the rajah's road and turned northward, my object being to visit the Tahsildar of Kuchinda, a Sambalpur babu, who has much sympathy with us, and who would be able to point out which were the most important towns and villages in the Bamra rajuary. On our way the first hamlet at which we camped had only two houses, but still we sold four annas' worth of books. We reached

KUCHINDA

rather late for the market. The Tahsildar was exceedingly kind, insisting on not only supplying my wants and those of the native brethren, but also providing for all the tent coolies, cartmen, and servants as well. He also showed, by a few kindly words in the market, that he

thoroughly sympathized with our Mission. Would that he had the full courage of his convictions! Would that he could give up all for Christ! As we pray for him let us ask-Are we giving up all for Christ? we who have tasted of His love. When the whole church gets on this plain of self-denial we shall no longer ask in vain for missionaries or money.

We had intended returning immediately from Kuchinda and spending the most of our time in Bamra, Talchere, and Rehrakol; but we heard of

IMPORTANT MARKETS

in the neighbourhood from people who attended Kuchinda. They said, "If you will come to our market, many will buy books." Accordingly the next four days were taken up in visiting Malidhi, Kolabira, Lehera, and Laikera, four markets situated at the four corners of a square, whose sides were severally six miles long. Upwards of thirteen rupees' worth of books were sold on these four days.

Again we determined to bend our steps towards Bamra, and again we were earnestly entreated to go still further northward and in the direction of Gang

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pur. We yielded, and found in every village willing hearers and ready purchasers of our books.

A NIGHT SCARE.

We were encamped at a place called Berabahal, at the edge of a jungle and near a sheet of water. In the middle of the night we were awaked by a strange hubbub in camp. My pony was making a great noise, and doing his best to break away from his picket, and the cart bullocks were running to each other for company. I rushed to the door of the tent to see what was the matter, and there within a couple of hundred feet of where I stood was a herd of wild boar, twenty or thirty at least, and some huge fellows amongst them. Beyond them, at a little distance, our coolies were sleeping under a tree. This prevented me firing with ball; but I ventured to send a charge of shot into their midst, when they all scampered off, and we returned to sleep.

It was at this place that four men came in the evening for conversation on religion. Two of these were Mohammedans and two Hindoos. They seemed to be earnest, and took several books.

My spirit is stirred within me, and I feel that I must write and tell you how my heart aches that as yet there seems no special response to all the appeals that have been made in reference to the low state of the funds of our beloved Mission. I do not wish to condemn any one; and God forbid that I should judge unjustly. But the thought will force itself upon me that our churches are not doing what they could for His sacred cause. There are two questions that every individual Christian should ask him and herself, namely, "How much owest thou to thy Lord?" and, "Am I giving according as the Lord has prospered me?" If we answer these faithfully our own hearts will at once condemn us, and the result will be we shall be humbled in the sight of our Lord, and in the spirit of the great apostle our cry will be, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" The

money would then soon pour into the coffers of the church, and at home and abroad His blessed cause would be extended. It is a great mistake to think that a love for missions and giving to them weakens the cause at home. No, when the Christian prays and acts the prayer, "Thy kingdom come," the whole world is embraced, and his and her heart and hands are ready to aid every effort made to bring about its fulfilment. Yes, and we should not only give of our substance, but individual life would be laid on the Lord's altar, and men would come forward and say, "Here am I, send me." The hearts of our beloved brethren and sisters in Orissa and Rome would then be cheered, and there would be no need for the constant cry, "Come over and help us."

I am very glad to see that Mr. Mulholland and Young are interesting them