It is impossible to keep one's self out of view in a work like this; but I hope the candid reader will give me credit for saying as little of myself, family, and doings as is compatible with the conditions under which I have written.

I beg to dedicate this book to the friends of Christian Missions, in the hope it may increase the interest of some in that great Continent, with its teeming population, which has in God's providence come under the rule of our land, and has special claims on our prayers, sympathy, and efforts. I cannot doubt that my Indian friends, both those who have come back to England and those who are still in India, will give a kindly reception to the volume. They will, I believe, confirm the general accuracy of my statements, and to a large extent acquiesce in my views. With them so long as my heart beats it will go forth in heartiest wishes and fervent prayer for the land with which our past has so inseparably bound us.

J. K.

Acton, August, 1884.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
From 1838 to 1839. Voyage to India and the City of Palaces.
Voyage. First Impressions of Calcutta. Changes since 1839. Messrs.Piffard and Lacroix. Schools. Visit to Serampore.[1]
CHAPTER II.
Voyage to Benares—March, 1839.
Various Modes of Travelling. The Sunderbuns. Fellow-passengers. Storm.Study of Hindustanee. Scenes on the River and its Banks.[9]
CHAPTER III.
Arrival at Benares.
The Rev. William Smith. Congregation of Beggars. The Rev. W. P. Lyon.Native Service. Settling down.[15]
CHAPTER IV.
Missions in Benares from 1816 to 1839.
The Baptists first in the Field. Eurasian Agents. The Church Mission.London Mission. Orphanage of the Church Mission.[20]
CHAPTER V.
1839 and 1840. First Year in Benares.
Views Enlarged and Modified. Study of Hindustanee. Undue Complacency.Study of the Native Character. Evangelistic Work.[27]
CHAPTER VI.
First Year in Benares (continued).
Class-feeling among Europeans. Eurasians. Climate in the North-WestProvinces. Variety of Scenery and Climate in India. Experience ofClimate during First Year. The Sufferings of Poor Natives in Winter.Homesickness.[34]
CHAPTER VII.
The City of Benares.
Sherring's "Sacred City of the Hindus." Residents and Visitors.Commerce. Antiquity. Gautam's Ministry in the Sixth Century B.C. TheSuccess of Buddhism. Its Overthrow. The Devotion of the City to Shiva.Muhammadans. A Trip on the River. The Principal Temple. Heathen Templesand Roman Worship. The Mosque of Aurungzeb. The Present City Modern.Beggars. Macaulay's Description of Benares.[49]
CHAPTER VIII.
Benares as a Mission Sphere.
Hostility to the Gospel. Apostolic Labour in Great Cities. RobertHaldane's Project. Benares brought under British Rule in 1781. The Dooropened for the Gospel. Bishop Heber. Benares as a Centre of MissionWork.[77]
CHAPTER IX.
Second Year in Benares.
Marriage. The Vicissitudes of Indian Life. Celibate Missionaries.Different Departments of Work.[88]
CHAPTER X.
The Religious Gatherings of the Hindus.
Their Saturnalia. The Play of Ram. The Eclipse of the Moon. Mela atAllahabad. The Peculiarities of a Hindu Gathering. Sanitary Precautions.Cholera. Ascetics. Influence of Melas in strengthening Hinduism.[94]
CHAPTER XI.
The Object of Christian Missions.
Necessity for Different Modes of Action. Preaching. Questions,Objections, and Replies. Polytheism and Pantheism. Muhammadan Hearers.[108]
CHAPTER XII.
Mission Schools.
Primary Schools. Secondary Schools. College Department. IndianUniversities. The Danger of Christian Instruction being thrust aside.The Value of Higher Schools in a Missionary Aspect. Conversion. PublicOpinion.[124]
CHAPTER XIII.
Orphanages.
Pressing Need in 1837 and 1838. Sanguine Hopes. Difficulties.Advantages. Native Agents obtained. The General Result.[135]
CHAPTER XIV.
Mission Tours.
Voyaging in the Ganges. Trust in Ganges Water. Serpents. Journey to Agraat the end of 1842. Tents. The Appearance of the Country. Roads andGroves. Walled Villages. Traffic. Immunity from Thieves. Kindness fromMissionaries. Agra. Evangelistic Work. Kunauj. An Interesting Inquirer.New Mission Church in Benares. Tour to Kumaon in 1847. JourneyingTroubles. Return by Meerut and Delhi.[145]
CHAPTER XV.
From 1847 to 1857.
Work at Benares. Voyage to England in 1850. Return to India in 1853.Calcutta to Benares. From 1854 to 1857. Increase of Native ChristianCongregation. Mission Tours. Visit to the Fort of Rohtas in February,1857. Biblical Examination. Missionary Conference.[168]
CHAPTER XVI.
The Mutiny, 1857 and 1858.
Causes. Peculiarity of our Position. The Native Army. Grievancesalleged. Dissatisfaction outside the Army. Threatenings of the Storm.The Cartridges. Outbreak and Progress of the Mutiny. Berhampore andBarrackpore. Meerut.[174]
CHAPTER XVII.
The Mutiny (continued).
The Christian Community at Benares. The Fanaticism of the City.Precautions. The Fourth of June. Mutiny of the Native Regiments. Flightto the Ganges. Escorted to the Mint. Retribution. The Panic of July 6.At the Mint on Sunday Night, July 5. Marriage of a Native Couple. Alarmand Panic. Strange Bed-fellows. After the Panic. Family left forCalcutta and England. From July to December. Lucknow. Mud Fort. TheSteadfastness of Native Christians. India in 1857 and Egypt in 1882.Visit to Allahabad. Desolation. The Kindness of English Officials.[185]
CHAPTER XVIII.
Visit to Ceylon—1858 and 1859.
Galle, Colombo, and Kandy. The Cocoanut Palm. The Cinnamon Gardens.Coffee Plantations. Perpetual Summer. Visit to Newera Ellia. TheChristian Zeal of the Dutch. Great Outward Success. Collapse. Missions.Buddhist Temples.[205]
CHAPTER XIX.
From 1859 to 1868.
Work at Benares. Increased Attention to the European Population. Visitto Cities in the North-West. Allahabad. Cawnpore. Lucknow. Incident onthe Ganges. Visit to Delhi in 1861 on our Way to Kumaon. Visit toEngland, Return to India, and Appointment to Kumaon.[213]
CHAPTER XX.
From 1868 to 1877. Kumaon.
Its Scenery and Products. A Sub-Himalayan Region. Scenery, Climate,and Products. New Products. Tea. Inhabitants, Hindus and Doms. Gods andTemples. Local Gods. Demons. The Character of the People. Want ofCleanliness. The Plague. History. Native Dynasties. The British Rule.Progress. Tea Planting. The Irrigation of the Bhabhur. Wild Beasts.Treaty with the Ghoorkhas. Modes of Travelling. Journey to the PindareeGlacier.[232]
CHAPTER XXI.
Almora Mission.
Schools. Female Education. The Leper Asylum. English Preaching.[252]
CHAPTER XXII.
Ranee Khet.
Schools. Wooden House. Rain and Rats. Pioneer Work. The Erection ofBuildings. Work among the English. Among Natives. Educated Young Men.Doms. Night School. Itineracy. A Hill Mela. Bageswar.[260]
CHAPTER XXIII.
Habits and Condition of the Hill People.
Sanitary Regulations. Yearly Visit to Nynee Tal. The Missions of theAmerican Episcopal Methodist Church. Retirement from the IndianMission-field. Helpful Friends. Return to England.[279]
CHAPTER XXIV.
The Missionary in India.
Extent and Variety of the Indian Field. The Greatness of the MissionaryOffice. The Contrast between Ministerial and Missionary Work. TheRelations of Missionaries to each other, to their respective Societies,and to Missionaries of other Societies. Their Relation to Europeans.[289]
CHAPTER XXV.
The Missionary in India (continued).
The Mode of Living required by the Climate. Missionary Theology. TheRadical Opposition of the Gospel to Heathenism. The Example of ourLord and His Apostles. Hindu and Buddhist Views of the Future. TheDoctrine by which Mission Success has been achieved. The Necessity ofSin being considered in the adjustment of Doctrine. In Memoriam.[297]
CHAPTER XXVI.
Native Christians.
Syrian Christians. The Descendants of Xavier's Converts. The Shanars inTravancore and Tinnevelly. The Hills of Central and Eastern India. TheKols and Santhals. Bengal. Krishnaghur and Backergunje. ThePresidency Cities. The Social and Educational Standing of the Converts.Northern India. The Drummers in Native Regiments. The Waifs ofSociety. Pride in the Christian Name. Orphans and their Descendants.Converts of our Missions. Baptism sought from Wrong Motives.[307]
CHAPTER XXVII.
Native Christians (continued).
Unworthy Members. The Sacrifices made by Converts. Difficulty in Forminga Right Estimate of a Community. The General Character of our NativeChristians. The Ordeal of 1857. The Christian Constancy of our People.Their Loyalty. Their Bearing in Joy and Sorrow. "Everywhere spokenagainst." Most Europeans have no Sympathy with us. Unfair to judge byIndividuals. The Support of Native Christians. Different Occupations.Native Christian Contributions. The Compound System.[315]
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The People among whom we labour—Muhammadans.
A Large Muhammadan Population. Variety in Position, Culture, andCharacter. The Quran and the Bible. Licentiousness of Muhammadans,Hindus, and So-called Christians. The Estimable Character of someMuhammadans. Muhammadan Opposition to the Gospel. Its Opposition toIdolatry. Proselytes to Islam. The Relation of Muhammadans and Hindus toeach other. Hindu Home-life. Muhammadan Reformers.[329]
CHAPTER XXIX.
Hindus.

Pantheism, Polytheism, and Idolatry, and their Demoralizing Tendency.Counteracting Influences. Contradictory Views of Hindu Character.Professor Max Muller. Sir Thomas Munro. Sir Charles Trevelyan.

The Caste System. Its Ramifications and Effects. Its BanefulInfluence. Its Incidental Benefits. The Patriarchal System. In thePresidency Cities Caste greatly weakened. Weakening Tendencies all overIndia.

The Brahmists. Brahmism and the Gospel. Brahmist Divisions. SuccessiveHindu Reformers.

Girls' Schools and Female Missions. Access to Hindu Families. LadyPhysicians. Great Importance of Zenana Missions. Behind the Curtain. TheFreedom of Women in Humble Life. The Influence of Women in India.

Mission Prospects. Difficulty in gauging Success. Hurtful Influence ofEnglish Infidel Literature. The Strength of Family and Social Ties.Instance. The Vast Extent of the Field. Pagani, Villagers, synonymouswith Heathen.

Help given in India for the Solution of Great Questions. 1. TheImmobility of the Eastern Mind. 2. The Genesis and Evolution ofReligion. 3. Comparative Religion. 4. The Migration of Nations.

[338]

CHAPTER XXX.
Europeans in India.
No Sphere in India for European Colonization. The Climate. The Landoccupied. India Presents a Wide Field for European Agency. TheDifference between Europeans and Natives. India never called "Home" byEuropeans. Highly Educated Natives. Native Gentlemen. Natives inSubordinate and Menial Positions. The Position of Europeans changed.Advantages and Disadvantages. Improved Condition of European Society.The Effect on Europeans of Home Literature. Increased Effort for theSpiritual Good of Europeans and Eurasians.[357]
CHAPTER XXXI.
The Government of India.

Our Right to Govern India. We went as Traders, and were led byCircumstances to fight. The Conduct of the Native Powers. The Marquessof Hastings. Not allowed to remain at Peace. Our ComparativeFaithfulness to Engagements. The Condition in which we found India.The Muhammadan Empire. Civil Wars. Invasions. The Dissolution of theEmpire. Adventurers. No Elements of Stable Government. The Effect ofBritish Rule.

The Greatness of the Work entrusted to us. Character of ourAdministrators. Responsibility elicits Capacity. District Officers.Strict Supervision exercised over them. The Evils springing from theInstitution of Courts. Runjeet Singh's Plan. The Evils Incident toCivilization.

Regulation and Non-Regulation Provinces. The Taxation Heavy. RegularPayments. The Land-Tax is the Land-Rent. The Native Army. The EuropeanArmy. Civil Officials in the Mutiny. Inadvisability of Bengalees holdingthe Highest Offices.

In India we have Different Nations. Bengalees Strangers in theNorth-West. The Preference given to English as Rulers. Trust in ourJustice. The Large Pay of High Officials cannot be justly or wiselyreduced. Opinion of Natives as Litigants.

The People Mainly Agricultural. Poverty. Increase of Population.Sturdy Beggars. Lending and Borrowing. Debt Hereditary. MarriageExpenses.

Incidence of Taxation. Municipal Institutions and Local Government.Improvement of Cities during Late Years.

Our Government no Unmixed Blessing. Unjust Charges and IncorrectStatements.

From whom is Improvement to be hoped? From no Class so much as fromIndian Officials. The "Gazetteer" of India. Importance of Informationbeing made Accessible to the English People.

The best Conceivable Government for India. The best PracticableGovernment.

The Future of India. Antagonistic Elements. The Order secured by theArmy. The Greatness of our Responsibility. Good Government Favourable toEvangelization.

[365]

Statistics[391]