“Since I began this letter, a variety of events have taken place, and crowd so fast on my mind, that I know not where or how to relate them. On entering Madras roads in the evening, the lights reflected from the houses built on the shore, with the sound of the sentinels’ voices passing the word, and the striking of the clocks, formed altogether the most remarkable impression I recollect in life. After having for five months been separated from the civilized world in a great measure, and having seen only the boundless ocean, and occasionally hailing some of our consorts, you may suppose the entrance into society was highly gratifying. My joy was silent, and chiefly expressed in ejaculations of praise to Him who had so graciously preserved us through the great deep; nor were wanting prayers for my native land, and for the many dear objects left behind. This pleasant temper of mind was, however, of short continuance, as soon as we came to anchor, some of the natives came off in catamarans; they were almost naked, and very savage in appearance. The consideration of being, in all probability, to spend the remainder of my life among such wretched beings, filled me with melancholy; and rendered me sleepless during the greater part of the night; and the whole of the next day, I was very unhappy. But you will perceive my sin and unbelief in this matter; as their wretchedness should rather have excited compassion and anxiety for bettering their condition: the idea of no further comfort remaining for me, certainly arose from the absence of the proper influence of that precious truth, ‘If He give peace, who then can cause trouble?’ I perceive this clearly now; and I am thankful that I am able to take the comfort of it to myself. During the whole of our stay, the anniversary festival of one of their idols was celebrating at a pagoda or temple, in sight of the house where we were. Their chief solemnities were celebrated during the night; and consisted in most wretchedly bad music, something like bad bag-pipes, accompanied with a tom-tom, or small drum unbraced, and incapable of music; with these, at intervals, loud shouts were set up by the people, and something of a song in praise of their idol sung in alternate strains, which were responded by the people to each other in a sing-song tone of voice. O what a blessing is the Gospel to mankind! Well might the angels sing at Messiah’s birth, ‘goodwill towards men,’ no less than ‘glory to God!’ How lovely does Christianity appear, contrasted with the absurdities of these pitiable heathen! O, how privileged is Britain, where Divine truth shines forth in all its purity! May my happy native land know the value of her privileges, and improve them: O that, to latest ages, her