“We rested in the evening at Tripatore, a large heathen place, distinguished by two celebrated idol temples, which are situated on an eminence. Mr. Schwartz embraced the opportunity of entering into a conversation with a number of Brahmins and other heathen. He addressed them in a most eloquent and impressive manner, powerfully contrasting the follies and corruptions of heathenism and the state of awful blindness and delusion under which its professors laboured, with the light and purity of the Christian religion and its perfect accordance with the dictates of sound and enlightened reason, and I observe with wonder and delight the eagerness and attention with which the heathen population listened to his instructive discourses. But to attract and keep up such attention, one must really possess the talents and influence of Mr. Schwartz--his intimate acquaintance with the native language, his prudence, experience, and commanding authority. For a considerable time he continued his conversation in a standing position, and though I did not sufficiently understand the Malabar dialect, in which he addressed the numerous assembly, I could still perceive from their lips, their gestures, and the whole of their outward deportment, how deeply interested they felt. Indeed, when certain questions were proposed and certain answers given I repeatedly heard them exclaim, ‘Surely this is true, this is right, thus it should be!’ “The shades of night were coming on and Mr. Schwartz was preparing to retire to a resting place but the people wished to detain him still longer. “‘Stay with us,’ was their exclamation; ‘we wish to listen to you further. Sit down both of you, you are tired of standing.’ “We therefore sat on the steps of one of their temples, near an enormous idol car, which during their festivals is sometimes drawn by two or three thousand people. Mr. Schwartz protracted his address for another half hour, and when he left them they all united in thanking him for the pains bestowed upon them. But should you, however, ask such people afterwards, what reason they would assign for not embracing a doctrine which it was impossible for them to refute and which they could not help pronouncing truly admirable, they return answers like these:-- “‘We certainly should embrace it, were it not for the world and our means of living. The world would hate, despise, insult us. And even from your own Christian people we should meet with ridicule and contempt. And how can you refuse the demands of nature? You missionaries cannot support us, nor would it be fair to require you to do it. Your governors will make no provision for us. Besides, our ancestors here constantly professed the same religion which we are professing.’”