and honor, they will not refuse; but they will not wrangle and intrigue to obtain them, much less stoop to unworthy conduct; and though the city rejoiceth when the righteous is exalted, yet in the present state of things, the few who deserve the name, are rarely to be found in stations of the greatest influence; they rather seek retirement, and are chiefly found in the lower walks of society, neither among the most opulent, nor the most needy; from the former their integrity often keeps them back, while above the latter, their industry and temperance raise them in every country. This therefore lessens the influence of Chris

tianity on the governing and ostensible part of mankind.

There is another consideration far more to be regretted. Those who possess real religion while so few, must mix with the world, and become amalgamated with society; and this too often deteriorates the effect of the religion they possess. Mix the purest wine with ten times its quantity of water; how unfair to form our estimate of the strength and effect of the generous liquor from this mixture. Some tinge of wine it may have, but how inade quate to conveying a just idea of it in its pure state. Such is real Christianity as it appears in the public conduct of any Christian nation now on earth. Far be it from us to plead for the selfseclusion of real Christians from society. They are intended to be the salt of the earth; and what does the salt effect when lying in a heap alone? it must be diffused abroad before it can perform its office. But if any one will form his estimate of its strength by tasting a part of the mass impregnated thereby, he will be in the utmost danger of deceiving himself, and particularly if he should light on a part which some circumstance had prevented its pervading. Yet such is the judgment which many form of the excellence and power of true religion. But in how many instances are the ideas of a good man affected by education, by early habits, by previous associations of idea, by his kindred and relatives, by the circle in which he moves, or the customs and maxims of the place where he resides which he never originated, nor possesses power to change. Yet all these are gene

E e

rally on the unfavourable side, either wholly formed by the course of this world, or from that mixture of religion with its opposites, which resembles wine diluted with water till its taste be scarcely discernible. How often does a good man occupy a situation previously filled for ages by men of no religion! Can it be supposed that in this case every custom and usage and principle has originated in the pure and genuine spirit of Christianity? Yet perhaps he can alter scarcely a single thing; he may be only one of many colleagues either in public business or in trade. He may also have his own prepossessions, and may not even be aware, in many cases, of the degree in which these are deviations from the high and genuine spirit of Christianity. One thing is the custom of trade; another, according to the usual routine of business; and a third borne as the best that circumstances admit. But all these things tend to debase the spirit of Christianity, till it becomes almost another thing; and if they do not alter the intrinsic nature of religion, they incorporate so great a quantity of alloy therewith, that the mixture is quite an inadequate representation of the pure metal.

Yet is true religion the same thing it ever was; it is the religion of Joseph who rose superior to all the allurements of pleasure-of Daniel in whom, after administering the affairs of the greatest empire on earth for above fifty years, his most inveterate enemies could find nothing on which to found an accusation

except in the matters of his God,"—of Nehemiah who, while the Restorer of the Jewish commonwealth, through the fear of God generously refused to eat the bread of the governor, in his brethren's distressed state; while he, of his own wealth, provided daily a princely table for all who resorted to him. Nor has it even now lost its effects. They are to be chiefly seen it is true in the lower walks of life, but there they have in some cases been seen to influence every action of life; to introduce a general character of uprightness, integrity, compassion, and benevolence into a neighbourhood, which in some of its effects may appear singular; it has often induced a man in dealing to give more to his neigh

bour than the sum demanded, because he saw that necessity had made him set too low a price on the article he was constrained to sell; and has caused persons employed to feel no regret equal to that created by the fear of not having rendered a compensation sufficiently valuable in return for the sum received from their employers; it has banished almost every species of unfair dealing from the circle, and rendered it impossib'e for envy, detraction, and slander to live amidst them. Such has been the effect in a neighbourhood when those who possessed true religion scarcely formed a third of the inhabitants, and where the Sacred Scriptures constituted the chief part of their library. From such examples, low as they are, it is easy to see what christianity is capable of doing, should it as fully and as generally possess the souls of those who conduct the affairs of nati ons, and fill the chief offices in church and state.

It is however a far higher state of true religion that the Scrip-tures lead us to expect, if we may judge from the prayer our Lord taught his disciples, and which we may consider as being in reality a promise predictive of future things; for would the Son of God, who knew the end from the beginning, have put a petition into the mouths of his disciples which he knew would never be fulfilled? When therefore we find added to that forthe coming of God's visible kingdom on earth," thy will be done on earth, even as it is done in heaven" by angels themselves, can any thing less be intended than a degree of righteousness, benevolence, and peace, of which we can as yet scarcely form ane idea?

We may therefore safely conclude, that notwithstanding all the alloy mixed with real religion, it is still the same mighty, soul-transforming principle as ever. Nay further, that in spite of all those mean and contemptible sneers "at the saints," so often witnessed, as though they were men destitute of principle, there are men who walk righteously, as well as talk of religion, who despise unjust gain, who shake their hands from holding of bribes, and whom the wealth of a kingdom would not induce

deliberately to do a thing they deemed unjust, or displeasing to God; and the writer of these lines is completely mistaken, if Wilberforce, and a good y number besides, are not men of this stamp, notwithstanding the sneers poured on them by those of opposite party principles. While we therefore allow that true religion is now greatly weakened in its influence by the maxims and the influence of the world, let us look forward to what is promised respecting it; and reflect that every new infusion of genuine christian principle into the great mass of society, tends to accelerate that day when, throughout the whole earth, its "officers shall be peace and its exactors righteousness;" when "no man shall say to his brother, know thou the Lord, for all shall know him from the least even to the greatest.' I ought, Mr. Editor, to offer a thousand apologies for the length of this letter, but perhaps none will be so acceptable to your readers, as the assurance that the next shall be far shorter.

Yours, &c.

II. Account of the Koonkees, to the east of Bengal.

In September last, a Munipore Koonkee named Muh-koi, was procured from among the followers of Chourjeet, the Raja of Munipore, who being dethroned by his brother, was obliged a few years ago to take refuge under the British flag, and has for some time resided at Silhet; and in October a gentleman residing in Silhet, sent to Serampore, one of the Tipperah Koonkees, who are a distinct tribe. Of these savage tribes, a few particulars communicated by a gentleman for some time resident among them, may not be wholly uninteresting.

The Koonkees are a race of people originally from the north, who, almost from time immemorial, have sought refuge from their enemies, in those inaccessible mountains which lie between Bengal, Ava, and China. They assume certain of the habits of the cast to which that chief belongs under whose protection they may be, but they themselves have no cast, nor any peculi

ar characteristic which appears derived from one.

They are

divided however into tribes, which are distinct from each other. All of these tribes occupy a tract of country not less than five degrees in extent from north to south, and nearly two degrees from east to west; or in other words extending from North Latitude 21 to 26; and from East Longitude 92 to 94. This large tract of country is completely mountainous, and contains forests of timber which are almost impervious. These divide the British from the Burman territories, and form a complete barrier by nature against mutual invasion. To the north and the northeast therefore, these tribes border on the Munipore, P’hung, and. Assam countries; to the west on the kingdom of Kachar, the independent part of Tripoora or Tipperah, and the dominions of the Honorable Company; but to the south and the east on the Burman dominions.

The Koonkees are divided into various tribes. The most northerly are the Nagas; who however, are a race completely distinct from the others. To these follow the Tripoora Koonkees, including the Rang-char, the Than-hum, the Koo-tchong, and the Pi too Koonkees ; and to these succeed the Lan-khai, the Khin, the Mroung, and several other tribes.

This interesting race of men, as already observed, have no cast, except what some of them assume when in the service of the petty Hindoo chiefs around them. They are indeed nearly in a state of nature; but some of them are far less savage than others. The idea of their eating human flesh, however, is quite unfounded. Unless in cases of extreme famine, or as expressive of deadly hatred, there is reason to think that nothing of the kind exists among them. Their more powerful neighbours are constant ly attempting to seize them and sell them for slaves; in which they so often succeed, as to make it a regular traffic: yet their neighbours both to the east and west of them agree in affirming, that when they become attached to any person, they make the most faithful and ac ive domestics. They are characterized by all who have dealings with them for their detestation of fraud and de