ly dispatched for Radha-bullubh, who having come to a certain distance on the shoulders of his priests, they declared that he would proceed no farther; that he had never gone farther from his own temple on any other occasion; and that he would not deviate from his usual course. This was, however, as the reader will easily perceive, merely a trick to obtain money. An eager debate now arose between the proprietor of the car and the sacerdotal proprietors of Radha-bullubh, and after much litigation, the priests consented for Fifty Rupees to allow him to pass the limit prescribed by their ava rice. The money was counted down on the spot, and Radha-bullubh proceeded towards the car. Enthusiasm now redoubling the efforts of the multitude, the car began to move. This propitious event was universally ascribed to the satisfaction of Jugunnat'ha on beholding his brother. It however again remained stationary after proceeding but a few yards, and Radha-bullubh was obliged to return without his brother.

In two or three days the priests of Radha-bullubh began to feel the effects of Jugunnat'ha's absence; the visits to the temple were few, and the offerings inconsiderable. These offerings had been previously farmed out for Two Hundred and Thirty-two Rupees, and the farmers plainly saw, that unless Juzunnat'ha could be brought to the temple, they should lose, not only the profits which they usu ally made above that amount, but be unable to realize even that sum. After various consultations therefore between the priests of both temples, Juunnatha was silently conveyed to his brother's on the evening of the third day.

The misfortune which had happened to the car, being almost unprecedented, filled the minds of the multitude with anxiety. They attributed it to various causes. Some said, that the proprietor of the car, had, contrary to his usual custom, partaken of food before the car was drawn forth. Others said, that the god was incensed at the temerity of one of the proprietors, who had touched it while yet impure from the defilement of the dead body of a rela

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tive while others maintained that the wrath of Jugunnat'ha was excited by his having silver and not golden hands given to him. In these and similar conjectures did the deluded multitude indulge. To have said that he could not move his own car, would have been a rude slander on the "Lord of the world." To save his power, therefore, they charged him with passion, not considering that the attempt to secure to him the possession of one attribute, degraded his character in a worse degree. But one brahmun seemed to aim at something more dreadful; he dream. ed, or pretended to dream, that the god had appeared to him, and told him that his car would not move, unless a number of human victims were immolated by being thrown under the wheels. Hearing this rumored, and aware that the deluded multitude were capable of believing this, if urged on them by the brahmuns, the Missionaries at Serampore drew up and printed a tract of eight pages, in which they laid open to the multitude the true reason of the car's stopping; and begged them to consider what they could gain by worshipping so helpless a log of wood, pointing them at the same time to the true "Lord of the World" as waiting to be gracious to all in every nation, who turn to him through his Son. This was quietly circulated among the people ; with what effect we are unable to say ; but nothing more was heard of the immolation of human victims.

On the last day of the festival the weather being favorable, the deluded people drew the car forwards to the temple of Radhabullubh though it was not customary to do it on the last day, and seating Jugunnat'ha in it, carried him back to his old residence.

IV. Annual Meeting of the School-Book Society.

On Saturday, July 4th, the Annual Meeting of the School-Book Society was held at the Town Hall. It was attended by a considerable number of European Gentlemen; but on this occasion,

the mind derived its highest gratification from the view of so great a number of Natives of the greatest respectability, present at a meeting, the grand object of which was, the improvement of the native mind. At half past ten, the Chair was taken at the unanimous request of those present by W. B. Bayley, Esq.; and the Report of the proceedings of the Committee during the past year drawn up by the Secretary, was then read by the Chairman, amidst expressions of general satisfaction; on which as the Report itself will shortly appear, any observations are at present unnecessary. Suffice it to say, that from the Report the affairs of the Society appear to be in a highly flourishing state, that the amount realized by donations and subscriptions is Seventeen Thousand Rupees, and the expenditure during the year somewhat less than Five Thousand. The sum, however, for which the Committee stand pledged respecting works in the press, is considerable.

The Secretary then stated, that the heavy pressure of business which lay on him, rendered an Additional Secretary necessary. This being very properly taken into consideration by the Meating, it was unanimously agreed that a Recording Secretary be appointed in aid of the present Secretary; and Mr. Montagu being proposed, it was unanimously resolved, that E. S. Montagu, Esq. be appointed the Additional Secretary.

In the course of the meeting several of the Natives, highly respectable for wealth and rank, expressed their satisfaction at the progress of knowledge among their own countrymen, and their decided approbation of the principle and the proceedings of the Society. After respectively voting the thanks of the meeting to the Chairman, the Treasurer, and the Secretary, for their able and disinterested conduct in their respective offices; the assembly separated with a lively impression on their minds of the increasing utility of the Society, and of the certainty that the various endeavours now used to enlighten and improve the minds of the natives, will not ultimately fail of success.

The Committee for the preceding year, were unanimously reelected.

V. Articles of intelligence from China.

The following articles of intelligence are extracted from the "Indo-Chinese Gleaner," a work published occasionally, by the Rev. Mr. Milne at Malacca. Though they contain nothing particularly important, they are highly pleasing, from a country as yet so little known.

"Peking Gazette, March 29, 1817 It appears that a person holding a situation of the first rank, viz. Treasurer of the Fühkeën Province, from an apprehension of being brought to trial for receiving improper fees, hanged himself. There was found in his bosom, a statement of his case written with his own hand.

"April 1. In Shan-toong, a man concerned in the rebellion of 1813, was put to a slow and ignominious death, by having his body slowly cut to pieces.

“During the month of April, His Majesty was expected to repair in person to the Toong-ling, or the Eastern Tombs of his Ancestors, there to perform the usual rites of sacrifice.

"The Censor of Kyang-nan reports to His Majesty, that the sums of money granted from the Imperial Treasury, for the relief of districts in times of drought and famine, are so swallowed up by péculation, that little or nothing ever reaches the distressed people for whom the grants are intended.

"Peking, April 15. Great distress is experienced by the poor of Shan-toong, in consequence of the rains which fell last year, and which caused an inundation within several districts. The possessors of land experience want, and how much more, as the writer says, those who have neither land nor any other property! It is recommended to His Majesty, to remit the usual taxes, or at least to allow a longer period for their payment; and also to give to

* The Chinese characters are constantly to be read from the right to the left, in the Chinese manner; but their names expressed in Roman letters, from the left to the right.

those who are absolutely in want of food, one month's provision and seed to sow their fields again.

"June 1, 1817. An insurrection has taken place in the Province of Yun-nan. The insurgents are called by the government Ler-fy, Monkey Banditti. The Foo-yuen of Canton, recently appointed, is prevented from undertaking the duties of his situation, by his being called away to quell the insurrection.

" June 19. In the southern part of the Füh-kyen Province, two families, or, as that word denotes in its most extensive sense, two clans, in the spring of the year, fell out in consequence of some verbal altercation. The family name of one clan was Ts'hai, and of the other Wang: each collected as many of his clan as he could, and rushing to arms of various kinds, they fought with each other till eight men were killed, and forty houses belonging to Ts'hai, burnt to ashes. The police seized a number of the parties; but so bitter was their animosity that Wang again attacked the other party, and killed several, which obliged the government to call in the aid of the military.

"July 14. In the neighbourhood of Canton, to the west and the southward, the river Pih-Kyang overflowed its banks during the night, by which it is said, nine hundred persons were drowned. The land was inundated and the houses destroyed, by which great distress is occasioned to survivors.

"August 12. From a Peking Gazette of May the 2d, it appears by letters from Chang-ming, the Viceroy of the Sze-chuen Province, on the western frontier of China, where a persecution of the Christians occurred about two years ago, that on the borders of that province, at a place called Chang-kooh, an earthquake happened in April last. Upwards of eleven hundred houses fell, and crushed to death beneath their ruins, above two thousand eight hundred persons, Chinese and foreigners, old and young, men and women, with a number of the Lama Priests. His Imperial Majesty expresses strong feelings of commiseration for the sufferers; and in addition to 5000* taels of silver which the Viceroy had already distributed to the houseless survivors, he

* About Fifteen Thousand Rupees,