Aviatic Intelligenc

DACCA.-Mr. Leonard wrote on the 17th July; "We have now two candidates for baptism, a brahmun who has been long under instruction, and an Armenian who promises fair to become a truly valuable acquisition to the cause. The latter is a pupil of the ArchBishop, lately arrived from Armenia, is about twenty years of age, is conversant with the Persian and Turkish languages, and allow ed by the best judges, to be one of the best Armenian scholars in Dacca. He is also endeavouring to attain the English and Hindee, it appears with the design of making himself useful in the work of God, especially among his countrymen, whose ignorance of the truth, and deep depravity, he deplores.

"He appears fond of the Scriptures, which he makes his daily study, and, since he requested to be united with us, attends the School about two hours every day to compare select passages of the Armenian version with the English Bible. He was sent to the Christian school about three months since by the Arch-Bishop, to learn English, and although he continued but a short time, I have had much close conversation with him upon the departure of the Armenian communion from "the faith once delivered to the saints," in defence of which I found him exceedingly quick and warm, and well acquainted with the letter, although wanting in the spirit of the Scriptures. From the above period he began to discover the errors of his profession, which, added to the unblushing corrupt practices of the Armenians, brought him to the determination of quitting them, and to offer himself to the Baptist Church.

"It seems he had his principal instructions under the Patriarch of Armenia, and travelled with him through Russia, Prussia, and other parts, as his amanuensis: his information, therefore, considering his age, must be extensive.

"Our schools and regular congregation continue to increase, and, all things considered, we have no just cause to repine."

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BENARES.-Extracts of letters from Mr. Smith.--May 20th, 1824; -“On the 28th último, a woman was burnt alive at Munkuraka Ghaut, with the corpse of her husband, whose name was Boolakee Nagur; and also a Bengalee woman on the 1st instant. Oh may the Lord remove these cruel practices by the light of the gospel." "On the 11th ultimo the Union Chapel was opened by the Rev. Mr. Adam. On the first Monday of the month, we had a missionary meeting in the Hindoost'hanee Chapel, when the Rev. Mr. Fraser, Rev. T. Morris, Rev. M. T. Adam, Mr. Adlington, and myself were present. The Rev. T. Morris gave us a very edifying discourse and prayed, and we then sung and prayed alternately, all engaging except the Rev. Mr. Fraser."

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1st July; "A poor old brahmun woman who attended the means of grace every Lord's-day, died last month; some time before her departure she attended Mrs. Smith, with several other women, to hear her read, and expound the scripture immediately after wor ship; and, on hearing the depraved and ruined state of mankind, she was more affected than any other woman, especially on hearing what Christ had suffered for the sins of the world. One Sab bath reflecting on the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, she said, with tears, "I have hitherto worshipped the Ganges and all the Hindoo gods, but to no purpose, none of the gods suffered for my sins, like Jesus Christ, and Him only shall I worship." This poor woman composed in rhymes, "Christ suffered for sinners," which she would sing with tears. A short time since, she fell sick with a fever, and the following Sabbath, as she was not able to attend, she begged her daughter to go and hear the word of Jesus, to which she made some objections. The mother told her, “O do not neglect to go and hear the words of Jesus, for he is the only Saviour of the world!" and two days after that she breathed her last. The daughter continues to attend."

DELHI-On the 17th of July, Mr. Thompson had the pleasure of baptizing three persons, on a profession of their faith in Christ. They were Serjeant and Mrs. C. and Sookha Mishr, a brahmun. It appears that the first and principal means of drawing Mrs. C.'s at tention to religion, was a sermon, preached by our late Brother Rowe, from Isa. I. 18. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be às white as snow; though they be red like crimson, thay shall be as

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wool." The details of her religious experience, through the years that have since elapsed, much affected the members of the church and excited the deepest interest in her case. With respect to Mr. C.'s conversion, it is observed, that, books, conversations, the means of grace, public and private, the deportment and example of those who lived to God, all contributed in their measure, at distant periods, towards the grand object, which, in these days of ordinary grace, is seldom the work of a day." Sookha Mishr is the person who ac companied Mr. Thompson from Hurdwar after the last fair. Mr. T. says of him; "This man having taken some tracts from me at Hurdwar last year, travelled with them to the North, and went to various places of pilgrimage. He read of the Lord Jesus Christ being the Saviour proposed by Europeans (as from God) to the Natives to believe in; he read of idolatry being opposed to the spiritual worship of God, of its being a sin, and leading to hell; and he read, in one of the little tracts ("The purport of the gospel,") last sent up by the hands of our dear Mr. Ward, that in following the Saviour he might be required to forsake father, mother, wife, and chil dren, &c. and make a sacrifice of all he possessed in the world. These truths affected him variously during his travels for a whole year, and at last issued I would hope through the divine hand in a desire to become a follower of Jesus, since a believer he had become by reading; and for this purpose he desired to see me on the following year at Hurdwar. This year, he came among others, and stood before me on the Stairs, the spot where I distribute tracts and converse. I recognized him, and asked what he had done with the tracts: he replied, he had them and wanted more. I said, "Why do you wander about? Sit still and be instructed in the words of Jesus." Having previously made up his mind, he consented: and while in worship I instructed him, during the day he employed hims self in transcribing a little tract, "The voice from Heaven," of which I had no printed copies left for distribution: and these copies, as soon as written, were given away. After I came home, he became very anxious to be admitted to baptism and the Lord's supper, having seen these ordinances administered at Meerut when I passed through that station. He observed very justly, that having thrown away his thread, cut off his tuft of hair, desisted from idol-worship and repeating the names of the debtas, wholly renouncing Hindooism, what should hinder his being admitted to the privileges of a believer in Christ? I replied, that all he said was

true, but he required to have his mind more changed, his temper to become better, and himself to be more in prayer. After this he read the New Testament with much attention, numbering the books and chapters it contained, collecting the names of persons, places, mountains, and rivers; and, which is of more importance, making a selection of striking passages and narratives."

Since his attendance upon Mr. Thompson, his conduct has not been uniformly consistent with religion, having several times been ensnared by an old habit of smoking or chewing bhung (an intoxicating drug), and on these occasions making very unbecoming displays of temper. But, after a probation of several months, Mr. T. feels warranted to say, "His mind seems wholly purged of all regard to Hindooism, and he gives evident proofs of faith in Christ as the Saviour of the world, and in the blessed Spirit as the Sanctifier."

These persons were solemnly baptized in the river, before a large assembly of Europeans and Natives, and by all present there was the greatest quietness and seriousness observed.

CUTTACK.-Mr. Peggs has sent us the following account of a Suttee, which we willingly insert, with the hope, that case after case will not always be brought to public notice without some good effect being produced.

"When I have heard affecting details of the horrors of Sutteesin different parts of Bengal, I have been glad that these awful self-murders have not been perpetrated at this station since our arrival; but, alas! this gratification no longer exists. One occurred at Pooree in May, while Mrs. P. and I were there, and a second in July, the day after we left; and last Thursday, August 19th, this place was defiled with innocent blood poured out like water. As the importunate widow in the parable obtained her request through the power importunity, so the incessant and pathetic appeals that every relation of Suttee makes to the best feelings of society, may finally succeed in the abolition of this indescribably horrid custom. O when shall this "abomination that maketh desolate," with every vestige of heathenism," be buried amidst the wreck of things that were." "On Thursday morning, about twelve o'clock, the Judge very

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* See the Friend of India for July and August, for accounts of both these Suttees. They are part of the dismal train of consequences attending the annual triumph of Jugunnatha over these degraded, prostrate nations.

kindly informed us of the intended Suttee, by a note to the Rev, Mr. M. (our invalid friend from Burdwan,) desiring him to see the unhappy woman, and use every persuasion with her to desist from her purpose. As soon as he knew where she lived, taking my pundit for an interpreter, he went to her house. The woman, as we learned when he returned, was a Telinga, about 34 years of age, and the wife of a brahmun, who had died that morning about day-break. As she could not understand Ooriya, and, it appears, but little Hindoost'hanee, every effort to enlighten her mind lay at the mercy of the Telinga interpreter, who, it is to be feared, looked upon the woman as about to confer a great honor upon his country, and consequently would be very deficient in conveying truth to her. Mr. M. asked her several questions, and stated the nature and consequences of her intended self-destruction; but her reply was, What had she any more to do with the world? she must go to her husband. Support for life, and a conveyance to her home, were offered, but they were rejected. Her husband had been on pilgrimage to Pooree, and was proceeding to Benares, but the poor woman was not without friends, as her own brother and sister were with her.

"From my pundit I have gathered some particulars which cast light upon this dreadful rite. He states, that it is customary to lament the dead with great crying and noise, but she did not, saying she was going to her husband. She said she was a stranger and had nothing, and therefore desired the neighbours to provide what was necessary for a suttee. She affirmed she had been a suttee in three former births, and must accomplish this four times more, and then she should attain endless felicity.. Those who should dare to prevent her, by confining her in a house or goal, their seed should die, and they should descend into hell. Some approved of this, others said, that as she had no son nor daughter therefore she wished to die. To this she replied, that she had a brother and sister, and, in her own country, many friends, but she wished to go to her husband. From joog to joog (age to age,) in this manner, with the same husband she was to be born and die.

"The neighbours first spoke to the darogah, then to the dewan, and afterwards intelligence was communicated to the Judge, who sent the darogah to the woman to ascertain the circumstances of her husband's death, and to dissuade her from burning, but in vain. About half past 3 o'clock, we were informed that the poor woman was proceeding to the pile. Mr. and Mrs. M. Mrs. L. and Mrs P.