The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-05-12

primitive Christians: they have the BIBLE
amongst them, written III Svriac they say.
enat TINS oyriac version VAS carry bro't TO IN
.dia Dir. Is. declares that some OF their pre-
sent copies must be of very ancient date
they are written on ii strong thick paper,
winch the ink in several parts has eat tn ro'
--ohe volume, which he saw deposited i'll
one OF the remote Churches near the noun
tains, embraced the Old and New Tesla
ment, engrossed OH strong vellum, in large
fol:o, columns to a page, written with
oeauiiful accuracy in Estrargelo Syriac.-I
nus, while i'll the dark ages Of Europe, the
rope had intcrdiCted the use of the Bioe
20 the protane eye of the vulgar, it " had
found AN asylum in the mountains of Mala-
yala, and was freely read by more than
lOo churches" These MSS. may yet clear
up "some doubtful readings OF the. sacred
text lie very first proposed emcnda-
non OF the Hebrew text by DR.. kennicott,
(Gen. ~. ST. is in this NJ. S. The disputed
passage in John V, z, is not to be found in
1t though Dr. b. has still no doubt of its
anthcnticity.-At the town of Cenotta, one
spectacle occurred to interest all his feel
inSs-" Jewish Synagogue, and Christi
aa Church, standing over against each o.
ther, exhibiting as It were. during many re-
voiving ages, the LaTv and the GOSPEL to
the view OF the heather people. This
VI HiSS uS directly 10 me X w S.
Ihe discoveries, made by him, into the
dispersion of this singular family, are more
astonishing, Than the clues which he has fur
nished of the Syrio- Chrstians.-Th fol-
lowing Ertract will speak for itself
Ut. Is. shows, that wherever the Scrip
lures have made their way into the East,
they have uniformly made men Beforehand
on this head he brings to view the bloody hor-
rors OF the Hndo superstition of their great
fdtt Juggernaut, under whose ponderous
wheels the voluntary victim throws himself
is crushed to death as well as of the burn
ing OF their wives on the funeral pyres of
their husbands, lis of whom. we're burned
aive III months only lin 1S04) near Cal
Cutta alone.
what Dr. b. has most at heart, is to put
the scriptures into ali the tongues of the
East-A large portion OF the New Tesla
nent has already been printed in Chinese
characters-There are five principal lam
guaSes spoken by the Hindoos in the British
Empire; the HiAaostanee pervades Hindos-
tan senerally; and the four languages in its
great PROVINCES, viz. the Bengdiee, in Ben
gal the Ie.fnga, for the Northern Circars ::
the 1aniHkior Coromandel; and the 1laIay.
am or 1Iala60r for the coast of Malabar
and raVancorc. The Scriptures are al
ready IN the Iamul and Bengalee; and in
progress OF translation into the other three
- ne last account We have Of Dir. b is, that
IN NOV, he LETT England for Jerusalem with
seVefai Hebrew and Arabic printers to set
tie; the Bible will be printed there in The
oriental languages and distributed over the
East,--I he SyriaC Christians sav, tAev are
" descendants of the flock established by St.
thomas, who is generally esteemed the A.
postie OF the East Their liturgy is derived
FROM thaS of cae early church Of .E.zti11i j,
and IS OF their churches acknowledge the
Patriarch of Antioch. Antioch is almost in
runs; but may not some curious NJ S. S. be
found there
~ .EXTRHCT'S-THE JEWS. %
While the author was in the East, the
state OF the Jews, who are dispersed in diff
isrent countries, frequently occupied his
thoughts he had heard that they existed
III distinct colonies in certain parts Of India;
that some of them had arrived long before
the Christian Era, and had remained in tn {
midst OF the Hindoos, to this time, d distinct
ana separate people, perseeuted by the ma
i've princes, from age to age, and yet not
destroyed burning, like The bush of Mo
ses, and not consumed ;" and he had a
strong desire ITO turn aside and see this
great sight" His mind was impressed with
the conviction that their preservation, in
snch y variety OF regions, and under such
diversity OF circumstances, could be only eff
tected by the interposition of the Divine
providence, which reyerved them, thus dis
tinct, tor some special and important pur-
pose and since the period of time for she
accom- plishmens Of th: purpose, was consi-
dered by many to be fast approaching, lie
wished to hear the sentiments of the Jews
from their own lips, and to learn their actu-
al Impressions, az to their present circurn-
stances and future hopes.
In his Memorial respecting the Syrian
Christians. presented to Marquis Woiles-
.ley the author also noticed the existence of
an ancient colony OF Jews on the coast of
Maihbar, particularly 1T Cochin and as
tins place had recently become a part of the
British Empire, by conquest from the Dutch.
Lord William Bentick, then Governor of
Madras, who had received letters from the
Supreme Government, was pleased to direct
the civil officer, who had CHARGE of the de-
partment Of Cochin, ? TO afford him every
aid in the prosecution of his Researches
His first tour to Cochin was in November
1906, and he remained in the country, till
February, 1907. Hc again visited It in ia.
nuary, 1908. He has only room, in this pre-
sent work, to introduce few notes from his
Journal.
"CoCHtN, Feb 4, 1907.
have been now in Cochin, or its vicini-
ty, for upwards of two months and have
got well acquainted with the Jews. They
do not live in the city of Cochin, but in n
town about mile distant from it, called
Jews'-Town. 1t is almost wholly inhabited
by the Jews, who have two respectable Sy-
nagogucs. Among them are some very in d.
seiligent men, who are not ignorant Of the
l. E