New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-09-16
American Missionary Society.

T'uly yours, &c. Fl.
American Missionary Society.
Reported !cr The TT bune.
WORCESTER. Mass. Sep; IL. 8.4.
The meeting yesterday afternoon, Hon THEo-
DokE FRELlsGHUYsET in the Chair, was occupied
chiefly in hearing further communications from the
Secretaries.
Rev. SIR SrAULDIso, who has just arrived from
the Cey Ion Mission where he has been aborins the
last twenty-five Years, made some Interesting state
mens in reply 10 questions proposed by persons in
various parts ofthe house. He slij that the people
who speak the famu language and are one nation
in manners and customs, residing on the leland oi
Coy lon and the Southern portion OF Hindoos,an,
amount 10 about ten millions and that perhaps
about one half of the men, especially in Cey Ion,
can read. Attachment TO Itos has greatly DE-
creased among the people generally, with the ex-
cepiiou OF the BTahmins Ii is written in their
books, in which they have great confidence, tnat
there will be change in their religion and customs,
that the iron age OF their country will be superse
ded by the golden age, aad that this change will be
brought about by foreigners with grey eyes. And
there is avery general impression that this charge
is about TO take place, and that the Missionaries are
the grey-eyed foreigners referred 10 ia their books.
M,. Srsu!jing said while there was very little con-
iience felt in their religion by the people gen.
erallv there was z very strong impression from one
end of the land to the other tina; Christianity is the
true religion. The Bra..nns take very great pains
to proec; tbeir children from the modern inflelity
of the nation in reference 10 their religion by care
fully keeping their children from mission schools
end from all intercourse with the missionaries.
Missionaries ,,rG III
publishing sem;-monthly paper called the Morn
ing Star, whose columns filled with commercial,
literary and moral information and discussions. l.
les circulation OF or 4,GU0. II ii novelty, and
much read, and quite open to the freest discussion
OF religious und other subjects.
he remarked also, that the 1TAMuLs are polite
people that their luggage is smooth, harmonious
rich language, containing about ity-tlglt thousand
words, now arranged in Dictionary like our Web
ster's. That the females, on account Ct the law
which makes them he sole owners and iIhcriiers Of
property are treated, of course, with considerable
respect 10y the other sex. They in a respects
less degraded than heather females generally. The
prejudces gnnst their receiving education had very
considerably worn away. When the missionaries
first went to Ceylon twtn;y-eisht years ago, they
found it extremely difficult TO persuade any parent
to allow daug htsr to be taught 10 READ: they
said the gods would visit them with dreadful
judgments if they rtud the Bible, or even learned
20 read. After long tnie one little girl was per
suadsd by the missionaries TO learn The alphabet
by the promise OF Il gold neck lace. In view
of such a tempting piizs she undertook the
task and when she found that no dread evil
came upon her she concluded TO learn 10 spell
aud 10 read. BY the same offer they persuaded
another, but il was long time before they could
get many female pupils, but now female education
is becoming quite fashionable. Twenty emnIes
educated in the Oodoviile Seminary have been mar
ricd 10 native Christian husbands, and there are
now about 40 at Battcotta, in the Seminary, in
n course of education. The females generally IN
Cey lon haze fair moral character, and those who
are educated exert very happy influence. Mr..
Spaudnc said they were az people, TO the age OF
from TO Is or 81, remarkably forward and learned
very rapidly. On tie whole, he thought they were
even more s' promising Than lhe Americans.
rhcv were not distinguishes for invention, but their
powers OF imitation were very extraordinary. iha!
the people had not much money but yet they were
not u poor people, but not so liberal as he could
wish, Vet lac c0uiG rtsh that H7tercliiy was corr
faed 10 themselves. Though they have little com
,uerce they quite an enterprising people They
are vprv shrewi r-asoners, giant 1r07SceHdehtai-
,k that we could fed none o! this class IN our own
coua;ry that would heaT any compressor with N. nj
in this g. ihev would all reason, out thr,
all thou ht comprehend nil things lncomarrfrnsi-
bic and understand clearly things perfectly ins1Pii-
cable and in dong 81 thew made i"aT caches 20
,e very essence tf Deity! They beiirve there is a
Supremr Being who made all things, bur that he has
rested from all care and sits in supreme eternal
ieiicitous meditation Unconscious sleep leaving
all things 10 the care Of inferior Dcities. and liza:
the soul Of man is fraction Of This Supreme cS-
sence and wilt eventually ne shsOrhtd again inlsiy
TIE evening session was principally occupied
with ni.tlers relating IN contributions and othaf bu'
sness OF tie Board, WHICH we are coap-lied 10 pass
over