Year: 1861

"A


MoCRNING-LACR Or INTEREST y MlssIoS5.


BUyow, July 10th, 1861.


DEAR Bro. WEBSTER :--Sincs | -4st wrote
you the whole aspect oG this country has
changed. Then the earth was dry and parcned
80 that scarce green herb could be seen, and
man and beast were dying Of hunger. But
the ground then so dry, is now iIled with
water, tho fields then SO ike a barren waste,
are now green with grain and grass, while
man and beast rejoice IN prospect OF abQn-
dance of fUod.


God, IN ais mercy, aa5 once more sent rain
IN such abundance, thai the famine Will soon
ose It's power, and its thousands Of sufferers
once more be free The dark mourning,
which this land ha. worn for .ong months,
has been put of, and all nature clothed IN
beauty now seems to re]Olce.


The famine, although gone IL reality, is
still felt in its effects, ald must be until at
least two crops can be gathered Many OF
the poor new ind employ on farms as usual,
yet many are still led or assisted by charity.
, Last month the expenditures were great. In
this district alone we fed daily trcm the char
liable fund, On an average OF ABOUT eleven
thousand, and the whole expenditure was near
six thousand dollars. And still the deaths
from hunger were about five hundred. Con-
slider that this Is in one district, the area OF
which is about two thousand square miles
and the population seven hundred THOUSAND,
and sou have an example OF the famine, as
it was in June.


The rainy season is the principal season
tor farming in Ludla. Rice and corn are
sown now, while wheat, oats, &C., are sown
in the fall. These people know very little
about farming probably. At least, SO we
think Their first great mistake Is IN neg
Letting to manure their land, as most or their
manure is burned. So little value DO they
place upon it, that for one dollar | can buy
fifty cart loads Another hlndrance to thor
success is the lack Of good farming tools.
Their plow consists Of little more than Two
sticks Of wood Joined so that the end Of Que
comes in the centre Of the other. The end
Of the first is fastened to the yoke answering
for both the plov beam and draw chain. Ihe
other is pointed or another point Jolnrd to It.,
and thus answers for share, mould-board anu
handles With this poor apology tor plow,
the farmer stirs up his soil as well as he can
by blowing and cross blowing NUMBER Of
times. They then SOW their seed, alter which
the land is plowed again, and then smoothed
with plank, as they know no such thing as
a harrow


1t is very difficult to introduce any i'm
provements, as the farmers will not use them.
I made harrow for man to use, but be
only used it an hour or SO and aid 1t one
side. Another gentleman got cut an English
pl0w which was used for time with great
astonishment by the natives. But as soon as
he was gone, and there was no one to direct
in its use, it was set up as an ooJect OF w0r-
ship, while for pIowing they used their Old
pIows. Al that is necessary IN orusr to IN
troducc good farming tools here is first dis
position or willingness on the part OF the peo-
pie to use them. Second, pattern OF each
kind is necessary. We find good workmen
of all kinds here so that any instrument can
be made from pattern These people can
not invent, but they can follow the invention
OF others. | trust, Bro. Webster, that you
will pardon these remarks on farming, In view
of the fact that most OF your readers are
farmers, and that your writer Is farmer :
son.


Yesterday was an important day in this
vicinity, as it was the day set apart for the
worship of the Goddess Of SMALL -P01. This
disease is the great plague Of the country
Yearly in the cold season many are attacked
by it and more or less die. The sickness is
mostly among the children, as nearly every
man has had the disease Last cold season
we met it daily, and a number OF Christian
children were sick, and one died. L also had
4 slight attack, so that do not now fear 1t.
On account of the great dread OF the natives
for this disease, they have made an image
which represents the Goddess OF this malady
and year they come together to worship this
idol. and to give money to It's priest. And l
fear the priest is the onl y one who reaps much
profit from the exercise. This is only one OF
the hundreds of superstitlons OF this poor
people. Scarce a mouth passes IN which
there are not more or less days for the wor-
ship of particular Gods, Or for bathing in the
Ganges, to wash away particular sins.


L he Mussulmen are also at present ea1oy-
ma a number of days of nlOwra'a21g. say
ENJOYING, as their mourning consists chiefly in
drumming, singing, dancing and making
msrry generally, although they accompany
all with mournful sounds, and beating OF their
breasts. This is done to commemorate the