performed chiefly by the women. Idleness is the sin that easily besets them, and is the natural parent of many other of their vices. "Indians cannot work," is a saying often in their mouths. They have an idea, that to labour in cultivating the ground is degrading to the character of a man, who, they say, was made for war and hunting, and holding councils: and that women and hedgehogs were made to scratch the earth." It is also a proverbial tradition among them, that "the Great Spirit gave the white man a plough, and the red man a bow and an arrow, and sent them into the world by different paths, each to get a living in his own way." Among the Oneidas the land was still held in common; and, though an agreement was made near two years before, "to set apart to any person who should require it, two hundred acres of land, to be held by him and his posterity, with power to set it to any other person of their own nation, but not to any of the white people," yet nothing had been done in consequence of this arrangement. Not more than two or three families procured a subsistence entirely by agriculture; and these had little encouragement to proceed, as their neighbours used to live upon them as long as they could find any thing to eat. The Oneidas, in general, procured a miserable kind of subsistence, by fishing and fow ling; by raising a little corn, beans and potatoes; and by means of an annuity of 3552 dollars from the legislature of NewYork, as the price of lands purchased from them in 1794, and in lieu of all former stipulations; but this money, instead of being an incitement, is a discouragement to industry; for as long as an Indian can procure a living any other way, he will not work. The Oneidas affected to despise their more industrious neighbours of Stockbridge, for their attention to agriculture; but yet they were obliged to buy their corn and other provisions from them.* VOL. I. * Mass. Hist. Coll, vol. v. p. 19, 22, 26, 28. Such was the very unfavourable account which Drs. Morse and Belknap gave of the mission among the Oneidas. The zeal and perseverance, the piety, benevolence, and activity which Mr. Kirkland displayed in promoting Christianity and civilization among the Indians, had afforded the highest gratification to the society in Scotland for propagating Christian knowledge;* but after receiving the report, they were much dissatified with his conduct,† and judged it proper to dismiss him from their service. His health, indeed, was now on the decline, and for two years he was entirely disabled from all public duty. Afterwards, however, he recovered not only his health, but in a considerable degree, his reputation, and continued to labour among the Indians under the patronage of the corporation of Harvard College, who still retained him in their employ. At length, after having spent upwards of forty years as a missionary among the Indians, he died at Paru in the county of Oneida, March 28, 1808, aged sixty-seven.¶ Since the death of Mr. Kirkland, the northern missionary society have taken the Oneida Indians under their patronage, and have sent the Rev. Mr. Jenkins to settle among them. An Indian named Abram, also laboured with great activity and zeal in promoting religion among his countrymen.** American correspondence among the records of the society in Scotland for propagating the Christian knowledge, MS, vol. i. p. 259. 279. Ibid. vol. i. p. 316, 317, 327, 349, &c. Ibid. vol. i. p. 378, 385. $ Ibid. vol. ii. p. 21. Ibid. vol. ii. P. 95. ¶Evangelical Magazine, vol. xvi. p. 435. CHAPTER V. PROPAGATION OF CHRISTIANITY BY THE DANES. SECTION I. EAST INDIES* Soon after the commencement of the eighteenth century, Frederick the Fourth, king of Denmark, in consequence of the recommendation of the Rev. Dr. Lutkens, one of his chaplains, resolved to make an attempt for the conversion of In order to ascertain whether the pure, unadulterated truths of Christianity, unshackled with secular appendages, and inquisitions, have ameliorated the condition of the Heathen in the East Indies, we must compare the state of those of them, who have embraced the Christian Doctrines preached by the protestant missionaries, with the state of those of them who remain in their native ignorance and superstition. We learn the true, moral condition of the Heathen in Hindostap or India, from the following extracts from Dr. Buchanan's Researches in the year 1806. "Buddruck in Orissa, May 30th. "We know that we are approaching Juggernaut* (and yet we are more than fifty miles from it) by the human bones we have seen for some days strewed by the way. At this place we have been joined by several large bodies of pilgrims, perhaps 2000 in number, who have come from various parts of Northern India. Some of them with whom I have conversed, say that they have been two months on their march, The idol of the Hindoos. the Heathen on the coast of Coromandel in the East Indies. Having engaged with this view, Bartholomew Ziegenbalg and Henry Plutcho, two young men who were educated for the ministry at the university at Halle in Upper Saxony, they travelling slowly in the hottest season of the year, with their wives and children. Some old persons are with them who wish to dic at Juggernaut. Numbers of pilgrims die on the road; and their bodies generally remain unburied. On a plain by the river, near the pilgrim's Caravansera at this place, there are more than a hundred skulls. The dogs, jackals, and vultures, seem to live here on human prey. The vultures exhibit a shocking tameness. The obscene animals will not leave the body sometimes till we come close to them. This Buddruck is a horrid place. Wherever I turn my eyes, I meet death in some shape or other. Surely Juggernaut cannot be worse than Buddruck.” In sight of Juggernaut, 12th June. "Many thousands of pilgrims have accompanied us for some days past. They cover the road, before and behind, as far as the eye can reach. At nine o'clock this morning, the temple of Juggernaut appeared in view at a great distance. When the multitude first saw it they gave a shout, and fell to the ground, and worshipped. I have heard nothing to day but shouts and acclamations by the successive bodies of pilgrims. From the place where I now stand I have a view of a host of people like an army, encamped at the outer gate of the town of Juggernaut; where a guard of soldiers is posted to prevent their entering the town, until they have paid the pilgrim's tax. I passed a devotee to-day who laid himself down at every step, measuring the road to Juggernaut, by the length of his body, as a penance of merit to please the God." "Outer gate of Juggernaut, 12th June. A disaster has just occurred. As I approached the gate, the pilgrims crowded from all quarters around me, and shouted as they usually did when I passed them on the road, an expression of welcome and respect. I was a little alarmed at their number, and looked around for my guard. A guard of soldiers had accompanied me from Cuttack, the last military station; but they were now about a quarter of a mile behind, with my servants and the baggage. The pilgrims cried out that they were entitled to some indulgence, that they were poor, that they could not pay the tax, but I was not aware of their design. At this moment when I was within a few yards of the gate, an old Sanyassee (or holy embarked at Copenhagen in November 1705, on board the Princess Sophia Hedwig; and after an agreeable voyage of seven months, they arrived in July 1706 at Tranquebar, the principal town belonging to the Danes in that quarter of the world.* Niecampii Historia Missionis Evangelicæ in India Orientale, p. 2. man) who had travelled some days by the side of my horse, came up and said, “Sir, you are in danger; the people are going to rush through the gate when it is opened for you." I immediately dismounted. and endeavoured to escape to one side, but it was too late. The mob was now in motion, and with a tumultuous shout pressed violently towards the gate. The guard within seeing my danger opened it, and the multitude rushing through, carried me forward in the torrent a considerable space; so that I was literally borne into Juggernaut by the Hindoos themselves. A distressing scene followed. As the number, and strength of the mob increased, the narrow way was choaked up by the mass of the people; and I apprehended that many of them would have been suffocated, or bruised to death. My horse was yet among them. But suddenly one of the side-posts of the gate gave way, and fell to the ground; and perhaps this circumstance alone prevented the loss of lives. "Juggernaut, 14th June. "I have seen Juggernaut. The scene at Buddruck is but the vestibule to Juggernaut. No record of ancient or modern history can give, I think, an adequate idea of the valley of death; it may be truly compared with the "valley of Hinnom." The idol called Juggernaut, has been considered as the Molock of the present age; and he is justly so named, for the sacrifices offered up to him by self-devotement, are not less criminal, perhaps not less numerous, than those recorded of the Molock of Canaan. Two other idols accompany Juggernaut, namely, Bolosam, and Shubudra, his brother and sister: for there are three Deities worshipped here. They receive equal adoration, and sit on thrones of nearly equal height." "This morning I viewed the temple; a stupendous fabric, and truly commensurate with the extensive sway of " the horrid king." As other temples are usually adorned with figures emblematical of their religion; so Juggernaut has representations (numerous and various) of that vice which constitutes the essence of his worship. The walls and gates are covered with indecent emblems in massive and durable sculpture. I |