78 On the State of the Christians inhabiting 



They had at this village adopted the use of a sawmy coach, 

 like that 6( the heathens, with the crucifix and the Virgin 

 Mary in it, instead of" the Hindoo sawiny. Their church 

 was much out of repair ; and the ignorance of the few 

 Christians remaining in charge of it is striking: the letters 

 I,N, R, T, over the figure of our Saviour on the cross, being 

 absolutely inverted ; nor did the priest who visits them ever* 

 notice the circumstance. The)- read prayers in Malabar ac- 

 cording to the ritual of the church of fiome. Their church 

 appears to have been once respectable, but is now lallen into 

 decay. 



Lat'ii Roma a Catholics. 



Within the provinces of Travancore and Cochin there 

 are one aich'/ishop and two bishops; the archbishop of 

 Cranganorc, and the bishops of Cochin and Verapoli. 



The two former have sees, the latter is titular. The arch- 

 bishops of Cranganore and the bishop of Cochin are nomi- 

 nated by the queen of Portugal, after the following manner: 

 three names are sent (when either of these sees becomes va- 

 cant) by the sovereign of Portugal to the pope ; and the 

 Roman ponliif is bound to select the name that stands first, 

 and to issue his brevet or patent accordingly. 



They are subject in all spiritual concerns to the primate 

 of Goa ; who has also the power, during a vacancy, of send- 

 inr^ from Goa a Ior?im tenens, who is styled padre governa^ 

 dor. Both sees arc at this moment filled by such. 



The titular bishop, who resides at the college of Vera- 

 poli, is appointed directly by the pope, and is subject to no 

 jurisdiction but that of his holiness, or the Propaganda at 

 Rome. This mission, being more susceptible of control and 

 , regulation than the others, has been countenanced by the 

 honourable Company, as the following copy of a proclama- 

 tion issued by the government of Bombay will show. 



Proclamation. 



The honourable the court of directors of the honourable 



Enolish East India company, having been pleased to order 



that the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman catholic 



churches under this government shall be withdrawn from 



the 



