190 AX ADVENTURE WITH MALAYS. 



to retire to rest. To their terror, they shortly after 

 heard a violent knocking at the door, and on look- 

 ing out perceived a number of Malays surrounding 

 the entrance. These miserable wretches speedily 

 forced an entrance, and after a short parley, some 

 of them drew their daggers, and showed how they 

 were tipped with poison. " They looked," says our 

 friend, " more like a host of devils than a company 

 of human beings, and all on a sudden seemed about 

 to make a rush upon me. I commended myself in 

 silence to my Almighty Helper, and awaited the 

 issue calmly. To my surprise they drew back, 

 leaving me unharmed, and one by one left me 

 standing alone in perfect astonishment. As soon 

 as they were gone, I fell on my knees, and with 

 tears gave thanks to God my Saviour, who had 

 rescued me out of the hands of these savages." 



In all probability, the perfect self-possession and 

 calm demeanour of this remarkable man were the 

 cause, providentially overruled, of cowing the spirits 

 of the Malays, who ascribed their conduct, when 

 questioned about it, to sorcery, saying that the 

 missionary had bewitched them, so that they could 

 do nothing to him. 



The termination of the Nicobar mission was a 

 truly melancholy one. The loss of so many valu- 

 able lives, and the entire failure of the object of the 

 mission, at length compelled the abandonment of 



