36*2 Notice of the Nicobar Islands. [No. 173. 



continued faithful to the Missionaries, told them that the people were 

 so exasperated against them on account of these false reports, that if 

 they remained any longer, there was no doubt, but they would become 

 victims to their rage. As the Missionaries could not succeed in con- 

 vincing the Islanders of the untruth of the report, and seeing that any 

 further stay among them was useless, they quitted the place, having 

 remained in the island about a year. It is impossible to form an adequate 

 idea of the hardships which the Missionaries underwent during their stay 

 in the Nicobar Island. They were deprived of every comfort of life ; their 

 food frequently consisted of nothing but cocoanuts and yams. The Rev. 

 Mr. Lacrampe, who spent the SW. monsoon at Chowry, had no rice to 

 eat during his stay ; and had it not been for a native who brought 

 him one yam every other day, and which he was obliged to share with 

 a servant boy, he would have starved. This gentleman being attacked 

 with fever, cocoanut-water was the only drink he could procure to 

 quench his burning thirst. The Rev. Messrs. Chopard and Borie, soon 

 after their arrival, were taken ill at Teressa, and so seriously, that 

 they could not render each other assistance : both were lying on mats 

 in the same place, without remedy, and receiving no assistance from the 

 natives, but the hand of Him who had guided their steps in that foreign 

 land, supported them amidst such trying afflictions. At last Mr. Borie, 

 though of a strong constitution, fell a victim to repeated attacks of 

 fever. On that very day, in the evening, Revd. Mr. Chopard was so 

 very ill, that he was not at first aware of the death of his companion. On 

 the following morning, having recovered his senses, he then only found 

 that his friend was but a corpse lying by his side. On the same even- 

 ing the natives removed the mortal remains to the grave they had pre- 

 pared : and he, though scarcely able to creep along, attended the funeral. 

 A worldly-minded person might mistake this pure zeal of the mission- 

 aries for blind fanaticism ; but their conduct cannot but be admired 

 and praised, when we consider and reflect on the fact, that these mis- 

 sionaries were led by no possible earthly motives, but guided solely by 

 the earnest desire of making known the saving truths of the Gospel to 

 their fellow-creatures. Nothing but a belief grounded on the strongest 

 evidence, and deeply rooted in their souls would have led them to 

 the field of their labours, and supported them through the severest 

 trials. 



