150 CEYLON BRANCH — -ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



year by the Rev. J. Marinus who found the number to be 

 75,559 both Malabars and Singhalese ; several are found of 

 whom something good may soon be expected. 



We come finally, to the churches and schools committed 

 to our care, of which we shall give a brief account. At 

 Colombo continue still the ministers, P. Synjeu who is ap- 

 pointed at the head of the seminary, Phil, de Vriest, Wil- 

 lem Konyn, Gerh. Potken, Joh. Phil. Wetzelius and Cor- 

 nelius de Bucq, the last having just arrived from the Fa- 

 therland, and been called to be permanent preacher here, 

 with the especial object of acquiring the Singhalese lan- 

 guage for the further edification of the native Christians, 

 which charge the Rev. gentleman has accepted with all 

 readiness and commenced upon with all vigour. The Dutch 

 congregation of this place is by God's goodness still in a 

 flourishing condition, producing a number of 314 members. 

 The Dutch congregation of Tutucoreen and Calpentyn were 

 visited this year by Wetzelius and found in a satisfactory 

 state, they having increased, at the former place to 32, at 

 the latter to 1 5 ; and received the Lord's supper with much 

 edification. In the Leper hospital (Lazarus Huis) where 

 there were last year 18 members, the sacrament is admi- 

 nistered quarterly to 14 members, 4 of these unfortunate 

 persons having been delivered by death out of their melan- 

 choly condition. 



The Rev. Mr. Wetzelius who together with Captain 

 Beekman, as scholarch, visited lately the native churches and 

 schools in this district, has sent in a commendatory report, 

 from whence it appears that the desire and zeal of the na- 

 tives to come out of darkness into the light, increase daily. 

 These gentlemen received satisfaction on the whole from 

 the schools: since the previous year's visitation the number 

 of baptized Christians was increased from 36,576 to 36,817. 

 The service at the out-stations, Negombo and Cotta is, as last 

 year, committed to the Rev. De Vriest and Konyn. At the 

 former place where before both antichrist and heathenism 

 sat on the throne, the saving truths of God's word are be- 

 lieved and professed by the generality in purity, and the 

 holy supper of the Lord was administered to 30 Dutch and 

 180 native communicants, consisting partly of Malabars and 

 partly of Singhalese. At the latter place, consisting exclu- 

 sively of Singhalese, and therefore administered to by the 

 Rev. Mr. Konyn, who alone is sufficiently versed in their 

 language ; the number of communicants was augmented by 

 26 since last year, the increase being from 170 to 196; 



