CEYLON BRANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 11 



or the souls of others. He gives this graphic description of 

 them. " h I put them any questions they stand looking on 

 * not knowing what they shall say. The best of them know 

 "but so much as to answer that there is a (jod who dwells 

 " in heaven and is distinguished in three persons, Father Son 

 " and Holy Ghost ; but ask them the peculiar operations oif 

 " each of these persons they stand with their mouth full of 

 (t teeth and know not what to reply. Indeed one of them is 

 " suspected of being a devil-dancer and I have resolVed in this 

 u visitation to make strict inquiries. With such teachers the 

 u state of the congregation can easily be imagined. These things 

 *' have not become so in my time but I have found them thus. 

 M When on my last visitation, some women were present who de= 

 <* sired to haVe their children baptized ; among these one, with 

 " a child in her arms, appeared so listless during the service 

 w that I put the question to her, whether she knew where she 

 s< was and that she had to do with a God> who though in heaven* 

 u knew every thing that took place ? she replied she did not know 

 ** where that God was nor where he dwelt. There are also 

 •* here several devils- trees, of which two are in blossom, with 

 " a wdll surrounding them and huts adjoining, where offerings 

 " are made. I have more than once remarked to a certain person 

 |{ that such things ought not to be tolerated, he as frequently 

 '* returned that such things should not be so narrowly inquired 

 " into or else all the Singhalese would have to be driven out 

 " of the country. In my former visitations I used to be ac* 

 *' companied by an ensign Mr. De Groot, but since his death 

 " they have given me a corporal ; what appearance this makes 

 " before the Singhalese you may easily judge*, rt 



In 1681 the garrison at Negcnibo having been diminished the 

 clergyman was removed, and the Native churches in the neigh* 

 boUrhood were, as formerly, visited by ministers from Colombo. 

 In the Colombo district there were at this time 24 Native 

 Ohurches and schools^ visited twice a year, which occupied each mi* 



G 



