70 



CEYLON BEANCH 



In 1750 there was an acquisition of four ministers, two* 

 of whom had been students of the seminary and had comple- 

 ted their studies in Holland. One of these commenced a. 

 stated Tamil Service in Colombo, and the other was engaged 

 chiefly for the Singhalese. The proponent Be Melho, of whom 

 mention has been made, and who during the scarcity of hands 

 was employed in Colombo as assistant preacher in Tamil and 

 Dutch, went to Batavia to receive ordination. 



During one annual visit in 1751, through the Colombo 

 district 1,031 children were baptized, 13 adults admitted, and 

 297 couples married. In Jaffna, during one visitation, 4,069 

 children were baptized and 930 couples married, but the Chris- 

 tians of J affna were compared to Laodiceans. As to the charac- 

 ter of the Singhalese it was remarked, those living more inland, 

 though poorer, were more regular at school, and in general 

 more hopeful than the maritime people, while the Malabars, 

 who were most Roman Catholics, were still worse, though 

 with greater advantages both as to intelligence, and to means 

 and facilities afforded by Government. 



In 1760 arrangements were made to administer the Lord's: 

 Supper quarterly at Pantura, Nagam, and Dandoegam, not 

 only because many Church members residing thereabout 

 found it difficult to resort on such occasions to Caltura, Cotta 

 or Negombo, on account of the distance, but also with the view 

 of inducing others to enter into Church fellowship. . 



From this period to the departure of the Dutch from 

 Ceylon, nothing appears to have occurred in the Church and 

 state of Christianity, differing in features from the particulars, 

 already noticed, and therefore this account need not be further 

 lengthened. 



