Memoir of the Survey of Travancore. [January 



ries— The priests have no regular salaries, but participate in those 

 fees, and their income increased by less direct means gives them en- 

 joyments greater than most of their parishioners ; real estate cannot 

 be devised or made over to churches, but they may purchase lands, 

 they however possess but little of this kind of riches, have no plate 

 or valuables whatever, or indeed in most cases other property, than 

 the few tawdry ornaments belonging to them. 



However numerous the body of christians are, the other portion 

 of the people e\ince no taste for their religion, although in its pre- 

 sent state differing more in theory than practice from their own ; at 

 an earlier period it is said that the eloquence of St. Thomas, over- 

 came even the bigotry of the bramins : a story, the truth of which 

 their present opinions might lead us to suspect, was it not that many 

 families are still pointed out and retain amongst them the tradition of 

 being their descendants. With the apostle however has vanished the 

 power of persuasion, as in other parts of India conversion and humilia- 

 tion have much the same meaning, the indolence or prudence of the 

 Syrians, leads them rather to avoid than seek proselytes, but even the 

 more active zeal of the catholics, fond of increasing their numbers, 

 meets here a scanty harvest, some few of the lower classes might be al- 

 lured or persuaded, (not convinced) into conversion (as a spontaneous 

 act it scarcely ever occurs) among the higher orders it would re- 

 quire an infinitely greater sacrifice, in consequence their scruple is 

 almost insuperable. 



The number connected with the church has not been ascertained, 

 but they are tolerably numerous. The clergy are at present ge- 

 nerally ignorant, some are taught Syriac, others Latin, (the lan- 

 guage in which the liturgy of the different sects is performed) bui 

 so imperfectly as scarcely to comprehend what they read, and 

 dreaming over the missal or legends of the saints, they display but 

 little inclination to enlarge the circle of their accomplishments. 

 They have few books, the laity none, and they require first to be 

 taught to read before their distribution could be useful. But from 

 this state of declension, the Syrians at least have a prospect of being 

 raised, as a college (there w^as previously no seminary) has lately 

 been founded at Kotium, for their instruction ; this establishment 

 owes its origin to the liberality of the Ranee, who has handsomely 

 endowed* it. The metropolitan is at present aided or rather directed 

 in his superintendence of this institution by some English gentle- 



* It possesses a small tract of land near Quilon, 



