364 
TANJORE. 
in a former part of my work, to make on the Missionaries, it would 
be uncandid in me not to report the very favourable character which 
was given of the gentlemen of the Danish Mission, and of their 
flock, by Captain Blackburn. He assured me that their conduct 
does honour to the Christian name ; and that they live in perfect 
peace with the heathens around them. So little however has been 
their success in conversion, though labouring with every advantage, 
that the hope of succeeding among other Missionaries must be very 
small indeed. Here their schools are allowed by the Rajah ; and the 
one that was under the immediate protection of his old tutor Mr. 
Schwartz, where he educated and maintained fifty poor children, 
has been continued at his Highness's own expense. Is it possible 
that more than this can be done to give Christianity a fair chance 
in India? Yet, how few have been the number of the converted! 
Feburary 1 . — Tondiman sent a Vakeel to me to express his regret 
at not having seen me at his capital, and to lay at my feet fruit, in 
token that the country was mine. He requested to know how long 
I should stay at Tanjore; for, if there were time, he would come 
over to pay his compliments in person. In return I made every 
profession of regard, and assured him I was sorry that I had not 
time to receive the visit of so tried a friend of my country. 
Tondiman is an hereditary title, not the name of an individual. 
His subjects are Polygars ; and since the late war, which ended in 
the destruction of the Murdoos of Shevagunga, he is become the 
chief of those tribes, among whom the singular law exists of the 
female inheriting the sovereignty in preference to the male. The 
young Rannie may marry whomsoever she pleases, and during 
her life her husband is Rajah; but on her death her daughter 
