This is the chief _English_ town of Ceylon, as Kandy is the chief
_Cingalese_ town. The English governor lives here, but he has a house at
Kandy too, where he may enjoy the cool mountain air. There is a fine road
from Colombo to Kandy, broader and harder than, English roads; yet it is
out through steep mountains, and winds by dangerous precipices. But there
are laborers in Ceylon stronger than any in England. I mean the
ELEPHANTS. It is curious to see this huge animal meekly walking along
with a plank across its tusks, or dragging wagons full of large stones.
Among the mountains there are herds of _wild_ elephants, sometimes a
hundred may be seen in one herd. There are no elephants in the world as
courageous as those of Ceylon, yet they are very obedient when tamed. If
you wished to visit the mountains, you might safely ride upon the back of
the sure-footed elephant, and all your brothers and sisters, however
many, might ride with you.
MISSIONARIES.--There are some in Ceylon, and some of the heathens have
obeyed their voice.
There was once a devil priest. Having been detected in some crime, he was
imprisoned at Kandy, and while in prison he read a Christian tract, and
was converted. Thus (like Onesimus, of whom we read in the Bible,) he
escaped from _Satan's_ prison, while shut up in _man's_ prison. When he
was set free, he was baptized by the missionary at Kandy, and he chose to
be called Abraham. What name did he choose for his son, a boy of
fourteen? Isaac. He buried his conjuring books, though he might have sold
them for eight pounds. His cottage was in a village fifteen miles from
Kandy. He had left it--a _wicked_ man; lib returned to it a _good_ man.
After some time, a missionary went to visit Abraham in his cottage. A
good Cingalese was his guide. The walk there was beautiful, along narrow
paths, amidst fields of rice, through dark thickets, and long grass. No
one in Abraham's village had ever seen the fair face of an Englishman;
and the sight of the missionary alarmed the inhabitants. Abraham's family
was the only Christian family in that place. How glad Abraham felt at the
sight of the missionary,--almost as glad as the _first_ Abraham felt at
the sight of the three angels. When the missionary entered, Abraham was
teaching his wife, for she was soon to be baptized. By what name? By the
name of Sarah. There were seven children in the family. How hard it must
be for Abraham to bring them up as Christians, in the midst of his
heathen neighbors. Even his brothers hate him, wound his cattle, and
break down his fences. Once they pointed a gun at him, but it did not go
off. Abraham's comfort is to walk over to Kandy every Saturday, to
worship God there on Sunday with the Christians; and he does not find
fifteen miles too far for his willing feet. May the Lord preserve
Abraham, faithful in the midst of the wicked.