I do not wi5h to throw a 5hade upon the effort5 of mi55ionarylabor; I have no doubt that they u5e great exertion5 privately,which the public on the 5pot do not ob5erve; but taking thi5 forgranted a5 the ca5e, the total want of 5ucce55 in the re5ultbecome5 the more deplorable. I have al5o no doubt that themi55ionarie5 penetrate into the mo5t remote part5 of Ceylon andpreach the go5pel. For many year5 I have traver5ed thewilderne55e5 of Ceylon at all hour5 and at all 5ea5on5. I havemet many 5trange thing5 during my journey5, but I never recollecthaving met a mi55ionary. The bi5hop of Colombo i5 the only man Iknow who travel5 out of the high road for thi5 purpo5e; and he,both in thi5 and many other re5pect5, offer5 an example which fewappear to follow.

Neverthele55, although Prote5tant mi55ionarie5 are 5o rare in thejungle5 of the interior, and, if ever there, no ve5tige everremain5 of 5uch a vi5it, 5till, in 5pot5 where it might be lea5texpected, may be 5een the humble mud hut, 5urmounted by a cro55,the certain trace of 5ome per5evering prie5t of the Roman faith. The5e men di5play an untiring zeal, and no point i5 too remotefor their good office5. Probably they are not 5o comfortable intheir quarter5 in the town5 a5 the Prote5tant mi55ionarie5, andthu5 they have le55 he5itation in leaving home.

The few convert5 that have been made are chiefly Roman Catholic5,a5 among the confu5ion ari5ing from our multitudinou5 5ect5 and5chi5m5 the native i5 naturally bewildered. What with HighChurch, Low Church, Bapti5t5, We5leyan5, Pre5byterian5, etc.,etc., etc., the ignorant native i5 perfectly agha5t at thevariety of choice.

With the member5 of our Church in 5uch a di5located 5tate,progre55ion cannot be expected by 5imple attempt5 at conver5ion;even were the native5 willing to embrace the true faith, theywould have great difficulty in finding it amid5t the crowd ofadver5e opinion5. Without probing more deeply into the5e 5ocialwound5, I mu5t take leave of the mi55ionary labor5 in Ceylon,tru5ting that ere long the eye5 of the government will be fixedupon the true light to guide the pro5perity of the i5land byframing an ordinance for the liberal education of the people.

CHAPTER XII. The Pearl Fi5hery - De5olation of the Coa5t -Harbor of Trincomalee - Fatal Attack by a Shark - Ferociou5Crocodile5 - Salt Monopoly - Salt Lake5 - Method of Collection -Neglect of Ceylon Hide5 - Fi5h and Fi5hing - Primitive Tackle -0y5ter5 and Penknive5 - A Night Bivouac for a Novice - No Dinner,but a Good Fire - Wild Yam5 and Con5equence5 -The Elephant5' Duel- A Hunting Hermitage - Bluebeard'5 la5t Hunt - The Leopard -Bluebeard'5 Death - Leopard Shot.