ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

207

THE COORG MISSION.

When the account of the reduction of Coorg arrived in England, considerable interest was awakened in behalf of the inhabitants of the new province, whom British arms had delivered from cruel bondage, and whose brave and frank character seemed to establish a peculiar claim upon the sympathies of the Friends of Indian Missions. The Wesleyan and the London Missionary Societies were inclined to extend their operations to Coorg, but both Societies subsequently found, that they could not spare men for a new Mission at a distance from their older stations. In the year 1834, the Basel Missionary Society commenced operations on the western coast in the neighbourhood of Coorg and extended their stations to the North and South. Mercara and Virarajendrapett were now and then visited; but no proposal was made to the Committee, to occupy Coorg: Thus the country remained nearly twenty years under British rule without the establishment of a Mission.

At last the writer of these pages was led to commence the long delayed work in an unforeseen and singular manner. After having held out for upwards of two years against a disease, which had prostrated him in 1850, he was induced by the advice of his excellent and kind physician to return to Europe. Three months, however, before his appointed departure, a Coorg man, disguised as a Sanyasi, came to him and applied for instruction in Christian doctrine. Debts had driven the man from home, and having left all, he was in search after philosophy in Hindu fashion; he longed to obtain "the sight of God." A Christian Canarese book and a singular dream led him to the Missionary. After some weeks he began to comprehend the meaning of the gospel, and asked for baptism. He

had, in the mean time, given a true account of himself, and appeared so much in earnest, that he received the promise of baptism, if he was ready to return to his country and to bear witness to Christ among his relatives and countrymen. He pleaded his debts and his disgrace, and said that, if he ventured to return now as a Christian, he would immediately be seized and probably carried into prison. Nor could he tell, whether his wife would receive him, as he was now considered an outcast. His objections were overruled. He received the promise, that the author would accompany him to Coorg on his way to Europe, via Dharwar and Bombay, and help him, if necessary. If his family disowned him, he might return to Mangalore and enter the Catechist Institution with a view to qualify himself for future work in his country, whenever a way might be opened.

On the 17th February 1853, early in the morning, Stephanas Somaya of Almanda, who had been baptized on the previous 6th January, returned unexpected and unnoticed to his house, accompanied by the author. His wife received him with great joy, and declared that she would live and die with him. On the following day Stephanas took formally possession of his house, and the author resolved on standing by the family and becoming security to the creditors, who speedily assembled, for the liquidation of the debts of the convert.

After two days, while the author stayed at the Public Bungalow of Virarajendrapett, Stephanas' neighbours and relatives drove him and his family out of their house at night, and forced them to seek refuge with their European friend. This gross violation of the law could not be tolerated. But left to himself, the poor and now hated convert must have been worsted. The author, therefore, finally made up his mind, to set every other consideration aside; to behave like

[ocr errors][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

a soldier, who cancels his sick leave when there is fighting; to act on his own responsibility without waiting for Committee orders, and to leave the care of his health to his Master.

The superintendent of Coorg, who was appealed to, inquired into the case, and reported to the Commission of Mysore and Coorg. Finally the matter was referred to the Governor General, who decided, that the law of India was supreme also in Coorg, and that the Christian convert must be protected in all his rights as well as any other subject. On the first of June the family returned to their house and property from Mercara, where they had lived in the mean time with the author, and where the mother and the three children had been baptized. The Monsoon set in, and the author remained in the neighbourhood of the convert family through the rains. After the rains, preparations were made for the building of a little Church and a dwelling house, on a piece of ground given by Stephanas to the Mission, and the work of preaching at the principal places of resort was commenced. The subjoined report in two letters, published in the Madras Christian Herald, will suffice to show the progress of the new Mission.

A few weeks after the publication of the report, the author left the little congregation at Almanda in charge of the Catechist, and repaired to Bangalore, (where he carried the Coorg Memoirs through the press,) for the purpose of applying to Lieut. General M. Cubbon, the Commissioner of Mysore and Coorg, for Government support in behalf of English and Canarese Schools to be established in connection with the Mission, among the Coorgs. His application has been received with great kindness, and he feels assured, that his adopted country, after having been neglected for a while, will receive its full share of the bounty of

an enlightened and noble Government, now happily bent on the glorious task of rousing the intellect of India from its sleep of ages.

ALMANDA, 5th July, 1854.

In the

MY DEAR BROTHER-Last Saturday I discharged the last workman from the Mission premises. Church brother Hebich, who paid me a visit on his return from the French Rocks to Cannanore, preached the first sermon to the infant Congregation of Almanda, a fortnight ago. Besides the regular Sunday and weekday services, I use it daily for morning and evening prayers, at which the whole little company attends.

Puakka and her boy have been led by a special providence, almost blind-fold to Almanda, but are now happy in the fellowship of Christians, and the hearing of the word of God. I hope to baptize them soon. Their story is very simple and yet singular. Last year, when I lived in Mr. Griffith's house at Mercara with the Almanda family, I superintended the thatching of the roof before the monsoon, or rather Stephanas did it for me. We purchased the straw from Coorg people of the neighbourhood, who used to carry their bundles past our house to the bazaar. Among the Coorg farmers, who came several times to us, there was Kambaya and his wife, people of Módúr, a village at a distance of a mile or two. They conversed with Stephanas and his wife once or twice. But no particular notice was taken of them. On their part, however, a question of life and death arose. Kambaya told his wife, that he thought of joining the Missionary, as Somaya (Stephanas) had done, "for I know," he said, "this is the true way." Puakka would not listen to such a proposal. To leave caste and property (she had by her diligence and thriftiness contrived to ac

[blocks in formation]

quire some property, though very poor, when she commenced house keeping with her first husband, Ponnappa's father, the elder brother of Kambaya) for nothing? never! Kambaya renewed his efforts at persuading his wife, but to no purpose. At last he said: well, then, you stay at home and do, as you please; But let me take Ponnappa with This proposal was equally

keep your property.

me and join the Padre. unpalatable to the poor woman, who is excessively fond of her only boy. She did all she could to dissuade her husband. We went to Almanda, where Stephanas was reinstated into his house and property. The monsoon set in, and poor Kambaya was taken ill with fever, of which he died last October.

Had Puakka allowed herself to be led by her husband, who knows but Kambaya might be alive now and a member of the new Coorg Church. May the Lord have had mercy upon him! But who would have thought, that Kambaya's death would be the salvation of his wife and step-son? Yet so it was: sometime after the decease of Kambaya, the Coorg Panchayet decreed, that Monnaya, the only remaining brother of Kambaya and of Puaya, Ponnappa's father, though married to Puakka's own elder sister, and separated, since thirty years, from his father's house, (having joined his wife's family), should now become Puakka's husband and the step-father of his nephew. Puakka was most miserable; she hated the very idea of this new marriage and dreaded, that her darling boy would be roughly treated, yea, fare worse. But what could the poor woman do. The whole world (i. e. her little Coorgworld) was against her. She herself was seized with fever, her brother-in-law commanded in the house, her dear boy had to bear harsh language. In this perplexity the thought, a thought of despair, shot across her mind: 66 if I run with my boy to the Padre, and if we

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »