numbers have now swelled to 340. I long to be back again. I shall return with new courage, and hope to make up for my short holiday by the renewed vigour with which I shall be able to go on with my duties. Sister has had three Christian singers over from India during my absence. Two were from the Madura Mission and one from Trichinopoly, South India. The latter chants the psalms beautifully, using the Gregorian or Free Chants, which are very easy, and which are liked much by our native Christians, and thus God's words are becoming more known and precious. The Madura men have been teaching some of the beautiful new Christian hymns and lyrics lately composed in South India, adapted to native tunes, collected and

arranged by the Rev. J. S. Chandler, of the Madura Mission, and published in Madras by the Religious Tract Society. The singers brought over 3000 copies, which are being eagerly bought up by our native Christians, day-school children, and even the heathen community. These new songs are being wiḍely learned and sung-one of the easiest and best ways of diffusing Christian truth. When I return to Jaffna we hope to arrange for a large public concert of Christian song, such as has been held on two previous occasions.

Now I will tell you a little about my present surroundings, which I think are very beautiful. The house in which I am is situated on the shore of a little lake, some four miles in circumference. This lake is nestled in the lap of the hills, which surround it on all sides. There are three beautiful little waterfalls in sight, winding down the sides of these hills like silver threads, and reminding me of the waterfalls I saw in Switzerland when we were on our way to Ceylon. There are many well-kept carriage drives and walks all about, for this place is the Government Sanatorium of the island, and there are about forty European residences, besides the native village. The Governor and his suite come here in the season. Then the place is very gay.

My hostess-when the pony is at home and not in use by her husband on his preaching tours in the surrounding estates-takes me out for long and pleasant drives of from six to twelve miles in the afternoons, which I much enjoy, and we come home with our hands full of wild flowers and ferns. The air is mild, and the thermometer is at 65° in the middle of the day indoors. So we sit with doors and windows open, and the perfume of flowers floating in and filling the air with fragrance. Flowers grow here so easily, and many varieties are in bloom in the garden surrounding the house. Some of them are old home friends. The most lovely budded roses of all varieties thrive well. Mignonette, fuchsia, and geraniums grow here into tall shrubs higher than my head. Peach-trees have both blossoms and fruit at the same time. Orangetrees hang golden with oranges. Several kinds of Australian trees, having been introduced into the country some time ago, now grow and flourish everywhere. Great tree ferns, tossing their huge soft feathery plumes twenty to thirty feet high in the air, grow all about, and are my constant wonder and admiration. There are many kinds of ferns here; I am making a collection in my walks, and pressing them to send home.

The tropical sun retains its old power even here, and one cannot long be out under it unprotected without getting a headache. Some people, deceived by the cool air, go out in the middle of the day and get sunstroke. One man, a little while ago, was struck down to the ground, had to crawl home on his hands and knees, and was ill for a long time afterwards, all because he walked out in the sunshine without a pith hat or umbrella.

All this interior part of Ceylon has by English industry and capital been converted into huge tea and coffee and cinchona estates. Thousands of Tamil coolies come over from India, and are employed on these plantations. There is a railroad from Colombo to this place, and a small steamer goes round the island twice a month. It is by this steamer that I will return from Colombo to Jaffna.

W

CHAPTER XXI.

Oodooville, March 31, 1886. ITHIN the fourteen months since we wrote to you, sixty have joined the Oodooville church on profession of faith, thirty from the villages, and thirty from the boarding-school. It was an interesting thing to see young girls with bright, earnest faces, young lads in the promise of manhood, fathers and mothers with their little children in their arms or clinging to their garments, old men and women feeble and bowed with age, one leaning on his staff, all standing up together, the rich and the poor, the high and the low, together confessing before all the congregation their faith in Jesus the Saviour of the world, their one Lord.

At present the list of inquirers connected with this church alone numbers 130. A copy of the list is given to each of the leading church members, with the request that they will pray for and encourage these individuals. Two meetings for inquirers, one for women, the other for men, are regularly held every Sabbath immediately after the morning service.