Barens. JOURNAL OF MR. MASON. In the autumn of 1838 Mr. Mason made his accustomed annual tour to the Tavoy outstations, during which he baptized thirty-one individuals—at Palouk six, at Patsauoo thirteen, at Pyeekhya one, at Palau, a Pgho settlement, three; at the head waters of Palau, a Sgau settlement, four; and at Katay four. The number of inquirers remaining, including those only who were candidates for baptism, was fifty At each of these stations a small school had been sustained during the rains. Mr. Mason proceeded thence to Mergui, to accompany Mr. Ingalls in his visits to the Karen settlements of that province, as narrated by Mr. Ingalls, p. 237, last vol. At our last date, Feb. 7, he was expecting shortly to visit Yéh province, north of Tavoy, Mr. Wade's health not being sufficiently firm to endure the exertion. seven. Discouraging state of Pawote-Ka-se. Oct. 10, 1838. Pawote. Expectations based on false premises, hopes that have no better foundation than wishes, and prospects that are created by imagination and destined never to be realized beyond imagination, form a larger portion of the material of life, than most people are willing to believe. Yet, like the distant mirage in the traveller's path, though they disappoint, they seem to urge him forward. When the missionary, at his first visit, finds, as he usually does, through mere curiosity, large assemblies crowding around him, hope glows in his breast. The preaching to which they listen with such apparent interest, the inquiries which they put, so much in point, the books they receive so thankfully, and promise to read so attentively, are proofs to him, "clear as holy writ," that the Lord is at work in the hearts of the people. It is only by the neglect with which he is treated in his renewed visits, that he unwillingly discovers, "in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, 'By hearing ye shall hear and not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; their eyes, and hear with their ears, lest at any time they should see with and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." " An old man, one of the fathers of the village, is the only individual I have found this evening willing to converse. He remarked, "We know nothing here, we are in darkness-we are like blind men." 11. After writing the above last night, a call from the people on the banks of the stream told us that our boat had floated away from its moorings, and, to our great surprise, the stream, where we had left the boat a few hours ago, not two feet deep, was ten or fifteen, pouring down a torrent, owing doubtless to rains on the mountains. We looked down the shore for our boat several miles, but in vain. This morning the search was resumed, and the boat found, but the anchor gone. I have had several listeners to-day, and none disposed to contradict. After worship this morning I had a listener, who seemed to give more than usual attention, and I began to be encouraged; but on pausing for a reply to a question I asked, I looked more earnestly into the shade of the post in which he was sitting, when I found he had slipped away without taking | shows the boundary of the "yeast of leave. waves;" the ocean "endless and sublime." "Earth has not a plain 12. I have had several visiters at the zayat to-day, and among the rest a Karen from a neighboring settlement. He talked of becoming a Christian, but said he must wait a little longer. He said he could not refrain from anger, and saw no sin in it. He did not seem to comprehend how Christians in America could be induced to send teachers to this distant country. 14. Ka-se. I have been spending the Sabbath in this fishing village. Have been round to every house, talked with every one that would talk with me, and gave books to every one that desired them. A few gave encouraging attention, and one man spoke of Matthew's gospel, which he had read, but in which he found many things difficult to understand. Nov. 20. For the ninth season, I turn from the hateful monuments of idolatry, and its idle ceremonies, for the more congenial woods and wilds that idolatry has never trodden. A little band of young Christians returning to their friends, afforded me an interesting assembly to address, at worship this evening, while we stopped for the tide. So boundless or so beautiful as thine; The south wind, that sighs so solemnly through the tops of the casaurinas, lashes the distant waters into foamcapt surges, which beat like rolling thunder on a long ledge, that far into the sea runs parallel with the coast, called "Many Cows." Tradition says they were formerly a large drove of cows, that entered the sea at this spot to go over and butt down the pagoda on Tavoy point opposite; but the divinity in the pagoda observing them, exclaimed, "Ah! they are rocks," when they were instantly petrified, and have been a dangerous ledge of rocks to navigators entering Tavoy river, ever since. Of the truth of the last item, we had sad proof as we walked along the strand, the coast being strewed with the fragments of a Burman craft that was wrecked in the gale last night. All the men succeeded in get Manufacture of salt-Cultivation of flow- ting ashore, except one. ers-Karen houses. 21. Ya-nat-tha-re. This is a village on a point of low land between the mouths of Toung-byouk and Tavoy rivers. The spring tides cover a considerable part of the country round, and salt is made here in large quantities. The water is received into reservoirs, and after it has been evaporated to strong brine, it is boiled down in earthen pots made on the spot, built into a globular furnace for the purpose. The salt is sold here at about the rate of twelve and a half cents the peck. If the cultivation of flowers be a mark of civilization, the Karens are not wholly an uncivilized people; for, wanderers as they are, with seldom a house two years on the same spot, they are not unmindful to cultivate the finest annuals that the country produces. The purple balls of the globe amaranthus are seen among the yellow heads of the double marigold, and the cockscombs and prince's-feathers, yellow and red, that skirt the paths through a Karen field, are not perhaps exceeded in beauty in any part of the world. The "sweet-scented jasmine" grows wild; the white petals of the lily are The sands on the seaward side of the village being favorable for the pur-seen in every stream; and the lilac pose, there are several water melon gardens, where watermelons are raised in considerable quantities for the Tavoy market. The people here come around me, and some admit the claims of Christianity, and say it is "very good, very good." 22. Our path this morning lay beneath the long shadows of the casaurinas, a tree resembling the pine, on the coral strown sand, bordered by a bed of large red convolvulus, that creeps an| uneven way at high water mark, and corymbs of the ixora in every thicket. After all, a Karen house wears an uncomfortable appearance, and stands high on slender bamboo posts, that make it look insecure. Near is a pile of chaff, where the women may be seen beating out rice in a mortar. Under the house, if hogs are kept, is a pig-sty, and at all events a dirty puddle under what we would call the sink. The stairs is a bamboo ladder, the rafters a hen-roost, the floor loose, and the roof full of holes. Such at least is my resi dence to-night. One part of our company has gone to sleep in a neighboring house, and the people here have been considerably attentive. An old woman, whom I asked, after worship, "You are old, and must soon die where do you expect to go to?"-replied, "I do'nt know; I pray constantly that I may go where I shall be happy." "And to whom do you pray?" I continued. "To my ancestors, and to images, and to I know not what. I strive to do right, speak truth, and avoid sin of every description." I endeavored to direct the poor, benighted old creature to that light which she so much needed, and for which she seems so much prepared. 24. Pai. I have had a Karen chief, with one or two others at worship, who seem favorable to the truth. 25. Truth is making progress in the mind of this Karen chief. He came to worship again to-night, though he he has to return some distance in the dark. Last night he would not kneel in prayer, but to-night he prostrated himself, and called upon a man that came with him to follow his example. Here are a party of Toung-thoos from above Maulmain, who had never seen a teacher before, or heard the gospel. One man says that if a teacher will come to his village, he will become a Christian. They tell me that there are three or four tribes of Toung-thoos, and that the great body of them live above Ava. One tribe, they say, make tea in that region. Their language resembles the Karen more than any other in this country; but different tribes, they tell me, speak so differently that they cannot understand each other. questing books, which they promised to read; while to-night, though every house was visited and the people urged to come out to worship, not a single individual came. Yet I am persuaded that the people are as favorable to the truth now as they were then. They came out of mere curiosity. Christ was praised by all, when he first began to preach; but so soon as something of his character was understood, they were ready to throw him down a precipice headlong. Since worship I had a Pgho chief to visit me, who was much pleased to hear books read in his own language. Dec. 3. Patsauoo. I have been here three days, visiting the sick, administering medicine, looking at the state of the church, and examining candidates for baptism. To-day I baptized thirteen, and in the evening administered the Lord's Supper. Twenty-three names remain on my list of inquirers. 4. Pyeekhya. At this place I have restored one, suspended one, and baptized one. Eleven names remain on the inquirers' list. 5. I left Pyeekhya this morning, and came to a solitary Karen house on a branch of Palau river, where three or four Burman travelers had arrived before me. My congregation this evening literally filled the house to overflowing, but it was one of the most obstreperous that ever fell to the lot of a weary missionary. I was heard, or rather I preached, amid the yelling of dogs that were quite unreconciled to my occupying their bed, and the cackling of fowls that I had driven from their roost over my head, and the fighting of buffaloes at the foot of the stairs, and the mur Baptisms at Palouk, Patsauoo, Pyeekhya, muring of men at my doctrine, and the &c. 28. In this Christian village, I have baptized six persons to-day, which, with the four baptized last year, make the little church consist of ten members. Eleven names remain on my list of inquirers. crying of children to go to sleep. 9. Palau-Pgho settlement. I have spent three or four days here very pleasantly, and have baptized three Pghos, which, with the three formerly baptized, make the little church consist of six members. Four inquirers remain. There is something in a hearth 29. To-day I came on to the Bur- and cheerful fire to call forth the social man village of the above name. Many affections, though it be but a pile of encouraging and discouraging appear- dirt by a pile of brush-wood under the ances in missionaries' journals have open heavens, such as I have just been not the least bearing on the progress enjoying while listening to the relaof Christianity, either one way or the tions of the Christians, as to their feelother. The first time I visited the vil- ings before and after conversion. "I lage, seven years ago, I had a full zayat was under continual apprehension,” at worship; and the next morning said one," of some evil coming upon thirteen persons in the yellow cloth me. If I went into the jungle, I feared presented themselves before me, re- to find my children sick when I re turned. But now my mind is at peace, | prophet is busily employed to prevent I apprehend nothing." One evening I had the people around me, singing their native tunes, in order to select the best for religious worship; when my attention was drawn to a woman of a short thick person and massy limbs, with her upper garment tied over one shoulder and under the other arm, and supporting at her back a chubby little infant, whose smiling white face, peeping over her shoulder, was in fine contrast with the huge sunburnt countenance of its mother. She seemed the beau ideal of a gypsy; and as if to keep up the illusion, she struck up, at the moment, in tones the very counterpart of a street ballad singer, Arou, the female, she All men shall come to thee. I now learned that the Pghos have a strange tradition, that salvation is to be brought to them by a woman, which accounts for the strong desire of the Christians here that I should bring Mrs. Mason down to see them, as I have frequently promised; the unbelievers frequently saying, "When the teacheress comes, then we will believe." them. He says that, in the spirit, 16. Katay. I baptized four here ion in the evening. Three inquirers to-day, and administered the commun remain. region that remains under my charge, This is the southern boundary of the all south of this point belonging to Mergui. LETTER OF MR. INGALLS, DATED MER- In February Mr. Ingalls made a short excursion to several Karen villages, partly with a view to induce a fuller attendance at schools during the approaching rains. A new Christian village-Karen prophet— 12. Palau-Head waters. We came up hither yesterday, the very worst of Karen roads, and lost that even two or three times. Scarcely any one came around me, and being completely exhausted, I felt not a little discouraged. I was sitting this morning in that frame of mind, almost resolving that I would never come up again, when I heard a woman at the bottom of the We first visited Kabin. The inhabladder say to another, "I heard the itants (Christians,) having concluded to teacher had come, and I was so re- build their village nearer town, were joiced that I could not eat my break-desirous that I should assist them in fast. The rice would not go down my throat." It was a healing balm to all my wounds. O, if there be affection in this cold world, it beats in the big, warm heart of woman; and if loveliness still sojourns in this scathed earth, surely she wears the form of woman. Whether in rags or silk, whether clad in the wild attire of the children of the forest, or adorned in the habiliments of civilization, she is still the same. Climate does not change her. Beneath frozen arctic skies, and burning torrid suns, she is still the same susceptible, unsophisticated child of nature. 13. I have baptized four here to-day, and leave five inquirers. Several others would give attention to the claims of Christianity, but a half maniac of a fixing upon a location. I was happy to find them feeling so much interest in the subject. The Karens have such a propensity for roving, that they cannot stay more than a year or two in a place. This presents the greatest obstacle to their improvement. I have encouraged them to set out fruit trees and purchase buffaloes. Their location is only one tide from Mergui, and is most inviting. Several Christian families have moved to it within a short time, and it has every prospect of becoming a large village. They number more than a hundred, with nearly sixty members of the church. We spent the blessed Sabbath here. Three times we met for the worship of the living God, and almost forgot, |