vegetation, and the Moslem passion for gardening, have succeeded in drawing forth the stores of nature in rich abundance. The garden of Sautghur is extensive, situated among scenes diversified by picturesque hills, craggy rocks, and verdant brushwood. It is laid out in the most formal style, with walks, arbours, and cascades, approved by orientals; and is filled with orange-trees, cocoas, slender arecas, with many varied descriptions of fruit and flower. Mohammedans are peculiarly fond of horticultural pursuits-but they have cultivated the rose with fondest care. Hindoos have not any pleasures in the garden such as are enjoyed by the Moslem. In the Sautghur garden, Mohammedans delight to wander and indulge their passion for Nature's richest flowers. Major S met a priest of Islam, a hundred years old; a long snow-white beard fell down upon the breast of the venerable patriarch; and his aspect commanded the most profound deference. Some of his attendant familiars contemned the tribute of respect with haughty look and unbending courtesy, but the old man placidly and calmly returned the salute. Perhaps pride and revenge had fallen asleep in his breast.

I have wandered amidst these ghauts on foot, as well as by the usual modes of conveyance, with real pleasure. The beauty of the scenery is refreshing after the arid monotony of the level regions below. It is not so much the magnificence as the checquered variety; it is not so much the great forests of natural wood, which diversify the western

ghauts, as it is the verdure and solitude, the changing and brilliant hues which adorn the face of nature. The road from Sautghur to Vellore, on the early morning, while the dew is yet moist upon the tender herb, is romantically picturesque. To the south and east of Vellore are situate several forts and strongholds, which are well remembered in the Mysore wars. Wandiwash, Chittapet, and Arnee, were most frequently visited with the scourge, the desolations, and the miseries of military campaigning and hostile sieges. Missionaries seem to have overlooked the whole district; or to have been influenced by the panic of the Vellore mutiny; for, till recently, no one of these populous quarters had been occupied, even as an outpost of the missionary field. Arnee is still occasionally occupied by troops, and is a celebrated place for cotton manufactures. The Arnee muslins are famed among Indian fabrics. Here also reside many of the Jain sect, an amiable and quakerish class of Hindoos. Walajahpet contains a large population of enterprising and respectable Hindoo merchants and traders, who extend their commercial intercourse to the markets of Hyderabad, Masulipatam, Nellore, and Mysore; but have not mingled much in the traffic of their European masters. It is better known to Indian banians than to English merchants. There are now missionschools in Vellore, Arnee, Walajahpet, Arcot, and Chittoor. At Walajahpet, a missionary, from the London Missionary Society, has commenced active

operations, and built a mission-house. There are scripture-readers, and native Christian teachers, at Arnee and Vellore, by whom the ministration of gospel truth is maintained among nominal Christians, and for the instruction of the inquiring heathen. In this district, of which Chittoor has for some years been the centre, there are nine daily schools for Hindoo children, and three Sundayschools. In the former are 321, and in the latter 146 children, receiving instruction under the benign auspices of Christian benevolence.

My first journey to Chittoor introduced me to a select circle of Christians, whose zeal and love, whose cooperation and activity, took me by surprise, and presented a new aspect, in which the philanthropist might view the results of Indian conquest. The men whom I then met are now, almost all, removed from the sphere of labour, or of suffering; but no oasis in the desert could so gratify and cheer the wandering traveller, though breaking unexpectedly upon his gaze, as this was calculated to interest and draw forth the admiration of one who wished well to India, and desired the triumph of truth. Driven into retirement by ill-health for a season, I went to the ghauts without any fixed plan as to route or operations: my bearers, obeying their directions, carried me to the house of a judge of the district. The valley in which Chittoor is placed, lies along the base of the Ghauts, and is watered by the Ponee, which falls into the Palaur. The scene is really beautiful, and the fertility of the soil, the overhanging shadows of the contiguous and richly-clothed mountains, with the splendid mansion-like style of the civilians' houses, which are not only large and imposing without, but commodious and airy within, impart to this station a superiority and attractiveness, not possessed by other places of European residence in the peninsula. There is usually a company of sepoys, and an officer in command, to keep the criminals under awe in the prison, which contains sometimes five or six hundred. The sepoys occupy a small fort. The collector of one of the Arcot districts usually resides here, a civilian whose salary may be about 4,000l. per annum. There are, besides him, circuit judges, each with an almost equal salary, and their registrar, with half their income. There is also the zillah, or local judge, with his registrar, dividing five thousand between them. There is, of course, a medical attendant, and always some visiting friend or passing traveller. The native officers of the courts rank high, and receive liberal salaries. To estimate the judicial business of the courts here, civil as well as criminal, I may mention that the Madras presidency is placed under the superintendence of four circuit courts; and, besides one of these, a zillah-court has its head-quarters at Chittoor. Zillah means side, or division; a second zillah-court is at Chinglepet, and a third at Cuddapah. The circuitjudges take their turn on circuit through the district, carrying justice to the homes of the people -at least such is the object of their appointment : but grave matters come before all three; appeals, also, from one to the three; and from the zillah to the circuit-judges; they have the power of capital punishment, but an appeal may be made from them to a kind of supreme court at Madras-the Sudder Diwanee and Fouzdar Adawlut.

The gentleman, on whom I called, had some knowledge of my name, as I had of his; but we had never met each other. He received me under the piazzas of his princely mansion as I stepped out of my palanquin; an interchange of names was the commencement of our intercourse; an intercourse which ripened into reciprocal confidence, kindred sympathies, the maturity and fellowship of similar sentiments on religious and ecclesiastical peculiarities, and a large measure of correspondence and cooperation in schemes of usefulness and benevolence. This gentleman was heir to extensive English estates, and derived from them a large yearly revenue. But he had consecrated his all to the service of God among the Hindoos. His fortune-6,000l. per annum-was the smallest matter of the dedication: his life was a continual sacrifice; his influence, his personal exertions, whenever they could be devoted. His knowledge of the language was extensive, and his powers of utterance fluent. Every morning he spent an hour, sometimes two, imparting instruction in the sacred oracles to the professing native Christians, and conducting morning exercises of devotion; in the evening, again, he was similarly occupied. Sabbath after Sabbath did