VEGETATION AND ZOOLOGY OF CEYLON.

SIR EMERSON TENNENT, in his lately-published work, on Ceylon, states some curious and interesting facts regarding the luxuriancy both of its vegetable and animal life. We subjoin the following sketch of a tropical morning, and its effects on the various tribes of birds and beasts who inhabit the dense forests of this island. "With the first glimmering of dawn the bats and nocturnal birds retire to their accustomed haunts, in which to hide them from "day's garish eye;" the jackal and the leopard return from their nightly chase; the elephants steal back timidly into the shade of the forest, from the water pools in which they had been luxuriating during the darkness; and the deep-toned bark of the elk resounds through the glens as he retires into the security of the forest."

After describing the appearance of the butterflies, which, as day advances, cover the plants and flowering shrubs, he proceeds to enumerate the birds. "The earliest upon the wing is the crow, which leaves his perch almost with the first peep of dawn, cawing and flapping his wings in the sky. The parroquets follow in vast companies, chattering and screaming in exuberant excitement. Next the cranes and waders, which had flown inland to their breeding-places at sunset, rise from the branches on which they had passed the night, waving their wings to disencumber them of the dew, and, stretching their awkward wings behind, they soar away in the direction of the rivers and the far sea-shore. The songsters that pour forth their first salutations to the morning are the dial-bird and the yellow oriole, whose mellow flute-like voice is heard far through the stillness of the dawn. The jungle cock, unseen in his dense cover, shouts his réveille, not with the shrill clarion of his European type, but in rich melodious call, that ascends from the depths of the valley. As light increases, the grass warbler and the maynot add their notes, and the bronze-winged pigeons make the woods murmur with their plaintive cry, which resembles the lowing of cattle. The bees hurry abroad in all directions, and the golden beetles clamp lazily over the still damp leaves. The swifts and swallows sally forth as soon as there is sufficient warmth to tempt the minor insects abroad. The bulbul lights on the forest trees, and the little like sun-birds, the humming-birds of the East, quiver on their fulgent wings above the opening flowers."

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The following anecdote illustrates the sagacity of the small glossy crow of Ceylon. "One of these ingenious marauders, after vainly attitudinizing in front of a chained watchdog, which was lazily gnawing a bone, and, after fruitlessly endeavouring to attract his attention by dancing before him with head awry and eye askance, at length flew away for a moment, and returned, bringing with it a companion, who perched itself on a branch a few yards in the rear. The crow's grimaces were now actively renewed, but with no better result, till its confederate, poising himself on his wings, descended with the utmost activity, striking the dog upon the spine with all the force of his beak. The ruse was successful: the dog started with surprise and pain, but not quickly enough to seize his assailant, while the bone he had been

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VEGETATION AND ZOOLOGY IN CEYLON.

[FEB.

Two well

gnawing disappeared the instant his head was turned. authenticated instances of the recurrence of this device came within my knowledge at Colombo, and attest the sagacity and powers of communicating and combining possessed by these astute and courageous birds."

He describes, in graphic language, the bucaros pica, with its monstrous double casque, sometimes mistaken by travellers for a second head, perched on the lofty branches of the higher trees, watching the motions of the small reptiles and birds on which it preys, tossing them in the air when seized, and catching them in its gigantic mandible as they fall; and the omnivorous glutton grasping a large fruit, to which the huge beak is adapted, and if the stem be too tough to be severed by the strength of the beak and neck, flinging himself off the branch so as to add the weight of his body to their pressure and force.

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There are also some curious facts narrated by this traveller as to the vegetation of Ceylon, beautiful not only to the eye, from the endless variety of its flowers, and the varied hues of its foliage, but harmonious also to the ear from the sweet sounds that proceed from it; some soft and liquid, like the notes of a flute, others deep and full, like the tones of an organ: sometimes low, interrupted, and even single, and presently swelling into a grand burst of melody;" and these coming, we are informed, from the stems of the bamboos, which are perforated with holes, through which the breeze passing causes them to emit these Eolian-like melodies. Sir E. Tennent remarks of the beautiful palmyra, which grows in profusion in the peninsula of Jaffna, that a native of that peninsula, if he be content with ordinary doors and mud-walls, may build an entire house (as he wants neither nails nor ironwork) with walls, roof, and covering, from this palm. "From the same tree he may draw his wine, make his oil, kindle his fire, carry his water store his food, cook his repast, and sweeten it, if he pleases; in fact, live from day to day, dependent on the palmyra alone. Multitudes do so live, and it may be safely asserted that this tree alone furnishes one-fourth of the means of subsistence for the population of the Northern Provinces."

These few extracts from this interesting work will suffice to give our readers some idea of the peculiar way in which Ceylon has been favoured as to natural blessings; but these, in themselves, how completely powerless to touch the hard heart of man with gratitude to the Giver of such good things! All God's works in nature praise Him; but it is only when we become conscious of his love to us in Christ that we can offer the sacrifices of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

SUFFERINGS FOR THE TRUTH'S SAKE IN YORUBA.

THE most civilized and industrious of all the African tribes with whom our Missionaries have laboured are, without doubt, the Yorubas. Their towns are large and populous, clean and thriving.

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sufferings for tHE TRUTH'S SAKE IN YORUBA. [MARCH,

The inhabitants are eminently social and kindly in their feelings towards each other, fond of visiting each other, and of sitting together under the trees engaged in conversation, or playing little games for amusement. Both parents are very fond of their children. A Yoruba woman was once asked how much she would take for her child. "What!" she exclaimed, in the greatest indignation, drawing the child towards her, "sell you my own child!" The wives and daughters of the Yorubas are not expected, like those of many other African tribes, to cultivate the soil. The women spin cotton and sell the thread to the weavers, who are men; and men are the tailors who make the garments. The women, again, make earthen pots, cook, wash, and buy and sell most of the provisions. The idols in Yoruba are called "intercessors," and seem, like Romish saints, to occupy a place between God and man. They are worshipped only for benefits to be conferred in this life, the Yorubas caring little, if at all, for a future state. They amount to between 300 and 400. Satan is also adored under the name of Eshu, "the ejected one," and their adoration is simply a means of conciliating his malignity. Our engraving represents a scene in the persecution of 1855a Yoruba father threatening to kill his daughter if she will not worship the idols which she has renounced for the sake of Christianity. Mr. Hinderer thus speaks of some of these persecu tions for righteousness sake, at Ibadan, in Oct. 1855

Oct. 15-A young woman (a bride) is afresh flogged and dragged about by a rope, and is tied up so that she cannot eat. Another was cast out last night by her parents, in a fearful tornado, that Shango, the god of thunder and lightning, might kill her outside the house.

Another young woman, a priest's daughter, is flogged and lacerated by her father because she went to salute the imprisoned bride. The girl suffered fearfully; but says, now she has begun to taste the whip, she will continue stedfast to God.

Oct. 24-Another persecuted young woman was, after all her bad treatment by her parents, to be carried to Ofa, to a savage brother, but she escaped yesterday to Abbeokuta.

Oct. 26-Fresh troubles from persecutors. It has been a heavy time, and one feels inclined to cry, " Why does not God make bare his arm among the heathen?" But we are silenced by the thought that He that sitteth in the sanctuary will do all things well.

Oct. 27-In my class of candidates to-day, on the question, “What is the greatest evil in the world?" expecting to hear for an answer, "Sin," one of them betrayed the thoughts of the heart by answering "Persecution."

Nov. 4-One of the persecuted girls is held in the stocks till Sunday is over. Another, about eighteen years old, is nearly killed by her father. Our people feed her and tend her in the night.

Two of the persecuted have made their way to Abbeokuta, and are safely hid there. The escape of one of them is nothing short of a miracle. Mrs. Hinderer wrote—

Poor wicked Ibadan is in a dreadful state, one very trying to a Mis

1860.]

ORDINATIONS IN TINNEVELLY.

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sionary, but one in which he may by no means be discouraged from the words of holy writ, "Cast thy bread upon the waters."

The warriors came home proud and rich, and little inclined for peace or peaceful doings and words. Satan also was alarmed, for there were a few real converts here, who are changed from bowing down to idols to bowing down in the house of God; so a persecution was raised, and a long and trying one it has been. Some ran away when they felt they could hold out no longer, and are still away, and we are charged with having stolen and sold them. The others, all except one, are still going on, and, through much opposition, continue stedfast, and come to church when not chained.

ORDINATIONS IN TINNEVELLY.

THE work of the Church Missionary Society has been no failure. How indeed could it be? The truth of God has been preached. We have not depended upon organization, but upon the faithful communication of the message entrusted to our care; and we have looked for the blessing which the Lord has promised should accompany his word. Have we looked in vain? Has Missionary work, conducted upon the principles of our Society, yielded no fruits? It is in no spirit of vain glorying that we ask the question. But there are some who find it convenient to take it for granted that nothing has been realized; that much seed has been sown, much labour expended, and of the harvest, there has been none.

May we ask our readers to look in one particular direction while we point out some fruits? We shall take them for a little moment to Tinnevelly, the most southern province of India, with its sandy plains and palmyra trees: there we have native Christians, under the care of our Missionaries, to the number of 28,000. We do not mean to say that they are all spiritually-minded Christians; we cannot expect them to rise above the level of the mother church at home; and there, as here, there is a mixture. There is the substance and its shadow, the reality and its name.

Sometimes, in the midst of the rice fields of Tinnevelly, there is found a plantation called a betel tope. "This tope is a spot enclosed by a slight hedge, and filled apparently with nothing but agatti plants, a slender kind of trees, something like young poplars, growing near enough to each other to form, by their intermingled branches, a continuous and pleasant shade; but on closer inspection you will find everywhere interspersed among them, planted in the same soil, and fed by the same water, another plant, too delicate and tender to bear by itself the scorching rays of the sun, and which, screened by the shade of its robust neighbour, thrives and furnishes the betel-leaf, so universally used by the natives of India as an agreeable stimulant to the mouth. So much more valuable is this tender plant, that when it is gathered in, the agatti which defended it, is sold for a trifling price, and eventually used as fire-wood." So real and nominal Christians grow together. Nor are the former without their use, even although, unhappily for themselves, they continue to be only nominal Christians. Were the real