moration of which the Hindus keep up a kind of carnival, throwing turmerick water at each other, singing licentious songs, and performing dramatic exhibitions, all relating to the history of Krishna, and very demoralizing in their tendency.

SEPTEMBER 14.-Haritáliká.

This day is remarkable only for the singular injunction given in the shastras to all Hindus not to look at the moon upon it; slander and calumny being sure to follow as a punishment for casting their eyes at this time on that luminary.

SEPTEMBER 24.-Ananta Brata.

On this day sweetmeats and all kinds of fruits are offered to Krishna; and every one who does it for fourteen years consecutively, is promised the highest bliss in Vishnu's heaven. The Janma Ashtami and Nandotsab, being the 2nd and 3rd September, are observed in public offices.

S.

VIII.-Appeal on behalf of the Calcutta Christian Tract and Book Society.

In inserting this appeal in the CALCUTTA CHRISTIAN OBSERVER,-the profits of which, be it remembered, are wholly devoted to the Calcutta Religious Tract and Book Society, we think we cannot better serve the cause of true Christianity in India than in urging an attentive consideration of the merits of that institution on our readers generally. Without tracts the Missionary could with difficulty and under the most serious disadvantages carry on his holy enterprizes. The Bible is a large book, and consists of many distinct portions treating of numerous matters variously combined with historical details, prophetic announcements, moral aphorisms, stupendous exhibitions of miraculous operations, announcements of spiritual verities and exhortations to religious belief and conduct, too vast, too mingled, too profound to be seized at once, to be compared, examined and digested by a mind coming to the perusal without any previous preparation, any mental, furniture, any practised powers of metaphysical and religious thought; too expensive also for distribution in the proportion of an overwhelming population, notwithstanding the gigantic efforts of Christian philanthropy in its dispersion; and too bulky to invite the careless apathy or lazy indolence of "natural men," under the benumbing and contracting influence of an oppressive climate and of long habits of indifference to moral study and religious consideration. The ETTEα πTEроEVта of the little tract, the flying bolts of its unassuming artillery, go on the wings of all the winds into all the furthest corners of the land. Their size appals not-their aspect invites-they limit immediate attention to some one striking fact, or truth, or precept, or moral motive, or religious sanction. They bend the whole power of the mind of the reader to a single consideration-attention is arrested-curiosity is excited-conscience is perhaps aroused-another tract is asked for, and another; the larger portion of a Gospel or a New Testament is next received with decreased indifference. The religious teacher is sought after a soul is saved-Christ is glorified, God honored; earth is improved, and heaven rings with exultation and praise! Such has, in many instances, been the blessed result from the bestowing of one little Tract! Who would not be eager to be its next distributor?

But in still more numerous instances, although this invaluable result follows not, yet knowledge is extended, spiritual ideas are communicated, moral sense is enlightened, the torpidity of a blinded conscience is more or less relaxed; and so the preaching of the Missionary is rendered more successful, because better understood; much preliminary information is acquired, and the word of God from the living lip or recording page afterwards, meets less obstruction to its effect. Who would not aid in thus preparing a high-way for our God ???

Indeed, to a Missionary, tracts, if not indispensable, are at least eminently serviceable, and greatly conducive to his success. Before he preaches, the reading of a tract

or small portion of one, say merely its title, or the offering of it to a chance passer as he seeks to gather a congregation, is often the breaking of the ice; it affords, according to the impression it produces, a criterion for forming his plan of proceeding, and suggests the subject of address. After he has preached, it becomes, as a gift, an expression of his good-will to those who have listened to him. They receive it eagerly;-attention instead of being at once broken by the ceasing of the living voice, is retained by the printed page. Those who have been in the way of it may constantly see with what avidity the Tracts distributed after a Missionary sermon are accepted; what numbers contend for them, stretching forth asking hands for those cheap, easy, concise messengers of heaven; and how many go away earnestly perusing them, aided in the effort by the recollections and impressions of the previous address. Who would not give a trifle to furnish this mental supply, this spiritual sustenance, this moral medicine, this light from heaven, this power (for such is it often found in truth to be) of God unto salvation," to the poor, ignorant, deluded, debased, unholy, superstitious, fellow-mortals by whom we are ever encompassed! We trust this appeal will not prove in vainthat many a Christian hand will be stretched forth now that was not before, and many a heart warmed to pity that hitherto was not so, only from not being made to feel, by positive statements, how much ground existed for its exercise, how easily it might be exerted, and how successfully.-ED.

DEALTRY, Ven. Archd.
ELLIS, Rev. J. D.
EWART, Rev. D.

COMMITTEE.

LACROIX, Rev. A. F.
CHARLES, Rev. J.
MACKAY, Rev. W. S.
MORTON, Rev. W.
PEARCE, Rev. G.

PIFFARD, Rev. C.
POWNEY, Colonel R.
REICHARDT, Rev. T.
SANDYS, Rev. T.
and

PEARCE, Rev. W. H. | YATES, Rev. W.
Sub-Committees of Examination.

English, Rev. Messrs. T. DEALTRY and T. Boaz.

Bengali, Rev. Messrs. A. F. LACROIX, W. MORTON and

T. REICHARDT.

Hindui, The Examining Committee of the Benares Branch.
Hindustání... Rev. Messrs. J. THOMAS, W. BUYERS, and W. YATES.
Uriya.

THE CALCUTTA CHRISTIAN TRACT AND BOOK SOCIETY was established about thirteen years ago, by Christians of the several Evangelical denomi nations, in order to supply Religious Books and Tracts, chiefly in the Native languages, for the inhabitants of this country. It is an Institution of great and obvious importance. Its publications may be adapted to every class in the community, and serve to correct every form of error and every kind of vice, as well as to make known and recommend Divine truth in all its variety and richness. They may be used by Christians of every name, as they contain only those catholic truths which all Christians delight to acknowledge and persons of every station in life, who are inclined to aid in promoting the kingdom of Christ, may find much assistance from these unobtrusive and convenient treatises. To the Missionary they are almost indispensible; certainly they are of great service to assist and render permanent his influence amongst his hearers. They have been, in some instances already known, sealed with the approbation of our God and Saviour, by having been made instrumental to the conversion of ignorant and sinful men to the love and service of God,-some of whom, we have much pleasure in mentioning, are now employed in faithfully preaching

the Gospel to their countrymen. We believe that, by their perusal, the minds of many have been enlightened, convinced, and inspired with ardent desire to enjoy eternal life; and that the light of the future will show that many more persons have been converted to God by their instrumentality, of whose conversion we are now ignorant. Every reflecting mind will at once perceive, that if such a Society were not in existence amongst usif Christians, both ministers of the Gospel and laymen, were obliged to labour single-handed and unassisted, the truths of the Gospel would be brought to bear on the minds of the Heathen and Musalmán people much less extensively and less efficiently than at present. This Society is, or may be, a most important agency in associating and judiciously applying the consecrated talent and learning of individual Christians to the preparation of useful books, and the diffusion of religious truth. These views of its usefulness seem so obvious, that the Committee feel assured the Christian community will fully agree with them in saying, that this Institution ought not to be permitted to languish, or to live an inefficient existence, for want either of mental effort or pecuniary aid. Established as it is in the midst of many millions of men, who are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, there is the greatest possible need of all the assistance it can render in diffusing the light of the Sun of Righteousness. Its publications should be numerous, various, written with talent, and with glowing piety. Their circulation should be co-extensive with the boundaries of India. This Society should do much towards ultimately establishing a theological and devotional literature for this great people, and towards supplying cheap and appropriate religious books for their use.

It is with gratitude we can mention that a beginning has been made. In the Bengali language about fifty Tracts and Books have been prepared and published, of from 4 to 426 pp. each, making about 3000 pages of religious knowledge; in Hindustání and Hinduí, each about 400 pages; some tracts have been published also in the Oriyá and Armenian languages. The number of copies circulated, too, has not been smail; during the year ending in June, 1835, upwards of 150,000 Tracts were issued from the Society's Depository.

But while we would feel grateful for what has been accomplished through the agency of this Society, we are constrained, by the importance of the trust reposed in us as a Committee, to make our appeal to the Christian community for increased means, in order to increased exertion in the department of benevolence belonging to the Tract and Book Society. We need many additional Tracts in all the languages of this Presidency, but particularly in the Hindustání and Hinduí. Original treatises or translations of existing works, adapted to the circumstances of this people, would be highly valuable; and we suppose that among the European residents there are many, whose learning, leisure, and piety could not be more usefully employed than in the preparation of such Tracts or Books. Their influence in this way might be very great over the minds of men, and in behalf of our Redeemer's kingdom; and it wonld continue to ope rate long after they have ceased to live amongst this people. In scarcely any other way could a person more effectually serve his own and succeeding generations. One little Tract, showing the true way of salvation, or teaching the need of pardon for sin, or illustrating any of the vital truths of Christianity, might exert a holy influence to the end of time; indeed it is by no means extravagant to say, that, under the Divine blessing, it might be so useful, that its author should in the future world have the extreme joy of meeting with multitudes among the redeemed, who would ascribe their salvation through Christ to its instrumentality.

We desire, therefore, earnestly to solicit the attention of the pious and the benevolent to this object, and would commend it to the attention of

all persons, without distinction of station, sex, or age, who have minds consecrated to the service of the Redeemer, and to the good of man.

It is with sincere pleasure we mention, that some persons have given us their valuable and generous aid in this department of our labours. Their reward they will receive from Him who approves the faithful servant; we refer to their example simply to show what might be accomplished by many amongst the Ladies, and among the Civil and Military residents in India. Many of the excellent Books published by the Parent Society at home, and by the American Sunday School Union, would prove very useful if translated into the languages spoken by the natives of this country. This would offer to some persons one mode of usefulness. Others might prefer to prepare original works, and others still to defray the expense of translating and publishing some particular book in which they feel special interest, or which they might deem particularly suitable to the state of society, or to the circumstances of the inhabitants. It would be quite in accordance with the design of the Calcutta Tract and Book Society to aid in all or any of these modes of doing good.

We must return to the wants of our Society: it is with regret we have to mention that we need greater pecuniary means. Large as the distribution of Tracts and Books during the last year appears, it was comparatively very limited indeed. It would not have afforded one copy to every fifth inhabitant of Calcutta alone!-Those 3000 pages in Bengálí would form but six or seven moderate-sized duodecimo volumes; while for the many millions of people who speak Hinduí, or Hindustání, there are scarcely two of these small volumes of religious truth. Let any Christian look over the shelves of his own book-cases, and let him feel thankful, while he sees one good book and another amongst the many favorite volumesand let him consider what his feelings would be if prevented, hopelessly and for life prevented, from enjoying their varied, interesting, and most useful information: and then, by his estimate of his own privilege, let him judge of the wants of his Hindu fellow-creatures, and, according to his own gratitude, let him feel sympathy with and pity for them.

It is with unaffected concern that we mention, that there is not at present one Hinduí Tract in our Depository; and that our publications in other languages are necessarily limited-indeed, that we are much in advance of the subscriptions and donations made to the Society, being to some extent under obligations to the different Mission Presses, beyond what we have funds to meet.

We deem it important therefore to state, that Tracts and Books could be at once published, and would most probably be put into immediate circulation, to a very much greater extent than has ever yet been done, if only the pecuniary means were adequate to our wants.

Believing that there are many persons disposed to assist our efforts, who either are unacquainted with the facilities which this Institution affords for doing good, or who may not have fully considered them, we have thought it expedient, in this special manner, to request the attention of Christian friends to our object. Having stated some of the views which are influential on our own minds, in leading us to feel a deep interest in the CALCUTTA CHRISTIAN TRACT AND BOOK SOCIETY, we desire respectfully and earnestly to commend them to the minds of our fellow Christians.

Contributions will be thankfully received by the Rev. J. HÆBERLIN, the Treasurer of the Society; or by any member of the Committee.

Calcutta, July, 1836.

REVIEW AND BRIEF NOTICES.

1.-Constantinople and its Environs: in a series of letters, exhibiting the actual state of the manners, customs, and habits of the Turks, Armenians, Jews, and Greeks, as modified by the policy of Sultan Mahmoud. By an American, long resident at Constantinople. 2 vols. New York, 1835. We opened this work with feelings of some curiosity. Its title appeared inviting, and there was something in a work on Constantinople by an American which seemed to hold out the We were promise of entertaining, if not of profitable, matter. not a little curious to find what impression would be made on an intelligent citizen of the United States by the society and manners of a people so different from his own. Constantinople, the once proud mistress of the East, and the citizen of a republican state, seemed to present such points of opposition, that we entered on the perusal of these letters with interest more than usually excited. But above all, we hoped to get at some account of the moral and religious prospects of that once glorious but now fast fading empire. We knew that the Gospel of Christ and the messengers of salvation had found their way to its shores ;-we had heard that some efforts were making, whether in the way of schools or diffusion of the scriptures, for the amelioration of that benighted land; and we felt anxious to know what these efforts precisely were, and how far they had been attended with success. We knew, too, that these efforts had been in a great measure made by Americans, and we had thought it likely that in a work written by an American, some notice would be taken of the labours of his countrymen. In this respect we have been disappointed; for little, or rather indeed no explicit mention is made of the efforts of Christian love and Christian zeal in Turkey or its metropolis. But if the work before us be not of a strictly serious nature, it is at least calculated to excite feelings of the deepest seriousness. If it presents no picture of moral or spiritual loveliness on which the eye of the Christian may rest with delight, it tells at least of the If a triumabsence of all that is of any excellence or worth. phant Gospel be none of its theme, an unknown Gospel is; and it is impossible not to indulge some profitable reflections in gazing on the spectacle of a mighty capital with its tens of thousands of accountable inhabitants WITHOUT CHRIST, having no hope, and without God in the world." spectacle derives additional interest, and is calculated to afford additional profit, too, from the recollection that this new Mahomedan metropolis once enjoyed the light of the Gospel. Its very name is a standing memento of its once Christian condition; for it was not until the reign of the Imperial convert

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