| Description | School building nearly finished and has been used for six weeks; there are 25 scholars; no heathen books are allowed to be read in the school; the school is open in all from 7 to 12 and from 2 to 6, but not everyone attends all the time; there are lessons in psalmody, Tamil, Telegu and English; is preparing books for the school, but asks for sample copies also from Madras schoolmasters; congregation is increasing catechist Nellappen is not popular with native and country born Christians, partly because of the "severe tone of his admonitions"; assistant catechist John is much respected; has applications from heathens and Roman Catholics but has not admitted them yet to the church; "if we allow the usages of caste to remain among professing Christians the next generation will disappoint our hopes no less than their fathers do"; Nellappen "allows adherence to caste to eat into the very soul of Christian doctrine; "I am amazed at the extent to which Mr. Kohlhoff and the other excellent missionaries connected with him have allowed these heathenish distinctions to be carried; is awaiting Rhenius' visit to examine and admit catechumens to baptism; considers it necessary for CMS missionaries to make half-yearly circuits of churches under CMS patronage; has received invitation to establish school at Punganoor; money has been collected for building mission church at Chittoor; a Christian village is being built, so far there are 14 buildings; is establishing a free circulating library for use of native Christians and has about 100 books; asks for 'Missionary Register', and Tamil, Portuguese and French New Testaments [copy]. |