proofs of the confident hopes they have in the mercies of the Lord. I can here declare with all the confidence possible, that of a prodigious number of Indians, whose confessions I have heared in the moment of death, I have never yet found one, who did not willingly accept of death in the hopes of going to heaven. We are not obliged here as in Europe, to have recourse to so many indirect means of giving them to understand that they must die. They look upon death as the end of their exile, and the beginning of a happy life. Their conformity to the will of God is equally great in the other afflictions which befal them. They constantly say to one another, "we suffer in this life; but this transitory pain will procure eternal happiness in the next." They have also this maxim of Job deeply engraven on their minds; "God has given, and God has taken away, let his holy name be blessed."

What the Indians feel most is the loss of their children. They cherish them with a tenderness which has no example elsewhere. They never think they have too many; and if they happen to lose one, they are inconsolable. But the hope, which Christians have that they are gone to heaven calms their sorrow. I was once consoling a good woman, who had lost her son, when she said, "Let the idolaters weep over their children, they have reason to do so. They cannot expect to see them happy in the next world; but as for me, I hope to see my son in glory, where he will be eternally happy. Have I any reason to grieve for that?" I could repeat to you many more examples of the same kind, but I should exceed my bounds. A single one will enable you to judge of the rest. One summer, when for want of rain the country was threatened with famine, a convert came to confession to me, after which he addressed me thus, "Every body, my dear Father, appears afraid of the famine this year. The only money I have in the world, is five fanons, which is nothing for the support of my family. I depend nevertheless entirely upon the fatherly care of my God. He has promised that he will never forsake those, that put their confidence in him. I have heard you say in your sermon, that God will multiply a hundred fold, what you give to the poor for his love. I have brought you therefore all I have-take it

and give it to the poor, that God may take care of my family. "Having said this he threw down his five fanons at my feet; and in a moment disappeared and mixed with the crowd, so that I never found him out again. I fear such an example will not find many imitators in Europe.

There does not require much reasoning to inspire our Neophytes with the love of God. As soon as you have explained to them the perfections of that Sovereign Being, they form naturally of themselves two sentiments, the one of indignation against themselves, for having offered incense to devils, or to men of abominable lives; the other, of love towards so perfect and beneficent a God. I have seen one of these new Christians, who, being inconsolable for having carried, while a Pagan, one of their infamous idols upon his breast, took a razor in private and cut away all the skin off his breast, which the idol had touched. I have known many others, whose fervour carried them to excesses, which I was forced to restrain. "What," they said to me, can a man, who has adored Idols, ever do too much to repair his misfortune in adoring too late a God who has loved him so much." Those who are born of Christian parents, and have been baptized in their infancy, have always present to their minds the singular favour which God has done them in distinguishing them from the rest of their countrymen, and preserving them from the superstitions of paganism.

Hence springs that tender piety with which they celelebrate the mysteries of our Saviour's life. Above all, they are greatly affeeted when they hear the sufferings of his death recited. The church then resounds with sobs and sighs. They never fail every night, after the examination of their conscience to repeat a moving prayer, which contains an abridgement of the passion, and almost always shed tears over it.

The love of God, when it exists really in the heart, necessarily produces the love of your neighbour. So there is nothing to be compared with that fraternal charity and union which exists among our converts, though the customs of this country are very destructive of union. For every one is obliged, under grievous penalties, to observe the particular laws of his Caste.

Now one of these laws is, that a person of a superior Caste, shall have no communication with an inferior one. Yet religion has been able to reform these laws; the christians pay little regard to them; they consider themselves as children of the same Father, destined for the same inheritance, and on all occasions give the most affecting proofs of attachment. Their custom is, when they meet, to salute one another, and to say, "Praise be to God." This is the sign by which they know one another. When a christian is on a journey, and passes through a village where there are any of the faithful, they each contend for the pleasure of taking him into their houses and providing for him. He may enter into any house as if it were his own. A Neophyte once told me, that being about forty leagues from Trichirapali, he fell sick in a village where he knew nobody. He knew there was a christian family there, so he sent to let them know in what a state he was. Immediately these good christians came to find him, took him home with them, and treated him with that care which he would not have found in his own family. When he was recovered, they gave him enough carry him on his road, and accompanied him some way out of the village. I have known poor widows, who had nothing but what they got by spinning, give what little they had to the christians that were in want.

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Their charity is still more active when there is opportunity of relieving the spiritual wants of their countrymen. They have wonderful zeal for the conversion of idolaters. They spare no pains-nothing daunts them. At the time of a famine, which lasted two whole years, our christians went on the high roads, where they found many Indians ready to die for want of food. They brought them rice, and accompanied their charities with so much kindness, that they gained many to Jesus Christ. One widow alone baptized twenty-five adults, and nearly three hundred children.

This same zeal makes them assist one another in their sicknesses, and prepare each other for death. They take a pleasure in teaching the catechism and prayers to those who wish to embrace the faith; and procuring charities for those christians, who, living a great distance from the church, have

not enough to bear the expenses of the journey. If any one dies who has no relations, christians, they take the place of his relations, and attend in great numbers at his funeral. In fine, the love they bear one another, excites the astonishment of the Gentiles, who say of them as the pagans used to say of the first christians, "See, how they love one another; they have but one heart and one mind."

You cannot have a true love of Jesus Christ without loving his holy Mother too. For this reason, we are careful to inspire them with a tender devotion to the blessed Virgin. This devotion is strongly established in the countries that are lately become christian. There is not a Neophyte who does not every day recite his beads in her honour and though we frequently tell them there is no sin in omitting this practice, especially when engaged in other affairs, yet if any one misses it he always accuses himself of it at confession. Although the insupportable heat of the Indies makes fasting very painful, yet most of them fast every Saturday and the eve of festivals, and then they eat neither fish nor eggs, but are content with herbs. They do not think travelling sufficient reason to dispense with this custom. I attended, on her death-bed, an old woman, who since the age of 20, when she was baptized, had never missed fasting on these days, whatever fatigue of travelling or other occupation, she had. These festivals are celebrated with much pomp and great concourse of people, particularly at Dour, where the church, the handsomest on this mission, is dedicated to the blessed Virgin. In this church, there is a lamp which burns day and night in her honour. These good Neophytes come from the extremities of the mission to take oil from this lamp and apply it to their sick. God often rewards their faith by wonderful cures, and other events, which can be nothing but the effect of the wonderful protection of the Mother of God. The following is an instance among others. A great persecution arose that was likely to be of serious consequence to religion. A Catechist was deputed to implore the prince's protection. The negociation was delicate and dangerous. Before he set off, he addressed himself to the blessed Virgin, and conjured her to assist this persecuted Church;

and bend the heart of the prince to whom he was deputed. He thought he heard an interior voice which promised him success. He goes with confidence, arrives at the palace gate, and demands an audience. As the prince was not yet up, he was ordered to wait; the catechist renewed his prayer, and besought again the blessed Virgin to conduct the affair. He had not waited above a quarter of an hour, when the officer of the guards came to enquire if there were any one who wanted an audience. The catechist presented himself, and was immediately introduced. The prince approaching with a pleasant countenance, said, "Be of good heart-what you require shall be done. A great queen appeared to me in my sleep and commanded me to be favourable." The catechist explained his object, obtained what he wished, and peace was restored to the church.

They have likewise a tender devotion to the saints; whose intercession they invoke in their wants. Those they most frequently pray to, are their Angel Guardian, their Patron, St. Joseph, St. John Baptist, St. Michael, the Protector of our Mission, S. S. Peter and Paul, St. Thomas the Apostle, of these countries, and S. Fa. Zavier. When they begin any journey, they always recommend themselves to their Angel Guardian. "When I set off," said one of these fervent converts to me, "I join my Angel Guardian-I always keep him in my mind, and follow him as young Tobias did the angel Raphael." There is scarcely a year in which they do not experience the effect of the particular protection of the saints to whom they have the greatest devotion; particularly of St. F. Zavier. who does not forget in heaven, that people who, on earth were the first objects of his zeal.

I think I have now answered all your enquiries, my dear father; and you have nothing more to desire, as I have given you a full knowledge of all that passes in this mission. I shall conclude by praying to the Lord that he would give you the grace which will enable you to exercise here the zeal with which you seem to be filled. Remember me in the holy sacrifice of the altar; and believe me Your's, &c.

BOUCHET.