their Historical, Politica!, Theological and Educational works. If we are to take the translated extracts to be met with in our journals, as fair samples of their thousand and one Annuals, why all we can say is, that with such bricks the architects ought to rear sound and goodly edifices. It may be fairly opined that there is a greater de gree of solidity and boldness, and less of the Haynes Baily, lacka. daisical literature in the annual writings of the germans than is to be met with in those on the banks of the Thames.-Vienna, Berlin, Prague and Leipsig that strong-hold of the Muses, have each and all their own particular Annuals devoted to especial ob jects, poetical, historical, artistical, musical, botanical and even medi cal. Amongst their Editors and Contributors we find such namea as Ludwig Tieck, Saphir, Fred. Von Raumer, Rickert, &c.

A few numbers of "The Malta Penny Magazine" have been put ipto our hands, and we must express our pleasure at finding so cheap, interesting and useful a periodical encouraged in that island, It is printed in english, with good type and paper, of royal octavo size, and contains four pages of letter-press with an occasional en graving of some interesting object. It is got up on a similar plan to it's London namesake, and contains some very judicious gather. ings from standard works.

We have ever considered that the most effectual, and indeed the only certain method of disseminating the great truths of the. christian religion amongst the heathen, to be the diffusion of sound practical knowledge blended with religious and moral precepts and tales, rather than by means of purely "religious tracts." We are more than ever convinced of this since the publication of the little Cingalese periodical, "The Lanka Nidhana." It has been everywhere most warmly received by the natives; the only complaint we have heard about it being of the insufficiency of it's distribution. The natives in many parts of this island are too poor to pay for it's cost and postage; others there are who have not the inclination to purchase, but who would yet gladly read it were it to be obtained free of cost. In a great number of districts it is unknown, except by accident, and the natives are ignorant of the proper mode of obtaining it. We are certain that a "Tract" of the like size and cost would never have found a single purchaser which is borne out

by the fact that Tract Societies always print their works for gratui tous circulation. We should be glad to see the Ceylon Church Mission distributing a native periodical gratuitously, or at least at some very trifling charge, say a pice. With it's resources,—it's capital and it's excellent printing establishment at Cotta,-it is well calculated to undertake successfully a work of the kind: and at no time has the enlightenment of the natives been so loudly called for as at the present, when it is well known that their priests are straining every nerve to obstruct the great work of conversion and civilization by means of diretul predictions and pretended supernatural warnings. Their bigoted machinations must be met by more strenuous efforts on our part. It has occurred to us that Govern, ment might materially assist the cause by allowing all small periodicals printed by Missionaries and in the native language to be trans❤ mitted by tappal free of all charge. Most of the tappals to outstations (and it is there where the good seed should chiefly be sown) are very light, and even were they not, a few papers might be for◄ warded daily until they were all distributed. This would cost nothing` and it were well worth the trial.

Amongst the most recent novelties in the literary world are the follow◄ ing :-The Dream of the Two Sisters, from Dante. By Thomas Moore, Night and Morning, a novel. By Sir E. L. bulwer. Henry of Monmouth, or the Battle of Agincourt. By Major Michel. Home Scenes and Foreign Recollections. By Lady Chatterton. The Seer. By Leigh Hunt. The Civil History of the Jews, from Joshua to Adrian. By the Rev. O. Cockayne. The Cardinal Virtues. By Harriet Campbell. The Hungarian Daughter, a Diamatic Poem. By Geo. Stephens. Society Organised, an Allegory. By W. A. G. Hake. Alda, the British Captive. By Agnes Strickland. Moca, a Poem. By R. G. Cunninghame. Ethelstan, or the Battle of Brunenburg. By G. Darley. The Play fair Papers, or Brother Jonathan.

Original Correspondence.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CEYLON MAGAZINE.

THE CONDITION AND CHARACTER OF FEMALES IN HEATHEN AND MAHOMMEDAN COUNTRIES."

SIR, I have been induced to address this to you in consequence of having met with a little American work bearing the above title, and containing some dreadful, though I believe not overcharged, statements. As it should be the aim of every christian, as well as of every christian journal, to eradicate' errors and to soften and elevate the human character, I will hope that these few lines may find insertion in your Magazine; should they but in one in. stance draw the attention of the philantrophic my pen will not uselessly have been taken up.

"It is difficult," commences the above named work, "perhaps impossible, to describe the wretchedness of Leathen females, without wounding the feelings of the benevolent, or shocking the delicacy of the refined. But the truth must be told. The remedy can never be applied, until the disease is known. The sympathy, ever anxious to relieve, cannot be felt before the misery is seen. The charity that kindles at the tale of woe, can never act with adɛ. quate efficacy, 'till it is made to see the pollution and guilt of 600,000,000, now buried in the death-shades of heathenism. Shall we then, however pain. ful the sight, shrink from the contemplation of their real state? We shall only see what they endure."

The book goes on to shew that the heathen woman is despised, neglected · in her education, considered unworthy of an after life, not at her own dis posal in marriage, and at any time capable of being divorced. She is moreover a stranger to domestic happiness, secluded from society and made to perform the most servile household duties. In character, she is equally bankrupt, being destitute of female delicacy or propriety, superstitious in the extreme, and hesitate not to sacrifice their female offspring to gods of wood and stone, or to expose them to be devoured by wild beasts and birds of prey. After thus depicting them, the author emphatically says,

"CHRISTIANS! She now appeals to you; she points to her wickedness, her ignorance, her superstition;-to her degraded condition in this life, her hopeless prospects for the world to come;-and pleads with you, by these thrilling motives, for the light you enjoy. She appeals to your sympathy, your charity, your benevolence. She urges upon you the question, upon the decision of which is pending her happiness for time and eternity,-WILL YOU GIVE ME THE GOSPEL?"

It is but too true that while so much has been done towards enlightening mankind in general and converting the heathen, woman, degraded woman, has remained neglected and almost forgotten in her abject, condition. Now and then a voice has been raised, or an arm stretched out, but it has proved a mere drop in the ocean. The late Miss Roberts commented, just previous to her lamented death, a series of papers on this sabject, but with her it fell to the ground. In this Island there are, it is true, female schools at almost every missionary station, "but what are they among so many!" It is impossible to be long a dweller in this favored isle, where all is fair and "only man is vile," without feeling most deeply the deplorable state of the native women. It is my firm belief, as well as that of many others, and it has been proved true in various countries, that the educated, christianized

woman

is the most able and powerful missionary our religion can possess. Here she has no influence because she is without mind, but make her a humanized being, give her pure and refined ideas and feelings, teach her those beantiful affections of the heart which sanctify her sex, instil into her the gentleness of christianity, call back to her bosom the banished sympathies of wife, mother, sister, friend, and she will then triumph over the stubborn nature of her master, MAN, and make him like herself. Put should the wife fail with her husband.-should he be too deeply imbued with the nature of his fore. fathers, there are her children; will she not mould them to her own heart? Oh! yes, she must, she will.

But how is this to be brought about? Who is to do all this for the poor heathen woman? Her white sisters. The English females. I would have every one of our dwelling-houses become schools; every lady a missionary, Cannot our wives and daughters devote one or two hours in each day to the education of a few poor girls in their vicinity? Is it too much to ask them to sit for a short time in their verandahs during the morning, and teach the native girls how to be some ing like themselves? Surely not. How easy and yet how useful and gratifying would these labours he. Our country-wómen have it in their power to become the instruments of India's regenera. tion and at no pecuniary cost, but merely by the sacrifice of a little of what could not be better emploved, time. Once more expressing a hope that this subject may be seriously considered, particularly by my country-women, İ subscribe myself

BRITANNICUS.

P.S.-I am aware that a school was established in Colombo by the Fe male Education Society at home, and which has failed, because the founders were ignorant of what they had to perform. The native girls are too poor topay, even a trifle, for education, and, if they be not, their parents look upon, it as a waste of time and money: but let education steal amongst them pri

vately and imperceptibly, and the cause will prosper. He who despises not any creature of his hands will prosper the work,

B,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CEYLON MAGAZINE.

SIR,-I read with much interest the letter from Mr. Macvicar in your last, apon "the cooling influence of a clear night." I have made some experiments in the neighbourhood of Kandy, with Thermometers exposed under various aspects to the influence of the sky and I find the results corroborate the statements of Mr. Macvicar. I first exposed a very accurate thermometer to the direct rays of the sun at mid-day and found it rise to 130 and 135°. The same thermometer was placed on the same open spot on a fine cloudless night and it fell to 50⚫ whilst an equally good instrument placed on the ground within six feet of the other, but under a verandah, sank no lower than 60°. The next night being cloudy I again exposed my thermometers in similar situations and found that they stood at 54 and 62°. Should this be deemed worthy, please give it a place in your forthcoming number.

AN UP-COUNTRY SUBSCRIBER.

N.B.-Can your scientific correspondent tell me how to construet a cheap and perfect instrument for finding the quantity of dew falling?

NATURE.

Would the young and the lowly be taught
By the loveliness breathing around;
Ev'ry leaf with instruction is fraught,
Each stream hath an eloquent sound.

The sweet leafy haunts of the bird,
The brook, in it's musical flow,
That in silv'ry cadence is heard,
With the music above and below.

The dark shady paths of the wood,
The peace of the cottager's home,
Amid trees that for ages have stood,

And the orchard's bright showers of bloom.

Would ye learn that their Maker is love,
That he stoops from his glorious throne,
Encircled by seraphs above,

To look on a world like our own;