CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE
Section VI: Missions to India

Part 5: North India Mission, 1817-1880
Part 6: North India Mission, 1817-1880

Extracts - Part 5

Reel 101 Original Papers O2
Report on a year’s work in Chunar

“I will now try to comply with your wishes regarding a review of the past year – You will already have been informed that early in June last eight Hindoos were added to the Church by Baptism about which time the pain in my chest increased to such an extent, that it was with difficulty I could utter a few words in common conversation, so that a change to Calcutta was recommended by the Medical Gentlemen here…. thinking that a missionary excursion might be beneficial to my health as well as of service to the cause, I returned Dâk in the end of November. In December Christian’s wife was baptized by the name of ‘Ruth’ and at the end of that month we made a long Missionary Tour…. Since my return nine other Hindoos have been added to the Church, these were Candidates for the ordinance and under instructions, since before we set out, so that you see 18 Hindoos old and young have renounced the several systems to which they were bound, and have openly acknowledged, that there is no other name under Heaven given whereby sinners can be saved besides that of the Lord Jesus Christ….”

Reel 107 Original Papers O 17
Annual Report of the Benares Ladies’ Society for Native Female Education for 1838 by Margaret Smith

“The number of girls in attendance at the Benares Native Female School in the past year has not been so great as in former years, but far more regular. We number daily from 64 to 68; which is all we have down in the book. Their regular attendance arises chiefly from their rewards being distributed once a week, instead of every day, as formerly.

When the Bishop visited Benares last year, he seemed much pleased with the girls, and gave 60 rupees to purchase them a Sari each. This sum was sufficient, with the addition of a few rupees, which the girls themselves contributed, by giving up a week’s rewards, to purchase two Saries for each of them. These are kept in School, and given regularly to be washed, which the girls pay for themselves. In this a great point is gained, as thereby they are taught to value cleanliness….

Besides our day scholars we have ten orphan girls. Some of them appear to be naturally clever. Ever since their arrival the School has been opened with prayer. The girls sing a hymn, after which one stands up and reads a chapter; and the school-mistress, Mrs Collins, concludes with prayer. The heathen children and teachers behave the whole of the time with the utmost decorum.

It will be seen by a reference to the annexed account, that the prospects of the School in respect to pecuniary matters are of the most gloomy description. There are no funds whatever; and the monthly subscriptions amount only to 26 rupees, while the expenditure, omitting the orphan girls, who have just been taken into connection with the Benares Association, is 97 rupees per mensem: so that unless immediate and EFFECTUAL assistance can be obtained, it is quite plain the establishment must be broken up….”

Reel 108 Original Papers O 19
Christian Tralokes’ Journal, November 1830

“Nov 23rd 1830 Left Chunar according to instructions. The first village, I came too, was Puteta, a considerable place with a Police, five miles from Chunar. Proceeded to the most public place of the Bazar, and read the tract ’True Counsel’, to a great crowd, which collected about me. Several persons said that this village was visited last year by two of our brethren, who brought a number of tracts & distributed them. On finding that some who were present needed books, supplied their wants. After this, called on the Thanadar, who, having expected my visit, I observed, had invited some of his neighbours to meet me. On being seated, I presented the Thanadar a new testament, a copy of the Psalms & Isaiah with two tracts; on accepting these, he wished to know the contents of them. A brief explanation was then given to him….

He begged of me to stay another day, but finding that it proceeded from mere civility; I did not deem it advisable to stay. He then ordered a seer of sweetmeat to be brought for me. Left Puteta in the afternoon & proceeded to Aroura, 5 miles further on, where I arrived late in the evening. Aroura is a most important place; as an extensive trade is carried on….”

Reel 108 Original Papers O 20
Report of the Kashmir Medical Mission, 1875

“…. ,We were anxious to begin work in Kashmir as early as possible this summer, and so were obliged to choose the Murree route, which is the longest and most expensive of the three regular routes from Lahore. It is however, not blocked with snow, as the Pir Panjal and the Poonch roads are till May, and so is the only practicable route for those who wish to enter the valley early – at all events when ladies and children are of the party.

We left Lahore on the 25th of March, resting the next day, which was Good Friday, at Gujerat, where I re-visited Dr Elmslie’s grave, and had it cleaned up a little, as a slight tribute of affectionate respect to my devoted predecessor’s memory. At Murree we halted a few days, and then began our march into the far-famed valley. At some of the halting-places I saw a good many patients, but I do not think they were so numerous as on the Jamu or Pir Panjal routes the previous year. I had no catechist, but one of the Native Christians gave short addresses to the sick. We halted of course on Sundays, and had service with the Christians. We had also prayers nightly, after the day’s march was done. Our little company included ten Native Christians, two dressers, two mission chaprasis or messengers, my munshi, my bearer, his wife and baby, my table servant, and the wife of one of the dressers, so we had quite a nice little congregation….

We had hoped that a clerical missionary would have been found to work with us this year, but so numerous are the spheres of labour, and so few the men, that no one could be spared for Kashmir. I consequently found myself, inexperienced as I was, obliged to undertake the whole of the general and spiritual oversight of the little Native church, and the preaching to the Kashmiris, as well as the medical work, circumstances, into which I need not enter here, having left me at the beginning of this season without even a catechist.

We reached Srinagar on the 21st of April, and were pleased to find everything as we had left it in the bungalow which the Maharajah had kindly devoted to our use. The hospital which he had built for the Mission, and of which a sketch is given at the beginning of this report, was handed over to me, and one or two little improvements I suggested were immediately made by the Wazir (governor), who is the Maharajah’s viceroy in Kashmir….

The hospital could accommodate 16 male and 4 female patients. The out-patients were seen three days a week; and after the hospital had been open a short time, 170 presented themselves one morning. I found this far more than I could manage, for I made a point of seeing every one myself, and so was compelled to limit the number to 100, preference being given to the first arrivals, except in urgent cases…”

Reel 114 Original Papers O 53
Extract from the journal of Rev William Bowley

“In the beginning of this month (January) accompanied by Mr Smith of Benares I went by water (for the first time) to the annual fair at Allahabad in order that we might visit the villages on our way up, but I regret to say that the memorandums I took down are entirely missing so that no detail can be given of our progress: suffice it to say that we arrived at Allahabad on the tenth day, and in our way called at the principal Villages and read, conversed and distributed tracts according as opportunity served but comparatively speaking very few tracts were accepted by the people. They generally manifested much apprehension, and seemed greatlly under the influence of their spiritual guides, who give it out that Christians are atheists, and are expecting themselves to make others so….”

Reel 116 Original Papers O 53

Extract from a journal of Rev William Bowley, February 1832

“25th February Saturday The weather having cleared up at Noon set out on a missionary excursion in quite a new direction towards the hills southward of Chunar in order to be at an annually Fair 34 miles hence and to visit the principal places. Our road was near due south, after two hours travelling reached Patetha, which is rather a reputable place, having a few stone buildings. There is a Police Officer here, to whom I went and found him in an upper room pretty neatly furnished House and looking very comfortable, but felt shocked on seeing ‘I believe’ a Female lying covered up on his bed and a young slave Girl, I suppose, sitting by and this was a publick Hall, as the Parsian writer of the Police was transacting his business with all his papers before him; yet it is considered as a matter of course, in fact it reminded me of what I had seen at the Princes’ in Benares, The Police Officer is a fine looking young man, a Mahummedan….

26th Lord’sday Very early walked out to a village southward of Arowra about half a mile, and though there were several respectable Houses, yet not one could be found to read. However we stood by a Sugar Mill and an address was read and a great deal of talking took place – thence went to the Town, and in the square three addresses were read and a fourth was delivered extemporary which collected an immense crowd, after which, a long discussion took place, but no Books were given away, in fact none were called for….”

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