SOME FACTS RELATING TO INDIA

India is called a "country," although it has never been politically unified. The present "Indian Empire," under British rule, is the nearest approach to political unity the country has known. There are many races in India, speaking some 50 different languages. India proper is triangular in shape:its length from N. to S., and its greatest width from E. to W., are both about 1900 m. Burma is included in the Indian Empire, which has a pop. of 319, 07? 132 (1921), and an area of 1,766,597 sq. m., being about equal in area and pop. to Europe without Russia. £f this total, 1,087,204 sq. m., with a pop. of 247,138,196, consisted of British territory; while the remaining 679,393 sq. m., with a pop. of 71,936,736, was divided up among various native states, all of which acknowledge the suzerainty of Great Britain, but are directly administered by semi-independent rulers. Ceylon is under the British Colonial Office, and is not part of the Indian Empire, which includes, however, many islands. On the coast of the peninsula itself, Portuguese and French settlements break at intervals the continuous lines of British territory. The temperature is nearly constant the whole year round in southern India, but in the north the extremes of heat and cold are great. In the cold season (Jan. & Feb.), the mean temperature averages 30 degrees lower in the Punjab than in southern India. At Jacobabad the temperature sometimes rises to 125 degrees in the shade.

Wild animals are numerous in India, and are a menace to the people. Tigers and leopards are perhaps most common, and both are highly destructive to life and property. It is said that in 1869 one tiger killed 127 people. Wolves and hyenas are also dangerous to flocks and children. Elephants are captured and used in the timber trade and for Government transport, as well as for display by the native chiefs. There are found both the single-horned and double-horned rhinoceros. Serpents swarm everywhere, even entering the dwellings of the people. Most varieties are harmless, but many are deadly.

While from the earliest times the Brahman caste have preserved a literature, the profession of the historian is said to have been introduced by the Mohammedan invaders. For an orthodox Hindu the history of India begins more than 3,000 years before the Christian era. About the beginning of the 6th century, B. C., the settled country is said to have been divided into 16 independent States, some of which were monarchies, and some republics. The systems called "Jainism" and "Buddhism" were founded respectively by Vardhamana Mahavira and Gotama Buddha, both of whom preached in Maghada (the modern Behar) during the reign of Bimbisara (100:520, B. C.). About the middle of the 3rd century, B. C., Asoka, king of Maghada (who reigned from 264 to 227 B. C.),became a zealous convert to Buddhism. Like Constantine in relation to Christianity, he established it as the State religion, calling councils with regard to the faith, sending out missionaries, etc. About 800 A. D., Buddhism was practically banished from India, but it flourished abroad, and has become the religion of about one-third of the human race. It is said to have a following of 500,000,000, the largest of any religion.

The external history of India may be said to begin with the invasion by Alexander the Great, in 327 B.C.; although there was, prior to that, some knowledge of the country. The first Mohammedan invasion took place in 664 A.D., and they at one time dominated the country. In 1497 Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon, and in May, 1498, reached India. Other expeditions soon followed, and from 1500 to 1600 the Portuguese enjoyed a monopoly of Indian trade. The Dutch were the first to break the monopoly, and they founded an empire in the East. Finally, the English took preeminence, and the affairs of the country were administered by the East India Company until 1858, when, in accordance with an act of Parliament, the Queen assumed the government. The census of 1911 showed that only 11.4 per cent of the male pop. and 1.1 per cent of the female pop. (or about 6 per cent of the total) of British India could read and write. The number having an elementary knowledge of English was 1 ½ million. India is sometimes called a country of one industry- agriculture-which supports two-thirds of the people. Millet, said to be the most prolific grain in the world, is the staple food, while rice is only an occasional crop, except in a few sections. Famines are common, for while irrigation is practiced in many places, they mostly depend on the monsoon rains. When these fail, a famine ensues.

Due to the predominance of Hinduism, caste is the paramount factor in India, and all the native's actions from birth to death are regulated by it. The chief Indian religions and the number of their adherents according to the census of 1901 are as follows:Hindu, 207,147,026; Mohammedan, 62,458,077; Buddhist, 9,476,759; Animist, 8, 584,148; Christian, 2,923,241; Sikh, 2,195,339; Jain, 1,334, 148. The oldest of these is Animism, followed by Hinduism, in which there are several sects. Buddhism was a development from Hinduism. These various religious cults seem to be largely segregated. All but some 300,000 of the Buddhists are found in Burma, almost all the Sikhs are in the Punjab, etc. Of the Christians, 2,664,313 were natives, and the remainder Europeans and Eurasians. Of the native Christians, about two-fifths were Roman Catholics. Nearly two-thirds of the total number are found in the Madras presidency, which was the scene of the labors of Francis Xavier and the early German Protestant missionaries. Here also the "Brethren" first began gospel work in India. Wm. Carey, who has been called "the father of modern missions," labored in the vicinity of Calcutta, the capital of Bengal. The adherents of the Syrian church, known as "Christians of St. Thomas," are the most ancient Christian community. Next comes the Catholics, whose beginning dates from Francis Xavier. The Protestant work scarcely antedates the 19th century, but its strides have been rapid.

Work of "Brethren" in India began as early as 1833, when Mr. A. N. Groves left Bagdad for India. At first he went about among the missionaries already there, seeking to lead them into the knowledge and practice of New Testament principles in their work. In 1834 he visited England, and returned to India with others in 1836. The work has since then grown considerably, until there are to-day some 150 workers, maintaining over 40 stations. There are several orphanages, largely for the care of the children of victims of famines, as well as a number of schools. There are also hospitals, and a large printing establishment for the propagation of the truth.

In Jan., 1888, Col. S. L. Jacob met a converted native named Musa Shah, whom he was able to lead into a knowledge of the truth. This man was then used to the similar blessing of his brother and his niece, who later united with him in establishing a settlement which came to be known as Panahpur. There they took under their care a number of famine orphans, until there was quite a colony. There is the breaking of bread for those who are the Lord's, and the people endeavor to support themselves in every way, although they have always had the fellowship and counsel of European brethren. Major F. W. Hart made a visit in April of this year, and he states that the spiritual state seems to be good, although they have suffered hardship owing to drought. May we not all pray earnestly, not only for these, but for all those that are Christ's, in that land where false teaching abounds, that they may know the comfort of trusting Him who delivers the needy when he crieth, the poor also, and him that hath no helper. R. J. L.

We append parts of several letters from the Field:

Tonneins, France, Aug. 11, 1926.

The work of the Lord and opportunities are not getting less, but there are open doors on every hand. The tract work is enlarging, and in the last seven months we had to have printed 117,000 tracts and Gospel papers. For months we have been exercised about going to Bordeaux to give out tracts on the wharves, and on board the ships. Some weeks ago we spent a few days in that city, visited some ten ships, and gave away 2500 tracts, and over 100 Gospels. We continue to receive encouraging letters from different parts thanking us for the tracts and periodicals that have been sent. A few days ago, on brother Zimmermann's order, we sent 16,000 tracts for harbor work to Hamburg, Bremen, Antwerp, Dunkirk, London, New York, and San Francisco. Kindly pray for us, for the field, and for the seed sown.

Affectionately yours in Him,

Louis J. Germain.

Winslow,. Ariz., Sept. 28,1926.

The work is opening up here, slowly but surely. The Hopi women with one exception have received me very kindly, and I was amazed to-day to have one of them from a hostile village ask whether I intended to have a regular class, and say she wanted to come. Also she proposed my having a class for the Indian children here. I surely was surprised. My work for the present at least will be confined to the Hopi Indians. In addition to the local work, I am preparing to act as matron for transient Indian girls coming through Winslow to and from the reservation. To do this I have rented an additional two-room apartment next to mine, and these will be fitted up as spare bed-rooms. My visitors will be only occasional at the start, but when it becomes generally known by the government and mission schools that I am willing to look after these girls, I shall no doubt have many, and it will be a privilege to give these girls, in passing, a message from God's Word. Who know when the seed may fall into good ground? I am surrounded with Mexicans, and there is also a settlement of about a hundred Japanese about five minutes walk from my house, and with these, if I can do nothing more, I can at least distribute tracts. So you see there is much for me to do here, and I need your prayers.

Yours in our Lord Jesus Christ,

Minnie Armerding.

Alajuela, Costa Rica, Aug. 18, 1926.

While there has been much to exercise one, several have been saved, to whom our Lord has used us to minister the Word. Some families are having much persecution, and their children as well in the public schools, both by teachers and scholars, but the more the persecution the more Romans 5:3-5 seems to develop in them. Work is kept from them as much as possible, so we seek to help them as able. Our Sunday School is continually growing, with fine interest, as well as the Gospel meeting Sunday night. Theodoro Quiroy, who formerly was a preacher with the C. A. Mission, is now helping me. I seek to divide my little portion with him; he is worthy of our support. He not only is clear as to the gospel, but sings and plays the organ well. We have open air meetings two nights a week in different parts of the town as the weather permits, and many hear the Word for the first time, so we plod on, happy in the work, praying that some may be snatched from Rome's superstition and darkness- Affectionately in Him,

D. Lamorue.

Irumu, Congo, Beige, Aug. 31,1926.

The order of drugs from Boericke & Tafel arrived in good order. I was in need of these, and am glad to have my supplies renewed, for the dispensary grows continually. We are building a new road into our place from the government road three miles away. Our present road is little more than a native path, and impassable for a motor car or a side car, both of which occasionally want to reach us. Now that Misses De Jonge and Wilson have moved into their new house, I have taken over the small one they were using for a temporary dispensary and operating room. It is very compact, to be sure, but will serve for the present.

The interest among the natives is very good. Mikaira goes five times a week to the three out-schools, going each day to them all, involving a walk of about nine miles. We thought for a time we would have to give up the attempt in one of the villages, but the Lord has heard prayer on behalf of this work and these people, and now the best interest is in this very village. We look for the salvation of souls here. Mikaira has school with them, and at the close reads a portion of Scripture, and gives a short talk from it. Every ten days or so, I go with him, and take the Gospel meeting, and we get in many of the older people in the village as will.

Miss Wilson now has the care of a native infant, whose father worked on the station, and whose mother died a few days after the child was born. All the natives are much interested in how the baby is being cared for, and these things let the natives know that we are here for their good, and make them more accessible to the Truth, which we long to see them receive.

I shot a large buffalo on the mission property a week ago. It was my first one, and all hands had a feast. We are all well.

Yours in the fellowship of our Lord Jesus Christ,

R. C. Woodhams, M. D.