CONTENTS CHAPTER I The Field Described 11 Travancore. An Ancient and Sacred Land. Size. Population. Reasons of its Isolation. Social System. Brahmans. Nayars. Traders. Shanars. Ilavas. Other Castes' History. First part of India which received the Gospel. Early Syrian Church in Travancore. Portuguese Power. Francis Xavier. Influence of Rome upon 8yrian Christian Community. Present extent of the London Missionary Society. CHAPTER II The Ringeltaube Period, 1806-1816 18 Ringeltanbe's Diary. Political Condition of Travancore. Ringeltaube's Personality. Vethamanickam his first Convert Ringeltaube's Anival and Reception. Christians among the Hills and Cares. The first Church at Mylady. State of first Converts. Ringeltaube's Methods of Work and Discipline. Colonel Munro's Help to the Mission. Ringeltanbe's Illness. He ordains Vethamanickam. Gives him Charge of the Mission. Leaves the Country. The lost Leader. Estimate of Ringeltanbe's Character and Work. CHAPTER III The Growth of Forty Years, 1816-1856 81 A Lonely Flock. Visit of Bishop of Calcutta. Charles Mead's Arrival. Nagercoil made Head Station. Gift by Ranee of Travancore. Foundation Stone of Nagercoil Church laid. Richard Knill. Nagercoil Seminary. First Printing Press. Mr and Mrs Mault Arrived. Quilon Occupied. First Deputation from Board visits Travancore. Their Report. Formation of Neyoor District. Raman Thampi. His Liberality and Suffering. Opposition. Pareychaley District started. Mr and Mrs Abbs. Mr Roberts and the Rajah's College. Mr Mead's return from Furlough. Reinforcements. Commencement of Trevandrum District. Mr Whitehouse and Seminary. Influence of English Education. Slavery in Travancore. Lace-making and its Results. Mr Lewis and Santhapuram. Dr. Leitch and the Medical Mission. Arrival of Mr Baylis. Retirement of Mr and Mrs Mault. Results of their Work. CHAPTER IV From Jubilee to Centenary, 1856-1906 46 Arrival of Mr Dennis. Retirement of Mr Whitehouse. Sir Charles Trevelyan's Action. Disturbances. Upper Cloth Troubles. Changes in Trevandrum and Quilon. Dr. Lowe reviews Medical Mission. Famine and Cholera. Testimony of Dewan to Christian Liberality. Accessions. Dr. Waring and the Puliyar Caste. Developments. Ordination of Native Ministers. Steps toward Self-Support and Self-Government. Dr. Thomson and Medical Mission. Maharajah's Ward. Church Council organised. Government Census. Formation of Pastorates. Six Years' Movement. Changes in Mission. Cholera. Reinforcements. Losses by Death of Native Workers. Death of Mr Mateer. Forward Movement. Trevandrum Hostel opened. Changes in Staff. Native Evangelistic Society Established. Church Union formed. Celebration of Centenary. CHAPTER V Educational Work of the Mission 66 Missionaries Educational Pioneers. Changes in Missionary Position. Present Conditions. Village Schools. Girls' Schools. Need of Seminary. Ringeltaube's Letter. Mead and Mault's Efforts. Object of Seminary. First Seminary Teachers. Mrs Roberts' Use and Development of Seminary. Distinguished Students. Seminary Affiliated to Madras University. Scott Christian College. Present Conditions of Villages and Churches. Special Need for Theological Instruction. Opinions of Leading Missionaries. Divinity School for South India. Extension and strengthening existing Training Class. Rise of Christians in Educational Status. Prayer for Skilled Labourers. CHAPTER VI Medical Mission Work 76 Development of Medical Missions. Their Position and Power in Missionary Enterprise. Co-operation. History. Ramsay. Dr. Leitch's first Report. Dr. Lowe. Training Class for Medical Evangelists. Dr. Thomson's Active Years. Erection of Central Hospital, Neyoor. Trained Nurses. Great Increase under Dr. Fells. Testimony to Christian Character. Present Staff. Economy in Expenditure. Charges for Medicine. The Question of Result. The Converted Fakir. A Grateful Patient. A Village Opened. Native Medical Evangelists. Influence of their Work. Hope for the Future. CHAPTER VII Women's Work among Women 83 Position of Women in Indian Literature. Present Social Condition. Work of Missionaries' Wives. Boarding Schools for Girls. Testimony of Dr. Mullens. Financial Responsibility. Lace and Embroidery Industries. Caste Girls' Schools. Influence of Medical Mission. Mrs Thomson's School at Eraniel. Biblewomen's Work. How Begun and Maintained. Present Position of this Work. Growth of Friendly Feeling. CHAPTER VIII Evolution of Church Life in Travancore 93 How first Christians were Gathered. Different Classes of Christians. A Missionary's Work. Life before Organisation. Needs of the Missionary. Growth seen in Mission Buildings. Changes in Missionaries' Duties. Change of Primitive Mission into Complex Organisation. Supreme Object of Mission. How Far this has been Reached. Self-supporting Pastorates. Church Council. Native Evangelistic Society. South Travancore Church Union. Object of the Mission. A Hindu's Criticism and Reply. Table of Missionaries and Statistics 105 & 106 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Map of Travancore Frontispiece Native Leaf Book 4 Scene on Backwater, Travancore 5 Syrian Priest and Church, Travancore 6 Female Leper Home 8 River Scene in South India 10 Travancore compared with Wales 12 Nagercoil School and College Buildings 13 Cape Comorin, South India 14, 15 Bathing Tank and Temple, South India 19 Rev. W. T. Ringeltaube 20 Idols in a Village Shrine 21 Village Life, South India 22 On the Road 23 District Travelling 23 The Potter 26 Extract from Ringeltaube's Journal 29 View from Mission House, Nagercoil 30 Nagercoil Church 32 Nagercoil Church, Interior 32 Group of Missionaries 33 Rev. Charles Mault 36 The Seminary, Nagercoil 37 Orphanage at Nagercoil S9 Rev. J. Cox 40 Rev. J. O. Whitehouse 41 Rev. F. Baylis 44 Contributions to the Collection 45 Members of South Travancore Church Union 47 Rev. S. Mateer 49 Rev. Dr. and Mrs Duthie 50 Dr. John Lowe 51 A Group of Native Workers 53 Dr. Thomson 55 On the Road, South India 58 A Hindu Devotee 60 A Christian Teacher 61 Mateer Memorial Church 64 Evangelists and Students 65 Nagercoil Church 67 A Christian Church 69 Nagercoil Seminary and College 71 The Scott Christian College 72 Group of Mission Workers 73 Group of Scholars 75 Medical Mission Staff, Travancore 76 Mission Hospital, Neyoor 79 Do. Operating Room 80 Branch of the Medical Mission 81 Martandam Mission Hospital 82 The Leper Settlement 84 Mrs Thomson and Biblewomen 85 Lace Workers, Nagercoil 86 Embroidery Workers, Neyoor 87 Neyoor Boarding School 89, 91 Group of School Girls 90 Travancore Lace 92 Village Congregation and Chapel, Travancore 93 Evolution of a Church — No. 1. A Beginning 95 Do. No. 2. An Improvement 96 Do. No. 3. Still Advancing 97 Do. No. 4. Further Growth and Improvement 99 A Self-supporting Church 100 Members of the Travancore Staff 103 Scenes in Travancore 104 Digitized by Google.