h they have sprung; and I have
little doubt that the low estimation in which the native Christians are
held is owing to the fact that our countrymen have generally come in
contact with the specimens that have been nurtured amidst the scum of our
Indian towns. Were we to believe the assertions of our English
missionaries, very different conclusions would, of course, be arrived at;
but unless they can show that the lowest and most ignorant classes of
natives, who from their habits, and from having nothing to lose, are under
great temptations, form an exception to all specimens of humanity in other
quarters of the globe, I am afraid there can be little reason to doubt
that the opinions I have expressed are fairly correct. I doubt very much,
in fact, from my intimate knowledge of the lower classes of natives--and
it is from these, as I said before, that our converts are mainly
derived--whether they are capable of comprehending our religion at all. Of
one thing I think we may be quite certain, and that is, that the moment
the missionary's back is turned, these people return to their devils in
the event of any danger or sickness arising. This might be arrived at
deductively with perfect accuracy, and arguing solely from our knowledge
of humanity under certain conditions; but I may mention that in Ceylon
instances of people reverting to their devil-worship are common amongst
the native Christians, and instances might, no doubt, be soon collected in
India, if anyone thought it worth the trouble. While alluding to
missionary assertions, I may mention that the credulity of these gentlemen
seems only to be equalled by the credulity of the British public. If they
would only extend their belief in the goodness of natives a little
further, one might be tempted to sympathize with this amiable weakness.
But the peculiar part of their statements lies in the fact that their
converts have got all the virtue and morality in India, while the
respectable classes of the community seem, by their account, to be very
badly off in these respects. The most curious instance, however, of
missionary credulity that I have met with is to be found in the evidence
of Mr. Underhill, given before the Committee on Colonization (India) in
1859. And it certainly is a surprising result of conversion to find that
the wives of the converts become not only more beautiful, but also more
fertile, than their heathen sisters. Two heathen natives had been heard to
testi