er, and the higher and lower castes went up at different
times to the communion-table.

In the schools no difficulty was experienced, and high and low caste
children sat quite indiscriminately.

As regards social intercourse, they observe that none of their converts
have any objection to partake of food prepared by another caste, as long
as that caste is of superior rank to them, but that no one would touch
food prepared by a man of lower caste than himself. The distinction of
caste was also preserved as regards marriages, though these, of course,
were always solemnized in the church.

Finally, these good and sensible men regret the tendencies of caste, but
seem to consider that more good was to be done by letting it alone, and,
in short, letting it die a natural death, than by forcibly opposing the
prejudices of the people. And they very justly observe, that to oblige a
man of high caste to eat with the lowest is doing force to common delicacy
and to natural feelings of sense, and may be sometimes of serious
consequence to bodily health.

I may here mention that about thirty-five years ago, Dr. Graul, the head
of the Leipsic Missionary Society, visited India, remained there three
years at the various missionary stations, and was firmly convinced that to
interfere with the social customs of the native Christians would be at
once unjust and impolitic. As regards the exact action of the Roman
Catholics at present, I have no information to lay before the reader, but
I know that they always had the wisdom to interfere as little as possible
with the prejudices of the people, as long as they did not involve
idolatrous rites.

Having thus laid before the reader an outline of the views of the
supporters and opponents of caste, I shall now offer the conclusions I
have arrived at, partly from my own observations and partly from the
writings of others. I shall

1. Inquire into the origin of caste.

2. I shall inquire into the sanitary uses of caste, more especially as it
concerns the approaching the communion-table promiscuously, as to the
sitting together in church or other places, and as to its effects as
regards general social intercourse.

3. I shall inquire whether there are not some compensating advantages, as
regards caste institutions, which tend in a great measure to neutralize
the prejudicial effects that arise from people's sympathies and feelings
being confined to the members of their own caste, instead of bei