f enormous
size, going before him, and accompanied by his troops, with a wild,
horrid dissonance of cannon and native music. Two thousand persons
escorted the Rajah to the Bishop's tent, where he conversed very sensibly
on various subjects, especially English history, or as he called it, "the
Generations of English Kings." He was keeping up the good works he had
established, under the encouragement of the British resident, Colonel
Blackburne, and in this district the native Christians numbered about
500, who were under the direction of Schwartz's companion, Pohle.

On the Malabar coast Bishop Middleton had much intercourse with the
Christians of St. Thomas, visited their churches, and held much
conversation with their Bishop, convincing himself that the distinctive
tenets of Nestorianism had died out among them, and arranging for their
receiving assistance in books and teachers.

His visit to Ceylon followed, and was always regarded by him as a time of
much gratification; the good Governor, Sir Robert Brownrigg, had done so
much for the improvement of the people, and the missions were flourishing
so well. Here Christian David became a catechist, and on the Bishop's
second visitation, in 1821, he ordained as deacon a man named Armour,
whose history one longs to know more fully. He had come out to Ceylon
originally as a private soldier, and finding a number of natives,
probably the remnant of the Dutch Mission, whose profession of
Christianity was only nominal, he had taken upon himself "almost the work
of an evangelist," never varying from the teaching and services of the
English Church. He had taught himself to speak and preach fluently in
Cingalese, and could use the Dutch and Portuguese languages freely. He
had even some knowledge of Latin and Greek, and was so staunch Churchman
that he had resisted all invitations from the Baptists to join them. He
had gone through frightful difficulties and dangers in the swamp and the
jungle, and travelled thousands of miles; and when he came to the Bishop
it was with deep humility, and the hope that he had not been presumptuous
in taking on himself the charge of souls without sanction. It was his
great desire to obtain this commission, and the Bishop, finding how sound
in faith, pious, and excellent he was, admitted him to deacon's orders
before leaving Colombo.

Ceylon was erected into an archdeaconry and attached to the Bishopric of
Calcutta, and shortly after the same