Page:Life in India or Madras, the Neilgherries, and Calcutta.djvu/253

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To the question “Why did you not sooner bring the gospel to us?” it was not so easy to give an answer. Alas! how has the church of Christ failed to obey the command of Christ to carry the gospel to every creature! They were surprised to hear that we were not paid five hundred dollars a month by the government to preach to them," and finally separated from us on our return to the bungalow, with very friendly farewells.

Our third night of travel brought us to Arcot, where we intended to form our plans, and to leave the high road for the villages, to survey the field for new mission stations. Our first care was to despatch a note to Mr. B., collector of the district of North Arcot. This modest title is very far from conveying to an American ear the idea which accompanies it to the mind of the inhabitant of British India. The collector, or, as it is corrupted, “kalkakta," is the highest authority known to the poor ryots. (cultivators.) He is, to all intents, governor of the district, with, it may be, a million of in