It has been satisfactorily proved that the road to conversion to Christianity is through knowledge, and this once attained, heathenism shrinks into the background.

This knowledge can only be gained by the young when such schools are established as I have described.
Our missionaries should therefore devote their attention to this object, and cease to war against the impossibility of adult conversion.
If one-third of the enormous sums hitherto expended with little or no results upon missionary labor had been employed in the establishments as proposed, our colonies would now possess a Christian population.
But are our missionaries capable?
Here commences another question, which again involves others in their turn, all of which, when answered, thoroughly explain the stationary, if not retrograde, position of the Protestant Church among the heathen.
What is the reader's conceived opinion of the duties and labors of a missionary in a heathen land?
Does he, or does he not imagine, as he pays his subscription toward this object, that the devoted missionary quits his native shores, like one of the apostles of old, to fight the good fight?
that he leaves all to follow "Him ?" and that he wanders forth in his zeal to propagate the gospel, penetrating into remote parts, preaching to the natives, attending on the sick, living a life of hardship and self-denial?
It is a considerable drawback to this belief in missionary labor when it is known that the missionaries are not educated for the particular colonies to which they are sent; upon arrival, they are totally ignorant of the language of the natives, accordingly, they are perfectly useless for the purpose of "propagating the gospel among the heathen." Their mission should be that of instructing the young, and for this purpose they should first be instructed themselves.
I do not wish to throw a shade upon the efforts of missionary labor; I have no doubt that they use great exertions privately, which the public on the spot do not observe; but taking this for granted as the case, the total want of success in the result becomes the more deplorable.

I have also no doubt that the missionaries penetrate into the most remote parts of Ceylon and preach the gospel.

For many years I have traversed the wildernesses of Ceylon at all hours and at all seasons.

I have met many strange things during my journeys, but I never recollect having met a missionary.