ness will arrive.' So when the Burman rulers made them clear it the last time, they said among themselves, 'Now we may suppose happiness is coming, for this completes the third time of clearing the Hornbill city;' and true enough, for before they had finished, we heard that the white foreigners had taken Rangoon! Then the Burman rulers made the Karens carry stones and throw them into Tavoy river, that the foreign ships might not be able to come up. They compelled them also to become soldiers, and to muster, each one with a bow and quiver; and as they had no guns, every one had to arm himself also with a cudgel; for the Burmans said, that, when the foreigners got on land, they would be unable to walk, and might be beaten to death with sticks. When, however, the news came that the foreigners had entered the mouth of Tavoy river, the Karens let themselves down over the wall of the city by night, and fled into the jungles. Then the Karens all ran and secreted themselves, both men and women and children; cooking food only when the smoke could be concealed by the clouds and vapors; for they were apprehensive that if the Burmans were overcome, they would fly also, and trace them by the smoke. Some of the men in the city were unable to get away, and remained till it was taken; and some that fled were unable to find their families, they having previously secreted themselves. In a little more than ten

days however, we heard that the foreigners had taken possession, and that those, who wished to go to the city, had liberty. Then the Karens rejoiced and said, 'Now happiness has arrived. The thing has come by water. Now we may take breath;' and those that were concealed returned to their homes with their wives and little ones.

"The Karens soon learned, that the foreigners were not vile like the Burmans; and they came to the city frequently, and the women with them. Formerly the women were afraid of the Burmans, and dared not come to the city; so they had never seen it. Besides, it was very pleasant to look at the foreign soldiers, standing in straight rows; and as they were quiet and civil, the Karens brought their wives and little ones to look at them. Then we remembered the words of the prophet, who said, 'See, see, the white foreigners! the white foreigners! They stand gracefully, sit gracefully, eat gracefully, drink gracefully, sleep gracefully, dwell gracefully, go gracefully, return gracefully, speak gracefully, talk gracefully;' and he had sung,

'The sons of God, the white foreigners,
Dress in shining black, and shining white.
The white foreigners, the children of God,
Dress in shining black, and shining red.'

"And so we saw them. They came with black soldiers and white soldiers, and the rulers were dressed just as the prophet had said. We had never

seen white foreigners before; but we had heard the Elders say, As to the white foreigners, they are righteous. They were the guides of God anciently, so God blessed them, and they sailed in ships and cutters; and can cross oceans, and reach lands.' The Elders said further, that the Karens were originally seven brethren, of whom the white foreigners were the youngest. Still the generation before us, that told us these things, had never seen them, and knew not how they looked. They merely related what the Elders said anciently. Through the goodness of God, my generation is permitted to see them. The Elders further sung, in relation to the white foreigners, as follows,

turn.

'The sons of God, the white foreigners,
Obtained the words of God.

The white foreigners, the children of God,
Obtained the words of God anciently.'

"Great Ruler, afterwards we heard, that after staying three years, the white foreigners would reThen we wept aloud. We said to each other If the foreigners go away, the race of the Karens will be wholly cut off;' for in the days of Alompra and Diwoon* they died like dogs; whole families often dying off together; and about the time

* Alompra was a courageons chief, who, about a century ago, usurped the royal power among the Burmans. Of Diwoon I find no information. He was, doubtless, an individual of some distinction at a more recent date.-E.

the white foreigners arrived, the Burmans were preparing to make an end of them, having assembled them together near the city. But the Karens having heard reports that the white foreigners were coming, they prayed diligently for their arrival. The prophet too sung at worship,

'The city of Ava says, she is great;

She is not equal to the heel of God's foot.
The city of Ava says, she is exceedingly great;
She is not equal to the sole of God's foot.'

"Thus they sung, and prayed, that the white foreigners might come. When they arrived, the Karens in Burmah and Siam heard of each other, and saw each other.

"After the foreign rulers and their soldiers had been here a short time, the white foreign teacher Boardman arrived, and came into the jungles and preached the words of God. We gave attention and remembered, that the Elders said, the white foreigners had obtained the words of God, that they were our younger brethren, and that they were righteous. Again, the Elders said,

Who created the world in the beginning?
God created the world in the beginning.
God appointed every thing:

God is unsearchable.'

"All things in heaven and on earth, O children and grandchildren, God created them. Never forget God. Pray to him every day, and every night.'

And before the arrival of the white foreigners, a

prophet singing, said,

'Great mother comes by sea,

Comes with purifying water, the head water.
The teacher comes from the horizon:

He comes to teach the little ones."

Hence not a few of the Karens believed.

"We next heard that teacher Wade, at Maulmain, had made Karen books; so teacher Mason sent up Kau-la-pau and myself, in a ship, to learn. Then many of the Karens, here and there, learned to read their own language; and we remembered, that the Elders had said again, 'Children and grandchildren, the Karen books will yet arrive. When their books arrive, they will obtain a little happiness.' Therefore, O great Ruler, God having given thee great goodness and kindness, we are very happy. Now, the Karens, though they be maidens, or mothers, or children, may come and dwell in the city; may dress as they wish; put on what they wish; and adorn themselves as they wish. It was not so in the days of the Burmans: we could never do so then. In the providence of God, how numerous are the reasons that we have to praise thy goodness, and thy beneficence! May God establish thy towns, and thy cities, thy lands, and thy territories. Through 'thy acts, the Karens, the children of poverty, and the sons of the forest, breathe with ease. May God, then, make great