vows to their gods. One will promise to go on a pilgrimage to some holy place, another will perform a penance, and a third will make a valuable present to his favourite temple.

Offered a sacrifice-This is generally done when they get safe to shore; but I have been on board when they have offered cocoa-nuts and other articles with the greatest earnestness. To interfere with them, is not always prudent; because, were it not for the hope they have from such offerings, they would cease to work the vessel.

CHAP. IV.

And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief.-Verse 6. The margin has, instead of gourd, Kikajon, or "palmerist!"

Dr. A. Clarke asks: "But what was the Kikajon? The best judges say the ricinus or Palma-Christi, from which we get what is vulgarly called castor-oil." The Tamul translation has, instead of "gourd," Amanaku, that is, the Palma-Christi. It is believed, also, the verb is in the preterperfect tense, "had prepared;" which may be another instance of the verb as illustrated under Isai. xxi. 9. The Palma-Christi is most abundant in the East; and it has risen in my own garden to the height of fourteen feet. Its growth is very rapid. "God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered;" (verse 7;) that is, it smote the Palma-Christi till it withered. This tree, in the course of a very short period, produces the “rough caterpillar," respecting which I have written some observations under Jer. li. 27; and in places where caterpillars are abundant, they will, in the course of a single night, strip the tree of its leaves, and thus take away the shade. But there is another worm in the East, called kuruttupullu, that is, "the blind worm," said to be produced by the dew. It begins its devastations at what is called the cabbage-part of the palm, and soon destroys the tree. "God prepared a vehement east wind." (Verse 8.) I have already written on that parching, life-destroying wind. But the margin has, instead of vehement, “or silent," which probably means calm. Thus when

there is a lull of an easterly wind, and the sun pours his fierce rays on the head of the poor traveller, it seems as if life must depart; birds and beasts pant; there is the silence of death, and nature seems ready to expire.

MICAH.

CHAP. I.

And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.-Verse 7.

HERE again we have unalloyed and rampant Heathenism. The "sacred" courtesans of the temple give a part of their hire toward the repairing and beautifying of the building; and for the purchase of idols, or other articles required at the festivals. At the annual festival of Scandan, which continues twenty-four days, these females defray the expenses of the last day, from the proceeds of their own wickedness.

CHAP. IV.

They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree.-Verse 4.

The people of the East have great pleasure in sitting or lounging under their tamarind or mango trees in the grove. Thus, in the heat of the day, they while away their time in playing with their children, in taking up the fruit, or smoking their much-loved cheroot.

CHAP. VI.

Will the Lord be pleased with ten thousands of rivers of oil ?-Verse 7. Allusions are often made in the scriptures to the value of oil; and, to appreciate them aright, it should be recollected that

oil only is used to light the houses, for anointing the body, and for many medicinal purposes. "Have you heard of the charity of Venase? Why, he has given a river of oil to the temple; and Muttoo has given a river of ghee." "Milk! why, that farmer has rivers of it; and the Modeliar has a sea.”

CHAP. VII.

That they may do evil with both hands earnestly.-Verse 3. We have seen that to do a thing with one hand, signifies earnestness, and oneness of consent. Whenever a person has to receive a thing from a superior, he must put out both hands; not to do so, would be a mark of great disrespect. "Alas! I went to that man with both hands;" that is, held them out to him; "but he turned me away." "The greedy wretch eats with both hands;" meaning, he is a glutton; because all respectable and decent people eat with the right hand only.

Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.-Verse 19. When a devotee believes the guilt of his transgressions has been removed, whether by prayers or austerities, he says, sins have all fallen into the sea."

"My

HABAKKUK.

CHAP. II.

For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.-Verse 11. The margin has, instead of answer it, or witness against."

WHEN a man denies what he has solemnly promised, the person who complains of his perfidy says, "The place where you stood shall witness against you."

"A beautiful princess was once enjoying herself in a fragrant grove, when a noble prince passed that way; she

became enamoured of his person, and he solemnly promised to return and marry her. When he left her, she wept bitterly, and said, Ah! should he not return, this tali-tree (pandanus odoratissima) shall witness against him. Yes, the birds shall be my witnesses.""

ZEPHANIAH.

СНАР. І.

And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil. The margin has, in place of settled, "curded or thick

Verse 12.

ened."

THE Tamul translation is, "dregs stirred up;" that is, sediment shaken together and well thickened. Of people who are in great straits, of those who are a strange compound of good and evil, of things which are difficult to be understood, it is said, "Ah! this is all kullumbin-vandal;" that is, "stirredup dregs." This appears to have been the state of the Jews; and they wanted to show, that the Lord would neither do good nor evil, that in him was not any distinct character, that he would not regard them in their thickened and mixed condition, and that though they were joined to the Heathen, the consequences would not be injurious.

I will search Jerusalem with candles-Thus were they mistaken in their false hopes. Does a man declare his innocence of any crime? the accusers declare: "We will search thee with lamps." "Yes, yes, I will look into that affair with lamps." "What! have your lamps gone out? You see I am not guilty."

CHAP. II.

The cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels.-Verse 14. In the margin, instead of lintels, we have "knops or chapiters." The Tamul translation has: "lodge in the sickeram," that is, "the peak, the crown." The retired water-fowls were to

perch on the mansions of the Ethiopians and the Assyrians, to show the desertion and utter desolation of their oncepleasant homes. "Alas! the koku" (a water-fowl) "is now living in the house of the Modeliar." See the remarks on Isai. xxxiv. 11.

HAGGAI.

СНАР. І.

He that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. -Verse 6.

THE Orientals, in general, keep their money in earthen vessels: hence, when a man's riches disappear more rapidly than he can account for, or when he has missed some part, he says, "The money-pot has holes in it."

ZECHARIAH.

CHAP. III.

Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?-Verse 2. "Ye were as a fire-brand plucked out of the burning." (Amos iv. 11.) See also Jude 23.

WHEN a man has had a very narrow escape from danger or from death, he is called "a fire-brand." Thus, when the cholera rages, should only one in a family escape, he is named "the fire-brand." When a person talks of selling his property, in consequence of not having an heir, people say, "Sell it not; there will be yet a fire-brand to inherit it." "Alas! alas! my relations are all dead! I am a fire-brand.”