The Hero Missionary; Or, a History of the Labours of the REV. Eugenio Kincaid

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1858 edition. Excerpt: ...them from idolatry, and kept alive among them the tradition, that in ancient times the Supreme Being gave to their fathers a Good Boole, which through their carelessness was destroyed by a dog, but which in time will be restored, when they will become a wise and happy people. We preached the gospel evesry evening in the most plain and simple manner, and they listened attentively; but few could understand Burman well enough to receive much instruction.; Those who could understand, said they believed what we taught, and that all the Kemmees would believe when they came to hear and understand this doctrine. Prom morning till night we spent nearly all our time in collecting words and sentences so as to learn the structure of the language, but still embraced every opportunity to learn the extent of their country and the probable number of the inhabitants. All we could learn, however, on this last subject was, that for several days' journey (two hundred miles ox more, ) up the great river, and on all the tributary streams, the inhabitants are Kemmees. The Ko-ladan, and all its tributaries, are thickly studded with their villages, which vary from ten to fifty families in each. They are certainly a numerous people, and, without doubt, I think, one of the greatest branches of the Karen family. The Khyiens inhabit all the hill country and the great ranges of the Yuma mountains to the south, as the Kemmees do at the north. After getting about eighty miles north of Ava, I found all the hill country for more than three hundred miles, that is, to the Hu Kong valley, inhabited by Ka Khyiens, a people in all respects like the Karens; so that we have Karens, Ka Khyiens, Khyiens and Kemmees, four branches of the same great family, formerly the sole...