CURRENT LITERATURE.
The Conversion of India. By George Smith, LL.D. (John Murray.)—Dr. Smith gives his readers a very able historical sur- vey of missionary work in India, and also furnishes them with a forecast, not unhopeful, but strictly moderate and reasonable, of the future. Christian work in evangelising:India began, to pass over the legendary period, with the mission of Pantaenus, and it has been continued at intervals during the intervening centuries. Some opportunities have been missed, notably that offered by Kublai Khan. If this remarkable man had only had "the hun- dred Christians, intelligent men, well qualified to enter into controversy," for whom he asked, what might not the effect on Central Asia, and ultimately on India, have been ! Unhappily, as Dr. Smith puts it, he got, not the men, but only some oil from the Holy Sepulchre. Dr. Smith estimates the work of the various missions that have gone to India with fairness and candour. Xavier, who, in popular esteem at least, stands at the head of all Indian missionaries, he highly esteems ; but he evidently regards his work as largely mechanical. " I am not without work," he wrote, while staying at Tuticorin, "for I want no interpreter to baptise infants just born, or, those which their parents bring; or to relieve the famished and the naked who come in my way." Of the prospects of missionary work he gives an interesting survey. In Southern India, chiefly among non-Aryan tribes, theylpresent some encouraging features. Agents, ordained and lay, have in- creased in 40 years (1851-90) from 661 to 4,638, native Chris- tians from 91,092 to 559,661 ; and native Communicants from 14,661 to 152,722. The progress among the adherents of Brahminism is very slow, but it is certain that that faith is being undermined by other influences. Mahommedanism presents a front very little broken at present. But here too social influence will tell, sooner or later. On the whole:the work is enormously great and difficult—on this point Dr. Smith'has no illusion—but it is not desperate.
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