1838 – A letter, which includes a hand drawn color map, from an American missionary medical seminary in Jaffna, Ceylon that was considered to be “equal in rank with many European universities”
Ballicotta Jaffna, Ceylon (Sri Lanka): 1838. Envelope or Cover. This four-page, stampless, folded letter, measuring 16.25” x 12.75” unfolded, was sent by Joel F. Arnold at the “American Mission Seminary Ballicotta Jaffna” on September 2nd, 1839, to a group of benefactors, “The Female Mite Association” in Chester, New Hampshire. It bears a manuscript “6” rate annotation and an indistinct Boston circular postmark. It was carried via a private ship, probably British, and charged 6 cents postage upon arrival. In nice shape with some edgewear including a minor loss of text and transparent archival reinforcement along several folds.
In this letter, not only does Arnold thank his “Benefactresses,” but he provides them with a 7¼” x 6¼” hand-drawn, watercolored map of Jaffa as well.
His letter reads in part:
“I am truly sorry [for] the loss of the letter of 1838. . .. Were you to peruse that epistle, I assure you will not fail to meet in it with interesting topics and novelties that I have alluded to, respecting me, and my country, which the light of Christianity is at present introduced [through] your help, which you might do by sending your petitions to the tribunal of God to bless them and cause their undertaking to become successful. . .. The more you pray God to bless these poor people and deliver them from their trains of wicked ness, the much more will they be heard by heaven . . . and attack the fortified city of heathenism [to] prevail upon the massed force [of] Satan. . ..
“May I you now, Madams, beg you to direct your attention to the following incident which you cannot help crying at for joy. . .. Within the last three months, our church was enlarged by an additional sum of 31 members, who were on the Sabbath baptised. . ..
“It is my duty to give a brief sketch of the Seminary. It is managed by the Principal H. R. Hoisington and Professor Nathan Ward. In [December]. the former on account of his impaired health is coming home and will shortly after a year return here. . .. Until that time, the Seminary will be under the care of the Professor. Here are boarded and clothed about 170 boys who are divided into 5 classes of which the present first
class is to be honorably dismissed from the Seminary on the 25th day of this month, when my class will become the first, of which at present, there are 15 students, of whom 5 are impenitents and 1 candidate to the admission to the church. My present studies in particular are the following; Navigation, Enfield’s Philosophy, Robbins history, Young’s Night Thoughts. . ..”
Arnold’s map, showing towns and administrative centers, follows the text of his letter. Very good. Item #010647
1n 1823, American missionaries founded the Ballicotta Seminary, part of John Scudder’s medical mission, in the small, but important, town of Vaddukoddai, Jaffna, to educate the smartest boys on the peninsula. The school’s reputation was so sterling that Sir James Emerson Tennent declared it to be “equal in rank with many European universities.” Despite its excellent academic reputation, the school was not successful in accomplishing it principal mission, i.e., converting the boys to Christianity, and many, if not most remained Hindu. So, the school closed in 1855. However, it was reopened as Jaffna College in 1871 by local alumni of the seminary and remains in operation today.
Religious women in a number of communities formed “mite” societies or associations to fund missionary activities. They were named for the biblical story of the “widow’s mite” and collected offerings beyond the support given to congregations.
(For more information, see Karunairajan’s “Association’s souvenir ignores founding reality of Jaffna College” online, Root’s Century in Ceylon the American Board in Ceylon, and online entries at Ancestry.com and the Find-a-Grave website.)
At the time of listing, no similar items are for sale in the trade, nor does the Rare Book Hub identify any others that have been sold at auction. OCLC identifies none held by libraries. So, perhaps the only extant first-hand description of this important institution.
Price: $1,000.00