India as a Missionary Field
India.—The importance of this wonderful country as a missionary field is emphasized in the following statement by Rev. Edward Storrow, of the London Missionary Society:— "India is isolated from the remainder of Asia by two oceans, and the highest and broadest mountain ranges on the earth. Within these spacious, well-defined limits, lies an empire rich, fertile, and varied, with almost all the gifts of nature, having an area and population equal to that of all Europe, Russia excepted. Its extent is equal to nearly two-thirds of the United States, while its population is almost five times as great. It is the dwelling-place of about one-fifth of the human race, or more than twice the population of the Roman Empire in its palmiest days (according to Gibbon). British rule is direct and absolute over more than two-thirds of this vast population, and supreme and unchallenged over the 650 semi-independent and feudatory States of the remaining third. The origin of these millions of people, with their diversities of race, language, religion, and civilization, can only be glanced at, and, indeed, for the most part these lie outside the limits of definite history."