he again returned to Jaffna and was placed at the head of the seminary there. Hoisington was rather delicate in health. Due to ill-health, he visited the United States in 1842 and returned to Jaffna in 1843.

He learnt Tamil, and became quite proficient in it. He was interested in Saivism and began to study Tamil and analyse it. As a result of his efforts, the Tamil work Kanta - purāṇam was prescribed for study in schools. Since Christian schools also taught it, saivites began to object. Hoisington however was unmindful of these objections. This introduction had its own advantageous results. Hindu students in Christian institutions had a chance to learn their own religion and Christian students could also get acquainted with “Saivism”. Hoisington himself soon became interested in Saivism. As a result of this, he eventually translated with notes into English, three books of Saiva philosophy in 1854. This to a great deal helped J. M. Nallaswamy Pillai who translated later Civañānapōtam into English.

Though feeble in health, he accomplished good work for the seminary, in which he took a deep interest. Ill-health compelled him to leave his mission work and return home in 1849. With health partially restored, he spent two years visiting the Churches of Southern New England. From 1854 to 1856 he gave lectures to the college students on “Hinduism”. In April 1857, he was installed pastor of the Church in Central Brook. He died suddenly a year afterwards on May 16th, in 1858.

Hoisington possessed a vigorous and acute mind. His work as instructor of Tamil youth, led him to study profoundly Hindu science, metaphysics and theology. He was an able scholar with wide linguistic attainments. He was well read in Latin, Hebrew and Greek. Sanskrit and Tamil he quickly mastered to translate creditably standard works of Saiva Siddhanta.

15. REV. DR. JOHN MURDOCH

John Murdoch was born in Glasgow, on July, 22, 1819. He was a Scot. “After Alexander Duff, no other man has done so