sail for the wonderland of India with “a highly gifted, cultured people and into the land of religions.” The two missionaries were not greatly encourage in their task as revealed by Ziegenbalg’s letter, in which he says, “many gave us but small hopes for a good and blessed issue to our undertaking, but faith in an all powerful God and confidence in the promise of his holy word, comforted us and gave us courage under all trials......”. This faith was to sustain them during their arduous days in India. The journey was not a happy one. Ziegenbalg called the seven months’ voyage “an academy of death”. But it was not free from enriching the missionaries. They absorbed much and wrote of them in their letters.

On the 9th of July, 1706, the two missionaries arrived at their destination, Tranquebar. The harbour at Tranquebar was ceded by the Tanjore King to the Danish East India Company, along with a few villages and the town. The ships had to anchor quite far off from the town and all communication and transportation had to be done by boats which had to ply through dangerous breakers. The missionaries were to meet with opposition right from the start. They were almost helplessly stranded, finally Herr Arthur secured lodging for them in the house of his father-in-law. The people amongst whom Ziegenbalg and his friend had to work are best described in Zeigenbalg’s own words. He says, “The inhabitants consist partly of white Europeans, partly of half white Portuguese, partly of yellow Moors, but principally of black brown Malabarians.....Tranquebar is a well peopled town, swarming with old and young, especially as its trade attracts men of all nations both by sea and land.”³⁶ Ziegenbalg divides the population into four different classes. The first and largest population of course is the native one, whom Ziegenbalg calls, “the black brown Malabarians”. Here it is necessary to note that the early missionaries were calling the local Tamils as Malabarians. In the “History of the Tranquebar Mission”. Here it is necessary to note that the early missionaries were calling the local Tamils as Malabarians. In the “History of the Tranquebar Mission” by Fenger a passage reads: “This is the name by which the Hindus, the heathen portion of the population, are generally mentioned in the missionary

36. J. F. Fenger, op. cit. P. 19.