was translated into Tamil and Portuguese. The same year a school was opened and a baptized native teacher was in charge. Due to insufficient funds, maintenance of the school was difficult. A year later, in 1708, Ziegenbalg Began the Tamil translation of the New Testament. He had gone as far as the 23rd Chapter of the Gospel when he was arrested by Hassius.

As reported earlier, the Govenor Hassius and Ziegenbalg were at loggerheads with each other. The scheming Hassius was searching for an excuse to imprison Ziegenbalg. He found his chance in a trivial excuse. “An evil minded debtor was the cause of a conflict....... A Roman Catholic interpreter..........refused to acknowledge a debt which he owed to an oppressed widow....... which her deceased husband had loaned him.”⁴⁰ Hassius allied himself with the interpreter knowing fullywell that Ziegenbalg would support the wronged widow. Ziegenbalg knew Hassius’ intentions and he warned him of the King, their supreme authority’s displeasure. Hassius got his long awaited chance. The letter of Ziegenbalg had challenged his undisputed authority, he alleged and he imprisoned Ziegenbalg. To strave the man’s intellect, he refused even ink, pen and paper. But Ziegenbalg's indomitable spirit was not to be broken. Soon, some German soldiers brought him pen and paper. On March 26, 1709 after an imprisonment of four months Ziegenbalg was released. Hassius was still to continue his harassment of these missionaries. Ziegenbalg’s release was an occassion for great joy for those whom he had converted and baptized. Enumeration of the estrangements betwixt Governor Hassius and Ziegenbalg would run into a long chapter.

Whenever time permitted, Ziegenbalg made visits to the neighbouring towns and villages. He drew crowds wherever he went and was welcomed because he had learnt Tamil. On one occasion a Muslim priest remarked “I am very much surprised that you have learned Tamil so quickly, as it is generally a very difficult language to Europeans.”⁴¹

40. S. G. Lang and H. W. G. op. cit. Pp. 37-38.

41. J. F. Fenger. op. cit. P. 53.