The first section of the great Chapel of the Transfiguration, Bishop's Theological College, Nazareth, has now been completed and the photographs of it which I am sending with this Report give a very good idea of its appearance as it now is.

From the photographs it will be seen that the architecture of South Indian religious buildings has been freely used. The greatest care, however, has been taken not to introduce any symbolism from Hinduism. Beautiful as this often is, to have introduced it into a Christian Church would have been a fatal mistake to have made because it is all so permeated with Hindu mythology.

Fortunately there are at least two indigenous symbols found in Hindu temples and elsewhere which, because they are pure symbols and not inherently Hindu, I have been able to make good use of at Tirumaraiyur (i.e., the Bishop's Theological College Chapel, Nazareth). These are:

(a) The Banana-bud Capital. This illustrates life out of death, the bud (symbolic of life) emerging from the poisonous belladonna flower (symbolic of death).

(b) The Wheel. This design is often found on the wooden axle-stocks of local country carts and is symbolic of life being a journey through time.

Beyond these two there is no symbolism at Tirumaraiyur which finds any place in a Hindu temple. On the other hand, the Hindu stonemasons, who have so ably carved the Pillars and the emblems on the four sides, have diffused into their work something delightfully Indian and quite unlike the Christian symbols of Europe. Their work at Tirumaraiyur is pioneer and quite unique. It is, in effect, the rendering of universal Christian symbolism in a thoroughly Indian manner.

Reference to the photographs and descriptive matter in Appendix No. 1 at the end of the Report will give further information about the work which has been going on at Tirumaraiyur during the period under review. An entirely new note is being struck in Christian Church architecture at Tirumaraiyur. About this, an article of mine in "The East and West Review" (July 1939) reads as follows:

"A mile to the south of Nazareth a great church is slowly rising above the flat dusty countryside. When finished, it will unquestionably take its place alongside the outstanding non-Christian religious buildings in the district, with which it has so much in common in its design, … At Tirumaraiyur Christianity is being naturalised with the help of architecture. Local architecture, hitherto consecrated to the "God Whom ye ignorantly worship" - is now being offered to the same God as revealed in Jesus Christ. At Tirumaraiyur, the message of the Christian Church is being passed on, not only in the lecture room and by Tamil services and music, but also by the architecture of its chapel. As of those who boldly spoke out at Pentecost, men can say of Tirumaraiyur - "Behold now we hear, every man in our own language wherein we were born."

Oyangudi Church. Good progress continues to be made with this church. It will be remembered that the original idea of the villagers was to retain the nave and only to extend eastwards by the provision of transepts and an extended chancel. The good people are so delighted with the appearance of the first extension, i.e., the transepts and extended chancel, that they are now rebuilding the nave (under my supervision) in the same style as the first project.

At the time of writing (15th October 1939), my senior boys are busily engaged in erecting the new chancel roof. As at Tirumaraiyur, "temple-style" pillars are being used, though here in conjunction with arches of Indian form (stilted). The combination of pillar and arch at once gives the recognised "church" appearance to the building, yet it is all truly Indian. The dark grey temple columns and the soaring arches are as impressive as they are novel, and the people of Oyangudi are as enthusiastic about their church as they were a year ago.

In Appendix No. 2, at the end of this Report, I include all the most recent photographs of Oyangudi. These will, think, speak for themselves and will save me further description of the work there. Many of these photographs, as well as many of those in Appendix No. 1, were specially taken for forwarding to Dr. Fleming of the Union Theological Seminary, New York, U.S.A., some of them for inclusion in his forthcoming book [Christian Symbols in a World Community] on indigenous art and symbolism in Christian Churches. This, I may say, does not preclude S.P.G. making what use it likes of any or all the pictures included in this Report.

The Arokya Salai, St. John's Girls' School, Nazareth. During the last six months the school has built this interesting little addition to the buildings of the Girls' School. The Arokya Salai, or Health Building, is a miniature hospital complete with wards, dispensary and matron's quarters. The school also supplied all the woodwork and fittings.

St. John's College, Palamcottah. New Chapel. Last August a start was made on this building which is being carried out to my design. Here again, South Indian architectural forms are being freely used. At the east end "temple-style" pillars separate the ambulatory from the apsidal sanctuary. The magnificent blue-grey granite of which the chapel is being built produces most pleasing stonework and costs practically nothing because it is quarried from outcrop rock on the site.

The A.I.S. is now hard at work on the doors and windows. In my next report I shall probably be able to include photographs of this, as by then the chapel will be more advanced than it is at present.

Whatever the impression conveyed by the reading of Section No. 1 of this Report may be the fact remains that the condition of the school is far from satisfactory, a condition which is aggravated by the European War. Were it not for the work at Oyangudi and Palamcottah and sundry woodwork to three small houses in Nazareth, there would be no work at all for many of my senior boys. As it is, I am allowing eleven of the senior boys to leave the school, with their Passing-out Certificates, at Christmas instead of at the end of the school year in March 1940.

The European War, though barely six weeks old, is hitting the school by sending up the prices of materials used in the school as well as by increasing the prices of foodstuffs and commodities. This is in addition to those factors of which have made mention in previous reports, namely, the Indianisation of the country and the diminishing orders for European furniture, and the multiplication of industrial schools along the lines of the A.I.S.

The sooner the school is down to the 60 level the better. Its present strength is 105. This is quite excessive, and, were it not for the building contracts which I have taken out, many of the senior boys would be idle. During the year there has been on an average ample work for 80 boys - but not for more and certainly not for 105. Many of the boys have been working on stock furniture merely to keep them occupied There is always a risk, however, in an institution such as the A.I.S. in making stock furniture as it is sometimes difficult to sell it.

21 boys in all departments will be leaving the school either at Christmas or at the end of March next year. In their place I shall only admit 8 new boys to all departments i.e., 5 to carpentry, 1 to blacksmithy and 2 to tailoring. It therefore follows that the school strength next year will tie down to approximately 90.

I realize that this must be depressing reading and I only hope that it will not be misconstrued into any superstition by the Home Authorities of the S.P.G. that my writer and I are mishandling the affairs of the School. I have compared notes with heads of similar industrial schools elsewhere in the Madras Presidency, and their experience entirely bears out my own. It is absolutely necessary to reduce the numbers in all industrial schools at the present time.

By reducing the numbers in the school to 90, there will have to be a corresponding reduction in the teaching staff and coolie workers. Even at our present level of 105 we are badly overstaffed, and I fear that the reduction in staff at the end of the school year in March will have to be fairly drastic.

I should like to point out that while I am reducing the numbers in the school as much as I can, I am exercising the greatest care over the boys admitted. Hitherto, the procedure for admission has been to admit on the strength of the proper filling up of a boy's poverty certificate and application form, without seeing the boy (or his surroundings) first. Now that we have to tighten up admissions, I am trying as far as possible to see the boys in their villages first - see Appendix 3.

The local pastor selects 3 or more deserving cases. At their village, I see these lads and possibly their parents or guardians, and, from the pastor's selection I choose 1 or possibly 2 for admission to the school next year. I look for bright promising boys who show signs of becoming leaders and first-class workmen in years to come. Though the old method brought the standard of the A.I.S. to a very high level, it also produced too many second-rate workmen. My policy and aim at the present time is to reduce quantity and increase quality in the numbers of boys, entering the A.I.S.

The discipline of the school is excellent and could not be better. I am quite sure that the boys appreciate that they have real friends in my writer and myself. Much to their delight I generally reward the smaller boys with an orange or a ginger biscuit or a piece of chocolate (all of which they specially love) for any little services rendered - e.g., moving over finished furniture from the shops to the show room on the first floor of my bungalow. The knowledge that there is always the possibility of being so rewarded robs a visit to the "dhurrie" of many of its terrors, especially to the new boys.

Last August I had to dismiss one tailoring boy for continued insubordination to his teacher and monitor. I am always sorry when such a step is necessary. Nearly a year ago this boy asked for Baptism. I may say that before a boy is baptised, he has to prove that he is worthy in every way including his work and behaviour.

Since the last A.I.S. services of Baptism and Confirmation held early this year I am glad to be able to report that I have 15 boys ready for Confirmation and 3 for Baptism.

The health of the school has been good - except for a few mild cases of typhoid at the beginning of the term and probably imported into the school by the boys from their villages.

We have had some interesting orders to carry out, though we could have done with half as many again. Up to date we have made additional choirstalls for Nazareth Church; Altar-Rails for churches at Madura and Tuticorin; a Holy Table for a C.M.S. church near Megnanapuram; a Lectern for the Chapel of Bishop Heber Hall at Tambaram, Madras; the lofty timber roof of Oyangudi Church; office furniture for the S. I. Railway; school furniture for Miss Evans' school in Nazareth and sundry bungalow furniture. Considering we have 105 active boys to keep busy, this is not really quite as much as it may sound.

In addition to my position as principal of the Art Industrial School I am also chaplain of the English Church [Holy Trinity Church] at Tuticorin. This is an interesting old building dating from 1750 and built in the Dutch Renaissance style of that period by the traders who settled at Tuticorin. My appointment was made last August, and, in order to avoid undue inflation of my S.P.G. Report, I am including further matter dealing with the running of this chaplaincy under Appendix No. 4 at the end of this Report.

With regard to language, I am making no progress whatsoever. It is quite impossible to run the A.I.S., look after buildings in progress, prepare conscientiously for Sunday duty nearly every weekend and to tackle the language. Incidentally I shall be 43 on my next birthday I have French and Hindustani to my credit but I find Tamil much harder than these, apart from the fact that I get little time to devote to language. This lack of any knowledge of Tamil is a real handicap to me in my work and in my dealings with people out here, and makes it utterly impossible for me to be a "spiritual pastor" to these Indian boys under my care. Britain is now at War and every economy will have to be made, possibly retrenchment. Should this be applied to this diocese, I earnestly hope that I may be one of the first to be recalled. Building work is being stopped and furniture orders are rapidly decreasing. Very soon there will be little need for a European ordained missionary to be at the helm of the A.I.S.

Perhaps, though, a list of objections to my remaining on at Nazareth and in favour of my retrenchment will help:

(a) My writer could easily carry on without European help. He has done so before with a larger number of boys to cope with.

(b) Building work will soon be at a standstill.

(c) Furniture orders show a rapid fall since War started.

On the personal side too:

(d) At 43, trying to pick up a new language (even given plenty of time) is not the same as at 23 or even 33.

(e) Even when I get a little time off for language I cannot help asking myself what's the use of it anyhow. I have not the least intention of re-offering for work in this diocese when my tour is completed, being a Tamil-speaking part of India

(f) I have felt very unhappy about dismissing that boy. A knowledge of Tamil might have won him round to proper behaviour and to Christianity. I am failing as a Priest.

(g) Loneliness and isolation due to lack of language. I am not happy out here - though I try to write interesting reports and illustrate them with (I hope) interesting photographs. In this diocese, a knowledge of Tamil is essential to one's happiness as well as to one's usefulness. The prospect of another three years in Nazareth almost overwhelms me sometimes.

To be quite frank, I am hoping that retrenchment will give me the opportunity I want. I should much prefer the move to come from S.P.G. than from myself. Hitherto, it has been chiefly the interest in the various buildings going on which has made life tolerable to me at all out here, now, … well, perhaps I have said enough.

The matter of my emergence from the probationary stage, I notice, elicits no response from S.P.G. Next February when my munshi allowance lapses, my monthly income will drop by Rs.20/-, and prices out here are rising. Should the S.P.G. still wish me to remain on at the Art Industrial School (doing work which my Indian writer could equally well do and which, as I have work which my carried it on with my lack of Tamil, is certainly NOT the work of an ordained man), then I hope I may be taken off probation and have my appointment as an S.P.G. missionary confirmed. Retrenchment, I cannot help feeling, will be the most satisfactory solution and I should much prefer any move to come from the Home Society than from myself.

S.P.G., Nazareth, S. India.

15th October 1939.