% m, PRINCETON, N. J. BV 2370 .B8 B7 1859 v. 2 Browne, George. The history of the British ^"^ and Foreign Bible Society THE HISTORY OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN FROM ITS INSTITUTION IN 1804, TO THE CLOSE OF ITS JUBILEE IN 1854. COMPILED AT THE REQUEST OF THE JUBILEE COMMITTEE, BY THE REV. GEORGE BROWNE, DURING TWENTY YEARS ONE OF THE SECRETARIES OF THE SOCIETY. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON. SOLD AT THE SOCIETY'S HOUSE, EARL STREET, BLACKFRIARS ; BAGSTER AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW; AND ALL BOOKSELLERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. 1859. CONTENTS. HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY'S FOREIGN OPERATIONS. {Continuerl .) SOUTHERN EUROPE. CHAPTER I. SPAIN, PORTUGAL, AND ITALY. 1804—1854. Southern Europe not favourable to the Society's work. — First eiforts for Spanish Prisoners of war. — Portuguese New Testament. — Operations still restricted, after the General Peace of 1814, — Spain — Committee for operations at Gibraltar. — Catalonian Version. — Distribution by Mr. G. Borrow and Lieut. Gray don. — Efforts of Dr. James Thomson. — Portugal. — Free importation of Scriptuixs, 1834. — Revised Portuguese Version. — Madeira. — Successful La- bours of Dr. Kalley. — His imprisonment and liberation. — Reli- gious awakening in Madeira. — Banishment of many Converts. — Italy. — Distribution in Sicily and Malta. — Temporary openings in 1848. — Efforts of Professor Schircks in the Grisons . . 1 — 21 CHAPTER II. GREECE, TURKEY, AND ISLES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN. SECTION I. 1808—1829. Version of New Testament in Modern Greek.— Commencement of Agency at Malta.— Bible Society at Malta.— Services of Rev. Messrs. Jowett, Connor, and Burckhardt.— Auxiliary Societies iii Greece— Athens, Cephalonia, Zante.— Visit of Dr. Pinkerton to Constantinople and Greece.— Rev. Mr. Leeves, Agent at Constau- tinople.— Mr. Barker, Agent at Aleppo —Distribution of Scrip- tures among the Armenians. — Greek Lisurrection. — Temporary removal of Mr. Leeves from Constantinople ; and return. — Circula- VuL. II. a ii CONTENTS. tioii of Scriptures ; Syriac, Arabic, Greek, Armenian, Turkish. —Destruction of Aleppo by Earthquake.— ]\Ir. Barker's Tour in Turkey.— Palestine,— l)istribution of Scriptures. — Ionian Bible Society.— Bishop Ililarion's Modern-Greek version.— Tour of Mr. Barker in Asia Minor.— Removal of :\Ir. Leeves from Constanti- nople.—At,'encies in the Greek Islands. — Co-operation of Ameri- can Missionaries 2-- SECTION II. 18.30—1854. Version of the Old Testament in JNIodern Greek. — Versions by Missionaries at Shushi and Astrachan, into Ararat and Persian. — Tour of Mr. Leeves in Greece. — Scriptures admitted into the Greek public Schools. — Bulgarian New Testament. — Colportage. — Greece. — Opposition from the Greek Hierarchy. — German Colonists in South Russia. — Graeco-Turkish Version. — General course of the labours of Messrs. Leeves and Barker, and their inii)ortant results.- Rev. Mr. Lowndes, Agent at Corfu.— La- mented Death of Mr. Leeves.— Marked effect of Scripture distri- bution in Armenia.— Jerusalem.— Circulation of Scriptures.— Letter of Bishop Gobat. — Removal of Mr. Barker to Bucharest. — Scrip- tures introduced in the Government Schools. — Progress of religious awakening in Armenia.— Distribution of Scriptures to the Allied Armies in the East 41—8^ REVIEW OF EUROPE CONCLUDED. OF.NERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE CONTINENTAL OPERATIONS OF THE SOCIETY. 1804—1854. Unexpected extent of the destitution of the Continent,— Discovered and admitted but slowly.— The singular interest awakened in favour of tlie Society's work.— The sanction given by Sovereigns and cliief Clergy.— InHuence thus gained in favour of the cause.— The wide organization of Continental Societies and Agencies. Eminent Successs of Drs. Paterson, Henderson, and Pinkerton.— Unhappy result of the Apocryphal Controversy.-Separation of Contmental Societies, and their subsequent decav.— Attachment of Protestants abroad to the Apocrypha.— Error of the Reformers in retammg it.-Bigoted resistance of Popish Countries to the nitroduction of the Scriptures.-Yet the Continental operations of the Society, as a whole, eminently successful.— Lnmense total of Scripture, circulated. . ^q_qq CONTENTS. ASIA. CHAPTER I. BRITISH JNDIA. SECTION I. 1804—1830 Remarks on the Sovereignty acquired by Great Britain over India. — Oriental Committee of the Bible Society. — Dr. Buchanan's appeal in favour of translations at Serampore. — Attack on Christian efibrts for India. — Corresponding Committee at Calcutta. — Subscription for Tamil version. — Auxiliary Society at Calcutta, 1811. — Destruc- tive fire at Serampore. — Death of Dr. Leyden, Rev. D. Brown, and the Rev. II. Martyn. — Ceylon Auxiliary, 1812. — Operations of Calcutta Auxiliary, — Bombay Auxiliary, 1813. — Persic version of Henry Martyn. — Version for Armenians in the East. — Special Fund for versions, commenced by Mr. Hey. — Madras Auxiliary, 1820. — Calcutta Bible Association. — Resolution for Grants to ver- sions modified. — JNIemorial respecting words for Baptism. — Death of Bishop Heber. — Bible inCanarese. — Attack on Oriental versions. — Versions at Shushi and Astrachan. ..... 97 — 1 38 SECTION II. 1830—1854. Standard Version in Bengali by Dr. Yates and Mr. Wenger.— Death of Dr. Carey, — and of Dr. Marshman. — Aid rendered by the Episcopacy in India to the Bible cause. — Appeal of Bishop Wilson. — New Testament in the Pali dialect. — Dr. Ilfeberlin's Agency. — Urdu version. — Auxiliary at Agra. — Operations of Calcutta Auxi- liary.— Scriptures for Emigrant Coolies. — Revision of the Tamil Scriptures.— English Scriptures for educated natives.— Versions for the IliU tribes. — The Bible in Mahratta. — Proposition to give the Scriptures to every family.— Grant of Scriptures for Mis- sionaries in their itinerancies.— Circulation by the Calcutta Auxi- liary.—Summary of Oriental Translations.— Issues of IMadras Auxiliary. — Distribution by Colporteurs.— Jubilee Celebrations at Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, Ceylon;— and Grants from Jubilee Fund.— Review of Operations in the different Presidencies. 139—190 CONTENTS. CHAPTER TI. CHINA. 1804—1854. Attention of the Society early drawn to China.-IManuscript of C'liiiiesc New Testament found in the British Museum, 1804.— Its pul.lication ultimatelv dcclincd.-Ycrsion of New Testament com- pleted bv Dr. Marshman, 1^^ 10.— Version of the entire Scriptures by Dr. Morrison, 1814.— First distribution of Scriptures in China. —Auxiliary in Java.— ]Malay Scriptures for Native Christians in the Moluccas.— Death of Dr. Milne.— Agent solicited for the l^Inlayan Archipelago.— Visit of jNIessrs. Gutzlaff and Tomlin to Siani'— Siamese New Testament completed.— Travels of Mr. Gutz- latf in Northern China.— Effect of the publication of his Journal.— Death of Dr. Morrison.— :Mr. Lay's Agency.— Interruption caused by the war with China.— ^Measures for more complete revision of the Chinese Scriptures.— Version of New Testament for the Dajaks of Borneo.- Differences regarding translation of words for the names of the Deity, in Chinese. — llesults of Scripture circulation in Borneo. — Revision of the Bible in Chinese completed. — Rebel- lion in China, and its partial and ambiguous alliance with the name of Christianity. — Interest excited by this widely spreading movement. — Resolution for a million copies of New Testament for China. — A'ersion in Colloquial Mandarin. — Jubilee celebra- tion and contribution at Shanghai. — Summary of operations in China 191—234 AFRICA. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Early evangelization of Northern Africa.— Subsequent ages of de- solation and barbarism.— :Modern slave tratKc of West Africa.— Later Successes of Christian IMissions.— Proposal, in 1806, to publish the Scriptures in Arabic,— deferred on account of various obstacles.- Extent and variety of later efforts to spread the Scrip- tures.—Division adopted in the ensuing narrative . . 235—239 CONTENTS. V CHAPTER 1. SOUTH AFRICA. SECTION I. CAPE COLONY, AND CAFFRARIA. 1804— 18.51. Scriptures for British Settlers at the Cape.— Auxiliaries formed at the ]\Iauritius— at St. Helena— and at Cape Town.— First distribu- tion of Scriptures among the Hottentots.- Gospel of St. Luke in the Sechuana language. — Signal effect of the Scriptures among the Hottentots. — Emancipation of slaves in the Mauritius. — Grant for the Sechuana version. — Visit of Mr. Moffat to this countrj^- and speech at the Annual j\reeting. — Grant for CafFre New Testament. — Mission of Mr. T. J. Bourne to the Cape, — and Auxiliary and Bible Associations there re-organized .... 240 2G4 SECTION II. MADAGASCAR. 1826—1854, First Grant for the Malagasse Scriptures. — Success of the Mission Schools. — Malagasse New Testament completed. — Large circula- tion of the New Testament effected. — Clouded prospects of the Mission. — Christianity proscribed in the Island. — Persecution of Converts. — Martyrdom of Rafaravavy. — Arrival in this country of jNIalagasse Refugees. — Revision, in this country, of the Mala- gasse entire Bible, and large edition prepared, in prospect of better times 265—271 CHAPTER II. WEST AFRICA. 1804-1854. First Grant of Scriptures to Sierra Leone. — Auxiliary formed there. — Scriptures for Tribes on the Gambia. — Version of St. Matthew in Mandingo. — Arabic Scriptures for the Niger Expedition. — Versions of St. Matthew and St. John in the Accra or Ga dialect. — Grants to the German Mission on the Gold Coast. — Evident moral effect of the spread of the Scriptures. — Versions in the Isubu and Yoniba dialects.— Version in the Ga dialect.— Importance of these efforts in West Africa 272 — 284 ^.j CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. 1810—1854. Abyssinia:— Measures for supply of Scriptures in the Ethiopic— Version of the Gospels of INIatthew and John.— Amharic version by M. Assclin.— Egypt:— Distribution of Coptic Scriptures by Messrs. Burckhardt and Jowett.— Edition of Psalter in Coptic and Arabic— Gospel of St. Luke in the Berber dialect.— Scriptures for distribution supplied to the Messrs. Lander,— Distribution at Algiers by Rev. IMr. Ewald.— Protestant Missionaries excluded from Abyssinia.— Later Distribution at Algiers by Dr. Philip.— Summary of efforts in North Africa . ... 285 — '295 AMERICA. CHAPTER I. UNITED STATES. 1804—1854. First Bible Society at Philadelphia. — Grant from the Parent Society. — Domestic need of the Scriptures brought to light. — Kapid increase of Auxiliaries. — Grants to several of these. — Female Bible Society at Philadeljjhia. — Nassau Hall Bible Society. — Formation of the American Bible Society in 1814. — Grant from the Parent Society. — Versions in the Indian dialects prepared. — Extent of the operations of the American Society. — Simultaneous supplies of Scriptures for given districts. — Friendly correspondence cultivated -with the British and Foreign Society. — Foreign operations of the American Society. — Extension of efforts in the Western States. — Grants to Missionaries abroad. — Summary of American operations down to 1854 . . . 296—31! CHAPTER II. BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 1804—1854. Mohawk version of St. John. — Grants to Settlers in Canada. — Auxi- liaries formed in Upper Canada. — Rev. J. West's visit to Canada. — Visit of Rev. Dr. Thomson.— Version in the Chippeway dialect. (Jiplic Scriptures for Highlanders in Prince Edward's Island. — Mr. Tliomson's visit to the Chippeway Mission, and to the various CONTENTS. vii cliief towns of Canada — Close of Dr. Thomson's tour. — Colport- age among French Canadians. — llev. J. Richardson, Agent. — Grants from Parent Society.— Canadian Travelling Mission. — Prince Rupert's Land, — exertions of Bishop Anderson. — Version in the Cree dialect.— Summary of operations in Canada, &c. — Jubilee celebration. — Visit of Rev. P. Kent, in the Jubilee year. — Labrador, — Moravian Mission, — Version of Xew Testament in the Esquimaux dialect. — Greenland Mission, — Version for the Green- landers 319—349 CHAPTER lir. SOUTH AMERICA AND MEXICO. 1804—1854. Brief effort to introduce the Scriptures at Buenos Ayres.— Auxilia- ries formed at Berbice and Honduras. — Distribution of Scriptures in Peru. — Version of New Testament in Ancient Peruvian. — Rev. J. Thomson engaged as Agent at Lima. — Successful distribution of Scriptures in chief towns.— Efforts of Rev. Mr. Armstrong at Buenos Ayres.— Appointment of Mr. Matthews as Special Agent.— Jour- ney of Mr. Matthews, and distribution of Scriptures. — Visit of Mr. Thomson to Mexico, and success in disposal of Scriptures. — Other journeys by Mr. Matthews. — His mysterious death. — Sus- pension of efforts in South America. — Edicts prohibiting the Scriptures. — Second visit of Dr. Thomson to Mexico. — Results of former efforts. — Revolution in M exico. — Departure of Dr. Thomson 3.50—381 CHAPTER IV. WEST INDIES AND BRITISH GUIANA. 1804—1854. First grants to Moi-avian Missions — Auxiliary formed in Jamaica and Antigua.— Supply of French Scriptures for St. Domingo.— Barbadoes and Honduras Auxiliaries. — Spread of Scriptures among the Negro population. — Visit of Mr. Thomson to Jamaica. — Auxiliary formed for the whole Island. — Mr. Thomson appointed Agent for the West Indies. — Visits to various Islands. — Negro Bible Association. — Spread of Scripture-reading among the Slaves. — Prospect of Emancipation. — Proposition of Rev. II. Stowcll, of gift of Testament and Psalms on the Day of Freedom. — Reso- lution of Committee, and general enthusiasm and liberality of Auxiliaries through the Kingdom. — Tidings from the West, in ii CONTENTS. prospect of the Day and the Gift.— Tidings, after the 1st of August 1834.— Time of distribution extended to the 1st of August 1836.— Great success of Mr. Thomson's labours.— Agency of Mr. Wheeler. —Departure of Mr. Thomson to Canada.— Death of Mr. Wheeler.— Appointment of Mr. M'Murray.— Increasing demand for Scrip- tures.—Supplies to Refugee Converts from Madeira.— Grant of Scriptures to Hayti.— Jubilee celebrations through the Islands. 382—421 AUSTRALIA. 1804—54. T he new and vast field opened in the Australian Colonies. — First grants to Van Diemen's Land — Auxiliary for New Sovith Wales. — Version of St. Luke in the Aboriginal language. — Version in the language of New Zealand. — Australia Felix Society formed. — Eftbrts of Dr. Browning amongst the Convicts. — Auxiliaries at Adelaide and Melbourne. — Gold discovery and its immediate eifects. — In- creased efforts and liberality of Auxiliaries. — Jubilee celebration, and large contributions to the Fund. — Deputation from the Parent Society to Australia 422—437 SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. 1817—54. Frogress of Missions in Tahiti.— Grants for version of New Testa- ment.—Speech of Rev. AV. Ellis.— Grants for Tongan and New Zealand versions.— Visit to England of Rev. J. Williams. — Visit of Rev. H. Nott, with entire Bible m Tahitian. — Retm-n of Messrs. WilHams and Nott, with supplies of Scriptures. — Letters from Rarotonga Missionaries.— Death of Mr. AA'illiams.— Licreasing demand for Scriptures in New Zealand.— Incidents of grateful reception of Scriptures in Tahiti, Rarotonga, and New Zealand.— Expulsion of Missionaries ft-om Tahiti by the French.— Version for Navigators' Islands.— New Testament in Feejeean.— Jubilee Year m the South Seas.— Joy on arrival of entire Scriptures at Raro- tonga.—Grant to New Hebrides Islands .... 438—47 CONTENTS. CONCLUSION. Ketrospect of the Society's Labours. — Their varied aspect in diiferent quarters of the globe ; yet identity of aim, and essential result. — Keflections on preceding narrative. — Proof given that such an Institution was needed. — The rapid growth and extension of the Society. — Union of all ranks and denominations in support of its object. — The hindrances encountered by it. — The success which has crowned its labours. — The varied instrumentality which be- came auxiliary to its design, at home and abroad. — Its position and prospects m the year of Jubilee. — Result due alone to the Divine blessing 480—491 APPENDIX I. Pp. 493—510. APPENDIX II. Pp. 511—532. APPENDIX III. Pp. 533—544. Vol. it. \5^--0I'-0GIG:&L HISTORY or THE ERITISH AND FOEEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. PART II. HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY'S FOREIGN OPERATIONS. SOUTHEEN EUROPE. • CHAPTER I. SPAIN, PORTUGAL, AND ITALY. 1804—1854. Sovthcjm Europe not favourable to the Society's work. — First efforts for Sj)amsh 2)risoners of war. — Portuguese New Testa- ment.— Operations still restricted, after the General Peace of 1814. — Spaiu — Committee for ope^^ations at Gibraltar. — Ca- ialonian Version. — Distribtition by Mr. G. Dorroio and Lieut. Graydon. — Efforts of Dr. James Thomson. — Portiujal — Free importation of Scriptures, 1834. — Revised Portuguese Version. — Madeira — Successful Labours of Dr. Kalley. — His imprisonment and liberation. — Religious awahening in Madeira. — Danishment of many Converts. — Italy — Distri- bution in Sicily and Malta. — Temporary openings in 1848. — Efforts of Professor Schirchs in the Grisons. That portion of the Society's field of operations on wliicli we are now entering, differs, in some important respects, from that which we have just quitted. In Central and Northern Europe, the influences of Protestantism are widely felt. Some wliolc Chap. I. countries are, nominally at least, Protestant ; and in all, the Portugal, Protestant element has more or less of existence, if not of ^^^"^J- ascendancy. It was to have been expected, that a Society 1804-54. proceeding on the great Protestant principle of the supremacy gj^iu. and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures, should find countenance and sympathy among those by whom tliis principle is pro- VOL. 11. B EUROPE. SOUTUEKN HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. SOITIIERN ClIAT. I. Spain, rortugal, Italy. 11)04-54. Spain. IIIOJ. The Tro- testant cltincnt congenial to the spread of J)ivinc truth. The con- trary influ- ence of Popery. First sup- plies to Spanisii prisoners of war in 18011. fcsscdly held in veneration ; and such was the fact. In the Protestant states of the Continent, as we have seen, the Society was welcomed with open arms ; and among Protestants every- where, it has had the privilege to enrol a goodly host of earnest, active, zealous adherents and fellow-Avorkers. It is true, also, that some members of the Roman Catholic Church, breaking the trammels by which they were surrounded, and braving the discountenance to which they were exposed, have joined in the work of Bible distribution ; and that a large number of the Greek Communion have lent it their patronage, especially when the sanction of the Imperial favour gave it such pro- minence throughout the vast empire of Russia. Still it has been chiefly by Protestants, either individually, or as associated in Churches and Communities, that the cause of the Bible Society has been upheld, in those parts of Europe that have hitherto passed imder review. We now turn to countries in which Protestantism, where ■ it exists at all, has only a feeble development. Spain, Portu- o-al, and Italy, are still under the almost unbroken domination of the Papacy. We must not, then, be surprised to find the vcstio-es of the Bible Society's work in those countries to be comparatively faint and broken ; we must not be disappointed to meet with little native co-operation, and comj^aratively limited results. But though the incentives of sympathy and success have not been abundant, a greater intensity has been given to those motives which spring from a sense of the value of the Scriptures, and of the lamentable condition of those from whom they are withheld. These preliminary remarks seem called for, in order to pre- pare the reader for the changed aspect which, for a time, the narrative is about to assume. Stain. — The first efforts made by the Society for the benefit of Spain, were in connection with the Spanish prisoners found in this country. When, in 1805, the attention of the Society was drawn to the case of the prisoners of war, then detained in I'jigiand, their number, as formerly stated, amoiuited to scarcely less than 30,000, including French, Spanish, and Dutch. For the benefit of the Spanish portion of these, an impression of the New Testament was ordered to be printed ; and as Spanish BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 3 Testaments, for immediate use, were not to be procured on EUROPE. any terms, extra copies of the Gospels were printed, in order Southern that thev niioht be put into distribution sinMy, as they re- — .,*-.^,„, ^-^ -^ Chap. I, sj)ectively issued trom the press. Spain, The anxiety of the Spanish prisoners to obtain the New roitagal, Testaments offered to them was very great. On this occasion — was witnessed the pleasing spectacle alluded to in a former page : '' _Z ' " Nearly a thousand poor Spanish prisoners sitting round their Spain, prison walls reading the word of God, with an apparent eager- ness that would put many professing Christians to the blush."* When, in 1808, the Spanish prisoners of war were allowed by the British Government to join the patriotic standard, which their countrymen had unexpectedly raised against the invader of their land, the Society accompanied this act of release with the gift of a Spanish New Testament. Seven hundred and seventy-five of these captives received each a copy, as they embarked for the land of their nativity; and with tears of joy and thanlvfulness they carried off the precious seed, to spread it over a soil in which, perhaps, it had been more sparingly sown than in almost any other portion of Christendom. With the exception of some copies which found their way into Spain through Gibraltar, little more than the above was accomplished for that country, by the Society, during the period anterior to the pacification of Europe.. Many copies, however, were sent to the more distant covuitries and colonies, where the Spanish language is spoken. Portugal. — Of Portugal, during this same early period, Portuguese there is still less to be recorded. Several editions of the New ?^®^ ^^^~ lament. Testament, amounting altogether to above 20,000 copies, were printed. Of these, a considerable number were sent to Portu- guese settlements abroad ; some were distributed among Portu- guese residents in this country; and some were forwarded to Lis- bon, where they were circulated with great rapidity, and were said to have been held in high estimation by persons of all ranks ; but the demand for them does not appear to have continued. Such are the brief notices to be given of these countries of Southern Europe, as regards the circulation of the Holy Scrip- * Vol. T. ]i. .3;j. B 2 HISTORY OF THE EUROrE. .SOITIIKRN Chap. I. Spain, Portugal, Italy. lli04-54. Spain. 1819. Operations still limit- ed, even after the General Peace. Spanish, and Por- tuguese Scriptures tures, down to the establisliment of the general peace of Europe, in 1814. But even after this auspicious event, which, in Cen- tral and Northern Europe, opened so wide a field for the Society's operations, and which, as we have seen, was followed, in those parts, by so rapid a development of Biblical Agency ; tlic countries of Spain and Portugal, (with Italy,) exhibit a melancholy contrast to the rest of Europe, and afford but very scanty materials for the present history. The attention of the Society did not, indeed, fail to be di- rected towards these countries, the well-known circumstances of which, fiu-nishcd a special plea for watchful and solicitous efforts to introduce among them the Sacred Scriptures ; but the results were so limited, that all that the Society was enabled to effect for their benefit, during the next fifteen years, may be comprised in a few sentences. Of the Spanish and Portuguese Scriptures, 5000 of Scio's version of the Spanish New Testament, and 5000 of Almeida's Portuguese Bible, were printed in 1819 ; and in the following year, 5000 of the Spanish Bible, Scio's version, and 5000 of the Portuguese Bible of Pereii*a's version. The larger portion, however, of these Spanish and Portu- guese Scriptures, were employed m the supply of the colonies and dependencies of Spain and Portugal, or other distant coun- tries, where those languages are spoken. Every opportunity was seized of introducing them into the mother countries, but these were few and far between ; and the same had to be said also of Italy ; so that, year after year, the Reports of the So- ciety, when referring to these countries, contain little more than lamentations over their sad state : yet hopes were cherished, which, as we shall hereafter see, were destined not to be wholly disappointed. There was, in fact, an interval of a few years, during the period of civil strife in Spain, in which an opportunity was presented, and happily improved, for introducing the Scrip- tures ; and as we shall have something more of detail to give in relation to this period, it will be more convenient, at this point, to dissociate Spain and Portugal, and present a succinct and separate notice of the subsequent efforts, which have been made by the Society for the benefit of each of. these countries. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 5 Spain. — In 1821, a CoiTespondiiig Committee of a few EUROPE, friends was formed at Gibraltar, for the purpose of promot- Soutuern ing, as far as practicable, the Society's object in regard to — Spain ; and that Committee, renewed and revived from time to Spaiii, ' time, has continued its unobtrusive and watchful services, with Portugal, varied success. But it is evident, that the channels through — which alone they could operate, did not allow of very extensive ^^OJ-'^^- efforts. A little leaven was gradually diffused — a few thousand Spaiu. copies in all, sent forth in small numbers, conveyed the divine message of mercy and salvation into the neighbouring districts Committpe of the Spanish territory — with what result it is not given us to Gibraltar, say, except that there was evidence, that the Bible was reou- larly read, by hundreds of those who had been willing purchasers. A version of the New Testament in the Catalonian language Catalonian — a language spoken, it is said, by four millions of the inhabi- J|e^J5"J* tants — was, about the year 1830, executed at the expense of the Testament. Society, by Mr. Prat, a native of the province of Catalonia, under the superintendence of the Rev. Mr. Cheap, of Knares- borough, Yorkshire. The first edition came out in 1832, and a second edition, of 2000 copies, was printed in 1835 ; and subsequent editions were called for, especially during the short period that Spain was more fully open to Biblical operations. In the whole, 9000 copies have been printed in this important language or dialect.* About 1834, the Bishop of Arragon published two editions of the Spanish Bible, translated by himself. In 1835, two gentlemen, quite unconnected with each other. Efforts of visited Spain, and exerted themselves most assiduously and Rfrrlwand successfully in promoting the Society's object. One of these Graydon. gentlemen was Lieut. Graydon, R.N., afterwards the Society's Agent in Switzerland and Italy. He felt his mind drawn to attempt something for Spain ; and without receiving a regular commission from any Society, he ventured alone upon his arduous and self-imposed enterprise. The other was Mr. George Borrow, who was first engaged by the Society to carry through the press, at St.Petersburgh, an edition of the Mantchou Tartar Testament, as already narrated. When, after that work * The Psnlm.s and the Pentateucli were also prepared, but not iirinted. 1835. HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. SOUTUKKN Cii \p. I. Spain, Portugal, Italy. Il!04 54. Spain. Result. lutroJuc- tiou of the Scriptures in many cities. was finished, he returned to this country, he was invited to visit PortufTal ; but meeting with nothing but discouragement there, he proceeded into Spain, with which country his name became afterwards much associated, both by his labours and his writings. Both these gentlemen visited the metropolis of that country, sought and obtained interviews with several persons of influ- ence, and in the face of the most formidable obstacles, per- severed in endeavours to arouse attention to the subject of distributing the Holy Scriptures. Their zeal at first met with little else but disappointment, owing to the then unhappy state of the country. Subsequent events, however, showed that tlieir self-denying labours were not in vain. Before the close of the year 1836, the exertions of these gentlemen were followed with marked result. In Barce- lona a distribution of 1600 copies of the Scriptures was effected by sale, a few copies only having been given away. An edition of the New Testament, in Catalan, was carried through the press, and an edition of the entire Bible in the Spanish language was commenced. At Madrid, also, an edition of the New Testament was printed. The destitution of the people, in regard to the Scriptures, was found to be extreme. The distribution continued, and the favourable report which the Society had to make, in 1838, of the progress of its work in Spain, called forth expressions of " gratitude mingled with astonishment." It was not a small thing to have to say, that in Spain — a country long under the despotic sway of a system most opposed to the free circulation of the Scriptures, and, at the period now referred to, the seat of a sanguinary civil war — where the elements of strife and discord had well nigh burst asunder the last bonds of society, leaving the land a prey to violence and crime — in Spain, notwithstanding all the misery and confusion which then reigned, and, (such is the mysteriousness of Providence,) partly, perhaps, in consequence of that confusion and misery — the Holy Scriptures had gained a silent entrance, and been openly bought and sold in several of its principal towns. Editions of the Scriptures in the Spanish, and the Catahui, BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOClETi'. amounting to 3000 Bibles and 13,000 Testaments, had issued EUROPE, from the Spanish press, besides those which had been sent from „ ~~ England. A large part of these had been disposed of, and almost entirely by sale. The issues of one year alone, had ^^^^^^' ^' amounted to between 5000 and 6000 volumes. Portugal, A few extracts from the correspondence of Lieutenant '!_^* Graydon, the gentleman to whom the work of introducing and 1804-54. circulating the Scriptures in Spain was first entrusted, will Spain. tend to show the avidity with which the Spanish people re- ^"'^7- ceived and bought the Sacred Volume, when it was presented Incidents to them. J'„St, The first extract is taken from a letter dated May, 1837. Lieutenant The rest were all of later date. ^^^ From Barcelona he w^rites : — " In my last I mentioned my having decided to advertise the sale of Barcelona. the Catalan New Testament at half cost price, during- fifteen days, as a friendly boon to the working classes of this city and neighbourhood, in consideration of the ruined state of all commerce, and the very heavy contributions of the war, &c. After sending otf mj letter, I found that in less than four days nearly four hundred copies had been sold ; the follow- mg five or six days the demand had diminished, apparently as if those copies were first to be read and examined previous to seeking for more ; thi-ee daj's before the expiration of the fixed time of fifteen days, I warned ^'''^g*^''"^^^ the public of it, when such was the effect, that I was obliged to keep the Scrip- sitting up to near eleven o'clock at night of the last day, Saturday, tares. when I had sold 1083 copies ! Sunday came, and Monday, with an almost imdimuiished demand ; but as the fifteen days had expired, I raised the price to the cost price, but only sold one cojsy : the entreaties were, however, so very earnest and pressing, and the apparent poverty of the applicants such, that I determined to dispose of the remaining copies (1178) of the edition at half cost price, and now the sale is proceeding at the depot. The expressions of gratitude were innumerable, and the admira- tion of the contents of the book very remarkable : — ' The words and the history of the Crucified and of his followers are most interesting to us.' — * We were altogether ignorant of such a book : it delights us.' The vast majority of the higher order seem to keep aloof from the work ; but few +1 e'^ a '" of them come to me for a copy. Never was such a scene witnessed in revea'liug this city: workmen, masons, shoemakers, carpenters, tailors, &c. &c., "tbings coming almost in a continued file to purchase the good book ! Surely the "^^* hand of the Lord is evidently in all this, for in that hand alone are all hearts and spirits." From Valencia he writes : — • " I put an advertisement in the paper stating that a friend of the London Valencia. IIISTOKY OF THE EUllOrE. Southern Chap. I. Spain, Portugal. Italy. lSOJ-54. Spain. lii-67. ifouruful feeling of an aged priest. Anxiety to read and uuder.stand the Scrip- tures. Bible Society had arrived, and would be happy to receive subscribers' names to the Bible printed and i)ublished in Spain by the Society, copies of which he had with him. The effect was really electrical ; all day long- was my room in the iim besieg-ed, and that by some of the very highest classes. At eleven o'clock at night only, the work ended, and never was I so worn down with fatigue both of mind and body, but filled with un- speakable joy. One poor old priest, the furrows of whose grief-worn cheek betrayed that they had been often a channel to many a tear, in taking his "leave late at night, with deep agony exclaimed—' We are all lost ; we have forsaken the true God ; we are undone for ever !' He held my liand with the utmost expression of affection, while I assured him that while there was life there was hope; that Christ was waiting to be gracious, for that his blood cleanseth from all sin. As long as I live, sliall I remember the expression of joy that seemed to lig-ht up in his soul hke a flash of lightning- at midnight, when in reply to my assurances, he said, ' 0 yes, in Him, and in Him alone, are we safe !" In this place, in tlie course of six days, he disposed of about four hundred copies, chiefly at cost prices, for which he received £89. From Alicante, he -writes : — " A week after my arrival, I received 500 copies of the New Testament ; and the next day, without my being able to announce publicly the sale, six dozen were disposed of to as many of the lower, and perhaps the middling- classes, and to this day have the same class of persons continued to come and purchase ; so that up to this morning, 290 copies have been purchased. The demand for the Bible is unceasing — " when would I bring them copies of the Bible, and works on the Bible, to aid them in the study of it?" — All this, and much more of the kind, without my having been able to announce the sale, except in the custom-house. Walking through the city, many of the shopkeepers may be seen reading it. Some women have come for it for their children, and one person took twenty for his school, nearly all expressing" their utter ignorance of such a history, or of such a good book." From the same place : — " Up to this morning, I have disposed of 560 copies of the New Testa- ment, of which thirteen were given, and all the others sold at half price. The purchasers all appeared to be highly content and grateful to the Society'. The sale would have been, I have little doubt, much more rapid, and to a for larger amount, but for the all-absorbing occupation of electing members for the new Cortes, the doubtful result of the war^ and the want of a due publicity of the sale, which was refused me How often do I wish that I had wings, that I might be able to avail myself of the extraordinary disposition of the people to purchase the blessed book ! ^\h:.t c.uiutk'ss copies might be thus disposed of ! A few days ago the BRITISH AND FOUEIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 9 Director of a Royal Colleg-e purclaased fi-om me 189 copies, saying- that EUROPE. he had 108 pupils, and would put a copy in all their hands.'' _, '^ ^ ' '■ ^ " Southern From Almeria he writes : — r, ~~ t Chap. I. "With 369 copies I opened the sale, and in three days I sold nearly Spain. every copy ; the London ones at the Society's prices, and those of Bar- Ytalv celona at half-price — the price I had fixed. The sensation caused by — such a sale is indeed most profound. Centuries perhaps had passed 1004-54. away without the vast majority of the inhabitants having- heard of Spain. such a book ! This city (as it is miscalled) is very ancient, quite of a 1837. Moorish kind, and cradled in ig-norance. Many of the priests came and _,, „.., . •, . •, ,,.-!■, , The Bible, purchased, seemmg:ly with great content ; yet on the third day they jq effect, detei-mined to endeavour to prevent the continuance of the sale, and for unknown this purpose appealed to the bishop, on the plea of some of the copies not ^° ^P^'" having- the name of the place they were printed in, on the title-page ! The j-igg, bishop immediately named three priests to compare every word with the Spanish edition and the Vulg-ate. Two days after, the same parties reiterated their demand in strong- terms, as I hear, when the bishop gave j^iberal them a written order ' not to interfere any further in the business ; that spirit of a the examination of the copies verified their fidelity ; and that he could not ^^atholic prevent their sale!" ' ^" From Cartliagena he writes : — Cartba- "I passed through the custom-house the two cases, containing 374 ^^^^' New Testaments lately printed at Barcelona. Late in the afternoon, I sent out half a dozen i:)lac-ards to be posted. The persons who did it had scarcely time to return, when my habitation was filled with, I may safely say, most joyful purchasers, although it was the hour of dinner and siesta of the whole city. In two hours and a half I disposed p, of 167 copies at half-price. Nothing could exceed the eagerness and con- chr^ers tentment of every one. The next day, 114 cojiies more were purchased by as many individuals ; and now I have but twenty-five copies remaining in all, and even these I may say, are already disposed of, but not taken away ! At the outset, one or two persons wished to purchase the two cases, but as I perceived it to be for the purpose of speculation, I dechned, preferring disposing of the copies myself, at as reasonable a price as possible, and getting into conversation with every one : repeatedly have I been requested to go into the interior with a good supply, for that the demand would be immense. " When I go along the streets I perceive shopkeepers and others'reading ^nd anxi- their copies. Sometimes I enter into conversation on some portion of ous readers what they are reading, and not unfrequently does it end with tears rolling ^^ ^^^^ down their cheeks. The poor dear souls ! O pray ever more, that the Yolume. Lord of a now ripe and almost lodged harvest, may send forth more labourers. 875 copies were disposed of at this place.'' Spain was also enjoying the services of that other ardent and SOUTUERN Chap, Spain, Italy. 1804-54 10 HISTOKY OF THE EUROPE, enterprising friend of the Society, Mr. George Borrow. This gentleman, having succeeded in canying through the press at Madrid, an edition of 5000 copies of the New Testament, spent above five montlis in travelhng through the provinces, seeking ^I'aw^' *o hring the Holy Book into circulation.* He left small quan- tities for sale in a number of the principal places, besides, in the same way, disposing of a considerable quantity himself. He Spain, acted, almost without exception, on the principle of obtaining a price for the books. On his return to Madrid, where he arrived Mr. Bor- much enfeebled in health, having been very ill on the road, he his dis- opened a room or shop, for the public sale of the Scriptures : this, tributions however, after a short time, was not allowed by the authorities, vinces, and While it remained open, some hundreds of copies were sold, at Madrid. ^ small impression of the Gospel of St. Luke, in the Rom- St* Luke^n ^^^^J> ^r Gitano, or Gipsy language, was printed at Madrid, the Gitano, under the superintendence of this same gentleman ; who him- language. self made the translation, for the benefit of the interesting, singular, degraded race of people whose name it bears, and who are very numerou.s in some parts of Spain. He likewise took charge of the printing of the Gospel of St. Luke, in the Cantabi'ian, or Spanish-Basque language, a translation of which had fallen into his hands. Before another year had passed, the Society found it neces- Agents sary to withdraw their two zealous and indefatigable friends quittpain. ^^'°"^ ^P^"^- O"® ^^ ^^^^™' ^^1'- I^orrow, did indeed after- wards return to the Peninsula for a short time, during which he succeeded in selling upwards of 1000 copies of the New Testament, and also met with a considerable demand for entire Bibles ; as to any further active efforts in the way of distri- bution, the door was shut. There did not seem to be wanting among the people a ready disposition to purchase and read the Strictest ^ acred Book ; but the interdict was so strict, and so rigorously prohibition enforced, that nothing remained for the Society, but to wait the^admLs- ^^^® opportunity of renewed exertions, and in the mean time I of the to seek a blessing on the seed already scattered in the plains, and in the valleys, and along the shores of that land of distrac- tion and woe. It was no small consolation and joy to know, * For iut"p^a^n, ' considerable numbers of the Sacred Volume were introduced, Portugal, ^j^^ gladly and eagerly received.* But with the above, and — ' perhaps a few other exceptions, the supply to the Italian people 1804-54. j^^g i^gg^ chiefly restricted to such copies, as individuals have Italy. been able quietly and unostentatiously to distribute. The Temporary total numbers thus disposed of, have not, indeed, been of des- success iu pjcable amount ; for several pretty large editions, both of the Italy in Bible and Testament, in Italian, have from time to time been 1848. printed and issued. Of these, the depot at Malta has required and disposed of many ; some have been consigned to Societies or Agencies in Switzerland, France, Germany, as well as in this country. Thvis, multitudes of the Italian-speaking popula- tion, in the Grisons and other cantons of Switzerland, and those living In the islands of the Mediterranean or elsewhere, have participated In the beneficial labours of the Society. Efforts of We may mention also, that at Coire (Chur), a friendly Professor Agency was established about the year 1832, under the superin- the Grisons tendence of, and principally conducted by Professor Schircks; which continued for some years to circulate the Scriptures in the Italian Grisons, Upper Italy, and the Canton of Tessln. In 1839, the Professor was found by Dr. Pinkerton full of activity, and superintending various depots, whence considerable issues of the Italian Scriptures were taking place. A large number of the Enghadine Testament, were also Issued by this gentleman. His valuable services were continued till the year 1843, when a decree was passed, to do away with the Theological Seminary, In Avhich he held an Important appointment ; by which measure, his labours on behalf of the Society were cut short ; but not before he had succeeded In distributing, since 1832, 16,955 copies of the Scriptures. The labours of the Italian- Swiss Committee at Geneva, have been already referred to. The total number of Italian Scriptures, printed by the Society up to the close of the Jubilee year, was 88,399 Bibles, and 174,190 Testaments; besides above 10,000 portions of the Bible. * 1000 copies were applied for, at one time. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 21 Thus, altliouo'li Italy itself, furnishes but a scanty contribution EUROPE, to the details of these pages, and while but few traces of the soutuern concentrated results of culture meet the eye in that country ; — yet we may hope that the Avidely-scattered seed has not been Spain, ' without fruit in many individual instances, and that a prepara- Portugal, tion has been laid for greater results in the future history of this beautiful country. Italy. 1804-54. 22 HISTORY OF THE SOUTHERN EUROPE. CHAPTER H. GREECE, TURKEY, AND ISLES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN. SECTION I. EUROPE. Southern Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. I. 1808-29. 1808-1829. Version of New Testament in Modern Greek. — Commencement of Agency at Malta.— Bible Society at Malta. — Services of Rev. Messrs. Joivett, Connor, and Burchhardt. — Avxiliary Societies in Greece— Athens, Cej)halonia, Zante. — Visit of Dr. Pinkerton to ConstantinojAe and Greece. — Rev. 3Ir. Leeves, Agent at Constantinople. — 3Ir. Barker, Agent at Aleppo. — Distribution of Scriptures among the Armenians. — Greek Insurrection. — Temporary removal of Mr. Leeves frovi Constantinople; and return. — Circulation of Scriptures ; Sy- riacy Arabic, Armenian, Turkish. — Destruction of Aleppo by Earthquake. — 3Ir. Barker's Tour in Turkey. — Palestine — Distribution of Scriptures. — Ionian Bible Society. — Bishoj) miarion's Modern-Greek version. — Tour of Mr. Barker in Asia 3Iinor. — Removal of Mr. Leeves from Constantinople. — Agencies i?i the Greek Islands. — Co-oiJeration of A?nerica7i 3Iissio7iaries. We have now to direct the reader's attention to the Eastern conn tries of South Europe, where a far different spectacle is presented, in respect of the dissemination of the Scriptures, from that of the countries we have recently reviewed. These last countries are the strongholds of Popery, and they have all strenuously resisted the introduction of the word of God. But in the other countries of South Europe, where the Greek BRITISH AND FOEEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 23 Church flourislies, there has not been tlie same opposition ; and EUROPE, tlie result has been, that in Greece and the Islands of the Medi- southern terranean, the eiforts of the Society's Agents have prospered — in a degree far beyond any expectation that could have been Greece. ' previously formed, considering hoAV ignorant, and how sunk Turkey, in formality and superstition, the population of these countries — has been for centuries. We shall begin our review with Greece, 1808^09" — that country which, both for its ancient associations, and its — present revived political existence, must awaken a peculiar in- i^oa. terest in every reader familiar with its history. Greece, &c. — The attention of the Society had, very soon Edition of after its establishment, been incidentally called to the expe- in ^lodem diency of printing the Scriptures in modern Greek, by the Greek. Rev. Dr. Bogue of Gosport ; but it was not till the commence- ment of 1808, that any serious consideration was bestowed upon it. About that time, the Rev. J. F. Usko arrived in this country from the Levant. He was a gentleman who, in addi- tion to a knowledge of European and Oriental languages in general, had acquired, by a long residence in Smyrna, an inti- mate acquaintance with the dialect, the opinions, and the habits of the modern Greeks. In reply to certain questions submitted to him, previously to an edition of the New Testament being put to press, Mr. Usko gave the following information: — That the modern Greeks having changed the ancient language of their ancestors into a new one, as the Italians had done the Latin, made use of the modern or new language in all transactions of business, in conversation, and in correspondence ; and that although they employed the ancient, in their churches, for divine service, yet they preached in the vulgar tongue ; that their Patriarch and J'^® ^^°~ , •^ \ n tj ' ^ ^ dgj-n Greek the priests, when they addressed the people in the church, did alone intel- it always in the modern language, as he had himself had many tjfe people, opportunities of observing ; and, finally, that translations of European books, and original compositions, both in prose and verse, were very current in this language, and read by the people (as being much more intelligible to them than the an- cient Greek authors) with great readiness and delight. Mr. Usko's conclusion, therefore, was, that an edition of the New Testament in their own language, Avould be very agreeable to 24 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Southern Chap. II. (•reece, Turkey, &c. .Skct. I. 1H08-29. Jlalta. 1810. Kager re- ception of the Scrip- tures at Malta. Testimony and sanc- tion of the Greek Arcli- blsliop. tJiu modern Greeks; und this conclusion, as will hereafter appear, was increasingly confirmed. To the benefit derived, on this occasion, from Mr. Usko's knowledge and judgment, was added that of his personal ser- vices, voluntarily tendered, in correcting the press. The work was printed from the edition published at Halle in 1710, and (as was the case in the first translation, printed at Geneva in 1638) with the ancient and modern Greek in parallel colunms ; a plan recommended by Dr. Adam Clarke, and approved by Mr. Usko. The Testaments being completed in 1810, a supply was sent to Malta, the Greek islands, and other places where the lan- guage was familiarly known; and so highly was the book esteemed, that persons of various ranks and occupations showed the greatest eagerness to procure it, and even common sailors were stated to have travelled a journey of many days, in order to obtain possession of a copy. It added not a little to the satis- fiiction of the Society, that the Archimandrite, or Chief of the Greek Church in Malta, highly approved of these Testaments, and recommended their perusal to his flock from the pulpit ; taking occasion to extol the zeal and ardour of the Society, in circulating the word of the Lord in every part of the world. The impression made on many members, both of the Greek and Catholic Church, resident in the Levant, w^as equally ma- nifest and encouraging. So favourable was the reception given to these New Testa- ments, that a second edition was found necessary ; and steps were taken, in the course of 1813, to produce a superior im- pression from the text already adopted, but with the advantage of a careful and elaborate revision. The following high testi- mony, in favour of the Society's text above referred to, was trans- mitted from Constantinople by the Rev. H. Lindsay, Chaplain to the Embassy at the Porte. The original is in ancient Greek, being the language in which public documents are written : — " CYKIL, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, NEW ROME, AND (ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH. " Our Lowliness notifies, by this present Patriarchal Decla- ration, that, having examined accurately, and with the neces- sary attention, the editior of the New Testament in two Ian- BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 2.) guages, Hellenic and Romaic, published in England b}^ the EUROPE. Society there established, of British Typography, by John ^^ ^,ern Tilling, at Chelsea, in the year one thousand eight hundred — and ten, of the incarnation of Christ our Saviour, we have Greece, ' found in it nothino- false or erroneous ; wherefore we have Turkey, &c. judged right to give permission for it to be used and read by — all pious, united, and orthodox Christians ; to be sold in the 1^08^29 booksellers' shops ; and to be bought freely by all who wish — it, without any one making the least hesitation : for the mani- jjjio. festation of which, this our present Patriarchal Declaration has been issued, " In the thirteenth day of the month of December 1814." The editions of the Greek Testament printed, up to 1814, amounted to 15,000 copies; being 5000 in ancient and modern Greek, and 10,000 in modern Greek. In the further prosecution of this part of our history, it will become necessary to overstep the boundaries of Europe, and to include some parts of Asia ; as the Agencies and operations of the Society, conducted around the limits which divide Europe and Asia, were so blended and interlaced, that it would be no easy matter to separate them, so as to view them distinctly in their localities, nor would any material advantage be gained by the attempt. To resume our narrative of measures adopted for the benefit Commence- of Greece : — ^Tlie connection which, as mentioned in a preced- Agencies at ing page, had been formed at Malta, in 1808, with Dr. Naudi, ^J^''^' ,. through the diligent and pious exertions of the Rev. W. Terrott, at that time Chaplain to Sir Alexander Ball, the Governor of the Island, now proved of still further advantage, in promoting the objects of the Society. It had pleased God to make the conversation of Mr. Terrott eminently useful to Dr. Naudi ; and the consequence was, the acquisition of an Agent in the person of Dr. Naudi, who, from his religious connections as a Catholic, and his literary character as a Professor, had it in his power to subserve, with good efi'ect, the designs of the Society, not only in Malta, but also, generally, both in the Mediterranean and the Levant. 26 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Malta, thus, became the seat of a Board of Correspondence Southern '^^^^^^ ^^^^ British and Foreign Bible Society ; and Valetta, its — capital, was used as a central depot, from which, through the ^GrJec"' medium of ships of war, merchant vessels, and private indi- Turkey, viduals, copies of the Scriptures were dispersed in a variety of _!' useful directions. In the course which this dispersion took, ,^!>7"oo the principal of the Ionian Islands, Constantinople, and places — in communication with it, were supplied, as means and cir- fint cumstances permitted ; and thus, copies of the Scriptures, in French, Italian, modern Greek, Arabic, and Armenian, were more or less brought into circulation. Much advantage was Co-opera- derived in the execution of this service, from the good offices of tishCon-"" Claudius James Rich, Esq., the East India Company's Resi- ^"if ^°*^. dent at Bagdad ; John Barker, Esq., British Consul at Aleppo ; Omcers in '^ A i • /-^i • £■ • i the East. Admiral Sir Charles Penrose, Commander-in-Chiet in tlie Mediterranean ; and other persons of influence. Both Mr. Rich and Mr. Barker transmitted to the Society at home, much valuable intelligence. It appeared from Mr. Rich's account, that of all the Chris- tians in the Pashalik of Bagdad (Armenians, Syrians, and Destitution Chaldeans), the Armenians were the only ones who had copies tures"^" of the Bible among them ; and these were by far too few to Ara°-*^^ be productive of general good. This was the more to be re- nians, gretted, as even the poorest classes were fond of reading the Scriptures. Bibles in Syriac and Chaldee were to be found only in manuscript in the churches ; and had they existed in print, they would have been of but small comparative advan- tage to the natives, whose language for the most part is Arabic, though they retain the use of the Syriac character. " By far the greatest part, therefore, of the Oriental Christians," concludes Mr. Rich, " are wholly without any copies of the Scriptures ; with Avhicli they have no other acquaintance than what they acquire through the medium of their priests (themselves, too often, lamentably ignorant), or from the detached portions which they hear in the churches, and which they are not often capable of understanding." The Rev. Mr. Lindsay, Chaplain to the British Embassy at Constantinople, has been already referred to, as having ob- tained the sanction of the Greek Patriarch to the edition of the BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 27 New Testament, in ancient and modern Greek, printed by EUROPE, the Society. He also elicited, from the Armenian Patriarch, southern an expression of his sentiments in favour of the circulation of ~ the Scriptures. The Declaration of the Greek Patriarch was Greece, ' made public ; and when it was received at St. Petersburgh, it Turkey, encouraged the Russian Bible Society to publish a stirring — address, in modern Greek, with the declaration annexed, 1808-29! a number of which were despatched to Constantinople and — the Southern provinces. A further and interesting ser- I817.* vice rendered by Mr. Lindsay, was the presenting to each of the seven Apocalyptic Churches of Asia Minor, which he visited in 1816, and of which he furnished much affecting intelligence,* a copy of the New Testament in their vernacular tongue. In 1817, the Corresponding Board at Malta, finding itself Bible So- strengthened by the accession of the Rev. William Jowett, ap- Malta? pointed, in addition to the Rev. Mr. Connor, by the Church Missionary Society, as its Agent to the Mediterranean, pro- ceeded to form the Malta Bible Society, towards which a grant was made of £500, and 6000 copies of the Sacred Scrip- tures in nineteen languages. So rapidly did this Society acquire strength and consideration, that it was enabled, in J™* addition to its exertions for the supply of the island, to occupy Messrs. itself in opening an intercourse with the surrounding countries ; Connor, and in ascertaining, both by correspondence and by personal in- andBurck- vestigation, the want of the Holy Scriptures, and the inclina- tion to receive them, from the isles of the Archipelago to the banks of the Euphrates. These objects were greatly promoted by the travels of the Rev. Messrs. Jowett, Connor, and Burckhardt. Of these, the Rev. Mr. Burckhardt, a young man of superior talents, ardent piety, and the most enterprising zeal, after succeeding in opening many acceptable channels for the distribution of the Scriptures, and after making various important discoveries in connection with this object in different parts of Egypt and Syria, was suddenly carried off by a fever, * See Owen, III. p. 100, where a report of this visit is given at some length. See also a volume, entitled, " A Visit to the Seven Churches of Asia," by the Rev. H, Lindsay. 28 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE, at Aleppo, and was thus early removed from liis work to his SouTOERN heavenly reward.* — Mr. Jowett's tour included a visit to Smyrna, Haivali, Scio, otlece: ' Athens, Zante, and other places. At Smyrna, he took part with ^"&c^^' tl^e I^ev. Mr. Williamson, the British Chaplain, in completing — " the establishment of the Smyrna Bible Society ; and afterwards, f808-2^9 "^ °^^^®^ cities, he sought to interest Professors of Colleges, the — Clergy, and other influential persons, in the reception and 181 9! distribution of the Holy Scriptures. f As the result of these journeys, besides the successful distributions made by Mr. Burckhardt in Egypt and Syria, and the formation of the Smyrna Bible Society, pledges of future co-operation were given in many parts of Asia Minor and Greece. Accordingly, we find, that, in the following year, the Ionian Bible Society was formed at Corfu, under the auspices of the President of the Senate, Baron Theotoky, the Greek Bishop Macarius, the Sodetks^n ^^^holic Vicar-General, and other principal inhabitants. To Greece. this succeeded the establishment of Auxiliary Societies at Cephalonia and Zante, under the highest ecclesiastical and civil sanction; and these were followed by the formation of the Athens Bible Society, comprehending within its sphere, Attica, Boeotia, with the isles of Euboea, Salamis, Egma, of which the Visit of Greek Archbishop became the President. Dr. Pinker- These latter Societies were formed by Dr. Pinkerton during ton to Cou- ... . ° Stan tin- that extensive tour in the East, to which reference has already and'to been made under the head of Russia.ij: Dr. Pinkerton, after Greece. visiting Malta, the Ionian Islands, and Greece, staid some time in Constantinople, where he instituted many inquiries, and obtained much valuable information, relative to the languages and wants of the surrounding countries. He also adopted, or suggested, various measures for the advancement of the work. Among other matters, he completed an arrangement with * For interesting notices of Burckhardt, see Appendix of Fifteenth Eeport, p. 209. t See a very intelligent Sketch of Mr. Jowett's tour, presented by liira to the Committee of the Malta Bible Soeiety. — Fifteenth Keport, Ap- pendix, p. 202. I In the Appendix of Sixteenth Report, is given a full report of this jour- ney, containing many interesting particulars relating to Turkey and Greece. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 29 Hilarion, a learned x\rcliiinandrite from Mount Lebanon, then EUROPE. resident at Constantinople, for a version of the whole Bible into Southern the modern Greek, — an offer to eflFect which had been pre- q^j^~ jj viousl}^ made to the Malta Bible Society ; no part but the New Greece, Testament having then been published, and the style of that ^scc^^' being thouoht to admit of considerable improvement. He also ^, — ^ ... . . Sect. I. arranged with another individual, Dr. Mexicos, for a translation i!;o8-29. of the New Testament into Albanian. Meeting also, at Con- q^j^^^jj, stantinople, with the patriarch at Jerusalem, he induced him to tinople. receive a large assortment of Scriptures in ancient and modern Greek, and also in Arabic, for distribution among the pilgrims visiting the Holy Sepulchre. Dr. Pinkerton, also, now arranged for the transcribing of the pr«co- Turkish Scriptures into the Greek character, for the use of the version, numerous Greeks, who could only read and understand the Scriptures in that form, since called the Grteco-Turkish ; and he purchased, and brought away with him, a complete copy of the Old Testament, in the Hebrew and Jewish-Spanish, in parallel columns ; a work in demand among the large multitude of Jews scattered through the Turkish provinces, the descen- dants of those who had in a former age been driven by persecu- tion from Spain. This paved the way for the Judgeo-Spanish New Testament, since printed by the Society, for the same people. The great importance of the various works and schemes now projected, or in operation, for the several countries bordeiing on the Mediterranean, led, in 1820, to the appointment of the Rev. Henry Leeves as the Society's principal Agent in the Levant. Mr. Leeves set out for his station in the month of ^^^- ^• June, taking the route of Paris, Geneva, and Venice ; at each Agent at of which places he entered into useful communication with the places ne enterea mio useiui communication witn tne tinopie°for correspondents and friends of the Society; and after spending the Levant, several weeks at Corfu, greatly to the advantage of the affairs of the Ionian Bible Society, and touching at Zante, he arrived at Constantinople in January 1821, and shortly after entered on the duties of his office. With the assistance of the Rev. James Connor, whom he found at Constantinople, Mr. Leeves jjroceeded to revise the modern Greek version of Hilarion, and otherwise to occupy himself in carrying into execution the 30 niSTORY OF THE EUROPE, plans which his precursor, Dr. Pinkerton, had arranged. But Southern ^7 ^^^^ unexpected decease of Rev. C. Williamson, the Society's — Agent at Smyrna, and the return of Mr. Connor to England, Gre^ece, Mr. Leeves found himself deprived of much necessary assist- Turkey, ^nce. This deficiency was, however, in part, beneficially sup- — plied, hy the Society engaging the services of Mr. Benjamin llum-29. I^arker, of Aleppo, brother to John Barker, Esq., the British — Consul at that place ; a gentleman whose knowledge of the Barker at country and of the languages of Syria, formed a strong recom- Aleppo. mendation, and who has ever since remained in the Society's 1821, ' '' employ. About this time, information reached the Society, that a supply of 1500 copies of the Armenian New Testament, sent Distribu- out at their expense from the college of St. Lazarus, at Venice, ScHptures ^^'^^ been discreetly distributed among the people of the among the Armenian nation, and. received by them with expressions of warmest gratitude. The Society also now received, from Con- stantinople, a Avork of which more will have to be spoken hereafter — a valuable manuscript of the whole Bible, in the Amharic dialect of Abyssinia, in obtaining which, the So- ciety was much indebted to the persevering exertions of Mr. Jowett. Scarcely had Mr. Leeves entered on his important duties at Constantinople, when one of those calamities occurred to which that city is peculiarly subject. A fire broke out in the range of buildings of which his house formed a pai't, and in the course of two or three hours the whole of it was consumed. Upon this, Mr. Leeves and his family removed to Therapia, a small village on the Bosphorus, where new troubles awaited him. Greek in- An insurrection of the Greeks, which took place at this surrection. ^j^ig \^ ^j^g provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia, produced, as one of its consequences, the greatest consternation among the Greeks at Constantinople, who found themselves at once objects of suspicion by the Government. Some fled ; others were arrested and executed, being considered as implicated with the insurgents. The aged and venerable Patriarch of Constantinople was arrested, and on the next day ignominiously hung before the door of his own church ; and four Bishops shared the same fate. Hilarion, the translator of the Bible BllITISn AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 31 into the modern Greek ; and the Principal of his convent, tlie EUROPE. Archbishop of Mount Sinai ; one of the most eminent among southern tlie Greeks for learning and worth, who had been assistino- — Hilarion in the revision of his work, were thrown into the Greece greatest alarm. They had witnessed the melancholy death of Turkey, their Patriarch and the four Bishops, and trembled for what -^ might be their own fate. They were, however, preserved, and jg^o^g^.og Hilarion was soon after elevated to the bishopric of Ternova, — -r, 1 • Constan- m Bulgaria. tinople. In the confusion above referred to, Mr. Leeves became con- ^^22- cerned for the safety of Hilarion's manuscript : he, however, fortunately succeeded in getting it placed in the hands of Lord Strangford, the British Ambassador ; and he ar- ranged with Hilarion for a copy transcript to be made, which was accomplished before the latter left for his bishopric, in which retirement, at Ternova, the work and its revision were completed. Mr. Leeves, after remaining some time in the neighbourhood Removal of Mr. Leeves of Constantinople, removed to Odessa, where he was allowed to 6de,ssa. in quietness to prosecute his various works. The Albanian New Testament, being now finished, was put in course of revision; and Mr. Leeves proposed also measures for preparing a translation of the Old Testament into the same language. Only the Gospels of St. Matthew, how- ever, and the New Testament with the modern Greek attached, appear to have been actually printed. Mr. Leeves returned to Constantinople in June 1822. He -[Return to found the presses in the printing office not materially injured by tinople. the fire, and the types not disturbed ; but books and papers were scattered or torn to pieces. In a few days, however, matters were arranged, and he proceeded to despatch a considerable num- ber of Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, and Armeno-Turkish Bibles and Testaments into the interior of Asia, addressing a number of letters to Patriarchs, Archbishops, and Bishops of the ofScrip-° Chaldean, S^VTian, and Armenian communions. The Armenian *y^?' oyriac. Scriptures had been all disposed of; and fresh and urgent de- Arabic, mands continuing, he had to send for renewed supplies. A Turkish^"' large demand was also found to be excited for the Armeno- Turkish Testament, the Turkish version in Armenian cha- 32' HISTORY OF THE EUROPE, racters, executed by the Russian Bible Society. He also Southern agreed for the translation of the New Testament into the Judaeo- — Spanish language, a work which, from the knowledge he had ^Gre^ce/' acquired of the Spanish, he was enabled to superintend himself. Turkey, These matters arranged, Mr. Leeves imdertook a tour, in — ' behalf of the Society, to Smyrna, Scio, Ephesus, Tenedos, and f80?-29. ^^^^^^ places, with a view to meet the scriptural wants of the — population ; whom he found, in some parts, especially at Scio, Minor, involved in utter poverty and desolation, in consequence of ^^22. tiic late severe struggles between the Turks and Greeks.* Destruction During this year, 1822, the operations of Mr. Barker, the by'tlrtli- Society's Agent for Syria, sustained a temporary interruption quake. from an appalling catastrophe which befel the city of Aleppo, and the surrounding territories. On the night of the 12th of August, a terrible earthquake spread ruin and desolation to a vast extent. Aleppo, the third city of the Ottoman empire, though built entirely of stone, was, in the space of a few seconds, brought down to its foundations.! Mr. Barker happily Narrow escaped. Previously to his retreat from this city, he had found Mr Barker, means to distribute among its inhabitants, 1000 copies of the Arabic New Testament. On his arrival at Smyrna, the place of his birth, and where, afterwards, he became permanently stationed, he recommenced his exertions in the cause of the Society. Increased In the following year, 1823, Mr. Leeves, while still engaged ArnT"'^ ^^^ revising the Juda^o-Spanish New Testament, proceeded also, Turkish on the suggestion of the Armenian Patriarch, to undertake k-crip ures. ^ fresh edition of the Turkish New Testament in Armenian characters, consisting of 5000 entire Testaments, and 3000 Gospels. This version (the Armeno-Turkish) came now into increasing demand. In every quarter, a desire to possess the Scriptures began to show itself among the Armenians, and in this form they were found chiefly available ; not indeed to the exclusion of the Armenian proper, a new edition of which, consisting of 5000 Testaments, and 3000 Gospels, was also, this year, put to press at Constantinople. * See an affecting- account of the state of Scio, in Leeves's Letters, Nine- teenth Report, Ajipendix. t For an interesting-, and most graphic account of this awful event, see Barker's Letters, Nineteenth Report. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 33 In European Turkey, a tour was performed this year by Mr. EUROPE. Barker. At Adrianople he found the greatest scarcity of the soutuer\ Scriptures prevaihno- and he succeeded in effectino; consi- ^ — ^^ , \ , -, ^ ° Chap. II. derable sales. Greece, On his return from Adrianople, Mr. Barker commenced a ^^^^Y^ tour in Asia Minor, with a view of proceeding to Mesopo- — taniia, an object he had contemplated before he was compelled 'iao!{-29. to flee from Aleppo. The state of the country prevented — the completion of his desire at that time ; but several im- portant places were visited, where Mr. Barker met with a j.^^"^ j^^" kind reception, and disposed of many copies of the Scriptures, iu Turkey. An Armenian at Tocat, to whom he entrusted two cases of the Sacred Scriptures, sold them all immediately on their arrival, and requested a further supply without delay. Malta continued to be the focus of a large distribution. Though Mr. Barker was prevented proceeding to Syria, an English Clergyman, travelling to the East, took from Malta between 3000 and 4000 copies of the Scriptures in Arabic, Circulation Armenian, Hebrew, ancient and modern Greek, Ethiopic. t^resVii" Syriac, Sclavonian, &c., for distribution in the Holy Land. Palestine. Some gentlemen, also, in connection with the American Board of Missions, who visited Jerusalem, disposed of all they had in Greek and Arabic, within two or three days, to persons who came to their lodgings for them. From the time of their leaving Egypt, they distributed above 2000 copies. After all their stores were exhausted, sometimes thirty persons in a day would call upon them to purchase the Sacred Scriptures, whom they were obliged to send empty away. At one convent they sold about 80 Bibles and Testaments ; 450 Psalters were sold at Beyrout ; and 58 Bibles, or parts of the Scriptures, were sold in one day to Greeks at Tripoli, besides others given away to persons who came to their lodgings for them. During their journey in Egypt, they found the Copts very desirous of obtaining the Sacred Scriptures. The Ionian Bible Society had now come into active opera- jonian lion. Since its institution, about three years before, it had ^^^^^ ^o- issued above 3000 copies of the Scriptures. Some hundreds of copies of the Greek New Testament were sent into different parts of Greece, and were received with eagerness by the Vol. II. T) 34 HISTORY OF THE EUROnC. Southern Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. T. 1808-29. 1824. Versious in Grseco- Turkish, Armeno- Turkish, Judffio- Spanish. Hilarion's version in Modern Greek. Mr. Bar- ker's tour in Syria, Damascus. Demand for Bibles. people ; many of whom, it is said, while encamped and expecting the enemy, employed themselves in reading the word of God. The revision of the entire Albanian New Testament being completed, the Gospel of St. Matthew was printed and put in circulation. The Albanian dialect had never, it would seem, been brought to a written standard, until the Society accom- plished it, and printed the Gospel by St. Matthew. The expenses attending the revising and printing of this work, and also portions of the modern Greek New Testament, printed at Corfu, were defrayed by the Ionian Bible Society. In the Turkish Empire, Mr. Leeves continued the work of preparing the New Testament in the Grieco-Turkish, the Armeno-Turkish, and the Juda30-Spanish, the last having been a third time revised, previously to its being printed at Malta. The modem-Greek Bible, by Hilarion, being finished, the New Testament was sent to be printed in London, imder the charge of Mr. Piatt, the honorary librarian. Mr. Leeves' exertions in the distribution, also, of the Scriptures, were not unattended with beneficial eflPects. During the year 1824, Mr. Barker made two tours in Asia Minor and Syria. At Beyrout he opened a depot, from which Scriptures might be sent to Jerusalem, Tyre, Sidon, Tripoli, and Damascus. From this depot, 800 copies were sold in two months. Mr. Barker also distributed about 500 copies among the poor villagers in the districts around the Anti- Libanus. A short abstract from the journal of Mr. Barker, relating to his proceedings while travelling from Aleppo to Jerusalem, and returning thence, will tend to show the prospects then opening in that comitry in favour of Scripture distribution. On reaching Damascus, though others had preceded him in distributing the Sacred Volume, as soon as it was known that more had arrived, he had plenty of customers ; and he was obliged to refuse many applicants, that he might not be wholly destitute in his visit to other places. He wrote, however, to Beyrout for further supplies. The poor lepers in the hospital were very thankful for the copies bestowed upon them. At a place called Rasheiha, he was surrounded with a concourse of men and boys, who wistfully looked at the books, fear- BRITISn AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 35 ing that the price would be too high; he soon, however, KUROPE. delivered them from their anxiety; and had the satisfaction, in Southern walking round the town in the evenmg, to see the people read- ^^^~ ^^ ing in the books he had sold to them at a low price. In the Greece, neighbourhood of this place, also, so many applied, that, as at "^^^^ ' Damascus, he was obliged to make arrangements for sending ~" them copies after he quitted them. The house of the Greek ih08-29. Bishop was open to all, and he encouraged the people to buy ; ^~^ and had he had several cases of books, he might have disposed of them. At Hashbeiha equally interesting scenes were witnessed : the people poured in from all quarters to purchase the Sacred Scriptures at the moderate prices at which they were offered. Nablous. Tiberias and Nazareth he found already supplied. At Nab- lous he met w^ith a priest who showed him a Bible he had received from Mr. Fisk, and which was the first he had ever seen in his life. At Ramalla the copies were most gratefully received ; and on arriving at Jerusalem, Mr. Barker had the satisfaction of sending them a still greater number. At Jerusalem, the Greek and Armenian Prelates received Jerusalem. him with the greatest kindness, and gave their full consent to the distribution of the Sacred Scriptures among the people, and one expressed his readiness to co-operate. Plans were accordingly laid for effecting distributions in the winter season, ^ ,. , ■,■,.■, p , Cordial co- when there is always a great resort of pilgnms to the city, operation Similar promises were received from other ecclesiastics. At q^!'^^^ and Arimathea he found that many Bibles and Testaments had Anneniar been distributed ; and the guardians of the convent observed, that the best thing the English ever did was the institution of the Bible Society, for the country was before almost entirely destitute of the Scriptures. Proceeding to Beyrout, he re- turned to Aleppo, and, overcome by the fatigues of his journey, fell dangerously ill. At this city the sales had been interrupted ; but there was reason to believe that very few copies had been given up, notwithstanding the firman. From Aleppo, Mr. Barker proceeded by way of Cyprus to Smyrna. In his passage he was thrice nearly shipwrecked. Stopping at a place called Karainan, he had an interview with a merchant, who earnestly requested supplies of the Armeiio- d2 Bishops. 36 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. SOCTHERN Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. I. 1808-29. Increased is.sue of Scriptures atConstan- tinople. 1825, Turkish Scriptures, for the fiimilies of the Armenians resi- dent there. At Smyrna, also, merchants were continually inquiring for the same work. The year 1825 witnessed a considerably increased issue of the Sacred Scriptures from Constantinople. The sum of 16,974 piastres was received at the depot for books sold; no small proof of the willingness of the different inhabitants of the country, Greeks, Armenians, and Jews, to supply themselves, in a period of considerable poverty, with the word of God. The issues were in fourteen different languages. Of the Graeco- Turkish New Testament, 3000 copies were struck off; and Mr. Leeves sent home an entire copy of the Modern-Greek Testament, prepared by Hilarion. The Armeno-Turkish was commenced, and inquiries began to be made for the Scriptures in the Servian and Bulgarian dialects ; in consequence of which Mr. Leeves's attention was directed to this subject, and measures were soon afterwards taken towards procuring them. The Church Services in the countries where these languages are spoken, being performed either in Greek, or in the ancient Sclavonian, neither of which the people understand, the call for such an undertaking became apparent. About the same time, the translation of the four Gospels into the Curdish language was finished. In the following year, 1826, Mr. Leeves performed a journey into Roumelia, in which opportunities were afforded of distri- buting the Scriptures, and extensively making known the objects of the Society. At one of the places through which he passed, and where the largest fair in Roumelia is held, a number of copies of the Greek Testament were sold. Mr. Barker visited Constantinople this year, passing through Thessalonica on his way. In this latter city, he found from 25,000 to 30,000 Jews speaking the Jewish-Spanish language, for whom the Juda3o-Spanish New Testament was peculiarly adapted. At first these Jews declined to purchase the Hebrew Scriptures offered them by Mr. Barker ; but eventually, they took his whole stock, and requested more. On his return, he visited Mongalilch, where he gathered much information re- specting the country, and arranged for future distributions. This year, the Society made arrangements wuth the Scottish 1827. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETV. 37 Missionaiy Society ibr tlie services of the Rev. Mr. Glen, at EUllOPE. Astraclian, in making a translation of the poetical and pro- suutukkn phetical books of Scripture into Persian : Mirza Jaffier, — under the superintendence of Professor Lee, had been already Greece, for some time employed on the historical books, in that Turkey, lano-uacre.* — . Sect I In 1827, Mr. Leeves was compelled, by the state of political ij303-29. affairs, to retire from his post at Constantinople. Among other causes of regret, he deeply felt his parting from three Jews, who, for professing Christianity, had been thrown into prison. Removal of Their original term of confinement was not to exceed six }^^- ^^^'^^^ == _ _ from Lon- months, but it was afterwards extended to three years. Their stautin- sufFex'ings were exceedingly severe, and one of them, in conse- °^ ^' quence, relapsed into Judaism ; but the other two remained stedfast, and, when liberated, became the instruments of gaining others of their brethren over to the Christian faith. In reviewing his work on behalf of the Society, during his residence at Constantinople, Mr. Leeves calculated that he had issued, in seven years, 30,000 copies of the Scriptures ; Total of in which number he did not include the issues from the Mr. Leeves Smyrna depot, which, for several years, had been considerable. atConstau- During the same period, Mr. Leeves received from the sale of the Scriptures upwards of 56,000 piastres, or between £1200 and £1300 sterling. The general principle on which he pro- ceeded in the distribution of the Scriptures was that of sale ; often, indeed, at very reduced prices ; but still, except in particular cases of donations to schools and to the poor, re- quiring some equivalent, as a proof that they were really desired, and would be properly used. Besides direct spiritual benefits, which there is reason to hope were not few, Mr. Leeves was persuaded that the opera- tions of the Society had tended to raise the character of the British nation in the eyes of the inhabitants of Turkey, and particularly of the Greek and Armenian nations. Mr. Barker, who was allowed to remain at his post at Smyrna, continued to make consignments of the Scriptures * Professor Lee, and T. P. Piatt, Esq., the Honorary Librarian, took each an active joart, at this time, in the revision of the Scriptures in Persic, Coptic, Syriac, Arabic, and other lang-uag-es of the East. 38 IIISTOllY OF THE EUROPE. ^!ouT^EIlN Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. I. 180IS-29. 1828. New Greek version of the Old 'I'estament in various directions. The Missionaries, the Rev. Messrs. Brewer unci Hartley, in a tour made by them through several of the Greek islands, succeeded in establishing Agents for the distribution of the Scriptures at Tino, Nycono, Hydra, Pato, Naxia, Scopoly, Egina, Napoli, Thessaly and Syra ; and the reception given to the Scriptures was, generally, very gratifying. A considerable and important modification of the plans of the Society, in regard to printing the Scriptures in Modern Qreek, now took place. The circulation of the New Testa- ment having awakened an earnest inquiry for the Old, Mr. Leeves, on his return to this country, united with Mr. Jowett, of Malta, and the Missionaries in Greece, in recommending, for the existing emergency, the printing an edition of the Septuagint; and the Committee came to the decision to proceed with an impression of 5000 copies, which resolution, however, was not acted upon ; for attention was drawn, in the course of their discussion on the above subject, to the desirableness and practicability of obtaining a version of the entire Bible in the Modern Greek, in a translation strictly conformed to the Hebrew text. The superior importance of such a version, led to the relinquishing of the idea, either of reprinting the Septuagint, or of proceeding with the version of Archbishop Hilarion, which was made from it ; and it was resolved to substitute for both a version from the Hebrew, in the preparation of which, it was felt that the manuscripts of Hilarion, all of which had been recently received in England, would prove of the greatest value. To accomplish this new object, it was arranged for Mr. Leeves to proceed to Corfu, where he could receive the assist- ance of Mr. Lowndes, and where he was empowered to engage also the services of one or more learned Greeks, to be placed under his superintendence. This he was soon enabled to accomplish, and the work was entered upon with vigour. Two editions of the New Testament, in Ancient and Modern Greek, were carried through the press during Mr. Leeves' residence in England ; and the Judseo-Spanish New Testament was now completed and bound, under the superintendence of Mr. Lowndes, at Corfu. Sect. I. 1808-29. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 39 In the mean time, the circulation was going on prosperously. EUROPE. "It is truly delightful," writes the Kev. Dr. Korck, Missionary sou^,,-rn in Greece, connected with the Church Missionary Society, " to ^ — witness the eagerness of the Greeks to be supplied with the Greece, ' word of God. Scarcely is a fresh supply of Testaments re- 'Turkey, ceived, but it is quickly sold." The Rev. I\Ir. Brewer, an American Missionary, states, that 1400 copies had been sold at Egina, Syra, Hydra, Napoli, — Andros, ]Myconi. He gives an interesting description of the schools ; and, in reference to one, of 300 boys, he says — " During the last month I have daily seen the children gather- Scriptm-e incp about the door of the school long before the hour of open- lessons in . ° 1 1 -11., 1 . • • tl'e Greek nig had arrived, busily engaged m connnitting to memory schools. the Sermon on the Mount, the Prodigal Son, and similar passages." The Rev. ]Mr. Hartley writes — " If I had the supplies, I could have sold a much larger quantity." He after- wards states that about 2000 copies had been disposed of. In the autumn of 1829, the Rev. Mr. Leeves proceeded with his family to Corfu, which they reached in safety, though the vessel containing his goods was wrecked. In the spring of the following year, both he and Mr. Lowndes were diligently em- ployed upon the Modern-Greek Bible ; having succeeded in engaging, as translators to labour under them, two Greek Pro- fessors, Tipaldo and Bambas, and another Greek, Mr. Joannides. It was the special province of jMr. Leeves and Mr. Lowndes, to compare the translation with the Hebrew text. In the summer of 1829, Mr. Barker made a tour in Greece. Mr. Bar- A very fall and interesting journal of his proceedings was j^^ Q^.gg"/ printed and circulated separately, and was also given in the 1829. Appendix of the Report for 1830. He found many encouraging openings for the distribution of the Scriptures, especially among the schools. He first spent a few days at Egina, which, to his surprise and pleasure, he found full of institutions for instruction. He afterwards proceeded to Napoli, Argos, and several other places. During part of his tour, he travelled in company with the Rev. Mr. King, the American Missionary, who was already acquiring that influence in Greece, which ho afterwards, for many years, exerted for its benefit. The letters of several Missionaries luiite their lestiniony 40 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Southern Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. I. 1808-29. with that of Mr. Barker, as to tlie very strong desire every- where showing itself in favour of the Holy Scriptures. As the result of these visits and communications, large sup- plies of the Scriptures in various languages were foi'warded to the depots at Malta, Smyrna, Corfu, and Constantinople. The four Gospels in the Chaldeo-Syriac (the Syriac in Chaldee characters) left the press this year, and copies were immediately forwarded to Bombay and Syria. Thus, notwithstanding the political commotions which pre- vailed in Greece and Turkey during a large part of the period now under review, not only was the door not closed against the introduction of the Scriptures among Greeks, Jews, Armenians, and even Turks themselves, but, in a degree, it became more widely open than before. This fact afforded to the friends of the Bible ample matter for thanksgiving and hope. BRITISH A^D rOKEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 41 SOUTHERN EUROPE. CHAPTER H. GREECE, TUllKEY, AND ISLES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN. SECTION II. 1830—1854. Version of the Old Testament in Modern Greek. — Versions hy 3Iis- sionaries at Shushi and Astrachan, into Ararat and Persian. — Tonr of Mr. Leeves in Greece. — Scriptures admitted into the. Greek public Schools. — Bulgarian New T'estament. — Colport- age. — Greece. — Opposition from the Greek Hierarchy. — Ger. man Colonists in South Russia. — Giceco-Turklsh Version. — General course of the labours of Mess7's. Leeves and Barker, and their important results. — Rev. Mr. Lowndes, Agent at Corfu. — Lamented Death of Mr. Leeves. — 3Iarked effect of Scripture distribution in Armenia. — Jerusalem — Circulation of Scriptures. — Letter of Bishop Gohat. — Removal of 3Ir. Barker to Bucharest. — Scriptures introduced in the Govern- ment Schools. — Progress of Religious awakening in Armenia. — Distribution of Scriptures to the Allied Armies in the JEat't. The anxious desire to obtain, as early as possible, portions of the Old Testament in Modern Greek, has been already referred to ; and the greatest despatch was employed in carry- ing on the work. To meet, in some degree, the strong feeling Turkey, awakened, it was thought well to publish it in portions, as it _' was prepared. In 1830, 5000 copies of the Psalms were ^o^q'}}' printed in this country, under the superintendence of the — Editorial Secretary, Mr. Greenfield, assisted by T. P. Piatt, portions Esq. ; and in the following year 5000 more, under the editor- pf the Old ship of the Rev. W. Jowett, of Malta, Of this work, the Rev. in MoXm Mr. King, the American Missionary in Greece, writes : — Greek. EUROPE. SOUTUERN Chap. II. Greece, 42 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Southern Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect II. 1830-34. Version into East- ern Arme- nian by Missiona- ries at Sliushi. Lancas- terian School at Tour of Mr. Leeves in Greece. 1831. " Tlio translation of the Psalms is most beautiful, and, I think, must be acceptable to the Greeks. It is, in my opinion, the best translation that has yet been made into Modern Greek of any part of the Sacred Scriptures. If the whole of the Old Testament is translated in the same masterly manner, and in the same beautiful style, it will indeed be a rich treasure for the Greeks." The Missionaries at Shushi, connected with the Basle Missio- nary Society, completed this year, (1830,) the translation of the Gospels into the Ararat, or Eastern Armenian, and the whole of the New Testament into the Georgian or Eastern Tui'kish. Mr. Glen, at Astrachan, also completed his translation of the poetical and prophetical books into the Persian language ; and having finally revised for press the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, 1000 copies of each of the two former were printed in this country, under the editorial care of Mr, Greenfield, assisted by F. J. V. Seddon, Esq. Mr. Barker writes from Constantinople, May 1830 : — " The opening of the present year, as respects the depots at Smyrna and Constantinople, is extremely encouraging. In less than four months, upwards of 900 volumes have been issued from the Sm3a'na depot. I have also the satisfaction to inform you, that a Lancasterian school for poor girls has lately been opened at Smyrna, by the Rev. Mr, Brewer, an American, assisted by his lady and Miss Reynolds ; and about 100 girls (as many as the school can contain) receive instruction in reading, writing, and needle work. A young lady of Smyrna purchased from me forty Modern-Greek New Testaments, for the use of this school. Another Lancasterian school is now established at Melemen, a town five hours distant from Smyrna, in which the Holy Scriptures have been introduced. The establishment of similar schools in other places in the vicinity of Smyrna is in contemplation ; so that I hope we shall shortly see this country, like Greece, full of institutions for learning, which are so beneficial to the furtherance of the object of our Society." During the course of the year 1831, Mr. Leeves took an ex- tensive tour in Greece, and in the Greek islands, for the purpose of promoting the distribution of the Scriptures.* * For copious portions of his jourua], see Moiitlil^^ Extracts for the vcar 1831. BRITISH AND FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 43 In the course of tliis journey he visited Zante, Patras, EUROPE. Missolonohi Lepanto, Thebes, Athens, Mesara, Corinth, o ~ "- . , '»' > hOUTIIERN Argos, Napoh', Egina, Salamis. Many of these places he — found just beginning to recover from the awful desolation of Greece ' war : in others, the work of instruction had made some pro- Turkey, &c. gress. In Zante, for instance, he found a central school with _" 200 boys ; and in the town, fifteen others, with 485 ; and in ^.^J^I: }]• the dmerent villages, twenty-five more, with 419 boys. At — jSIissolonghi there was a school of 130 boys. At Argos a new schoolroom had been erected, at the expense of Go- Scriptures vernment, capable of holdinof 500 boys. A very few only supplieil to „ , 11111 . 1 . . , , ni ^ T^ 1 tlie nu- oi the schools had been previously visited by Mr. Barker, merous ]\Ir. Leeves, in this tour, dispersed 1243 copies of the Holy ^^^^^ Scriptures through various parts of Greece, and supplied with New Testaments above fifty schools, of which only three were before in possession of them. Schools of mutual instruction, at that time, spread widely throughout Greece ; and it was an object ever held in view by the Society, to keep these schools, so far as practicable, supplied with the Scriptures. The Missionaries at Shushi continued to meet with much encouragement in the distribution of the Scriptures. Amongst other Biblical w^orks, they were now engaged in preparing the New^ Testament in the Tartar-Turkish ; a language spoken by numerous tribes in all the Russian provinces beyond the Caucasus, — in Georgia, Shushi, Scherwan, Draband, Baliu, Karabagh, and in Persia, as. far as Kasbin, down to Teheran : it is written in the Persian character. In 1832, Mr. Leeves made a short visit to Albania, as the y'sitofMr. . . Leeves to result of which, supplies of the Scriptures, amounting to above Albania ; 1300 copies, were sent to Yanina, Presesa, Arto, and Argyro- rastro. At Arto, containing a large Greek population, great anxiety was expressed by the people to obtain books, and also at Yanina, containing a population of 15,000. At Argyrorastro he was received into the house of the Bishop, whom he found anxious for the improvement of his flock, and who willingly undertook to be the channel through which the Scriptures might be dispersed through his diocese. j"^ Barker In the month of August of that year, Mr. Barker quitted to Servia. 44 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Smyrna, on a visit to Servia, taking with him copies of the Southern New Testament in the language of that country. He proceeded ,, ~" _. by way of Salonica, where, and at Nissa, he disposed of a few CUAP. II. -^ , •' ' ' ^ Greece, copies ; but at Belgrade, the capital of Servia, he was much "&c ^' disappointed by the difficulties thrown in the way of circulating — the Scriptures. One result of the information gained on this Sect II . l830-5i! journey was a proposal, on the part of Mr. Barker, that the — Society should prepare and print the Scriptures in the Bul- garian, Wallachian, and Moldavian languages. A translation of the prophecy of Isaiah into the Persian language, by the Mirza Ibrahim, of the East-India College at Haileybury, strongly recommended by all the Oriental Pro- Persian fessors connected with that institution, became this year the the book°of P^'operty of the Society ; and a small edition was soon after Isaiah. printed. Highly satisfactory testimonies were now received of the value of Henry Marty n's Persian New Testament. The Old Testament, in the same language, under Mr. Glen, Avas gradually proceeding at Astrachan. The printing of the Ararat- Armenian Testament, prepared by the Missionaries at Shushi, was also making progress at Moscow. In 1833, the printing of an edition of the Armeno-Turkish Testament was completed by the American Missionaries at Malta. The depot there, as the centre of a wide distribution, continued to receive and issue large supplies. Progress of "^^"^ jear, the work of translating the Modern-Greek Bible the Mo- was, by the removal of Mr. Leeves and Professor Bambas, transla- transferred from Corfu to Syra ; although Mr. Lowndes, who '"^"- had taken a lively part in the undertaking, and whose efficient, conscientious, and disinterested aid, called forth repeated and grateful acknowledgments, both from his fellow -labourers, and from the Society at home, still continued to take part in the revision. The printing of the Pentateuch had already taken place. To that was now^ added the book of Joshua. The ap- pearance of these portions of the work gave much satisfaction, and awakened great interest, d^ r^ dT'th ^™oiig numerous friends who, at this period, rendered much Society by Valuable assistance to the Society, though not officially con- ^so/y m7. ^ected with it, may be mentioned Mr. Tod, of Damascus, a Groves. mercantile gentleman, who, for several years, allowed his BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 45 house to be a depot, from whence considerable numbers of the EUROPE. Scriptures made their way into different parts of Syria. Mr. soci^ern Groves, of Bagdad, deserves also to be honourably mentioned, — together with his friends and associates, Messrs. Parnell, Greece, Cronin, and Newman. These gentlemen devoted themselves Turkey, to the cause of the Gospel in the East, and were unremitting in — the distribution of the Scriptures, as well as in other evangelical ]83q154 efforts, until the fearful ravages of the plague drove them — away from the immediate field of their sufferings and lal)ours. The Greek Government having recognised the Holy Scrip- Scriptures tures as a necessary book for the use of all public schools, into the and the Rev. Dr. Korck having been appointed director of ^^^^k the public schools of Greece ; that gentleman now officially opened a correspondence with Mr. Leeves, in regard to the manner in which a suflicient supply could be obtained. The Pentateuch, Psalter, and New Testament, were among the books specially approved for this purpose. The schools under the charge of Messrs. Brewer and Schools in- Hildner, Church Missionaries, and of Messrs. Hill and King, Greece by American Missionaries, now beo-an to be, and Icno- continued, Mission- a very nnportant department in the operations carried on tor the benefit of Greece. In them, the instruction imparted, was of far higher character, than what was found in the ordinary public schools. They were truly Missionary institutions, and the benefits they diffused were of no small amount In a short tour made by Mr. Leeves this year, these schools came parti- cularly under his attention. In one of his letters, Mr. Barker speaks of an examination of a girls' school at Smyrna, at which a Greek priest was observed looking very thoughtful ; and when the reason was inquired, he expressed himself in the following affecting manner: — "'I am quite ashamed of myself, to see that such young Touching girls should know so much of the Holy Scriptures, whilst I am 'if mission ^ , °* ^ Greek ignorant of them, who am a teacher of the Gospel.' I said, priest. ' HoAv is this ?' He answered ' I only learned to read a little, and became a priest ; and although I read at Church the prayers and portions of the Bible, they are in Ancient Greek, and I cannot understand them. I have learned more of the word of God during this short examination, than I knew all my 40 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. SOUTHKRK Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. II. l«30-54. I!i34. Visit of Mr. Barker to Bu- charest. Bulgarian New Tes- tanieut. 1835. Increased circulation in Greece. lifetime ; and I, who have grey hairs upon my beard, have been receiving lessons from children. How I should like to sit down with these children, and learn the Scriptures ! — but I am ashamed. If there was an adult school, I would gladly remain at Smyrna, and give my all to learn what I have heard this day from these little girls.' " A copy of the New Testament in Modern Greek, and also of Genesis and Psalms, were given him. A considerable portion of this year was occupied by Mr. Barker, in a journey to Bucharest, wdth a view^ of obtaining information relative to the Bulgarian and Wallachian Scrip- tures. He also visited, on the same occasion, the capital of Moldavia, and met with much encouragement in the prosecu- tion of the Society's object. It appears that the Wallachian and Moldavian languages are one and the same, namely, an exceedingly corrupt Latin, w^ith an admixture of many Turkish, Slavonian, and Greek words. The Bulgarian is a branch of the Slavonic. The whole Bible in Wallachian was then in existence, but very scarce. Of the Bulgarian, only the New Testament had been lately translated, and not more than the Gospels had been printed. In the following year, 1835, Mr. Barker made a second jour- ney to Bucharest, when he succeeded in obtaining the consent of the proper authorities to print the Wallachian New Testament, from a copy furnished to him for that purpose by the heads of the Church ; and 5000 copies were ordered to press. He made arrangements also for an improved translation of the Bulgarian New Testament, to which Archbishop Hilarion promised his sanction : 5000 copies of this work were also ordered to be struck oflF. This year, the translation of the whole of the Old Testament into Modern Greek was completed ; and several editions, besides portions of the same, as of the Pentateuch, the book of Joshua, the Psalms, &c., amounting in the whole to 23,000 copies, passed through the press, together with another edition of 10,000 of the New Testament. In proof of the growing demand for these Scriptures, it ma}^ be stated, that Mr. Leeves' issues for the year, chiefly in modern Greek, amounted to 8735 copies, being above 5000 TiraTISIT AXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 47 more than in the preceding year. This was the more encourao- EUllOPE. ing, as considerable opposition to the work had begun to show southern ^tself in some quarters ; not, however, from the Government, — tlie young king of Greece having expressed himself friendly Greece, ' to the diffusion of the Holy Scriptures ; but from the hos- Turkey, tility of some of the Greek clergy. The largely increased — ' circulation of the Scriptures above alluded to was owing, in ^83q'_5|" part, to the employment, by Mr. Leeves, of two young men, — somewhat in the capacity of Colporteurs, who traversed a large part of Greece, and visited several of the islands. They sold and otherwise distributed, with considerable zeal and success, upwards of 1200 copies of the Scriptures, and left for sale in dilFerent depots, above 400 more. Mr. Leeves, as already intimated, found most valuable and friendly coadjutors in the American Missionaries at Athens, Missionary into whose well-conducted schools, as well as those of other ^^^\°^^ ^^ Athens. Societies, many of the copies of the Scriptures issued by the Society were introduced. Of this establishment Mr. Leeves thus speaks : — " It is a pleasure to see Mr. and Mrs, Hill's school, of 500 children, flourishing as it does, and enjoying so much favour amongst all classes at Athens. It was visited some time ago by the young khig, who afterwards sent to Mrs. Hill a very flattering letter of approbation ; and twelve girls from different provinces of Greece are to be sent to reside at the establish- ment, at the expense of Government, who are to be educated as mistresses. One of them came the other day. The rest are expected. The Holy Scriptures are of course the basis of the instruction of all these children, and many pleasing fruits of Scripture education are being produced." The labours of the Missionaries at Shushi were, this year, Mission at suspended, by an Imperial Ukase. The edict applied to all mlnatedf'' Protestant Missions in the southern part of Russia, although the work of the press was allowed to go on for a time ; but at length the several establishments were altogether broken up. The Rev. Mr. Galloway, one of the Scottish Missionaries at Travels of Karass, had been engaged by the Society to travel for two years Q^^ff^^^a ' in the Caucasus, with a view to distribute the Scriptures. In one in the of his journeys he visited some of the tribes in the Kirghesian 48 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. SODTHKRN Cqap. it. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. II. 1830-54. 1836. Sale of Scriptures amongst the Kir- ghesians. Steppe, which lies between tlie Ural and the Volga. He was favourably received by the principal Chan, or Prince, to whom he presented a copy of the Turkish Bible; and he found opportunities of distributing a considerable number of copies of the Scriptures, principally in the Turkish and Turco- Tartar versions, in the several towns and villages through which he passed, especially at a fair near the Chan's Palace, where a great concourse of people was assembled. In the course of the month he distributed 3403 copies of the Scriptures. Referring to his coming to the place where the fair was held, Mr. G. writes : — " I immediately hired a Kirghesian tent for a month, as I had heard that the market Avas to continue so long. The next day, the Hagi, who had been so officious on the road, again made his appearance, giving warning against receiving the books ; but the circumstance of the Chan having received a Bible was soon blazed abroad by our Tartar carrier, as like- wise his kindness in making us a present of a sheep. Indi- viduals, especially merchants from the city of Kazan, began to call at our tent for books, notwithstanding the efforts of the Hagi to the contrary ; and, in the course of a few days, the Chan's brethren, the sultans, and head servants, who were su- perintending the police of the market, had all received copies of the Scriptures. After this, the Kirghesians, who are very timid and jealous in regard to any thing respecting religion, began likewise to call for copies ; but they often consulted the opinion of a Kazan moll ah, or merchant, before they received a copy, to know whether it were really the New Testament." Writing from the town of Kazem, he says : — " On my coming here, I received a chest, which had arrived only two days before, containing 182 copies of the Pentateuch and New Testament stitched together. The Tartars in this city received them with great avidity, and many expressions of thankfulness at the time. They were all disposed of in the course of a few days, after it was known that I had them for distribution. Many of the Tartar women in the city can read, and numbers of them came and begged most earnestly for copies." BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 49 The opposition to the work of the Society, ah-eady alhided EUROPE, to, which appears to have sprung up in the Hierarchy of the „ ~~ Greek Church, and w^as fomented by the priests, soon spread — among the people, who, from having been the wulhng reci- ^Oreece^ pients of the Scriptures, were now engaged in a ftmatical Turkey, crusade against them. At Syra, some copies were even ''Jl' contemptuously trodden under foot and burned. In Mr. ^^;'^^- ^^• Barker's sphere of labour, the effects of this opposition were — more severely felt than in Greece itself; and, at Smyrna, '^^''' he had to report that the Greeks, who for so many years had received the word of God readily, and were the principal ^^i^°^^gjj!" purchasers, had become opposed to its circulation, at the in- ced by the stigation of their priests, whose influence with the Turkish a/ciiy. ^^^" Government was so great, that their threats of judicial punish- ments against those who purchased the Scriptures intimidated the people into obedience. Still the w^ork in that country went on ; for, in the following year, 1837, the issues of Mr. Leeves, who had then removed to Athens, amounted to above 14,600 volumes, thus ex- ceeding by several thousands the issues of any preceding year. 25,380 copies in Modern Greek, including 10,200 Testaments, were printed, during this year, under the editorship of the Rev. J. Jowett, the Society's Supermtendent of Translations. The hindrances, however, in Turkey, continuing to increase, the Society thought it right to review the state of their Agency there, with a view to its being placed on a more restricted footing ; to which they felt further called by the following- candid statement from their Agent, Mr. Barker, who had for seventeen years laboured in the cause of the Society, and who was consulted on this occasion. " Although some few volumes of the Scriptures may occa- sionally be distributed among the Greeks and Catholics, the j ^ , Society must not look forward to any extensive operations py effect amongst them for the present. This must not, however, be peopJeof attributed to any aversion on the part of the people, but to tlie Turkey, opposition of the Clergy, whose power is much more extended in this country than in those places which are blessed with a more liberal government ; and it is the fear of l)eing com- plained of to the local authorities, that renders the people Vol. II. E 50 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE, obedient to the dictates of their more powerful spiritual guides. S UTUERN Were it not for this, our work would continue as usual, and with equal success. The Turks are likewise actuated by the Greece, Same fear, but to a much greater extent, as the Scriptures are Turliey, incompatible with the tenets of their religion, of which, as is — well known, they are particularly jealous, and from which ^830-54 ' ^^y wide deviation would render the individual liable to the — heaviest penalty of the law. The Jews have evinced of late more eagerness for the Sacred Volume, and have been in- quiring both for Bibles and Psalters. The Armenians are the The Arme- only people who have not hitherto offered any opposition to the nians alone distribution of the Scriptures ; and I sincerely believe that they, truly anxi- „ , , ^ . . . ^ ^i i i j ous for the of all others, are most anxious to receive and learn the blessed Scriptures, ^.^.^j^j-,^ Thousands of volumes have been distributed among them. Roman Catholics, and even Greeks, enjoying Foreign protection, can and do purchase the Scriptures, without being obliged to render to any one an account of their conduct ; but not so the rajahs, or subjects of the Greek Church, and the former are very few compared with the latter class." The contemplated change in the Agency took place soon afterwards, in 1838. Mr. Barker's salary was reduced from £300 to £200 ; a portion of his time being set free to be em- ployed for other purposes ; in which arrangement, it is but justice to say, Mr. Barker cheerfully acquiesced. In the mean time, Mr. Barker was occupied with some works and plans, which required to be carried out and completed. Eive thousand copies of the Wallachian New Testament had just left the press : these required to be distributed ; and Mr. Barker was authorized to visit Wallachia and Moldavia, Math Mr. Bar- the view of bringing them into circulation. This important to Walla- work had been brought out by permission, and, as its title- chia. page states, at the desire of the Bishops of Wallachia, and under the sanction of the illustrious Prince and Governor of the Wallachian Principality. After considerable delay, the manuscript translation of the whole of the New Testament, in the Bulgarian language, had reached Smyrna, and was then being printed there, under Mr. Barker's superintendence. Mr, Barker was also contemplating, on his return from Wallachia, a journey over unexplored ground in Asia Minor, in the hope BRITISH AXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 51 of bringing the word of Life into wider circulation amono- the EUROPE. Southern Armenians, In 1838, Mr. Barker made his journey to Bucharest, with a view to the distribution of the Wallachian New Testament. ^oi^Je'ce^' His reception at Bucharest was very favourable. The fol- Turkey, lowing gratifying incident is mentioned by him : — _" " I arrived here at a very interesting time — when the Prince ^^!j^ }]■ was going in state to distribute the prizes to the children of — the great charity school, who had previously undergone their "igs^^^*" examination. I immediately proposed to add to the prizes some of our Wallachian New Testaments, and my offer was Distribu- accepted with thanks : consequently, 150 volumes were thus the Go- eflFectually disseminated, and at once found their way into ^e^°™ent about as many families in Bucharest, where, perhaps, the word of God never before had entered. The ceremony was truly interesting ; and I only regret that my ignorance of the Wallachian language prevented me from understanding the discourses delivered by the professors, on the history of the gift of New country, the necessity of educating the poor, &c. The ilded^to"' Prince, the Archbishops, and all the principal persons com- ^ach prize, posing this little State, were present in their rich uniforms, as well as a considerable number of other individuals. The Prince placed a green wreath on the heads of such boys as had particularly distinguished themselves in their studies ; but all the children received gifts of different books, together with one of our New Testaments. After the ceremony was over, the Prince's brother — the Minister of the Interior — thanked me for the New Testaments which I had given away as prizes : he at the same time observed, that they ought all to be greatly indebted to our Society, because, whilst occupied in dissemi- nating so extensively the word of God amongst the people ofc so many great nations, we did not forget those of their little province." At Jassy, (Moldavia), Mr. Barker met with unexpected difficulties, and was not allowed by the Metropolitan to cir- culate any copies of the New Testament. An auspicious opening at this time presented itself, for a German more extensive circulation of the Scriptures among the Ger- j^ gQ^tl* man colonists in the south of Russia, of which the Society Russia. K 2 52 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Southern Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. II. 1830-54. Eager re- ception of the Scrip- tures. ^fodern- Greek ver- sion com- pleted by- Mr. Leeves. His visit to this country. gladly availed itself. 1000 Bibles, and 5000 New Testaments were on this occasion voted, on the representation of Mr. Barker, supported by very gratifying communications from the Ger- man Missionaries on the spot. Some few practical difficulties at first presented themselves ; but these were overcome, and this field has ever since been cultivated with considerable suc- cess. A strong desire was found among the people to avail themselves of the benefit held out to them. The first distribu- tion of these books was made under the following affecting circumstances, as mentioned by a correspondent at Odessa : — " Last Sabbath," he writes, " was confirmation here. Forty confirmands received the New Testament. It was a solemn and delightful moment to see them kneel around the altar, receiv- ing from the hands of their pastor the word of Life. This was the first distribution of the kind, and it was a great privilege for me to be permitted to be present. Next Sabbath about seventy -five children will receive it in the country, on a like occasion." Mr. Leeves having completed his great and important work of translating the Old Testament into the Modern Greek, paid this year, (1838,) a visit to England. At the request of the Com- mittee, he drew up and presented a succinct view of his labours during the nine years he had been employed in the Society's service.* Li this statement he describes the steps taken to accomplish the work above referred to, which was the chief object committed to his care. He acknowledges the zealous and efiicient aid which he had received from the co-opera- tion of Mr. Lowndes, from the services of Pi^ofessors Bambas and Tipaldo, and, for a short period, from those of Professor Joannides ; and explains the pi'ocess by which they unitedly nought to render the translation faithful and correct. The latter part of the work was completed at Syra in 1836, in the midst of the fanatical movements directed against the Scrip- tures and the schools, and which this very undertaking had, in some measure, contributed to excite. Events there, tended to hasten the removal of Professor Bambas and himself to Athens, where they both became engaged in the revision of an en- , tirely new translation of the New Testament into Modern * For a copy of this interesting- document, see App. to 35th Report. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIF.TY. 53 Greek, wliicli had been effected by Professor Bambas, and of EUROPE. Avhicli, 2000 coj^ies of the Gospels and Acts, were printed at southern Athens. — Mr. Leeves also reported on another undertaking of con- Greece, siderable magnitude, which had been simultaneovxsly proceeding 'i'u'key, under his directions — the translation of the whole Bible in the — Grseco-Turkish, (the Turkish language with Greek characters,) iy3Ql54' for the use of the Greeks in Asia Minor. To assist him in this — labour, he had been so fortunate, in a visit he paid to Smyrna in 1831, as to procure the services of a young man of Philadel- phia, Mr. Christo Nicolaides, who joined Mr. Leeves at Corfu, in Grseco- and was afterwards uninterruptedly engaged under his superin- tendence. For this work the Society furnished and sent out a new fount of types. The first edition, printed partly at Syra, and partly at Athens, consisted of 2500 copies, with 500 addi- tional of the Pentateuch, and 500 New Testaments. In conjunction with the above works, Mr. Leeves had dili- gently engaged in the distribution of the Scriptures, which had so increased, and that very much by the employment of the two native assistants above referred to, that, in 1838, it amounted to 14,671 copies, and in the following year they exceeded 19,000. For the next few years, the operations of the Society in the Printing of Levant proceeded without any material interruption or change. New 'xes- Mr. Barker continued his distributions in Asiatic and Euro- tament ropean Turkey, and the south of Russia. The printing of the Bulgarian New Testament was com- pleted at Smyrna ; and thus, another of the provinces of Eastern Europe was furnished with the Scriptures in the vernacular tongue. This work met with very pleasing acceptance in many places : 300 copies were at one time disposed of at the fair at Usingiova. The Wallachian Testament also found increasing favour. Upwards of 2500 copies had been now disseminated, and a new edition was soon after required. In 1840, Mr. Barker paid a visit to Odessa, where he suc- ceeded in removing some obstacles that had arisen to the cir- culation of the Scriptures, and where he found Mr. Melville, the gentleman who was afterwards more fully employed by the 54 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Southern Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. II. 1030-54. 1843. Spread of vital re- ligion amongst the Arme- nians. Society, disinterestedly and diligently engaged in distributing and selling the Scriptures. An edition of the Modern- Armenian New Testament was completed at Smyrna in 1842, and immediately put into cir- culation. It met with very good reception among the Ar- menians ; and the American Missionaries, by whom the above was accomplished, proceeded immediately, under sanction of the Society, to publish another edition, with the Ancient Ar- menian in parallel columns. Mr. Barker's letters, at this time, contain many interest- ing references to the reception and reading of the Scriptures among the Armenians : " On my visit to Smyrna," he writes, " I was made acqiiainted with the interesting fact of the progress of vital religion amongst the Armenians at Constantinople, and of their thirsting after the Scriptures. Of our Society's edition of the Armenian Gos- pels, consisting of 966 copies, about 666 have been distributed ; and of 500 Armenian Acts which had been bound, 470 have been issued ; besides which, 300 copies of the whole New Tes- tament, in the same language, which had lately been got ready, have found their way amongst the people ; and Mr. Adger, an American Missionary, assures me, that, at Constantinople and elsewhere, all these books are sought after, the language being both intelligible and good. Summing up all these results, we find not less than about 1450 copies of this new edition of the Society's Armenian Scriptures, already in circulation. In addi- tion to these, a considerable number of Ancient-Armenian Testaments, and Armeno-Turkish Bibles, printed in Smyrna for the American Bible Society, have been distributed. This latter work has gone through two editions, the one of 5000 copies, the other of 1500. All these late operations amongst this interesting nation will surely tend, with the blessing of God, to bring many wearied and burthened souls to the foot of the cross, there to obtain pardon of all their sins, and eternal life in the world to come." In another letter he writes : — " I continue to have most cheering accounts of the Arme- nians at Constantinople, who not only flock around the Scrip- tures, but make a point to study them. You perceive that we RKITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 55 are veiy anxious to secure the means of supplying the Arme- EUROPE. nians with a New Testament, with references. Is it not a most southern interestino; feature of the reformation which has betrun amone: -~ „ Cn vp. II. tliem, that all those who embrace the truth are found imme- Greece, diately becoming diligent students of the Scriptures, and de- lurkey. sirous of nothmg so much as of proper helps for the right — understanding of God's word?" 1830-54. And m the follow^ing year, Messrs. Dwioht and HomeSj — American Missionaries, write : — " There are great encouragements still to continue to aid the Bible circulation in Turkey, among both Christians and Jews. The first edition of the IModern-Armenian Testament, which we published through your liberality, was an adventurous experiment, as it was the first thing of the kind. But the edi- tion will soon be exhausted. Although it is not adopted by Armenian ecclesiastical authority, the people in great numbers receive it Testanjent gladly. We see various favourable results, connected with the by the free circulation of the Scriptures in a language understood by people. the people. We see ameliorations in regard to various super- stitions and injurious practices. We hear that there is a much greater amount of preaching in the churches ; and great soli- citude is manifested by the preachers to give their doctrines the appearance of being based mainly on the Bible. Schools, also, of an improved and elevated character, are being esta- blished, in every part of Constantinople, among the Armenian community ; which, although the Scriptures in the modern lan- guages are not nsed in them, are, however, the result of the onward march of the national mind, and are an indication of the increasing number of intelligent readers that will shortly be found for the Scriptures. " There is not, probably, a city in Turkey where the Scrip- Earnest tures in modern languages have not been carried; and we ^f"g^J^°{ might mention twenty towns where Armenians are found who tures iu daily search them, for the purpose of guiding their lives accord- J^^ns. ing to their supreme teachings. In some of these places, this holy volume, owing to the fact of its being ifi the modern lan- guage, is received as a fresh message from heaven ; and in these towns especial assemblies are held on the Sabbath, for studying the vScri[)ture3 ; and this occurs also in towns where 1844. 56 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE, no foreign IMissionary has ever been. Among tlie Armenians, SoLTHEKN ^^^^ Bible is the most prominent and central object on the altars — in the church, and the object of all others daily oflFered to the Greece, people, after prayers, to be kissed. It is owing to this fact, ^^i'^'^^' perhaps, in part, that there exists such an uncommon reverence — ' for the teachings of this honoured volume in the minds of the Slil: Armenians." . Mr. Leeves, during this period, was diligently employed in the twofold department of revision and distribution. In the o/lU;v^ision earlier part of it, he was much occupied in revising the Gra?co- andDistri- Turkish and the Juda3o-Spanish versions. In the former, he Mr Leeves, ^^^^ still the assistance of Nicolaides, and in the latter, that of a Jewish Rabbi from Constantinople, named Sim Tov. He also now entered on a revision of the entire Modern-Greek Bible. At the suggestion of Mr. Leeves, the Society printed an edi- tion of the New Testament in Ancient Greek, at the Cambridge University press, under the editorship of the Rev. Joseph Jowett, the Society's Superintendent of Translations ; the final revision of the proofs being kindly undertaken by Professor Scholefield. Besides his literary engagements, Mr. Leeves was very active in the direct distribution of the Scriptures, sometimes making short excursions himself for the purpose, sometimes availing himself largely of the aid of jNIissionaries and others. Thus, to refer back to his Report for 1841, he writes: — " Our young Agent, jMr. Berios, has made an extended tour this year through the Peloponnesus, and to the islands of Povos, Hydra, and Spezzia, which lasted above three months ; during which time he put into circulation above 3000 volumes. He visited Napoli, and the provinces of Tripolitza, Cavitena, Gustouni, Calabrita, and Patras, and penetrated into mountain districts of the interior of the Peloponnesus, which he had never before visited. The Scriptures were distributed by him in about thirty-six different cities, towns, and villages, and in general, proceeding with his usual prudence and discretion, he found no reason to be dissatisfied with his reception." Large So great was the success attending these various efforts to thrse^a- t^iff^^se the Scriptures among the Greeks, smce the Society first bours. began to interest itself on their behalf, by publishing, in 1810, its first edition of the Ancient and Modern-Greek Testament, BKITISn AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, 57 that, in 1844, Mr. Leeves was enabled to speak of 210,000 EUROPE. volumes of the New Testament, or of the Old, in whole or in southern parts, having been prepared for them ; of which about 100,000 ^^^ — ^^ had been New Testaments, and, of these, 45,000 accompanied Greece, * with the original Greek text. Some of these had found their '^"^^7' way into every country where the nation was scattered, though — »/»/*• ^ ^ ^ Se(^t. Jl, the larger proportion had been dispersed, within the preceding ifi;5o-.i4! ten years, among the inhabitants of what had now become ,5^4 emancipated Greece. To the benefits arising from these labours, Mr. Leeves had, besides the results of his own personal observa- tion, the happiness of receiving and transmitting many pleasing- attestations, from those who had been his fellow-labourers in the work. The following important testimonies as to the results of the Testimo- Society's efforts in behalf of Greece, were furnished, at this ^^l^i^. time, by ISIr. Leeves and others, his associates in the work, naries. whom he had the opportunity of consulting.* The first is from Mr. Leeves himself: — " What benefit has arisen from the circulation of these volumes of the word of God, is indeed a large and serious question, which cannot be fully answered until the Great Day ; nor can any but a most imperfect reply be given to it. " It may help us, however, to form some idea of it, to con- sider, that, during the time this distribution has been eoino- _ . ^ , fe & hcnpture forward, the Greek nation has been the subject of one of the distribu- most remarkable changes recorded in history. After a bond- *'i°j oy^' age of nearly 400 years to the triumphant followers of the during the False Prophet, the yoke has, during the above period, been Greek in- gradually loosened, and at length, after a fearful ten years' ^''l'^"" struggle, been broken from the neck of a portion of this branch of the great Christian family ; which has now risen up an in- dependent nation, and, under the tutelage of the three most powerful nations of civilized Europe, representing the three great branches of the Christian Church — the Latin, the Greek, and the Protestant — has been shaping and developing itself under its new monarchy ; until, by a second, bloodless, blameless, almost necessary revolution, which the majority of the behold- * See Fortietli Report and Appendix, where further interesting- commu- nications are collected. 58 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE SOUTUERN Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. II. 1830-54. 1844, Adherence of the Greeks to the Chris- tian faith. Result of acquaint- ance with the Scrip- tures in a Greek vil- lage. ing nations have approved, and to which the remainder could scarcely object, it has shaken off a system unsuited to its cha- racter and progress, claimed the rights which the previous decision of the Powers had secured to it, and has at length suc- cessfully and peacefully completed the fundamental charter of its laws and liberty, to which the king has given his consent, and in a few days, will ratify solemnly by his oath. " It cannot be denied that these lately-debased bondsmen of the Mahommedan have, by their conduct under these circum- stances, established no ordinary claim upon the interest and the respect of other nations ; and that they begin to occupy a place in the eye of the world, quite disproportioned, as in a former age, to the smallness of their territory and the fewness of their numbers. " What is interesting to us as Christians to observe, is, that as, during their long oppression, they held fast the faith of Christ, so it was that which animated and supported them during their struggle ; and that in their re-establishment as a nation, they reverence it, are jealous over it as their best trea- sure, and are prepared, I hope, to carry it out more fully, referring back to original principles, and making it better answer the purpose for which God graciously gave it to man." The next is from Mr. Benson, an American Missionary: — " The following anecdote may be related, as illustrative of the force of the simple reading of the Scriptures upon the mind. In one of the villages, about four or five hours' distant from Canea, a monk (whose name I do not now recollect) was making his visits for the purpose of collecting oil, money, &c. ; and for the better furtherance of his designs, he carried about with him the relics of some saint, famous for his godliness and piety: these relics he presented to the people to kiss, and make the sign of the cross over them, and afterwards to give him whatever they chose. But wherever he went, he was told in answer to his presentation of the relics, that they had learned better than to worship saints and their relics, since they had had the Bible introduced among them, and a school established ; and the same answer he received in four or five different villages, and was finally obliged to return, disappointed in his expecta- tions of gain. He inquired whence they had their school and Southern Chap. II. Greece, Sect. II. l«30-54. 1844. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 59 tlieir Bibles ; and was answered, from the Society. In revenoc EUROPE, for his disappointment, lie began to cry out against the school, and the distribution of the Bible. And, as if chance had favoured his design, he found a copy of the book of Job in the house of the villager where he then was, and, opening it, he Turkey, read the 17th verse of the 4th chapter; but he read it affir- — * matively, and not interrogatively, as it is. After he had read it, he turned to those present, and began to speak against the Bible printed and distributed by the Bible Society, saying that it contained many blasphemies and sinful things, and fre- quently referred to this passage. One of the children, who had learned to read in the school, and had listened to him The men- with considerable attention, Avhen he had finished his discourse, '^'^ant • 1 1 T 1 1 1 1 1-1 • 1 priest con- said, he did not know that the Scripture anywhere says that futed by a man can be ' purer tlian his Maker.' The monk pointed to the ^^^^^' passage with considerable triumph ; when the boy, taking the book, read the passage interrogatively, and also the two or three following verses ; and observed that it only asked the question, if a man shall be ^ juster than God and purer than his Maker, while He sees faults even in his angels?' The monk remained silent, and the villagers drove him out of tlieir village. " When I was at the monastery of Gonia, the monks re- Eibles, iu quested me to give them each a copy of the Old and New ?""^o.54' as often as there is a sermon, it is really a most attractive siirht — . liJ44. to see with what attention all the hearers stand and listen. *' Our faith was our only comfort and hope, during the mani- fold persecutions and tribulations of the long servitude we en- dured ; and at last, was the strongest motive of all for that most terrible struggle which, unarmed, unaccustomed to warfare, tures a so- poor, and deserted by all as rash fools, we supported for so lace am id many years, ' strengthened by the Lord, and by the power of lations of His might.' What abundant fruit, then, may not be produced ^'^^' by the word of God sown in such a good soil ! For our sins, however, two anti-christian enemies — Mahomet and Rome — waged war in Greece against the Eastern Church, with all the arms of the devil ; but the most destructive thing of all, to speak shortly, was the want of the Holy Scriptures, the absence of learning, and the delusion and superstition naturally conse- quent upon it. Except those portions of Holy Scriptures in Ancient Greek, which are read in the churches, and which few understand, a copy of the Holy Scriptures was a most rare possession in the homes of Christians ; nay, it was considered as a thing prohibited to the laity to read the Holy Gospel at home. " From hence, therefore, I am of opinion (and I think I am not deceived), that, in times like these, the distribution of the Holy Scriptures among us is a special benefaction of Divine Providence. So many thousand copies, both of the Old and New Testament, as have been hitherto distributed, and conti- nue to be distributed, certainly do not remain without fruit. The reading of them has been introduced into families : it has been introduced into all the schools of mutual instruction ; and there scarcely exists, at the present day, in Greece, one of the clergy who has not in his possession the Holy Scriptures." o/mT""^ To these testimonies Mr. Leeves adds : — Leeves. 62 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Southern Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. II. 1830-54. The Mo- dern-Greek Testament read in all the schools of Greece. Review given by- Mr. Hill. Confidence that spi- ritual good has re- sulted. " It is a gratifying fact, that the New Testament is now generally used as a reading-book throughout the schools of Greece, and in many schools portions also of the Old. That, under God, this effect is due to the establishment and labours of the British and Foreign Bible Society, there can be no doubt ; and it is a thing for which we should offer our humble and hearty thanks to Almighty God, who has been pleased to employ us as His instruments in bringing this event to pass. It is sufficient for those who esteem this blessed Book to be God's best gift to man, and who feel its value from personal experience, to know this fact, in order to be sure that good effects must arise from it. The amount of benefit must, in- deed, always depend upon a variety of circumstances, over which we, as a Society, can have little or no control ; such as the character and conduct of the parents, the influence for good exerted by the priesthood, and the measure of diligence, ability, and piety, of the teachers in the respective schools ; but, as I have before observed, and as 3^ou yourself well know, it is by no means necessary to ascertain this amount as a motive or justification of our efforts, although we may well be thankful, and feel encouraged, whenever any good results can be posi- tively shown, either actual or in prospect. That, indeed, a large amount of good has been done, is doing, and is likely to be done to the Greek people, by the liberal supply of Holy Scriptures afforded them, may, I think, be said with perfect confidence." In conclusion here, we quote the testimony of the Rev. Mr. Hill, American Missionary : — " We have been highly favoured in having been the instru- ments of bringing many thousands within the influence of the word of God, by instructing them how to read its pages. So far as we ourselves are concerned personally, we might be content in having achieved thus much, believing it to be the means, in the present state of things, best calculated to promote the future spirituality of this people : sowing in faith, assured that the promised harvest will come. But it hath pleased Him who hath said, ' My word shall not return unto me void,' to grant us, in addition, many interesting proofs that ' God is not slack concerning His promises.' We know many who are BRITISH AND FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. Go even now walking in the light of God's word. They are as EUROPE. suns in the centre of their respective circles, and their influ- g ^j,j^jj ence attracts others to come to seek at its source the light — which they are disseminating. One of the persons alluded to, Greece Mdio had derived all her knowledo;e of the Bible in our schools, Turkey, ... &c. was lately called upon to visit the sick-bed of a relative, M'honi ' she had no reason to believe acquainted with religious truth. iggnlsJ' After listening for a short time to some remarks of his visitor, — the sick person drew from under his pillow a copy of Job (of the British and Foreign Bible Society's edition), and said, The light * After the remarks you have made, I cannot but think you shining in the sick will be pleased with this book. I do not know how I should chamber. have supported my afflictions, had it not been for what I have learned from it.' The visitor was not a little surprised at these remarks ; and on seeing this book in his hand, she replied, ' that the contents of that book were well known to her, aiid she was glad to inform him that there were others of the same kind which could not fail to be of great benefit to him.' She then sent for her Bible, and lent it to the sick person for a few days, until she could apply to me for one, that she might give it to him, and receive again her own copy." Some important changes now took place in connection with l^'*-''- the Society's affairs in the Mediterranean, which demand notice. The first regards the Society's depot at Malta, which had long been the centre of a pretty wide circmnference of distribution, averaging about 12,000 copies annually, in twenty-five languages. The Society had, from time to time, been indebted to the Missionaries of the Church, London, and Wesleyan Missio- nary Societies, for valuable assistance in superintending the management of the Society's d^pot in Malta. These Missio- naries had been successively withdrawn by their respective Societies. The Society not deeming it right to relinquish so ^^^ ^^^ important a spot, and believing that the advantages which it Lowndes afforded were capable of being much extended, entered into ^f^ua!^ an engagement with the Rev. Isaac Lowndes, formerly of Corfu, to become an Agent of the Society. Mr. Lowndes left England for his new station in February, 64 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Southern Chap. 1 1. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. II. 18.30-54. 1845. Mr. Leaves prepares voyage to Palestine. His letter written at Devout tone of his last com- muni- cation. 1845, and had scarcely entered on his duties there, when ho was summoned to Greece, in consequence of the unexpected and Lamented death of Mr. Leeves. Mr. Leeves had for some time, under the sanction of the Society, contemplated a visit to Palestine. It was not, how- ever, till the beginning of 1845, that the great work of his life, the preparation of the Bible in Modern Greek, being com- pleted, he found the opportunity of accomplishing this long- cherished purpose. Most of his important literary engagements being now brought to a close, or in a state to be left without inconvenience, a change of scene seemed highly desirable before entering on any new works. Among his last acts at Athens, was the oflFer of 4000 copies of the Modern- Greek New Testament, just printed at Athens, for the use chiefly of the public schools of the kingdom, and the present- ing, on behalf of the Society, a selection of its versions to the Public Library at Athens. On leaving Athens, he proceeded by way of Syra to Smyrna, and thence to Beyrout. An extract from his last letter to the Society, written at sea, between Rhodes and Cyprus, will show the devout tone of his feelings at that period. " Here we are at length, fairly and irrecoverably embarked for the Holy Land ; the scene of the most remarkable occur- rences of this world's history, the theatre of man's redemp- tion, and the spot, where we must believe that great events have yet to take place for the awakening and chastisement of the nations, the recall of the Jews to their earthly patrimony, and the full establishment of the kingdom of the Redeemer upon earth. This is Sunday morning ; and after my morn- ing's devotions, I feel it is not improper to seize an hour before we assemble at breakfast, to begin a letter to you, and con- verse with you a little on such subjects. Twenty-four years have passed since, as your Agent, I first came into these countries, and I am now for the first time visiting these, the most interesting and sacred portions of them. I look on myself as happy and favoured in enjoying this privilege at last, and of enjoying it in company of one of my own children, who is of an age and bent of mind to take a lively interest in BRlTISn AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. (y5 all that renders the land interesting beyond all others to EUROPE. the Christian. I know we must not look for all enjoyment ; southf.rn for, independent of bodily inconvenience, and risk to health — 1 1 . ' . p , CiiAP. Tl. perhaps, we must expect to meet much ni tins once-tavoured Greece, land, now under a curse, and for a season ' trodden down of Turkey, the Gentiles,' to pain the spirit which is at all rightly attuned, — and to rouse holy indignation as well as grief. May we be '])j3o'.54'. enabled to maintain such views and dispositions in visiting — these localities, as may tend to strengthen our faith, and quicken our devotion ; and, whilst opportunities are presented me of furthering my proper work — the diffusion of God's word — may it prove a profitable passage in our pilgrimage to the Heavenly Jerusalem ! " The next extract is from a letter written by the Rev. W. B. Lewis, British Chaplain at Smyrna, containing an account of Mr. Leeves' death. " You are aware that our friend — our dear late friend, the Rev. Mr. Leeves — left this, with his daughter, the latter end of March, for Syria, with the intention of proceeding to Jerusalem, and visiting Egypt if ])ossible. But the oTeat Elncss at ^11 1 1 • 1 . T 1 P 1 • -1 Mount uod has ordered it otherwise, instead ot being permitted to Carmel. see the earthly Jerusalem, his spirit has been taken to the Jerusalem which is above. He became ill soon after leaving Be^TOut, and wuth difficulty reached Mount Carmel. There he and his daughter were confined, I believe nearly three weeks, in the Latin Convent, daily hoping for his recovery ; but as he did not get better, although there was no appear- ance of danger, it was considered prudent that they should return to Beyrout for medical aid, and thence, in the course of a few weeks, to come back to Smyrna and Greece, giving Beyrout. up their long-cherished visit to the Holy Land. Miss Leeves wrote to me to this effect the 4th of this month from Beyrout, which they had reached that day l)y boat. But I have now received another letter from her, conveying to me the last sad intelligence." In this letter. Miss M. A. Leeves, the only one who was near him during his last moments, writes : — " I only knew of his danger the day before his death, so little was I accustomed to see death; and was with him to the Vol. H. f 66 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. SOCTHERN Chap. TI. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. II 1830-54. Mr.Leeves' death. Mr. Lowndes takes up the work at Athens. 1846. Effect of Scripture distribu- tion among Greeks and Armeni- ans. last, witnessing how our blessed Saviour liatli withdrawn tlie sting of death. He never expressed the slightest fear; but from the first moment when told that ' all hope was over,' till the instant that his blessed spirit entered into its rest, all was one uniform calm state of mind ; and one could read, in the beautiful smile with which he regarded us, how happy the departing spirit was in anticipation of the rest to which it was fleetuig. Oh, my dear Mr. Lewis, this was indeed the triumph of Christianity, and never, to the last hour of my life, can I forget the calm repose of that solemn hour." Thus rested from his labours, " thus died in the Lord," one of the Society's most valuable and honoured servants, who for twenty-four years had superintended its work in Greece, where he had assiduously devoted his time, not simply to the circulating of the Scriptures, but to the still more responsible task of translating, revismg, or otherwise preparing them for publication. Immediately on hearing of Mr. Leeves' death, Mr. Lowndes was despatched to Athens to take charge of all papers, books, and other property belonging to the Society, as well as to render service to the bereaved widow and family. The Society's engagement was renewed with Professor Bambas and Mr. Nicolaides, the native Greek gentlemen to whom Mr. Leeves had been much indebted in preparing the Modern- Greek Bible, and whose services were still needed in com- pleting its final revision. After a short interval, Mi\ Lowndes was entrusted with the general charge of the depot at Athens, with a resident individual vmder him ; and he was also asso- ciated with the gentlemen above-named in carrying forward the work of revision, for which purposes a part of his time was required to be spent in Greece. In the correspondence of Mr. Barker, at this period, we meet with many symptoms of the advance of that good work among the Greeks and Armenians, which has since given reason for so much joy and praise, and to which Scripture distribution has, all along, greatly contributed. Thus, Mr. Homes, the American Missionary, writes : — " I am happy to be able to inform you, that notwithstanding the various forms of opposition, this good work does not seem BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 07 to retrograde. When the tide sets against iis in one qnarter, EUROrE. God seems to open for us a door of access in another quarter, southern and when this also is shut up, we often return to the same — quarter where we were before endeavouring to hibour, and Greece, find that the door is open, and tliat the opposition there no Turkey, hmger exists. — " In Constantinople, the Scriptures in the modern spoken jJ^'^qI^J" languages of the people are found for sale in half a dozen — different book stores, and without molestation are sold at stands at the corners of the streets. Besides these means, I J^*^"^^"^ JA-G V JM r have employed constantly three Colporteurs, whose principal Homes. sales consist of the Scriptures, especially the New Testament. Unmolest- These men are never officially, and rarely riotously, inter- cd sale of rupted in this avocation, which they pursue with commendable atCoustan- prudence. tinopie. " It is a fjict worthy of mention to the Society, to show that the Scriptvires for the Oriental churches are not printed by them to mould in dark magazines, that for some months, and „ • ^ ^ . . Scriptures even now, a Greek Testament is not to be found in any of rapidly dis- those book stores, nor in the depot of the Society. The ^°^^ " ' supply, after so many oft-repeated anathemas of the books, is not equal to the demand. Ah ! we shall one day see rich fruits from the seeds dropped in the many lands of the East where the Apostles laboured. Only last Sabbath, in tlie Greek Churches, new prohibitions were made, excluding the Scriptures in the modern languages from the Greek Schools. We hope that the Synod has found that it partakes too much of the ridiculous, to forbid the laity to read the word of God in an intelligible language, and therefore fulminates only where it can bring its authority to bear, namely, the National Schools. " Although the number of copies of the Scriptures distri- Special in- buted among the Armenians, may not equal those distributed ^^^^^^ '" among the Greeks, the word of God, as far as read, appears to tures produce decidedly deeper and more spiritual impressions among |^'",°"^ them. That Church has never yet condemned the reading of uians. the Scriptures in the spoken languages of the people, but rathiT particular translations. On the altar, the most prominent object, exalted above every other, is the word of God. This is F 2 r>8 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Southern CUAP. II. Greece, Turkey, &c.' Sect. II. l«30-54. 1846. Persecu- tion for reading the Scriptures ; and its re- sult, in spreading the truth. The perse- cuted be- come Mis- sionaries. the volume above every thing else, that is presented to the people after pi'ayers to be kissed ; consequently, the people have a great reverence for whatever can be plainly established from it. It is true, that of late some of their number, instructed by the Jesuits, have begun to exalt the teachings of the Church as supplementary to the word of God, but this has not been the prevailing idea. " During the first six months of this year, persecution of the * Gospel readers,' as they are called, was common in various parts of Turkey. Three men in a village near Nicomedia were scourged, one of them almost to death, in the presence of the whole village. Nine men of Ada Bazar, a town of 8000 Armenians, were imprisoned for the same crime. At Trebi- zond, the Gospel readers were 'hunted like wild beasts in the city and on the mountains — one is now in exile by order of the Pasha — one was brought to Constantinople and chained in a dungeon by his neck and feet for a fortnight, till he was released through the interposition of the British Ambassador, who is always ready for every office of humanity. I might enumerate many other cases of bastinadoing, imprisonment, or exile, for the old crime, once so well understood in England, of taking the teachings of the Divine word for the supreme guide. " Thanks to God, as, in the days of the Apostles, ' they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word,' (Acts viii. 4), so in this land, persecution, and exile of Gospel readers, have only been the means of disseminating more and more widely the seed. A theological doctor whom the Patriarch would have exiled, fled, and being furnished by us with Scriptures and other books, he went to the mountainous region north of Aleppo, where no Missionary has ever been. He sold there near 4000 piastres' worth of books, and we hope that we shall soon again hear from him as engaged in this dangerous, but holy enterprise. " So, also, near Broussa, the three scourged men who were made to become wanderers against their will, went from village to village, and excited many minds; so that when, last August, a Missionary, for the first time, went to those villages, he found that in several of them there were little parties who CUrnSlI AND FOREIGN UIBLE SOCIETY. 61) met to read the Scriptures, and were anxious to receive more, EUROPE, so that his supply of books was exhausted long before he southfun reached home. Again, several times, these Gospel readers — have been banished to the distant city of Cesarea. During Greece the last year, an Armenian Priest, exiled to that city for this Turkey, offence, made many friends, and we have been enabled thereby *"_ " repeatedly to send large parcels of the Holy Book, to be cir- ^J-'^'^- ^^• culated among the dense, but superstitious and ignorant Ar- — menian population of that region. ^"^^* " You will be gratified to learn, that for the present, the Cirou- Turkish Government has determined, in its exercise of the scdp'tures established censorshii) of books, not to meddle with any reli- permitted 11 -1 ,. 1 by the gious questions ; but only to exannne tliem so far as to learn Xurkis-h whether there is any thing against the principles of the Govern- Govern- ment. This decision extends to books printed in the languages of the Christians, but not to those printed in the Turkish language. As a consequence, the Porte, for the present, pays no attention to the complaints of the Christian Patriarchs against tlie circulation of the Scriptures in the modern languages." The letters of Mr. Barker and his correspondents, during several succeeding years, abound with gratifying and encou- raging statements respecting these new Protestants, (for thus. Progress of those who read and followed the Scriptures, wei'e now openly revnai"*' denominated,) to the same effect with those given above, and tending to show the progress of this religious revival and reformation ; but we are compelled to pass over much that is interesting in its history, as detailed in the Society's Annual Reports, and only introduce further, in this place, another ex- tract from the correspondence of Mr. Homes, when the work had become more demonstrative and consolidated, and, it is pleasing to add, more secure from assault. " We can this year," Mr. Homes writes in 1850, "add several 1050. l^laces, to those before known, as containing a certain number of open and avowed Protestants from among the Armenians. These places are, Mosul, DIarbokir, SIvas, Cesarea, Marash, Protestant A ^ ^ ' ' ' ' Armenians and Rodosto. Though there are other towns nearer to A'lntab, in various and some also nearer to Erzeroom, where there have been '^' '^*' similar declarations of attachment to the simple faith of the 70 IIISTOliY OF THE EUROPE. Southern Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. .Sk( T. TI. 1830-54. Fact, that tlii.s a- wakening originated ill the roadiug of the Scrip- tures. Small con- gregations formed at Cesarea ; at Mosul ; Gospel ; yet, as they come not so directly under my notice as most of those which I have mentioned, I do not give you their names. " The point of interest for your Society, in the movements in those provincial capitals, is the fact, that there have been no European or American Missionaries established in any of the towns I have named, except for a time, some years since, at Mosul. There have, however, been in all of them, visits of the Colporteurs of the Scriptures ; and when Missionaries, during this last year, have visited those places, they have found there a people prepared for the Lord. Though they did not find the crowds of the ignorantly curious, who formerly might come to hear ' what the babbler says,' or the class always ready for the ' some new thing ;' they found those who had already, by letter and in their prayers, been asking for a Missionary to come and ' explain unto them more perfectly ' the way which they had so far learned from the Scriptures. They even found those, who had fixed their feet henceforth to walk only in the way of God's commandments. " Within a twelvemonth past, three Missionary visits have been made to Diarbekir, and a permanent congregation exists there of some tliirty persons, waiting for God to send them a native or a foreign Pastor, to break to them the bread of life. These are not all Armenians ; but some, even the majority at present, are of that ancient Church, the Syrian. In Cesarea, several persons have endured so much fi'om the hatred and persecution of their countrymen, on account of their regard for the word of God, that they have been reduced to extreme poverty. In Mosul, a city whose name now is so often on the tongue of the learned in connection with Nineveh, it is most animating to be able to associate the discovery of the ancient cities and palaces around it with a new rising of the star in the east over it. In that place, also, a congregation has been formed during the past year, and has now the aid of the labours of a permanent Missionary. Most of those who have separated from the corruptions of their Church in this place are Syrians ; but there are also Nestorians and Catholics. We may expect, now that there is an awakening in that region, that there will be a larger call for the Scri})turcs formerly BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 71 printed for those people. At Sivas, the ancient Sebastia, in EUROPE, the lieart of an Annenian population of 350 villages, we have Sohthern had our hearts also cheered the past year by the rise of a con- — gregation of, as we hope, faithful souls, who have hitherto Greece,' more to ascribe to the effect of the word of God, as circulated Turkey, among them by our Colporteurs, than to the effect of the voice — ' of the living preacher; for they have not, till this suimner, f^sQ'sY' had any one residing among them to preach the Gospel to — them. I, this very day, received a letter from thence, giving a truly encouraging account of things. One interestmg fact ^?<^ ^^ is mentioned by a pious Colporteur, whom we are maintain- ing in that region, who relates that he stopped one Saturday Aid of Col- night, on the bank of a river in a meadow, a mile distant P°'''^"''^- from the village of Hesemek. Before noon on Sunday, it was ^j^^ ^.^^_ noised that he was there, and forty men came out to see him ; night list- and a large part of them kept him busy till midnight, m theTrith. reading and explaining to them the word of God in their modern language; they seemed to receive the word gladly, and like hungry souls. Besides making him give up all the books he had, even to those he had brought along with him for his private use, they made him promise soon to send them a further supply." About the date of the letter above quoted, a Firman ^obie Fir- was issued by His Imperial Majesty the Sultan, confirming slutan ia'° and enlarging the protection given to all his Protestant sub- f^vuur of 11 1 m 1 • 1 • 1 • 1 religious jects througliout the iurkish empire, and securmg to them freedom. the full and free exercise of their religion ; a document of great interest and importance, which we give below, and for which, as well as for other important immmiities, these Pro- testant Christians, and Christians in general in the Turkish empire, are under deep and lasting oljligation to the British Ambassador, Sir Stratford Canning (now Lord Stratford de Redcliffe).* • " Tra^'slation of the Firmax of His Imperial M^uesty SULTA>- AeDTJL ]\IeDJID, GRANTED IX FAVOUR OP HIS PrDTESTA.VP >. SUBJECTS. " To my Vizier Mohammed Pasha, M inister of Pohce at my capital, the honourable minister and glorious counsellor, the model of the world and regulator of the affairs of the community, who, directiiijj;- tlie puljlic 72 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE, In the mean time, it is gratifying to perceive that tlie call for SouxuERN *^^^ Scriptures in other directions continued. In 1848 and 1849, — Mr. Barker speaks again and again of the great demand for Greece, ' Hehrew Scriptures, both at Constantinople and in other parts Turkey, ^f ^j^g East. The Bulgarian Testaments were also eagerly &c. ^ o J „ ^ ^j interests with sublime prudence, consolidating" the structure of the empire 1 !i30-54. with wisdom, and strengthening the columns of its prosperity and renown, — is the recipient of every grace from the Most High. May God prolong ^^^^- his glory. " When tliis sublime and august mandate reaches you, let it be known that, "Whereas, hitherto, those of my Christian subjects who have embraced the Protestant faith have sufi'ered inconvenience and difficulties, in conse- quence of their not being placed under a separate and special jurisdiction, and in consequence of the patriarchs and primates of their old creeds, which they have abandoned, naturall}'' not being able to administer their afRiirs ; " And whereas, in necessary accordance with my imperial compassion, which extends to all classes of my subjects, it is contrary to my imperial pleasure that any one class of them should be exposed to trouble ; " And whereas, by reason of their faith, the above-mentioned already form a separate community ; it is therefore my royal compassionate will, that, by all means, measures be adopted for facilitating the administration of their affairs, so that they may live in peace, quiet, and security. " Let then a respectable and trustworthy person acceptable to, and chosen by themselves, from among their own number, be appointed, with the title of Agent of the Protestants, who shall be attached to the depart- ment of the Minister of Police. " It shall be the duty of the Agent to have under his charge the register of the members of the community, which shall be kept at the Police. The Agent shall cause to be registered therein all births and deaths in the community. All applications for passports and man-iage licenses, and special transactions of the community that are to be presented to the ►Sublime Porte, or to any other department, must be given under the official seal of this Agent.- " For the execution of my will, this my royal mandate and august command has been specially issued and granted from my Imperial Chancery. " Hence, thou the Minister above named, in accordance with the ex- planations given, will execute, to the letter, the preceding ordinance • except that as the collection of tlie capitation tax, and the delivery of passports, are subjected to specific regulations, you will not do any thing- contrary to them. You will not permit any thing to be required of them on pretence of fees and expenses, for marriage licences, or registration. " You will see to it that, like the otlier communities of the emjiire, in niilTlSII AXD FOKEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 73 sought after, so that the edition of 5000 copies was fast ellsap- EUROPE, pearing: another edition of the Wallachian New Testament soutueun was completed, and an edition of the Ararat- Armenian Testa- — ment, with the ancient text annexed, Avas brought out by the Greece, ' Armenian Missionaries at the expense of the Society. Turkey, The Bishop of Jerusalem, Dr. Gobat, on entering upon his i!;;jo-54. office, received, at his request, supplies of the Scriptures in '^' ' different languages, which have been frequently renewed. His Lordship has shown himself deeply and zealously interested in the objects of the Society, and has transmitted, from time to Circulation -r • p 1 • !• M • rni 01 bcnp- tnne, very gratirymg accounts ot their distribution. Ihus, on tures at one occasion, his Lordship writes : — Jerusalem. " Of the fifty Arabic Bibles, twenty-five are already on their I^^"q w way to Acca, Galilee, and Selt beyond Jordan, and twenty are demanded by our Nablous friends, to be distributed in the vil- lages of Samaria, where there are Christians who can read. Scriptures The Colporteur who carries the Bibles has also taken sixty r"tau'vil-" New Testaments, to be distributed in many places on both I'lges- sides of the Jordan. Of the Psalters I have only fifteen left. As the circumstances in which I am placed, oblige me to fur- nish my schools with the word of God, I have been compelled all then- affairs and in all matters appertaining- to their cemeteries and places of worship, they shall have every facility and needed assistance. You will not permit that any of the other communities do in any way interfere with their rig-hts or with their religious concerns, and, in short, in nowise with any of their affairs, secular or religious, that thus they may be enabled to exercise the usag^es of their faith in security. " And it is enjoined upon you, not to allow them to be molested an iota in these particulars or in any others, and that all attention and perseve- rance be put in requisition to maintain them in quiet and security ; and, in case of necessity, they are permitted to make representations reg-arding- their affairs throug-li their agent to the Sublime Porte. " When this my imperial will shall be brought to your knowledg-e and appreciation, you will have this august edict registered in the projier dejiartment, and cause it to be perpetuated in the hands of the above- mentioned subjects, and you will see to it, that its requirements be always executed in their full import. " Thus be it known to thee, and respect my sacred signet. " Written in the holy month of Moharrem, a.u. 1207 (Nov. 1850). '^ Given in the protected city of Constantinople." * * See Forty-Seventh Ifcport, p. 85. 74 niSTOUY OF THE EUROPE, at once to give twenty-five copies of the Psalms, and as many Southern °^ ^^^® ^^^"^ Testament, to each of the schools of Nablous and — Selt, and about a dozen to a school which I am just opening in Chap. II. „, . . .,, -p.. Greece, ^ Cliristian Village near Djeneen. Turkey, <( Here, in Jerusalem, I believe that all those who wish and &c. — " dare to read the word of God, are pretty well supplied with ^830-54* ^ib^^s ; and of late there have been many evening parties, of — ten to fifteen individuals, who met on purpose to read the Bible, under the direction of a Bible reader, known as my dragoman." Again, on making an application for 500 or 600 Arabic Psalters, the Bishop writes : — " I am very happy to say, that the Bibles and New Testa- ments given during the last year to the poor Christians of Nablous, are bringing all the fruits which we could reasonably expect. And I hope that, ere long, the consequence of the Scripture distribution to people w^ho have none of the good things of this world, will be the formation of a thoroughly evangelical and Protestant Church at Nablous. It is almost wonderful to observe how the simple reading of the word of God has, in a short time, convinced a great number of so-called Greek Christians at Nablous, and in the mountains round about, that prayers to saints and angels, the worshipping or even veneration of images, and the doctrine of transubstantia- tion, are idolatrous and sinful. I hope it will be so in other localities, the people of wliicli look to Nablous as a kind of model for them, on account of the prospering, so-called En- glish, school there. " Another circumstance, I am siire, will not fail to interest you. You will remember that, about two years ago, I asked for some Amharic Bibles, which your Committee had the kind- ness to grant. But when the Bibles arrived, the Abyssinian individuals, for whom I chiefly cared, had left Jerusalem ; and as, for a long time, I did not observe any earnest desire for the ALj'ssi- word of God among the Abyssinians here, I gave only now Jerusalem, and then a New Testament, but no Bible; until, a few months ago, the very same individuals for whom I had desired Am- haric Bibles, but who had since left for their own country, returned, with letters to me from the king of Abyssinia, and a Sect. II. 1830-54. 1850. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 75 good number of the most influential men in that countiy, EUllOPE. begging me to take the Abyssinian convent liere, and its in- gouxHERN mates, under my special superintendence. This, to a certain — degree, as far as ray power goes, I have accepted ; and now I Greece, ' have the pleasure of informing you, that, for several weeks Turkey, past, all the Abyssinians here, to the number of above seventy, meet three times every day together, to have the Bible read to them, by three of their priests, in their own vernacular lan- guage. On another occasion Bishoi) Gobat writes : — " In seve- ^^^'^y 1 1 T • 1 P 1 n meetings, ral localities there are irom two or three to twenty-nve or to hear the thirty individuals, who meet together every Lord's-day, and Scriptures, sometimes on week-days, to read the Bible together and to pray, when they make use of the Arabic version of the English Prayer-Book." At another time he writes : — " There are thirteen heads of families who have signed a document declar- ing themselves Protestants, and several others are prepared to do the same." And afterwards : — " The work has considerably developed itself at Nazareth, in consequence of the simple reading of the Bible. I hope, when you receive this, there will be a legally recognised Protestant Church at Nazareth." To return to Mr. Lowndes, the Society's Agent for Malta and Greece : The final revision of the Modern-Greek transla- tion, by him and his Greek coadjutors, was gradually and care- fully carried forward. The printing of it was commenced at Oxford, under the superintendence of the Rev. Joseph Jowett, assisted by the Rev. T. W. Meller. In the mean time, to meet existing calls, an edition of the Old Testament was printed at Cambridge ; where, also, a second edition of the Ancient- Greek New Testament, with marginal references, was completed ; and 10,000 copies of the Modem- Greek New Testament, were at the same time printed at Athens. In 1850, both the revision of the entire Scriptures in Mo- The whole 1 /-I 1 11 • • PI • 1 Bible in dern (jrreek, and the prmtmg or the same in one volume, were Modern completed. The following notice of this fact is given hi Mr. ^/^^"^ '"*^" Lowndes' review of the proceedings of the year 1850: — printed. " It is now twenty years since the translation of it was commenced in Corfu. The persons then engaged in it were Professors Bambas and Tipaldo, Greeks, and Mr. Leeves and 76 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Southern Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. II. l«30-54. Testimo- nial to Professor Bambas. Removal of Mr. Rarker to Bucharest. myself. Our good friend and fellow-labourer, Mr. Leeves, is gone to his rest ; Tipaldo is in Constantinople ; and Bambas and myself have been spared to laboiu" together in the work, and to see the last revision brought to a termination. Nor can I forbear to record, with lively gratitude, the goodness of God in raising up such a man as Professor Bambas at such a period, and for such a purpose ; and for bringing into connec- tion with us Mr. Nicol aides, who has very efficiently per- formed his part. Bambas is now about seventy-four years of age, of a feeble constitution, but of a very vigorous mind. He is frequently confined to his house by indisposition, yet he has rarely been unable to attend to the revision, during the periods I have spent in Athens for these four years past." A testimonial, accompanied with a small gratuity, was pre- sented to the venerable Professor, expressive of the Society's deep and grateful sense of his valuable and long-continued services in connection with this important work. Mr. Lowndes was now at liberty to give himself wholly to the general work of his Agency. Thus a large portion of his time became employed in making visits on behalf of the So- ciety, in extending his correspondence with Missionaries and others, and in superintending the distributions of the Malta d(5p6t, which ceased not to poiir forth, from year to year, copious supplies of the Holy Scriptures, as the opportunity, under the good providence of God, was offered. The labours of Mr. Barker in Asiatic Turkey, as we have seen, had been interfered with, and restricted, by the opposi- tion which the circulation of the Scriptures had to encounter from the heads of the ancient Christian communities. Being thus prevented from exerting himself as he had once done in that quarter, he now had his attention drawn to European Turkey, with a view of putting into circulation the Scriptures in the Wallachian, Bulgarian, Servian, &c. Under the sanc- tion of the Society, he removed, in 1851, with his family to Bucharest, where he remained for two years. His reception by the reigning Prince at Bucharest was highly satisfactory. The ex-Prince, also, under whose aus- pices and encouragement the first edition of 5000 copies of the Wallachian New Testament had been printed, expressed him- BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIRLE SOCIETY. self highly pleased with the object of Mr. Barker's visit, and EUROPE, exerted himself to prepare the Metropolitan to look on his 4. ~ mission with favour. — The result was, that Mr. Barker was enabled to place the Greece ' Scriptures in the Government schools at Bucharest, and after- Turkey, wards to make arrangements for their sale among the people. _' The Bulgarians, a simple and industrious people, according ^^^^J- ^|- to Mr. Barker, who had been mu,ch among them, showed — themselves well disposed towards the Sacred Scriptures. More than 8000 copies of the Bulgarian New Testament had been The Scrip- circulated among them, principally by sales, and they were duced into" now loudly calling for the Old Testament, or parts of it ; Bulgaria. Avhich object the Society immediately took into consideration, and measures were afterwards adopted towards its accom- plishment. Accounts still continued favourable respecting the wonderful Trogress reformation, which was going on among the Armenians and awakenhw others in Turkey. As this has proved one of the most interest- among ing features in the annals of the Bible Society's labours in the nians. East, it may be permitted us to give one extract more, as illus- trative of the stage at which the progress of the work— ^origi- nating in small beginnings, above thirty years before, (1821,) had now arrived. The following interesting account, given in the year 1852, Testimony is from tlie pen of the Pvev. Mr. Everett, one of the American E^^Jcuf^"' Missionaries who have been so much honoured in promoting this good work ; a w^ork which, as all allow, originated in the distribution of the word of God, through the Agency of the British and Foreign Bible Society : — " There are now fourteen Evangelical Churches formed in Fourteen the Armenian field, and one at Aleppo, composed mostly of cilyr'ci'ig" Armenians. In these Churches there are over 300 members, composed admitted after a strict examination as to their faith and expo- uiaus.' rience. Three of these Churches are in Constantinople, one in Nicomedia, one in Ada Bazar, one in Broussa, one in Rodosto, one in Trebizond, one in Diarbekir, one in Smyrna, one in Erzeroom, one in Aintab, one in Sivas, and one in Helis. " The work in Aintab is continually increasing in interest: ^-"^'Rf'.con- ^ . gregatiou there, is the largest native congregation on the Sabbath in Tur- at Aintab. 78 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE, key, numbering from 600 to 800. Still tliey have no cliurcli Southern building ; the delay for a firman has been long. They worship — in an enormous tent. All that rec;;ion is being; enliofhtened. Chap. II. . . . o & Greece, ' There is at Helis a congregation of sixty ; at Oorfa, of forty. Turkey, ^|. ]\Joosh, the brethren have been violentlv driven off twelve &c. _ ' , — times — on the thirteenth, they were enabled to keep a foot- I830I54. hold, and a native is now there as a teacher and Colporteur. — At Adona, there is quite an interest commenced durinjy the 1852. . . . past year. At Kesob, about sixty miles west of Antioch, is a very interesting community of 150 Evangelical Armenians. Armenian A Church will soon be formed there. At Aleppo there are n.nvcrts at ggyej-al thousand Armenians, all from Armenia, mostly from the region of Arabkir. 'Among these, many have received the truth, and are exerting an important and wide interest on places in the interior, from which they had come. Almost every post brings some encoiu'aging facts concerning the work about Arabkir. Congrega- " At Diarbekir, the congregation is about eighty, and the Diarbeki ^ork prosperous. We have a large depot of books there. In and other the region of Erzeroom there is much to encourage, but great p aces. j-ieed of help. In the province of Gheghi, several are known to be spiritually enlightened, and multitudes are awakened to search after the truth. At Morsovan there has been a strong contest with the enemy during the past year ; but day is dawn- ing. The congregation is now about fifty, and increasing. By the last post, we learn that Mr. Bliss and family had spent several days at a village four hours distant from Morsovan, and found great encouragement. They were continually thronged with visitors. Tolot and Sivas are both encourag- ing places for labour. At Bochchujuk, opposite Nicomedia, is a village of 1000 houses, wholly of Armenians, where the work has commenced. Last summer I visited it in the night. I found one family evangelical, and learned that there were five other individuals enlightened ; but through fear they did not dare to come near me. The work has been carried on thus far by means of books, and visits to Nicomedia. I learned that Testaments, Tracts, and Doddi'idge's " Rise and Progress," were lent from one to the other. Three days ago I heard that the ruler of the villa2i;c, the richest man and the BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIRLE ROCIETY. most powerful, is beginning to be interested in the triitli. lie EUROrE. is brother of the enlightened man on Avhom I called. He now sojj^ei^,, calls this brother to read and expound the Testament to him — and his family daily, and gives him permission to preach it Greece, ' freely in the village. There are many other things of peculiar Turkey, interest in that village. The Pastor of Nicomedia writes to -_' me, that at last Bochchujuk shall be given to Christ. We have i^3o.rl' more than 100 villages and cities, noted by name, where we — 1853 have evidence that the Gospel has begun to take effect, and Inmdreds of others where the name of Christ and his truth Converts . ^ 1 ' T ^^ nume- have entered. One ot the JNative rasters has spent eiglit rousvii- months in travelling in Old Ai-menia. He says that almost '^?.*^^ ^""^ '^ , , . '' cities. everywhere the truth is beginning to be known ; and every- Avhere the cry and earnest entreaty was, ' Send us a preacher ji^si^l and a teacher to show us of this way.' He was most earnestly naries. besought to remain in many places : the cry for help is very great." We now approach the period of the Society's Jubilee. All "^'sit of the foreign Agents of the Society having been invited to visit BarkeVand England on occasion of the Jubilee, Mr. Lowndes and Mr. ^''^•^les Barker availed themselves of the invitation. It was Mr. country. Barker's first introduction to the Society at home ; for though he had been the recognised Agent of the Society for above thirty years, and during that period had carried on an active correspondence, and lieen employed on various important bib- lical missions ; yet, during that long period, he had never once visited this country, and none of the Committee, nor any one officially connected with the Society, had made his personal acquaintance. His presence among them afforded one of the interesting incidents of the Jubilee. It had been for some time in contemplation to consider the state of the Society's Agencies in Turkey and the Mediterra- nean, in connection with the labours of Mr. Barker and Mr. Lowndes. The presence of those gentlemen in this country, afforded an opportunity to confer with them in detail on the subject of their respective operations. In the course of these Their conferences, the desirableness became apparent, of having ■'^Ke'i'ios 1 T • 1 • 1 • A moredefi- the districts to be superintended by their two Agents more niteiy ar- distinctly defined, with a view to obviate any accidental inter- ''''^"°^^- 80 inSTOKY OF THE EUROPE, fcrence Avith eacli other's labours : they were, therefore, „ ~ requested to prepare a scheme for dividing and defining — their respective districts, which was adopted, subject to revi- Greece ^^^^ ^* ^^^^ ^^^^ of two years : it is as follows : — Turkey, « District to be superintended by Mr. Barker. _■ " Smyrna, as a Central Station. — Asia INIinor, Constan- ^fi30 54' ^^riople, Turkish Armenia, Adi'ianople and Salonica, and all — Bulgaria, the provuices of Seryia, "NVallachia, and Moldayia, i8o3. — ^1^^ Tiu'kish islands, from the Dardanelles, as far as Rhodes; Trebizond and Erzeroom, as far as Ooroomiah and Jollimirk. " District to be superintended by the Rev. I. Lowndes. " Malta, as a C!!entral Station. — Xorthern Africa, including Oran, Algiers, Tunis, Morocco, &c.; Eg^^it; Syria, includmg Palestine ; Greece, including the Greek Islands in the Archi- pelago and the JEgean Sea ; the Ionian Islands, and the oppo- site coast of Albania ; all which are open for the circulation of the Scriptures. "Further, the Gulf of Venice, including Ancona and Trieste ; Southern Italy, comprising Tuscany, the States of the Church, and the Kingdom of Naples ; Sicily, the Eastern Coast of Spain, and the Islands of Sardinia, Corsica, Minorca, and ^lajorca ; all which, at the time, were, either in part or wholly, closed to the work of the Society." As the result of these conferences, ]\Ir. Barker was in- structed to return to Smyrna, as soon as he could make the necessary arrangements for the satisfactory prosecution of the Society's work at Bucharest, after his departure. He was also authorized to take measures for printmg, at Constan- tinople, on account of the Society, the folio wmg works : — 2500 Greco-Turkish Bibles, 1500 Ararat-Ai-menian New Testaments, and 1500 ditto with the ancient Armenian in parallel columns ; and further, to contract for the prmting, at Bucharest, of a new edition of the Bulgarian New Testament. He was likewise empowered, as an experiment for six months, to engage two suitable individuals to act as Colporteurs in the sale of the Scriptui'es, under his direction. Mr. Lowndes was directed to pay a visit, at least once in the course of the two following years, to the principal places comprised in his extensive sphere of labour'. He was par tic u- BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, Chap. II. Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. 1830- Greece, 1853. larly commissioned to visit Greece, with the view of placing EUllorE, the Society's work there on a more satisfactory footing, and of southern bringing, if possible, tlie Modern-Greek Scriptures into wider circulation. He was also encoiiraged to visit the province of Albania, in order to ascertain the facilities which might there exist for the dissemination of the Scriptures, and the need there might be for printing a fresh edition of the Albanian New Testament. He was further authorized to take measures, as an experiment for six months, for the employment of a person in the sale of Scriptures in Alexandria. On their return, after the Jubilee Meetings, to their respec- tive stations, the Agents proceeded to carry out, as far as practicable, the instructions which they had received. The disturbed state of the Danubian provinces, by which Albania was materially affected, prevented Mr. Lowndes going there in the first instance. He therefore set out on a journey to Greece, where he spent some time, making such arrangements as were in his power, for the further diflPusion of scriptural knowledge, especially through the medium of the schools. He visited Athens, Thebes, Chalcis, and other places, returning by Syra. He reported the prospect for scriptural education in Greece as more inviting than he had ever known it. The number of scholars in the schools where the word of God was freely admitted, was put down as above 40,000. In consequence of the increased demand for the Scriptures in Greece, directions were given for printing two editions of the Modern-Greek Testament, one of 5000 copies in Athens, and one of 10,000 copies in London. Between 8000 and 9000 copies of the Scriptures, in a variety of languages, were this year, (1853,) forwarded to the depot at Malta, including 5000 copies for the use of the troops and the ships' crews touching at that port, who had become en- gaged in the Eastern expedition, to which reference is made elsewhei'e. In fulfilment of the instructions received l)y him, Mr. Barker left Bucharest, and returned with his family to Smyrna. His residence in Wallachia, there is reason to hope, was not without benefit to that province. Above 2000 copies of the VOL. 11. G Mr.]3arker rpturns to Smyrna. 82 HISTORY OP THE EUROPE. Wallaclilan New Testament were dispersed among the youth Southern ^^ *^^^ schools of that province, and some hundreds more were — disposed of by sale, which would have been greater, had not ^Grrece, ' the stock of these Testaments become exhausted. In Bulgaria, Turkey, ^Iso, considerable distributions were made ; and in the whole, &c — ' the amount of Scriptures distributed in the two provinces in 1830 '5"' °"® y®^^' exceeded 4000 copies. Before quitting Bucharest, — Mr. Barker made arrangements for printing there an edition ''^1853.^' t)f 5000 of the Bulgarian, and 5000 of the Wallachian New Testament. On his return to Smyrna, the work of the Society, which, though partially interrupted, had not been discontinued, was renewed with fresh vigour. A new edition of 2500 copies of the Greco-Turkish Bible, and one of 1000 of the New Testament in the same language, were put to press at Constantinople ; and an edition of the Turkish New Testament, carefully revised by Mr. Turabi, a native of Turkey, under the superintendence of the Rev. Dr. Henderson, was completed. And, taking further into account the opportunities and openings which the war, then raging in the East, might supply, 10,000 copies of the four Gospels in the Turkish were ordered to press, and 5000 of the New Testament and Psalms in Modern Russ. 11,359 Bibles and Testaments, in various languages, were forwarded this year to the depots under Mr. Barker's charge. Jubilee Among the very gratifying occurrences of the year, in con- celebratiou nection with the Eastern field of labour, may be mentioned the Stan- holding of a Jubilee Meeting in Constantinople, and the for- *'°r853 mation of an Auxiliary Bible Society for that city and neigh- bourhood. The following interesting account of the meeting is from the pen of the Rev. H. G. O. Dvvight, the well-known and much- honoured American Missionary: — " The day before yesterday, June 13th, was a day long to be remembered in Turkey. It was the day on which the first public meeting was held in the capital of the Turkish empire, to commemorate the labours of evangelical Christendom for the conversion of the world. It was the first, but, we firmly believe, not the last of its kind. Constantinople is geogra- BRITISH AND FOKEIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 83 phicallv so situated that it must, in the nature of things, one EUROPE, day become a great centre of Christian enterprise ; and as in Southern London there was a World's fair, for the exhibition of the p "~ ^ industry of all nations, so in Constantinople there Avill be a Greece, ' JForld^s anniversary, for the bringing together of the Christian '^^^^^Y^ experience of all nations. — " The first meeting, however, was merely local, being con- "1830.54* fined to the residents of the place, with the exception of a few _ — TurlcGv Christian travellers from England and America, who were isss. ' providentially present. It was in commemoration of the Jubilee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the honoured cSfn^ parent of almost all the Bible Societies in the world ; and if, residents, as I have supposed, this was only the beginning of a long jg^s from ' series of meetings in relation to the Christian enterprises of England 1 1 1 • • • 1 1 T-.-1 1 1 • p 1T1 1 ^^^ Ame- the day, how appropriate to begin with the Bible, tlie intallible rica. and eternal word of God, to disseminate which, the Missionary, Tract, and other similar Societies have been instituted, and are actually labouring ! The time, too, was fitly chosen, when the foundations of society around us seemed to be breaking up, and the most sagacious politicians could not tell but that, in the course of a very few weeks, anarchy and bloodshed might prevail through the length and breadth of this land. At such a time, how blessed the privilege of falling back upon the eternal word of God, the sure foundation, the only light and hope of the world ! " The meetmg was held in the large saloon of the Hotel d'Angleterre ; and there must have been present at least 200 persons, chiefly English and American, of both sexes and of almost all ages. " Lord Stratford de Redcliflfe, the distinguished and worthy Speecli of representative of the British Government at the Porte, took i'OJ'dStrat- the chair, amid the heartfelt acclamations of those present. Redcliffe. Every one knew how incessant, arduous, and perplexing were his public duties at that moment; and it was a matter of general rejoicing, that his Lordship found time to encourage our Jubilee Meeting by his presence and appropriate remarks. After prayer by the Rev. Mr. Blakiston, Chaplain of the British Embassy, Lord Stratford addressed the meeting at some length, explaining the objects for which we had come Cx2 84 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE. Southern Chap. II Greece, Turkey, &c. Sect. II. 1830-54. Turkey. 1853. Testimony to the Christian harmony of Missio- naries in the East. Auxiliary formed at Constau- tinople, 1853. together, and enlarging upon the most encouraging results of the efforts of the Society during the last fifty years. He alluded to the exceeding smallness of the origin of the Institu- tion, and to the fact that its beginning was in the midst of the distractions and calamities of war. It was when Napoleon was near the zenith of his day, and England was at war with almost every nation of Europe, that the thought was first con- ceived, of sending the Bible to every comitry of the world. His Lordship spoke of the Turkish empire as having afforded a large field for the Society's efforts. He then warmly com- mended the zeal and discretion that had characterized the Agents who had been employed in spreading the Bible in Turkey ; and alluded especially to the labours of the Ameri- can, English, and German Missionaries, all of whom had acted in beautiful harmony in carrying forward this work. " Addresses of a highly interesting and appropriate charac- ter were made by the Rev. A. Thomson, Missionary of the Free Church of Scotland to the Jews ; the Rev. Mr. Power, Missionary of the American Board, at Trebisond; Mr. Sang, a Scotch gentleman, teacher of mathematics and astronomy in one of the Sultan's naval schools ; the Rev. Messrs. Hamlm and Schauffler of Constantinople ; and the Rev. Mr. Bliss of Marsovan, Missionaries of the American Board. "Mr. Hardy, acting Consul-General of Her Britannic Majesty, and Mr. Cumberbacth and Mr. Skene, connected with the same consulate, also took part on the occasion. "This interesting Jubilee Meeting was closed by the singing of the Doxology, in which all present joined ; and the impression left upon the minds of this small Protestant community was extremely happy." The Auxiliary Bible Society of Constantinople was orga- nized on the 18th of July 1853, and entered on its labours with much zeal and energy. The Committee immediately put themselves in friendly communication with the Society's Agent, Mr. Barker, with whom they proceeded, in entire con- cert in their plans and endeavours, to carry out the great object of the Society, in the interesting regions around. The first free contribution transmitted by this Auxiliary amounted to £85. Sect. II. 1830-54. BRITISH AST) FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 85 Here this portion of the present history naturally closes. EUROPE. But it may be interesting and proper to add, that Constan- southern tinople having become an increasingly important sphere of — Biblical labour, in consequence of its being the seat and centre Greece, of the vast Avarlike operations then carryins; on in the East, it Turkey, was deemed advisable to remove Mr. Barker from Smyrna, and place him in the metropolis of the Turkish empire ; two Colporteurs, one French and one English, were also sent out to laboiu' under him, and in co-operation with the Auxiliary Tsss!^ there established. During the short period of the war, great, unremitting, and successful efforts were made to furnish War in the allied forces both English, French, and Sardinian, with * '^^^' copies of the Sacred Scriptures previous to their embarkation, and afterwards to supply the hospitals, and the troops, both at Constantinople, and in the Crimea. The world never witnessed, before, hosts of armed men of Distribu- diflPerent nations, eathered together for mortal conflict, so 1"^° °f . ° . ^ . . Scriptures plentifully supplied with that Holy Book, which is adapted to among the impart instruction, consolation, and hope under the most Armies trjang circumstances. Nor was this effort restricted to those who were in friendly alliance with this country ; — provision was also made, as far as practicable, to introduce the Scriptures among those who then ranked in the class of enemies ; some copies found their way into the hostile camp, and many a poor prisoner was brought into companionship with this best of comforters. It is pleasing to have to add, that the Sacred Book was received with much readiness and thankfulness by soldiers and sailors of different countries and different creeds ; and the subsequent records of the Society furnish numerous and delightful instances of the value which was set upon it, and of the great good derived from it in the Camp, the Hospital, and even on the battle-field. It was an angel of mercy in the midst of terror, disease, and death. The direct additional issue of the Scriptures occasioned by the war, amounted to above 250,000 copies. 86 HISTORY OP THE EUROPE. CONCLUSION. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE CONTINENTAL OPERATIONS OF THE SOCIETY. 1804-1854. Unexpected extent of the destitution of the Continent,- — Discovered and admitted hut slowly, — The singidar interest awakened in favour of the Society^ s woi'k. — The sanction given by Sovereigns and chief Clergy. — Influence thus gained in favour of the cause. — The wide organization of Continental Societies and Agencies. Eminent Success of D?-s. Paterson, Henderson, and Pinkerton. — Unhappy result of the Apocryphal Controversy. — Sej^aration of Continental Societies, and their subsequent decay. — Attach- ment of Protestants abroad to the Apocrypha. — Error of the Reformei's in retaining it. — Bigoted resistance of Popish Countries to the introduction of the Scriptures. — Yet the Continental operations of the Society, as a whole, eminently successful. — Immense total of Scriptures circulated. EUROPE. Having now brought to a close our review of the European Retrospect portion of the Society's history, it may not be uninstructive to of Conti- advert to a few points, which, though they can scarcely have operations, failed to striJve the attentive reader, yet merit, we think, to be I80Z54 ^I'ought together, for distinct, though brief exposition, in a — more united point of view. Remarks ^^^^ ^^'^* thing to be noticed is, the unexpected extent on Europe of the destitution of the Holy Scriptures, which was found as the J 1. ^ scene of to prevail throughout the whole of Europe, when this Society the So- commenced its operations. It was not, indeed, surprisinsr, after cietysope- _ ^ . . rations. the painful facts that had been brovight to light, even in our own highly- favoured land, by the investigations which took place on the formation of the Society, that a large amount of Scriptural destitution should have been disclosed, when simi- lar inquiries were extended to the Continental nations. But BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 87 the sad reality was such as to surpass the gloomiest calcula- EUROPE, tions. It is to be remembered that we are speaking not of the Retrospect " dark places of the earth," emphatically so called, but we are o*' Couti- speaking of countries, almost all of them nominally ranged operations. under the general banner of Christendom — countries where , ~. the Bible is, to a greater or less degree, acknowledged to be — the depository and source of true religion — where the Holy Unexpect- Scriptures are more or less incorporated in the formularies ed extent and services of the respective churches, and where the people titutioi/of are taught to venerate them as the inspired word of God^ It Scriptures is true, many ot these are countries where the free use of the Continent. Bible is prohibited or fettered ; but many of them, also, are under the predominant profession of Protestantism ; and yet, even among these, where the use of the Bible is supposed to be unrestricted, and where, at the period of the Reformation, the noblest efforts were made to maintain its supremacy, and diffuse its doctrines, the want of the Holy Scriptures, and the difficulty of procuring them, were almost incredible. It will have been seen, that, not only in several of the countries of Christendom, the Scriptures had never been translated in the vernacular languages of the people, so that, in many instances, even the priests recited the Scriptures in a language they did not themselves understand ; but that even in Protestant coun- tries, where greater efforts had been made to translate the Scriptures and render them accessible, the supplies were so scanty, and the price of the volume so high, that few, espe- cially of the poorer classes, could avail themselves of the incalculable privilege of searching the Sacred Volume for themselves. In gathering up the fragments of the history of the Bible, previously to the establishment of the Bible Society, it is most melancholy to observe, how few and far between were the editions of the Holy Scriptures, printed in some of the widely- spoken languages of the Continent. From this circumstance alone, it might have been fairly presumed, that a lamentable Tliis dcsti- deficiency of the precious volume would needs exist ; but it was gj^^^w be- not till the facts above alluded to, although perhaps partially cameappa- known before, were fully disclosed and brought together, that the friends of the Bible, who had taken upon themselves to seek 88 HISTORY OP THE EUROPE. Retrospect of Conti- nental operations. 1804-54. The singu- lar interest awakened in the spread of the Scrip- Favour shown to the So- ciety's principle. its universal distribution, became fully aware of the urgency of the case that was now opening before them, and of the inten- sity of the darkness which they were called to dissipate. Then it appeared, that abroad, as it had been also found in our own country, even ecclesiastical leaders and others, who might have been supposed best capable of bearing their testimony on the subject, were wholly at fault as to the extent of the destitution, even in districts under their immediate eye. Thus, as it was reported of Sweden, so the same impression had doubtless obtained in regard to many other countries, that there was no lack of Bibles among the people, when in truth the deficiency was extensive and even frightful. The Society has therefore been useful in bringing out the true state of the case, and thus justifying its own formation, and fortifying its manifold claims. In the next place, we may notice the very general sympathy awakened in the movement originated by the Society, and the countenance given to its object in almost every quarter. When the Society was first formed, there was but little opportunity of making its claims known on the Continent. The corre- spondence which it sought to open, was necessarily much limited by the rigid war restrictions that then prevailed. Still, com- munications were transmitted to different parts of Germany, Switzerland, and also to Sweden, and thus some of the principal friends of religion in those countries became apprised of the newly-formed Society in Britain for spreading the Scriptures ; which intelligence gradually became much more diffused; and when, at length, peace was established, co- operation was solicited, and, as we have seen, obtained, to a vast extent, throughout Christendom. But what is now intended to be more particularly noted, is the extraordinary attention thus drawn to the subject of Scrip- ture destitution and circulation, followed by the wide-spread admission of the necessity and desirableness of the efforts which the Society had called forth ; and the very general con- currence in the principle on which it was everywhere pro- posed that these efforts should be conducted — the coalition, without compromise, of all parties willing to engage in the work. It was a new thing in Europe, to see the attention BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 89 even of religious individuals and communities so strongly EUROPJ:. directed to the simple diffusion of the Sacred Scriptures, „ ~ . , ^ . ^ ' Retrospect Without note or comment ; it was much more so, to find indi- of Conti- viduals and churches coalescing on a point of this kind ; and operat^ions to see, not only different bodies of Protestants, but also, — as — was the case at one time in Russia, — the Greek, the Armenian, _J"^ and even tlie Romish Church, allied with Protestant Churches in the cause of the Bible Society. It is true, this alliance was often, perhaps, the ei!ect rather of political and worldly, than of truly religious motives ; — it might have more of appearance than reality ; or, where real, it was expressive rather of the feelings of a few individuals, than characteristic of the respective bodies which they repre- sented. Still it was a remarkable sight, to witness assemblies of this intenningled. nature brought together, professedly to promote the object of the Society, and to encourage it wdth their sanction. Not less remarkable, was the diversity of rank and station in those who gave the Society their support. They were not exclusively private or obscure individuals, nor yet chiefly the Counte- ministers of religion, that hailed the design of the Society, and to the^o-" united in efforts to promote it, but persons of every class and ciety's ef- of every rank, both in the Church and also in the State ; and Sovereigns, not only many of the nobility, but several even of the Crowned ^^ ^^^^ Heads of Europe, were among its patrons and supporters. It Europe, is not wished to attribute undue importance to this ch'cum- stance, nor would it be right to regard it as attaching any espe- cial merit or dignity to the Society, or as indispensable to its success ; yet surely it must be allowed, that such countenance given to the Society, was, to say the least, very remarkable ; jj"^"^"'^® and though not, perhaps, essential, yet, in many instances, it iu favour of was dovibtless eminently conducive to its success, opening an *^^^^^^®- introduction to its labours, where otherwise, humanly speaking, it could have gained no footing, and securing to its work faci- lities which must otherwise have been wanting, especially in those countries where freedom of action, either civil or reli- gious, is much limited. On the whole, therefore, must not this general favour shown by all ranks to the principle and object of the Society's operations, be regarded as indicating a 90 HISTORY OF THE EUROPE, singular and unlooked-for influence on the minds of men, and Retrospect ^^ demanding on the part of all considerate and devout observ- of Conti- ers, both grateful acknowledgment, and reverent wonder and neutal • o operations, praise.'' "7 We may further remark, that the large result, which fol- — lowed from the comparatively small amount of individual Agency originally employed, is a fact highly worthy of attention. The vast moral machinery which, in course of time, was engaged and employed in carrying out the work of the Society on the Continent, comprising distinct and independent Bible So- organiza- cieties in almost all the principal countries of Europe, and most tion of So- Qf these associated with numerous Auxiliaries and Branches, cieties and , . ... Agencies, (the Russian Bible Society alone had 289 Auxiliaries planted throughout the widely-extended provinces of that empire) — all this machinery was, to a considerable extent, constructed, set in motion, and more or less, for a time, superintended, by three individuals, Drs. Paterson, Henderson, and Pinkerton. The im- It is true that Dr. SteinkopfF, the Foreign Secretary of the portant Society, did much by his correspondence, and his frequent services of , "^ . . . , ^ . , , , individuals, and extensive visits on the Continent, not only to make the Society known, but afterwards to keep up an interest on its behalf. A goodly number of kindred institutions, especially in Switzerland and Germany, were called into existence through his efforts and influence ; and there were individuals, such as Inspector Blumhardt of Basle, Dr. Brunnmark, Chap- lain of the Swedish Embassy, and others, who distinguished themselves in the part they took in originating or extending the Society's fields of labour. Influence of ^^^ on the three individuals above named, devolved the Drs.Pater- principal share and honour of widening the Society's sphere of son, Hen- ^ \ , . • i • i i it i n derson,and operation, and Carrying out its designs, by the establishment oi Pinkerton gj^e Societies, some of them even of a national character, and inJNortn- _ ernEurope. others of them embracing whole provinces, or intended to benefit large populations. Thus, as we have seen, Drs. Paterson and Henderson were the chief instruments in the establishment of Bible Societies, in the Northern parts of Europe, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Russia ; whilst Dr. Pinkerton, though taking some part BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 91 also in these efforts, had his attention chiefly directed to the EUROPE. Central and Southern parts of Europe. r> x ~~ . i ^ Retrospect These zealous and devoted labourers, sometimes in com- of Conti- pany, but more often separately, traversed the greater portion operations, of the Continent again and again ; encouraging Societies already ~ formed, and offering such valuable suggestions as appeared — needful for the enlargement of their limits and their usefulness. And when two of their number. Dr. Paterson and Dr. Hender- son, were called away from their respective fields of labour. Dr. Pinkerton still remained to prosecute the work, till at length Frankfort became the centre of an extensive and permanent system of operation, the benefits of which are still being spread on every side far around. It will be borne in mind, that to be engaged in the service of the Bible Society, formed no part of the original design of these gentlemen. Two of them were bent on a mission to India, and it was only their being peremptorily diverted from their original purpose, by every door being closed against them, that they became at liberty to turn their attention to the sole work of Bible distribution. Dr. Pinkerton had been actually employed for a time as a Missionary of the Gospel at Karass ; and his health failing, he was found in another and honourable employ, that of private tuition, when the move- ment in favour of the Bible in Russia called him forth to a more public life. The history of the Bible Society affords many instances of men singularly raised up to do its work ; but, in the European labours of the Society, no names appear more honourably prominent than those of Paterson, Henderson, and Pinkerton.* It is with reluctance that we refer again to the subject of Result of the Apocrypha ; but, in a review of the Society's Continental cryphal' operations, we cannot pass over in silence the unhappy results contro- of the course adopted on the question by the Societies abroad, abroad. The Apocrypha was, in our own country, the cause of much embarrassment. The controversy which arose on account of it, not only disturbed the peace of the Society, but threatened * The two foraier are g-one to tlieir eternal rest ; Dr. Pinkerton still survives, but ag-e and impaired health have compelled him to retire from all active service. 92 HISTORY OF THE EUEOPE. its entire dismemberment : one important section of its friends Eetrospect became actually dissevered, in consequence of it. At home, ofConti- however, when the Apocrypha was abandoned, there was operations, bappily an end of the debate. It had never been attached .„„"7> to the English Scriptures printed for the Society; and the — limited introduction of it into foreign languages, from that period entirely ceased. But its abandonment abroad was not, by the like summary decision, to be attained. The Apocrypha was not only in- Attach- eluded in most, if not all, the editions of the Old Testa- ment of _ ' ^ ^ Pro- ment Scriptures, printed by the Continental Societies, but the abrwid^to pi'fictice was pleaded for, and clung to most pertinaciously, by the Apo- Protestants, no less than by Roman Catholics ; so that when the Society's Resolutions and Regulations on the subject came to be promulgated, almost all the continental Societies, as we have seen, refused to follow in the path which the British Society had taken ; and many of them hesitated, and were with difficulty induced, to receive aid of any kind upon those terms, on which alone it could then be offered. There were indeed from the first a few exceptions, and these have since increased ; but such, it will have been observed, was, for the most part, the course which things took. Separation Hence the connection between the Societies abroad and that at tinental " bome being thus weakened, correspondence languished, and co- Societies, operation became feeble and inefficient; till, after a time, theBri- and their / conEequent tish Society was led to establish its own independent Agencies, ^^^^' not in an hostile spirit, but simply to give a freer scope to its own views, and aims, and means, while the Foreign organiza- tions gradually settled down upon their own plans and resources. Now, although much good has, in the issue, resulted from all this; although in some quarters a larger circulation of the Holy Scriptures has been effected, than would probably have been brought about, had the original machinery re- mained undisturbed ; and although the course adopted by the British Society has operated as a standing protest against the Apocrypha, and against admixture of any sort with the Inspired Scriptures; yet it must be matter of regret that any discordant element should have availed to interrupt a co-operation, once so promising, in so hallowed a cause ; and BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 93 tliat the writings which became the source of discord, while EUROPE, confessed to be of mere human autliority, should have found Retrospect friends and advocates even amono- Protestants abroad, willing, ofCouti- for the sake of retaining them, to jeopardize and embarrass a operatious. movement of the most exalted and beneficent nature. , „~^ , loU4-54. Surely, the tenacity with which the A})ocryphal writings are — still pleaded for and employed, even by Protestants, may show Error of the great error that was committed in originally giving these fyrnm-rin writings a place among those of acknowledged Divine autho- retaining rity and inspiration ; and the equal, if not still greater error crypha"" of continuing, by translation, to propagate these writings, after their true character was fomially admitted. Hence, whatever their motives may have been, must not the course pursued by our Reformers be regretted ? Is it not to be lamented, that there should have been placed by the side of Inspired Truth, any writings wliicli the umltitude would be in danger of elevating to the same rank and authority ? We may gather, however, from the circumstances here alluded to, an incidental and further confirmation of the supreme importance of the Society's great and simple principle, the acknowledgment of tlie* Bible alone, without any appendage or comment. We must be permitted again to advert to the lamentable. Bigoted re- and, in some countries, effectual, resistance which has been po^lish^ ° offered to the Society's work. countries mi n • 1 P • 11 ^^ ''''S iu- Ihe Society has irom its commencement had to encounter troduction opposition. Even in our own country, its object has been ?!^^^ . . ,.,,... .Scriptures, inismiderstood or misrepresented, its catholic constitution ob- jected to, and its proceedings scrutinized with rigour, and cen- sured without reserve. It can afford, therefore, no matter of surprise, that in foreign countries, it should in some instances have been met with suspicion, the motives of its advocates impugned, and its peace- ful aims counteracted. The only wonder, considering the amount of national and ecclesiastical jealousies afloat, is, that its recep- tion should have been generally so cordial, and its cause so widely espoused. This, under the Divine blessing, is doubt- less mainly to be attributed to the simplicity, and the generally admitted excellency, and sacredncss of its object. 94 HISTORY OF THE Eetrospect of Conti- nental operations. 1804-54. Spain. Portugal. EUROPE, There are, however, a few countries, m which the Society "~ never succeeded in enkindling any extensive sympathy, or in establishing any effective and permanent footing ; such, as we have seen, was the case in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Austria. Spain, during a short period of civil and sanguinary commo- tion, when the minds of men were occupied with intestine broils, was the scene of a pretty extensive Scripture distribu- tion ; and the eagerness of the people to purchase the sacred, scarce, and precious volume, was, as we have seen, almost incredible ; but no sooner had political order become in some measure restored, than the ecclesiastical authorities prevailed to close the door, and to keep it closed against any further efforts. The resistance of Portugal has been rather that of apathy, than of active, systematic, and official opposition. A cold in- difference, on the part of the people as well as the priests, has prevailed to check and stifle every effort on its behalf; at least, any other than a very restricted effort, unsupported by native influence and instrumentality, but perseveringly persisted in by a few individuals, who have had to sigh over a very limited result : such is still the mournful state of things in that country. Italy is the seat of a power well known to be determinedly hostile to the free circulation and use of the Scriptures. If any doubt had existed on this point, the Bulls of the Pope, so repeatedly directed against all Bible Societies, would have dis- sipated it. That power, it has been shown, has been so skil- fully, watchfully, and energetically employed, as to establish a pretty effectual barrier to the intrusion of the Holy Volume. Once, indeed, when the Pope was absent, and a fugitive, an edition of the New Testament, in its simple form, passed through the press at Rome, but onlyto be seized upon and con- demned as soon as he returned ; and now, except in the north- ern part of Italy, in the more favoured dominions of Sardinia, the people sigh in vain for the priceless deposit of our Hea- venly Father's grace and love. Austria has been scarcely surpassed by Italy itself, in inve- terate and determined measures to keep out or drive out the Italy. Austria. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 95 Bible. The Protestants of Hungaiy did, indeed, in virtue of EUROPE, greater political privileges (once enjoyed, bnt now woefully Retrospect curtailed), become participants to a large extent in the boon of Conti- held out by the Society. The Bohemians also profited by the operations, opportunities afforded; but the greater part of the Austrian ,QnT^:l provinces, including especially Austria proper, have come under the ban of that awfully mistaken policy, which treats the Bible as a thing to be dreaded. The Society's valued Agent, Dr. Pinkerton, for many, many years, could not even gain permission to set his foot within the Austrian dominions. The brief respite to these rigorous restrictions, caused by the troubles of 1848, were quickly followed by even sterner pro- hibitions, which still, alas 1 continue. But yet, notwithstanding these and other deductions, when we come to reflect on the wide extent of the operations cai'ried on throughout the Continent, it must be acknowledged that Yet the ' the work of the Society in Europe has been, on the whole, Conti- eminently prosperous. The success which, under the blessing rations of of God, has attended its endeavours to awaken attention to ^'le Society, the Sacred Volume, and to promote its circulation, has been eminently' such as justly to excite, in the breasts of all its friends, feelings P'^'°*^P6''o"s- of admiration, delight, and thankfulness. If some of the Southern parts of the Continent, under the influence of political domina- tion, or of its offspring, political suspicion, have thrust from them the proffered boon, it has been welcomed in the Central and Northern parts with open arms ; and from the Swiss mountains ^ , . ^ . ^ Geograpln- to Lapland, and again from Lapland downwards to the shores cal extent of the Black Sea, and to the Greek Archipelago, a confederation ° * ^^^' and fellowship in favour of the Bible has been formed, which, though imperfect in some of its links, and subjected to many interruptions, has accomplished throughout Christendom an amount of Bible distribution such as had never been wit- nessed before : for in Apostolic days, few facilities existed for multiplying copies of the Scriptures, and since that period, the zeal of the Chi'istian Church has, till these recent times, never been roused, to any simultaneous and concentrated effort, to place in the hands of all classes the sacred oracles of truth. When we consider the innumerable editions of the conti- nental Scriptures that have been printed since the Society was 96 -HISTORY OF THE EUKOPE. Retrospect, of Conti- nental operations. 1804-54. The large total of Conti- nental cir- culation. instituted ; when we are reminded that the issues have had to be reckoned, not by hundreds or by thousands, but by mil- lions— for probably not fewer than eight millions of copies have been dispersed throughout the provinces of Europe alone, irrespective of Great Britain ; and when we connect with all, the thought of the benefits — social, political, and moral, — the influences for good, both temporal and spiritual, which are found to result from the reading of the Holy Scriptures ; must M'e not admit, on closing this portion of the Society's history, that, had its foreign labours been confined to Europe alone, it has not laboured in vain, but has given matter for praise and rejoicing to myriads ? We must pass on now, however, to trace its progress and its triumphs in more distant quarters of the globe. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 97 ASIA. CHAPTER I. OPERATIONS OF THE SOCIETY IN BRITISH INDIA. SECTION L 1801—1830. Rcmarka on the Sovereignty acquired hy Great Britain over India — Oriental Committee of ' the Bible Society — Dr. Bu- chanan^s appeal in favour of translations at Seranqjore — — Attack on Christian efforts fur India — Corresponding Com- mittee at Calcutta— Subscriplioti for Ta?nil version — -Auxiliary Society at Calcutta, 1811 — Destructive fire at Serampore — Death of Dr. Leyden, Rev. D. Brown, and the Rev. H, Martyn — Ceylon . Auxilary, 1812 — Ojrerations of Calcutta Auxiliary — Bombay Auxiliary, 1813 — Persic version of Henry 3Iartyn — Version for Armenians in the East — Special Fund for versions, commenced by Mr. Hey — Madras Aux- iliary, 1820 — Calcutta Bible Association — Resolution for Grants to versions modified — Memorial respecting words for Baptism. — Death of Bishop Ileber — Bible in Canarese — At- tach on Oriental versions- Versions at Shushi and Astrachan. ASIA. Asia, that division of the globe, which may be styled the British birthphice of the Bible, where the greater portion of it was Jf^^a. originally written, and where the principal events and trans- Skct. I actions which it records took place, might naturally be expected to contribute largely towards any histoi-y that should relate to the progress, distribution, and triumph of divine of Asia Vol. II. II I}i04-30. The claims 98 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. I. 1804-30. 1804. The birth- place of the Bible, for ages destitute of the light of Revela- tion. Efforts of the Bible Society in Asia Minor and Syria. truth on the earth : and it has done so ; but, in these latter times, rather as the recipient, than as the dispenser of the sacred gift. For even that part of Asia, where the Bible was first read, has for centuries been a stranger to its hallowed influence; so that when the noble purpose was formed of again sending forth the Bible on a mission to all nations, Syria, Palestine, and the countries adjacent, were found suffering under as grievous a famine of the word of God as any other part of the world ; and it was reserved for a Society formed in these Western Isles, to be honoured as the instrument of carrying back the blessed Book to the countries whence it emanated. We have already noticed the measures adopted by the Society for the benefit of Northern Asia and of Asia Minor, partly in the account given of the Russian Bible Society, partly in our review of the labours of Mr. Leeves, Mr. Bai'ker, and others. These labours extended, as we have seen, over a considerable part of the Turkish empire, comprising those countries, both in Asia as well as Europe, which are washed by the waters of the Mediterranean, — countries still retaining, in the religion professed by numbers, something of the name and form of Christianity, though sadly intermingled with corrupt usages, and overshadowed by the deadly gloom of Moham- medanism. We have now to direct the reader's attention to other parts of Asia — to regions lying quite beyond the pale of ancient Christendom, and where, till of late, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other forms of pagan worship, have, in conjunction with Mohammedanism, held an almost undisputed sway : in a Avord, to Central and Southern Asia. We beffin with Peculiar fact of the sove- reignty of this Pro- testant Isle over India. BRITISH INDIA. Marvellous and past finding out are the ways of Providence in determining the bounds of nations and empires, and in per- mitting or limiting their advance, with a view to the working out ultimately of its own great designs. Such a reflection is forced upon every Christian mind, in contemplating the singular relation into which this Island has been brought, in respect to the richest countries of the East. Only a few centuries 1804. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 99 have passed since the discovery of the passage round the Cape, ASIA. ^vhich first opened to Europe a facile access to India; and sub- q^~ j sequently, within the hist 100 years, tlie singular progress of British events has ultimately established in Hindustan, not the ascend- "_! " ancy only, but the strict political rule of this country. Thus ^!^y'^'J' the very people in Western Europe, who alone, or chiefly, could boast freedom of inquiry and the unrestricted use of the Sacred Scriptures, and amongst whom evangelical truth had largest prevalence, became possessed of a dominion affecting the condition and destiny of some 150 millions of Asiatics; and hence it has come to pass, that in addition to the triumphs of British enterprise, commerce, and power in the East, the historian has to tell of the success also of Missionary labours, and of the dissemination of the word of truth in Hindustan, and even in China. The earliest eflbrts of the Society in behalf of Asia, were directed to some of its most distant provinces. It is sin- gular that China should have been the first country in Asia to attract the attention of the newly-formed Bible Society. British India, however, soon received a large share of its con- sideration and sympathy ; and we shall now proceed to trace the progress of the Society in these densely peopled portions of the globe. The circumstances which brought China under the con- sideration of the Society at so early a period of its history, will be more fully narrated in a future page, and are only alluded to now, for the sake of stating, that the appointment of a Sub-Corn- Formation mittee to attend to the business of China, originally denomi- of Oriental nated the China, and afterwards, the Oriental Sub-Committee, mittee. was the occasion of bringing before the Society the claims of British India. This Sub-Committee having, for reasons which will be afterwards explained, been compelled to abandon the primary object for which it was formed, began to turn its attention to some other portion of the Oriental field ; when British India presented itself, as on every account the more proper quarter to which eff"orts, such as those which it was the duty of the Society to make, could be directed ; the known disposition of some of the East-India Company's servants at Calcutta, and the progress already made in translations by the II 2 100 HISTORY OP THE ASIA. Baptist Missionaries at Serampore, affording sufficient encou- Chap. I. ragement to warrant the attempt. British A correspondence was accordingly opened with gentlemen "__ ' in India, informing them of the establishment of the British ,^„^'^7'3 and Foreio-n Bible Society, and requesting their communica- 1804-30. =^ •" "^ ., ,. — tions respecting the best means of promotnig the objects oi the Institution with regard to the Eastern languages. In select- Corre- ing the individuals thus invited to become correspondents, with a respect was had to the principle embodied in the Society, that Committee of unitlno; the different denominations of Christians in the pro- at Cal- cutta. secution of the same design. The Baptist Missionaries at Serampore,* as just intimated, had already entered on the important task of translating the Scriptures into the native languages of the East. It was con- sidered as likely to conduce both to the progress and the im- provement of the work of translation, if the vernacular know- ledge and zealous assiduity of these devoted labourers, could be associated with the erudition and the personal influence of cer- tain members of the Established Church, on whose piety, and zeal for the promotion of Christianity dependence might con- fidently be placed. With these views, it was determined, that the following gentlemen should . be reqviested to form themselves into a Committee of Correspondence with the Society, viz. George Udney, Esq., Member of Council ; the Rev. Messrs. Brown, Buchanan, Carey, Ward, and Marsh- man ; and that they should be desired to associate with them- selves such other gentlemen in any part of India, as they might think proper. A resolution to this effect was trans- mitted officially to Calcutta, by the earliest conveyance. It was passed on the 23d of July 1 804 ; and though its operation in India was slow, and interrupted by many vicissitudes of dis- couragement and delay, it proved the germ of those institu- tions at Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, Colombo, &c., wliich were * The Baptist Missionaries entered India in 1793 ; and, not b'^ing- per- mitted to reside in the Company's territories, fixed themselves in the Danish settlement at Serampore, near Calcutta, " To this Mission," says Dr. Buchanan, "chiefly belongs the honour of reviving- the spirit for pro- moting- Christian knowledge by translations of the Holy Scriptures." — See " Buchanan's Researches," p. 85. BIIITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 101 afterwards engaged, with so much energy and concord, in pro- ASIA. nioting the dispersion of the Scriptures, in their respective dia- q^^~ j lects, among both the Christian and the Heathen populations of British ,, -P, , India, the East. _ Before the projected Committee was actually organized, Dr. f!^nj'»{ Carey introduced, to the Society the scheme of Oriental trans- — lations, so nobly projected by the Baptist Missionaries at Serampore. Dr. Buchanan's Memoir on " the Expediency of Oriental transla,- an Ecclesiastical establishment for British India," furnished the tions at additional, and very important information, that, " under the Serampore auspices of the College of Fort William, the Scriptures were in a course of translation into almost all the languages of Oriental India." And both authorities agreed in stating, that assistance from Europe was indispensably necessary, in order to the accomplishment of these plans. On these general grounds, it was determined to appropriate £1000 to an object, in all respects so deserving of encourage- ment and aid ; and a grant to that amount was accordingly made, to be placed at the disposal of the above Corresponding Committee at Calcutta. The feeling thus kindled on behalf of India was not a little The appeal strengthened, by a communication from Dr. Buchanan, received °[ ^'"' ^"" » . . . . chanan. in August 1806, in which he transmitted printed pi'oposals from the Missionaries at Serampore, for translating the Scriptures into the Oriental languages ; to which was added a letter from himself, recommending that a sermon should be preached before the Society, " on the subject of Oriental translation," and offering, on his own part £50, to be given to the preacher, on the delivery of a printed copy for the College of Fort William, in Bengal.* In the above printed proposals, after stating that the de- sign of translating the Scriptures into the Oriental languages had received from home the highest sanction, — a resolution to that effect having been transmitted to them by the Secretary of a Society lately instituted, entitled ' the British and Foreign Bible Society ;' the Missionaries proceed thus to express them- selves : — * Tliiri liberal offer was declined, as it was thoug-ht the measure did not fall ntrictly within the iirofe.-:sed object of the Society. 102 HISTORY OF THE Chap. I. British India. Sect. I. l!J04-30. 1806. Aid to transla- tions ren- dered by the College of Fort William. First con- tributions iu India. " Our hope of success in this great undertaking, depends chiefly on the patronage of the College of Fort William. To that Institution we are much indebted for the progress we have already made. Oriental translation has become comparatively easy, in consequence of our having the aid of those learned men from distant provinces of Asia, who have assembled, dur- ing the period of the last six years, at that great emporium of Eastern letters. These intelligent strangers voluntarily en- gage with us in translating the Scriptures into their respective languages ; and they do not conceal their admiration of the sublime doctrine, pure precept, and divine eloquence of the word of God. The plan of these translations was sanctioned, at an early period, by the Most Noble the Marquis Wellesley, that great patron of useful learning. To give the Christian Scriptures to the inhabitants of Asia, is indeed a work which every man, who believes these Scriptures to be from God, will approve. In Hindustan alone, there is a great variety of religions ; and there are some tribes which have no certain caste or religion at all. To render the revealed religion accessible to men who desire it ; to open its eternal sanctions, and display its pure morals, to those who seek a religion, is to fulfil the sacred duty of a Christian people ; and accords well with the humane and generous spirit of the English nation." The statements contained in this document were con- sidered of importance, not only as they publicly developed a plan for Oriental translations, but also because they recog- nised the fact of deriving aid and patronage from the College of Fort William, and announced the formation and the friendship of the British and Foreign Bible Society, as furnishing material encouragement to the proposed under- taking. Copies were despatched to almost the whole of the principal civil ofiicers, and to many of the military officers in the Honourable Company's Service, throughout Hindustan, from Delhi to Travancore ; and Dr. Buchanan obtained permission at the same time, to send the " Proposals " in his official character, as the Vice-Provost of the College, free of expense* which he did, accompanying them in most instances with a letter. The design received encouragement from every quarter : BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 103 a sum- of £1600 was soon raised for translations, to which ASIA, the Rev. David Brown contributed £250. p^^" j It may be here observed, that at this time the proposal British was first entertained at home, of printing the Scriptures in _ the Arabic, as a medium through which the light of divine f}f,!7"-in' revelation might be widely diffused among the inhabitants — of Africa and the East. This was a measure which Bishop ^"*'^* Porteus and the Bishop of Durham had much at heart, and which they united in recommending to the Society ; and under the auspices of the latter, the work was afterwards, in part, accomplished. In the spring of 1807, a letter was received from the Rev. D. Brown, Senior Chaplain at Fort William, to whom the proposition for a Corresponding-Committee had been originally directed, and who afterwards became Secretary of that Com- mittee, and also of the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society ; in Avhich he gives a favourable representation of the state of Oriental translations then in progress, and confirms the statement of Dr. Buchanan and the Serampore Missionaries, as to the impression made at Calcutta by the formation and proffered aid of the Society, and the good effect of the encou- ragement which it held out. A regular intercourse now commenced, between the con- ductors of the British and Foreign Bible Society and the leading friends of Christianity in the heart of British India ; and it appeared to the former in a high degree desirable, to take all practicable steps in order to cherish and improve the con- nection. With this view, a second grant of £1000 was Grant from made, and 500 English Bibles and 1000 Testaments were sent ^ o"© y- from the London Depository, and 250 German Bibles and 500 Testaments from the Institution at Halle, for the use of the army and navy, and other Europeans in India. This proved a very seasonable and much-needed supply. It must however be mentioned, that with the pleasing and auspicious intelligence contained in the above letter, respecting the progress of the Society's cause in India, was mingled in- ^ ^J°"^^? formation of a discouraging nature. It appears, that after the Wellesley. retirement of Marquis Wellesley, who had been the friend of religion and the patron of learning, the succeeding Governors- 104 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. General opposed all attempts to evangelize the Hindoos. They Chap. I. opposed the translation of the Holy Scriptures ; they opposed British also the formation of a Society for carrying into effect there "_! ' the objects of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Persons faoT HO ^^olding official situations were requested not to act, except in — their private capacity. Thus the work was for the time com- '^^'' mitted to the Serampore Missionaries, with such aid and pro- Hostility of tection as could be given without offending Government. successors'.^ When tidings of these tilings readied this country, the hearts of the friends of the Society, to whom they were in con- fidence communicated, were filled with sorrow and dejection. Under the advice of Bishop Porteus, who took a lively interest in all the vicissitudes of the Society, Lord Teignmouth and Mr. Grant, both then in office in the Indian Department, were encouraged to make prompt and vigorous efforts, to disabuse the governing powers in Bengal of the mistaken and injurious impressions under which they laboured. In the mean timcj the accomplishment of the Society's favourite design in British India — the incorporation of Christians throughout the penin- sula in one common scheme for diffusing the light of Holy Scripture among the inhabitants of the East — was delayed. Attacks of Whilst these matters were in agitation, a storm arose enemies at nearer home, which " frowned defiance upon the Eastern labours of the Society, and seemed to portend the annihilation of its plans for disseminating the invaluable blessings of divine revelation through the regions of Hindostan." The contro- versy relating to the propagation of Christianity in India, which is now alluded to, and of which a full account is given by Owen, has already been noticed in a former part of this history. It may here, however, be remarked, that while some of the very leading friends of the Society in England were exerting themselves to protect it against an edict of expulsion from Britisli India, its friends in that country, harrassed by an equally vexatious opposition, were recurring to similar measures of remonstrance and defence. On the arrival of Lord Minto, in Bengal, and on his assumption of supreme authority. Dr. Buchanan addressed a memorial to his Lordship, dated Cal- cutta, November 7, 1807, " On the withdrawing of the patronage of Government from the translation of the Holy BRITISH AND FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETT. 105 Scriptures into the Oriental tongues, and the attempting to ASIA. suppress the translation of the Scriptures entirely." Cii\p. I. Thus it appears, that in Calcutta, and in London, were British ^^ India. attempts simultaneously made to arrest the stream of divine truth, just as it was issuing from its hallowed source to fertilize the moral deserts of Hindustan. But He who gave the spring, had graciously decreed that the channels should not be obstructed. ^^'' In pity to millions in existence, and to generations yet unborn, He raised up advocates in either hemisphere to bear their tes- timony against this anti-Christian policy, and to prepare the way for those triumphs which the Bible was destined to obtain, in the fulness of time, among the nations of the East. Allusion has been made to the political disabilities and restraints, to which the friends of the Institution at Fort William had been sulijected, with I'egard to the patronage and management of their plans for the propagation of the Gospel in British India. The reduction of the college of Fort William took place in January 1807, when Mr. Brown and Dr. Buchanan, who had held the respective appoint- ments of Provost and Vice-Provost, now felt themselves relieved from those obligations, by which they had been College of officially restrained from ostensibly promoting the translation ^^^'^ and distribution of the Scriptures. In anticipation of this given up. event, they had been making all the provision in their power, to supply the loss likely to accrue to sacred literature from the dispersion of so many learned natives, and to render their release from official restriction conducive to the propagation of Christianity on a larger scale. On the termination, therefore, of their Collegiate engagements, they tmitedly resolved to encourage individuals to proceed with their versions, by such means as they could command ; and to trust to the contribu- tions of the public, and to the future sanction of the Govern- ment, for the perpetuity of the design. They proposed, at the same time, not to confine the undertaking to Bengal alone, or the territories of the Company ; but to extend it to every part of the East, where fit instruments for ti'anslation could be found. And from a desire to concentrate, as much as pos- sible, the various efforts for promoting Christianity in the East, and to restore to the common undertaking that unity. 106 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I, British India. Sect. I. lb04-30. 1809. Resumed activity of the Corre- sponding Committee. which the reduction of the College had so unhappily destroyed, an Association was projected under the title of " The Chris- tian Institution."* When the plan, however, of this Institution came to be sub- mitted to the Society at home, it was thought better to abide by the original resolution of establishing a " Corresponding Committee," as more likely to secure the mutual co-operation of different parties, and thus " to reflect in its constitution as near an image as circumstances would allow, of the Parent Committee in Great Britain." This desirable object was, after a series of delays and obstructions, at length happily accomplished. The Committee, constituted as originally proposed in 1804, with the exception of the Rev. T. Thomason being nominated to succeed Dr. Buchanan, who had returned to England ; met by appointment in August 1809, and, being definitely organized, proceeded to make such arrangements as the charge which they had ac- cepted appeared to them to require. It was determined at that meeting, that measures should be adopted for carrying forward approved translations in the Arabic, Persian, Hindustani, and Telinga languages, besides those which were in the hands of the Serampore Missionaries. This determination was followed by a direction to their Secretary to open communications with Tranquebar, Tanjore, Bombay, Cochin, and Ceylon. Such were the indications of wisdom and energy, with which the Corresponding Committee entered on their important career. Its organization may be said to have been an era in the reli- gious history of India. In the mean time, a letter had been received from the Rev. D. Brown, giving so encouraging an account of arrangements that had been made for effecting translations of the Scriptures, by the Rev. Henry Martyn, by the Missionaries at Serampore, and by Missionaries in Malabar, Ceylon, and other places, that the Society at home resolved, in January 1809, to appropriate to the above objects the annual sum of £1000, for three suc- cessive years. * For a further account of this desig-n, which originated in the expanded views of Dr. Buchanan for evang-eHzing- the East, see Owen, Vol. II,, and Buchanan's " Christian llesearclies." BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 107 The communications opened by the Corresponding Commit- ASIA, tee, also brought back very gratifying replies from the Rev. Dr. (-.„" j John, of Tranquebar, the Rev. C. Pohle, at Trichinopoly, and British the Rev. Messrs. Kohlhoif and Horst, at Tanjore; all of whom _ * were Missionaries in connection with the Society for Promot- ^'^^'''- '• ing Christian Knowledge, and now severally expressed their — joy and gratitude on being invited to co-operate in so important a work. In addition to these replies, distinct and encouraging reports were obtained of the progress made in the Telinga or Teloogoo version of the New Testament, under the care of the Rev. Mr. Desgranges at Vizagapatam, Missionary of the London Mis- sionary Society, with the assistance of Anunderaya, a con- verted Brahmin ; and in the Arabic, Persian, and Hindustani, under the care of Rev. H. Martyn at Cawnpore, with the assistance of Sabat, the Arabian, and Mirza Fitrut, the Per- sian, Pundit. The sympathy of the European residents at Calcutta was Sermon of awakened to the work, by a sermon preached at the Old ll'°J^.*^^; Church, on January 1, 1810, by the Rev. D. Brown. He called attention particularly to the state of the English Mis- sions in the south of India, where thousands were being added to the Church of Christ — (in Tanjore alone there were 12,000 native Protestant Christians), — and where the dearth of the Holy Scriptures was severely felt. In proof of this, he gave extracts, of which the following are a sample, from the letters of ]\Iissionaries : — " We are," write the Missionaries, " in the utmost want of Tamil Bibles, and likewise of Portuguese, though not to the same extent. The number of native Protestants belonging to the Tanjore Mission alone, including the Tinnevelly District, amounts nearly to 12,000, none of whom (the native teachers excepted) have any Old Testament, and not one in two or three hundred has even the New Testament. Almost all the men, particularly to the south of Tanjore, can read, and are very eager after books." Again; — "The Portuguese Old andNew Testamentwould also be most acceptaljle, and a blessing, not only to Portuguese Pro- testants, but also to many Roman Catholic Padres and Chris- 108 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. I. 1804-30. 1810. Subscrip- tion for Tamil Scriptures. Biblio- theca Bi- bJica esta- blished. tians at Madras, St. Thome, Sadras, Pondicheny, Cuddalore, Porto-Novo, Tranquebar, Tanjore, Manar, Ceylon, and, in short, in all the other cliief places unto Goa and Bombay. Many of the Roman Catholics are not so averse to the reading of the Bible as before, and many have even requested copies from us." The immediate consequence of this appeal, was a subscrip- tion towards furnishing the Christians of Tanjore with the Tamil Scriptures. At the head of the list appeared the name of the Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant-General Hewitt, for 2000 rupees ; and the sum subscribed by the 31st of January, on which day it closed, amounted to 9000 rupees. But the ulterior and still more important consequence was, the interest which it excited in favour of Christianity among the Europeans of consideration in Calcutta, and the sanction which it obtained for the distribution of the Scriptures among the converted na- tives of the East. Encouraged by this dawn of public support, and by the openings which appeared for acceptable labour in the several stations to which their circulars had been addressed, the Cor- responding Committee proceeded to the adoption of measures of larger enterprise and greater publicity. The principal of these was the establishment of a " Bibliotheca Biblica." This Institution consisted of two departments, a Bible Repository, and a Translation Library, The Bible Repository was designed to contain Bibles and Testaments, for general accommodation, in all languages, both European and Asiatic, to be disposed of at moderate prices. The want of such a repository may, in some degree, be inferred from the fact, that, at the time when it was projected, not a copy of the Scriptures in the original, or a Bible in the French language, was to be purchased in India ; and its importance, both as it respected India, and other parts of the world, was obvious, from the consideration, that the port of Calcutta is the annual resort of multitudes, from all quarters, for the purposes of trade ; of Armenian Greeks, from the Archipelago ; of Ara- bians, Jews, Turks, and Malays : " some of almost every nation under heaven." The Translation Library, which composed the other depart- BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 109 ment of the " BiljHotlieca Biblica," was intended to contain ASIA, the Scriptures in tlieir original tongues; lexicons, grannnars, (.„~ j works on Biblical criticism ; and, in general, all such Ijooks British as are calculated to facilitate and perfect the labours of trans- _ ' lators. Sect. I. The Institution, in both its parts, was proposed to be placed — under the auspices of the British and Foreign Bible Society; ^'"*^" and its concerns were to be administered by the Corresponding Committee. Steps were also taken for purchasing and distributing Tamil Bibles, for engaging the co-operation of the Chaplains at the ditierent military stations, and for encouraging translations of the Holy Scriptures, by whomsoever undertaken, if approved by competent judges. At the same time, various translations were proceeding with Transla- great spirit and energy. The Tamil, Malay, Sanskrit, Bengali, *^h^u" Seek (Sikh), Hindustani, Mahratta, were already printed, lauguat^ps or in the press ; and the Arabic, Persian, Telinga, Malayalim, ^^^ll[' "'^' Burman, Canarese, and several other dialects, together with the Chinese, were preparing, chiefly by the Missionaries at Serampore. Dr. Leyden, also, was engaged in procuring versions in the Versions colloquial languages in use, from the eastern boundary of ^'^"'y^'*"^''^! Bengal to the islands of Borneo and Celebes inclusive, such as Leyden. the Siamese, Macassar, Bugis, Afghan, &c. In some of these, he had succeeded in completing some of the Gospels. No sooner was intelligence of this prosperous turn in the Society's affairs in the East, laid before its conductors at home, than they proceeded to testify their approval of the acts of the Corresponding Committee. The grant of £1000 annually, which had been made in 1809, was immediately doubled, and renewed for the tl irce Grants succeeding years. Directions were given for procuring a from tlic Society doubled. printing press, and a fount of Tamil types, together with a con- '/"-'^'y siderable quantity of printing paper, for the Missionaries at Tanjore, whose want of these articles was afFectingly repre- sented ; and a large supply of materials was added, for the edition of the ISIalayalim Scriptures which were printing at Jiombay. The plan of the " Bibliotheca Biblica" was highly British [ndia. 1811. no HISTORY OF THE ASIA. approved ; and it was resolved to give it effectual patronage, Chap. I. by assisting its several departments. With a view to stock the Bible Depository, an assortment of the Scriptures, in the original and the modern languages, was ordered to be forwarded miT.'/o 'witlio'^^^ delay, notwithstanding the supplies which had been previously sent out. Provision was made, with similar promptitude, for procuring, at the Society's expense, such works as might assist the labours of translators. On the anniversary of the occasion on which the Rev. Dr. Brown preached the sermon above referred to, namely, Januaiy 1, 1811, the Rev. Henry Martyn made, from the same pulpit, an Sermon at earnest and affecting appeal, not now on behalf of the native b'^Ret^^H Christians in the soutli of India only, but on behalf of 900,000 Martyn. nominal ' Christians throughout the whole of India, in want of Bibles, including the four classes of Portuguese, Tamil, Malayalim, and Singhalese Christians. The result of this fresh appeal was the formation of a Society at Calcutta, on the plan of the British and Foreign Bible Society, in aid of its opera- of Calcuita tions as directed to Hindustan. This took place on the 21st of Bible So- p'ebruarv 1811. The object to which this new institution, en- ciety, -^ ... titled the " Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society," had a primary and more immediate respect, was the supply of the " Chris- tians in India," as estimated and described by Mr. Martyn. The limits of the Auxiliary were thus fixed and defined, so as not to interfere with the wider functions of the Corre- sponding Committee. A harmonious co-operation between the two Societies, (for such in effect they were,) was thus established and maintained. The Parent Society, on receiving intelligence of these gratifying events, immediately proceeded to a grant of £1000, in favour of the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society, and raised their annual contribution to the Corresponding Committee from £2000 to £4000 for the current year; thereby justifying the confidence reposed in them by their diligent fellow-labourers in the East, and re- deeming the pledge they had given, of continued " encourage- ment and support." The bright prospects in regard to the Society's work in India, with which the following year (1812) opened, were des- tined to be clouded by several calamitous events. The first India. Sect. I. i«04-:u). BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. Ill of these was the destructive fire as Serampore. The Baptist ASIA. Missionaries at Serampore, independently of their interest in r ~ J the funds of tlie Corresponding Committee, had regularly had British allotted to them a moiety of the grants of the Parent Society, for the works inider their own particular administration. These grants had now amounted to £4500 sterling, by wliich, as they acknowledged, "their hands were strengthened when '"''•^• the difficulties attending the work appeared almost insuper- able ;" and they were animated to make further attempts in the work. They were already able to report versions in thir- teen languages, as either commenced, or in different stages of advancement. In the midst of all these labours, the disastrous event occurred, to which allusion has just been made. On the 11th of March 1812, about six in the evening, a Calamitous fire, kindled bv some accident, broke out in the Serampore ^^^ ^* • • A^ " 1 1 m' no 1 • Serampore. prmtmg-olnce ; and bainmg every eilort made to stop its pro- gress, in a short time reduced the building to ashes, and con- sumed all the paper, types, and printing utensils that were therein. In this conflagration, which occasioned a loss of nearly £10,000, English paper was consumed to the value of about £3000, nearly one-half of which had been destined for the Scriptures to be printed on account of the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society, and the Corresponding Committee. The extent of this calamity was providentially restrained, by the preservation of nearly all the steel punches of the various Indian languages, which it would have occasioned not only a vast expense, but the delay of many years to replace. With these, and the melted metal, the Missionaries immediately renewed their operations in an adjoining building ; and such were their alacrity and perseverance, that in a month they had cast founts of type in nine languages. The exertions of the British and Foreign Bible Society were not wanting to remedy, in some degree, the evils of this com- mon calamity. Immediately on receiving the intelligence of what had befallen their fellow-labourers at Seramj)ore, the Committee were called together ; a resolution was unanimously passed, to re-place, at the expense of the Society, the whole quantity of paper which had been consumed ; and the resolution 112 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. was accompanied with a suitable expression of their sympathy Chap. I. and condolence."* Eritish The next sad event which occurred to produce embarrass- India ment to the work, was the premature death of Dr. Leyd of the Rev, D. Brown, Eev. H. Martyn. en, an Sect. I. event which arrested the progress of those versions in which 1804-30. - . . 1 -1 1 • 1 1 • -n TV i.- ^ _ this emment philologist, and his Pundits, were so actively 1812. engaged. Deatli of To these calamities, which distressed the friends of the Holy Dr^. Ley- g^jriptures in India, was added, in June 1812, the death of the Rev. D. Brown, the loss of whose valuable and official services was deeply felt, not only by the Corresponding Com- mittee and the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society, the principal sufferers, but by all who felt a common interest in the pro- sperity of Christianity in India, and of the Nor was this the last stroke, by which the friends of the Bible cause in India were smitten with deep sorrow, through the events of the year 1812. Another, yet more severe, remained to be inflicted. The Rev. Henry Martyn, (to whose sermon at Fort William, the formation of the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society is chiefly to be ascribed,) after having completed his version of the Hindustani New Testament, determined upon a journey into Persia and Arabia, in order to effect a translation of the Scriptures into the pure dialects of the Persian and Arabic languages. In prosecution of this design, he repaired to Shiraz, (to use his own language,) " the Athens of Ears, and the haunt of the muses." There, from the month of June 1811 to the middle of the year ensuing, he employed himself, under the kind protection of Sir Gore Ouseley, His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary to the Court of Persia, and with the learned assistance of Meer Seyd Ali, in making a Persian translation of the New Testament. Having accomplished this object, and finding his constitution begin to sink under the effect of extreme exertion, and the influence of an unhealthy climate, he made an eftbrt to return to England ; but suffering exceedingly (as it is presumed) by * It was pleasing- to observe the kinduess and promptitude, with which hoth individuals and relig-ious Societies contributed to the reparation of this injury. Nearly £11,000 were very speedily furnished in this manner ; and the Directors of the Baptist Mission found it necessary to staj' the liberality of the Christian public, by discouraging- further contributions. BEITISU AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 113 tlie heat of the weather, the fatigue of the journey, and the ASIA, want of medical assistance, he expired at Tokat, a commercial n ~ t emporium in Asiatic Turkey, on or about the 16th of Octo- British ber 1812.* " ^''^^^ The talents of Mr. Martyn were of the highest order; and Sect. I. on the exercise of them, in a department of literature which he _ had assiduously cultivated, the highest expectations were ^^^-• formed. When the afflicting intelligence of Mr. Martyn's death reached Calcutta, it ditfused, for a season, grief and consterna- tion among all the friends of Christianity in that quarter : the cry was heard, " Alas for India ! when shall we see such another?" His loss has not ceased to be bewailed by the Christian Church at large. The Persian version of the Scriptures, to complete which, cost the sacrifice of so valuable a life, has met with great acceptance in the East. A copy of it was presented by Sir Gore Ouseley to the King of Persia, who acknowledged the receipt of it in very flattering terms-t In August 1812, an Auxiliary Bible Society was formed at Auxiliary Colombo, the seat of the British Government in the island of cdombo! Ceylon. This event was mainly brought about by the kind and zealous offices of Sir Alexander Johnston, Chief Justice of Ceylon. This gentleman, before leaving this country, had repeated interviews with the Directors of the Society, antl took with him a large supply of English, Dutch, and Portu- guese Bibles and Testaments, together with 500 reams of paper, to be applied to the printing of the Scriptures for the use of the native Christians on the island. On his arrival there, he successfully exerted himself in promoting the forma- tion of the Auxiliary, securing for it the patronage of the Governor and Members of the Council, as President and Vice-Presidents, whose example was immediately followed by the principal servants of the Government, both civil and military. Proper steps were then taken to ascertain the * For a beautiful eulogium on the character and labours both of Brown and INIartyn, see Owen II. p. 257 &c. t See copy of the King's Letter, and iilso that of the Ambassador, in Report for 1815, A])pendix. Vol. 1 1. I 114 HISTORY OF THE Chap. I. British India. Sect. I. 1804-30. Bible So- ciety at Mauritius. Operations of the Calcutta Auxiliary. number of persons in the island pi'ofessing the Christian religion, and the languages most familiar to them, in order to form a judgment of the number of Bibles and Testaments, in the several languages, necessary to supply their wants ; a judicious distribution was made of the copies furnished by the Parent Society in English, Dutch, and Portuguese ; measures were adopted to obtain a more correct version of the Scriptures in the Sinhgalese, and a translation of them into the Pali language ; and a friendly communication was opened with the sister institution at Calcutta, which had already offered to encourage the rising efforts of the Colombo Society, by providing gratuitously for its use 5000 copies of the Singhalese Testament, printed at the Serampore press. About the same time, a Bible Society was formed for the " Islands of Mauritius, Bourbon, and Dependencies," of which His Excellency the Governor became the Patron, and the Commander-in-Chief, Vice-President. So greatly had the colony been neglected, that, it was stated, " a French Bible could not have been purchased within it for years back ; and many persons on the island were living, at that time, at the advanced age of sixty or seventy years, who had never even seen a Bible." The Scriptures sent thither were purchased with great avidity. The Societies at Calcutta and Colombo proceeded to carry out, either unitedly or apart, various measures for the benefit of the different classes for whom they sought to provide. The Calcutta Society, at the expiration of their second year, were able to report a train of operations judiciously concerted, and in a great measure carried into actual execution. Of the four classes of native Christians, with a special view to whom the Society had been formed, a considerable provision had been made for three — the Portuguese, the Tamil, and the Singhalese. The Malay alim Scriptures were found to require extensive revision before being issued in any large degree, but in the mean time a small temporary supply was furnished. The Colombo Society, after distributing a number of the English, Dutch, and Portuguese Sacred Scriptures placed at their disposal, proceeded to ascertain the number of nominal Christians in Ceylon, and the languages most familiar to them. l!i!3. BRITISH AND FOKEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 115 It ai)peared tliat the native Protestants were about 150,000, ASIA. and the Roman CathoHcs about 50,000 ; of whom the great chIp. I. majority spoke Singlialese, the rest Malabar or Tamil. It was British immediately resolved to print an edition of the Singhalese New _ ' Testament; but on examination of the old version, this was ^^n^.'J,;. found so faulty, that, after providing for a temporary supply, it was determined to take measures for preparing a new version, under the sui>erintendence of W. Tolfrey, Esq., a distinguished Ceylon. Singhalese scholar. To this was added also a translation of the sion for New Testament into the Pali, the sacred language of Buddhism, ";^".^'*^. o o ^ ^ Chnstiaus. in which Mr. Tolfrey was assisted by two learned priests of Buddhu. The plan of the Colombo Auxiliary was, at this time, ex- tended so as to comprehend, as a secondary object, the supply- ing of further Christian instruction than simply by the circula- tion of the Scriptures ; care, however, being taken, by a special enactment of the revised constitution, that this additional work should be provided for from a separate fund. After some years, this course, which was thought to be justified by existing circumstances, was happily abandoned, and the Auxiliary again adopted the simple plan and object of the British and Foreign Bible Society. While the two above-named Societies were thus addressing themselves to the important task they had undertaken, they were strengthened by the accession of a valuable auxiliary in the field of Christian effort. In June 1813, a Bible Society was formed at Bombay, under the auspices of Sir Evan Auxilia^ry Nepean, a Vice-President of the Parent Institution, who lost fonneti, no time, after he took upon himself the government of the Presidency, in promoting this object. This new Society soon entered into friendly correspondence and co-operation with that at Calcutta. We may pause in this part of our narrative to mention, that Instai already the effect of the Scriptures upon the natives had begun to be very pleasingly and decisively manifested. Evidence tl had appeared of numerous conversions having taken place, without the intervention of any other means than the sim])!e unexpouhded text of the Holy Scriptures. Instances of this nature, since greatly multiplied, were at that time chiefly I 2 mces of useful- ness among 16 natives. 116 HISTORY OP THE ASIA, brought to light tlirough the labours of the Baptist Missio- Chap. I. naries, who had been longest in the field. British Dj.^ Carey speaks of the Missionaries at Serampore being in- — debted for two of their "most active and useful native preachers," 1804-30 ^^ ^^®^^ ^^ several other brethren, " to a New Testament left at — a shop ;" and for two other members of their body, to the im- pression made " by reading an English Testament." But a still more exti'aordinary fact was, that, early in 1813, several Brahmins and persons of high caste, not man^^ miles from Serampore, "obtained the knowledge of the truth, and met for Christian worship on the Lord's day, before they had any intercourse with the Missionaries, simply by reading the Scrip- tures. These," adds Dr. Carey, " were soon afterwards baptized, and reported that, by the same means, as many as a hundred of their neighbours were convinced of the truth of the Christian religion, and were kept back from professing it, only by fear of losing caste, and its consequences." The Calcutta Auxiliary, and the Corresponding Committee, were now found proceeding hand in hand with their work ; the former, restricting their attention for the time to the native Christians, among whom they perseveringly dispersed the Scriptures in the Persian, Arabic, and Hindustani ;* the latter, in conjunction with the Missionaries at Serampore, and aided by liberal grants from the Parent Society, executing the duties of their larger and more comprehensive engagements. They had completed the four Gospels in Arabic; and having brought out a copious edition of the Hindustani Testament Persic ver- by Martyn, they were intending to proceed with the Persic ; H* nr'* when intelligence reached them that Martyn's manuscript, for Martyn. which they had been anxiously waiting, had been conveyed by Sir Gore Ouseley to St. Petersburgh, and was there print- ing under the superintendence of the Russian Bible Society. In the following year, the Calcutta Bible Society entered upon two important undertakings — the printing of the Arme- nian, and of the Malay Scriptures. The subject of the Armenian Scriptures was first brought under the consideration of the Calcutta Society by Mr. Johannes * They had also produced editions of the Singhalese and Tamil Tes- taments. BRITISH AND FOrvEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 117 Sarkies, an Armenian by birth, and a member of tlie Commit- ASIA, tee; who stated that copies of the Scriptures in that hmguage nj~ were extremely scarce, a small number only having ever been British* printed, and these having become so very dear, that the poorer "^'li'*' sort of people had not the means of supplvintr themselves. This ^^'^■'^- 1- information was corroborated by Mr. Johannes Lassar, well _' known as the assistant to Dr. Marshman in translating from '"'^" the x\rmenian into the Chinese, who also represented the urgent necessity of an edition of the Holy Scriptures for the use of his (countrymen. " The Armenians," said Mr. Lassar, " are scattered all over ygj^jon for Asia, and have formed settlements wherever they have found the Amie- an opening for trade. They have churches at Calcutta, at ^ere"d '''^*' Chinsurah, at Dacca, and at Sydabad; and they maybe found throughout in small bodies at Patna and Cawnpore, and in many other places in Hindostan. They have settled also in Madras, Bombay, Surat, Bagdad, Busheer, Muscat, and, in short, all over that part of Asia: Jerusalem, Diarbeker, and Constantin- ople, are the seats of Patriarchates ; and a very considerable number of Armenians are also settled in Venice. The most correct copies of the Bible have been printed at the latter place ; a distance so great from India, however, as to render the Bible here extremely dear and scarce. At Calcutta, an Armenian Bible cannot be purchased under sixty or seventy rupees ; and so great is the scarcity, that it is not procurable even at that price, except on the decease of a gentleman, and the sale of his books. The copy which I possess, could not be purchased under 120 rupees. If, in a city like Calcutta, where the Ar- menians are so opulent, the want of the Bible is so great, what must it be in other places ?" Mr. Sarkies having liberally tendered 5000 rupees on behalf of himself and his countrymen, as an inducement to print an edition of the Bible in this language, the Calcutta Society determined to undertake it. Within three months of the period at which this determination was taken at Calcutta, a resolution to a similar purport was also passed at St. Peters- burgh. Thus, simultaneously, and by efforts altogether inde- pendent of each other, was provision making for the supply of the Armenian Christians, both in Asia and Europe, witli that 11! HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. T. Jiritish India. Sect I. 1814. Claims of the Arme- nians as a Christian peopJe. iVf alay ver- siuu. holy Book, their want of which, great as it was, appears not to liave been greater than their desire to possess it. Nearly three years before the question was agitated of carrying this measure into effect. Dr. Buchanan had thus expressed himself: — " The Armenians in Hindostan are our own subjects : they acknowledge our Government in India, as they do that of Sophi in Persia ; and they are entitled to our regard. They have preserved the Bible in its purity ; and their doctrines are, as far as the author knows, the doctrines of the Bible. Besides, they maintain the solemn observance of Christian worship, throughout our empire, on the seventh day ; and they have as many spires pointing to heaven, among the Hindoos, as we ourselves. Are such a people, then, entitled to no acknowledg- ment on our part as fellow-Christians ? Are they for ever to be ranked by us with Jews, Mahomedans, and Hindoos ? Would it not become us to approach nearer to these our sub- jects, endeavour to gain their confidence, and conciliate their esteem ? Let us, at least, do that which is easily practicable. We are in possession of the means of printing, which they have not. Let us print the Armenian Bible, and employ proper persons from among themselves to superintend the work, and encourage them to disperse their own faithful copy throughout the East. Let us show them that the diffusion of the Scrip- tures is an undertaking to which we are not indifferent ; and, by our example, let us stimulate their zeal." Thus warmly had the measure been recommended, which happily was now in course of being achieved. The expediency of printing the Scriptures in the Malay language, was suggested by Mr. Livett, a resident at Amboyna, who, writing from thence, mentioned his agreeable surprise at finding the Christian religion established among the natives, the existence of a church, and, at every village of any con- sideration, a schoolmaster or pastor, and meeting houses ; but he stated that the people were much in want of Bibles, not one being procurable ; that what Scriptures they did possess had been printed at Batavia, in the Malay language and Roman character, which the people had learned to understand ; and fur- ther than this, that there were numbers of Christians in every Singhalese version BRITISH AXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 119 island, and that Christianity was the established religion of the ASIA. Moluccas. On the receipt of this intelligence, (which was in p "~~ t 1813,) the Calcutta Society determined to print an edition of British the Malay Scriptm*es ; and after an interval employed in the ne- 1°^^- cessary inquiries and arrangements, 3000 copies of the Bible were Sect. I. put to press, according to a pattern received from Amboyna, _^' and 3000 Testaments of a smaller size for the use of schools; l^^**- towards which object the Governor in Council, on a represen- tation made to him by the friends of the measure, agreed to contribute the sum of 10,000 sicca rupees on the part of the Honourable Company. The Colombo Bible Society, while proceeding with the dis- tribution of the 2000 Singhalese Testaments, presented by the Calcutta Auxiliary, together with other Scriptures placed at their disposal in Tamil, Portuguese, Dutch, and English, directed their chief attention towards the completion of the new version of the Testament into Singhalese, by Mr. W. Tolfrey, and his native assistants. That nothing might be by Mr omitted which could ensure the excellence of this translation, ^ '^'^^' 200 copies of St, Matthew and St. Mark were printed off, and circulated with the utmost expedition among all the IModeliars, Proponents, and Catechists, at Colombo, who were the best skilled in Singhalese ; several were also sent to Galle and Matura, where the language is spoken in the greatest purity, and pains were taken to obtain a fair and candid opinion of the new work ; and it was satisfactory to learn, from the decision of numerous and competent judges, that the language and style of this extensive specimen of the new version, were deemed not only pure and suitable to the dignity of the subject, but plain and intelligible. From a Memoir, relative to the progress of the translation carrying on at Serampore, in the year 1815, it appeared that the whole Scriptures had been then published in the Bengali and Orissa dialects; the New Testament, and parts of the Old, in Sanskrit ; considerable pgrtions in the Mahratta ; the New Testament in the Sikh dialect ; and the Pentateuch in Chinese ; besides which, the Gospels had been translated into seventeen different dialects, of which some were then printing. Impressed with the extent and importance of the undertakings, both there 120 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. I. 1804-30. 1817. completed by Messrs. Chater and C lough. Seram- pore. Proposal respecting the re- maining dialects of India. £111(1 at Calcutta, the Society (1816) made a special grant of £2000 to their Corresponding Committee in Bengal, in addi- tion to their annual contribution to the same amount. The death of Mr. Tolfrey in the following year, (1817,) threatened to place at a hopeless distance the completion of the Singhalese and Pali versions, in which he had been so long and so laboriously employed; but, through the favour of God's good providence, this evil was happily prevented. The Rev. Messrs. Chater and Clough, the former a Baptist, the latter a Wesleyan Missionary, together with Mr. Armour, an intelli- gent schoolmaster in the latter connection, by their united exertions, in conjunction with the learned natives who had assisted Mr. Tolfrey, completed the New Testament wuthin the time originally proposed, and took measures for adding to it the Old Testament, of which no part, except the three first books of Moses, had then been translated. The seventh year of the Calcutta Bible Society, (1818,) was distinguished by the completion of two editions of the entire Bible, and two distinct editions of the New Testament, in three Asiatic languages ; besides a small edition, in a fourth, of the Gospel of St. Matthew. The languages in which these works were executed, w'ere the Armenian, the Malay, the Hin- dustani, and the Bengali. Nor was this year unfruitful in new undertakings. A re- vised edition of the Malay Bible in the Arabic character (that before mentioned being in the Roman) had been commenced ; and measures had been taken for printing a version of the New Testament, by the Rev. Mr. Pritchett, a learned Missionary, from the London Missionary Society, in the Telinga or Teloo- goo language. In the mean time, the Baptist Missionaries at Serampore, pursuing with steady perseverance their honourable and use- ful course of labours, continued, as well by printmg for other bodies as by translations undertaken on their own account, to add progressively very valuable Qontributions to the common stock. In a Memoir issued by them in the year 1816, they had described the near relation of twenty-eight Oriental dialects to each other, as being all derived froui the parent Sanskrit; and the facilities they possessed, by means of their own know- 1818. BRITISH AND FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 121 ledge, their experience in translating, the command of Pundits, ASIA. types, and machinery, to make versions of the Scriptures in q,iI^. i. any of these cognate dialects. They estimated the expense of l|ritish carrying through the press 1000 copies of the New Testament, — in eitlier of these dialects, not to exceed £500. Vaol sV The perusal of this Memoir left so strong an impression on the pious and benevolent mind of the late William Hey, Esq., the eminent surgeon, at Leeds, that he formed, the design of raising, by large subscriptions, of which he himself gave the example, a competent fund to defray the expense of printing the New Testa- Special ment in twenty-six of these dialects, that beino- the number of fundongi- . . . nated by those in which it had not yet been printed. After proceeding a Mr. Hey. certain way on this plan, and becoming convinced that the end would be better attained through the Society, than through a fund created independently of it, he very liberally, with the concurrence of the other subscribers, transferred the sum alread}' raised to the Parent Institution : and its Committee im- mediately passed a resolution, authorizing the Corresponding Committee at Calcutta, or the Calcutta Bible Society, to pay the sum of £500 for the first thousand copies of every approved translation of the New Testament into any dialect of India, in which no translation had previously been printed. On the notification of this resolution, the Serampore Missionaries pre- sented three versions — the Pushtoo, the Kunkun, and the Telinga (or Teloogoo) — in order to their obtaining the pro- posed remuneration. The Corresponding Committee at Cal- cutta, from motives of delicacy, (the translators themselves composing a moiety of its members,) having declined passing a judgment on the merits of these productions, their claims were submitted to the consideration of those from whom the grant had proceeded, accompanied with an assurance that these versions were " the fruit of immense labour and care ;" that they had been in hand — the Kunkun six years, the Pushtoo eight, and the Telinga, or Teloogoo, fourteen ; that they were " unquestionably the first translations of the New Testament ever printed in those languages ;" and that, in the advertise- ment announcing their publication, " any gentlemen, through- out India, acquainted with either of those languages, had been requested to furnish remarks on these translations, as to the 1820. 122 HISTORY OF THE ASIA, style, the construction, and tlie rendering of particular pas- Chap. I. sages, with a view to a second and improved edition." British The Society at home, having attentively considered what — was advanced in this statement, unanimously awarded to the isoIls^O. claimants the sum of £1500. The death of Mr. Hey, who had originated the fund for these Oriental translations, took place at this very juncture. Although no Bible Society had hitherto been established in the Madras Presidency, yet, principally through the activity of the Rev. Marmaduke Thompson, one of the East-India Company's Chaplains, considerable contributions had been annually made to the funds of the Calcutta Society. The Syriac New Testament, printed in this country under the care of the Rev. Professor Lee, had reached Madras, and was in course of distribution, chiefly among the priests. The transla- tion of the whole Bible into the Malayalim, the language of the people, was advancing; and a version of the Tamil was also in progress by the Rev. Mr. Rhenius, Missionary of the Church Missionary Society. Syrian Great satisfaction was expressed by the Syrian Cln-istians of ^JVavan-" Travancore, with respect to the copies of the four Gospels in the core. Syriac language, printed imder the direction of Dr. Buchanan. The printing of an edition of the Syriac New Testament, originated in the earnest recommendation of this distinguished friend of India ; and he zealously embarked in the arduous duty of superintending it. The work, which was unfinished at his death, was completed by Professor Lee. Though the way was not yet opened for the establishment of an Auxiliary Society in Madras, yet two Bible Associations were formed in that city, and a third at Bellary, which were active and beneficial in their respective spheres. Grant to In 1820, the Society, viewing the establishment of the Mis- sionary sionary College, by the Lord Bishop of Calcutta, as pregnant Calcmtta* ^^^^^ great advantages to the religious improvement of India, off'ered a grant of £5000 in aid of that department, which was to be appropriated exclusively to the translation and printing of the Holy Scriptures. The Missionary translators at Serampore presented this year two additional versions, the Assamese, and the Multanee, as BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 123 candidates foi' tlie premium of £500, offered by the Society ASIA. for the first 1000 copies of an approved version of the New q,, ~ i_ Testament into a language of India : the claim was granted. British Other versions were announced as nearly ready for similar _ remuneration. Towards the close of the year a report Avas ?uoJ* Jn issued from Serampore, showing the progress of their transla- — tion up to that period, of which the following is a summary drawn at that date : — " The whole of the Scriptures are now published and cir- Progress culated in five languages, and the New Testament in fifteen. ^"^ ^"?" c* '^ mary ot The languages in which both the Old and New Testaments trausla- have been published, are, the Bengali, the Sanskrit, the Serampore Hindui, the Orissa, and the Mahratta ; the ten additional lan- guages in which the New Testament has been published, are, the Chinese, the Sikh, the Pushtoo or Afghan, the Telinga or Teloogoo, the Kunkuna, the Wutch or Multanee, the Assamese, the Gujerattee, the Bikaneer, and the Kashmeer. " Besides these fifteen, in which the New Testament is com- ])leted, there are six other languages in which it is brought more than half through the press. These are, the Kurnata or Canarese, the Nepal, the Harotee, the Marwar, the Bhugel- khundee, and the Oojjuyinee version. About ten months more, there is reason to hope, will bring these through the press ; and thus, in twenty-one of the languages of India, and those by far the most extensive and important, will the New Testament be published. The remaining versions, now in hand, are the following ten, which are all in the press : the Jumboo, the Kanouj, the Khassee, the Kousulee, the Bhutuneer, the Dogura or Palpa, the Magudha, the Koomaoon, the Gurwal, and the Munipoor. " They are also reprinting editions of the New Testament, to the amount of 20,000 copies, in the Bengali, the Sanskrit, the Hindui, the Mahratta, and the Orissa: the first four of them are in the chief languages of India, and those in widest circulation ; and in all five of them, the Scriptures are more sought than in any other languages in that part of India." When the above report came under the consideration of the Grants. Society at home, a grant of £2000 was made for the general ]iurpose of carrying on these translations ; and gratifying in- 124 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. I. 1804-30. 1820. Formation of the Madras Auxiliary Bible So- ciety. Sub- Com- mittee for transla- tions. telligence of the progress of these Avorks being suhsequently received in two letters from the Rev. Doctors Carey and Marshman, in which an urgent appeal was made with reference to translations of the Old Testament, as well also as to the in- dispensable necessity of new editions of the New Testament in the Sanskrit, Bengali, Hindui, Orissa, and Mahratta languages, and of the Old Testament in the first two of them, a further grant was made, of £2000, to their general fund. In May 1820, was foi*med the Madras Auxiliary Bible Society. This event, which had long been earnestly desired by the friends of Bible circulation in India, as requisite to complete the chain of institutions in the peninsula, was hailed Avith satisfaction and thankfulness. There had been previously established three Bible Associations on a smaller scale, two in the city of Madras, and one at Bellary, to which was now added one at Trichinopoly ; these became henceforward con- nected with the Auxiliary. One of the first measures of this Society was to appoint a Sub-Committee of Translators, con- sisting chiefly of gentlemen acquainted with the languages of India, and authorized to procure for themselves assistance, wherever it could be had, from European or native scholars; the Auxiliary pledging itself to adopt no translation but such as that Committee approved. The Society at home, desirous of testifying their friendly disposition towards an Institution which they had long regarded as an important desideratum, presented it with a donation of £1000; and, in course of time, the supervision of all the versions in the languages of the Southern Presidency, naturally fell into the hands of this Auxiliary. In the year immediately following its forma- tion, we find its attention directed to the Canarese, the Tamil, the Malayalim, and the Telinga or Teloogoo ; and in under- taking and providing for the more extensive distribution of its versions, the Madras Society was equally active. Considerable donations were also received in support of the object. The year 1823 found the Calcutta Auxiliary increased both in resources and efficiency. It had completed the Malay Old Testament, and that in Hindustani was advancing; whilst the New Testament in that language was undergoing a revi- sion by the Rev. Mr. Bowley, with a view to render it more BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 125 iiitolHgible to the population of Benares and the neio-hbour- AJSIA. hood. Tlie Auxiliary had also entered on the printinoj of ^ ~ j several editions of portions of the Scriptures in Bengali, Per- British sian and Arabic. Its issues during the year had amovnited to "H*' more than 12,000 copies, in about twenty Asiatic languages, SK India, demands tor the bcnptures pourmg m rrom every quarter, so _ inadequate the present means of supply to the wants of one ^^^j^' Vr hundred and thirty-four millions of people, that the Society — appears but in the character of feeble infancy ; so that, if we utter a song of grateful praise for what has been already effected for India, it must be in the tone of subdued humility, when we think what remains to be done." We now proceed to notice some of those plans and measures, by which, it was hoped, the great object contemplated might be promoted. An interesting letter had been received from the Secre- Measures tary of the Madras Auxiliary, communicating a project which proposed had been brovight before their Committee, and, after much Madras consideration, approved, for a very extensive diffusion of "^' '^'^' integral portions of the Tamil Scriptures, throughout the wdiole of the districts where that language is spoken. The accomplishment of this project, it Avas calculated, might entail an expense of not less than £5000 a year, for three ensuing years; but taking into account that the districts, where the distribution was intended to take place, had been prepared, by the long-continued and extended efforts of Chris- tian Missionaries, beyond most other parts of India, for the reception of divine truth ; that the measure was to be con- ducted under the immediate superintendence of the Committee of the Madras Auxiliary, who had promised to give their best attention to it ; and that the result might be a dispersion of 300,000 copies of the holy Gospels, besides the placing of the New Testament in the hands of all Christian communicants, and introducing it more fully into use in the numerous schools ; — taking these things into account, the Committee did not feel at liberty to withhold their sanction to the plan ; on the contrary, they cheerfully voted, as a first instalment of the Parent Society towards this noble enterprise, 2000 roams of paper, besides 1000 reams previously sent, and £1000 in money ; to which were added 4000 copies of English Bibles and Testaments. 150 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. The Rev. C. Mead, a Missionar^r from Travancore, being Chap I ^^^®^^ "^ ^^^i^ country, also addressed a letter to the Directors British of the Societv, of which the followino; is an extract : — India. -^ ^ „ ~" . " Previously to my leaving Travancore in December last, some of our 1830-54.' Missionary brethren in Tinnevelly and South Travancore had had their — attention called to the desirableness of forming a Native Auxiliary Bible ^^^^- Society for that part of India. There are not less than 20,000 Protestant Appeal for Christians, and an immense number of the Romish Church, besides the the nume- heathen population of South Travancore, Tinnevelly, and IMadura, with rous Pro- ^^^ fewer than 12,000 children in the Mission Schools under the care of Christians t^e two Church Societies, the American, German, and London Missio- at Travan- nary Societies in those provinces. To meet, in some degree, the demand ^°^^' now made for the Tamil Scri^jtures, the kind aid of the Bible Society is urgently required to forward the cause of truth ; as the Tract Society has long done, in its peculiar department of labour. Whilst we wish to continue to unite with the Madras Auxiliary in every possible way, and to adopt only the version approved of by that Society, we have found that they cannot supply us with a sufficient number of the Sacred Books for our congregations and schools; and those at all acquainted with the country, know how impossible it is to convey books over so large a space (not less than 400 miles), with any thing like regularity, despatch, or safety." Grants by On reading the above, a promise was made of 500 reams of theSociety. p^pej. f^^. printing the Tamil Scriptures, together with 500 English Bibles and Testaments, to the Auxiliary Society at Travancore, as soon as it should have been established. Copies of the New Testament, neatly bound, were also voted to the Rajah of Travancore, to his brother, and to the prime minister. In consequence of a communication from the Committee of the Bombay Avixiliary Society, stating that they were under en- gagements for 48,000 copies of the Scriptures in Mahratta and Gujerattee, and earnestly soliciting further aid in the work, a grant was made of £500, in addition to the £500 voted in the preceding year, and also of 200 reams of paper. Moreover, the newly-appointed Bishop of Bombay, in a personal inter- view, with which the Committee were favoured just before his Lordship left this country, was empowered to draw for £500 more on his return to India, should he deem it desirable to do so, in furtherance of the Society's operations in that part of the Peninsula. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 151 A sum of £100 was also granted, tlirough the Society at ASIA. Bombay, to the ' Rev. J. Samuel, a Missionary to the Jews, cu"^ j for India, Persia, and Arabia, to assist him in circulating the British Scriptures in those countries, to which work he had been for _ some years zealously devoted. ^n-n u In Ceylon, the Missionaries of the Church Missionary — Society were encouraged to print 2000 copies of the Cotta version of the Singhalese Bible, at the expense of the Society, paper for the purpose being sent out from this country. The Jaffna Society, which had now become an Auxiliary, reported that they were taking measures to print an edition, of 10,000 each, of the Acts and Proverbs, in Tamil ; and also an edition of the Psalms, together with an edition of 5000 copies of the Diglott Gospel of Luke, in English and Tamil. These efforts were aided by a grant of 100 English Bibles, 500 Tes- taments, and 500 reams of paper. But a measure of still more importance remains to be Appoint- noticed. The Directors had been for some time impressed a^resident with the conviction, that it might be desirable to appoint some Agent for one to conduct the affairs of the Society in the more important in India, stations in India, who should be able to devote his whole time to the work ; and a correspondence had been opened with Calcutta and Madras on the subject. It was not that there were wanting, in the several Presidencies, those who were ready, with perfect goodwill, to serve the Society ; it arose rather from the fact, that every one who had the promotion of the kingdom of God at heart, had his hands so full as not to be able to command the time, which the growing correspon- dence and concerns of the Society required. The conviction intimated above, as to the desirableness of appointing some one at the more important stations, to attend exclusively to the work of the Society, was strengthened by . the letters and communications which continued to be received from India; and at length the prospect was opened of the object being attained, in an unexpected and very satisfactory manner, so far as it related to the Bengal Presidency. The Committee at Calcutta, encouraged to renewed exer- tion, by the assistance promised from this country, proceeded with much zeal to the adoption of several measures for the 152 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. II. l«30-54. 1838. Eev. Mr. Hffiberlin appointed. Return of Ur. Hffbeilin to India. extension of the work. Scarcely liad they entered on tliese enlarged labours, before the Committee, though at first unwill- ing to entertain the proposal, felt the want above alluded to ; scarcely had they felt this want, when their attention was drawn to one among themselves, as peculiarly qualified for this service, — the Rev. Mr. Haiberlin, a Missionary of the Church Missio- nary Society. This gentleman being about to come over to this country for a few months, was introduced to the Society by a very warm recommendation from its friends at Calcutta ; and a communication having been opened with the Committee of the Church Missionary Society, they most kindly, promptly, and generously consented to a transfer of the services of Mr. Hgeberlin, so tliat he might go back again to Calcutta as the accredited Agent of the Bible Society. So friendly and liberal an act on the part of the Church Missionary Society, as the relinquishment of a valued Missionary for the promotion of a common cause, was highly appreciated by the members of the Bible Society, as tending to cement more strongly the bond of union between the two Societies, and as affording a pleasing specimen of the spirit which should ever prevail among kin- dred Institutions. Mr. (now Dr.) Hajberlin's return to India was delayed for a considerable time, owing to the state of his health. Anxious to turn his prolonged residence in England to good account, he addressed a letter to the Committee, pointing out the desirableness of printing an edition of Archdeacon Robin- son's Pentateuch, and an edition of the Bengalee New Testa- ment with the English in opposite pages, the Bengalee being in the Roman type. Of both these works he became the editor. The great importance of the last-named measure was brought under their notice, not only by Dr. Hasberlin, but also by C. E. Trevelyan, Esq., formerly an active member of the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society. Archdeacon Robinson kindly afforded his assistance, in carrying the edition of lits Persian Pentateuch through the press. In 1839, Dr. Haiberlin, being much recruited in health, pro- ceeded to the Continent, and thence overland to Bombay, for the purpose of conferring with the Society's friends in that Presidency; and he afterwards crossed the Peninsula, and BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 153 visited ^Madras for a similar purpose. He reached Calcutta ASIA, towards the close of the year, and entered at once on his cuap. I. arduous duties ; various important arrangements, with respect British both to the printing and circulating of the Scriptures, awaiting — ' his arrival. Scarcely, however, had he entered on the scene i^^qI^^' of his labours, when he was seized with a violent illness, which — for two months entirely laid him aside : nevertheless, at the close of the year he was able to announce, that whereas, in 1839, the distribution had been about 6000, in 1840 it had amounted to 43,000 — a number seven times as great as at Large in- any former period. There had also been ordered to be crease of • 1 1 1-11 T-i 1 circulation, prmted, and were then m hand, 78,000 volumes. For the carrying on of these works, a grant was made of 2000 reams of paper, in addition to 1000 reams sent out with Dr. Ha?berlin, and £1000, which he took authority with him to draw for. The work of the Society was prosecuted during the follow- ing year, in British India, with a zeal that gave much satisfac- tion. This was more particularly the case at Calcutta, where, under the sanction of the Auxiliary Society, and by the extra- ordinary exertions of the Society's valuable Agent, Dr. Hieber- lin, the number of copies of the Scriptures, in whole or in part, printed in the course of the year, was larger than in all the thirty years preceding; to which were to be added many thousands of copies printed by other Societies, also labouring to provide for the spiritual wants of India. Of the works completed during the year, there were edi- tions of the Scriptures, or integral portions of them, amounting in all to 147,700 copies, in Persian, Urdu-Roman, Urdu-Ara- bic, Hindui-Nagri, Bengali, Uriya. The works in hand con- sisted of 94,500 copies, in the same languages. In the work of translation and revision, that most difficult department of biblical labour, encouraging progress was also made. A thorough revision of the Urdu New Testament was j^p^j^jo,, ^^ finished. For this improved version, the Society was indebted the Urdu to the joint labours of Missionaries of the London and of the tament. Church Missionary Societies, who had devoted all their spare time, for five years, to this important work. The Psalter in Urdu was completed during the year, and thus another por- 154 lllSTOKY OF THE ASIA. Cuvr. I. British ludia. Skit. II. 1830-54. lliiuhii IS'ew Tcs- taJHont revised. Tour uudertaken by Or. Hieberlin. tioii of the word of God was rondorod acoossiWo to the people speaking that languaiie. Measures were likewise taken to revise all the portions of the Urdu Old Testament already translattxi, and to proeeed with the whole in the order of the books as thev stand. This work was eoniuiitted to the Kevs. Messi's. Sehurnian and Kennedy, ^Lissionaries at Benares, assisted by the Kev. J. "Wilson, of Allahabad ; it af^er- wai'ds passed under the revision of a Sub-Coiuniittee, specially apJ>^inted for this purpose at Calcutta. The new vei-sion of the Uriya [Orissa] Old Testau\enr, car- ried on by the Kev. A. Siitton, was advancing. The revision of the Hindui New Testament, by that inde- fatio;able frieiid of the Society, the Rev. AV. Bowley, of Chunai', was also finished during the year, and the edition brought into coui-se of distribution. Towards carrying on the above important operations, in connection with the Calcutta Auxiliary, the Parent Society voted, in the course of the ye.ar, 5000 re;mis of paper, and a sum of £500. English Bibles and Testaments, with a few* Hebrew and French, were also forwarded thither, to the extent of G600 copies. In addition to the above, the Committee, on the application of the Directors of the London Missionary Society, paid the expenses of printing, in this country, an edition of 5000 copies of the New Testament in Urdu, prepared by the Rev. ]Mr. Buyers and other "Missionaries, at Benares. Early in 1842, Dr. Ha^ierlin s health again gave ■\^■ay, in addition to which, he was attacked with cholera in one of its most violent forms. His strength, hoAvever, afterwards, w;i3 so far recruited, as to enable him, in the month of December, to nndertake, under the sanction of tlie Committee, a length- ened journey. The princip:U object of this journey was to visit a number of important places, (^between thirty and forty were named,) with the view of establishing depots, if not previously existing, and otherwise promoting plans for the distribution of the Saci^i Scriptures : and, further, of instituting inquiries as to the languages and wants of the people, the versions current, and the means of procuring others; and. in general, as to the BRITISH AXD FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 155 means of more -widely extending tlie work of tlie Society. He ASIA, took witli liim from Calcutta a sup})ly of 60,000 volumes of q ~ j the Scriptures. The journey extended through the whole of British 1843, and was not completed till January 1844. _ ' The manner in which the books above referred to were dis- ''^^"- Im- posed of, and other interesting incidents connected with this — important journey from Calcutta to Simla, are related in Dr. ^ Ilajberlin's correspondence.* While Dr. Haeberlin was absent, an important work was The entire completed at Calcutta — the Urdu translation of the entire f^ u^rdu*^^ Scriptures. This work was first undertaken by the Society completed. in 1819. In the course of its progress, the Rev. Henry Martyn, the Rev. Messrs. Corrie, Thomason, and others, took part in it. It was now brought to its conclusion, and revised by Messrs. Schurman and Kennedy, of Benares, assisted by the Rev. J. Wilson, of Allahabad, and J. A. F. Hawkins, Esq. The London Missionary Society received a grant of £1000, for time and services rendered by their Missionaries in carrying it on. In the course of the year 1844, at the commencement of Termina- which Dr. Haeberlin returned from his long journey, his HcTbcriiu's official connection with the Parent Society, as its Agent, A.gency. ceased. His twofold character, as Agent of the Parent Society, and Secretary of the Auxiliary, had, from the date of his appointment, not proved wholly acceptable to the friends at Calcutta : the arrangement was not found to work well, and nothing remained but to give it up. Dr. Hseberlin con- tinued to act as Secretary of the Auxiliary till the year 1846, when he removed from Calcutta, with the view of carrying on Missionary work in the Eastern districts of Bengal, where new Missions had been then recently established ; but he was not permitted to pursue his labours there very long. After a His death, few years, namely, in 1849, he was called to yield up a life, '^'*^' long, and usefully, and honourably spent in the service of God, and principally in the Missionary field. Having thus glanced at the chief incidents in Dr. Hfcberlin's tiie^^ye^ Agency, which was chiefly exercised in relation to Bengal, we circulation now return to notice the course of events connected with the Tamil Scriptures. * bee Fortieth Report, Appendix. 156 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. II. 1830-54. 1845. Large dis- tributions around Madras. Instances of good results from read- ing the Scriptures. other Presidencies. Allusion has been made to plans adopted by the Madras Auxiliary, involving a contemplated expendi- tu.re of £5000 a year for three years, with a view to a very extensive distribution of integral portions of the Holy Scrip- tures, throughout the whole of the districts where the Tamil language is spoken. It has been also stated that the Parent Society cheerfully encouraged these plans, by immediate grants of paper and money. These grants were renewed from time to time, so that, in the course of a few years, namely, from 1838 to 1845, the sum of £5500 in money was trans- mitted, together with 10,500 reams of paper, besides large supplies of many thousand copies of English and other Scrip- tures sent from this country, thus fully realizing the proposed outlay. As illustrative of the working out of the above plans, it may be stated, that in 1840, the Auxiliary reported, that there had been issued during the year, in the Tamil language, 36,303 integral portions of the word of God. Of these, large numbers were placed at the disposal of the Missionaries engaged at Tinnevelly, the southern part of Travancore, Cuddalore, Negapatam, Trichinopoly, Tanjore, Bangalore, Coimbatore, and Madras ; but by far the largest number was entrusted to a respected and zealous friend of the Society, who volunteered to distribute them under his own eye, and in a judicious manner, in the towns and villages west and south of Madras, to a distance of about 100 miles, in the course of separate tours that he purposed to make. The portions of Sacred Scriptures thus scattered over the surface of the country, amounted to nearly 20,000, being principally the four Gospels. As to the effect of these distributions, we select one or two instances from incidents furnished by various Missionaries, as illustrative of the influence of the simple reading of the Holy Scriptures. From the Rev. A. Sternberg, Arrah : — " I am thankful to tell you of a Hindu, who, two months ago, was bap- tized by me, having been brought to a thorough conviction of the truth of our religion, only by reading by libnself a Persian New Testament, ichich lie had got at Ctittack some months lyreviously. He was a Kaith, and was well acquainted with the common creed of Mahomedans and its BRITISH AND TOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 157 errors, before he became acquainted with Christianity. This acqnahit- ASIA. ance with our rehgion was commenced by tracts, which he g-ot at several , — fairs; but which he, having- perused, either threw away or gave to BriUsh' others, without, however, feehng- himself impressed by what he read. India. Oulv one tract, as far as he remembers, left some conviction, viz. ' The — Sect II Exposure of Hinduism,' by Dr. Wilson, translated by Mr. Mather. In i8;jo'-54' the commencement of the j^resent j^ear he undertook a pilgrimage to — Jag'ganath. On his return, he received a Persian New Testament from a ^f^JS. Missionary preaching- in a Bazaar chapel at Cuttack, but he did not touch it for fear. ' On his arrival at this place, he was obhged to stop on account of his wife's and child's illness. Now the time was come : he The Hindu had leisure, and began to read his Persian Testament, and instantly he convert, was struck with the truth of the word. He saw at once that ours is the true religion, and his a false one. Only one passage made him stop a little, the term ' ?on of God.' With this question he came to me, ' In wluch sense was this to be understood V I did what I could to help him away from the Mahomedan prejudices about the term. As soon as he felt satisfied, he applied for baptism, and I saw no reason to refuse or to del-ay it ; and since the date of his baptism he has shown such deep knowledge of all the principal doctrines of our faith, as well as thorough change of sentiment, that he was, and is to me, who was very far some- times from expecting to see a Hindu truly converted, a most seasonable evidence of the mighty power of the written word of God. He has had no teacher : the reading of the word alone has converted him." The Rev. D, Poor, of Madura, w^rites : — " There are not a few of the heathen, to whom parts of the Sacred Daily Scriptures were given, who invariably make it a part of their duty every P^'^^'^'c^ ot day to read some portions of the word of God. They have frequently read" the visited the Mission House, to ascertain the meaning- of those passages Scriptures, which, in the course of their reading-, they did not understand. Several have committed verses to memory, and have repeated them to me and to otliers. Many heathen, from distant villages, and from the neighbourhood of Salem, have come to me for the express purpose of making- further inquiries about the Sacred Scrijrtures, and the only way which they point out by which man's salvation is to be obtained. Their inquiries have proved very interesting to us, and are a stimulus to greater and renewed exertions in our Divine Master's cause." And another Missionary, the Rev. I. Taylor, of Belganm, mentions the case of an individual, " who had been formerly a gentleman's servant ; and who, attending on a portion his master while the latter was travelling from one station to another, from of tlie Bangalore to Hyderabad, spied a small parcel at the foot of a tree, which f(,y"|'i*^"a\*^j had been dropped, perhaps, by some prec( ding traveller. The ])arcel con- its porusal tained, with some loose i)apers, a small portion of the Sacred Scrii)turcs blessed. ASIA. Chap. ] British India. i^ECT. II. 1830-54. 158 HISTORY OF THE in his own language. He was led to read that which he had there found : his attention was arrested ; and a desire was excited within him to obtain ^^^•, ' the remainder of the sacred book thus placed in his possession. This he India. ^'^^ ^ot long in finding-. He read the word of Truth ; he felt the power thereof; he beheved, and gave liimself to the Lord; and then afterwards 1 H^n M ' ^® entered upon the work of communicating the knowledge of Christ, and His salvation, to his countiymen. He was afterwards engaged as a Missionary." The visit of Dr. Hasberlin to Bombay, which has been ah'eady mentioned as having taken place on his way out to Enlarged Calcutta, in 1839, gave him an opportunity of offering sugges- opera ions. ^^^^^ which infused fresh vigour into the counsels of the friends of the Society, and encouraged them to enter upon enlarged operations. A very important Committee Meeting was held, at which the Bishop presided, when several measures were resolved upon, with a view to promote the greater efficiency and more extensive usefulness of the Society there. One result of this meeting was an application to the Parent Society for a large supply of Scriptures, amounting in the whole to 40,000 copies, partly in the English, Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Por- tuguese, Modern Armenian, and Persian, to be sent from this country, and partly consisting of a considerable number of portions of the Scriptvires in Hindui, Urdu, and Romanized Urdu, to be sent from Calcutta : there was added a further re- quest for paper, to enable them to print 500 copies of the New Testament, and 13,000 portions of the same, in the Mahratta language. The above large request for books was complied with; a grant was also made of 1000 reams of paper, and permission given to the Committee at Bombay to engage, partly at the expense of the Parent Society, a Depositary, to be in regular attendance to issue copies of the Scriptures, who was also to act as Assistant-Seci'etary. Ceylon. The printing of 2500 Singhalese Bibles, and 5000 Testa- ments, occupied the Colombo Bible Society several years. Towards this work, the Parent Society contributed its aid by large grants of paper. The Ootta version, by the Missio- naries of the Church Missionary Society, was also gradually urged forwards. The Jaffna Society, after it assumed the rank of an Anxi- BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 159 liary, prosecuted its labours with very considerable activity. ASIA. In three years from 1836, it had printed 70,000 copies of por- c ~ j tions of the Scriptures: in the last of these years it issued British* 15,300 volumes ; and in the two following 3^ears it sent forth _^' from the press 50,000 copies more. The aid afforded to this ^^^t. II, Auxiliary, by large grants of paper, not being found sufficient ~^ to meet its growing exigencies, and its Committee being disap- ^^'*^* pointed of the accustomed measure of pecuniary help from Operations America, a grant of £800 was, in 1840, sent to it from the J^ffiTa Parent Society. Two years afterwards, another grant was Auxiliary, made of £300, together with 500 reams of paper ; their print- ing operations being kept up with commendable vigour. At this time the Jaffna Society was proceeding, in conjunc- tion with the Madras Auxiliary, in a careful revision of the Tamil version, made by Rhenius. Some further account of their labours will be hereafter given. In 1842, the Madras Auxiliary suffered a great loss by the death of the Rev. F. Spring, who had for many years usefully and honourably filled the office of Corresponding Secretary ; jy^^^]^ ^f to which, in the following year, was added another severe and valued affecting bereavement, in the loss of his unwearied successor, narfes." the Rev. John Smith, who is supposed to have perished at sea, on his return passage from Vizagapatam. The vessel in which he embarked w^as never heard of; and Mr. Smith, who had long been one of the Joint Secretaries of the Society, and, on the decease of Mr. Spring, had become Principal Secretary, in all probability found a watery grave. The Auxiliary, about this time, engaged the services of a salaried Assistant Secretary, whose time was to be -wholly de- voted to the duties of his office ; a measure suggested by the Parent Society, when pressed to send an Agent to Madras, and towards wdiich it has continued to contribute the sum of £100 per annum. The printing operations of the Madras Auxiliary, assisted. Grants as we have seen, by large grants of money and paper from Swiety? England, were prosecuted with much energy. Numerous editions of the Tamil, and portions of the Telugu and Ca- narese, were brought out and circulated. The Reports of this Auxiliary abound with intelligence derived from Missio- 160 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. 1 British India. Sect. II. 1830-34. Results of Bible distribu- tion. naries and others, as to the benefits attending the extensive distribntions now effected. Several testimonies to this effect have been ah-eady given. . The following is selected from the correspondence of 1844, and is from the Rev. G. U. Pope, one of the Missionaries of the Society for Propagating the Gospel: — " I think I can safely say, that I have not parted with a single copy of the Scriptures, of the benefit of which I have not had g-ood evidence. All those who have received portions of Scriptures from me are required to attend the adult Sunday School in their villag-es, or, if not resident at a Catechist's station, to present themselves for examination whenever I visit the neighbourhood. Wherever I go in my visitations of the villages in my district, I find those who have obtained copies of the Scriptures, the most regular in their attendance, and every way the most satisfactory in tlieir conduct. In their houses I find they generally keep a separate box, made of palmyra leaves, and which is suspended from the rafters, for the Testament, which is often their only book. Many very respectable and comparatively wealthy men, among the converts in this district, may be seen with the New Testament under their arms, wrapped in a cloth, wherever they go, whether to the talook, to the market, or the church. " Truly pleasing it is, indeed, to see, in the little village churches, the headmen of the village— frequently the only ones who can read — with their Testament and Psalter, following the minister in the service. My adult Sunday School, in Varyagaram alone, contains the headmen of thir- teen villages, whom your Society has supplied with Testaments and copies of the Psalms, (the whole Bible you will not permit me to give them,) besides many others, the inhabitants of three villages. " Who can estimate the amount of benefit conferred upon these jjeople by the Bible Society ? " One of the most respectable of the converts in this district, on his first visit to me, produced a Testament which he had received more than ten years before his conversion, and with the contents of which he was tole- rably well acquainted. I examined the volume ; it had evidently been well read, but also well taken care of, and it bore your Society's name." The Rev. W. B. Addis gives the follov^^ing facts, to show that the Scriptures were read and valued: — " That our Scriptures are valued and preseived, the following will show : — A great number of single Gospels and Epistles have, from time to time, been requested by the Mahomedan portion of the population, also by sepoys of various creeds ; and it has been very pleasing to see with what attention they have read them ; but as we had not a sufficient supply to furnish all with a complete copy of the New Testament, it was suggested, that those who were neighbours, &c., should each receive a different part, BRITISH AND FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. IGl and exchange them with each other when read. In some instances this ASIA, was acceded to ; but others candidly acknowledged that they valued those — portions they had before received and read, so much, that they could not tj''\'-'i possibly part with them in exchang-e for others ; for by studying- them, India, the}-, in some measure, understood their contents. One Mahomedan, of — very respectable rank, and who came upwards of forty-five miles, most ist-m ka earnestly requested to be supplied with a whole Bible ; but his request — could not be compUed with, as we have never yet received a sufficient '^44. number of those bound in one volume, even for the use of the professing- Christians here. Another person of the same faith, in a g-overnment situation, (tasildar of a larg-e talook,) sent his servants upwards of thirty miles for a whole Bible, but we could only send him a portion. What makes the ^lahomedans so desirous to possess the Bible, is not clearlj^ apparent ; but this class evince a far better spirit than I ever before knew, and are much more cordial in all respects than formerly, when they dis- dained to accept or read any of our books." An occurrence of some interest, as connected with the Auxiliary Society's operations in India, took place in 1845 ; this was the a* ^S^^-> formation of a new Auxihary at Agra, for the North-Western India. Provinces, entitled, the North-India Bible Society. '*^^^- This important step was adopted with the full concurrence of the Calcutta Bible Society, and also of an Auxiliary Society formed in the preceding year at Benares, which then became amalgamated with the new Institution. The field of labour contemplated by the North-India Bible Society is very large, and one of gi'owing interest : it includes the region compre- hended in the Agra Presidency and surrounding districts, and, stretching onwards, comprises those provinces which had lately been the scene of military operations ; thus rising into exist- ence at the very moment when fresh fields were thrown open for culture. Among the promoters of the new Society, it was pleasing to observe names familiar to the friends of the Bible Society, and greatly endeared to it : John Tliornton, Esq., son of the valued Treasurer of the Parent Society, was elected its President; and the Hon. J. Thomason, eldest son of the late Rev. Mr. Thomason, of Calcutta, became the Patron. It was thought right to encourage this new Institution by a grant of 300 reams of printing paper, and a promise of pecuniary aid when its plans should have become more matured. Some works were immediately put to press. At Calcutta, the new version of the Uriya Old Testament, Vol. II. M 162 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. II. 1830-54. Summary of opera- tions by the Calcutta Associa- tion. Scriptures for emi- grant Coolies. prepared by tlie Rev, A. Sutton, of Cuttack, at the expense of the Societ}^, was now completed, and put into circulation in that stronghold of infidelity. A circular letter was issued at this period, by the Calcutta Auxiliary, to the various Missionaries in Bengal, on the sub- ject of procuring a new Bengali version, the existing versions not being thought fully to answer the wants of the country. Some correspondence likewise took place with the Baptist Mis- sionaries on the subject. Dr. Hasberlin, also, presented to the Auxiliary Society a new version of the entire New Testament, prepared by himself. Some editions, both of Dr. H?eberlin's and of the Baptist versions, were ordered to press ; but it does not appear that further steps were taken towards obtaining another version. The Calcutta Bible Association, which had been in existence twenty-three years, was now prosecuting its labours with much zeal. Since its commencement it had distributed, in whole or in part, in the languages of Europe, to the sojourning brethren of the West, and in almost all the vernaculars of India to the children of the soil, nearly 90,000 volumes of the Sacred Scriptures. It had raised and paid into the treasury of the Auxiliary Society many thousands of rupees. It embraced, in the sphere of its labours, a circle of nineteen miles in and around Calcutta, and all the village stations in that circle. It included in the objects of its benevolence. Christians of all sects, — Romanists, Jews, Heathens, and Mussulmans. It had sup- plied the wants of ministers and people, and sailors and sol- diers. Sabbath and other schools, jails and hospitals. To the Missionaries in Calcutta and its neighbourhood, it had afforded large grants of Scriptures for distribution, in connection with their labours of faith and love. It was at this time, that the attention of the Society Avas drawn to the subject of supplying the Coolies, who were emi- grating to the West Indies, there to be employed as labourers. At the suggestion of the Madras Auxiliary, 500 copies of the Tamil and Telugu Scriptures were appropriated to their use, which formed the commencement of numerous grants made in succeeding years for the same object. The Madras Auxiliary continued to supply the Coolies pro- BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 163 ceeding to the West Indies. Among 4364, who sailed from ASIA. Madras in 1846, 1294 portions in the native languages were q^~ j distributed to those able to read ; 1433 were transmitted to British Agents of the Bible Society in Demerara and Trinidad ; and "__!. " 3506 to the Parent Society, to be sent by them to the West ^^ct. II. Indies : nor was this object lost sight of in after years. _ This year, the Bombay Auxiliary transmitted to this conntry ^^^''*' manuscript copies of the Four Gospels in Persic, from Henry Martyn's translation, written in Hebrew characters, for the Jews in Persia and elsewhere, who can only read the Scrip- j^^ij^po- tures in this form. This work was to have been printed in Persic edi- Calcutta under the care of the Rev. Dr. Yates, had not his Scriptures, lamented death interfered. The Society, after consulting with the Rev. Dr. Wilson, of Bombay, on the subject, engaged to carry an edition of 2000 copies through the press. A similar -work — namely, portions of the Arabic New Tes- Judreo- tament, in Hebrew characters, also strongly recommended by the Rev. Dr. Wilson, was prepared for publication, for the use of the many thousand Jews who are found in Yemen, Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia, to whom the Arabic is ver- nacular, but who seldom either read or write except in the Hebrew character. Thus additional facilities were given for reaching the minds of God's ancient people, and conveying to them the truth as it is in Jesus. Reference has been made to the eflForts of the Jaffna Auxi- liary Society in Ceylon, in obtaining a revision of the Tamil New Re- Scriptures. A Sub-Committee was appointed for this pur- J^^^^y ^^■■, pose, but as three out of the four originally engaged were now Scriptures. removed from the field, it appeared to the Jaffna Society very desirable that the remaining fourth, the Rev. Mr. Percival, a Wesleyan Missionary, whose qualifications for the work were generally acknowledged, should be wholly devoted to it ; and by an arrangement wath the Wesleyan Missionary Society at home, the entire services of Mr. Percival, for a limited period of three or four years, were placed at the disposal of the Auxi- liary. In pursuance of the above object, Mr. Percival, after a time, visited Madras, where a similar work was carrying on, and terms of mutual co-operation were agreed and acted upon. To this revision we shall have occasion again to refer. M 2 164 HISTORY OF TfTE ASIA. British India. Sect. II. 1830-54. 1846. English Scriptures for edu- cated na- tives. Versions for the Hill tribes of India. Difference in the Singhalese One of the chief points to which the attention of the Calcutta Auxiliary was now directed, was the spiritual condition of the educated natives, among whom a knowledge of the English language was becoming prevalent. Many of them had been supplied with the English Scriptures ; and, for their special benefit, a grant of 5000 English Testaments was applied for, and received from the Parent Society. In the course of the year 1846, tw^o of the most important of the Hill tribes of India, the Kassias and the Lepchas, were, for the first time, enabled to read in their own tongue the won- derful works of God. 1000 copies of the Gospel of St. Matthew, in each language, the one translated by the Rev. T. Jones, a Welsh Calvinistic Missionary, the other by the Rev. W. Start, were carried through the press at Calcutta, and transmitted for distribution. It has been intimated, that, in Ceylon, two Singhalese ver- sions were in use ; the one brought out by the Colombo Auxi- liary, and principally prepared by the Wesleyan Missionaries ; the other, known as the Cotta version, prepared by the Church Missionaries.* The difference between the two, consisted chiefly in the use of certain honorific pronouns ; but so strong were the opposite convictions entertained by the two bodies on this point, and so important did the view adopted by each appear to them, that it was found impossible to reconcile either to the use of the other's version. Under these circumstances, the Parent Society had thought it right, after a careful con- sideration of the subject, to assist both. In 1847, however, proceedings were taken, with the concur- rence of both parties, with a view to the obtaining one uniform Singhalese version. Discussions and correspondence took place, both on the spot and also in this country ; but no plan could be devised of adjusting the difference, and the respective parties continued to circulate and use their own version, the Parent Society assisting both. Thus matters remained for several years ; but towards the close of the period comprised in this history, fresh measures were adopted, which led to a more gratifying result. * The first revised edition of the whole Bible, in one volume, was fini.shed in 1830. This was the work of the Colombo Auxiliarj'. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 165 In 1848, tlie Bible in the Maln-attn language was finished ASIA. and brought out under the sanction of the Bombay Auxiliary, c ~~ I A similar work had been completed many years before, by British the Serampore ]\Iissionaries : the present translation was "J. ' chiefl}' accomplished by the American Missionaries. Above ^'^?'^- ^'^• thirty years had elapsed since they had printed the gospel by — Matthew. The first edition of the entire New Testament, ^"■*'^- translated by them, was published in 1826, and a revised edition The entire of the same in 1830. At length, in 1848, the whole Bible, Mahratta. as then prepared, was rendered accessible in the Mahratta lan- guage. In this latter part of the Avork, the Rev. J. H. Dixon> of the Church Missionary Society, had a considerable share. No sooner, however, had the work appeared, than it was sub- jected to the process of a new revision ; for In this, as in many other cases, it was found, that owing to the increased proficiency obtained by thirty years' study of the language, the version* though most carefully prepared, was susceptible of much im- provement. It must by no means be supposed, that the rapid glance Extent of which we have been taking of the work of the Society in the tions^cai--' East, is sufficient to give a full idea of the amount and multi- ried on in plicity of operations carried on there by the Society's in- valuable Auxiliaries. In order to this, not only would the information in each Annual Report need to be transcribed, but each separate Report of each separate Auxiliary would require to be collated, and even then the result would be incomplete. The years now more immediately passing under review, (1846 to 1850,) like those which had preceded, supply their full amount of interesting detail, — of revisions, distributions, and correspondence — of works completed, grants received — in some instances of valued labourers called away from the field, and of others, however, raised up and qualified to enter into their labours ; and, on the whole, these years exhibit a gratifying measure of success, indicating that the blessing from on High was not withheld. Still it was felt by the friends of India and the Bible, that Yet these the wants and claims of the uninstructed myriads of those "jJ^^J^" " ^ regions were by no means adequately met, and that the quate. encouragement found in the work, should only stimulate to 166 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Skct. II. 1830-54. 1848. Proposi- tion to give every family in India a portion of the Scrip- tures. Corre- spondence on the subject. Opinion of Calcutta Committee Missio- naries the fittest agents of distri- bution ; but their number small. fresh efforts. Hence tliouglitful Christian minds were casting about, in order to discover some further plan or mode of extend- ing the Society's usefuhiess, in that important portion of the British possessions. At the Anniversai-y Meeting of the Society, in May 184S, the Rev. W. Arthur, formerly Wesleyan Missionary in the Madras Presidency, in the course of an address delivered by him on that occasion, threw out the idea of giving to " every family in India a portion of God's word." This suggestion was, at the request of the Committee, made the subject of a direct communication addressed to them, in which the author ex- plained his views more at length, and offered some hints as to the mode in which, as it appeared to him, the proposition might be carried out. After full consideration, the Committee tliought it right to open a correspondence on the subject with the Auxiliary at Madras, and with the friends at Cal- cutta, with the intention, eventually, of placing it also before those at Bombay. Very interesting communications were received in reply, both from Calcutta and Madras, the sub- stance of which will be found embodied in the following extracts from the Reports of the two above-named Auxiliaries ; from which it will be seen, that though the proposal was not deemed practicable at the time, to its full extent, yet that the most willing and earnest desire existed, to carry out the bene- volent design as far as circumstances would admit. The first extract is from the Calcutta Report for 1849. It expresses the views entertained on the subject by the Com- mittee of that Auxiliary : — " Your Committee were desirous to enter into the spirit of the proposal ; but when they considered the small proportion of the reading population, the vastness of the districts through which they were scattered, the com- paratively small number of Missionary agents available for the enterprise, the inability of this Society to support agents enough to accomplish it, and the very doubtful expediency of this Society employing any inde- pendent agents of its own in a country like this, where Missions are reg'ularly organized, and Missionary agents periodically travel, — they hesitated to entertain Mr. Arthur's plan. They hope, however, that much substantial good may be effected, on an extended scale, by the system which has been already mentioned, of aiding and encouraging Missionaries in journeys to distribute the Scriptures. It is very probable that there are parts of India—the district of Timievelly or that of Tanjore, BIlITlSn AND FOllEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 167 for example — in Avliich the plan might be satisfactorily adopted; but ASIA, in this Presidency, it does not appear feasible. We need, rather, in — I3eng-al and Behar, an increase of Missions, whereby an auiinientcd n^^ i number of Christian agents— European and Native— may be employed in indla the great work of spreading the Gospel ; and we need not only distribu- — tors of the Scriptures, but instructors also, who will teach the young and Skct. II. the ignorant to read them. As Christian Missions multiply, the work of _^ ' this Society will be more and more extended ; the demand for Scriptures 1848. will be increased ; more agents will be co-operating with this Society, and so onward the work may advance, till new Bible Societies are required to assist us in our extensive undertaking." The conclusions and recommendations of the Madras Com- Opinion of mittee, on the same subject, are given in the following ex- ^^^f^'^''^.^ tract : — " Availing themselves of communications from various quarters, and of their own experience, the Committee are of opinion that a held is open for a greatly increased dissemination of the word of God in various districts of tliis Presidency, both among professed Christians and Heathens, and more especially among' the Tamil and Telugu population. " With regard to the population professing Christianity, they feel thankful that the Committee has been able for some years past, to grant (on special application) the entire Tamil Bible at one rupee, and the entire Tamil Testament and other Scripture portions gratuitously, to Missio- naries and other Christian friends requiring them ; and they hope their friends will avail themselves of this facility for Scripture distribution to a yet greater extent. "They believe that there are wide and populous districts and nu- merous villages in this Presidency, where some portions of the word of God, (say the Gospel according to Luke, and in some cases the Acts of the Apostles) could be appropriately and effectually distributed iimong the unevangelized population, Hindu, Mahomedan, and Roman Catholic. " They recommend the employment of suitable Christian agents, ac- Eeconi- quainted with the vernacular languages, to distribute the Scriptures "lend the among the unreached masses ; the agents to be under the supervision of ^g^. "^r some Christian friend or friends in the district, and to furnish a quarterly Christian report of their labours to the Committee. agents ; " Judging that cases may arise of Missionaries refraining from tours on account of the expense, the Committee propose to meet the expenses incurred by such Missionaries as may be willing, at certain seasons of especially the year, to undertake tours, for the express purpose of distributing the ^^i^.^i°- word of God in hitherto unvisited districts, on application from them to that effect. It should be recjuired, as a general rule, that no Scriptures should be given, except to persons who lirst give evidence that they can read fairly ; and that, before entering into any engagement, a state- ment should be submitted of the field proposed to be visited, and tlie pro- bable outlay. Chap. I British 168 .HISTORY OF THE ASIA. " '^^^^ Committee recummend the printing- of 20,000 copies of Luke's Gospel in Tamil, 10,000 in Telug-u, and 5000 in Hindustani ; and 10,000 copies of the Acts of the Apostles in Tamil, for immediate distribution India. among- the heathen. — " Finally, They recommend an application to be made to the Parent So- 1 830 54 ^^^^y? ^°^' permission to draw upon them for a sum not exceeding- £1500, to be judiciously laid out during- the next two or three year,s, as God may 1848. speed the undertaking-. " The Committee remind their friends, that this endeavour to quicken the circulation of the Scriptures is not the first of the kind made by them. At a meeting- held on the 2d November 1838, (in consequence of sug-g-estions from the Parent Society for a more extensive distribution of the word of God, especially among- the people speaking the Tamil lan- g-uage,) it was resolved to print for general distribution 50,000 copies of New Testament portions, and also to appropriate 7000 copies of the entire New Testament, to be given, or sold at a reduced price, to persons likely to make a proper use of them. The result of this more general diffusion of Divine Truth was (judging- from the Report of the following- year) highly favourable." Grauts for Ji jg scarcely necessary to add, that the Society at home had the partial , , -^ , -^ . . . , i i- • p i • carrying much pleasure 111 complying with the application ot their sna°Ps-'''''^ friends at Madras, by voting £1500 for the piirposes above mentioned ; and a still larger sum v^as engaged to be advanced to the Calcutta Auxiliary for the carrying on of works, if not in immediate pursuance of Mr. Arthur's plan, yet, as it would seem, encouraged and fostered by the agitation of the subject. The w^orks referred to consisted of extensive editions of the Hindui-Kaithi Scriptvires, as explained in the annexed letter of the Secretary: — "We have again taken up the subjectof printing in Hindui-Kaithi; Extensive ^^'^^> after full consideration, we have concluded, that as now we can have editions the services of so experienced and able a Missionary as Mr. Sternberg, ^- ? ■ formerly of Arrah and Chupra, and now of Mozuiferpore, in Tirhoot, Kaithi in carrying the works through the press (services of which death might Scriptures; deprive us, and then we might not easily get equally efficient aid in this language) ; as Behar now forms a very large part of our whole sphere of labour (the north-western provinces being within the sphere of the Agra Society) ; and as we have established a depot for Scriptures at Monghyr, a central station in Behar, and are willing to contribute to the expense of journeys undertaken to promote the circulation of the Scriptures, and thus may greatly increase their circulation ; we ought to provide at once a larg-e stock of Hindui-Kaithi Scriptures in the new types, instead of printing a comparatively small edition, which will soon require to be renewed. sugges tions. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 169 The particulars of tlie editions wliicli it was wished to ASIA, publish, were then given. They comprised ten editions of q^^~ j separate portions, amounting in the whole to 72,000 copies.* British Behar was the immediate field of operation for which these ^^^ books were designed, of which the following account is g-iven : — ^^ct. 1 1. .,..,.„ l!)30-54. Behar is a province of 8,000,000 of people. It is the chief seat of — opium cultivation in tliis Presidency. Its sug'ar factories and indigo ^''•^'^* factories in Tirlioot are numerous ; the great stream of the Ganges runs designed through it by the side of Patna, Dinapore, Bhagulpore, Monghyr, and for the other places of well-known name. The language used by the people is pro^'wce of Hindee or Hindui— at least by the Hindus — Urdu or Hindustani being the ^ ^^^' general language of the Mussulmans. The character in which Hindui is written in Behar is called Kaithi ; in the upper provinces it is written in Dev-IVagri, the sacred char.icter, in which the ancient Sanskrit appears. The Agra Society provided Nagri Scriptures, whilst the Kaithi were left to the Calcutta Auxiliary. The stock of Kaithi Scriptures is hkely soon to be exhausted. Meanwhile, Missions are at work in Behar. The Rev. Mr. Start took out to that country seven or more Missionaries ; there are also some Baptist Missionaries from England ; and there is good hope of the Church Missionary Society establishing a Mission at Bhagulpore." It was for help in this emergency, that appeal was made to the Parent Society, and it was cheerfully responded to, by a grant of 1000 reams of paper, and authority to draw for £2400 in two years. Allusion is more than once found, in the above extracts, to Scriptures the system of aiding and encouraging Missionaries, in making klssio^ journeys to distribute the Holy Scriptures, by which it was 'V'^'".'®'! i" hoped much substantial good might be effected : the system was nerancics. carried out to a considerable extent, the Parent Society having expressed their approval of it, and their willingness when necessary to assist in giving effect to it by grants both of Scriptures and money. Of the benefits resulting from this measure, many interesting examples were given in the journals of the various Missionaries who took part in these distributions. The attention of the new Society at Agra, the North-India Agra. Auxiliary, was early directed to the establishment of depots for the sale of the Scriptures. The Central or General Depository was kept at Agra, from Depots which other smaller ones were supplied. Smaller depots were established. * Some modification of this plan took place in the following yeai-, but the substance of it was carried out. 170 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I British India. Sect. II. 1830-54. 1850. Madras. Accession of Bishop Dealtry's influence. Results already attained in transla- tions ; also established at nearly all the leading stations in the North- western Provinces, viz. at Goruckpore, Ghazeepore, Benares, Mirzapore, Allahabad, Cawnpore, Futtehgurh, Mynpoory, Bareilly, Meerut, Saharunpore, Umbala, Lodianah, Sabathu, &c. These were in the hands of Missionaries, or other persons, who were found willing to take this trouble on account of the Bible cause. At all these smaller depots were kept such sup- plies of Bibles, in English and other dialects, as, in the judg- ment of the persons having charge of them, v,rere adequate to meet the current demands of the districts. In the third year of its labours, this Auxiliary issued 17,900 copies of the Scriptures, in whole or part ; and it was engaged in printing editions in Hindui and Punjabee, towards which it was assisted by large grants of paper from the Parent Society. The Rev. Dr. Dealtry, for many years Secretary of the Cal- cutta Auxiliary, had now become Bishop of Madras, and Pre- sident of the Madras Bible Society : his sanction and personal assistance, freely tendered, could not fail to give fresh encou- ragement to those who were so labouring in the cause of the Bible. Revisions in the several langviages of the Presidency were still going forward; the Union version of the Tamil version made pleasing progress ; the printing and distributing of the Scriptures were also being diligently promoted. A review taken of the results of Bible eftbrts in Southern India, up to this time, by the Madras Auxiliary, is not with- out interest. " In estimating" the result of Bible efforts in India (especially Southern India), let it not be forgotten how much precious time has been spent, how many minds have been employed, in the important Avork of translating- and revising- the Sacred Scriptures. We are now in possession of intelligible and faithful versions (in whole or in part) of the Scriptures in Tamil, Canarese, Telugu, and Malayahm, though the work of revision is by no means completed. Lest we should undervalue this department of labour, let it be remembered how long it was before Great Britain was put in possession of that precious treasure, the authorized English Version. Two hundred and thirty-one years elapsed from the publication of Wickliffe's version of the Scriptures, in 1.380, to the pubhcation, in IGll, of the ver- sion now in use. Three whole years of prayerful toil were bestowed upon the last revision of this version, by forty-seven of the ripest scholars which our country could produce. Let us, then, be thankful for what God has wrought through the instrumentality of His servants, in giving us the BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 171 Bible in the difficult languages of India, so that its ignorant millions may ASIA, read in their own tongue the wonderful works of God. — " Not now to speak of the labours of similar Societies in Calcutta, Bom- British bay, Agra, and Jaffna, this single Auxihary has been privileged in dis- India, tributing-, during- the past year, upwards of 50,000 copies of the Scriptures, — and, since its formation in 1820, upwards of 600,000 copies. Granted 1,^30154 that much of the seed has been sown by the wayside, upon stony places, — and among thoms ; some at least has fallen on good ground, and is yield- 11)50. ing fruit. The result of Bible labours in Southern India may be seen to ^^^ jj, ^j great advantage, in the numerous Christian schools throughout the Pre- gradual sidency. Some thousand youths of both sexes are receiving a Bible spread of education. They are daily instructed in the Scriptures, which are able to knowledge make them wise unto salvation ; ' the Avord of the Lord is unto them line in India, upon line, precept upon precept;' the word of hfe is nigh them, 'in their mouth and in their heart ;' it is the subject of dailj' discourse, medi- tation, and prayer ; it is, to a very great extent, understood, apprehended, and remembered ; and when the Spirit of God, according to His own pro- mise, shall quicken these seeds of incorruptible truth, and when they shall break through the soil which covers them, and yield ' fruit after their kind,' then will the friends of the Bible ' rejoice before God accord- ing to the joy of harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.' " In 1850, the North-India Auxiliary at Agra received a Agra. grant of 850 reams of paper, for the printing of 5000 copies of the New Testament in the Urdu dialect and Arabic character, and 3000 copies of the whole Bible in the Urdu dialect and Grant for T 11 Till- Urdu New Koman cliaracter. It may be here remarked, that this was Testament. not the first time that the Urdu Scriptures had been published in the form last mentioned. Indeed, several editions of the New Testament, or portions of the Scriptures, had been pub- lished in three different characters, the Persian, the Arabic, and the Roman,* adapted for different classes of readers. The Koman character was much required for the North-west Pro- vinces, being used in almost all the Mission schools ; by a large and growing class of native Christians ; by native youths in the Government schools ; by a large class of drummers and others connected with native regiments in the Company's army; and by many among the European and East-Indian population, acquainted with the English language. At one time it was thought that much might be eil'ected by * See " Biblical Translation in India,'' as abovi', pp. 04, 0"). Sect. II. 1830-34. 1850. 172 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. printing the Bengali Scriptures also in Roman characters.* It Chap I ^^^^ been already stated, that an edition in that form, prepared British and printed in this country by Dr. Hajberlin, was taken out by him when he returned to India as Agent of the Society. The plan does not, however, appear to have been pursued further in Bengal. The Auxiliary Society at IMadras, having received a Madras. grant of £1500 from the Parent Society for printing and distributing the Scriptures in Tamil, Telugu, and Hin- atlopted^at dustani, in pursuance of the plan already alluded to, pro- Missionary ceeded to write. to various Branch Societies and influential friends, stating the objects contemplated, and inqiiiring for suitable Agents, at the same time laying down rules for the direction of such Agents. The work was actively commenced at fourteen Missionary Stations, at eight of which Colporteurs were employed, and at six, Catechists, Readers, and Teachers, who gave a part of their time to such distribution. The vernacular Colporteurs employed were East Indians, or natives, principally the latter. They set about their work with industry and zeal. The Madras native Colporteur distri- buted, in nine months, 2238 Bibles and portions of Scripture. Progres- The version of the Bible in Tamil, called the " Union version," sions of"the ^^'*^^^^ ^^^ being accomplished under the auspices of the Parent Tamil Society, by the Madras and Jaffna Auxiliaries, was now hap- pily completed and published ; and the congratulations and thanks of the Madras Auxiliai-y were formally presented to the Rev. P. Percival, the reviser, who had been fourteen years engaged in the work, and the Rev. Messrs. Spaulding, Wins- low, and Brotherton, members of the Revision Committee at Madras, for their labours in connection with the undertaking. Yet, so slow is the progress towards perfection of works of this nature, this edition had no sooner left the press, than measures were adopted towards securing an effectual revision of it, with a view to a future enlarged issue, more fully adapted than this was thought to be, for general circulation among the native Christian population. * See, in Appendix to Thirty-fifth Report, a Letter of Sir C. E. Trevel- yan, who, at his own expense, had printed the Gospel of St. Matthew in this character. Scriptures. • REITISn AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 173 Still a great and important work had been accomplished ; ASIA, in proof of which may be adduced the testimony of the Rev. chap. I. D. Poor, of Manepy, who thns reviews the progress of trans- British • . 1 rr. •, TIM 1 India, latmg and pnntmg the lamil Uible: — _ Sect. TI. '' About twentj'-five j'ears ago, wliile in charg'e of our Mission vSeminary 1830-54. at Batticotta, I had the pleasure to receive a box of Tamil Scriptures from ^^^,0 Madras, in which the Old Testament was firmly bound up in four volumes quarto. These we offered for sale at the reduced price of three shilling-s ^ Missio- per volume, or twelve shillings for a complete copy of the Old Testament, grateful The receipt of tliis box of Old Testaments, and the immediate use of them review. as class-books, formed a new era in the history of the Seminary. We had previously had in use the IN^ew Testament, in two volumes octavo, valued Former at about two shiUing-s a volume. The full price, therefore, of an entire ^^^^^^^f copy of the Bible, in six volumes, was sixteen shilHngs sterling, being the the Tamil full amount of two months' wages for an ordinary labourer. It was for Bible, in years, I well remember, a disheartening theme for thought, that the Tamil j'^ g"' languag'e itself, and the expensiveness of the press in India, should be thus unfriendly to any fair prospect of furnishing Tamil converts with copies of the Bible, in a form and at a price within their reach. " Another auspicious era in the history of Tamil Bibles, was the printing g,,i,-g_ of the entire Scriptures at Madras, in 1839, in one volume octavo, com- quent edi- prising' 1490 pages small print. This volume was an object of delightful t'O'^ 'i^ one interest. There was, however, a threefold drawback to the pleasure of ^^^^J '^°~ seeing the Sacred Volume thus compactly printed, and furnished at com- paratively a low price. For, (1.) the Old Testament being of the former translations, we did not always feel the needed assurance, that in reading to our people the poetical and prophetical books especially, we were giving the mind of the Spirit b}^ whom all Scripture is given. (2.) It was printed in small type— a circumstance of considerable importance in a country where spectacles are rare. (3.) The references, such as they were in former editions, being combined with the text at the close of the verse, presented a positive obstacle to the uninitiated reader. Previously to my leaving the island in the year 1848, satisfactory arrangements had been made by the adoption of special measures for bringing to a completion, as speedily as possible, and in a uniform style of translating", orthography, &c. &c., the revision of the whole Bible, which had been upwards of thirty years in hand— even fi-om the early days of the Rev. C. T. E. Rhenius.* During my absence, I had the pleasure of hearing, from time to time, of the raprd progress of the work of revision ; but it was as when one dreameth, so unlike, in point of despatch, every thing of the kind we had known in India, tliat on my return in 1851, I was presented with jj^^ ^^^ a copy of the newly-revised, newly-printed Tamil Bible, that had already compact been several months from the press; and such a Bible, too! — a royal form, and octavo of but 1253 pages, of a new and beautifully-formed tyi)e, of com- '' paratively large size, in a style of translation that liad been extensively 174 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. II. 1830-54. 1S50. High ex- cellence of the version. Colportage extensively carried forward. acknowlfclg'ecl to be more idiomatic, more true to the orig'inal and to the Eng-lish, and consequently more intelligible and far less bulky, than pre- vious translations ; and, finally, accompanied with a set of references in full, the same which are used by the British and Foreign Bible Society in their English editions. I was much pleased with what, to me, was a new arrangement of the references, throwing them into the margin at the foot of the pag'e, and without disfiguring the text with asterisks. '' The publication of this splendid volume, now on sale at three shillings per copy, (being the price of one of the six volumes of olden times,) forms the third, and by no means the least, but probably the last era in my day, in the history of the Tamil Scriptures. Not that I account the present version a perfect one : I could wish that some scores of words might be changed for others more generally known in Jatfiaa, though perhaps not so sti'ictly classical, and that the many inadvertencies necessarily attend- ing* the almost incredible despatch with which the work was finally com- pleted, may be corrected." The Madras Auxiliary was also engaged, at this time, in carrying forward the translation or revision of the Canarese Scriptures, under the supervision of the Rev. G. H. Weigle? who was assisted by the Parent Society to devote his entire time to the work. The employment of Colporteurs had now assumed conside- rable importance. It appears that 7803 portions of Scriptures were issued to Colporteurs at Madras, and put into circula- tion, while a total of 12,784 portions were forwarded to Col- porteurs in the interior. Three Occasional Papers were issued upon this subject, under the hope that the particulars con- tained in them would cause an additional interest. In one of these it is stated — " As regards the agency of the various Colporteurs, it may be stated, in a summary wslj, that there has been one Colporteur employed for the circulation of English Scriptures, at various places ; five Vernacular Col- porteurs at Miidras and its neighbourhood ; one at Nellore ; one, and recently two, at Cuddapah ; two at Manargoody ; one at Madura ; one at Dindigul ; and one at Kadatchapuram, in Tinnevelly. In each case the Colporteur visits the villages surrounding the station, and occupies more or less time in each village, in reading portions of tjie Scriptures, con- versing with the people, answering inquiries, or objections." From various Missionaries in the different districts in which the Colporteurs had laboured, very satisfactory notices were received. One or two are subjoined. The Rev. J. Little, of Manargoody, writes : — BRITISH AND FOREIflN BIBLE SOCIETY. 175 " I may state ray satisfiiction in superintending the Inbours of the ASIA. Colporteurs, who, throug-h the liberality of your Committee, are emjiloyed — in this station. They proceed in their work with abihty and zeal. ^^'!',/* Many towns and villages have been visited by them, that would other- ludia. wise have long- remained without our notice. This is an extension of — evangelistic operation in which we cannot but rejoice. By it hundreds ^ool'}^' have for the lirst time seen the Sacred Scriptures, and have for the first ' time listened to the message of salvation which those Scriptures proclaim. 18,50. " The Colporteurs have had to contend with numerous obstacles from Romanism, and from the Brahminical priesthood, who are ever jealous of any inroad on their almost supreme power m these parts. These shrink from, and dread, the influence of truth. Nor has, on the other hand, the extreme ignorance of very many, to whom the visits of the Colporteur were made, rendered the difficulties in his way less formidable. In some few villages our messenger found a book to be an object of wonder, the people never having- seen one till in his hands. Among-st them, as may be expected, there prevailed the utmost ignorance on all spiritual subjects. ''On the whole, as far as the distribution of the word of God has been proceeded with, we do not hesitate to pronounce the plan most estimable, and we are stimulated to proceed in it, conscious that we employ a means of good, the full successful effect of which, coming years only shall develop." The Rev. J. Dewasagayam, of Kadatcliapuram, writes: — *' My letter of November last will give you some information of the labours of my Colporteur Joseph. He has since visited the large district of Dohnavoor, and distributed a good number of copies of the Gospel of St. Luke and the Acts. Several learned Brahmins and Vellalars have also received the copies with pleasure. On the whole, he was well received, and listened to by many Heathens and Mahomedans." The Madras Auxiliary, though entering with much zeal Rcsnit of upon fresh efforts, in pursuance of Mr. Arthur's suggestion, ^^^^^'i' were compelled, after a short time to admit that the difficulty the Madras they foresaw at the outset — that of obtaining the requisite "'^' ''^'^^' instrumentality — rendered the full, or, at least, the speedy attainment of their proposal, hopeless. Their experience is thus given : — " From the first," they say, "they thought the proposal, in any com- prehensive sense, an impracticable one ; still they judged that much more might be done in the way of Bible circulation, in that part of India; and „o^t',f' *^ avaihng themselves of the generous offer of the Home Society, to furnish adequate them with £1500 in the space of three years, they made a fresh effort to Agency. compass the difficult task proposed to them. Glad would they have been 176 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British ludia. Sect. II. 1830-54. 1851. Extent of the fields of labour ; and few- ness of the labourers. Exception of tlie Tiu- nevelly district. to tell their friends that their effort had been crowned with greater success. Bj the agency of fourteen Coljiorteurs, upwards of 20,000 Scripture Poi-- tions, including- a few entire copies of the Bible and New Testament, were put in circulation. But what," they add, " were these among so many? It is, alas ! painfully evident, that we are unequal to the work, at least for the present. The country, in its vast extent, is still a desert ; the masses of India are still sitting- in darkness and the region of the shadow of death. In those districts where the light of truth has effected an entrance, it is for the most part true, that the ' light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.' The Christian Agency at work in India is too feeble, the labourers are too few. We are but entering on our work, and are, from year to year, leaming^ow great and difficult a work it is." The same subject is again adverted to in the following year, when some statistical details are given in illustration of the extent of the task set before them. " The CoUectorate of Rajahmundry, containing- an area of 6050 square miles, and a population of 887,260 souls, is at present occupied by three Missionaries. Guntoor, containing an area of 4960 square miles, and a population of 432,811, has four Missionaries. Nelloi-e, with an area of 7030 square miles, and a population of 421,82-2, has three Missionaries. Cuddapah, containing an area of 12,970 square miles, and a population of 1,228,546, has one Missionary. These are some of the most destitute of the Telugu districts. There are districts in the Tamil country equally destitute, e.g. the district of Arcot, iVorth and South, comprising an area of 13,400 square miles, and a population of 1,497,642, with only two Missionaries ; the CoUectorate of Salem, comprising 8200 square miles, and a population of 946,181, with only one Missionary ; and, not to men- tion any more, the CoUectorate of Coimbatoor, comprising 8-280 square miles, and a population of 821,986, and only one Missionary. It is evident that the Agency at work must be greatly increased, before the Bible can be circulated and made known to any great extent. " The field of labour allotted to the Madras Society, it is added, is not all alike barren : there are some portions reclaimed from the desert, on which much pains have l)een bestowed, and in which a good measure of success has been realized. " The district of Tiimevelly, with a population of 1,065,423, numbers 35,801 Native Christians. The province of Travancore, only indirectly under British rule, has a Native Christian population of 20,601, out of 1,011,824. Here is a large staff of Missionaries and Catechists, and a moral machinery at work, similar to that employed in Christian lands. The seed of truth is freely sown, it is carefully watched, and protected in its growth from injurious influences, and, as in other lands, it yields fruit, to reward the toils of the husbandman. " In order to facilitate the labours of the Society, there is needed for BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 177 each of the twenty-one Collectorates under the Madras Government, and ASIA for the Native States of Cochin and Mysore, a Christian Ag'ency resem- bhng- that now in operation in the district of 'i'innevelly and in the king-dom of Travancore. This enlarged Agency would prepare the Yndi'a barren soil of India for the incorruptible seed of Divine Truth, lessen the labour of the sower, and give him a fair promise of success. Until this Ag-ency is originated, the work of Bible distribution, simple though it seems, will be greatly hindered ; and it can scarcely be expected that the ^^^^ word of the Lord will run and be glorilied. The harvest is great and the labourers few : we must pray the Lord of the harvest to thrust forth labourers into the harvest." Chap. 1. British Sect. II. 1830-54. Scrip- tures cir- culated It is gratifying to observe, as we advance towards the close xhe of this history, that the work of tlie Society in India is found to be increasing, rather than diminishing. The issues of the beyond Scriptures by the Calcutta Auxiliary during 1852, were larofer t^ie bounds .,. i p.i.r,, of Missio- than in any former year of its history. To many districts that nary had never before been visited by Missionaries, the word of ^^^""'■• life was carried ; and the total distribution in that Presidency exceeded the issues from the Depository, even in the most remarkable of those years when the North-western Provinces, as well as Bengal and Behar, were within the sphere of its operations. The attention of the Auxiliary at Calcutta having been called to the wants of that large portion of the Mussulmans in Bengal, who, while they read the Bengali character, speak a dialect of the Bengali language which is largely mingled with Persian and other foreign terms, it was found necessary to prepare for their special use an edition of one of the Gospels ; and 2000 copies of the Gospel of St. Luke in the Mussulman- Bengali, edited by the Rev. J. Paterson, were put to press. The printing also of portions of the New Testament in the Nepalee and Khassia languages, as translated and prepared by the Rev. Mr. Start and the Rev. W. Lewis respectively, was continued. The works completed at press this year amounted to 82,500 Circulation copies. The issues of the year amounted to 55,819; making ^i^]^^,^_ an aggregate, from the establishment of the Auxiliary, of Auxiliary. 730,473 copies. Much of the increase which now took })lace in the issues of this Auxiliary, was to be attributed to the plan of encouraging Vol. IL n 178 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. II. 1830-54. 1852. Result of Missionary itineran- cies. Summary of transla- tions effected in India. Missionary itinerancies. A scheme, for instance, was drawn ont this year for several journeys, which it was thought desirable should be undertaken in the cold season. Some interesting facts, as the result of these journeys, were afterwards given in the report for the year. They are here alluded to, as an in- stance of the pains taken in mapping out the plan of such operations, and the wide field embraced by them. Nine routes were planned and allotted to various Missionaries, and the result was, that the demand for Bengali Scriptures was greatly augmented ; so that in the year, it amounted to 24,191 copies, of which 903 were for the Calcutta Association, leaving 23,288 for circulation in the country districts. This distribu- tion was irrespective of the number issued by the Calcutta Baptist Missionaries, from their own stores, to their various Societies and Agents. The following is a brief summary of the translations effected for the benefit of India, by Protestant Missionaries and others, since the time when the apostolic Ziegenbalg, the first Protes- tant Missionary, entered that field of labour. '' At that time, the Bible had not been translated into any language of India, and many years passed before the Tamil Bible of Fabricius, and the Teloogoo Bible of Schultze, were published. Then followed Dr. Carey's Bengali Bible, his Mahratta Bible, and his Uriya Bible ; Hunter's Hindustani, and Colebrooke's Persian Gospels ; Henry Martyn's Hindusta- ni, and Persian New Testament ; the other versions from Serampore, including the Sanskrit Bible ; the labours of Dr. Buchanan and Professor Lee, with the Syriac Scriptures ; Mr. Thomason's commencement of the Hindustani Bible ; Mr. Bowley's Hindui Bible ; Archdeacon Robinson's Persian Pen- tateuch ; the Malayalim Bible ; the Teloogoo Scriptures pre- pared at Vizagapatam ; the labours of Rhenius with the Tamil version ; the Bombay translations of the Bible into Mahratta, and Gujerattee ; the Canarese Bible completed at Bellary ; the publication of the entire Hindustani Old Testament by Mr. Schurman and Mr. Hawkins; the labours of Dr. Yates and Mr. Wenger in a new version of the Sanskrit and of the Ben- gali Bible; Dr. Glen's Persian Bible; the Punjabee Scriptures, and the Burmese Scriptures, prepared by the American BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 179 Missionaries; Dr. Sutton's Uriya Bible; and all the various ASIA, labours of other Missionaries in preparing new editions of (j,j~ j some of these works ; and the translation of separate portions British for minor tribes or nations, as the Nepalee, Lepcha, Khassia, _ Sindhi, and Cutchee."* ^iSo'-si" The following testimony in regard to the circulation of the — Scriptures is interesting, as coming from one of the most ^' experienced Missionaries in the North-west, the Rev. J. R. Campbell, of the American Mission at Saharunpore. After I'efering to a distribution of the Sacred Scriptures, made at the Hardwar fair, where some thousands of portions of them in Hindui, Urdu, Persian, and Punjabee, were given away to pilgrims Avho could read them, and who expressed a desire to carry them to their homes in different and distant parts of India, he says : — " The Bible is a book Avhicli is becoming- well known to many of y , . the heathen in tliis land, and it seems now to be sought for, not so much regarding as an object of curiosity, as in former years, but from a desire to find in the silent it a more particular account of the truths which have been heard from j?'^^^. ° Missionaries, or through the reports given by those who have heard of truth, the truths of the Gospel in some way or other. Every je&r's experience convinces us more thoroughly, that the word of God is not bound, but spreading- rapidly among the masses of the community. We find now but few men of common intelligence wlio do not know something of the leading facts contained in the Christian Scriptures ; and as but few have had an opportunity of hearing the living preachers of the Gospel, whence could this arise but by the general and extensive circulation of the word of God, or of the important facts that have been learned from it? Although we may not be able to find out at present all the good results that are thus produced in individual cases, we surely have every encouragement to go on in the good work of distributing the precious seed." The issues of the Madras Auxiliary in 1852, amounted to Total of 67,418 copies: its aggregate issues, since it entered on the issues by work of circulation in 1820, to 795,365 copies; consisting, how- Auxiliary. ever, chiefly of single portions. The sphere of the Auxiliary's operations extends over the whole of Southern India, com- prising an area of 195,526 square miles, and a population of * See " Bible in India," a valuable document, originally appended to the Forty-eighth Report of the Calcutta Auxiliary, and afterwards pub- lished in a separate form in this countr^^, containing a carefully prepared and deeply-interesting collection of facts, in proof that Bible Societies were greatly needed, and have been greatly blessed in Indin. N 2 porteuis. • 180 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. 21,050,656 souls. To leaven this great mass with the word Chap. I. of God, in the Tamil, Teloogoo, Canarese, Malayalim, and Hin- British dustani languages, has been, and still is, the sustained and — arduous endeavour of this active and valuable Auxiliary. 1830 54 '^^^® Madras Auxiliary continued to pay much attention to — the system of Colportage. About fifteen or sixteen of these Colporteurs had ceased from their work, but the same number was still engaged. The following may be taken as a specimen Madras. of their labours : the extract is from a report of the opera- tions of Colporteurs under the superintendence of the Rev. T. Brotherton, of Madras : — Distribu- " I will give a slight sketch of Mr. Lincoln's labours in this part of !!°"!!y..?°^" *-'^^ suburbs of Madras in 1851-52, under my superintendence. Mr. Lincoln speaks and reads Tamil, Teloog-oo, and Engiish ; and is able to g-ive a plain, simple statement of Gospel truths in those lang-uages. He has visited every street, and every house, and made an offer of a copy of the Gospel of St. Luke and the Acts, to at least one member of every family in St. Thome, Luz, Royapettah, Adyar, Tennampettah, Nungambakum, the southern part of the Mount Road, Kistuampettah, and other villages in the southern and eastern villages of Madras suburbs. Messrs. Deonies, an East Indian, and Nganapragasam, a Native Christian, have visited, from July 1851 to December 1852, about 365 villages and towns, some large, and some very small, and near each other, in the large district forming a triangle, having Madras for its northern apex, the Palar River for its southern base, the road from Madras to Wallajapett, its western side, and the sea on its east- ern side. In this district are the large town of St. Thomas's Mount, Palaveram, Chingleput, and Sadras. They have visited every street, and every house in these places ; and have offered a copy of the Gospel, either in Tamil, Teloogoo, or Hindustani, to one member of every family, who was able and willing to profit by the offer. These men are, neither of them, highly educated, but I believe them, on the whole, consistent Christian men, moderately well informed, able to meet the common arguments advanced against the Gospel, by Heathens, Romanists, and Mohamedans. Although the number of places supplied with a copy of the Gospel appears to be great, yet the absence of this portion from the mass would scarcely be noticed, were the immense portion which still remains untouched taken into consideration. As far as I am able to learn, with the exception of a few of the towns and villages on the main southern roads, not a single place of that extensive district, stretching from the Palar to the CoUeroon rivers, comprising a large part of the Central Carnatic, Baromahal and Salem provinces (perhaps Salem and its vicinity may be left out), has been supplied with the Gospel." The distributions of the Colporteurs, during the year. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 181 amounted to 17,111 copies. This department of labour, it is ASIA, acknowledged by the Auxiliary, adnn'ts of considerable im- Chap. I. provement and enlargement. The main difficulty to be con- l|rit'sh tended with, is the want of suitable and sufficient agents. The — aim is, to employ none other than Christian men, and there are i«3o_54* few of these, possessing the necessary qualifications, who are — found at liberty to undertake the work. The Bombay Auxiliary was now engaged in carrying New edi- throuffh the press two editions of the New Testament in tjo" '° tl'^ (juicrtittGG Gujerattee, and an edition of the whole Bible in Mahratta, to and Mah- assist in Avhich, further grants of paper were made by the '^^"^' Parent Society. Intelligence was this year communicated from Ceylon, of the interesting and gratifying fact, that the difference of opinion so long subsisting on the subject of certain honorific terms to be used in the translation of the Singhalese Scriptures, and which had led to the employment of two separate versions, was now happily adjusted, by which harmonious action, for a long time suspended, was likely again to be restored. This circum- stance gave great joy to the Committee at home, and they could not but congratulate both parties, who had thus been y^^ j, enabled to come together in a spirit of cordiality, and kindly opinions concession and good-will. After repeated and lengthened con- j^^gg TransI ferences, the principles of a translation were agreed upon, ^^tors cou- which it was confidently hoped would be acceptable to all Protestants using the Singhalese language ; and, in the follow- ing year, the Parent Society had the pleasure of receiving and complying with a pressing request from the Colombo Auxiliary, to assist them in printing 14,000 copies of a version thus pre- pared. The sum of £350 annually for three consecutive years, which it was calculated would be required to complete the work, was promised, together with 1100 reams of paper, and binding materials. We have now arrived at the last year comprised within this Jubilee history — the year of Jubilee. ^^^^' Among the various objects, to the furtherance of which it was proposed that the fund raised on occasion of the Society's year jjj.^^ of Jubilee should be appropriated, was " special effijrts in India, Australia, and other British Colonies." In pursuance 182 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. II. 1830-54. 1853. Appropria- tion from Jubilee Fund for India. of the above object, a correspondence was opened with the several Presidencies in India, with a view to some more ex- tended efforts for the benefit of those countries, and offers were made of special grants from the Jubilee Fund, to promote a wider extension of the Scriptures in connection with the year of Jubilee. At the same time, attention was drawn to the suggestion of Dr. Duff, made at the great Jubilee Meeting in London, to the effect that every child in the Mission schools, capable of reading, should be supplied with a copy of the New Testament, and every Christian family with a whole Bible. Replies were in due course received from the several Auxiliaries, communicating their sentiments and proposals on the subject. The Calcutta Committee thought they could chiefly avail themselves of the proffered aid, in extending and multiplying the journeys of Missionaries for Bible distribution. Their views and wishes are thus expressed in a letter from the Secretary : — " With reference to the suggestion made by Dr. Duff, the Com- mittee think it is not necessary to take any measures, because every Mission School, and every Mission, is already as fully supplied as the Missionaries desire with the Scriptures, and the cases must be very rare indeed in which pupils in schools or native families are not supjjlied with suitable Scriptures. I have, on several occasions, given grants for Dr. Duff's own Branch Schools, for instance, and as to them, I am persuaded there is no lack of Scriptures. Our real deficiency here in Bengal, as I have often had occasion to- mention to you, is, not in our spheres of Missionary labour, but in those vast outlying fields of heathenism which as yet have scarcely been traversed. The problem we have to solve is hard, — with our pre'sent most inadequate staff of Missionary agents to supply all parts of the land. Our plan of stimulating the practice of making Missionary itinerancies, arose from the deep sense of our duty of doing all we could in this matter ; and I am sorry to say that no other means occur to us. I hope, indeed, that graduallj^, by reiterated appeals to the Churches of Great Britain, and Germany, and America, we shall secure something like adequate attention to Bengal, and that we shall have a great many more labourers sent to us ; but at present we must make the most of our small and scattered forces. We would ask you for a specific grant, to be expended in pajdng the expenses of a large number of special journeys in this Jubilee year, if we had not still in hand, out of jonr last grant for this purpose, the sum of £180 ; but we think that you will allow us to come in nevertheless for a share of your Jubilee Fund to BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 183 the extent of £oOO, to be appropriated to this object as opportunities ASIA, arise, next year and the years succeeding-. „ , '•■ If, with this explanation, your Committee will kindly make us this British' grant of £500, to be expended, as opportunities may arise, in promoting- India, tlie system of making Missionary journeys, in which the wide distribu- o tt tion of the Scriptures in destitute districts is a principal object, we shall 1830-54. be very thankful." — 1853. A grant of £500 was clieerfuUj made in response to the above request ; to which a second sum of £500 was afterwards aid of Mis- added, for the same object. sionary •^ journeys. The Agra Auxiliary declined any special grant from the Jubilee Fund, for reasons assigned in the following letter: — " We do not know of any means of extending- the circulation of the Scrip- tures in these provinces, bej'ond those ordinarily employed at present. " This Society has already determined to assist the various Missionaries in the country to send out native Colporteurs to sell and distribute Scriptures ; but there seem to be so many obstacles at present in the way of the extensive employment of this kind of agency, that we do not think it likely we shall need aid from the Parent Society in this particular thing. The obstacles referred to are mostly those arising from the fact that all the native Christians, who are fit to be entrusted with such a business, are busily employed as readers, catechists, teachers, printers, &c. The Missionaries who have charge of them, cannot usually send them out without inconvenience to themselves, on account of the interruption of their usual labours. '' As to Dr. Duifs proposal, to present every child in the Mission schools, who is capable of reading-, with tlie New Testament, and every Mission family with the entire Bible, it is our impression that this is done already in these provinces, whenever it is considered desirable ; and that if any thing in this respect be lacking, the deficiency can easily be made up, Avithout any special draught on the Jubilee Fund." The Madras Auxiliary, in compliance with the request to be informed as to the best mode of promoting a wider circulation of the Scriptures, by a grant from the Jubilee Fund, issued a circular to the Missionaries generally in Southern India, in reply to which, returns were made of Christian families re- quiring the entire Scriptures, and of boys and girls in Mission schools requiring the New Testament, in the vernacular or in Eno-lish. The result was, a demand of 1844 copies in English, 7894 in Tamil, 1046 in Teloogoo, and 77 in Canarese, Malay- alim, &c.; in all, 10,861. To meet this demand, a large grant was made of English 184 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Skct. II. 1830-54. Madras. Celebration of the iSo- ciety's Jubilee. Bombay. Special contribu- tions. Grants for larger edi- tions of different Ceylon. Scriptures ; and two Jubilee editions, one in Tamil, and one in Teloogoo, were ordered to press, and a suitable supply of paper furnished out of the Jubilee Fund. The Jubilee year was celebrated by the Madras Auxiliary, and its Branches and Associations, by appropriate services, which were held in almost all the principal stations in Southern India : a lively interest was awakened, and collections raised. The Bishop of Madras rendered very efficient help on the occasion. The total amount realized in the Madras Presidency, in aid of the Jubilee Fund, amounted to £1016. This sum was reserved by the Auxiliary for special appropriation, subject to the approval of the Parent Society. One object contemplated in the disposal of the money, was the support of Colporteurs, including an Agency to the Mauritius, for supplying the emigrant Coolies in that island with the word of God, of whom there were thought to be nearly 30,000, speaking the Tamil language. Measures were, in due course, adopted in pur- suance of the above design. At Bombay, as well as at the other Presidencies, the cele- bration of the Society's Jubilee excited considerable interest. A public meeting was held, at which the Bishop preached, and special contributions were raised, amounting to upwards of £400. The offer of a grant from the Jubilee Fund, for the purpose of a wider dissemination of the Scriptures in India, was hailed by the Bombay Auxiliary with much satisfaction ; and in pursuance of their suggestion, and on their recommendation, 200 copies of the Scriptures, in superior bindings, were placed at their disposal, to be presented as a Jubilee gift to the princi- pal native noblemen and functionaries in the Honourable Company's service ; and they were authorized to print, for special distribution, a Jubilee edition of 3000 copies of the Gujerattee New Testament, and of 5000 copies of the Mahratta New Testament; for which works, 1000 reams of paper, and binding materials were voted. The expenses of the above, calculated at about £3400, were defrayed by the Jubilee Fund. The Colombo Auxiliary requested such a grant from the BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 185 Jubilee Fund, as would enable them to publish 5000 copies of ASIA, the New Testament, and 3000 copies of the entire Bible, in chIp. I. Singhalese, with the view of carrying out the suggestion of British Dr. Duff in the Singhalese districts of the island. _ It must not, however, be supposed that the friends of this ?oon' J/* Auxiliary contented themselves Avith simply asking for aid : — active measures were taken by them for the celebration of the Society's Jubilee. Numerous sermons were preached in the Ceylon. Singhalese district of the island, by ministers of different Jubilee denominations, and a General Meeting of a most encouraging andcoutrl- nature was held at Colombo, His Excellency the Governor butions at presiding ; and the result was a remittance of £100, as a first instalment, to the Jubilee fund. From a review of its history taken at this time, it appears that this Auxiliary had printed and distributed, from the beginning, as nearly as could be ascertained, 32,700 copies, of which 6500 were complete Bibles, and 14,500 Testaments. The number of the Cotta version was not known ; but the total number of both versions could not be less than 40,000. The Jubilee of the Society was celebrated at Jaffna, as and at elsewhere, by the holding of several meetings. The Mission schools and families in this part of the island appearing to be well supplied with the Holy Scriptures, the Jaffna Auxiliary contented itself with applying to the Jubilee Fund for 600 English Bibles with marginal references, to be distributed from the different Missionary stations among the educated young men of the province. These were cheerfully granted. Taking occasion from the year of Jubilee, the Jaffna Auxi- liary furnished a brief, yet compendious, sketch of its operations for the dissemination of the Sacred Scriptures in the northern parts of Ceylon. The rise and progress of the Auxiliary was carefully traced, and various interesting details given of its active labours in preparing and printing the Scriptures, chiefly in the Tamil language. The following are given as some of the general results calling for grateful praise : — " If we look at the state of the people now, and compare them with Retrospect, what they were thirty years ag-o, the change which has come over them ;i" J results is great indeed. Then they gloried in their sliame, and boasted of tlie ^ ^^ ""' 186 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. T. British India. Sect. II. 1830-54. Calcutta. Progress of versions and edi- tions. evil deeds of their supposed deities : now they do not hke them to be mentioned. And whence the change in the morality of the people, except from the Bible, which has been preached and taught there continually 1 Further, it must be remembered that it is only by means of the Bible Society, that our schools are continually supplied with the pages of Holy Wi-it. From 8000 to 10,000 children are continually under instruc- tion in the various Mission Schools ; and the foundation of all the instruc- tion they receive is the Bible, so that no small portion of the adult and rising generation of both sexes have, at different periods, been under a course of Bible instruction in our schools. " The truths of the Divine revelation have not only been taught in our schools ; they have been preached on the Sabbath in our churches, and, during the week, from house to house, and in bungalow meetings, by European and American Missionaries, and the native helpers trained in our seminaries ; so that between the schools and this continued course of preaching, all classes are reached, and the Bible made known in all its fulness and purity to this benighted people. " But the result to which prominence must be given, is the fact, that upwards of one thousand souls have been admitted to Church-fellowship on a credible profession of tlieir faith in Christ, and these are almost all from the chief grades or castes in the province, a feature of some pecu- liarity in the Mission field of North Ceylon. As evidence of the active and useful manner in wlilch the Auxiliaries were engaged, up to the period when tliis history closes, it may be interesting to give an extract from the Report of the Calcutta Auxiliary for 1853. " The Committee mentioned in their last Report, that they had received the Kishnaghur version of the Gospel of John, and of the Epistle to the Galatians, in Bengali. As soon as they were printed, they were sent, with copies of the new edition of the New Testament from Mr. Wenger's revision of Dr. Yates' version, to all Protestant Missionaries in Bengal, and to other Bengali scholars ; but the Committee are not yet able to report the estimate of their respective merits. " The edition of 2000 copies of the Gospel of Luke in Mus- sulman-Bengali, which was mentioned in last year's Report as having been ordered, was increased to 10,000 copies, on the recommendation of the Rev. A. F. Lacroix and others, who had observed, in the eastern parts of Bengal, the necessity, among a very large portion of the people, for Scriptures in this peculiar dialect. And the Committee are thankful to be able to add, that the Rev. J. S. Hill, (now of Berhampore,) BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 187 has undertaken to prepare the Gospel of John, and the Rev. ASIA. R. Bion, the Gospel of Mark. ^^^— ** In Hindui-Kaithi, the Committee have ordered to press, a British new edition of 10,000 copies of Genesis, with the first twenty ^°^*" chapters of Exodus. Sect. II. " In Bengali, tliere have been ordered 10,000 copies of the _1 Psalms, and 10,000 copies of the Proverbs, from Mr. Wenger's ^^^*- revision of Dr. Yates' version. " The new edition of 2500 copies of the New Testament, * from the version of Dr. Yates and Mr. Wenger, in Bengali, has been carried through the press by the Rev. Professor Banerjea, and received into the Depository. " The attention of the Committee having been called to the large number of Uriyas in Calcutta, an edition of 2000 copies of the Gospel of Luke, from Dr. Sutton's Uriya version, has been ordered to press at Cuttack; and, Mr. Lacroix having pointed out the alterations desired by the Committee in the terms relating to baptism. Dr. Sutton him- self kindly consented to correct the proofs and superintend the printing, no member of the Committee being sufficiently well acquainted with the Uriya language to undertake the task. " The Rev. S. Hasell, of Kishnaghur, represented to the Committee, in the course of the year, the desirableness of providing some editions of the Scriptures for the Pundits of Bengal ; and the Committee, feeling the importance of the suggestion, resolved to print a volume containing Luke, John, the Acts, and Romans, in the Sanskrit language and the Ben- gali character, from the version by Dr. Yates and Mr. Wenger. But as Mr. Wenger is desirous of revising that translation before it is again printed, the Committee are compelled to postpone this undertaking. Mr. Wenger and the Calcutta Baptist Missionaries, however, have consented to the use of their version when it is ready." The last Report of the Madras Auxiliary, comprised within Eeview of the limits of this history, shows the vast field which yet Ifl^^l remained to be occupied, and adverts, in impressive language, Auxilia- to tlie difficulties which still were found to attach to the circu- lation of the Scriptures in so large a district as Southern India, containing twenty-five millions of inhabitants. 188 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. I. British India. Sect. II. 1830-54. 1854. Madras. Extent of the field of labour. Great need of Chris- tian agency. " The sphere is vast, and the hindrances in the path are many. This should be considered in order to form a correct estimate of Avhat has been done. It may at first sight appear a simple work, to prepare and print the Scriptures, and then to circulate them by thousands and hundreds of thousands through the country. The work is far more difficult than it appears to be. To say nothing of the immense labour and skill, required for the faithful rendering of the word of God into the difficult languages of the East, and of the great length of time which such a work demands ; the judicious circulation of the Sacred Scriptures, among a people so unwilling and so ill-prepared to receive them, is no easy matter. They may be scattered or squandered without much difficulty ; but the object contemplated by this, and similar Societies, is not a mere scattering of the sacred Book, but the distribution of it in sucli a way, that it shall be made known, read, understood, believed, and obe3'ed. " Let it be remembered, that the labours of the Committee are extended over four large countries, in which diffi^rent lan- guages are spoken, viz. the Tamil country, the Teloogoo, the Canarese, and the Malayalim. They are also attempting to do something for the Mahomedans, most of whom speak the Hindustani language, and Avho are mingled in different propor- tions with the Hindu population. Amongst this widely-spread, people, the Commitfee have been privileged to circulate 858,784 copies of the Scriptures in different languages. Had their labours been limited during the past thirty-three years to a single Collectorate, they might have occupied it with the seed of the kingdom; but when it is recollected" that there are twenty-one Collectorates in the Madras Presidency, besides the adjacent dominions of Travancore and Hyderabad, it will cease to be wondered at, that, with means so disproportionate, so little comparatively has been accomplished. " It must also be borne in mind, that, in order to carry out the great purpose of Bible distribution, there is needed a suit- able and efficient Christian agency, distributed all over the country. Were each one of the districts provided w^ith an agency similar to that in Tinnevelly, the work of your Society would be greatly facilitated. But so long as there exist large BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 189 districts, cacli covering an area of from 5000 to 6000 miles, ASIA. and containing a million of immortal souls, with only two or c„~ j three Missionaries, and a small band of native helpers, to make British known tlie good news of salvation, it were vam to expect much in the Avav of progress." ^f,^,y- }]■ " ^ ^ "- _ lnov-5-l. The same subject is also enlarged upon, and very forcibly — presented, in the Report of the Calcutta Auxiliary for the "^ ' same year (1853-4), already referred to. An extract from Calcutta. the pages of this valuable document may very suitably close our account of India. " The encouragements that are met with are great, and, con- Much sidering the inadequacy of the means that have been employed, ^^1^^"^^^'^^ are wonderful. But when such facts are remembered, as have with the been stated already in this Report, that, in nine years only Xyedf'"" 35,000 Bengali Scriptures were issued by this Society for all the twenty millions who use the Bengali language ; when it is calmly considered that, till recently, large towns in the district of Hooghly, that adjoin Calcutta, had never been visited ; and that iu the next district to that, Midnapore, with one million and a half of people, there is not a single Missionary; and that in a long series of districts in the north of Bengal — Pur- neah, Malda, Rajshye, Pubna, Bogorah, Rungpore, and Mymensing, with a joint population, probably, of six millions of people, there is the same total spiritual destitution — not one Missionary in any one of these districts ; when thus it seems that so little is attempted, can it be a marvel that little, after all that has been said, has been really done ? In the v/ork Lr'ed*with already accomplished, there is much to animate the most *''•'. P°P"- desponding ; and the Bible Society may well reflect with little ' thankfulness on the extent to which their object has been ^v'^'T^Jt attained, on the distant regions to which the Scriptures have been carried, the increase of the number of the people who can now read them, and the eager desire for them that is mani- fested everywhere. But when the sphere of this Society's operations is considered, (without extending the view beyond,) how painful is the comparison between the work accomplished and the work undone — between the thousands to whom the Scriptures have been carried, and the millions who are still unsupplied!" 190 HISTORY OF THE , ASIA. " The Committee, however, will not dwell on this subject. ChIp I. ^^^^ experience of past years combines with the truth of God's British testimony to assure them that their labour shall not be in vain ; _ ' while their patience is sustained by the many proofs they have f RHo' 11 discovered, that seed, destined to bring forth much fruit, may — ' long lie buried and forgotten. Perhaps the day is not distant, ^^^^" when all remaining fears and unbelief will be rebuked, by a Hope must 'vastly larger harvest from the good seed of the word, than the be fixed most sanguine have expected to behold, and when * a nation the'^Div^ne shall be born in a day.' Already the progress of the Gospel promise. has been so wide and so rapid, that the founders of this So- ciety, could they now view the aspect of Christian Missions, would, ' like men that dream,' doubt the reality of the vision. And all around there are signs, that soon there may be * greater things than these.' Even beyond the confines of India, light is piercing through the gloom, and the providence of God is enforcing His command to 'go forward.' The record of divine love, in the message of reconciliation, pro- claims that * all things are ready ;' and the sins and woes of deluded millions declare their need of a Redeemer." BRITISn AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 191 ASIA, CHAPTER II. CHINA, THE CHINESE ARCHIPELAGO. 1804—1854. Attention of the Society early (h-awn to China. — Manuscript of Chinese New Testament found in the British Mtiseum, 1804. — Its publication ultimately declined. — Version of New Testament completed by Dr.Mai'shman, 1810. — Version of the entire Scrip- tures by Dr. 31 orrison, 1814. — First distribution of Scriptures in China. — Auxiliary i7i Java. — Malay Scriptures for Native Christians in the Moluccas. — Death of Dr. Mibie. — Agent so- licited for the Malayan Archipelago. — Visit of 3Iess7's. Gutzlaff and Tomlin to Siam. — Siamese New Testavient comjdeted. — Travels of 3Ir. Gutzlaff in Northern China. — Effect of the pub- lication of his Journal. — Death of Dr. 3Iorrison. — 3Ir. Lay''s Agency.— Interruption caused bythewar with China. — 3Ieasures for more complete revision of the Chinese Scriptures. — Version of New Testament for the Dajahs of Borneo. — Differences re- garding traJislation of words for the names of the Deity, in Chinese. — Results of Scripture circulation in Borneo. — Revi- sion of the Bible in Chinese completed. — Rebellion in China, and its partial and ambiguous alliance icith the name of Chris- tianity.— Interest excited by this widely spreading movement. — Resolution for a million copies of New Testament for China. — Version in Colloqicial 3Iandarin. — Jubilee celebration and con- tribution at Shanghai. — Summary of operations in China. ASIA. It has been already mentioned, that at a very early period nu'^^' ?/' of its history, the attention of the Society was drawn to China. — This was chiefly in consequence of a Chinese manuscript of a ^^54. 192 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. Chiua, &c. 1804-54. 1804. Chinese manuscript of New Testament discovered in the British Museum. Chinese scholars consulted respecting it. large portion of the New Testament, deposited in the British Museum, being first brought to light in 1804, and afterward urged on tlie notice of the newly-instituted Society, by Dr. Antonio Montucci, who offered his services as editor, in case of its being thought expedient to print the manuscript, and earnestly recommended the publication of it, " for the benefit of 300 millions of people." A short time previously, the Rev. W. Mosely had circulated a memoir on the state of religion in China, and urged the importance and practicability of a serious attempt to propagate Christi.anity through that vast, but neglected empire. With this memoir most of the active members of the Committee were sufficiently acquainted ; and their minds were therefore, to a certain degree, prepared for such a proposition as that which Dr. Montucci had made. It was also ascertained that Sir George Staunton, whose knowledge of the Chinese language had gained him so high reputation, was at that time in London, and on the point of embarkation for China. Much, it was thought, might be derived from his present advice, and still more from his future inquiries, to guide the Committee through the labyrinth of a question not less intricate than important. The concurrence of these and other favourable circumstances determined the Committee to open a correspondence not only with Dr. Montucci, the Rev. Mr. Mosely, and Sir George Staunton ; but also with Dr. Hagar, at that time in Paris, and S. Hollingsworth, Esq. ; the former of whom was well known to the public in con- nection with no light attainments in Chinese literature ; and the latter to certain members of the Committee, as a gentleman who, in consequence of having visited China four several times, was deemed very conversant with the state of that country. Much information was elicited through this correspondence, not only on the nature and qualities of the manuscript, but also on the religious condition of China, and the practicability of introducing Christianity into it, by translating and printing the Scriptures for the use of the natives. The reply of Sir George Staunton, who was at the pains of going to the Museum to examine the manuscript himself, was, on the whole, favourable to the design, which he expressed his readiness to promote. 1810. Its pull] cation BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 193 The sentiments expressed by Mr. Hollingswortli, were also ASIA. in favour of the proposed attempt. Cu^p! II. At length the testimony of Mr. Chaumont (an accomplished China, &.c. Chinese scholar) to the character of the manuscript, having 1804-54. been collated with that of Sir George Staunton and Dr. IVIontucci, and every thing having been done which prudence could suo-o-est and research contribute, to ascertain its intrinsic value, an estimate was obtained of the probable expense of printing 1000 copies ; and it was computed, that each copy bound would cost the Society about two guineas. On this calculation, therefore, united with an apprehension of the uncertain issue of the experiment, it was deemed expedient to ^^eclmcd. decline, at least for the time, any further prosecution of the matter. This resolution was not come to, without much re- luctance, nor without a recorded determination to keep it in mind, under the hope of being able, at some future period, to resume it with a better prospect of success. That period, in due time, arrived ; and it seems to have been wisely permitted, that the undertaking should fail in London, in order that it might be accomplished, by aid derived from the same source, in the more advantageous situations of Serampore and Canton. To the Baptist Missionaries at Serampore, belongs the honour Chinese of the first successful attempt made by Protestants to prepare 1?'"^'°" "^ 1 ^1 . • o • ' 1 1 o 1 Newiesta- the Christian Scriptures, m the vernacular tongue, tor the mentby inhabitants of the populous and benighted empire of China, yiaa'mo Soon after the above correspondence in this country, if not, indeed, at the very time, they were found engaged upon this work, in conjunction with eight or nine other Oriental trans- lations, which they had undertaken, and in part accomplished. It was to Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Marshman, that this department of their labours was more particularly entrusted; much assistance being rendered, at least in the earlier stages of the work, by Mr. Lassar, Professor of Chinese in the College of Fort William. It appears that in March 1805, the Book of Genesis and the Gospel of St. Matthew were in the course of translation, and some chapters of each had already been printed. The translation of the New Testament was completed about 1810, and afterwards put to press. The assistance rendered to this vei'sion by the British and Vol. II. o 1804-54. 1812. 194 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Foreign Bible Society was included, partly in grants made to Chvp" II ^^® Corresponding Committee, and afterwards to the Calcutta China, &c. Auxiliary, and partly in the direct grants made to the Seram- pore Missionaries for purposes of translation. Their Chinese New Testament is in the list of those which received the grant of £500 as a new translation. Grant by After beinff occupied some years in the prosecution of their the Society. toi -'_ -i work, the Serampore Missionaries (about the year 1812 or 1813) had recourse to printing with moveable metal type. This mode they strongly advocated, and continued to employ. It did not, however, so fully commend itself, at least for a time, to other Missionary translators ; and even now, in China itself, though a large part of the printing is by metal types, the casting of which has been much improved, yet both forms — that of wooden blocks, as well as that of moveable metal type — continue to be employed. As the comparative advan- tages of the two modes of printing have been differently viewed by those actively engaged in the work, the Society has not interposed, but has left the matter to be determined and acted upon, according to the views and experience of the respective parties. While the above work was being gradually, perseveringly, and successfully carried on at Serampore, it pleased Divine Providence so to order it, that a similar undertaking — a trans- lation of the entire Bible into the Chinese language — should be commenced, prosecuted, and completed, within the boun- daries of the Chinese empire itself. Of this important work, and of the movements connected with and resulting from it, we now proceed to give some account. In the month of May 1807, the Rev. Robert, (afterwards Dr.) Morrison, having studied in England the rudiments of the Chinese language, proceeded to Canton, under the patronage and at the expense of the London Missionary Society, in order to qualify himself for translating the Scriptures into the lan- guage of China. Mr. Morrison pursued his studies at Canton with such success, and conducted himself with so much judgment, as to gain the confidence of the English Factory in that Settlement, and to be employed, during the absence of Sir George Staunton, and with that learned Baronet's BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 19o entire approbation, as the medium of intercourse with tlie ASIA. natives. Chap. II. Li the year 1812, the Committee of the British and Foreign China, &c. Bible Society first became acquainted with Mr. Morrison's 1804-54. design of translating the Scriptures into the Chinese ; and T. although, at that time, contributing to a similar work by Dr. Marshman, at Serampore, yet, desirous of encom-aging all exertions to cultivate a field, in which the harvest is so great, and the labourers are so few, and perfectly satisfied with the testimonials to Mr. Morrison's competence and pro- ficiency in the language, they voted the sum of £500 in aid of his undertakino;. This vote they renewed in the ensuing year, ^^^'^i"" "^ o . ' New Tes- on the receipt of a copy of the Gospel of St. Luke, the first- tament by fruits of Mr. Morrison's labours. The further sum of £1000 ^'- ^{'l^' rison,lol4. was granted, upon information that the translation of the entire New Testament was completed, and that 2000 copies had passed through the press in the month of January 1814. It is a remarkable fact, and may supply matter for serious and delightful reflection, that two individuals, eminently gifted of God for the important task, should go forth from different sections of the Christian Church, and, far distant from each other, should, almost simultaneously, produce the first complete translations ever made of the Christian Scriptures into a lan- guage spoken by more than 300 millions of people, living, and likely, but for such enterprises, still to have lived, in utter ignorance of the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. And now came the time for seeking to bring these Scrip- tures into the hands of the people, for whom they had been thus carefully and anxiously prepared. The first considerable and direct effort of this nature was made by the Rev. Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Milne, who had now^ become the coadjutor of Morrison, both in the Missionary field and in the work of translation. In the spring of 1814, the printing of the Chinese Testament First dis- at Canton having been brought to a close, Mr. Milne under- ciJ^g^g°°^ took to commence the work of distribution. With that view, Scriptures, he proceeded to Java, Malacca, and Penang ; in which places, the number of Chinese settlers was said to amount to 200,000. o 2 196 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1804-54. Iiil4, Visit of Dr. Milne to Batavia. First im- pressions of the Scriptures on the Chinese mind. In the vessel which conveyed him to the first of these stations were 456 Chinese emigrants, among whom he distributed twenty-five complete copies of the Chinese New Testament, and had the pleasure to see those Pagans reading in their own tongue the wonderful works of God. " Perhaps," says Mr. Milne, " these were the first twenty-five complete Chinese Testaments that ever were distributed." Other opportunities occurred in the course of the voyage, particularly on touch- ing at the island of Banca, where the Chinese were landed, and where the Sub-Lieutenant-Governor, partaking of the spirit which has so honourably characterized the principal Public Authorities in the East, extended to these measures the benefit of his protection and personal aid. But it was at Batavia, that Mr. Milne found the first considerable opening for the delivery of that treasure with which he was entrusted, to those for whose use it was designed. Fortified by the patronage of his Excellency Governor Raffles, he distributed, within little more than a month after his arrival, 300 complete Chinese New Testaments, and a number of copies of the first chapter of Genesis, among the Chinese inhabiting that settlement. In performing this service, the distributor appears to have acted with great wisdom and discrimination. He supplied several Chinese schools with Testaments, for the schoolmasters, and for the most advanced of their scholars ; and, after inducing the principal Chinese captains and most of the inferior officers to receive each a copy, he deposited three in a heathen temple for the use of the priests. In the following year, the impression made by the circula- tion of the Chinese Testament of Mr. Morrison, appears to have been considerably extended among the Chinese inhabi- tants of Java, and of the islands in the Indian Seas. Further interesting facts were reported by the Rev. Mr. Supper, as having fallen under his own observation, or been conveyed to him through authentic channels; from which the most en- couraging conclusions might be drawn, with regard to the effect of that light which seemed to have dawned on the minds of the Chinese, through their acquaintance with the truths of Divine revelation. " I have read " (said a wealthy Chinese) ^'Mr. Morrison's New Testament with pleasure: it is very 1804-54. 1814. BRITISH AXD FOIIEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 197 fine, and it would be well if every one led such a life as Jesus ASIA. Christ has tauo;ht them to lead." Similar testimonies were ^ ~ tt Chap. 11. given by various Chinese, on perusing the Christian Scrip- Chiua, &c. tures ; and the sincerity of their conviction was confirmed by their committing the objects of their idolatry to the flames, or expelling them from their houses. In Malacca, where Dr. Morrison directed an edition of the p^ ^j^^^^ ^j. Chinese Testaments, with certain portions of the Pentateuch, to the Peuta- be printed, not considering it prudent to print them at Canton, p^^^t;ed, Mr. Milne found many openings for putting the Chinese Scrip- tures into circulation. By the communication it maintains with those places in the Archipelago, where the Chinese reside* with various parts of Cochin-China and Siam, where multi- tudes of Chinese are settled, and even with these provinces of China itself, opportunities occurred, of which Mr. Milne dili- gently availed himself. To forward an object of such magni- tude and interest, the Society made an additional grant of £1000. The year afterwards Mr. Milne wrote: — " By the good hand of God, and by the aid of your excel- lent Society, we have been enabled to send the Sacred Volume to various parts of China, and to almost every place where any considerable number of Chinese are settled ; from Penang, through the Malay Archipelago, to the Molluccas and Celebes, on the one hand ; and from Kiddah, round the Peninsula, through the Gulf of Siam, and along the coast of Cochin- China, on the other. Still the supply is very inadequate. Many millions of these pagans have not yet so much as heard of the word of God." It mvist indeed be acknowledged, that, partly from the rigorous jealousy of the Chinese Government, and still more from the paucity of those that were engaged in the work, little, comparatively, was, after all, done at that time towards a gene- ral dissemination of the Scriptures in China: that little, how- ever, was not to be despised. These beginnings w^ere certainly auspicious; and connecting them with the simultaneous pro- duction of two translations of the Bible in different paints of the East, permitted the hope that they might be the precursors of Scriptural light to the many millions of China, to whom the 1804-54. 1814. formed at Batavia. 198 HISTOUY OF THE ASIA. Bible, and the great truths it reveals, were equally un- Ch.^. II. known. China, &c. In Penang, the number of Chinese settlers was estimated at 8000, all of whom appeared willing to receive the Scrip- tures. But we must here pause, to notice other movements of an interesting kind, connected with the introduction and spread of the Christian Scriptures in that far-off portion of the globe. Auxiliary In 1814, (June 4,) an Auxiliary Bible Society was esta- blished at Batavia, in the Island of Java, under the sanction of the Hon. Lieut. -Governor Sir T. Stamford Raffles. The first efforts of this Society were directed to the printing of the Scriptures in the Low Malay dialect, into which they had not then been translated. The contributions at Batavia were liberal, and, to assist in the operations of the Auxiliary, the Parent Society made a grant of £500. The restoration of Batavia to its old possessors, the Dutch, caused the transfer (in 1817) of the Java Bible Society to the Parent Institution in the mother country — the Netherlands Bible Society. The friendly disposition of the Dutch Gover- nor, Baron Van du Capellan, and the diligent labours of the Secretary, the Rev. Mr. Supper, gave promise of the Auxiliary being no loser by the alteration of its circumstances. The labours of Mr. Supper were, however, brought to an unex- pected termination by his death, which took place shortly after. In 1815, the Bible Societies of the East obtained a valuable at Amboy- accession to their number and effective strength, by the forma- ^^' tion of the Amboyna Bible Society, under the presidency of the Company's Resident, W. B. Martin, Esq., who exercised the supreme local authority at the Moluccas, and whose exer- tions in behalf of a Malay edition of the Scriptures had been already very strenuous and successful. The following state- ment will show the value attached to this new Auxiliary, whose first contribution amounted to nearly £350, and, in the course of the year, to nearly £1000. " To enable you to appreciate the peculiar importance and utility of a Bible Society in this remote quarter of the globe, it will be sufficient to observe, that, independently of the heathen tribes, whose conversion to the faith will, under cer- Auxiliary BRITISH AND FO-REIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 199 tain limitations, fall within the sphere of our labours, the ASIA. Christian population of the Moluccas alone is computed to cuap! II. amount to about twenty thousand souls; who, however ^^1"°^, &c. desirous they may be of unproving their moral character, are 1804-54. entirely destitute of the necessary means ; and are in general ^^g extremely ignorant of the doctrines and duties appertaining to Christianity. They have, however, always entertained a just reverence for the religion in which they have been edu- cated; and we trust, with the promised assistance of the Divine blessing, this Institution, which is calculated, by facili- tating the means of access to the Scriptures, to invigorate and expand their understandings, will proportionably operate to correct, enlarge, and purify their hearts." The Amboyna Auxiliary was not suffered by the Calcutta Society to remain long without a provisional supply. A thou- sand copies of the Malay Testament, in the Roman character, Malay were transmitted to these Islanders ; " among whom " (to use fo^the"'^^^ the simple language of the Rev. Mr. Kam, their Minister), Christian ., ^1 • 1 r /^ J ri r\c A.^ • population *'the precious word ot (jod was very scarce. Ut tins of the scarcity a judgment may be formed, from the fact, that, at a Moluccas. sale in the island, in November 1816, a single copy of the Malay Bible fetched forty-six dollars (£10 sterling). And a year or two afterwards, Mr. Kam states, that among 10,000 Native Christians, whom he visited on his journey to the Sanger Islands, he did not find more than two complete copies of the Bible, and only a few Testaments. In addition to what had been printed of the Malay New Testament in Roman character, the Society, at the request of the Amboyna Auxiliary, proceeded to print an edition of 5000 whole Bibles, and 5000 additional New Testaments. And for the use of numerous Malays in the Archipelago, not settled among Europeans, an edition in the Arabic character was undertaken by the Netherlands Bible Society ; to encourage which important work, the British Bible Society offered to take 5000 copies of the whole Bible, and the like number of additional Testaments. Ausilia- Branch Bible Societies were at this time formed at Malacca, Malacca, and Penang, (or Prince of Wales's Island,) in connection with Pcnang, 1 /-< 1 » •!• o • 1 • 1 1010 and 8unia- the Calcutta Auxiliary Society ; and, in the year 18 Ih, anew tia. 1804-54. 1819. Auxiliaries transferred 200 HISTOHY OF THE ASIA. Auxiliary was formed in the Island of Sumatra, designated Chap II ^^^^ Sumatran Bible Society, of which Sir Thomas Stamford China, &c. Raffles was President. The Societies at Malacca and Penang, as well as one after- wards formed at Singapore, became naturally associated with the general efforts made m connection with China, and for the benefit of the Chinese. The Sumatra and Amboyna So- cieties, after a few years, were transferred to the Netherlands Bible Society, as the Java Bible Society had been before, and to the for the same reason ; all these Dutch colonies being, by treaty, lands'^Bible given up to the parent country. A friendly communication Sociaty. however, was kept up, both on their part, and on the part of the British Society, which had the pleasure of ministering from time to time, by grants of Malay and other Scriptures, to the usefulness of these Institutions. On one of these occa- sions, after a considerable grant of Malay Scriptures had been made, the Rev. Mr. Kam, then Vice-President of the Am- boyna Society, writes : — " The work of the Lord still prospers in this remarkable part of the world. The large supply of the New Testament in the IMalay language has already proved the instrument, in Testimony ^^^^ ^^^^^'^ o^ Grod, of bringing many benighted sinners from the to the in- greatest darkness to the marvellous light of the truth as it is in the Scri°p- Jesus. A cheering proof of this I had lately, in travelling *'"''^'^" along the southern coast of the Island of Seram, inhabited by a people called Alvoer. A man pointed out to me a place by the sea-shore, where he had burnt a great number of idols in the presence of many witnesses. " This event gave me much pleasure, as it afforded addi- tional proof of the power of the word of God. I had supplied this district, in 1819, with Ncav Testaments. "A similar instance took place in a neighbouring island, where a woman had concealed her idols for a considerable time, but had no rest in her conscience until she had publicly destroyed them. As often as I look at a New Testament, I remember your labour of love, (continues Mr. Kam,) but I trust we shall soon be supplied with the Old Testament also. The latter will be particularly acceptable to the Mahomedans in this colony. I hope they will find Christ in it as we do." BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 201 In 1820, the translation of tlie entire Bible, under the super- ASIA, intendence of the Rev. Drs. Morrison and Milne, was reported Cha7 II as complete, and ready for printing. It was thought well, how- China, &c. ever, by the two translators, that it should undergo a careful i804-54. revision, to which work they immediately and diligently ad- ~ dressed themselves. In the meanwhile the Rev. Dr. Marshman, at Serampore, had laboui-ed with equal success on the same object. He, too, was employing himself in carefully revising, both the parts in Progres- manuscript, and also those w^hich had been printed. Referring gj^y oruie to the length of time which it required to bring our English Chinese ^ ^. -IT Scriptures, version to its present maturity, no less than seventy years, from Tindal to King James, Dr. Marshman very justly and candidly observes, that, "in a language so extensive in its circulation as the Chinese, two versions, perfectly independent of each other, do not appear to us a waste of labour, though each were to employ the whole of the life of many indi- viduals." The Society was so convinced of the truth of this remark, and so well satisfied with the abilities and fidelity of the con- ductors of the two translations, that, as we have seen, they granted them severally, from time to time, such assistance as their circumstances appeared respectively to require. The translators at Canton and Malacca, assisted and encou- raged by the grants of the Society, proceeded with the work of printing, and, so far as opportunity allowed, with that of dis- tribution also ; though, in China Proper, this part of the work could be carried on only to a very limited extent. In Decem- ber 1820, Dr. Morrison writes : — " During the past year I have not been able to distribute any part of the Scriptures in China." It is remarkable, however, that just at that time he should be able to add, " The Emperor Kea-King, under whose reign the Christian religion was, by an express decree, declared ille- gal, has been suddenly removed to another world." The successful progress of the translators at Canton and r.amcntcd Malacca sustained a sudden interruption, in 1822, by the death death of 1 ' / Dr. Mihic. of Dr. Milne, who had proved so valuable a coadjutor to Dr. Morrison. In reference to this melancholy event, Dr. Morri- son writes : — 202 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1804-54. 1822. Chinese Bible pre- sented, by Mr. J. Marsh- man, May 1823: by Dr. Morrison, May 1824. Special Agency so- licited for the Ma- layan Ar- chipelago. " Great is the loss to this Mission, which the early removal of that faithful, devoted, and successful Chinese Missionary has occasioned. His attainments in the chfficult language of this great empire were eminent. His whole soul was in his work. Few have made so rapid a progress as he did in the language, and in a comprehension of the opinions of the Chinese, which he studied assiduously, for the purpose of convejing the truths of the Gospel to their understandings and their hearts." Dr. Morrison was now left alone to carry the work through the press. To his abilities, and competence for the task under- taken by him, a very important testimony was borne by Lord Amherst, to whose Embassy, Dr. Morrison was attached as interpreter, on occasion of his Lordship's appointment as Am- bassador to the Court of Pekin. In 1822, 1000 copies of Chinese New Testaments were sent to Singapore by Dr. Morrison, where a Missionary Settlement had been formed in 1819. Singapore became, after a few years, the seat and centre of considerable Scripture distribu- tion. At the Anniversary Meeting of the Parent Society in May 1823, Mr. John Marshman, the eldest son of the Rev. Dr. Marshman, of Serampore, was introduced, and presented, on behalf of his father, a complete copy of the Old and New Testament in Chinese, printed at Serampore, with moveable metallic characters, the labour of sixteen years. And at the following Anniversary, the Rev. Dr. Morrison himself presented a copy of the entire Bible in Chinese, the results of his labours carried on at Canton during a period of seventeen years, with the assistance of the Rev. Dr. Milne, of Malacca, then deceased. The sight of this important version, the second in a language spoken by upwards of three hundred millions of people, (a copy of which had been most graciously received by His Majesty George IV.,) was hailed with demon- strations of the most lively satisfaction by the members and friends of the Society present. Dr. Morrison, when in this country, communicated the gra- tifying fact, that all the Chinese living in the islands of the Malayan archipelago, were capable of receiving the Sacred Scriptures without difficulty, as far as the governments were concerned. Their probable number was computed at from 200,000 to 300,000, and as it was hoped, that through BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 203 these individuals the Scriptures might, and would find their ASIA, way into China itself. Dr. Morrison earnestly requested that a qjj~ jj special Agent might be employed in promoting the objects of China, &c. the Society in that quarter. It was determined that inquii'ies 1 804^54. should be set on foot for a person properly qualified for so — extensive and important an undertaking. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, on his return from the Governorship of Sumatra, among other interesting communi- cations, expressed his cordial concurrence in the plan of a direct and extended Agency. " I take this opportunity," observes Sir Thomas, " to offer Earnest my entire concurrence and unreserved testimony in support of menda'tion the suggestions, of Dr. Morrison, and to state, that, situated as ^ ^^ '^'- ^• we are now on the threshold of China, and surrounded per- haps by half a million of that people, who have emigrated and settled around us in the adjacent countries, with almost con- stant intercourse and means of communication, even with the heart of China itself. Loo Choo, and Japan, I consider this the most favourable opportunity that could be embraced for furthering the objects of the Society in that quarter. I might also add, that Siam and Cochin-China are now, for the first time, open to our commerce ; and that, whatever may be the result of the present contest in the Burman country, a field seems to be opening in that quarter, from which we shall no longer be debarred entrance." The Missionaries at Malacca also, strongly supported the measure, and, on their* recommendation, an individual resident there was actually engaged for this service. Very shortly after, however, he declined entering upon it, and, no one else offermg, the subject stood over for several years. On his return to Canton, Dr. Morrison addressed to the Kcturn of Society the following letter, interesting on account of the light ^'"- ^"'^' it sheds on the character and progress of the work carried on Canton, by him and his colleagues in China, as well as on the true value to be attached, even to the imperfect efforts of new trans- lations : — " The distribution of the Scriptures has been carried on at His Jetter. the Anglo-Chinese College in Malacca, where also the printing of them has been superintended during my absence. And in 204 HISTOKY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 18U4-34. 1827. Chinese version im- perfect ; yet, in the main, in- telhgible to natives. piu'siiance of the discretion you were pleased to vest in me, I have recommended a tour to Borneo, Siam, &c., for the pur- pose of circulating the Holy Scriptures, to be performed by the Rev. Mr. Medhurst, whom I saw in Java, as I passed the Straits of Sunda, and who is well qualified for this work, by his knowledge of the Chinese and Malayan languages, and his experience among the natives. The tour is to be performed during the year 1827. To supply him with Bibles and Testa- ments, I have sent down to the College paper and printing materials to Messrs. Humphreys and Collie, to have a suffi- cient number printed. " I make it my daily study to find out and correct errors in the Chinese version of the Scriptures ; and my brethren of the Ultra-Ganges Mission are requested to note down what- ever may occur to them, as an error or imperfection in the translation. These are sent to the College and preserved, or immediately employed, as may appear best. " The Society will not, I hope, be discouraged in their labours, by the common objections made to translations into Pagan lan- guages. To a Pagan, unacquainted with Jewish antiquities, Eu- ropean ancient history, and Christian doctrine, and who casually reads a page or two of Holy Scripture, there must be much to such a reader, that he cannot understand. But I have evi- dence, that, to such a reader, there is much in Holy Scripture that he can understand. When I left China, I presented to the Superior of a large Buddhu temple, containing 200 priests, a copy of the Bible, and a Chinese version of the English Prayers for morning and evening worship. I have seen him since my return. He has read these books, and praised them to me. A native Christian, converted to the faith by the late Dr. Milne, has shown the sacred writings to many persons ; among others, to some learned graduates : these, when they have read awhile, have said, ' There is in that book much that is easy to understand ; there are also inverted phrases, and there are parts in which we do not understand the subject treated of.' The native Christian says the same ; but he has read the whole several times, and finds that the Old and New Testaments, by reason of their connection, reciprocally elucidate each other. The careless, profligate, and proud, in every land. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 205 will despise the Bible. But the inquiring mind and the anxious ASIA, spirit, the young convert and the aged Christian, will esteem ch\7ii. it as * a pearl of great price.' " China, &c. Singapore had now become an important settlement. A 1804-54. Committee was formed there in 1827, for the purpose of ex- ~ tending the benefits of education and the knowledge of Chris- tianity in Singapore and the neighbourhood, and having for one of its special objects the distribution of the Scriptures, in which work they made an offer of their services to the Society. In a letter communicating their plans, the writer observes : — " The present and daily increasing importance of Singapore, ^^eneral as a commercial station, is readily seen, and will, when more Scriptures particularly alluded to, point out its value as a depot for the ^* Siuga- Scriptures. In the island and town of Singapore are, perhaps, 20,000 souls, comprising Chinese, Malays, Bugis, Malabar or Khug people (of which class are the troops), Bengalese, Portuguese (descendants of), Armenians, and Britons. We are, besides, visited by vessels from every part of the world, the best of which are, of course, but ill supplied with, and the vast majority utterly destitute of, the Scriptures. Thus, there are Chinese junks from China Proper, from Cochin China, from Siam, from Java, probably about 100 annually, Bugis prahns and Bornese as many. — There is no translation in the language of these persons yet, but one is contemplated by the Rev. Mr. Thomsen : they, however, use the Malay. Javanese and European vessels, Arab and Malay prahns, come from all the neighbourhood, with many British and other European, and sometimes South American, vessels. To these latter, of course, would only be given a supply suffi- cient for the sliip's company ; while to the others, on suitable occasions, might be given some for carrying along with them on their return. Of the propriety of this measure we have had proof among the Chinese, who, having received books on for- mer occasions, carried them away, and left them with their friends at home, and on their return inquired for more. You will perceive from this sketch, which is but a rough one, that our field is very extensive, and, in many respects, that this place forms one of the most important stations in the East." In the following year, the Missionaries, Messrs. Humphries 206 HISTORY OF THE ASIA, and Kidcl report, that the Sacred Scriptures were more than CaAF II ®^"^^ sought after by the Chmese. The Rev. Mr. Gutzlaft', China, &c. (whose name is now first mentioned as a Dutch Missionary I80Z54. at Rhio,) and the Rev. Mr. Tomlin, his companion, were ~ employed in distributing portions of the Scriptures in Rhio, Singapore, and among the junks in Singapore harbour. They Distribu- -yvere everywdiere cordially received. They visited no fewer Missio- than twenty-six junks, six of which were direct from China ; amor St ^^^^ ^" ^^^' ^^^®^* ^^^^* proved acceptable, and the books were the Chi- eagerly sought after. There were about 3000 Chinese emi- °^^^" grants at Singapore, when they went round the town, and they found many portions of the Scriptures formerly distributed, which bore evident marks of having been carefully read. Mr. Tomlin and Mr. Gutzlaflf also made a visit to Siam, of which they gave a gratifying account, showing the encou- ragement for hope, which at that time was presented. They Visit of left Singapore in the beginning of August 1828. Their Tomlinand enterprise was new, and by some considered as hazardous ; Gutzlaff jj^t^ commending themselves to the Divine mercy, they set out. They met with a welcome reception from the chief authorities, and at the first, there was not the shadow of oppo- sition. They had with them twenty-seven boxes filled with the Chinese Scriptures. On the second day they commenced their operations, going from house to house : their reception was almost everywhere frank and hearty, and the books met with a ready and ample demand. Opposition was, however, ex- cited, but it proved ineffectual : new attempts were made to arrest their progress, but every fresh effort seemed to be accompanied by a corresponding reaction among the people. The knowledge of medicine possessed by Mr. Gutzlaff", gave them a most favourable introduction ; but many came to them, Eeception whose sole errand was to obtain books. Many anxiously ScriptSrS. sought after complete sets of the Old and New Testaments. Three out of the twenty-seven cases had been sent by the Rev. Mr. Medhurst previously, and when their own store was drawing to a close, they went to look for these, which had been deposited in a Chinese temple, and were not a little surprised when told by the priest, that crowds of China- men had been and taken away every book. " We were thus BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 207 suddenly," they say, " brought into straits, and we fear we ASIA, shall be sorely besieged in our little garrison, before fresli sup- q^^~ jj plies can arrive from Malacca." China, cS^c. The number of Chinese resident in Siam was found to be i804^54. very considerable. There were also about a thousand Cochin- — Chinese in the city, who use a dialect so closely allied to that of China, that the Scriptures require no alteration to become intelligible to them ; for the Siamese themselves nothing could at that time be effected. After the above visit, Messrs. Tomlin and GutzlaflP set Siamese themselves to make a translation of the New Testament into tameut!^" Siamese, which when completed was sent to Singapore. The Gospels of Luke and John were printed as an experiment, but the openings in Siam were not found to be such as to encourage the further prosecution of the work. At Singapore and Malacca prospects gradually brightened. Distribu- In the latter, the circulation of the Scriptures in Chinese, shlgajore, Malay, Tamil, Arabic, and Indo-Portuguese, proceeded in a ^c. satisfactory manner. In a letter dated December 1831, the Missionaries, after referring to the pleasant reception they had met \vith, when distributmg the Scriptures in the town and neighbourhood of Malacca, add — " We cannot close this letter without g-iving" you a little more cheering- news. Since writing the above, during the last tive or six days, we have had a great many visitors at the college, anxiously inquiring for Malay Testaments. These are chiefly Malays and Arabs, who have lately come in prows from Java and Palembang* (a considerable settlement on the Sumatran coast) : several, resident in Malacca, have also been stirred up. Amongst om* foreign visitors, however, there is a jjleasing and grateful spirit manifest : many of these are respectable and mtelligent persons, of Arab extraction, who read both the Arabic and Malay, and usually wish for the Scriptures in both lang'uages. Besides suppljang their own wants, they commonly request a few more to disperse amongst their friends at home. We can truly say, we never witnessed such a frank, cheerful spirit in this people before ; and such an eager desu-e for the books seems to indicate a real hungering for the bread of life." At Singapore, editions of the Malay Scriptures, both in the Arabic and Roman character, were undertaken. The intelli- gence from Amboyna, and also from Penang, where two devoted Missionaries, Messrs. Beighton and Dyer, were 208 IIISTOIIY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1804-54. 1831. Letter of Leang Afa, the first Chinese convert. Visit of Mr. Gutz- laff to Northern China. stationed, was encouraging; and the printing of the Chinese Bible at Malacca was brought to a close about this time. An interesting letter, as coming from the first Chinese con- vert to Christianity, was transmitted by Dr. Morrison in 1830. It is from Leang Afa, whose name will afterwards occur in the history of this Mission. We give the following extract : — " Previously to conversion I was as deaf and blind ; but having obtained the Holy Book to read, and having to be thankful for the instructions of the two venerable teachers, IMilne and Morrison, I became acquainted with the great grace of God in compassionately sending the Saviour, and with the worth of the soul ; and so was led to repentance, reformation, and faith and trust in our Lord and Saviour, looking up for the salvation of my soul. If left without the Holy Book, how should I have known the grace of God and the immense worth of the soul ? Hence the work of the Society for distributing the Holy Book, and of the other Societies to assist, is indeed a great benefit to the people of all nations in the world. I apprehend that it will not be possible, during the days we remain in this world, that we shall ever meet and see each other : we can only hope that, by a reliance on the merits of our Saviour, we shall meet in the world to come in the heavenly mansions, and enjoy everlasting* bliss, exulting and together praising the love and grace of God to infinite ag-es." In 1831 and 1832, Mr. Gutzlaflf made a visit to the north of China, taking with him a large quantity of the Scriptures ; some of the results of which journey are thus given by him : — " During the greater part of the last year, I visited, in a junk, the maritime provinces of the Chinese empire ; viz. Canton, Fuhkeen, Shan- tung in Pih che le, and Manchow Tartary, and made a beginning with the distribution of the word of life. I entered afterwards into the service of the Honourable East- India Company, and revisited Canton, Fuhkeen, and Shantung ; saw Che Keang and Keang Nan ; went over to Corea, and imparted the word of eternal hfe also to some Japanese, whom we met at Loo-Choo, in the harbour of Napa Keang. It will be gratifying to you, when you hear that our Bibles and tracts have created a great sensation in the Chinese empire. Wei, the deputy-governor of Fuhkeen and Che Keang, sent a copy of the Scripture lessons and our principal tracts to the emperor, and recommended him very earnestly to have the doctrines duly examined." In 1832, the vast field of Chinese labour and usefulness was entered into by labourers from America. The Rev. Messrs. Bridgman and Abeel were the first Christian Missio- naries from the New World. The Rev. Mr. Stevens, also. 1834. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 209 was sent fi-om the same country, with a special view to ASIA, seamen. Mr. Bridgman and Dr. Morrison immediately entered ohap~IT. into friendly consultation about printing an edition of the China, &c. Chinese Scriptures, for the use of the new-comers, and, as Mas 1 804-54. their wish, at the charge of American Christians. In consequence of letters received from the Rev. Mr. Gutz- lafF, relative to the opening for the introduction of the Scriptures Grant for into China, the Parent Committee authorized the friends at new edi- Malacca, to take immediate measures for printing and circula- Chinese ting successive editions of the Chinese Testament, to the extent Scriptures. of 5000 copies. At the same time, also, another letter was received from Leang Afa, now become an Evangelist, in which, after speaking of a little band of Christian converts who w^ere accustomed to assemble in his house, he thus prefers his modest request : — " I cannot venture to crave assistance to print the Holy Scriptures Applica- complete to g-ive away : I only crave, Mr. Brandram, that you will avail ^io" fi'om yourself of this season of tranquillity, and I will thank you to consult with ^ "^ *' the believers who belong to the Bible Society, that they may cheerfully assist to print single books, — the Psalms, St. Matthew's Gospel, the Acts, the Epistles to the Philippians, the Thessalonians, and the Romans, in the simple text. They are calculated to open with ease the hearts and minds of men. A thousand copies may be printed, and I go everywhere to distribute them ; so those afar off and near at hand, will hear the glad tidings of the Holy Book, and know the grace of the Saviour who made atonement for our sins," The above proposal of Leang Afa liaving been duly considered, he was authorized to print 1000 copies of each of the portions mentioned in his letter ; which grant, in consequence of further intelligence of the encouraging openings in China, was increased to 5000 each ; while the Missionaries at Malacca were also a\ithorized to print 5000 additional Testaments, if necessary, without waiting for further instructions from home. The publication of the journals of Mr. Gutzlaff, and the Publication general circumstances of China, having excited an unusual i"afrrjour- interest on behalf of that country, the Committee, after atten- nal. tively considering whether there were any particular points of duty in relation to China, to the performance of which the Society was called at the existing crisis, proceeded to pass a series of resolutions, in which they assure Dr. Morrison of Vol. II. r 210 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1804-54. 1835. Deeper interest awakened in favour of Cliina. Loss sus- tained by the death of Dr. Morrison. their continued readiness to afford further help in the work, offering cheerfully to defray the expense of any additional literary aid in the revision of his translation, should that appear to him desirable; encouraging him, also, to engage, if prac- ticable, at their expense, the services of one or more individuals, in making voyages for the purpose of distributing Chinese Scriptures, and at the same time, empowering the Missionaries at Malacca to print a further edition of 5000 copies, (making together 15,000 copies,) without waiting for further instructions, should Dr. Morrison, in conferences or correspondence with the various Missionaries, think it necessary. But the bright prospects opening upon China were to be partially clouded, and the contemplated measures, at least for a period, postponed by the removal of that honoured individual, who had been chiefly employed in preparing the way for the manifestation of the glory of the Lord in that vast wilderness. The sentiments of the Parent Committee, on receiving the intelligence of Dr. Morrison's death, were embodied in the followincr Memorial : — Memorial. " Scarcely have the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible So- ciety paid their tribute to the memory of one highly-valued and distin- guished fellow-labourer in the East, before they are called to moum the loss of another. To the name of Carey, they have now to add that of Morrison — names, both of them, which will ever hold a high rank among Oriental and Biblical scholars. The talents of Carey were employed on a variety of languages ; the energies of Morrison were concentrated on one— but that one was the Chinese. Carey lived to a good old age, and came to his grave, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season ; Mor- rison was cut off in the vigour of life, when years of further service might have been, not unreasonably, anticipated. Both, however, had finished the work appointed them to do ; and for both is doubtless reserved the applauding sentence — ' Well done, good and faithful servant ! enter thou iato the joy of thy Lord.' " Twenty-seven years ago, when Dr. Morrison, then a young man, embarked for China, no Protestant Missionaiy had trodden that v^st and neglected field ; and, for sacred purposes, there was but one Protestant European who had attempted to master the difficulties of its most difficult language. Dr. Marshman was at that time laudably engaged, in a distant province of India, in effecting a translation of the Sacred Scriptures into Chinese, which, after a few years, passed through the press at Serampore : but Dr. Morrison was the first to make the attempt in China itself; and this gigantic work (aided in part by the late lamented Dr. MUne) he lived BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 211 to accomplish : thus unfolding the volume of msi>ired truth to above three ASIA. hundred milhons of the human race. _, , " The talents, the zeal, the devotedness, the perseverance requisite for China,' &c. such an undertaking- as this, may be more easily conceived than described. — Yet this was not the only task which Dr. Morrison imposed upon himself : "04-34. his Chinese Dictionarj', printed a.t the expense of the Hon. East-India 1835. Company, would alone have been a noble monument of his industrj'- and learning. He also published, in Chinese, many smaller works : among- which, as illustrative of his Catholic spirit, may be mentioned his trans- lation of the Liturgy of the Church of England. " In order duly to estimate his fervent and unwearied zeal, it should be borne in mind, that he entered on the labours of the Chinese Mission single-handed ; that he had to encounter innumerable discouragements ; that years elapsed before he was permitted to see any direct fruit of his Missionary exertions ; and that at no time was it his privilege to hail a numerous accession of Christian converts. To him it was appointed, almost exclusively, to prepare the precious seed, and to scatter a few handfuls of it : to others it is reserved to gather in that harvest, for which the fields appear already white. " And here, while the Committee must needs deplore their loss, they cannot but adore the goodness of God, who spared His servant long enough to lay the foundation of such a work in (^hina ; and who, in the meanwhile, was providing a succession of Christian men to carry it for- ward— Dyer, Medhurst, Gutzlaff, and, among others, one bearing the name of Morrison, and destined, we may hope, to emulate his worthy father's example— these still survive, and stand girded for action, ^ye have, therefore, encouragement to beUeve that the temple of Chris- tianity shall yet, and ere long, be built upon the ruins of Chinese supersti- tion ; and that, throughout that vast empire, mj-riads shall soon be heard to sing the praises of Him whose name is above every other name, and at whose name evei-y knee shall bow. " In concluding this tribute to the memory of their friend, the Com- mittee cannot but advert to the modesty with which he was accustomed to speak of his own labours ; as also to the promptness with which he uniformly ascribed all his attainments and all his success to the grace of God. It is instructive and consolatory to know, that this grace, having supported him through life, still soothed and upheld him on the approach of death ; and that a portion of his last Sabbath was employed in singing, together with a few Christian friends, in the Chinese language, the praises of that Redeemer by whose love he was stimulated, and on whose merits he had long reposed ; whose king-dom on earth he had laboured to ex- tend ; and in the contemplation of whose unveiled glory he now finds the heaven which he desired." On the death of Dr. Morrison, Mr. Medhurst, of Batavia, ■was sent by the London Missionary Society on a visit to China, for the purpose of ascertaining what further openings existed p 2 212 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1804-54. 1836. Persecu- tion of native con- verts. The in- ference of Christian faith under trial. for the introduction of Missionaries, and also of conferring with Mr. Dyer, Mr. Gutzlaff, and Mr. John Morrison, who, with himself, were engaged in preparing a revision of the Chinese Scriptures. Through their joint labours the work was now advancing. At this time, Leang Afa, the zealous Evangelist, to whom the Society had given authority to print largely portions of the Scriptures for distribution, was stopped in his work, and the little band of native Christians, who had laboured with him, broken up by persecution. Leang Afa and his family took refuge in Malacca, where he was employed in connection with the Anglo-Chinese College. The Rev. Mr. Evans, of Malacca, in allusion to the above trying occurrence, wrote — " I have no doubt tliis circumstance will be overruled for the general benefit of the Chinese. The people have since become more earnest in their solicitations for Christian books ; and it is our intention at once to put as many copies of the New Testament into their hands as we possibly can. During the late persecution, the native Christians behaved witE great constancy and firmness ; some were beaten ; others imprisoned, and their goods confiscated ; part made their escape, but were obhged to wander about, seeking obscure retreats, destitute of the necessaries of life, and almost of clothing. But the great Head of the Church interfered speedily for the liberation and relief of his persecuted, afflicted children. Leang Afa, the Chinese Evangehst, fled to Malacca, to take refuge with me. Since his arrival, we have persevered, in spite of every obstacle ; and find, in all our movements, that our God is with us ; that He is a wall of fire round about us, shielding us from danger." As a proof that he and his brethren were not discouraged by the above circumstance, Mr. Evans immediately adds — " I trust you will forward to me another resolution as early as possible, authorizing me to print an additional supply to the 10,000 already granted, as I feel persuaded that, long before its arrival here, we shall be quite destitute. There seems to be a wide and effectual door opening in China, so that thousands and millions of the New Testament will, ere long, be wanted. Indeed, at the present time we could easily dispose of 50,000, yes, 100,000, if we had them to distribute. It is an evident proof that the gross darkness, which has so long covered the vast empire of China, and the minds of the manj^ millions of Chinese in this vast Archipelago, is fast being superseded by the glorious light of everlasting truth. Were it not so, Satan would not have been stirred up to cause the late persecution ; but notwithstanding all the armies of the aliens. Truth shall prevail, and the BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 213 everlasting- Gospel will, ere long, spread through China, in the length of it ASIA. and in the breadth of it : and I feel convinced that the Lord will carry on ~~ His work till He shall call even the millions of China to praise Him. The n\^''^^' V' ,.,,,, „ ^ Clima, &c. harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few, very few — twelve labourers to 300,000,000 of human beings. Oh, pray to the Lord of 1804-54. the harvest, that He would send more labourers into His harvest !" ,^g On the receipt of this letter, the Missionaries at Malacca, who had previously received instructions for a further supply of 5000 copies, were aiithorized to print successive editions of the New Testament, to the extent of 10,000 more. We will now advert to other important measures, which Appoint- the Society at this time adopted with reference to China, special After much deliberation, it was determined to send out as ^^^}!!' ^°^ . -IT T 1 the Chinese an Agent, Mr. Lay, a gentleman recommended as well qua- Archipe- lified for the service. Mr. Lay had already visited the Chinese '^^°" Archipelago, in the capacity of a naturalist, on board His Majesty's ship " Blossom " : his various scientific acquire- ments, it was thought, might be rendered subservient to the introduction, among the people of China, of that science, of which alone it can be said, that it is " eternal life." To this step the Society were led, not by any very definite prospect of immediate and great success, but from the desire of seizing every opportunity, and making every effort, to let in the light of heavenly truth on three hundred and sixty millions of the human race, over whom the darkness of error so thickly and fearfully brooded. Mr. Lay sailed a few w eeks after, on his perilous and important enterprise. After the above appointment was made, the following Explora- gratifying intelligence was received of the result of an explo- o7mcss^^^ ratory voyage along the coasts of China, which had been Medhurst recently accomplished by the Rev. Mr. Medhurst, in company Stevens. with the Rev. Mr. Stevens. This measure originated in the suggestions which were offered by the Society to the late Dr. Morrison, and was carried into eftcct chiefly at the Society's expense. " You will doubtless rejoice to hear," writes Mr. Medhurst, " that I have just returned in safety from my voyage up the coast, during which I have been graciously preserved from every harm, and have been privileged to circulate many portions of the word of Truth, without hindrance or molestation. 1 sailed on the 26th of August in the American brig * Huron,' 214 HISTORY OP THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1804-54. 1837. Distribu- tion of Scriptures along the coast of China. chartered for the purpose, accompanied by the Rev. E. Stevens, an American clergyman, who has been some time resident in Canton, as Seaman's Chaplain, but who is now desirous of entering- the service of the American Board, as Missionary to the Chinese. We arrived in sixteen days at a harbour on the north side of Shan-tung promontory, and com- menced our operations on shore. At our very first landing- we were met by the Mandarins, who positively forbad our proceeding- a step further, and required us to g-o on board one of the junks to a conference with a superior officer, who there awaited us. Had we listened to their prohibi- tions, we mig-ht have returned without effecting any thing ; but as we were not to be put off so quietly, we persisted in walking through the fields and distributing tracts, which the people were so eager to receive, that it was out of the power of the Mandarins to prevent their being circulated, in a few minutes, through the crowd. The next day we went through the villages and walked over fifteen miles of country, spreading our books everywhere, without meeting a single officer of Government, or being in the least interrupted or frowned upon. Thus we continued to opei'ate, as circumstances permitted, almost daily, and spent more than a fortnight in sowing the good seed of the kingdom in various parts of the province of Shan-tung-. From thence we proceeded to Shang-hai, in Keang-soo pro- vince, where we found the people still more eager for books, even g-etting the Mandarins to assist us in the distribution, in order to prevent any disturbance that might arise from the uncommon anxiety of the people to procure books ; an anxiety not arising from any desire to be enlightened in the doctrines of Divine truth, but resulting merely from a wish to pro- cure something new and singular from foreign lands We hope, however, that the Father of Lights will bless the publications, when once in their hands, to the enlightening and evangelizing of the receivers. From Shang-hai we proceeded to the province of Che-keang, where we stopped at various places ; and finally to Fokeen, invariably finding that the farther we proceeded north, the more open-hearted and friendly the peojile became. In no instance have we been insulted or injured ; the officers of Government have invariably treated us with civility, only displajdng- a great anxiety to get us away as soon as possible. On the whole, we may conclude that the coast of China is easily accessible for a cursory visit, and that books may be distributed to any extent along the shores of the maritime provinces ; but the attempt to penetrate far into tlie interior, or to effect a residence in any place, except Canton, would doubtless fail. We have distributed in this expedition about GOOO volumes of different parts of the Scriptures, and 12,000 tracts." Such were the encouragements held out to prosecute the work. Mr. Lay, the Agent appointed to China, reached Macao in safety, towards the close of 1836, and was cordially welcomed by Dr. Morrison's son, Mr. Gutzlaff, and other Missionary BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 215 brethren. He shortly after proceeded to make arrangements ASIA, for an extensive cruise in company with. Mr. Stevens, the chap~II American Missionary who travelled with Mr. Medhurst. A China, &c. vessel was chartered for this purpose by the Messrs. Oliphant, I80T34. King, and Co., Merchants of New York, whose Christian zeal ~ for the spiritual welfare of this part of the world, led them to make this noble and costly experiment. They were to embark ^j^gg^s for the Straits of Macao, touching at Hainan, and other places I-ay and on the mainland, as far as time and prudence would permit ; thence proceed to those parts of Borneo, not occupied by the Dutch; and, after taking in Mr. Gutzlaff, and a stock of Chinese Scriptures, thence to cruise along the eastern coast of Africa, and wind up by going to Japan. Such was the plan laid down ; and if the execution of it did not realize all the very sanguine expectations which, in some quarters, had been cherished respecting that portion of the globe, this is not to be attributed to any want of generous arrangement on the part of the noble-minded owners of the vessel, or any want of zeal on the part of Mr. Lay, but to numerous and formidable difficulties, even more than had been anticipated, which inter- fered w ith their successful progress. Mr. Lay left Macao, accompanied by Mr. Stevens and Leang Afa, the Chinese Evangelist. They proceeded to Sin- gapore, where the captain fell sick of a fever. Mr. Stevens Death of was also attacked with the same insidious disease, and died, ^J^^ ^^' after a few days, tranquilly and full of hope. While the cap- Singapore, tain was recovering, Mr. Lay went to Malacca, where he experienced much kindness from the Missionaries and other friends, and received Bibles, Testaments, and single Gospels, (9928 volumes,) being part of the Chinese Scriptures printed there, expressly for the purposes of this Mission. The vessel sailed from Singapore, having on board, along with Mr. Lay, the Rev. Mr. Dickinson, an American Missio- nary (in the room of Mr. Stevens), and the Rev. Mr. Wolfe, a young European Missionary out of health. Passing along the southern coast of Borneo, they proceeded to the Celebes, and effected a landing at Macassar, the principal town in the island, where they stayed for some time ; Mr. Lay seizing such opportunities as were afforded him of circulating portions 1804-54. 1839. 216 HISTORY OF THE ASIA, of the Holy Scriptures, and dispensing such relief as was in Ch.^. II. his power to the sick and diseased, who, from day to day, China, &c. crowded around him. Leaving Macassar, they touched at the beautiful island of Ternate, one of the Moluccas ; then at San- hoangan, on the western coast of Mindanao, where they deposited the remains of Mr. Wolfe, who had died a few days before, on the voyage. They then made their way round to the city of Borneo, towards the north of the large island of that name, where, however, little was accomplished in the direct circulation of books. From Borneo they returned to Singapore, after an absence of about five months. At Singapore, Mr. Lay succeeded in establishing an Auxi- liary Bible Society, with a Ladies' Association connected with it. A supply of the Scriptures, in fifteen or sixteen different languages, was forwarded to this new and promising Society ; a branch to which was afterwards established at Penang. Mr. Lay was to have proceeded from Singapore on a coast- ing voyage along the northern shores of China, and his own health, which had now become seriously debilitated, would have led him gladly to embrace such a means of recruiting it ; but the dreadful trade in opium prevented his doing so, as he could meet with no vessel not occupied, more or less, with this fearful traffic, Avith which he had been strictly enjoined to keep himself carefully disconnected. Return of The opportunities being thus lost to him, of effecting any Mr. Lay. thing at all commensiirate with the unavoidably great expense of his Mission, the Society deemed it right to recall him, or rather not to extend the original engagement made with him for three years. At the end of that period, Mr. Lay returned home, bringing with him a considerable amount of informa- tion which he had accumiilated on the subject of versions, and on other matters relating to the Society's work. He sent home a small volume, containing the Gospel of St. John in the Japanese language, translated by Mr. Gutzlaff, who had acquired a slight knowledge of the language from some shipwrecked mariners. A version, however, prepared under such circumstances, was not fitted to be made much use of. In the mean time, an Auxiliary Society was formed at BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 217 Malacca, and the printing of the Chinese Scriptures there, by ASIA." Messrs. Evans and Dyer, was going on. During the year p ~ tt 1837, 18,164 volumes of the Scriptures, put up according to China, &c. the Chinese mode, were issued from the depository under the i804^54. charge of the Missionaries, who thus wrote respecting their — ,. ^ ° . 1 to 1840. distribution : — " As to the printing- and distributing of the word of God, a new feature has presented itself in the aspect of our stations. Six native Christians have, during- the last three months, been itinerating- in different parts of the peninsula, visiting- the Chinese colonies, preaching- the everlasting- Gospel, and dispensing the bread of life to their countrymen. These Chinese devoted Chinese Missionaries, for such they are, have travelled many tgu^s"^" miles into the interior, exposed to the sun, and rains, and jungles, which Europeans could not well endure without risking their lives. They have gone laden with Bibles and tracts, dispersing them far and wide over the face of the country ; and have returned, after several days' journey, with empty baskets for fresh supplies. Three weeks ago they left us for the purpose of visiting- a very distant part, never before blessed with the Gospel. They took with them about 7000 volumes of the Scriptures and tracts to distribute : they intended to preach the Gospel as opportunity afforded, and explain the contents and meaning of the books. These six men, having- received their instruction at the college, possess a good knowledge of the doctrines of Christianity, have a considerable acquaint- ance with the word of God, and are quite competent for the work in which they are now engaged." The disturbed state of the political and commercial affairs War with of China, and the war of three years' continuance, which was ^^'°^- the result, necessarily occasioned much interruption to the Society's work in that quarter. During the years 1840, 1841, and 1842, little more was accomplished at Malacca than a very limited distribution, and the printing was carried on feebly. Owing to the death of Mr. Evans, and the visit, dur- ing that period, of Mr. Dyer to this country, the Auxiliary established at Singapore did indeed use its best efforts to give ,, . . . ° huspension circulation to the Scriptures in Chinese, Malay, Javanese, ofiMissio- Tamil, and other languages, the number amounting in the "atwnT^" whole to several thousand volumes ; but as to China itself, the extensive armament moving along its shores, and the military operations connected with it, necessarily put a stop, for a time, to the peaceful labours of the Bible distributor and the Mis- sionary. 218 HISTORY OP THE ASIA. It was gratifying, however, to learn that a number of New Chap. II. Testaments in Chinese (500) were entrusted to benevolent China, &c. and pious individuals, who accompanied the warlike expedition 1804-54. to China. jg~ -^s soon as the war was closed, the Society was again on the alert for the benefit of the " Celestial Empire ;" and the Directors of the London Missionary Society were in- formed, by express resolution, that their Missionaries w^ere at liberty to draw upon the depots belonging to the Society in Canton or Malacca, for such copies of the Chinese Scriptures as they might require, and also to print such further editions of Dr. Morrison's translation of the Chinese Bible, as, after due consideration, they might deem expedient. Special contributions were now offered by many friends of the Society, for the benefit of China. While the Society was thus engaged in contemplating new measures for China, an unexpected impediment met them in their path, owing to the necessity, which was judged to exist. Measures for a thorough revision of the Chinese version, before it should revfs^on of ^^ extensively circulated. There seemed, indeed, no room the Chinese to question the admirable fidelity of the translation of Drs. cnp ures. ■j^/j-Qj.j.-g^j^ ^^^^^ Milne ; but since this great work had been finished, and especially since parts of it had been completed, the knowledge of the difficult language of China had been matured, freer intercourse with the natives had been obtained, and Dr. Morrison himself had contemplated a revision, and, had his life been spared, would doubtless have executed it. So strongly was the necessity for a revision felt by the Missionaries then in the field — the parties who were chiefly to be employed in effecting a distribution of the Scriptures in China — that they declined to take any very active part in the w^ork, till this previous object had been accomplished. On this point their energies were concentrated. The Missionaries from Europe and from America, formed themselves into a body for a careful and thorough revision of existing Chinese versions; in the expenses of which preparatory work, the Society engaged, under certain regulations, to take its share. In the mean time, the Society resolved on an experiment with the vei'sion which they already possessed. They had BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 219 printed in this country, for the purpose of being sent out to ASIA. Hong Kong, a few thousand copies of Luke and Acts, in a new Qy ~ jj and beautiful type, in a small pocket volume, bound and China, &c. embellished after European fashion ; in hope that its novelty i804-54. might prove some attraction, and gain for the little book some ~ acceptance among a people, who now stood towards this coun- try in such a new and interesting relation. This step, how- ever, did not find much favour with the Missionaries, nor does it appear that its circulation led to much result. The London Missionary Society received 1000 copies; the Church Mis- sionary, 500 ; and the Madras, 500 ; and numerous smaller grants were made. With these projects before them, the Society could not but Death of feel and lament the loss by death, at this time, of three valu- ^^p^^^ able friends, on whose services they had calculated, and to Missio- whose judgment they would gladly have deferred — the Rev. g^j^^Yars"^ S. Kidd, Professor of Chinese in the London University Col- lege, and formerly Principal of the Chinese College at Malacca ; the Rev. S. Dyer, many years Missionary at Penang ; and the Hon. John Robert Morrison, son of the late Dr. Morrison, inheriting much of his father's excellent spirit, and possess- ing, on account of his early advantages, perhaps more than his father, a knowledge of the Chinese language and literature. He was to have taken part in the revision of the Bible at Hong Kong, but God suddenly called him to other and even higher employ.* The revision of the Chinese Scriptures having thus, after much deliberation, been determined upon, the Society spared no pains to urge it forward with promptitude and efficiency. Repeated communications and interviews were held with the Directors of the London Missionary Society, whose Missio- naries were to take a large share in the important undertaking. With the view of encouraging these willing friends, and of urging on the work as fast as prudence would allow, the following Resolutions were adopted, and transmitted to them : — * For an honourable testimony to the character and services of Mr. .J. Morrison, by His Excellency Sir Henry Pottinger, President of Her Ma- jesty's Council at Hong Kong, see Fortieth Report, p. cxii. 220 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1846. Kesolu- tions of the Society, to defray the entire ex- pense of Chinese revision. " 1 . That an urgent request be addressed to the Directors of the London Missionary Society, to call the attention of their Missionaries to the im- portance of proceeding- with the revision of the Chinese New Testament on the principles laid down in the circular received from Hong Kong, with as little delay as practicable, and to authorize them to consider this, if not their exclusive, at least their primary work. " 2. That the Directors of the London Missionary Society be informed, that the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society are quite prepared to contribute a larg-e share of the expenses that will be incurred by the adoption of the view above given, and, indeed, to take upon them- selves the whole expenses of the Missionaries, if their whole time is devoted to the work. " 3. That it be further pressed upon the Directors of the London Mis- sionary Society, to urge their Missionaries to print portions of the New Testament as they are prepared ; and to assure them of the readiness of this Society, to pay the expenses of printing such editions, or to assist by sending out a printer, whose whole expenses shall be defrayed, if his time be exclusively devoted to the printing of the Scriptures, or in such pro- portion as he may give up his time and labour to the work. " 4. That this Committee, having received in conference, as well as from foi-mer communications with the Directors of the London Missionary Society, and from the Directors of the Missionary Societies in America, sufficient information as to the competency of the parties now engaged in the revision, can cheerfully leave it to the united judgment of the Missio- naries, to determine when the revision of any parts of the Chinese New Testament may be considered sufficiently perfected to justify their being printed. " 5. That as it seems highly advisable that the IMissionaries should have an opportunity of conferring together at an early period in Hong Kong, or such other place as may be deemed most convenient ; and that, as the distances at which they reside from each other will involve consi- derable expense in attending the conference, such expense be borne by this Society." It w^as gratifying to learn, soon after tlie above Resolutions were adopted, that some of the suggestions in them had been anticipated. From communications received by letter from Dr. Medhurst, and personally from Dr. Legge, vv^ho had just returned from the. field of labour, it appeared that the work had been commenced with vigour, and considerable progress made, and that the whole of the New Testament, it was hoped, would be ready for press by the end of the then current year. This hope was not, mdeed, realized ; but at the time it was not unreasonable. A circumstance now took place of considerable importance. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 221 from which great benefits were naturally expected to result, ASIA, and which did, in fact, to some extent, operate favourably. (.^ ~ jj This was a proclamation by the Chinese authorities, with the China, &c. Emperor's sanction attached, granting liberty to teach, receive, I80Z54. and profess the Christian religion. Certain limits were indeed, ~~ in the first instance, assigned to it, and efforts were made by members of the Roman Catholic communion to get the privi- lege restricted to themselves; but this only led to a second Toleration proclamation, confirmatory of the former, and securing its fn°china! benefits, within the limits prescribed, to all forms of Chris- tianity. Must we not admire the good providence of God, which thus disposed one of the largest and most despotic Governments of the earth, to set an unlooked-for example of wisdom and tolerance, and one calculated to animate and encourage to the greatest possible effort the friends of Scrip- tural truth ? Gratifying reports were received of the progress of the Revision work of revision. By the beginning of 1847, the larger part Testament of the New Testament was completed, most of the stations completed, having furnished their quota according to agreement ; and the brethren were looking forwards to an early meeting of the delegates at Shanghai, for the final revision of the whole. In the mean time, the Epistle to the Romans Avas printed, and 2000 copies of the Acts of the Apostles, in an experimental edition, subject to the approval of the delegates, was going forward at Shanghai. Information was also now received, of further encouraging openings for the spread of Divine truth. Instances had oc- curred, both at Amoy and Shanghai, of Missionaries being allowed, by the native authorities, to travel a considerable distance into the interior. The jealousy and suspicion of foreigners, which used so remarkably to distinguish them, was rapidly yielding to the influence of the new relations to other lands, into which their country had been brought. On receiving the above communications, another conference was held with the Directors of the London Missionary Society, which led eventually to the following Resolution — " That the sum of £1000 be granted to the London Missionary Society, for the purpose of enabling them to forward to Shanghai a cylinder 222 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1804-54. 1847. Version of New Testa- ment for Borneo. Grant to the RheU' isli Mis- sionaries. Distribu- tion of Scriptures among the Dajaks. printing-press, and an additional quantity of Chinese type ; and also to defray the expenses connected with sending assist- ance from this country for printing the Chinese Scriptures." We turn aside from China, for a moment, to notice an effort which was being made for the benefit of the aboriginal inha- bitants of the large island of Borneo, by the translating and printing of the New Testament into their language, called the Dajak. Intelligence respecting this work was received, in 1847, from Mr. T. J. Bourne, one of the Society's Domestic Agents, then on a visit to the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, who thus wrote ; — " My attention has been called to the case of the Eev. Mr. Hardeland, who has been deputed by his brethren, Rhenish Missionaries, to revise and print here an edition of 1.500 copies of the Testament in the language of the Dajaks, or original inhabitants of the island of Borneo. He being- here for the recovery of his health, has thus employed his time. The work is completed as far as Galatians, and the total expense will be about £300. The language is spoken by nearly 100,000 people, 14,000 of whom are in the town in which Mr. Hardeland resides and labours. It is the first translation of the Scriptures in that tongue, and has been made and revised by the Missionaries of the Rhenish Mission conjointly ; and, with the exception of three little books— two printed by the Missionaries, and another by Mr. Medhurst for them — there is not another book in the lan- guage. There seems to be a great desire among the people to possess the Scriptures, and they are quite prepared for the immediate emploj'ment of this edition." The Directors of the Rhenish Missionary Society having been applied to, supported the appeal of their Missionaries, whom they represented as well qualified, from their knowledge of the language, for the work they had undertaken. The sum of £300 required was cheerfully allowed, and in due time the whole of the New Testament was printed and brought into circulation. The following interesting account was afterwards received, of the distribution and acceptableness of the Dajak New Tes- tament : — " Immediately after the opening of the chests, we had the pleasure to distribute more than 200 copies among our scholars, and other persons who formerly frequented our schools. At present we have brought into circulation about 450 copies. The Dajaks, or (as they call themselves) Olo Ngadju, having no literature or schools of their own, wherein to learn BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 223 to read, cannot therefore use anj^ book before they have received instruc- ASIA, tion at our schools ; for which reason the written word of our Lord can — only be brought into the hands of our present or former scholars, who S,^}*'^' J' have received their lessons out of the New Testament, and who, in g-ene- _1 ral, have also obtained a tolerable knowledge of the Evangelical doctrines, 1804-54. together with an understanding of the useful and profitable readinj;' of ~ the Bible. " It seems, by the help of God, our schools will enlarge and multiply ; therefore we hope the copies of the New Testament will be given away in a few years. At present we have about 400 scholars under our direc- tion. Of this number, about fifty receive their instruction from Native Teachers, who are sent by us to distant places : the remainder receive les- sons from ourselves. " The translation of the Dajak New Testament is made with much carefulness and accuracy. The people understand it very well, because the brethren who have translated, have not learned the languag-e out of books, but by intercourse with the nation. One of the translators, the dear Brother Becker, died, to our great grief, in September last. Brother Hardeland, who has been labouring four years at the Cape of Good Hope, probably returns to Borneo this year. " The dialect of Poelopetak is spoken by nearlj' 50,000 persons. The district of Poelopetak itself is peopled only by 10,000 ; but the tribes of Patei, Dusson, Kapuas, Kahaian, Sampit, &c., who have their own lan- guages, speak also, and understand, the Poelopetak language very well. This has arisen from the commercial intercourse existing between the inhabitants of Poelopetak and the other tribes. Therefore we praise the Lord, that He directed the steps of our l)rethren, who first established the Mission at Poelopetak, to choose this place, the language of which is spread almost over the whole south side of Borneo." To return to China : — We regret to state that the revised translation of the Chinese Scriptures, carrying on under the con- joint superintendence, and by the personal aid of the Protestant Missionaries resident in China, met with serious interruption, owing to the difference of opinion which had shown itself as to the proper rendering in Chinese of the first and greatest term in theology — the name of God. It is not easy to explain, in few words, the nature and magnitude of the difficulty — a diffictdty, -^.-^ it would seem, found to be greater in the Chinese, than in almost regarding any other language. The difficulty does not arise in regard to rendering ° the proper, or incommunicable name of the true God — Jehovah ; fo"" the , . , . • /^i • 1 name of this all parties agree to express by certain Chinese characters, the Deity. corresponding in sound to Jehovah ; but in regard to the right rendering of the Hebrew Elo/um, and the Greek Theos ; and 224 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1804-54. 1848. the point was, to obtain a generic term, which, like the original, and like the English word God, should be capable of being used in the plural as well as the singular, and thus be made to include false gods — the gods of the Heathen, as well as the one true God. Various terms, in the course of the contro- versy, have been suggested ; but the question lies principally between Shin and Shangti. The former was originally em- ployed by Dr. Morrison, but those who came after him, including even his own son, strongly inclined to Shangti, On the other hand, some of the American Missionaries, it would seem, first used Shangti, and afterwards exchanged it for Shin. Both parties appear to have acted under a deep sense of responsibility, and to have taken great pains to arrive at a sound conclusion. Much and anxious attention was bestowed upon the subject by the Right Rev. Dr. Boone, American Missionary, and the Rev. Dr. Medhurst, who deemed it right to print at large their respective views and statements upon the controversy. Copies of their works were transmitted to England, and, at their re- quest, brought under the notice of the Editorial Committee of the Society, who, after taking counsel with several friends of the London Missionary Society, felt that they could not go beyond the expression of an opinion, and that with some diffi- dence, on the unfitness of one of the proposed terms. Shin. They did not take upon themselves to decide upon the fitness of the other. It was some satisfaction to them to find, that in what may be termed their " negative" opinion, they had the concurrence of so respected an authority as Sir George Staun- ton, Bart., M.P., who had written on the subject. Grants for I^ ^^^ mean time, to show their willingness to embrace circulation every available means of spreading the Scriptures in China, Chinese the Society, at the earnest recommendation of Dr. Barth, of Scriptures. Q^lw, granted the sum of £100 to the China Union, working under the auspices of the Rev. Dr. Gutzlaff. This Union was represented as composed of converted Natives, a considerable number of whom traversed the interior parts of China, introducing the word of God into those portions of the covmtry to which no Missionary had access. The Society received a detailed account of the manner in which the £100 BRITISn AND FOREIGN BIBLK SOCIETY. 225 liad been appro} )riated ; from wliieli it appeared, tliat it had ASIA. been found sufficient to provide for the printing of 4(X)0 copies Chav. II, of the Chinese New Testament, 300 in parts, 100 Old Testa- Cl.ina^ &c. ments, and 600 copies of the Psahns, besides some little as- 1804-54. sistance rendered to two other editions. j,5^ ^Vhilst the revision of the New Testament was advancing at pj , ., Shanghai, the Missionaries there printed, at the expense of the tion by Society, for present use, from the former edition, 17,000 Coi'por- copies of separate Gospels and Epistles, and a native Colpor- *<^urs. teur was emplo^-ed to distribute them widely. Perceiving the encouragement he met with, the Society placed a sum of £300 at the disposal of the Directors of the London Missionary Society, for promoting also the circulation of such portions of the revised Chinese Testament as had passed tlu'ough the press. The Chinese Christian Union received several further grants of £100 each, for the purchase and distribution of Testa- ments, as revised by Dr. Gutzlaff ; and 200 copies of the Mongolian and Manchoo Scriptures were placed at their dis- posal. A small sum, also, was granted Dr. Gutzlaft' towards the printing of portions of the New Testament in the Japanese, as a pioneer translation, undertaken with the view of testing the character of the version. The Society subsequently made another grant of £250 to Dr. Gutzlaff, in conjunction with the Rev. Messrs. Hamberg and Lechler, Missionaries of the Basle Missionary Society in China, for the purchase of copies of the Chinese New Testa- ment, according to the version revised by Dr. Gutzlaff. In continuing this countenance to the version of Dr. Gutzlaff, after the revision at Shanghai had been brought so nearly to a close, the Society had no intention to disparage the latter, on which so much labour had been employed by the united and honoured Missionaries there assembled ; but the testimony they had received from various quarters — the opinion of learned men, both in this country and on the continent of Europe — left on their minds the impression, that this version of Dr. Gutzlaff', especially after all the revisions and alterations it had under- gone, was not undeserving of that measure of support which they proposed for the time to give to it. Acknowledging the Vol. II. Q 226 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1S04-54. 1850. The revised translation of New Testament completed. general undesirableness of circulating two or more versions of tlie same language in the same country, (a practice, however, to which the Society has often been compelled to yield,) they nevertheless felt that the immense extent of territory over which the Chinese language is spoken, and the myriads there needing, if not thirsting for the word of life, would not simply justify such a measure, but demanded that no opportunity should be foregone, of meeting the overwhelming want, and of transmitting, as rapidly and widely as possible, even though it might be fragmentarily and somewhat imperfectly, the re- velations of Infinite Love. One circumstance connected with the Chinese Scriptures deserves to be noticed here. Such had now become the facilities for producing books in China, that both the Missionaries of the London Missionary Society, and Dr. GutzlaflP, were able to publish the whole of the New Testament at the cost of about S^d. or 4(/.* In July 1850, the revised translation of the New Testament into the Chinese language, on which so much time and labour had been bestowed by the representatives of different bodies, was substantially brought to a close. The joy which this event occasioned woiald have been greatly increased, had it been found that the sentiments of the Missionary Brethren, on the controverted terms for " God " and " Spirit," would have admitted of united action in the printing and circulating of this important portion of the Holy Scriptures. This, however, was not the case : the controversy still continued, and the zeal and ability with which it was conducted on both sides, showed in how much difficulty and perplexity the subject was involved. The Committee of the Bible Society, not feeling themselves competent to decide on the question, deemed it right to listen to overtures for aid in printing this version from different quarters, throwing on the respective parties the responsibility of filling up the blanks left by the revisers, according to one or other of the terms proposed. In this they followed the example of the body of revisers at Shanghai, who, after many * A sing-ular contrast to the estimated cost of printing the imperfect manuscript discovered in the British Museum. The expense of each copy, it will be remembered, was estimated at two g-uineas. BRITISH AND FOllEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 227 ineffectual attempts to come to an agreement on the points at ASIA, issue, resolved to give up the version, as prepared by them, q]~ jj for the use of different Bible and Missionary Societies, on a China, &c. similar understanding. 1804-54. To the Directors of the London Missionary Society a grant ~~ was made of £250, towards printing an edition of 5000 copies of the new version at Hong Kong, the blanks for " God " and " Spirit " being filled up by the native terms, « Shangti " and " Shin." The Corresponding Committee acting for the Society at Shanghai, also appropriated the sum of £250 placed at their disposal, towards printing similar editions at Shanghai, to consist of 5000 Gospels and Acts of a large size, and 5000 of the entire Testament in smaller type. To the Church Missionary Society a tender was also made of £250, towards printing an edition of the same work, on the application of some of its Missionaries in China, who proposed to employ the native terms " Shin " and " Ling " for " God " and " Spirit." The Committee of that Society, however, declined accepting the grant, in the desire and hope that something might be accomplished in adjusting the differences existing in regard to the controverted terms, and of thus avoiding the very undesirable necessity of printing duplicate editions of the same version. With this view, a meeting was held at the Church Mis- sionary House, consisting of representatives of that Society, of the London Missionary Society, and, also, of the Bible Society ; from which emanated a proposal for a united plan of action, which was submitted to the respective Missionaries in China, but did not lead to any result. About tliis time, intelligence was received that the Board of Managers of the American Bible Society, after a full and careful investigation, by some of the most learned of their body, of the controversy which had been carried on in China, on the terms to be used for " God " in the Chinese language, had come to a unanimous resolution to recommend the use of " Shin " for " God," with the transfer of the term " la-lio " for « Jehovah." How far this decision may affect the proceedings of the Q 2 228 HISTORY OF TIIK ASIA. CUAP. II. China, &c. 18U4-54. 1851. Zealous co- operation of the Bishop of Victoria. Editions of the New Testament in Chinese. Edition in Manchoo and Chi- nese. American Missionaries in China, does not yet fully appear ; but it is a further confirmation of the perplexing difficulties, with which the subject may be presumed to be surrounded. Those of the delegates belonging to the London Missionary Society, and who, with some of their brethren, were chiefly engaged in printing for the British Bible Society, adopted " Shangti." This term being employed also in GutzlafFs version, and being at the same time acquiesced in by the Bishop of Victoria, and most of the Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, its use seems likely to become predomi- nant. Having adverted to the name of the Bishop of Victoria, it is but justice to add, that, from the period of his appointment to Hong Kong, in 1850, he has shown much interest in the cause of the Bible Society, and also in the controversy which he found agitating the breasts of the different Missionaries, on the sub- ject of the proper word for " God." Great, but, alas ! ineffec- tual pains were taken by the Bishop, and several suggestions were proposed by him, with the view of bringing the parties to- gether. When the plan of printing a million copies of the New Testament was taken, to which we shall again have to refer, his Lordship was found among the foremost, and most active, to forward the object, as already stated in the account which has been given of the Jubilee proceedings. His Lordship took upon himself the responsibility of getting printed, at different Missionary Stations under his directions, 85,000 co- pies of the first quarter of the million copies which had to be provided. The revision of the New Testament having been completed, editions of it were printed by the Missionaries of the London Missionary Society, at Hong Kong and Shanghai, with the aid of grants placed for the purpose at the disposal of the Directors of that Society. A Corresponding Committee, which had been established at Shanghai, to take the general superintendence of the So- ciety's affairs in China, was encouraged to print, by way of experiment, a small edition of portions of the New Testament in Manchoo and Chinese, in parallel colunms ; and for this purpose, the Society's fount of Manchoo type was forwarded BrtlTISII AND FOllEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 229 to tliem from tliis country. Dr. Medliurst, in his letter to the ASIA. Committee, urged the desirableness of such a Avork ; adding „ ~~^j that there were many Chinese and Tartars partially acquainted China, &c. with both languages, who would be very glad to obtain books djo^sb. printed in this manner, when otherwise they might not give -^^ attention to them. Along with the types, the Committee forwarded to Shang- hai 200 copies of the Manchoo New Testament, printed for the Society, some years back, at St. Petersburgh. On the application of the Directors of the London Missio- nary Society, the Committee had much pleasure in placing at their disposal, for the use of their IMissionaries in the north of China, 100 Bibles and 200 New Testaments in the Mongolian ; it being stated, that they possessed frequent opportunities of pro- moting their circulation among the northern population of China, by whom that language is understood. In 1852, a work, long in progress at Singapore, and toAvards which the Society had contributed £200 and 200 reams of paper, — the version of the Malay New Testament in Roman characters, — was completed by the Rev. B. P. Keasberry ; and applications for it soon began to be received from Batavia, Banjermassin, Bencoolen, Sarawak, besides the sister settle- ments of the Straits. Interesting intelligence was also received this year from the Results of important island of Borneo, where the thick darkness seemed ^ircu,a"[oQ at length yielding to the penetrating beams of heavenly truth, in Burueo. It came chiefly .from the Agents of the Netherlands Missionary, Society, who had been assisted to print the Dajak New Testa- ment at the expense of the Society. One of the Missionaries, who had previously made some report of distributions effected, writes : — " Aa regards the distribution of the copies of the Dajak New Testa- ment, I shall in future not have much to report to you ; for, thanks be to God ! and, I may also add, alas I we shall not have many left to distri- bute. Barely 200 copies now remain on hand. Above 1200 copies have Previous been distributed. Even though we were in possession of some few thou- ^f^j^^'"" sand copies more, the stock would soon be exhausted. When, some D^jaks. thirteen years back, we, in the name of the I-ord God, first planted the baimer of the cross in this place, not one single Dajak was able to read, and for several years no one evinced the least desire of learning. They 230 HISTOllY OF THE ASIA. Chap. II. China, &c. 1804-54. 1852. Borueo. Numbers learn to read. Deep in- terest in the Scrip- tures. China. lived on in the most stupid, brutish indifference. The way of peace they neither knew, nor desired to know. It was then a time for hoping ag-aiiist hope in Him, who is called, and is, the Amen, and who did not disappoint the hopes of His servants. — Much still remains to he wished for, to be prayed for. Even the eighty-two who have been baptized by us are still but tender saplings : they, indeed, possess and adhere to the historical faith; but much is wanting to indicate that the en- lightenment of the heart and mind has been a real gTowth in the Lord whom they profess. Nevertheless, if we look back upon our labours for the first few years, we have abundant cause to bless the Lord, and to be of good courage, persuaded that He, who began the good work, will carry it on to a final and full triumph. Many hmidreds have learned to read fluently, and are provided with New Testaments ; and we now i-eckon at our two stations in Pulopetak alone— we have besides these three stations in other parts of the country — at least 1000 scholars. Added to this, our services continue to be well attended, and the desire for baptism is on the increase. " From the above, it may be gathered, what report we have to make, respecting the distribution of Dajak New Testaments, and of particular instances of the blessings produced thereby. The desire after books is very great ; and what they especially inquire after, is, the Dabar Maha- tara — the word of God — as they call the New Testament. We must of necessity husband the copies still remaining on hand. We only give them to those, respecting whom we may have some good ground for hoping, that something more than a mere outward curiosity is at the bottom of the request. Many applications we are sorry to have to refuse. The books are well taken care of, and are diligently used. They read much, and with great wilhngness. More especiallj^ when passing in the evening the little villages, which are all situated along the banks of the river, one hears in all directions the voice of the reader, and usually in so loud a tone, that it resounds to the other side of the river, a breadth of some 1500 feet. I should mention that the Dajaks invariably read aloud, and in a recitative tone of voice. Their houses are larg-e, and of great length, some 60 to 100 individuals residing in each ; and should it happen that there is but one reader in a house, all the inmates, through him, hear the word of God ; which is of great importance, especially as regards the females, who as yet neither come to school nor to church. But even they are latterly becoming more accessible to us in their own houses." During the year 1852, China received much of the Society's attention. Though the actual distributions were not all that could have been wished, yet something was accomplished, and various measures were adopted to make that distribution larger. The version of the whole of the Old Testament in Chinese was now finished, and the Society had the pleasure, on the BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 231 application of the Directors of the London Missionary Society, ASIA. of voting to them the sum of £800 towards expenses incurred Chap. TI. by their INIissionaries, in making this revised version, and also <^'lii"3., &c. a further sum of £500 towards printing an edition of the same 1804-54. Much correspondenee took place during the year on the merits of the above version, both of the Old Testament and of the New ; nor had the controversy on the terms to be employed for " God " and " Spirit " wholly ceased. The Committee did not feel that they could take upon themselves, authorita- tively and finally, to decide on several of the questions thus brought before them: hence, in making the above grant towards the Old Testament, the Directors of the London Missionary Society were informed, that the Society did not wish to be considered as pronouncing a judgment on certaki disputed points, touching this version, or as adopting it to the exclusion of any other which might hereafter be completed ; but that, under the present ui'gent circumstances of China, they cheerfully availed themselves of a revised version of the Old Testament in Chinese, coming to them with the recom- mendation of the Directors and their Missionaries, and for which so large opportunities of distribution were found at once to be open. But while thus abstaining from finally committing themselves to the version in question, the Committee were much pleased to receive, from several independent sources, very favourable testimonies to its high character, and to the great care and ability bestowed upon it. That it should have failed to secure the suffrages of all parties, need, under all the circumstances of the case, excite no surprise. We come now to the last year, included within the period of this history— the Society's year of Jubilee, and one of the most important connected with the Society's work in China, insurrcc- The revolutionary political movement, which had been for some cJ"^^° time going on in some of the populous provinces of China, and which was now making rapid progress, could not but engage Homajre the fixed and earnest attention of all thoughtful observers, ^„^jjg ^ whether on the spot, or far off. Scriptures, 232 HISTORY OF THE ASIA. ClIAP. II. China, &c. 1804-34. Interest awakened, as to the ultimate tendency of this move- ment. Kesolution, for a mil- lion Testa- ments for Cliina. Large edition of New Testa- ments at Shanghai. The singular admixture of a religious eleiuent in this move- ment, and especially the homage paid by certain leaders of the insurgents to such portions of the holy volume of the Scrip- tures as had come into their possession, could not fail to awaken anxious and even hopeful anticipations as to the result. One thing was evident, at least, to all true friends of the Bible, that it was their duty to seize every opportunity which passing events might offer, to introduce and circulate most widely the blessed and much needed book, which even the voice of insurrection itself, not unaccompanied, perhaps, with a wild fanaticism, was urging upon the attention of the Chinese people. It was such a feeling as this, that prompted that extraordinary movement in favour of China, commenced in this country, and which kindled a sympathy throughout the globe, — that movement, already more largely detailed in another place, which led to the rapid and spontaneous raising of a fund for printing a million copies of the Chinese New Testament — a fund indeed large enough for double that number, at the low price at which the original calculation was made. Apart, however, from this munificent aid, and before the project was announced, the Society was making steady advance in the prosecution of its one great object. The revised version of the Old Testament, towards the preparing and printing of which the Society had made, in the previous year, a grant of £1300, was now drawing towards its completion. The Corre- sponding Committee at Shanghai furnished a full account of the appropriation of the £400, placed at their disposal for printing the Scriptures. It appears that for this sum they were enabled to bring ou.t four editions of the whole, or part, of the New Testament, amounting altogether to 23,000 volumes, the grea-ter number of which were, without loss of time, sent to dif- ferent parties, not in China only, but in Calcutta, Australia, and California — places in which Chinamen were found to con- gregate and dwell. A further sum of £500 having been voted to the Shanghai Corresponding Committee, with encouragement to prosecute the work with vigour, it Avas resolved by them in conference, the Bishop of Victoria being present and concurring, that BRITISH AXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 233 £250 should be appropriated to tlic printing of 5000 copies of ASIA, the New Testament in hirge type, according to the last cor- Chap. II. rected edition of the Delegates' version, and £250 to the China, &c. printing of an edition of 5000 copies in " Colloquial INIanda- 1804-54. rin," as better adapted to the wants of the less educated ~" classes, and at the same time intelligible to the population of Version in every province. This latter mode of bringing out the Ma'iijarin. Scriptures, which was understood not to affect the character of the version, but only the form of it, found great favour with the Missionaries of different Societies, both American and European, and from various quarters was urged as very desirable, and indeed indispensable, to the general diffusion of Scriptural knowledge in that vast empire. On this work, Dr. Medhurst and Mr. Stronach, two of the principal translators, were diligently engaged till it was finished. Thus sedulously was the Society engaged in seeking to im- part the knoAvledge of the Scriptures to China, when the year of Jubilee, and the remarkable occurrences connected with it, gave a new, unlooked-for, and marvellous impulse to the work, which since then has more and more developed itself. At Shanghai, the Jubilee of the Society was celebrated in a Jubilco very pleasing and spirited manner. Two sermons were auShaiw-" preached at Trinity Church, the one by the Bishop of Yic- liai. toria, the other by the Rev. Mr. Hobson, the British Chaplain, after which the sum of £107 . \0s. was collected towards the Jubilee Fund. On the same day, a sermon was preached at the Missionary Society's Chapel by Dr. Medhurst, when the further sum of 103 dol. 44 c. (about £23) was collected. The measures adopted for the benefit of China in connection with the year of Jubilee, and especially the noble, spontaneous, and successful eifort made, during that year, to raise a fund for printing a million copies of the Chinese New Testament, have been already so fully explained and detailed, that it is not necessary to recur to them again, further than to say, that the impulse then given to the work of Scripture distribution in China has not died away, and that subsequent events have tended increasingly to show the seasonableness and importance of that extraordinary movement. The experience of the Society in China afibrds a striking 234 HISTORY OF THE ASIA, comment on the prophetic hijunction, " if the vision tarry, wait Cha7 II ^^^ ^^•" ^ vision of China, as if opening to the reception of re- China, &c. vealed truth, seemed presented to tlie eye of faith and hope at 1804^34. ^^^ early period of the Society's history ; but, it was not soon — to be reahzed. Long years rolled round — many of them spent in arduous, patient toil, before the good seed of the kingdom was ready to be dispersed ; and when, at length, ' the sower went forth to sow,' he had to do it stealthil}^ and scantily. But how changed the aspect of China now, when our narrative closes !— the vision brightens ! ' He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.' BltlTISII AND FOUEIGN lilBLE SOCIETY. 235 AFRICA. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Early evanr/elizatiori of Northern Africa.— Suhseqiunit arjes of de- solation and barbarism. — Modern slave-traffic of West Africa. — Later Successes of Christian 3Iissions. — Proposal, in 1806, to publish the Scriptures in Arabic, — deferred on account of various obstacles. — Extent and variety of later efforts to spread the Scriptures. — Division adopted in the ensuing narrative. Africa, that division of the globe to which we now turn, is AFRICA, adapted, throughout the whole of its later history, to awaken intr^uc- in every philanthropic and Christian mind the most painful tory reflections. No part of the old world has been longer, or more _ completely, under the reign of Heathenism, — disturbed indeed, but not improved, by the inroads of Mahomedanism. plautiug of It is true that the Northern and Eastern regions of Africa cturdf^s were, at one time, penetrated and illumined with the beams on its of Scriptural light. Christianity was early introduced into shores?"^" these parts of Africa. Christian churches were planted and rpj^^j^. flourished, and Christian men of eminence were not wanting subsequent among them to advocate and illustrate the great truths of the desolation. Bible ; but, in the East, the Ethiopic and Coptic Churches soon yielded to the deadening influence of error and super- stition ; their glory passed away, their light went out in dark- ness, and their powder for good was lost. And again, on its Northern shores. Vandal conquest in the first instance, and, subsequently, the victories of Mahomedan arms, involved entire states and cities in ruin, and spread a desolation and barbarism, which have continued to this day, from the Lybian desert to the territory of the Moors. In later times, the name of Africa has been chiefly associated, Tho slave- in Christian minds, with remembrance of the horrors of West slavery and the slave-trade. Along its shores, what deeds of Africa, cruelty and wrong have been perpetrated ! and, far inland. 236 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA, among its wretched and benighted tribes, what oppressions lutroduc- ^"d crimes have been fomented, for the sake of the infamous tory traffic and its gains ! _ " Hence, not many years ago, to a Christian philanthropist, in , , lookino; over the map of the world, Africa seemed to be that Later sue- » '- cesses of portion of it, the least likely to repay the toils of the sacrifice Misrious! °^ modern evangelizing effort. Yet here, some of the most precious trophies of Missionary zeal have been won ; and here, too, the Bible Society has found a field for its labours, not only much needing culture, but already yielding some produce, and holding forth the promise and hope of a rich harvest in years to come. The attention of the Society was first directed to Africa, in conjunction with a plan for printing the Arabic Scriptures. It Proposal occurred to some of the friends of the Society, so early as irshfug'tbe 1806, that the Arabic presented a medium, through which the Arabic light of Divine revelation mioht be widely diffused anions the Scriptures. . , ,. ^ap- i i- o i ii 1806. inhabitants oi Atrica ; and a resolution was lormed to take the propriety and practicability of printing some portion, at least, of the Scriptures in that language, into immediate and serious consideration. It appears that the design originated with Bishop Porteus, and the proceedings adopted, in pursuit of the object, were stimulated by the Bishop's earnest appeals, in his own name, and that of his friend, the Bishop of Durham, on behalf of " Heathen and Mahomedan nations." " It is a measure " (says the Bishop) " which both myself and the Bishop of Durham (wuth whom I have corresponded on the subject) have exceedingly at heart, and we are anxious that it should be entered upon without delay. It would, I am confident, do great credit to the Society, and might be of infinite service in sowing the seeds of Christianity over the whole continent of Africa." The business was prosecuted with a degree of earnest and careful investigation, becoming the importance of the under- taking, and the many difficulties, of a literary nature, in which the execution of it w^as involved. The measure, indeed, had been to some extent anticipated. In the year 1803, the Rev. Dr. Carlvle, Pj-ofessor of Arabic Introduc- tory Remarks. Informa- tiou tur- BRITISn AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 237 in the University of Cambridge, desirous of exciting the })nbHc AFRICA attention to the dispersion of the Scriptures in the Arabic language, issued a prospectus for printing by subscription an edition of the Aral)ic Bible, under the patronage of the Lord Bishop of Durham ; urging, in its recommendation, a variety of encouraging circumstances, and particularly the prevalence of the Arabic language in Africa, and both the qualification and the fondness of the Africans for reading Arabic books, as attested by the Sierra Leone Company, and by the celebrated Mungo Park, Browne, and other respectable authorities. Mr. Park was of opinion that, in the western part of the Continent, the knowledge of Arabic reaches to the llth or even 10th degree of North latitude. He agreed with several "'^•'^'1 by ° ^ ^ ° ^ Mungo of the travellers from Sierra Leone, in representing the negro Park and inhabitants as having arrived at a very considerable degree of "^ ^^^' civilization. Those whom he met with could almost all read and write the Arabic language, in which they were regularly instructed ; the poorer sort, by public masters at village schools ; the richer, by private tutors at their parents' houses. The native, under whose hospitable roof he resided for several months, maintained a master to teach Arabic to his own children, and permitted sixteen others, the children of his poorer neighbours, to learn at the same time. According to Mr. Park, the negroes are proud of their literature, and seldom travel without a book slung by their side. Amongst their books he perceived the Pentateuch, the Book of Psalms, and the Prophet Isaiah. All of these they prized very highly ; and such was the general eagerness to obtain them, that he believed no articles would be more saleable in Africa, than copies of the Scriptures in Arabic. He had seen a copy of the Pentateuch alone, sold at a price of about twenty guineas. The unexpected death of Professor Carlyle put a stop, for a period, to the projected undertaking. In the interval, the sul)- ject of printing the Arabic Sacred Scriptures underwent serious and repeated examination by the Bible Society. An extended correspondence was carried on with the Bishops of London and Durham, the Professors of Arabic in both our Universities, 238 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA, and other persons of competent Information, with a view to the Introduc- ascertainment of a standard text, and such other points as tory required to be accurately known, previously to a formal and _ ' conclusive determination. In the course of this inquiry, the Society derived very material assistance, both from the Rev. Mr. Usko, and the Rev. Dr. Adam Clarke. The caution, which it was thought right to employ in this investigation, necessarily protracted it ; and, in the mean time, the obstacles which had impeded Professor Carlyle's under- taking having been removed, and the work announced as ready for execution, the Society, finding their own plans immature, became subscribers for 300 copies, as a temporary expedient. Deferred deferring the printing on their own account until, by an ex- 011 account . °„ , . . ? . . i i i • i i of various tension 01 their mquu'ies, they had obtained more exact and obstacles, satisfactory information. It afterwards appeared, that the hesitation of the Society was not greater than the occasion demanded. The text of the Polyglott, adopted by Professor Carlyle, was objected to, both by Mr. Usko and Dr. Adam Clarke, and also by Henry Martyn, who had now become no small proficient in the language, as used in the East ; and it was anticipated that a new Arabic version by Sabat, at that time in the course ofexecution, would supersede every other, at least in India, and supply an acknowledged great desideratum in Biblical literature. It is, however, important here to observe, in justice to the current text adopted by Professor Carlyle, that the objections to it had reference chiefly to the language, as now vernacular in Arabia, and did not invalidate the claims of that text to respect as, upon the whole, a faithful vehicle of the divine word, and an instrument of approved usefulness in the propaga- tion of Christianity. A circumstance deserves to be here related, which, though it occurred several years afterwards, is introduced, as con- firming the intelligence on wdiich the Society's proceedings above referred to were founded, that Arabic Bibles would obtain a ready circulation among the Mahomedan nations of Africa. Of the 300 copies of the Arabic Bible, obtained through the BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 239 medium of the above-mentioned subscription, twelve were put AFRICA, into circulation by means of the following occurrence. A introduc- Missionary, in the service of the Church Missionary Society, -p ^°^^i^ to whose care these copies had been assigned, was unfortunately — wrecked on the coast of Africa. A portion of the cargo re- deemed from the waves was sold to the natives, and of it these Arabic Bibles formed a part. The Missionary made every effort in his power to re-purchase them, but without success. As much as £8 was offered for a copy, but refused ; the Mahomedan natives persisting in their resolution not to pai't with them on any terms. Thus ended, in comparative failure, the first efforts of the Extent Society to provide for the Scriptural enlightenment of the ofsubse- sable sons of Africa. The providence of God, however, had ^l"*^"^ ^^" something good in store for Africa, — and something, too, which this Society was to be the instrument of dispensing, though not exactly in the way and form at first contemplated. We shall find that it has been rather through the medium of new trans- lations, than by the renovation of old ones, that some of the most pressing wants of Africa were to be met. There has been, however, a noticeable admixture of both. That we may have a clear and appreciable view of the Division of c . , , ^- • A i> • ,• ,1 .11 theensuiiig Society s operations in Airica,-^operations, not large indeed, as narrative. compared with other quarters of the globe, yet deeply interest- ing,— it may be desirable to follow a division, not unfrequently recognised, of Southern, Western, and Eastern or North- Eastern Africa. Its Northern shores are more immediately connected with Europe; and the Society's labours there have, in part, been noticed already : what remains, may be reserved to the close. In connection with Southern Africa, we shall glance at the Mauritius, or Isle of France. The Island of Madagascar presents matter of sufficient interest and impor- tance to have allotted to it a distinct Section. Of the centre of this great continent, alas ! we know, and can say but little. Its time is yet to come in the annals of Biblical enterprise ; but there is reason to hope, that a brighter 'day draweth nigh.' 240- niSTORY OF THE AFRICA. CHAPTER I. SOUTHERN AFRICA. AFRICA. Chap. I. South Africa. Sect. I. Cape Colony, Caffraria, &c. 1804-54. Scriptures for British Settlers at the Cape. SECTION I. CAPE COLONY, AND CAFFRARIA. 1804—1854. Scriptures for British Settlers at the Cape. — Auxiliaries formed at the Mauritius — at St. Helena — a7td at Caj^e Town. — First distribution of Scriptures among the Hottentots. — Gospel of St. Luke in the Sechuana language. — Signal effect of the Scriptures among the Hottentots.— Emancipation of slaves in the 3Iauri- tius. — Grant for the Sechuana version. — Visit of Mr. Moffat to this country ; a7id speech at the Annual Meeting. — Grant for Caff re New Testament. — Mission of Mr. T. J. Bourne to the Cape, — and Auxiliary and Bible Associations there re- organized. The first grant of Scriptures from the Society to Southern Africa was in 1806 : it was for the benefit of the British settlers, soldiers, and colonists, at the Cape of Good Hope; and how necessary and acceptable was the supply, may be judged of by the following communication: — " I was amply rewarded for my labour," (says a distributor of the Society's English Bibles and Testaments at the Cape of Good Hope,) " in seeing the cheerful countenances of many poor soldiers, and hearing them speak of the kindness of God, and his care for the poorest of his people. Yes, it is impossible for me to tell you in words, what they expressed in their BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 241 countenances : tears of joy flowed down tlieir cheeks ; tliey AFRICA, clasped their liands together, and lifted up their eyes to cha^ I. heaven." South " It is a fact," (says another correspondent from tlic Cape of ^■^^^• Good Hope,) " that for some time past not a single Dutch ^^?'^- ^' Bible could be got for money ; and, what is rather singular, Colony, the Rev. INIr. Kicherer came from Graaf Reinet, (nearly thirty ^''^^^j)''-'^' days' journey from Cape Town,) expressly for the purpose of ^ — purchasing Bibles and religious books, and was just about ' — ' returning into the interior, full of disappointment, when the ^^'^• very seasonable supply from the Society arrived." As it is proposed to notice the smaller African Islands in Formation connection with this part of the Continent, it may be here s„^it'° stated, that towards the close of the year 1812, a Bible Society at the was formed in the Mauritius, for the " Islands of Mauritius, ^^'''""'''"^• Bourbon, and Dependencies." The meeting for this purpose was held at the Government House at Port Louis, by per- mission and under the sanction of His Excellency the Governor. The arrival of supplies of Bibles and Testaments, shortly after the establishment of the Society, enabled it to commence, without delay, the work of distribution. So greatly did the colony appear to have been neglected, that such a thing *^as a French Bible could not have been purchased within it for years back ;" and the Secretary, (on whose authority this assertion is made,) was also " credibly informed, that many persons on the island w^ere living at that time, at the advanced age of sixty and seventy years, who never even saw a Bible." While this scarcity of the Scriptures was thus painfully ascertained on the one hand, a disposition both to communi- cate and receive them was not less agreeably demonstrated on the other. The intelligence of what had taken place was no sooner laid before the public, than it produced the most gj*ati- fying impression. " The colonists of all ranks took a warm interest in the Institution, and purchased the Scriptures, then lately arrived, with avidity beyond description." In the year 1813, a new Auxiliary made its appearance Auxiliary in Insular Africa, under the designation of the " St. Helena ^ ^^■ ' . ° . . Helena, Auxiliary Bible Societ}'." This Society remitted, shortly after Vol. il. "^ R 242 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA, its formation, the sum of £160 to the fmids of the Parent Cul^. I. Society. South In the same year, an Institution was formed at Cape Town, Afkica. j ^ ^ _ _ ' under the designation of " The Bible and School Commis- Sect. I. sion," having the double object of promoting education, and Colony, the dispersion of the Scriptures. In prosecution of this latter ^^^&c"^' object, it was brought into friendly relation to the Bible — Society, but not exactly as an Auxiliary. The direct contri- _ ' butions of friends of the Society still continued, amounting, 1814. in some years, to above £100. Nor were efforts wanting, to bring the Sacred Scriptures into circulation. The Rev. George Thom, writing from Cape Town (in 1814), says: — ** I have lately returned from a journey on horseback of about 1200 British miles, and, as I had guides from house to ., house nearly the whole way, I had an opportunity of being in tion of some hundreds of farmhouses ; in most of which I found the amone'cX Scriptures, but, in general, a large unwieldy volume, handed louists aud down from father to son. A considerable scarcity exists, as ^ ^^^^' the families of the farmers are large, and, as several said, * We wish to give the Scriptures to our children, but we cannot procure them.' I have given Bibles to two kraals (villages) of Hottentots, that have not hitherto shared in the bounty of the Society. Both of these settlements of Bethelsdorp I have visited, and have heard some of the Hottentot children and youth read very well." Mr. Thom continued to exert himself in the distribution of the Sacred Scriptures, for the benefit both of Colonists and Natives. In 1816, he speaks of having forwarded books ten weeks' journey into the interior, for the use of the Namacquas. The intelligence from the Rev. J. Read, at Bethelsdorp, in South Africa, was also very gratifying. He mentions, that a Hottentot, named Sampson, who, though more than fifty years of age, had learned to read, upon seeing the Bibles sent for distribution, exclaimed, " These are the weapons that will conquer Africa ; they have conquered me." The first pur- chaser of a Bible was a Hottentot, who, at the age of forty, had also learned to read. Fifty Bibles were presented, on the first day of distribution, to as many children, who could read BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 243 well. Mr. Read adds, tliat there was a vast ninnber of adults AFRICA. •VN'lio could read the Bible. ^ "~ x Chap. I. A small Society, established at Caledon, sent remittances South from time to time to the Societ}^ Africa. In August 1820 was formed, at the Cape of Good Hope, Skct. I. the " South African Auxiliary Bible Society," principally CoioEy, through the indefatigable exertions of Sir J. Brenton, the ^affWuia, Naval Commissioner. His Excellency Sir R. Dunkin, Lieu- — tenant-Governor, became its President. To afford substantial ^'^'^^^^• encouragement to this new Auxiliary, the Parent Society pre- ^'^^o. scnted it with a grant of books to the value of £200, which, however, was generously declined, as it Avas deemed that the Auxiliary had sufficient pecuniary resources for all the imme- diate demands on its bounty. The accounts which reached the Cape from the interior, continued to be encouraging. The Biblical field seemed to open to the eye of faith and hope. " In my journeys into the interior," says the Rev. Dr. Philip, " I have been frequently entreated for Bibles : any I had to spare, have been thankfully received : and I have often Eager ilc- met with individuals, who snowed an eagerness to purchase tlie Sciip- them at any sum within their reach. The discoveries daily *"'^^'^* making, lead to a supposition, that all the languages spoken from the Keiskamma to the Arabian Gulfj and from the mouth of the Zambeze to that of the Congo, are derived from the same parent stock, and so nearly allied to each other, as to furnish great facilities for the translation and general circula- tion of the Scriptures." A Missionary writes : — " You cannot conceive what joy sat on each countenance, when it was published in our church that Bibles and Testa- ments had arrived. To the Namacquas it was a day of glad- ness. The friends of the Bible will rejoice to hear that the poor Namacquas, whose days were formerly spent in roaming over mountains and deserts, have learnt from the Sacred Scriptures to assemble together to worship the true and living God." A translation of the New Testament was undertaken in the Namacqua language, and the four Gospels were printed at K 2 &c. 1804-54. 244 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Cape Town at the expense of the Society ; 50 reams of paper Chap I being also voted for the same purpose. It was the first book South ever printed in that language. Africa. Intelligence was received from Cape Town, in 1832, that Sect. I. ^i^g Gospel of St. Luke, in the Sechuana language, translated Colony, by the Rev. R. Moffat, had been completed. A printing press Caffraria, ^^g established at Lattakoo, the station of Mr. Moffat, to be employed in furnishing the Scriptures, and school lessons, for a reading population among the heretofore barbarous tribes of 1832. that part of South Africa. Grants for Application was also received, this year, from thirteen Mis- New Tes- sionaries of different denominations, relative to the translation the Caffre and printing of the Scriptures in the Caflfre language. Several books, or parts of books, both of the Old and New Testament, had been prepared, and assistance was asked to carry forward the work. Authority was given to print the New Testament, or integral portions thereof, and a sufficient quantity of paper was forwarded to the Cape for this purpose ; a grant also was made of 150 Bibles and . 1000 New Testaments, in the Dutch language, for the use of Missionaries in this quarter of Africa. The Rev. Dr. Philip, on making a remittance on behalf of the Cape Town Auxiliary, bears the following pleasmg testi- mony to the extent and influence of Scripture, distribution, among the Hottentot and other native tribes. " In a late visit to tlie interesting- settlement of the Kat River, I was glad to find, that instead of single leaves of the Testament only, which was all that I found in 1 830, those of the scholars farthest advanced in their education, were in possession of whole cojiies of the Scriptures, for which we are indebted to the liberality of your Committee. I find it quite impossible to describe my emotions on witnessing the effects of Bible Scriptures education, and the distribution of the Scriptures, on my recent visit to this among the new settlement, containing 4000 or 5000 Hottentots, not more than one- fifth of whom had previously been under the means of grace, or in cir- cumstances to become acquainted with a single letter of the aljihabet ; and those emotions were greatly heightened, as you may easily suppose, as the mind passed from the scene before me to the blessings conferred upon all our institutions in Africa by the Bible Society, and to those which it has conferred, and is now conferring, upon the whole world. " When I visit our Missionary institutions, or the settlement of tlie Kat River, which presents at this moment one of the most interesting- spec- Signal effect of the Hotteu- AFRICA. Chap. I. South Africa. Skct. I. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 24o tacles on the face of the eartli, and compare wliat the Hottentots were a few years ag'o, -n-hen they were, perhaps, the most de<;Taded class of being's having- a human shape, witli wliat the rehg-ion of Christ has made tliem, — I cannot saj- what the Bible has done for tliis or that man, but I am at no loss to discover what has made these people to differ from w^hat tliey were, and from what their countrymen in a state of nature, and within the gTasp of avarice, still are ; and in this case no one can deny, that we Coloiiy, are to trace much of the chang'e we admire, to the free circulation of the CaflVaria, Scriptures among- them." "'^^• The Rev. B. Shaw, Wesleyan Missionary, also contributed, i^^j^'''^- about this time, the following interesting incident : — IS'M. " Some years ago, on seeing a poor shepherd with a wallet made of skin under his arm in the country, I inquired what he had got in his bag- ? His answer delig-hted me. He said, ' Mynheer, it is a Testament, which I value more than gold, or silver, or all worldly things, because I learn from it the way to heaven.' The said shepherd had learned to read after his return from the fields with his flock. He never had an opportunity Shepberd of attending- the school, yet I beUeve he was taug-ht of God, and partook life, ami largely of the blessedness of the believer mentioned in the first Psalm. "^^ "il'le. There are now many such persons in the wilds of this country, who, ■while their flocks rest at noon, are engaged in drawing water from the wells of salvation, supplied to them, under God, by the British and Foreign Bible Society. From these deserts many a prayer ascends to the God of all gTace, for a blessing on the persons who sent them the Scrip- tures." An Auxiliary Bible Society was this year, 1834, formed at Graham's Town. The Missionaries engaged in that quar- ter, in preparing the translation into the Caffre language, met with some impediments, by unpleasant disturbances which broke out among the Cafi'res : still their important work was not wholly, nor long interrupted. They were now engaged in printing portions of tlie Old Testament, as well as the New ; supplies of paper being furnished to them by the Society. The Mauritius being included in the act which was passed Mauritius, in 1834, for the emancipation of Negro slaves, an inquiry was Emancipa- instituted, as to the probable number qualified to avail them- Negroes, selves of the "gift-book of the New Testament and Psalms" issued on that occasion ; when the melancholy fact was reported by the Rev. Messrs. Banks and LeBrun, that in a population of Testament. from 60,000 to 70,000 individuals in that colony, there were not ten aljle to read the Sacred Volume ; the ])Oor creatures having been kept in total ignorance concerning the Holy Scrip- 246 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. I. Sooth Africa. Sect. I. Cape Colony, CafFraria, &c. 1804-54. 1836. Visit of Missio- naries, and native con- verts, to this coun- try. Address of the Caffre chief; and of the Hottentot. Picture of Hottentot life in the past. The Bible drew them from their caves; and changed their whole existence. tures, and the principles of the Christian religion. It need not be added, that encouragement was given to every effort that could be made, towards alleviating the appalling wants of this long and fearfully-neglected population. A renewed interest was awakened on behalf of Africa, by the visit to this country, of the Rev. Dr. Philip, and of the Rev. Mr. Read, a Missionary in Africa of nearly thirty-seven years' standing, accompanied by his son, together with a Chris- tian Caffre chief, and a Christian Hottentot. The Caffre chief and the Hottentot attended a public meeting convened by the Directors of the London Missionary Society in August 1836. Their addresses on that occasion so beautifully and strikingly illustrate the value of the Bible, and of the Bible Society's labours, that they must not be passed by here. " When the word of God came among- us," said the Caffire chief, "we were hke the wild beasts, we knew nothing ! we were so wild that there was nothing- bnt war and bloodshed. Every one was ag-ainst liis neigh- bour; there was no confidence between man and man, and each man tried to destroy his brother. The word of God has turned us ; the word of God has brought peace, has reconciled one man to another ; and in us is fulfilled that text of Scripture, ' The wolf shall dwell with the lamb.' I thank the English nation for what we have received at their hands." The Christian Hottentot said, " I will not dwell upon what we were before, but I will tell you what the Bible has done for us. There are three gentlemen in this country who are witnesses to what Africans were — Dr. Philip, Mr. Read, and Mr. Campbell. I wish to tell you what the Bible has done for Africa. What would have become of the Hottentot nation, and every black man in South Africa, had you kept the word of God to yourselves 1 When you received the word of God, jou thought of other nations who had not that word. When the Bible came amongst us we were naked ; we lived in caves and on the tops of the mountains ; we had no clothes, we painted our bodies with red paint. At first we were surprised to hear the truths of the Bible. The Bible charmed us out of the caves, and from the tops of the mountains. The Bible made us throw away all our old customs and practices, and we lived among civi- lized men. We are tame men now. Now we know there is a God ; now we know we are accountable creatures before God. But what was our state before the Bible came ? We knew none of these thing-s. We knew nothing about heaven. We knew not who made heaven and earth. The Bible is the only light for every man that dwells on the tace of the earth. I thank God, in the name of every Hottentot — of all the Hottentots in South Africa, that I have seen the face of Englishmen. I have been looking- whether a Hotteiatot found his way to this meeting", but I have BRITISH AXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 247 looked in vain : I am the onl^' one. I have travelled with the Missionaries AFllICA. in taking the Bible to the Bushmen, and other nations. When the word — of God has been preached, the bushman has thrown away his bow and ^"•'^^- ^• arrows. I have accompanied the Bible to the Caffi-e nation, and when the Africa. Bible spoke, the Catire threw away his shield and all his vain customs. I — went to Lattakoo, and they threw away all their evil works, they threw •^^^^'^- ^• away their assagais, and became the children of God. The only way to Culony, reconcile man to man is to instruct man in the truths of the Bible. I say CaliVaria, again, the Bible is the light ; and where the Bible comes, the minds of _' men are enlightened. "Where the Bible is not, there is nothing but dark- 1804-54. ness : it is dangerous, in tact, to travel through such a nation. Where — the Bible is not, man does not hesitate to kill his fellow : he never even ' ' repents afterwards of having committed murder. I thank you to-day : I Tlianks to do nothing but thank you to-da3\ Are there anj' of the old Englishmen K»glish- here who sent out the word of God ? I give them my thanks : if there Bible'"^ '° are not, I give it to their- childi'en. The Bible is still amongst us, I wUl not say much. I have told you that there are three witnesses who came with me, and they will speak of things. Your Missionaries, when they came to us, suffered with us, and they wept with us, and they struggled for us, till they obtained for us the charter of our liberties. " I am so convinced that the Bible is the word of God, and of the blessings that we derive from it, that were there any thing I could do for my own countrymen, I would do it ; but it is the work of God to do it. Mj nation is poor and degraded, but the word of God is their stay and their hope. The word of God has brought my nation so far, that if a Hottentot and an Englishman were walking with their faces from me, I would take them both to be Enghshmen. Do instruct us — 1 say agam, do instruct us 1 Do not leave us to ourselves. Hold us under your arm. We are coming on ; we are improving ; we will soon all be one. The Bible makes all nations one. The Bible brings wild man and civihzed together. The Bible is our hght. The Hottentot nation was almost exterminated, but the Bible has brought the nations together, and here am I hefore you. You have the honour, I claim nothing. You give us your pence and your forrhings, and here am I ; I am yours." The Auxiliaries at Cape Town, Graham's Town, and Salem, continued actively engaged hi prosecuting their much-needed labours, so far as the interruptions of the Cafifrc war allowed. Mr. Moftat was also diligently at work among the Bechuanas ; -^j.^ j^of- and the printing of the Gospel of St. Luke, in the Sechuana f^*- language, was carried forward. lie writes (1836): — " On this station, as well as at other places I lately visited in the course Evidence of an itinerating journey, I was dehghted to hear that the attention of ^.^* ^"'^^ the people was lirst aroused to a sense of the importance of Divine Truth, i^dgo of tlio and a concern for their souls, b}^ hearing that Gospel read in their own Scriptures, language. I have frequejitl.y listened with surpri.'^e to hear how minutely Chap. I. South 248 HISTORY OF THE AFEICA. some, who were unable to read, could repeat the story of The Woman who was a Sinner ; the parable of the Great Supper, the Prodig-al Son, and the Eich Man and Lazarus ; and date their change of views to these Afkica. simple but all-important truths, delivered by the great Master Teacher." Sect. I. In a subsequent communication, not long before liis visit to Colony, this countrj, Mr. Moffat writes : — Caflraria, . . . ^ &c. " Within the last twelve months, we have had the inexpressible joy of — receiving- seventy-one adults (some ag'ed) into the Church. The natives on all sides are learning* to read. Though thei'e must be about 4000 1838. spelling-books in circulation, the demand for them is increasmg. Many are able to read well. Lately we mcreased the Hymns to 100, and printed 2000 copies, and also 2000 copies of the large speUing-book, both of which were greatly wanted ; very few copies remain of your Gospel of St. Luke. Some people who live 200 miles beyond iis, are learning to read, and some can read tolerably well. The chief, his brother, and seven others, are chuanaT members of the Church here. The brother lately came to get an addi- learning to tional supply of Gospels and Selections (Scripture lessons). When I asked read. him how they spent the Sabbath, his reply was — ' We read much in God's word, and pray, and sing, and read again, and again, and again, and ex- plain what we understand to those who do not understand the Sechuana language.' More of the jiure stream of sacred truth is needed to fertilize this moral desert. You have already reaped some heavenly fruit of your labour. We can no longer doubt but these are the certain tokens of an abundant harvest. We take courage, and feel a kind of triumph, when we look to your venerable and majestic Society as our magazine of invul- nerable armour, destined to conquer the world Avith love, and make all the kindreds of the earth hail the meek and lowly Jesus as their God and King. One of our Missionaries of Griqua Town, lately writing to me from a populous out-station on the Yellow River, says — ' The good work here is making progress. What has been accompHshed by feeble means (in „. - .. our eyes) makes me exclaim, ' What hath God wrought !' The sword of sionary's t^^ Spirit is truly in clumsy hands, but it hath shown itself two-edged, auticipa- Its success here is ev'idently not owing to the hand that wields it, but to tion ot the j^g ^^^ native power and destination from above. Jesus and the Apostles the Bible, teach here, without any human infirmity intruding between them and the hearts of the hearers. The great principles of the Bible Society are exemplified here. The simple reading and study of the Bible alone will convert the world. The Missionary's work is, to gain for it admission and attention, and then let it speak for itself. The simplicit}'- of means, but the greatness of eftect, is quite in character with its Divine Author. To Him be all the i^raise." In the neiglibourhood of Salem, about 1200 persons were visited who had all suffered in the war ; and as many had been left entirely destitute of the Scriptures, and others liad only a BRITISH AXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 249 AFRICA. borrowed Bible or Testament, they were immediately sup- plied from the stock provided by the bounty of the Parent Ciiap, I. Society ; which stock was replenished by a further grant, in South the following year, of 1000 Bibles and 2000 Testaments. The New Testament being completed, Mr. Moftat became anxious about the printing of It, which the press at Lattakoo was Colony, 1 1 ^ n 1 /- 1 • • 1 . .1 Cafl'raria, not equal to ; he thererore proposed at nrst having it done at tlie &c. Sect. Cap 1804-54. 1840. Cape, and 250 reams of paper were cheerfully voted for the print- ing of -4000 copies. When, however, he reached the Cape, it was thought desirable that the work should be executed In this country, and that he should come over here for the purpose of Grant for supermtending it. His coming was a source or sincere pleasure ana ver- to the Committee, and many other members of the Society, who ^'°"- were glad to make the personal acquaintance of so zealous and devoted a fellow-labourer; while he found himself much assisted in the further prosecution of his work, by the counsels and Visit of help of the Society's valuable Editorial Superintendent, the tohisna^ Rev. Joseph Jowett. An edition of the Psalms was added to tivelaud. that of the New Testament. The following address was delivered by Mr. MoflPat at the Anniversary Meeting of the Society in May 1840, soon after his landing in this country. We introduce it at length, not only on account of the intrinsic interest attaching to the in- cidents he relates, considered in themselves, but also because jj-^ jj the details given, furnish a graphic picture of the whole cha- at the racter of similar efforts amongst these tribes of Africa, and j^^Jetiiig illustrate, on the testimony of this intelligent and honoiu'ed 1'5^^- Missionary, the " manner of entrance" which the word of truth finds among those portions of the human family, which seeined most deeply sunk in ignorance and brutishness, as well as the marvellous and blessed results attendant on its reception. " The greater part of my life," said Mr. Moffat, " has been spent in the wilds of Africa, beyond that hne of demarcation which separates the king-dom of darkness from the kingdom of light ; in a situation where I could at any time take my stand and look to an interminable distance, and behold that distance covered with innumerable hearts on wliich the xiie former hght of heaven had never dawned. The case is changed now. By means darkness of the Scriptures— portions of the Scriptures, I ought to say— which have ^.'^^ ,'."^ ^'^ been translated and circulated among* them, we are now beginning to see the Sun of Righteousness arishig on Iong-neglect(!d, long-degraded, long-trodden-down Africa. 250 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. '' My object in standing' up to address j'ou at this time, is to state what Chap. I. South 1840. the Be- chuanas, anterior to the Scripture has done in those dark regions where my lot has been cast. In what state did the Missionaries find the Bechuanas, when they first Africa, went to that dark and benighted country ? They found them Sociahsts of the first order ;— they had no Bible ; they had never heard of the word Cape ' ^^ G°*^ 5 *^^^.y ^^^ never heard of a God ; they were igiiorant of the past, Colony, and of the future perfectly unconscious : such was the situation of thou- Caffraria, gauds and tens of thousands who inhabit those regions, and I have passed !_■ through many tribes. I have conversed with many others who came lfl04-54 from interior nations; and I never found, in all my inquiries with respect to their knowledge of Divine things, that they had one ray of light to give them any idea of a future state of being" : nothing remained for Stat^ of them but dismal, dreaiy amiihilation. But let me direct your attention to what has been accompHshed among those people by means of the words of eternal life. Terrible and long was the night, and laborious the toil, Christian before we saw the first-fruits of our labour — before we saw sinners yield Missions. obedience to that Jesus, of whom they long used to speak with the utmost contempt and scorn. Often did the natives tell us, "You talk about Iving Jesus— you talk about Jehovah ; let us see the first Bechuana Avho will bow to that Jesus!" But the time is come when we can point not to one, but to hundreds, who have yielded obedience to our Loi'd Jesus Christ — The change who are now adorning the Gospel wliich they believe ; who are living wrought on epistles, known and read of all the Heathen around, who wonder, admire, and oiTthe ^""^ ^^^*^ *^^ change. Yes, so gi'eat is the change that has taken place, •worst. that those who still stand aloof look on with amazement, to see the robber become honest — to see the unclean become chaste— to see the murderer become feeling— and to see individuals, who were once a terror to all around them, shedding tears of conti'ition and son'ow over the sins that they have committed. _, . " The nations around say, ' How comes this change V A stranger, explana- coming from the interior, met, at a little village, with some youths who lion ; " it had books in their hands. He wished to know what the things were that l^n?^^""^ they looked at so earnestly. He examined the books; but he could not us !" see as they could ; and he said, ' What fools they were to talk to such a thing as that!' They said, ' We do not talk to the book ; it is the book that is talking to us.' At the next village he met with two females, with children in their arms, sitting', and reading the Gospel of St. Luke, which had been translated, and printed by this Society. He again put the ques- tion : ' What things are these that you are tuniing over and over ? What in the world is this that I see among the people ? Is it food V They said, ' No ; it is the word of God.' ' Does it speak V ' Yes,' was the reply ; ' it speaks to the heart.' He shook his head, and went on his journey, to a Chief of a tribe ; and he told him what he had seen. To his surprise, the children of the Chief came in, and a native, with books in their hands. He thought. What can be the meaning' of this wonder ? He said to the Chief, ' Pray, father, unravel my confused thoughts, and open these dark eyes of mine, if you can, for I cannot see. What is come over your BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 251 people ? They look at things, and talk to thins:?, that cannot talk again.' AFRICA. ' All,' said the Chief, ' I will explain it — I will uin-avel it to j'ou.' The — man sat down, and the Chief opened his hps in wisdom : he said, ' These g" utu ' are the books brought by the Teachers to instruct us.' The man said, Africa. ' Did the Teachers make them V ' JN^o,' said he : ' we thought at first that — the Missionaries made them, but we found afterwards that these books ^q^^q ' were God's books.' ' How did you find that out V ' Because we saw Colony, that they turned people upside down ; they made people new ; they sepa- Caffraria, rated between father and son, and mother and daughter. They made _" such a revolution among the people, that we were afraid we should all be 1804-54. made over again.' ' Do you believe tliis ?' *Yes.' 'And why?' 'Be- — cause I can't dance any more ; I can't sing any more ; I can't keep a harem : therefore I was afraid we should all be turned upside down. Inference But I know the secret. There is my son : I see him, but he is not mine : that the he is dead to me through these books.'—' Why V ' Because he is alive to ^j^jug j God.' — But the astonished wanderer asked, ' Do they eat the books V < No ; they eat them with the soul, not with the mouth : they digest them with the heart ; they do not chew them with their teeth.'—' How is it,' said the man, ' that any thing external can produce such a change as you yetmighty, describe V My friends, I ask you the same question : how could this o"'y change have been effected by the translation of the Gospel of St. Luke, if tiJe^'ypirit. it had not been accompanied by the Spirit of God ? I have known indi- viduals to come hundreds of miles to obtain copies of St. Luke. Yes ; they have come, and driven sheep before them, to obtain these copies. They did not mtend to beg them, but to buy them. And could you have beheld with what gratitude and feeling they received these portions of God's word, you would be animated more and more to go on in the blessed work of preparing the word of God for these dark benighted nations. I have known families travel fifty or sixty miles, with their babes on their shoulders, to come and ask for the word of God. And why 1 Because they had acquired, at a distance, the knowledge of read- ing ; and they had a feeling that they ought to buy this word, not to beg it And I have seen them receive portions of St. Luke, and weep over them, and grasp them to their bosoms, and shed tears of thankfulness, till I have said to more than one, ' You will spoil your books with your tears.' " Once an individual came to me to speak about his soul. (I merely give you this as one instance — I could give many.) I said to him, ' Bow did you become acquainted with this Jesus, seeing j^ou live in a desert ?' He said, 'I was wandering to such a place— a weary journey— and I sat down to rest myself by the side of a shepherd ; and that shepherd was talking to something I could not understand. I asked what it was. He said, ' I am reading.' I inquired what the book was, and desired him to The sliep- explain it to me. The shepherd said, ' I am too young in the doctrine of rat[ve,"and God to explain it to you; but I will tell you what I know. I have heard reasoning. that this is the word of God : it was given to us to make our dark hearts light ; to turn our foolishness into wisdom ; and to tell us, that after we 252 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. I. South Africa. Sect. I, Cape Colony, Caffraria, &c. 1804-54. 1840. The Bible adiscerner of the thoughts of the heart. Africa shall agaiu produce her Chris- tian ora- tors and martyrs. have lived well here, we shall go to another world hereafter.' — ' Pray read to me that word/ said this wild heathen. The shepherd complied, and read from the Gospel of St. Luke, about the shei:»herds to whom the heavenly hosts spake of the birth of Jesus. He heard how the shepherds left their flocks, and went to Bethlehem to see the Saviour ; and he went home, thinking how great that Saviour must be, that could induce shep- herds to leave their flocks to go to see Him. And Avhy did the man renson thus ? Because all that they value is their herds and "flocks ; a Bechuana will leave his wife and children, but not his flocks— they are more precious to him than every thing else ; and therefore, if these shepherds left their flocks to go and see the Saviour, it was natural for him to conclude that that must be a great Saviour indeed. This man came to me to obtain the knowledge of reading, and returned home with the Gospel of Luke. Some time after, a person, to whom this individual was indebted, went to him, and said, ' Friend, pay me what thou owest.' He replied, ' I have not wherewith to pay you.' He said, ' You have got a Gospel of Luke ; give me that, and I will care nothing about my sheep that j^ou owe me : You promised me a fat sheep ; but give me your Gospel of Luke, and I will say no more.' He re23lied, ' No, I will never part with the Gospel of Luke : it was that Gospel that led my soul to the spot where the Infant Saviour lay.' " In one of my journeys in a village, I met a young man and a number of women : he was exhorting them to be faithful and zealous, and diligent in reading the Scriptures. He said to me, ' I would like to ask you one question ; and it is one that has made us talk a great deal. But you have so much wisdom, that I am ashamed to ask you.' ' What is it V said I, At last he said : ' Did those holy men, who wrote the word of God, know that there were Bechuanas in the world?' My reply was, that certainly the word of God was intended for all men : ' but what is your opinion V said I. He said, ' I think they did ; because the word of God describes every sin that the wicked Bechuanas have in their hearts ; you know that they are the most wicked people in the world, and it is all described in that book ; so that those who are unconverted do not like to hear us read, because they say that we are turning their hearts inside out.' " Yes, the Bechuanas were certainly degraded, ignorant, brutal : but let us look now at what the Gospel has accomplished among that people, who were truly once ' not a people.' Instead of the festive dance and the obscene song, the shout of revelry over slaughtered mothers and slaughtered infants, you may now hear the songs of Zion sung in a strange land — in heathen hamlets, that never before heard any thing but the sounds of war and of obscene mirth. There you may see the father of the family take portions of the word of God, and his hymn-book, and sit and read, and sing the praises of Jehovah, and then kneel at his family altar : and there are all the feelings which, as some will have it, are not to be found in African hearts. But I know African hearts and African heads ; and I know that there are materials there that only want working, to make . BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 253 the African lieadequnl to the head of the European. Tlie soil isasg-ood as AFRICA. the soil of the human heart in an}- country ; and, if we pursue onr work, — Africa shall yet ag-ain become what she once was, when she sent forth her Soirrn' Orators, her Generals, and her Nobles; aye, and her Bishojts to the Africa. Church, and her Martyrs to the flames. — " We have heard of mistakes in translations. With respect to the trans- ''cane ' lation of Luke made by myself, it contains many more imperfections Colon}', than there are in the Vulgate ; and jet I know that that Gospel of Luke Caft'raria, has been the means of leading many a wanderer to the fold of God. ' There are many now ready to bear testimony that it was through hearing 1804-54. that Gospel read or repeated— for many there are who can repeat it nearly — from one end to the other — that they were thereby led to the knowledge of the Saviour, and the enjoyment of His salvation ; and so anxious were The Se- they to obtain it, that they came hundreds of miles, on oxen, or on foot, pIi"^"^ and driving sheep ; and, as they have not much monej-, they have offered gj. ^^j.^ sheep, and mantles, and even their spears, for books. It is said that spears imperfect ; shall be turned into pruning-hooks ; and here the figurative language of the prophec}' is in some measure fulfilled : these books are as ploughshares, Qq^^qI breaking up the fallow-ground of heathenism, and as pruning-hooks doing alone, the work of husbandry ; and this desire for the word of God is a healthful ^'''ssed to uuiubGrs sign that Africa shall soon stretch forth her hands unto God. " Once more : — On entering' a house to attend a sick child ; for a Missio- nary thei-e must be a doctor too : he must indeed turn his hand to every trade, and help himself— if he does not, woe be to him, for there is none to help him ! And therefore you will find him, for weeks together, working, perhaps, at the anvil, sometimes digging, sometimes making mortar, sometimes building walls, sometimes tinkering — any thing- and every thing- that you can mention. But to return : On entering a house The con- to visit a sick baby, I said to the mother, who was weeping, ' Mj child ' vert's tears — (for so we speak — she was a convert) — ' what aileth thee ? Is the baby ^^ ^ Y^° . still ill V ' jVo, no,' she rephed, with a heavy sigh. — ' AA'hy do you not the weep then V ■ '■ Oh, my mother !' was her reply. — ' Which ? your hght. mother-in-law V ' No, not my mother-in-law ; my own dear mother who bore me !' and she i^aiised and sobbed, as if her very heart would burst through her bosom. I said, ' What is the matter with your mother?' Holding out the Gospel of St. Luke in her hand, bedewed with tears, she said, ' My mother ' (who was still in her native district, from whence this daughter had been bi'ought captive)— ' my mother will never see this book ! my mother will never hear the glad tidings of this book !' and sighing and sobbing again, she looked to Heaven, and breathed a prayer. It was, ' My mother, my mother ! she will never hear that glad sound that I have heard ! the light that shone on me will never shine on her ! she will never taste that love of the Saviour that I have tasted!'— Oh, could you have witnessed that sable daughter of Africa weeping for a far- distant mother, and looking heavenward and saying, '■ My mother— my mother!'" 254 HISTOIiY OF THE AFRICA. CUAP. I. South Africa. Sect. I. Cape Colony, Caflraria, &c. 1804-54. 1840. Emancipa- tion of slaves at the Cape. Arrival of Rev. D. Li- vingstone at Latta- koo, with Seclmana New Tes- taments. The account which Mr. Moffat gave of the extent to which this hmguage is probably understood in the heart of Soutli Africa, and of the wilhngness of the people to receive Christian instruction, tended to invest this translation of the Scriptures with a more than ordinary degree of interest ; and the Society were happy that it had been undertaken by one, who showed so much discretion and zeal in the prosecution of his task. Interesting intelligence had been now received from the Rev. Dr. Philip and others at the Cape, as to the pleasing results which followed from the act of Emancipation, which did not come into full effect in that colony till Dec. 1839. Re- ferring to that event Dr. Philip wrote : — " You will be glad to hear that the 1st of December, the day on which the apprentices in the colony were Hberated, has passed over in a manner that reflects the highest credit on the apprentices themselves. Being in the interior of the colony on the 1st of December, and having occasion to visit different parts of it, and to hear of their conduct in the different places through which I passed, I had the best opportunities of knowing the actual state of things in relation to them, and I met with no instance in which there was any gi-ound for censure." The slaves in the colony partook in common with those of the West Indies, in the gift of the New Testament and Psalms, on occasion of their emancipation. Communications of a very gratifying kind were also received from South Africa, in the years 1841-42. The blessings of civilization, and the better blessing of the Gospel of Christ, seemed to be rapidly extending among the native tribes, both within the limits of the colony of the Cape, and far beyond. Sup- plies of the Sechuana Testament and Psalms, printed in this country, under the superintendence of the Rev. R. Moffat, reached their destination, and spread joy and delight among the sons of the desert. It may be said, in the beautiful language of the prophet, " the wilderness and the solitary place was glad for them, and the desert rejoiced and blossomed as the rose." One of the Missionaries on the spot, writes : — " It is with great pleasure I can now inform you, that the 500 copies of the Sechuana New Testament, consigned to the Rev. D. Livingstone, were brought to this station by him in safety and good order. Imme- diately on the boxes being taken down from the waggon, a distribution was made, by assigning 50, GO, or 80 copies to the other stations where there are Bechuana readers. RrvITISII AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 255 " When it became knowii tliat the 'books' had arrived, great satisfac- AFRICA. tion was evinced by the natives, and appHcations for copies were made — with urgency, some offering payment, others promising to do so when ^^^^'. ^' able at some future time. Some who were not well able to read, and Afuiov. others resolving to learn to read, applied also for copies, ^\e believe it — is not wise to let any have books gratis who are able to pay ; hence we ^^^'^- 1- urge all who can to do so. To the really poor, and to children in the Colony, school, we give without expecting- any return. We have no instruction Caffraria, on the subject, but charge three shillings, and purpose to remit the sum _' raised to England hereafter. Most of the payment will be made in sheep 1804-54. or goats, and Ave must arrange these matters in the best way we can. Some — families have one, others two, others three, and some four copies, and parents and children read together." Mr. INIoflPat quitted England in 18-13, to resume his Missio- Rctmu of nary labours among the Bcchuana tribes. He took Avith him Mr.Moffat. 2000 Testaments and Psalms in the Sechuana language. In 18-14, the Rev. Barnabas Shaw, a valuable Missionary of the \Vesle3'an Society, when about to return to his labours in South Africa, on receiving a grant of Bibles and Testaments to carry out with him, gave the following pleasing illustration of the value attached to the Scriptures by some of the natives : — " The children of the desert desire this word more than gold, and find it sweeter to them than the honey from the clefts of the rocks. Almost twenty years ago, when the Sacred Scriptures were exceedingly scarce in the land, two little girls went from my station in Namacqualand to visit a tribe on the borders of the Bushmanland. They carried their Testaments with them, and read among the peo])le. The natives were so interested with what they heard, that they allowed the two children but httle time for rest. Da}' and night they were under the necessity of reading out of the ' Great Word,' by which several persons of that tribe were brought under the sound of the Gospel. Thus, ' out of the mouths of babes and sucklings He has perfected praise.' '' Considerable supplies of English and Dutch Scriptures con- Script urcs tinued to be sent to the Cape : 2000 copies were forwarded in ^°'" i'^"''^- 1841, but before the year had passed, they were found quite tiers at the insufficient to meet the demand. Many of these were required ^^^' in connection with the labours of the Rev. Dr. Adamson, of the Scotch Presbyterian Church ; 600 copies were placed at his disposal for distribution among the coloured population, who had been formerly slaves. Some also were called for by the Missionaries of the United Brethren at the Colony of the Cape. 256 HISTORY OF THE Chap. I. South Africa. Sect. I. Cape Colony, Caffraria, &c. 1804-54. 1843. Letters of Dr. Philip, and Mr. Demand for English and Dutch Scriptures. AFRICA. In 1842, renewed and earnest applications were received from South Africa, for the Scriptures. Dr. Philip, of Cape Town, wrote : — " We are suffering something- like a famine of the word of God. The New Testament, in Dutch, is frequently called for, and it is quite painful to witness the disappointment experienced. " We have been without a single Dutch Testament for three months, and we could have disposed of 500 since our shelves were empty. The reading population among the poor and coloured classes is daily increasing. There is no part of the world in which the freedom of the coloured race has wrought better than it has done here : you look in vain even for the traces of a state of slavery among them, and no more requires to be said in favour of the beneficial effects of its abolition : and to the liberal supply of the Scriptures furnished us, we owe much of the blessedness of this precious state of things." Mr. Read, Sen., of the Kat River Mission, testifies to the grateful manner in which the Scriptures Avere received : — " They were, indeed, very acceptable. We had not a Dutch Bible left, nor scarcely a Dutch or English Testament, for our numerous schools, where there is a great demand, we having scarcely any other books, especially of the Dutch, for their use. We have twenty-nine day- schools connected with this station, besides as many Sunday-schools for adults as well as children ; and it is most pleasing to go into these schools, and hear the children of Hottentots, Fingoes, Caffres, Tambookies, Bush- men, and not a few of those of the late apprentices, here and there read from the Holy Scriptures the wonderful works of God." A new Auxiliary was formed at Theopolis, a Missionary- Station in South Africa, which may deserve a passing notice, from its singular character and constitution. The Committee was composed altogether of Christians, members of the Native Church, — Hottentots, Basootas, Fingoes, and a Malagash. There were six Collectors, most of them Hottentots, with as many districts. The paper requisite for printing 3000 copies of the CaflFre New Testament, was this year granted to the Wesleyan Mis- sionary Society ; and the Directors of that Society, having brought under the notice of the Bible Society the translation of the entire Bible into the language of Caffraria, a grant of £1000 was made to cover, in part, the expenses incurred in effecting this translation. On that occasion the Rev. W. Boyce, one of the translators, furnished a very interesting Grant for the entire Bible in the Caffre language. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 257 account of the country and language of Caffraria, and of tlie AFRICA. numbers, consisting of at least five or six thousand, capable of cn\p. I. reading the word of God. South Notwithstanding the extent to which the Society's liberality _ had been exercised in behalf of South Africa, in which some ^^^'"^^ ^• . Cape of the aboriginal tribes, as we have seen, had their share, Colony, appeals continued to be sent, more immediately referring ^ ^^^^' to the Colonists and Missionary Schools, among whom the — European languages, especially the English and Dutch, are _ spoken. *«^<5- Dr. Philip, referring to a grant of 200 Dutch Bibles and 2000 English and Dutch Sacred Scriptures, the advice of which had just reached him, wrote, — " I hope they will arrive ere long. The demand has become great ; and the disappointment of many Missionaries at receiving so few copies when the last supply arrived, has induced several of them to write direct to the Society in London, hoping that they will not only receive those commissioned for the money sent home, but also grants for their schools without payment. . . . You are aware that Mission Schools have Grant soli been estabhshed among us for several years ; but previous to the Eman- ^ted tor cipation, little was done among the slaves, so that few of them could then Schools, read. Since that period great progress has been made in that branch of education, and as the pupils advance, larger books are required ; and as Bibles and Testaments are more expensive than spelling-books, the people find it difficult to raise the money to purchase them ; and it is a great pity they should be without them in the present day ; the knowledge of the Bible is the only security we have as to the fruit of our Missions. The Missionaries feel this state of things, and they are anxious to have the field sown with good seed before the enemy, who is threatening ua, have time to sow his tares. If the Society can supply the schools as they require, it wiU be a great favour conferred upon South Africa. I should think that 10,000 copies of the Scriptures, two-thirds Dutch and one-third Enghsh, would soon be distributed in this way. ... In addition to the Scriptures required for schools, there is an increasing demand for Bibles and Testaments from such as have left school ; and this should by aU means be encouraged." Similar appeals were made by the Rev. Dr. Adamson of the Scotch Church, the Rev. G. W. Stegmann, Lutheran Minis- ter, Rev. T. L. Hodgson, Weslcyan Minister, and several other parties. On a careful review of the subject thus brought before them, and taking into account the extent and rising import- VOL. 11. s 258 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. ClIAP. I. (South Africa. Sect. I. Cape Colony, Caffraria, &c. lfi04-54. 1C46. Mission of Mr. T. J. Bourne to the Cape. Report given by Mr. })Ourue on his return. ance of the Colony, and of the numerous Missionary stations stretching far beyond its limits, the Directors of the Society came to the conclusion, that it was desirable to send out some one, in whom they had confidence, to confer with the many excellent friends on the spot ; and, in concert with them, to take measures for organizing and extending the Society's work in that interesting quarter of the globe. Mr. T. J. Bourne, one of the Society's valuable domestic agents, whose long experience of the working of the Society, both at home and in the West Indies, added to his personal qualifica- tions, seemed to render him peculiarly fitted for such a mission, was invited to undertake it. Mr. Bourne, after due deliberation, cheerfully yielded to the proposal, and in the beginning of the year 1846, proceeded on his voyage to the Cape, entrusted with 20,000 copies of the Dutch and English Scriptures, and empowered to send for more. As soon as Mr. Bourne arrived at the Cape, he put himself in communication with the Society's principal correspondents, and other influential persons in the Colony ; and with much zeal, diligence, and perseverance, addressed himself to the important task assigned him. Some difficulties and dis- couragements awaited him in consequence of the Caffre war, which at that time was raging on the frontier, and extending some of its evils far into the Colony ; but, on the whole, his mission was very prosperous. He was everywhere received with much cordiality, and he succeeded in placing the Scrip- tures, to a large amount, in the numerous smaller places visited by him, as well as in the principal towns of the Colony. His correspondence, which was kept up during his journeyings, shows that he was in labours most abundant, and bears witness to the interest which his visit excited.* Mr. Bourne's mission to the Cape was brought to a close in the summer of 1847. The Report, which Mr. Bourne laid before the Committee on his return home, embraced a variety of interesting particulars, relative to his reception in the Colony, the state in which he found the inhabitants, and the results of his Mission. Mr. Bourne's attention had been particularly directed to the * For copious extracts, see Report for 1848, AruiCA. 1804-54. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 259 Dutch settlers scattered tliroughoiit the Colony. Concerning AFRICA, these he remarks, — p, ~~ ■ " It is evident that in a country, where the distance from .^o^' the town often renders it impossible to visit the house of God above four or five times in the year, — as on sacramental occa- ^!;'^'^- ^• sions, when the whole family will travel in a waggon, perhaps Colony, two or three days' journey, — the possession of the word of ^ &c^'^' Life is essential to the maintenance of religion and the nurture of a devotional spirit, in the absence of the religious instruc- tion of the pastor, and the ministrations of the sanctuary. imo. " The low price at which the sacred treasure Avas offered, added to the large print and neat binding, greatly facilitated the object in view — the placing of the Bible in every hand. So cheap, indeed, were the books deemed by the Dutch people, rpj^^ ^.j^j^ and so greatly were they desired, that the 250 Dutch Bibles, l^oon' of a sold for four shillings each, would probably have realised BiWe. double that sum by public auction, as one copy sold by me to a Boor in the country for four shillings, was shortly after sold, with his effects, (as he had been removed by death soon after its purchase,) for eight shillings and ninepence. " The great paucity of religious books in the country dis- tricts rendered this distribution additionally important; for there are few of the Dutch farmers whose library exceeds three or four volumes ; while of the family Bibles imported from Holland, — many of them in the old character, and alto- gether too bulky for general use, as well as too expensive, — it has been no uncommon thing to give three, four, six, and even eight guineas a copy; and there are very few Dutch houses, in which one of these family Bibles may not be found." During Mr. Bourne's visit, the two important Auxiliaries, Auxiliaries that at Cape Town and that at Graham's Town, were re-or- formed. ganized ; and a new one was formed at Port Elizabeth. Eleven Branches also were formed, and twenty-one Associations. Within ten months and a half, there passed through his hands to the several Auxiliaries, Branches, and Associations, to schools and to private individuals, 29,269 copies of the Sacred Scrip- tures. Of these, 23,601 were sold, and the remainder issued in grants to schools and individuals, and to the inhabitants of farms and villages stripped and ruined by the Caffre war. s2 260 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. I. South Africa. Sect. I. Cape Colony, Caffraria, &c. 1804-54. 1847. South African Auxiliary re-or- ganized. During his sojourn in South Africa, Mr. Bourne visited ahnost every town and village within the Colony, and two Mission stations in CafFreland. He also saw and inspected numerous schools. Mission settlements, convict stations and prisons ; addressing, in the course of his tour, various schools and Missionary meetings, and frequently lecturing to con- siderable congregations on the Lord's day. In addition to the large supplies of Scriptures mentioned above, the Committee were induced, on the recommendation of their Agent (after his return) to order nearly 10,000 more copies of the Dutch and English Scriptures, to be forwarded to dif- ferent parts of the Colony. The visit of Mr. Bourne gave occasion, as stated above, to the re-organization of the South African Bible Society. For a very considerable period, the Society had employed an Agency in South Africa, which had been the means of circu- lating the Sacred Scriptures to a large extent, both within the Colony and beyond its borders. At Cape Town, an Auxiliary had been formed more than twenty-five years before, and subsequently, as we have seen. Auxiliaries and Branch Asso- ciations had been established, at Graham's Town, and other places in the Eastern Province. Owing, however, to various causes, these Auxiliaries had fallen into a languishing con- dition, and it was found that the supplies received from the Parent Society were wholly inadequate to meet the rapidly- increasing wants of the population. To meet this deficiency, and otherwise to promote the objects of the Society, the South African Auxiliary w^as, soon after Mr. Bourne's arrival, enlarged and re-organized. Steps were immediately taken to interest the several congregations at Cape Town, in the Society and its labours. Meetings were held by Mr. Bourne, assisted by members of the Committee, at Union Chapel, Trinit}^ Church, the South African Missio- nary Chapel, the Wesleyan Chapels, St.' Andrew's Church, the Dutch Reformed and Lutheran Churches, St, Stephen's Church and Barrack Street Mission Chapel, at all of which collections were made in aid of the funds ; and in most cases, measures were adopted for permanently promoting the objects of the Society, by forming Congregational Associations, ap- 1804-5-1. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 261 pointing weekly collectors, or such other means as were AFlllCA. considered in each case practicable and expedient. As the q„~ I result of these combined efforts, there were received during Soutu the year, from these Associations upwards of £128, exclusive _ of annual subscriptions paid directly to the Treasurer. ^'^J;'''- ^• It was devolved on Mr. Bourne to organize Branches and Colouj% Associations throughout the Colony. After holding meetings ^^ ^(^"^' at Rondebosch, Wynberg, and Symon's Town, and forming at each of these places a Ladies' Bible Association, he pro- ceeded to make a tour of the Colony, visiting most of the '"^^• principal towns and villages, as well as many of the Missionary Braiuh stations, both in the Eastern and Western Provinces. He tiour"^" everywhere met with great hospitality and kindness, and succeeded in establishing numerous Branch Associations. It was originally intended, that the Society formed in Cape Town should be the common centre of conmiunication and supply to all the affiliated branches throiighout the Colony ; but after consulting with some friends of Bible circulation in the Eastern Province, it was considered advisable, that for the supply of that division of the Colony, two principal Auxiliaries should be formed, at Graham's Town, and Port Elizabeth, to hold direct communication with the Parent Society. This plan was accordingly adopted. Since that time, these Auxiliaries, and the numerous Asso- Continued • 1 1 1 • 1 1 • activity of ciations formed in connection with them, have continued their these. useful labours ; subject, indeed, to various interruptions, chiefly those occasioned by the incursions of the border tribes, and the renewal of the Caffrc war, which, for a time, well-nigh suspended communication with the interior, as well as with the regions beyond the Colony. It is, however, gratifying to find, that the work of printing and translating into the native languages, w^as less impeded than might have been expected. In 1850, the Rev. W. Shaw, of Graham's Town, Superinten- dent of the Wesley an Missionaries in South Africa, applied for and received a grant of 400 reams of paper, for the printing of another edition, of 5000 copies of the Caffre New Testa- ment— the former one having been disposed of. The Rev. Mr. Moffat, also, continued to receive occasional 262 HISTORY OF THE AFEICA. grants of paper, to enable him to carry on his important Chap. I undertaking, of providing tlie whole Bible in the Sechuana South lano;uao;e, for the use of the Bechuana tribes, to the northward Africa o o ^ ' of the Orange River. A communication, received in 1851, Sect. I. fi-Qn^ the Rev. Mr. Hughes, one of the Missionaries of the Cape . . . . Culony, London Missionary Society, furnishes some interesting par- Caffraria, ticulars relative to the dissemination of the word of God amon^ &c. _ » — the above tribes. 1804-54. — " The first portion of Scripture," he writes, " that appeared in the 1850. Sechuana dialect, which is that used by the Bechunnas, was St. JL,uke's p . Gospel. This was translated by the Rev. Robert Moffat, and printed in transla- Cape Town, under his superintendence, about twenty years ago. It had tionsin the an extensive circulation, and was exceedingly useful in laying the founda- laiwuaffe ^^'^^ °^ Christianity among the natives. " The next was a small octavo volume of Scripture Selections, arranged under the heads of Scripture Historj^, Miracles, Doctrines, Prophecies, &c. Through the liberality of the Society of Friends, a large edition was printed, and it is still the school-book of the country. Perhaps 1000 copies of it are in use in the different schools. " Tliis was followed by the publication of the whole New Testament, with the Book of Psalms, in one volume. It was printed in London about ten years ago, under the immediate eye of the translator, the Rev. R. Moffat. From 1000 to 1500 copies may be in use among the Bechuanas ; and it is to the British and Foreign Bible Society that they are indebted for so good and so large an edition. " The last work is one lately published, containing the Book of Pro- verbs, Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah, of which about 200 copies may be in circu- lation at the present time. The whole of the Old Testament, however, has been translated, and may be expected ere long to be printed in the Sechuana language. Some thousands of Bechuanas' hearts will leap with joy to see the happy day ; God speed it ! It may be added that the above has no reference to the Basutos, another tribe using a some- what different dialect, in which the French Missionaries have translated and printed various portions of the Holy Scriptures." Letter of The year 1854 found Mr. Moffat still employed in this fit ^^°^' important work. Some particulars relating to the progress of it are given in a letter, an extract from which may prove no unbefitting close to the notice we have taken of the interesting and arduous labours of this devoted fellow-helper, in the great The Scrip- cause of Bible translation and distribution. tures, all in u -pj^g longer I live," writes Mr. Moffat, " the more powerfully is my sio'nai-v '^' ™"^*^ impressed with the duty of every Missionary making way for the effort. Bible, by getting the people, such as are in this country, taught to read. BltlTISII AND FOKEIGN BIBLE SOCIKTY. 2G3 " ' ^STotliing' like the 13i))le,' 8;iys tlie new convert, buniiiig- with his first AFRICA, love, aud ' Nothing- but the Bible,' responds the venerable Christian, bow- — iug- down like the full gTain ready to be gathered. It has been frequently ^^"outi!" remarked, that as the children of God advance in old ag-e, they stick closer Akrioa. and closer to the Bible, and the Bible only ; and who can wonder who — knows its value, or rather, that it caimot be valued ? ^!^,^'^" ^' " As two of our native teachers will go soon to two powerful tribes, at Colony, the request of their chiefs, I may see it my duty to visit the interior dur- Caffraria, ing- the following- winter, to see them settled, and also to see what can ^' be done with tribes, among- which the Transvaal Boers dare not sliow lliO'1-54. their foces. — " 1 mig-ht mention here, that when the native chief Sechele passed this ^^^'^' place on his homeward route, he took with him liis five children, who had been given over to INIrs. Moffat and myself for their education, and who have been with us a full year and a-half. The progress they had made afforded the greatest satisfaction ; and though we wished the two youngest to remain a little longer, he resolved to take all, that he might employ fil^p^Jitti've them all to keep and assist in schools among his people, being- exceedingly cliipf, and anxious that they should be taught. On his return to this place, he called I'i^ cliil- his children daily, and sat down with them to hear them read in the New '^"' Testament, &c. &c. He having, with reason, prided himself as being a good scholar, began to read verse about with his children, but finding their young tongues rather more fluent than his, he drew out, adding, ' My dear childi-en, how happy I am to see that you are all such fine readers ! Now, read yourselves, and I shall sit and look on.' He pur- chased for each superior copies, and took a number with him for schools, promising to pay for them as soon as he was able. " One word more about our progress. The first volume of the Old Testament is nearly completed. Little more than the half of the 2nd of Kings remains to be printed ; and if the covers arrive by the time the remaining sheets are being printed off, all will be in season, and they will soon be in the hands of the natives. Many are the inquiries made as to when it will be finished, and many wonder why it cannot be done with gTeater expedition. They know the pen and the press can be made to go pretty fast, but it will be some time before they are convinced that too much time and pains cannot be taken to ensure correctness in a book which is, in Sechuana phraseology, ' Molome oa Jehova (the mouth of Jehovah).' In reference to our Mission here, we have much cause to be thankful and take encouragement." The South African Auxihaiy at Cape Town lield its Ju- Jubilee bilee Meeting in conjunction with its usual anniversary; on at the ^ which occasion the following interesting information was ^'"P®- given : — " The amount remitted to the Parent Society, during tlie year, has been —Free Contributions, £-200 ; for sale of Scriptures, £200 ; together, £400. 264 HISTORY OP THE AFRICA. Chap. I. South Africa. Sect. I. Cape Colony, Caffraria, &c. 1804-54. 1834. The total Issues of this Auxihary, smce its estabhshment in July 1846, are 29,756 volumes. These have been disti'ibuted chiefly within the Colony, but considerable supplies have been forwarded, either for sale or gratuitous distribution, to Calfraria, Natal, the Orang-e River Sovereignty, Griqualand, Kamacqualand, Damaraland, and St. Helena. " The total amount of sums remitted to the Parent Society, during the above period, is £2776 . 4s. 6d. " The number of Bibles and Testaments issued for distribution in Cape Town, during the past year, is nearly 2000. This is exclusive of 263 Bibles and Testaments supplied to the Bible Union," Besides attending to its ordinary business, the Auxiliary had, at that time, under serious consideration, the practi- cability of adopting measures for promoting more extensively the translation, printing, and circulation of the Scriptures, in the Caffre, Sechuana, Zulu, Namacqua, Damara, and other native dialects. The Graham's Town Auxiliary, which had suffered more than either of the Societies in South Africa, from the disturb- ances connected with the Caffre war, had now very much recovered itself, and furnished pleasing evidence of a revived state of activity. The remittances of the year amounted to nearly £130. Sermons were preached on behalf of the Jubilee Fund, and a public meeting held of an encouraging character. Three new Branches had been formed, in connection with this Auxiliary, during the year. Thus, after many clouds and storms, the bow of promise still rested, and continues to rest, on the Society's work in South Africa. BRITISH AND FOKEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 265 SECTION II. MADAGASCAR. 18i!6-1854. First Grant for the JIalagasse Scriptures. — Success of the 3Iis- sion Schools. — 3Iala(jasse New Testament completed. — Larfje circulation of the New Testament effected. — Clouded prospects of the 3Hssion.— Christianity proscribed in the Island. — Perse- cution of Converts. — Martyrdom of Rnfaravavy. — Arrival in this country of Malagasse Refuyees. — Revision, in this country, of the 3Iala(/asse entire Bible, and large edition pre- pared, in ])rospect of better times. We now proceed to a separate review of the Society's opera- AFRICA tions, in favour of the important Island of Madagascar. The Missions carried forward there, have a deep interest to all Christian minds, both by reason of their first successes, and of their subsequent reverses and trials. In 1826, a grant of 150 reams of paper was made for the printing of the Scriptures in the Malagasse language. In the following year, the New Testament was translated, and put under revision for printing ; and the Old Testament was then immediately proceeded with. Interesting communications were received a few years after from Madagascar, relating to the proficiency made bv the native youths in learning to read, and also to the progress of the work of translating the Holy Scriptures. Speaking of an examination of the natives in the Missio- nary Schools, a Missionary writes — " the senior classes were required, amoiig other exercises, to write on slates from dicta- tion, passages selected at the moment, and then to translate them forthwith into Malagasse. Many did this, and did it well. The English was also written down correctly, and did them great credit. These youths possess an extensive ac- quaintance with the Sacred Scriptures, both of the Old and Chap. J. South Africa. Sect. II. Madagas- car. 1026-54. 266 HISTOUY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. I. SODTH Africa. Sect. II. Madagas- car. 1826-34. 1833. Malagasse New Tes- tament completed. New Testament ; and this has been obtained by dint of perse- vering industry." In a conference with a deputation of the London Missionary Society, upon the subject of the expenses incurred by the pre- paration of the Malagasse Bible, the Committee learnt that there were about 4,000,000 persons speaking the language ; that the Missionaries had acquired a general knowledge of the language, and had reduced it to a grammatical form ; and that a principal part of their employment, for eleven years, had been the translation of the Scriptures into the native tongiie. In consequence of this representation, the sum of £1000 was voted, for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred by the Missionaries in their undertaking. Tlie printing of the Malagasse New Testament was completed in 1831, amid many troubles, occasioned by the political distractions of the country. This portion of the Sacred Volume was put into circulation, and pleasing instances were afforded of other efforts produced by the reading of it. The printing of the Old Testament was obliged to be suspended for a time, but was soon after renewed. In 1833, the intelligence from the Island of Madagascar assumed a much more cheerful aspect, in consequence of which, the Society was encouraged to order to press, in this country, 5000 copies of the Psalms. It having been ascertained that about sixty reams more of paper were wanted, to finish the edition of the entire Bible in progress at Madagascar, these were granted, together with a siifficient quantity for a second edition of the New Testament, to consist of 5000 copies. The Society also engaged to defray the expenses attending the printing of this new edition of the Testament. This edition, afterwards increased to 10,000, was effected in this country, together with another edition of the Psalms, and 5000 of Genesis, Proverbs, and Isaiah, under the superintendence of the Rev. Mr. Jones, a Missionary from the island. It was the singular remark of the natives themselves at this time, that no portion of the word of God. was so highly adapted, in thought and language, to their peculiar mental character and language, as the book of Psalms. The following are extracts of com- numications from Madagascar, received at that period : — BllITISIl AND FOREIGN BIRLE SOCIETY. 2G7 " We might at present distribute copies of the Scriptures and tracts to a AFRICA, mucli hirger extent than we do, had we more ample means. You would — be astonished at the number of applications made for them, which we are ^^^^\ ^' oblig-ed to decline e\eYj day. Africa. " Not^vithstandino- the difficulties we have had to encounter with our — press ill Madagascar, we printed an edition of loOo of the Gos})el of Luke ^r^^I' in 1828, and in March 1830, we completed an edition of 3000 of the whole car. jN'ew Testament ; and during its progress through the press, we j)rinted — separatel3^, editions of Mark, 700 copies ; of John, 1000 cojiies ; of ^^^_^^^- Galatians, with the Decalogue, 1000 copies ; of Ephesians, 1000 copies ; ] 834. of Genesis and lixodus, to the 20th chapter inclusive, 1000. " After this we printed the Old Testament, to the First Book of Samuel, Large eJi- 750 copies, and 50 copies extra for separate distribution ; and the Book of '^'""** "J. Psalms was finished to the li5th Psalm, 3000 copies. Scriptures. " We put in circulation the whole of the complete portions of Scripture above-named, and about 3000 copies of the New Testament. All these portions of the Holy Scriptures are very highly valued indeed by the native Christians ; and the demand for them was so great, that the Kev. Mr. Freeman calculated, that not more than one in twenty who petitioned us for Testaments, was able to obtain a copj*. The Testament is, however, to be found in almost every village in the interior, and at most of the military posts round the whole country. The great anxiety manifested Anxiety of by many hundreds of the natives towards Christianity in 1830, and subse- * '^ people quently, was, in a very great degree, the effect of the distribution of the Holy Scriptures. They were surprised at its contents ; a spirit of inquiry was aroused ; many crowded round our houses daily, carrying their Testaments, with passages turned down that they wished us to exjjlain. The populace were thus awakened to inquiry ; and many leained to read from their personal friends, or from scholars, in order that they might read the Testament. Family prayer was then commenced by the natives, and the Testament read by their own fireside ; prayer meetings were Family estabhshed, ten in the town, and others out of it : and the Testament was P'"^^^'"' ... prayer- read in nearly a hundred schools, extending- eighty miles round the capital, meetings, wliich is the mission station. About COOO new scholars have been i)ut into ^"^ the school : and very many voluntary learners learn to read in their own ^^ '°" ^' houses, and at the prayer meetings of the native believers." And in a subsequent letter, Mr. Freeman remarks : — " The thirst for learning to read, at the present time, is not merely gratifying, it is suprising." The prospects which were opening so brightly on Madagascar, Clouded were suddenly and mysteriously clouded. Within a year after „[ ^th^^irs- the above letter was written, the door was closed against all siou. Christian effort. The Government of the country intei-])osed in the most peremptory manner, and utterly proscribed Chris- 268 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. I. South Afrioa. Sect. II. Madagas- car. 1826-34. 1835. Christi- auity pro- scribed, and the Scriptures interdicted. The entire Bible, in Malagasse, printed. tianity. The party in power, who had been always favourable to idolatry, and opposed to the improvements introduced by the former King Radama, urged on this melancholy measure, and meeting with too ready a concurrence on the part of the reigning Queen, at length accomplished it ; so that nothing in connection with religion, foreign to the established usages of the country, and the customs of their ancestors, was permitted. The immediate effects produced by the course adopted, are thus affectingly described by Mr. Freeman : — '' At present, the scene around us is distressing-. All public worship is forbidden ; the copies of the Scriptures, the Testaments, the Psalters, the separate books, have been all collected by order of the Government, and delivered back to us, as things that the natives no more dare be in posses- sion of, than concealed fire-arms, which is death by law. Our Tracts, Catecliisms, and Hymns, have all shared the same fate. They passed under the inquisition of an idolatrous military tribunal, and could any have been found that neither mentioned .Jehovah, nor Jesus, nor faith, nor obedience, nor heaven, nor hell, they would have been sanctioned, and permitted to remain with the people. But every thing we had published contained more or less of these offending terms, and the whole therefore have been condemned. The triumph of the Government is, that Chris- tianity is now utterly abolished, and so effectually, that it can rise no more. They boast that their laws are unalterable." Yet, under this dark dispensation of Providence, and amidst these discouraging circumstances, there were some intimations that the " mercies of the Lord had not clean gone for ever " from this interesting but unhappy land. Though no native was al- lowed to work at the press, nor at any thing involving Christi- anity, the Missionaries themselves succeeded in bringing to a close the printing of the Old Testament, so that the entire Bible now exists in the language of the country. Portions of it had been widely circulated and read before these enactments took place ; and though the volume was wrenched from the hands of the natives, its contents were lodged, it is believed, in the memories and the hearts of many : there by the grace of God, the seed was left to germinate. The Society, " against hope, believing in hope," did not think proper, in consequence of the above communications, to suspend the printing of the Malagasse Scriptures in this country. The editions already mentioned were completed, viz. 10,000 New Testaments, 5000 Psalms, and BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 20)9 5000 eacli of Genesis, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah, in AFRICA. one volume. Chap. I. The intellioence received durino; the year 1837, respectino- South *" ^ 1. o Africa IMadagascar, was of the most affecting nature. The deterniina- tion of the Queen and her Government to suppress Christianity ^F^^'F; ^^• still continued, and had assumed a more active and fearful car. form. Many of the native Christians had heen called to suffer 1826^54. imprisonment, loss of liberty, and confiscation of property ; and — one of them, named Rafaravavy, an early female convert, was honoured to obtain the crown of martyrdom. It is said, that ^«'"secu- •' _ ' tionofiia- the history of this persecution was unstained by the record of tive con- a single instance of apostacy ; that God so upheld the faith and patience of His- servants in the hour of trial, and so sustained them by the consolations of the Sacred Volume, that they looked at terrors without dismay, and emulated the examples of the confessors and martyrs of primitive ages. We cannot refrain from giving brief extracts relating to the martyrdom of the Christian female above alluded to. Her death was so immediately connected with her fidelity in seeking Martyr- m dom of Rafara- to preserve the Scriptures, that on this special ground, addition to its own unspeakable value as evincing the power vavy. of religion, her martyrdom seems to claim notice, in the pages of this history. It will be observed, that it was the discovery of the proscribed " books " near her dwelling, which finally provoked the ruthless Queen of the Island to determine on her death. After referring to the spirit of holy resignation, of Christian forgiveness, and of concern alone for the spiritual state of others, so eminently displayed by Rafaravavy, in the prospect of death, Mr. Johns's narrative of her last hours thus proceeds : — " On the books being- found near her house, her entire property was given up to plunder, her person secured, and her hands and feet loaded with heavv iron ling's. She was menaced in vain during a period of from -,.-,, . ,1 • oi Her cliecr- eight to ten days, to mduce her to impeach her companions, bhe re- j.^, f^^^^_ mained firm and perfectly composed ; and was put to death by spearing, tude. on the 14th of August 1837. She had said repeatedly by letter to her friend, Mrs. Johns, ' Do not fear on my account. I am ready and pre- pared to die for Jesus, if such be the will of God.' She was most won- derfully supported to the last moment of her hfe. Her age at the time of her death was thirty-eight years, jNIany even of the old people remarked, 270 HISTORY OF THE ArRICA. Chap. I. South Africa. Sect. IT. Madagas- car. 1S26-54. 1840. Her endu- rance, the simple re- sult of Christian fidelity. Arrival, in this country, of Malagasse refugees. they had never seen any one so ' stubborn ' as Rafaravavy, for although the Queen forbade her to pray, she did pray even when in irons, and con- tinued to preach Christ to the officers, and to the crowd that followed her, for nearly three quarters of a mile, from the place of pul)lic condemnation to the place of common execution. Here she continued to pray, and to exhort all around her to believe in Jesus Christ, even till the executioner's spear, thrust through her body, deprived her of the power of utterance. " Never," remarks Mr. Baker, " did a Christian martyr in the annals of the Church, suffer from motives more pure, simple, and unmixed with earthly alloy. She had never heard of any after-glory of martyrdom on earth. No external splendour had been cast around the subject in her mind, by reading any hves of martyrs. All was to her obloquy and con- tempt. Her own father and relatives to the very last accused her of stubbornness. The people generally regarded her as stubborn, and worthy of punishment even on that account. She had no earthly friends to sup- port and cheer her. She was not poor in outward circumstances, and by recantation and by humbling herself to beg pardon of the Queen, she might very probably have saved her life. But her whole heart, as her letters testify, was filled with the love of Jesus. She endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Her letters are composed principally of passages from the Gospels and Epistles ; and these, doubtless, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, were the entire support of her mind in the last hour of trial. If ' the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,' we may trust that Rafaravavy will not have died in vain. She died directly and exclusively in defence of the Gospel." In the course of the year 1840, six Christian refugees from the island of Madagascar, driven out by the storm of persecution raging against them, arrived in this country. Four of them presented themselves one day at a meeting of the Committee of the Society, to offer, on behalf of themselves and their countrymen, their grateful acknowledgments to the Society, for the aid afforded in supplying them, in their own language, with the word of God, then the only outward support and solace of those who, bereft of their Missionaries, Avere left alone in their conflicts with ignorance and bigotry, and cruel oppression. These interesting strangers also preferred a re- quest, that the New Testament might be printed for them in a smaller and more portable form, than that in use at that time among their countrymen. On their representation, the Committee had much pleasure in ordering 1000 copies of the New Testament, and 1000 of Luke and the Acts, in the form desired. A small grant of English Scriptures was also made to these Malagasse refugees, for their personal use. 1826-54. 1854. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 271 A revision of the entire Bible in Malagasse was, in 1848, AFRICA, entered upon in this country, at the expense of the Society, by r^~ j the Rev. Messrs. Freeman and GrilKths, formerly Missionaries South at INIadagascar ; in the hope that the day might not be very ^ distant, when the hand of persecution should be withdrawn, ■^^^'^' ^^' and a people, made ready of the Lord, should crave to l)e car. largely replenished with the treasure so long withheld from them. This measure was adopted, on the recommendation of the Directors of the London Missionary Society. About this time affecting accounts reached this country, Revision of the persecutions which the Madagascar Christians were still Malagasse exposed to, and their efforts, amidst all their sufferings, to ^^j'*^'^'" advance their own moral and spiritual improvement. Little country; more was heard of INIadagascar, for the next two or three years. In 1852, 3000 copies of the Malagasse Scriptures were forwarded to the Mauritius, for the benefit of the Malagasse Christians in that Colony, and to be there in readiness for any openings that might present themselves, for their distribution in the Island of Madagascar. In the mean •''";' ''I'S^ ° editions, in time, the revision of the Malagasse Scriptures was brought to hope of the a close, though Mr. Freeman, the principal translator and "*^"'°" reviser, did not live to see it completed. This work has been since put to press, under the further revision of Mr. Griffiths, retained for this purpose at the charge of the Society, and is still proceeding. The version is also subjected to the careful super- intendence of the Rev. T. W. Meller. The Society was en- couraged to take this step, in conseqvience of certain political changes which had taken place in Madagascar, which awakened a sanguine hope of the early re-establishment of the mission in that Island. These hopes, however, have hitherto met with but a very partial accomplishment. 272 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. CHAPTER 11. WEST AFRICA. AFRICA. Chap. II. West Africa. 1804-54. Sierra Leone. 1804—1854. First Grant of Scriptures to Sierra Leone. — Auxiliary formed there. — Scriptures for Tribes on the Gambia. — Version of St. Matthew in llandingo. — Arabic Scriptures for the Niger Ex- pedition.— Versions of St. Mattheic and St. John in the Accra or Gd dialect. — Grants to the German Mission on the Gold Coast. — Evident moral effect of the spread of the Scriptures. — Versions in the Isubu and Yorubu dialects. — Vej'sion in the Gd dialect. — Importance of these Efforts in West Africa. The first grant, by the Society, of Scriptures to Western Africa, was in 1808, when 300 Testaments were despatched to Sierra Leone and Goree ; but no particular circumstances are mentioned as leading to it, or resulting from it. It was made in connection with grants to many other stations in dif- ferent parts of the world. The work of introducing the Scriptures, as might be ex- pected, owing to the circumstances of the natives, proceeded but slowly in this part of the Continent. An instance has already been adduced, of the unwillingness of certain of the native Africans to part with copies of the Arabic Bibles, which they had become possessed of, in consequence of the shipwreck of a Missionary ; and a few other facts might be brought for- ward, to show that African chiefs and others, did not object to receive the Sacred Scriptures in the language of the Koran, One chief or king is mentioned, who, when visited by a Missio- nary, was found with about twenty Mahomedans, sitting to- BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETV. 273 gether in deep conversation, and an aged Mahoniedan teacher AFRICA, in the midst of them reading the Bible. The king afterwards p ~tt begged for a Bible for himself, which he received Avith great West thankfulness, and said, " When I come home, I shall read this ^^^^^'^• book to all my people ;" but the issue is unknown. 1804-54. In 1815, a version of the Gospel of St. Matthew into the Ian- 1815. guage of the Bulloms, a numerous people on the western coast ^r . r K I' • • • version of Africa, was transmitted from Sierra Leone, and no time of St. was lost in committing it to the press. It was the work of the fnU*e ^^ Rev. G. R. N^'lander, a distinguished labourer in the service J^"l'"m of the Church Missionary Society. In 1816, an Auxiliary Bible Society for the Peninsula of . ,. -^ -^ Auxiliary Sierra Leone, and the British Settlements and Establishments Society at on the western coast of Africa, was formed under the presi- Leoiie. dency of His Excellency 0. M'Carthy, Governor ; and remit- tances from this new African Auxiliary were received in the course of the year, amounting to £211 . 16s. 8d. An interesting letter was received, in 1816, from the Rev. E. Bickersteth, at that time at Sierra Leone, giving an account of the efforts then going on among the natives. " Wherever I have had an oj^portunity,'' writes Mr. Bickersteth, " of I-^etter of conversing- with the Manding-oes, who understand Arabic, I have found t^eKev. L. jjick.Gr™ them very desirous to receive Arabic books. " Mong-e Fernandez, who is the Headman at Bramia, and has many other towns, and considei'able power and influence among' the Susoos, assured me, he should be very glad to receive Arabic Bibles, and would take care to distribute them where they would be read. " The Headman of Kapparoo, a large native town near the Isles de Loss, teaches Arabic, and I gave him an Arabic Bible. Having- first read the commandments to him, and pressed upon him the importance of reading that book, and observing its prece^its, as the only way to bring us to the knowledge of God, I perceived that he gratefully accepted the Bible. '' I went with our excellent Missionary, Mr. Nylander, to Madinia, a native town belonging to Dalla Modu, on the Bullom shore, and pre- sented to him an Arabic Bible, with which he seemed highly gratified. His Mahomedan Priest was called in, and began to read it. After worship in their Mosque, at which between sixty and seventy men attended, Dalla Modu produced the Arabic Bible before his people, and handed it about among them. He then addressed me through his inter- preter, and spoke at some length to me. The substance of his address was, that I had done him a great favour in bringing hini that good book. Vol. II. T steth. 274 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. II. West Africa. l!504-54. 1819. 1834. Scriptures for tribes on the Gambia, which they were g'lad to have. I told him I was obliged by his favourable acceptance of that book. It contained the Law, the Psalms, the Pro|»liets, and the Gospels ; and to their belief and practice of that book, Eng-lishraen owed all their happiness. I hoped, therefore, that they would read it ; and it was my prayer to God to bless them in doing* so." It may be interesting here to state, that a contribution in gold dust, amounting in pecuniary value to £103 . 146'. 7c/., was, in 1818, transmitted from the Officers of the African Com- pany on the Gold Coast, to promote the objects of the Society. For many following years, the Society's proceedings in Western Africa contributed but little matter for history. The Auxiliary at Sierra Leone continued quietly to pursue its course, administering, as opportunity offered, to the wants that came within its sphere of influence, which was chiefly re- stricted to the liberated Africans. Many of these were awak- ened to a sense of their duty and privilege as a free people, and were brought to walk in the light of the Gospel ; and thus gradually was the foundation laid for that happy state of things, which after a time developed itself, when these poor Africans, rescued from slavery, and trained in the principles of the Bible, became qualified and prepared, when a way was opened in Providence, to carry the glad news of the Gospel far and wide among the native tribes, from which they had been originally taken. Soon after the year 1830, the Missionaries of the Wesleyan Society obtained a footing on the shores of Western Africa, and from that time they became recipients of the Society's bounty, and fellow-labourers with the friends at Sierra Leone in attempts to diffuse the light of Bible truth amidst the dark tribes of Africa. In 1834, the Rev. Mr. Fox, Wesleyan Mis- sionary in the island of St. Mary's, on the river Gambia, and the Rev. T. Dove, of Macarthy Island, also a Wesleyan Mis- sionary, received supplies of the Holy Scriptures, and found henceforward a place among the Society's valued correspondents. About this time, also, the Auxiliary at Sierra Leone showed symptoms of a revivah The issues of Bibles and Testaments increased, and the liberated Africans in the schools, who could read, were earnestly aspiring to the privilege of possessing a Bible or a Testament, for which they cheerfully paid the reduced price. BRITISH AND FOIIEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 275 The letters of the above-named Missionaries frequently con- AFRICA, tain interesting notices, relating to the distribution of tlie Sacred c„ ~ Scriptures. In 1836, the Rev. Mr. Fox writes:— Wkst ' " I am liappy to say that I have, during- the past two years, distributed ^'^^'='^- many copies of the Arabic Scriptures in this neighbourhood, principally to 1804-54. Mahomedan priests ; several of whom gladly paid for them, and otliers — ' stripped off their best charm or amulet, and most willing-ly presented it in ' ^^^'' exchange for a copy of the word of God. I have lately "had several Moors calhng at the Mission House, inquiring- for copies of the Scriptures in Arabic ; two or thi-ee of them were from the Karta country." The Rev. Mr. Dove, of Macarthy Island, after speaking of the pleasure he felt, when sailing up and down the river Gambia, at observing how the African sailors hailed the sacred hour of prayer and praise, adds : — " There is evidently a great and glorious work going on among many Scriptures of the African boys, who work the merchants' vessels on the river ^^^^ '^^ ^^^^ Gambia. ^^°^^ia. " Their thirst for rehgious knowledge is intense and ardent ; there is a holy emulation among them to read the Holy Scriptures and useful books. They often, on their arrival at this place, apply to me for books. On asking them, what kind of books they require, their reply is, about God who so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, &c. The spirit of enterprise is, in this quarter at least, evidently going out of the Mahomedan system. Their opposition to the course of our common Christianity has, in some measure, abated, and a spirit of despondency has come over the minds of the Bushereens, and the Gospel of God our Saviour is silently winning its way in this part of Western Africa." A commencement was now made in the translation of the Version of Scriptures into the Mandingo language, spoken to some extent ^'^- Mat- in that part of Africa : 500 copies of the Gospel according to Mandingo. St. Matthew were printed in this country, under the superin- tendence of the Rev. Mr. Macbrair, a Wesleyan Missionary from that quarter, and placed at the disposal of the Wesleyan Missionary Society. A translation of the three other Gospels was made and pre- sented to the Society, but the printing of them has not yet been called for. As an evidence that the Sierra Leone Auxiliary was, in the Public midst of many trials and disappointments, not without encou- "'/;^''"g of ragement, may be adduced the pleasing fact, that its public Sierra dby T 2 meeting in 1840 was attended by about 2000 natives ; and as ^^°°^' 276 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. II. West Africa. 1804-54. 1840. Eeproof of a dyiug African. Supply of Arabic Scriptures to the Niger Expedition. Grant of Scriptures Mission at Fernando Po. an admonition as well as encouragement^ may be quoted the words of a dying African, who had learnt to appreciate the unsearchable riches of the Book of Life : — He said, when a Missionary visited him in his last hours : " What a pity it is, what a sin it is, that you have had that heavenly bread (mean- ing- the Scriptures) so long-, and kept it for yourselves, not giving- even one crumb to the poor heathen ! There are so many milUons starving-, and you have so much bread from heaven : be sure you would not have less, were you to give away. The more you g-ive, the more you have ; for the book leads to a fountain, even Jesus Christ, out of which thousands after thousands may be helped. ' He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.' " It may be here mentioned, that the Society did not fail to make a grant of Arabic and other Scriptures for the use of the unfortunate Niger expedition of 1840, which so much excited the warm hopes of the friends of humanity, — hopes, alas! doomed to be disappointed. During the same year, considerable interest was awakened in this country on behalf of the tribe of the Ashantees. A con- vert of African descent, the Rev. Mr. Freeman, pleaded their cause with the Society, and received a grant of Bibles and Tes- taments for distribution among them. In the following year, the Society had the pleasure of making a grant to a new Mis- sion station, then lately established at Fernando Po, in connec- tion with the Baptist Missionary Society. A very interesting experiment was now (1842) in progress, to introduce the Gospel among the numerous tribes on the west- ern coast of Africa, and in the interior, by means of converted NeoToes from the West Indies, either natives of Africa, or of African origin. Some of this description, in Jamaica — men of approved character and of Christian experience — cheerfully offered themselves, with their wives and families, to this honourable work ; w illing to quit the growing comforts of their emancipated state, and hazard all things for the sake of their benighted brethren — " their kinsmen according to the flesh." The Baptist Missionaries and their congregations took a pro- minent part in this enterprise of Christian zeal and love. The Baptist Society established the above station at Fernando Po, whence, as from a centre, it was hoped the rays of Gospel light might spread through many a region of darkness. Here, BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 277 also, an institution was founded for the education of the chil- AFRICA, dren of native chiefs, and other measures of evangelization cuvVlI. adopted. ^^est^ The Church Missionary Society also sent an agent, Mr. W. _ Thompson, on a mission to the interior, north-eastward of ^**04-o4. Sierra Leone, who took with him a supply of Arabic Scrip- i»43. tures. The chief of the Foulahs, who is at the head of the Arabic extensive and powerful Foulah tribes, showed much willing- Scriptures ness to read and study the Sacred Scriptures. Many others Foulah of the chiefs, also, expressed themselves desirous of obtaining ^'^s'°" copies even at full price. Thus a spirit of inquiry was awak- ened, which happily was not suffered wdiolly to sleep and die. In 1843, the Rev. Mr. Hanson, a native of Africa, who had been then admitted by the Bishop of London into priest's orders, was introduced to the Society by the Board of the American Bible Society. Under the auspices of that Society, he had translated the Gospel of St. Matthew into the Accra, (or Version Ga,) his native language, and after his coming to England, he ?^ ^*- •'°^° finished the Gospel of St. John. Before proceeding, as he Accra dia- afterwards did, as Government Chaplain to the Gold Coast, ^'^^' these two Gospels were printed at the expense of the Society. An interesting account was afterwards received, of the recep- tion and use of these books by the children in the native schools. The Accra language is spoken by about 80,000 people. The Sierra Leone Auxiliary, besides remittances to the amount of £129, chiefly for books sold in 1845, purchased 600 Bibles and Testaments, and received an additional grant of 500 copies. Supplies were also voted to it, for the use of numerous vessels carrying emigrants to the West Indies, and to the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea. Nearly 4000 persons had left the colony for those places, and numbers more were emigrating to the Yoruba country, many of whom, having received a Christian education, carried the Scriptures and a knowledge of the Gospel along with them. Such were the tokens, that the Lord was opening the door for the spread of His truth, in various parts of Africa. In 1846, an application for Bibles and Testaments was re- ceived on behalf of the Churches at Sierra Leone, in the 278 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. II. West Africa. 1847. Supplies to Lady Hun- tingdon's Mission at Sierra Leone ; and to the German Mission on the Gold Coast. Countess of Huntingdon's connection. It appears that, in the year 1776, several Missionaries were sent by Lady Hunting- don to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, who, on the founding of the new colony of Sierra Leone, considered themselves called by Providence to emigrate, for the purpose of propa- gating the Gospel in that benighted region. The result of their efforts had been, at the time of this application, the erection of seven principal chapels, besides smaller stations, and the establishment of several day and Sunday schools. The Mission had now also ten Ministers, twenty-six Exhorters, and 12,000 Members in Society. For the benefit of this interesting Com- munity, 600 Bibles and Testaments were granted. The following circumstance, mentioned by the Secretary of the Sierra Leone Auxiliary, may be taken as indicating the eagerness of the natives to obtain the Sacred Scriptures : — "The two last shipments were hailed with pecuHar joy by our dear people. As soon as it was known that they had arrived, the house of my coadjutor and myself were completely beset with eager purchasers, and in less than two weeks after each arrival, nearly the whole 1500 copies were sold. Neither did this anxiety cease, till put a stop to by the exhaustion of our stock." The German Missionaries established on the Gold Coast, at Accra, Akropong, Tantum, and other places, had now become regular correspondents of the Society, and recipients of fre- quent grants of the Scriptures for distribution, in towns and villages, in which work they found at times much to encou- rage them. Thus one of the Missionaries, the Rev. H. Halleur, of Tantum, on one occasion, writes : — " It is very pleasing to see, that when the children come home from school, they go to the beach and write the alphabet in the sand, and teach it to others : even old people are not ashamed to learn in this way : men and women, all have a desire to learn to read the word of God. " We have received, from five different villages, invitations to send them a teacher ; and when I was lately at a place called Berrecu, the people very eag'erly begged me to send them one. They showed me a house which they had prepared for a school-house, and forty boys whom they would send to school ; and said that they would increase this number to 200, if I would send them a teacher. This is the first fishing town, here on the coast, that desires a teacher." In reference to Scripture distributions, and their effects, in the Colony of Sierra Leone, one of the Secretaries writes, in 1841 : — BRITISH AND FOUEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 279 " One uew aiul important feature among- us is, that we do not feel the AFRICA, necessity of giving- any Enghsh Scriptures away. In years gone by, — g-runts were made to the poor and schools throughout the colony ; but such ^^y^' ^*' is our altered condition, and such the thirst for the water of life, that the Africa. negroes eagerly purchase all your books for themselves and families. Since — our last meeting, more than 3000 copies have been circulated, and, I may ^<*"^''-^- add, read too with deep interest. It often gladdens our hearts, when icio. passing through our streets, to see passages of the Scriptures written on , the sides of the houses, we trust, to shield the inhabitants, like the blood ^^^^'^ g^'f" sprinkled on the door-posts of Egypt, from the destroyer, and also to hear gerly pur- in almost every cottage the reading of the word of God and praj'er. chased. Much indeed has already been eftected among this people. Considering the population, — less than 50,000, there is a large and steady circulation of the word of God ; and a general conviction is felt among all classes that Chi-istianity must prevail." And another Missionaiy, on visiting this country in the same year, bears similar testimony: — " The improvement in this colonj^ during the last ten years is very p . , great, and tliis is owing principally to the efforts of the Missionary and moral effect Bible Societies. The Holj^ Scriptures have had a wide circulation in this of the place. The seed lies very thick, and has brought forth much fruit to the jF^^c ° glory of God and the good of man. I suppose some thousands of adults tures. have learnt, during the last eleven years, to read the Holy Scriptures ; and the education, which has been given to the youth of the colon_y, has been well saturated with religion, by the daily use of the Bible in the schools, and the constant exposition of the same in the houses of God." The report for 1850, gives a review of the operations of the Sierra Leone Auxiliary from its commencement, tending to confirm what has been already adduced, as to the gradual advance of Christian truth and influence in the colony. " In reviewing the affairs of the Sierra Leone Auxiliary, since Summary its commencement in the year 1816, there is much which tio'ns^oTtho demands our gratitude to God. The difficulties through Sierra which it has struggled are unequalled. Deatjj has swept Auxiliary. away its managers and supporters, again and again ; deep chasms have thus been made in its history ; and, in fact, it has been more the periodic commencement of a new Society, than the continuation of the one formed by the excellent Rev. E. Bickersteth, thirty-three years ago. So numerous have been the changes of officers, that many valuable records are lost or misplaced ; and, hence, the great difficulty of arriving at a positive knowledge of the past [)roceedings of this Society. 280 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. After a very careful and minute investigation, it is ascertained Chap II ^^^^^ ^"^^® *^^® commencement of this Auxiliary, no fewer than West 19,972 copies of the Sacred Scriptures have been obtained Africa. ^^^^^^^ ^j^^ Parent Society, and circulated throughout this colony 1804-54. and its neighbourhood; the sums of money sent home, at 1850. various times, amount to £2989 6s. Id. And what, it may be asked, is the result ? What benefits have been derived from all this ? We point to the present state of Sierra Leone ; it shall speak for itself. Never was the Gospel preached so extensively ; never were such vigorous efforts in education made ; never was the public mind so much awakened to the value of know- ledge, especially knowledge of the Bible ; never was so great a regard paid to religion ; and never were the blessed fruits of that religion — love to our neighbour — so visible and so great as at the present time." But the work of the Society was to be still further extended Versions in [^ Afi'ica, by means of new translations. Communications were held with the Baptist Missionary Society on the subject of a translation into the Isubu, and some of the Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society were also employed upon several African languages. Measures too were at this time being pursued to secure some uniform system of orthography. Each of the above Societies received assurances of the readi- ness of the Society to print any versions, which their respective Missionaries would present to them as well accredited, and Yo- In 1850, the Society received the first application for printing ruba dia- ^j^g Sacred Scriptures in the Yoruba language, in which so much progress has since been made. It was contained in the request of the Church Missionary Society to print, on their behalf, 500 copies of the Epistle to the Romans. Some particulars relating to this work^ and to the advance made in obtaining a new and improved system of orthography, are given in the Secretary's letter on this occasion : — " We have received from Africa some portions of the Scriptures, trans- lated into the Yoruba language by our native Missionary, the Rev. Samuel Crowther ; viz. St. Luke's Gospel, the Acts, and the Epistle to the Romans. " The two first are written upon a system of orthography which has been since laid aside, upon the adoption, by the consent of all our Missio- naries, of an improved system. Chap. II. West 1804-54. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 281 " Primers printed on the new system have been sent out, and have AFRICA been proved to be '.veil adapted for the native language ; we may, there- fore, I hope, consider this important matter settled ; and as the Committee of our Society are anxious to have some portion of the Scriptures placed Africa. at once in the hands of the Yoruba tribe, I am directed to apply to the British and Foreig-n Bible Society, to request them to print an edition of the Epistle to the Romans. 1851. " "\\'e have written to Africa, to obtain copies of St. Luke and the Acts in the new orthography ; and as soon as we receive them, we shall enlarge our request that they may be also printed ; but considering the uncertainty of communication with that part of Africa, we are anxious that no time should be lost in printing the Epistle to the Romans. " The translator is a native, (Rev. Mr. Growth er,) who spent eighteen months in our College at IsUngton, and is acquainted with Greek. We have three other Missionaries labouring in the same tribe, at BadagTy and Abbeokuta, who are competent to give an opinion upon the merits of the translation ; and they all unite in recommending- it for printing. " Our Committee, therefore, feel great confidence in the fidehty and correctness of the translation." In the following year, the Society added to the above, the printing of 500 copies each of St. Luke's Gospel, the Acts, the Epistle of St. James, and the first and second of St. Peter. Of the previous portion, the Epistle to the Romans, the Rev. S. Crowther writes : — " The Epistle to the Romans opens to them the best of treasures, and it seems to unfold those hidden mysteries to them, which hitherto they have only known by preaching from our lips. How they wonder at the wisdom, love, and mercy of God ! How they wonder at the omniscience of God, whose word has recorded all their heathenish practices in their exact pictures, as if they had been seen in the country before the book was made, especially the first two chapters, but no less of the rest." In 1851, the Society printed the first portion of the Old The books Testament in the Yoruba language. It consisted of 2500 copies aiulExodus of the Book of Genesis. On presenting the application from i" Yoruba. the Church Missionary Society, to have this work printed for them, the Secretary writes : — " An edition of 500 sufficed on former occasions ; but so mightily has grown the word of God and prevailed in Abbeokuta and its neighbour- hood, during the seven years that have elapsed since the establishment of our mission there, that we cannot ask for less than 2500 copies in the present instance, most of which we hope to dispose of by sale. " It is a happy coincidence, and one on which we cannot reflect without devout thankfulness, that on the Jubilee of the Bible Society, the Church Mis- 282 HISTORY OF tpie AFRICA, sionary Society should have the privileg-e of transmitting to j^ou the first — portion of the Old Testament, translated into his own tong-ue by a recap- West tured negro slave, now a clergyman of the Church of England, himself Africa, a living witness of the hving power of that word, which you are the — honoured instruments of freely circulating." 1804-54. "^ — In the following year were ordered to press, at tlie request of the above Society, 2500 copies of the Gospel of St. Matthew, and 2500 of the book of Exodus. Thus gratifying was the advance made, towards giving the whole Bible in that im- portant dialect of Africa. One of the Missionaries, labouring in those parts, bears the following testimony to the acceptableness and growing im- portance of this work j — " The word of God in the Yoruba language you so kindly printed, — and for which, in the name of the Yoruba nation, as well as our Missionary body, I beg to return most sincere thanks, — is most eagerly received and read at Abbeokuta ; and wherever there is one able to read, many have been blessed by the same ; and we do hope that, as Lagos is now open, and the large Jebu jirovince, and the far interior, all belonging to the Yoruba nation— many more will be led into the path of truth, Hfe, and light, for this is what God pleases, and for which He sends it." Whilst these operations were going on for the benefit of the native tribes, in the neighbourhood of Sierra Leone, the German Missionaries on the Gold Coast were adopting measures for extending the knowledge of the Scriptures, among the people of the countries to which thej had gained, or hoped to gain, access. One of these brethren, in giving an account of some Scriptures, entrusted to him and his brother Missionaries, writes : — " In the present condition of the negroes, coupled with their extreme poverty, it could not be expected that much would be received in pay- ment for the copies. Nevertheless, some of the school-children have paid a portion, some, the whole of the price ; others worked in our garden, and at their request we gave them a copy of the Scriptures in payment. Of this I keep a due account. " Some little time back, while on a short Missionary tour, 1 arrived at a village about five miles distant from this place. The people were very attentive and well-disposed, and they informed me of their having long since abandoned the Fetishe,— which, to all appearance, seemed to be the fact. After service they said to me, ' This little boy (he was standing close by me,) constantly instructs us in the word of God.' He was a lad BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 283 of about twelve years of ag-e, who had learned to read in our school.-f, and AFRICA, who now, as it ajipears, makes g'ood use of the word of God, not only for Chap. II. West Ins own beuelit, but also for that of his poor countrymen. In the following year, the same Missionary, Rev. IMr. Africa. Zimmerman, writes : — 1804-54. " We have already introduced the Ga portions into our schools, and hope \^^ to make a beginning with the translation of other portions of the Scriptures into the Ga, and in Akropong into the Otji (or Asanti). Mr. Hanson's work will, at the commencement, be of essential service to us ; and it is more- over a work by no means published in vain, as it is of the greatest value to us in our labours in the Ga language, and is in constant use m our Infant Institution and in our devotional meetings. For our translations, we make use of the Alphabet prepared by the Rev. Henry Venn, which is meeting with increased acceptance on the African coast. " The Ga lang-uage, according to our more recent discoveries, embraces Extent to a trading people on the coast numbering from 60,000 to 80,000 souls ; on which the the other hand, the Otji (with Fanti and Asanti), extends over a po- ^'^ ^"^ pulation of about 5,000,000 or 0,000,000. By means of the schools, the iec?s"pre-^' dialects in which the Bible may be translated will, with a little exertion, vail, gain a predominance over the many other dialects of a language ; and we trust that through the two above-mentioned dialects the word of God will penetrate far into the interior of our benighted quarter of the world." The alphabet, or system of spelling, alluded to above, as Alphabet devised by the Rev. H. Venn, of the Church Missionary uiaiJctf Society, appears to be very valuable, and likely to be brouelit forme^l ^y ct 1 • 1 • • 1 r. • 1 , Missio- mto extensive use. ouch is the opinion expressed of it by the naries. above-named Missionaries. " Not only," say the}^, " have we introduced this alphabet into our schools in the Ga country already, but it is also used in the Otji language, spoken in Fanti, Asanti, Akim, Akwapim and Akwamu, by our brethren in the interior, in Akropong ; it will be used very probably by our neigh- bours, the German Missionaries of Bremen, in the widely spread language of Aigbe,— it is used by the Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society in Badagry and Abbeokuta, the district of the Yoruba language, and at several other places on the western coast of Africa. " In the Ga, as well as the Otji language, some httle books are printed already in this alphabet." The work of translating the Scriptures in the Accra or Ga lan- guage, being much aided by the preparatory work of the Rev. Mr. Hanson, a new edition of that work, comprising the Gospels of Matthew and John, was printed at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and grants made for the use of the German Missionaries. 284 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. II, West Afkica. 1804-54. 1854. Negro col- porteurs. One of these Missionaries, in the last letter received from him within the period of this history, writes : — " I am in a position to say, that the English reading portion of the inhabitants of the Accra and Akwapim country, are now pretty well sup- phed with the Scriptures. The copies find purchasers among- all classes of the population ; among Whites, Mulattoes, and Negroes ; and on the present occasion, a number of copies were sold among the coloured soldiers by my pupils, whom I have employed as colporteurs." With these notices, our account of Western Africa must close. The operations of the Society in that part of Africa occupy but a small space in our history ; yet limited as they are, they have no mean interest. They form part of the first Christian efforts, on that margin of the African continent, long desecrated by the traffic in slaves, but which now, happily, has become the base of beneficial communication with the dark tribes of the interior. Viewed also in conjunc- tion with Missionary stations on other points of Africa, these operations are part of a system of aggressive evangelization, assuredly destined to gain ultimate possession of all the terri- tory of the sons of Ham. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 285 AFRICA. CHAPTER in. EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. 1810-1854. Abyasinia : — 3feamres for siipph/ of Scrijjfures in the Ethiopir. — Version of the Gospels of Matthew and John. — AmJiaric version by M. Asselin. — Egypt : — Distribution of Coptic Scriptures by Messrs. Burchhardt and Jowett. — JEdition of .Psalter in Coptic and Arabic. — Gospel of St. Luke in the Berber dialect.— Scriptures for distribution supplied to the Messrs. Lander. — Distribution at Algiers by Rev. Mr. Ewald. — Protestant Missionaries excluded from Abyssinia. — Later distribution at Algiers by Dr. Philip. — Summary of efforts in North Africa. In entering upon a notice of the Society's operations in Eastern AFRICA, and Northern Africa, we have first to refer to measures ^ ~ttt adopted for the benefit of the people of Abyssinia, among East and whom Christianity has long held a nominal recognition, and Africa. whose ecclesiastical or Churcli language is the Etliiopic* — 1810-54 The attention of the Society was first drawn to the Ethiopic _ Scriptures, in December 1810, by the Directors of the ., , ' , , ^ ./ ^ Aljyssynia. Edinburgh Bible Society ; who were prompted to this by a suggestion from a member of their body, the Rev. George Measures Paxton, Professor of Divinity to the Antiburgher General ofVcrfp-^ Associate Synod. turesinthe In the Address which contained the suggestion, Mr. Paxton * The Abyssinians were converted to Christianity in the year 333 ; their religious tenets are tliose of the Greek Church. 286 HISTORY OF THE AFEICA. Chap. III. East and North Africa. 1810-54. 1812. Abyssinia. represented the case of the Christians in Abyssinia, as having a particular claim to be considered in a plan for the general distribution of the Scriptures. The early conversion of the Abyssinians to Christianity, their, unshaken adherence to the profession of it under the peculiar temptations and discourage- ments to which they had been exposed, the declension of vital Christianity among them from the want of religious instruc- tion, their disposition and ability to peruse the Holy Scriptures, and the opportunity of communication at that time existing, and which, if lost, might " not be recovered for ages ;" — these constituted the principal grounds, on which the Professor rested his earnest and benevolent appeal. The subject, thus suggested and enforced, appeared, under all its aspects, of such grave importance, that a Sub-Committee was appointed, of which Viscount Valentia and Henry Salt, Esq., were constituted Members, for the purpose of considering the best means of furnishing the Abyssinians with the Holy Scriptures. The result of the inquiries pursued by this active and intelligent Sub-Committee, and of their repeated delibera- tions during a period of nearly eighteen months, was a recom- mendation to print some portion of the Ethiopic Bible by way of experiment, and to abstain from any greater undertaking till Sir Evan Nepean (at that time proceeding as Governor to Bombay) should have ascertained, whether a complete copy of the Bible could be obtained from Abyssinia.* Conformably with this recommendation, an order was immediately given, that the Book of Psalms, and the Gospels of St. Matthew and * The following was Mr. Bruce's statement on the Ethiopic Scriptures, as they then existed in Abyssinia, when he visited it : — " The Abj^ssinians have the whole Scriptures entire, as we have, and count the same number of books; but they divide them in another manner, at least in private hands : few of them, from extreme poverty, being able to purchase the whole, either of the liistorical or prophetical books of the Old Testament. The same may be said of the New ; for copies containing the whole of it are very scarce. Indeed, nowhere, miless in churches, do you see more than the Gospels, or the Acts of the Apostles, in any person's possession ; and it must not be an ordinary man that possesses even these. " Many books of the Old Testament are forgotten ; so that it is the same trouble to procure them even in churches, for the purpose of copying, as to consult old records long covered with rubbish." BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETV. 287 St. John, in the Etliiopic, shonkl be printed from tlie text of AFRICA. L"dolph. ^ CnArill. It has since appeared, that, while the British and Foreion East a>-d Bible Society were preparing this supply of copies in the Africa. learned language of Abyssinia, a translation had been com- ~ menced, and was proceeding, at Grand Cairo, under the — direction of the French Charge d'Affaires, M. Asselin, into '^"^' the Amharic, or vulgar dialect of the country. A cor- ^ y^^^^^^- respondence was opened with M. Asselin ; and, from his high Amharic literary qualifications, as attested by that accomplished Ori- m. Asselin. entalist, and friend of the Institution, Baron Silvestre de Sacy, of Paris, good hopes were entertained, that, through the blessing of God, the Abyssinians might, in due time, become possessed of the Scriptures in a dialect with which they were familiar, and in which no portion of the divine word had then been printed. Nor were these hopes to be disappointed. M. Asselin, after ten years devoted to the object, succeeded, by the help of an aged and learned native,* in producing a translation of the whole Bible into the above language. When the Society became informed of this, a correspondence w^as opened, wdth M. Asselin, through Rev. W. Jowett, then acting for the Church Missionary Society, with a view to the purchase of this very valuable MS., which after some delay became, in 1819, the property of the Bible Society. On its safe arrival, after its hazardous passage from Cairo to London, arrangements were made, without loss of time, for preparing a portion of it, by way of experiment, in that part of * The name of the person, whom M. Assehn employed in making the translation of the Amharic Bible, was Abraham. lie was born in Etliiopia, and was a very worthy and active man. He had travelled for forty years. In his youth, he accompanied the celebrated traveller, Bruce : he went afterwards to India, and studied three years under an Enghshman of gi'eat learning. Besides his native tongue, he was master of the Persian, ItaUan, Greek, and other languages. He was employed for ten years by M. Asselin in translating the Bible. When he had finished his task, that gentleman wished him to translate other works ; but he rephed, that he was desirous of some repose , and had determined to undertake a journey to Jerusalem, there to die and be buried. Soon after his an-ival there, the plague made its appearance, and he fell a victim to it. Owen, III. 4H0. 288 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. III. East and North Africa. 1810-54. 1820, Egypt. First dis- triljution ot Coptic Scriptures by Mr. Burck- hardt. Visit of Mr. Jowett to the Con- vents of Upper Egypt. Aid ren- dered by British Consuls in Egypt. Abyssinia where the Amharic dialect is used. In 1822, the four Gospels were put to press, under the superintendence of T. P. Piatt, Esq., the Society's honorary Librarian, who also prepared an Ethiopic version to accompany the above. His former work issued from the press in 1824. Egypt. — The earliest efforts of the Society to introduce the Scriptures into Egypt were made in connection with the Malta Bible Society, which, from its formation in 1817, became the centre of operations for the countries bordering on the Medi- terranean. Its proceedings, conducted with great judgment, were attended with good success, not only within Malta itself, and in the Ionian Islands, but also in Egypt and the Archi- pelago. In the latter, its efforts were greatly promoted by the travels of Messrs. Burckhardt, Jowett, and Connor. Of these, the Rev. Mr. Burckhardt, whose excellency of character and premature death have been already referred to, was the first to disseminate the Scriptures in Egypt. Both at Alex- andria and Cairo, he found an eager desire among the Copts to obtain copies of the Scriptures. At the former place, a considerable number of Bibles and Testaments were dis- posed of. Mr. Jowett, who followed in the steps of Mr. Burckhardt, obtained a letter of recommendation from the Coptic Patriarch, to all the Churches and Convents in Upper Egypt, as far as he had occasion to travel. Though no great immediate results followed, yet the sacred volume found access in many quarters, and thus something was done towards opening an entrance into that, and the contiguous countries. The Society was also indebted to the kindness of Messrs. Salt and Lee, British Consuls in Egypt, for their continued and benevolent efforts in assisting materially in the distribu- tion of the Scriptures. Their Dragoman (Interpreter) took part in the work, which thus was advancing, when none of the public Agents of the Society were in the coimtry. The American Missionaries also, who at this time visited Egypt, succeeded in circulating between 700 or 800 copies of the Bible, or parts of it. These books were reported to have been received with much gratitude by the Coptic Church. The Society, having received from the Church Missionary BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 289 Society, the very valuable present of ten volumes of Ethiopic a pRrn* manuscripts, containing among others the entire New Testa- — ment, was enabled to proceed with the printing of the whole e"'st' ^xd of this important portion of Divine Truth, under the direc- North tion of Mr. Piatt; and at the same time, (1825,) an edition of _ ' ' 2000 Psalters in the Coptic and Arabic, in parallel columns, 1B04-54. was undertaken, under the editorship of Professor Lee, of 1828. Cambridge ; the Delegates of the University press at Oxford Versions hi kindly lending the use of their Coptic types for this purpose. tlic Coptic, When the four Gospels in the Ethiopic and Amharic and Anit'.ic languages, above referred to, had been printed, copies were languages, sent to INIalta, and thence conveyed by Missionaries to Abys- smia ; where they met with so favourable a reception, and so strong a wish was expressed to obtain more of the sacred writings, that the Society was led to the determination to print 2000 copies of the whole of the New Testament in Amharic, with a corresponding number in Ethiopic. Mr. Piatt's increased acquaintance with the Amharic language, enabled him to bear a favourable testimony to its general character, as being faithful to the original. While the New Testament was in process of completion, Mr. Piatt was employed in preparing the Old Testament for publication. In 1834, the printing of the Amharic Bible had advanced to the end of the Pentateuch, under the superintendence of INIr. Piatt ; and during the course of that year, the Committee had an interesting interview with the Rev. Mr. Gobat,* a Mis- sionary of the Church Missionary Society, then on a visit to England from Abyssinia. From him they had much pleasure in learning, that those portions of the Amharic version then issued, had proved very acceptable, and that he had endea- voured, with some degree of success, to make them extensively known. He was commissioned by a young Abyssinian, to whom the Scriptures had been rendered a blessing, to convey his best thanks to those friends in England, from whom he had received them. As it was found that a considerable time must elapse before all the books of the Old Testament would be completed, * Tlif pivspiit IJishop of.rfrusiilf^m. Vol. II. u 290 HISTORT OF THE AFRICA. Chap. III. East and North Africa. 1804-54. 1831. Manu- script ver- sion in the Berber language obtained. Portion of St. Luke printed. Supply of Arabic Scriptures to the Messrs. Lander. it was thought well, in 1836, to put the Pentateuch to press. The entire Old Testament, however, was completed in 1839 ; when Mr. Piatt, to whom the Society was so much indebted for the revision of the work, proceeded to edit the New Testament, which was printed to correspond with, and accom- pany the Old. The Society, in 1831, effected the purchase of valuable MSS. of a portion of the Scriptvires in the Berber language — understood to be spoken very extensively by the Aborigines in the interior of Northern Africa. The work consisted of a version of the four Gospels, and the book of Genesis, effected by H. B. Hodgson,' Esq., formerly consul of the United States at Algiers, in conjunction with a learned native. Mr. Greenfield, at that time the Society's Editorial Super- intendent, had made considerable progress in the Berber language, and was engaged in examining these Berber manu- scripts, at the time of his decease. He had also obtained a copy of a vocabulary in that language from the Royal Library in Paris, and had commenced a correspondence with Mr. Hat- terslev, of Leeds, who had also had his attention directed to the subject. The services of Mr. Hattersley were afterwards engaged, to copy the manuscript. This gentleman further made such progress in the knowledge of the language, as to be capable of editing a portion of the Gospel of St. Luke, of which a few copies only were printed, in order to ascertain more accurately the merits of the version, before the remaining parts were put to press. Some of these copies were afterwards sent in different directions, with a view to test the character and acceptableness of the version ; but up to the present time very little informa- tion has been obtained on the subject. In 1833, the Society seized the opportunity of an expedition proceeding to Central Africa, under the command of the Messrs. Lander, to send thither a number of Arabic Bibles and Testaments. At this time, also, the Rev. Mr. Ewald, a Missionary connected with the Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews, stationed first at Algiers, and afterwards at Tunis, having had much encouragement from numerous applications li!04-54. BRITISH AND FOllEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 291 for the Scriptures, in the Hebrew, Arabic, German, Frencli, AFllICA. Itah'an, and Spanisli hinguages, entered on a course of Scrip- ciiap~IIT ture distribution, which continued through several successive East and years, along the coast of Barbary, having special reference to Africa. the Jews, who form a numerous population in those parts. In the year 1835, he was able to give a satisfactory account of the distribution of nearly a thousand copies, in several of '''''•^■ the above lano-uao-es. He writes : — Distribu- & & ^. ,. tion 01 " Jlanj a Roman Catholic in Tunis, wlio never before saw a Bil)Ie, has Scriptures now tliis treasure in his j^ossession. May the Lord bless it to his soul ! '» Algiers, In some schools established here, the Bible has been introduced ; and even t.^ ' '7. at Raulo (the Bey's residence), where lately a school has been established, EwaUl. the New Testament is read, for the schoolmaster sent for some cojnes of them. The .Tews read now the word of the living- God withoiit the com- ments of the Eabbies ; and those who formerly could not atford to buy a copy, are now able to purchase one at a low price, owing- to the kindness of your Society ; often, when I tell them that not I, but many good Christians in England, who love them, wlio long and pray for their con- version to the Lord Jesus, g-ave them the Bibles at so low a price, they then wish to these good peo])le a thousand blessings from above. Also some Mahomedans, the gT+^atest enemies of Christ crucified, read the Bible ; some, indeed, for curiosity's sake; but of others I know they read the holy book, to examine whether things are as we state them to be. I know one who has been persecuted, and dismissed the college because he was found reading it, and because he said the New Testament is a good book, and the Psalms are precious words, and the whole Bible the word of God. I am acquainted with another, one of the court, who reads chligently the word of God ; and, as often as I see him, he asks questions about "- ^\•hat he has read. A few copies of the Holy Scriptures I had an opportimity of sending into the interior, and have been since informed that they have been received with pleasure by the chiefs of the tribes ; and, at the same time, I have been requested to send some more copies, which I did." In the following year, during which he had disposed of another 1000 copies, he takes a more comprehensive view of what he had accomplished up to that time: — " Through your instrumentality, I have been enabled to lay before the many Roman Catholics who inhabit the North Coast of Africa, that Book wliich is able to make men wise unto salvation,— to point out to numbers of Ishmael's descendants the errors of the Koran,— and to show to the liundred thousand of .Jews, my brethren according to the flesh, what INIoses and the Prophets have foretold of Him who is the Redeemer of tlie world. The seed is sown in the name of Ilim who is able to call forth fruits. May it yield an hundred-fold ! Tn the space of foui- years, the IT 2 292 HISTORY OF THE AFRICA. Chap. III. East and North Africa. 180-1-54. Termina- tion of Mr. Ewald's labours. Close of Operations in Abys- tinifi I have spent on the Northern Coast, 5000 copies of the Holy Scrip- tures have heen jiut into circulation. Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and the towns along" the coast from Tunis to Tripoh, have heard the g-lorious invi- tation, ' Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ! ' Even the sons of Kedar have heard the Gospel sound beneath their tents ; and have often and willingly boug'ht the word of the Living God. I do not mean to say that I have not often been opposed — that the Evil One has not stirred up his servants to put a stop to the circula- tion of the Scriptures. More than once did the servants of darkness employ all the means in their power, to prevent people from reading- the Scriptures : the ^Mahomedau priests bimit a Bible : the Eonian Catholic priests at Trijioli tried to ]iersuade the people that our Bibles were not g-enuine. Some ignorant JeA\'ish Babbies did the same ; but, after all, the truth ]irevailed : and, blessed and praised be the name of our God ! the Scriptures ai'e read by Jews, by Mahomedans, and by Eoman Catholics. The labours of Mr. Ewald on the Northern Coast of Africa conthiued till the year 1839, when he was obliged to quit that sphere of duty for a time, in consequence of ill health. In that year he wrote : — " I have had opportunities of sending- Bibles to Eg-yi)t, to Tripoli, to the Island of G«rba, along- the whole coast to Alg:iers and IMorocco. Turkish NeAv Testaments and Bibles have found their way from hence to Constan- tinople, by various means. We had, for a considerable time, the French fleet here ; during- which time several hundred French Bibles were sold and distributed, and many more could I have sold, had I been fur- nished with more. About fifty Spanish Bibles have also been sold, but the greater portion was in Hebrew. In addition to jirevious issues, I have ]»ut into circulation, since December 1837, above 5000 copies, of wliich more than 4000 have been sold. Most of the Hebrew Pentateuchs, which your Societj^ has been so kind as to furnish me with, have been boug-ht for schools ; and many of them have I given away to the poor, who could not afford to buy them. Besides these, I have sold also several hundred CO] lies belonging- to my own Society." Once more we turn to Abyssinia, but only, alas ! to notice the conclusion, for the time, of the Society's operations in that interesting kingdom. In 1842, the Missionaries applied for a grant of at least 500 copies of the Amharic, and 500 of the Arabic Scriptures. That they Avere Avell encouraged to make that application, the following letter accomjianying it will show : — " I repeat my strongest wish," writes one of the Missionaries, " that you may be able to furnish me with a rich quantity of Amliaric, and, still more, of Ethiopic Scriptures. I got about 200 copies from Cairo, but after J804-54. BRITISH AXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 293 a clay and a-half they were all given away. The people, liaviiio- licnvd of AP'RICA. their arrival, came from all quartert^, beg-ii-ing- for books. From the morn- — iug- till eveinng they besieged my house; and only the sticks of my e'^st \xi) servants were able to prevent them from breaking- open the door of my North house. Even the strong-est rain could not determine them to g"o home. I Africa. have never seen so gTeat a desire for books in Abyssinia, and 1 cannot conceive what are their real motives. Respecting- a great number of them, I cannot but tliink that they are led by a real and interior want of ^^'"'?-. the word of God. I can tell you, in a strict sense of the word, that the '' y^smia whole scholarship of all the five churches of Ankobar asked for Bil)les, and I was not able to comply with their desire. You may tliink that this made a distressing- impression on my muid, as well as on the people." Unhappily, the hopes which the above letter awakened, were Protestant not to be realized. The Roman Catholics obtained a footing uarics ex- in the country, and to their influence, it is thought, must eluded, be attributed that change in the policy of the ruling ])owers, which led to the retirement of Protestant Missionaries from Abyssinia; and fourteen years were to elapse, before the country was opened to another experiment to spread Scrip- tural knowledge among the people, by the sending among them some Scripture distributors and readers, furnished with supplies of the Sacred Volume. The result of this new en- deavour, originating in the zeal of Bishop Gobat, of Jerusalem, once Abyssinia's devoted Missionary, is not yet apparent. For several years after the removal of Mr. Ewald from Distribu- tion re- sumed iu Tunis, the Society's operations in the northern part of Africa were almost, if not entirely suspended. But in 1850, a grant North of 300 copies of the Sacred Scriptures, in Hebrew, Arabic, -'^''■"^^• French, and German, was made to the Rev. Dr. PliiHp, Agent of the Scottish Jews' Society, stationed at Algiers. And in 1851, Mr. Lowndes, the Society's Agent, paid a visit to the northern part of Africa, having obtained letters of introduction to the Rev. W. Monod, Pastor of the French Protestant Church at Algiers. An extensive district in Africa, under the name of Algeria, had now become part of the French dominions. With Dr. Philip and Mr. Monod, Mr. Lowndes concerted plans for the extension of the Society's work in those regions. He included in his tour of visitation, Bona, Tunis, Tripoli, and other places. To the Rev. Mr. Curie, of Bona, were entrusted between 600 and 700 copies of the Scri[)tures for distribution, in tlie Spanisli, French, and German hmguages. 294 HISTORY OF THE AFlllCA. Chap. III. East and NOKTH Afeica. 180-1-54. 1852. Summary of efforts in North Africa. Mr. Ben Oliel, Agent of the British Jews' Society at Gibral- tar, had forwarded to him about the same number of copies, which he undertook to disperse in the Empire of Morocco. To this object he devoted, first nine months, and afterwards three, not altogether without success, several hundred copies being brought into circulation, and some of them in parts, where, so far as known, no previous attempts of this kind had ever been made. Mr. Ben Oliel gives the following account of this attempt: — " You will perceive that 5G2 were put into circulation in the Empire of Morocco, 446 by the Colporteur, at Eabat, Salu, Mequenez, and Fez, and 116 by my colleague, Mr. J. Lowitz, at Tetuan and Tangiers. The Col- I)orteur sold every copy of the 446. Mr. Lowitz gave away 78 out of the 116. Of the 650 copies intended for that comitry, B9 Testaments re- main on hand ; the rest, 561, were distributed m that empire. " I feel thankful that this eifort, the first of the kind, to put the word of God into the hands of the thousands of Jews in the Empire of Morocco, has proved successful ; and I have no doubt that, if it had been in my power to have remained, the work of Colportage in that country might have been carried on with greater success, now that I have collected much valuable information on the subject through the Colporteur." The last account of this field of labour, coming within the period included in this history, is the following, from the pen of Mr. Lowndes : it forms part of his review of his operations for the year ending with the Jubilee: — '' North Africa is not without interest, and I am in correspondence with Missionaries at Tunis, Algiers, and Oran. In these places the principal Scriptures required are Hebrew and Arabic ; and our friends there, from time to time, sell numbers, and dispose of others gratuitously. Mr. Ben Oliel, of Tunis, some months since, transmitted to London a considerable amount for Scriptures sold by him ; and when I was in England last year, I received from Mr. Weiss, of Algiers, £8 sterling, and something more than an equal sum he has also lately sent to London, as proceeds of sales in Algiers and the vicinity. " About three months since, Mr. Markheim, who has long been labour- ing as a Missionary in Morocco, Gibraltar, &c., passed through Malta on his way to Tunis, and I supplied him with some Scriptures that he required. I made a grant also previously to Mr. Lowitz, who had been united for some time with Mr. Ben Oliel at Tunis, but was returning on account of health to Gibraltar, where he had formerly resided. " Egypt, in general, does not present any encourag-ing prospect of Scrip- ture dissemination among the native population, on account of their fallen condition. Cairo does not afford much hope, so long as the inhabitants Chap. HI. East and 1804-54. BRITISH AND FOREIGN I5IBLE SOCIETY. 295 miiintnin iheir attachment to tlicir loim'-flit'iislied principles ; but Alexan- AFRICA dria is a ])lace of much commerce : the port is frequented by a vast uuiU' ber of ships from various countries, and the town contains a larj^-( population, composed of people of different nations. Dr. Philip, the Mis- Nortu sionar}- to the Jews, has resided there for some months, and for a short Ai-rica. time employed a Colporteur, who sold some copies of the word of God. After this he placed Scriptures in the store of a bookseller, which plan is still continued with some success. But I feel it important that somethinj^- 1"54 should be done there among" the shipping in tlie way of Colportage : the person whom Dr. Phihp employed did not try this." It is evident, from these brief notices of the Society's hmited operations in North Africa, although many difficulties offer themselves to view in the degraded character and piratical habits of the mixed populations dwelling along the coast, yet, that these regions are not wholly inaccessible to Chris- tian enterprise ; and we may confidently hope that they will hereafter open more wide and encouraging fields of labour. 296 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. CHAPTER I. UNITED STATES. 1804—1854. First Bible Society at Philadelphia. — Grant from the Parent Society. — Domestic need of the Scriptures brought to light. — Rapid increase of Auxiliaries. — Grants to several of these. — Female Bible Society at Philadelphia. — Nassau Hall Bible Society. — Formation of the American Bible Society in 1814. — Grant from the Parent Society. — Versio7is in the Indiaii dialects prepared. — Extent of the operations of the Amej'ican Society. — Simi-cltaneous supplies of Scriptures for given dis- tricts.— Friendly cor^'espondence cultivated with the British and Foreign Society. — Foreign operatio7is of the American Society. — Extension of efforts in the Western States. — Grants to Missionaries abroad. — Summary of American operations doivn to 1854. We now pass from the Old World to the New, which has not only become very widely the scene of Biblical opera- UnUed' tions, emanating from the Parent Society, but which also now States, p^.ggents the spectacle of numerous kindred institutions, like 180-4-54. separate fountains sending forth fertilizing streams into the regions around and beyond them. This remark eminently applies to that distinguished offspring of the British Society, the national American Bible Society, which has now risen to great eminence, and, as we shall see, vies with the elder In- stitution in zeal and activity, energy and influence. In the survey now to be taken, we have before us not only the vast Continent of America — South, Central, and North, but the Islands of the Western Sea, bordering thereupon. Chap. AMEItlCA. Chap. I. BRITISH AND FOKEIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 297 The earliest efforts of the Society in belialf of tlie New World were very scanty and scattered ; in the first instance, consisting chiefly of grants, of lesser or larger extent, for the United temporary and immediate use of British settlers, soldiers and ^'^^^• colonists, in North America and the West Indies ; the French 180-1-54. in St. Domingo, and the Spaniards in Buenos Ayres, partici- isos. pating in these benefits. After a short time, a sympathy in the Society's objects and labours Avas enkindled in the New England States, and quickly spread among other Christians on that side of the Atlantic. To this part of America we will therefore first turn. THE UNITED STATES. The first public link of alliance between the British and Foreign Bible Society and the United States, was the establish- ment of a Bible Society in the city of Philadelphia. This event, which took place on the 12tli of December, First Bihie 1808, gave to the British and Foreign Bible Society an auspi- h"America cious entrance on the western continent, and opened to its ^^ I'liila- conductors prospects of usefulness in the new world, little ^ ^ "''^' inferior to those which it had hitherto enjoyed in the old. The intelligence was officially announced in terms which ascribed the formation of the Philadelphia Bible Society to the example and influence of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and respectfully and affectionately deferred to it as to a patron and a parent. In an admirable address, the managers of this first American Society unfolded their views with regard to the origin and design of their Institution. Its origin they attributed " to the example offered, and the efforts made, by the British and Foreign Bible Society." " From the time " (they say) " that it Avas known in this city, it at- tracted the marked attention of several persons accustomed to take an interest in whatever is calculated to extend the influence of revealed truth. It was immediately seen, that the necessity for such an Institution Avas the same here as in Europe ; and that there was every reason to believe, that, if suitable exertions Avere made, it could not fail of encourage- ment." After assigning their reasons for choosing their 298 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, limited designation, they expressed a hope, that the time was CuAP. I. not distant, when they should see Institutions similar to their United own, in the town of Boston, and in the cities of New Haven, States. , . . — New York, Baltimore, Richmond, Savannah, and in the 1804-54. ^Q^.j^ Qf Lexington, and the State of Kentucky. And they 1'509. asserted, that they should at ail times be ready cordially to greet, as a sister Institution, every Bible Society, in whatever place or part of their country it should appear. Grant from The British and Foreign Bible Society lost no time in the Parent expressing its ioy on receiving the above interesting communi- Society. ^ ^, . / . . ° , T . 1 . n -1 cation, and its desire to improve the event to which it referred, for the advantage of the general cause. The sum of £200 was immediately voted to this Transatlantic Auxiliary ; and in the letter which conveyed intelligence of the grant, the conductors of the Philadelphia Society were urged to " pro- ceed in giving to their infant Institution every possible degree of latitude and efficacy : " " to hold out the Sacred Scrip- tures in their naked simplicity, as a rallying point to the several denominations of Christians in the American Union : and to reckon, in the prosecution of this glorious work, upon the blessing of God, the prayers of all good men, and the cordial co-operation of the British and Foreign Bible Society." The first report of the Philadelphia Bible Society, (dated May, 1809,) abundantly justified the expectations which its commencement had excited. The necessity for such an Institution appeared the more evident, when its managers, in the course of their duty, proceeded to make particular inquiries into the state of the poorer classes of people in the city. " The deficiency of Bibles was found to be much greater than was Domestic expected. The number of famiUes and individuals, it was stated, destitute Scriptures of a copy of the Scriptures, was so considerable, that the whole of the brought to funds in the possession of the Society mig-ht have been profitably ^S expended in suppljdng the wants of that city alone ; and the opportimities of distributing- them in other places were so nvimerous, that, if their funds had been tenfold as great as they were, they would still have been inadequate to supply the demand. " In proof of the direct good produced by the Institution, it was mentioned that some hundreds of tamilies were already in possession of a Bible, by means of the Society, which never had one before ; that the books had commonly been received with emotion, and strong indications of gratitude • and that the application for them was often earnest and pressing ; and that 1804-5-1. 1810. llapid in- crease of Societies. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 209 the cordiality and harmony with wliich Cln-i8tiini.s of many denominations ameiuca. miited iu promoting' the important object of the Society, promised to he — attended with a good effect on dl concerned." ^"'^r* ]• Umtpd Such an example as that of the Phiht Jelpliia Bible Society, "^ ^'^^''' could not fail to produce a salutary influence on the in- habitants of the surrounding States. The effect of that influence was speedily manifested in the appearance of kindred establishments : six were formed in the course of the following year, viz. the Connecticut Bible Society at Hartford, the Massa- chusetts at Boston, the New Jersey at Princeton ; and three at New York, under the respective designations of, " The New York Bible Society," " The Young Men's Bible Society," and " The New York Bible and Ck)mmon Prayer Book Society." The last-mentioned Society was assisted by a grant of Bibles, to the value of £100. The rapid increase of Bible Societies in the United States of America, their public recognition of the British and Foreign Bible Society as their prototype and common parent, together with their grateful acceptance of its pecuniary aid, as well as of its friendship and general co-operation, proclaimed, in the strongest manner, the growth of that interest in favour of the common object, which had been so happily excited in the regions beyoiid the Atlantic. Such distinguished success in a quarter with which a connection had been so recently formed, was regarded by the conductors of the British and Foreign Bible Society as an event of no ordinary importance ; and they received, from time to time, the intelligence of its progress, with emotions of joy and hope. The formation of three new Societies in the following year, Grants to for the States of South Carolina, Maine and Georgia, gave several new the Society a furtheropportunity of testifying their interest in these Transatlantic Institutions. A donation of £100 was promptly transmitted to each of the Societies above enume- rated, with a letter of congratulation on their establishment and prospects. It is due to the Georgia Bible Society to observe, that the pecuniary grant Avas in their case made, after the ex[)res3 declaration of their unwillingness to substract from the funds of the Parent Institution. Societies. 300 HISTORY OF THE CUAP. I. United States. Georgia. Philadel- pliia. The conductors of the British and Foreign Bible Society were of opinion, that the offering which they were accus- tomed to make to other TransatUmtic Bible Societies in tlieir infancy, should not be withheld from the Georgia Bible Society, for any considerations upon which that Institution had professed to decline it. Experience had taught them, that the wants of such an Institution are, for the most part, very imperfectly estimated, in the dawn of its establishment ; and they seemed to discover, in the following statement, a prospect of demand upon the Georgia Bible Society, which confirmed the propriety of a pecuniary donation. " There are two circumstances," the Georgia Committee proceed to state, " which particularly call for such an institution in Georgia. By the exer- tions of several denominations of Christians, an attention to religion has been excited in various parts of the State, which, a few years since, were noted only for their profligacy and immorality ; and Bibles are there eagerly sought for, where lately they were despised. We wish also to extend the consolations of the Gospel to the Blacks among us. The attention that has been paid to their religious instruction has been richly rewarded. In every part of the State there are many of them who profess the religion of Jesus, and live in conformity with its precepts. To the different churches in this city alone there belong no less than sixteen hundred and ninety-four communicants, who are people of colour. Many of these, it is true, reside on the adjoining plantations, but attend as often as i^ossible on the Sabbath, and generally whenever the Lord's Supi)ei' is administered. To these no present could be more acceptable than the Sacred Scriptures." These various Societies established beyond the Atlantic, gave evidence of creditable progress in their work, and of con- tinued attachment to that institution, which they professed to honour as a parent, and to imitate as an example. The Phil- adelphia Bible Society accepted Avitli gratitude the grant of £100, in aid of the funds for purchasing stereotype plates ; and other Societies received from the British and Foreign Bible Society pecuniary testimonies of its regard and friend- ship. It is deserving of attention, that, as they proceeded in their work, fresh discoveries were made by the American Societies of the want of the Scriptures existing among the people ; and their opinion of the necessity of such Institutions was therefore increasingly confirmed. 1HI4. BRITISH AND FOREICtN BIBLE SOCIETY. 301 The Massacliusetts Bible Society thus express their senti- ameutca. inents: — n ~ t ClIAl'. I. " When this institution was first proposed, there were some who oh- United jected, that it was not needed ; that the poor in this countr}^ are as well 1_ supplied with Bibles as the rich. But inquiry has proved this objection to Ui04-54. be false. Many ministers who had the same impression, have expressed their surprise at the want of Bibles in their Societies." The Connecticut Bible Society make the following emphatical declaration : — ■ '• We repeat a communication, already often made, and \\ liicli, there is too much reason to fear, has not been sufficiently noticed, that, although there is not perhaps a spot on earth, of equal jjopulation with this State, better supphed with the Holy Scriptures, yet many art; destitute of this blessed volume : probably, more are without the Scriptures, throug-h poverty, than could at present be conveniently supplied from our funds. To those who have not actually investigated the subject, this may look like a conjecture." In 1814, a Female Bil)le Society was formed in Philadelphia, Female the first, it is believed, in the United States. As soon as the eiety at " plan was made known, ladies of all Christian denominations l^'ula-del- . . . . phia. came forward to promote it, and in the first week it acquired 500 subscribers. The coimsel and assistance of the Bisho}), the Clergy, and distinguished members of the Philadelphia Bible Society, were liberally aftbrded to this deserving Institu- tion ; and the direction of female efforts to this sacred and , benevolent object, received from all parties the strongest ap- probation and support. Among the numerous Societies now formed in the United Nassau States, was one named the " Nassau Bible Society," deriving g^clety.' ^ its title from the, college of that name at Princeton, in New Jersey. The students having learned, through the medium of the " Chi'istian Observer," that a Bible Society had been insti- tuted in the University of Camln'idge, in England, with flat- tering prospects of usefulness, determined to follow, what to them appeared, so laudable an example. Accordingly, they met in February 1813; and, in connection with the stu- dents of a Theological Seminary in the same town, associated themselves lander the designation of the " Nassau Hall Bible Society ;" avowing, as their motive for this procedure, " a desire to manifest their deep sense of the infinite value of revealed '^, 302 HISTORY OF THE truth, and of the high esteem they had for the Bible, which contains it ;" and expressing their hope, " by a liberal distrlbu- States. tion of that invaluable treasure, to wipe away the reproach ^•*^- I- which has so often been levelled at colleges, ' that, while they 1804-54. are the receptacles of science and literature, they reject or United 1814. despise the study of the Sacred Scriptures.' " " It is worthy of notice," say the conductors of the New York Bible Society, in commenting on this transaction, " that this is the first institution of the kind known to have been formed in any of the seminaries of learning in this country, and that nearly all the students of the college are members of it." The Ohio, Nashville, Mississippi, and Louisiana Bible Socie- ties, originated in the active exertions of certain Licentiates for the Ministry, who, in a Missionary tour to the southward and westward, by encouragement and aid from the Phila- delphia, Connecticut, and New York Bible Societies, stimulated the inhabitants of the countries in which they ministered, to institute Bible Societies. Of these, the most important was that formed at New Orleans, for the province of Louisiana, the population of which consisted, at that time, in great part of Roman Catholics, The Catholic Bishop gave his cordial leans Bible approbation to the design of the Society ; and the Scriptures New Or- Society. were eagerly sought both by Catholics and by Protestants. On receiving intelligence of these circumstances, the Philadelphia Society forthwith determined to print 6000 copies of the French New Testament, for gratuitous distribution among the inhabi- tants of Louisiana. The New York Bible Society also engaged to print an edi- tion of 6000 French Testaments, for distribution in Louisiana and the Canadas. Towards the former, the British and Foreign Society contributed the sum of £100, and towards the latter, £200. The political differences which, unhappily, for some time existed between this country and the United States, necessarily interrupted the freedom of intercourse, though they did not destroy the friendly feeling existing between the religious in- stitutions of the two countries. Their zeal in the prosecution of their benevolent objects was not cooled, nor was their march Chap. I. BRITISn AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 303 impeded, except in cases of peculiar embarrassment, by the interposition of temporary difficulties. A new Society was formed at Wilmington, for the State of United' Delaware. The other cxistmg Societies maintained (with less ^^^^^• interruption than could have been expected) the usual rela- i«i'i-34. tions of amicable correspondence with the Parent Society: nor 1817. should it be overlooked, that, on the adjustment of those dif- ferences which had so unhappily divided the two countries, an early opportunity was seized, of expressing the desire of the British and Foreign Bible Society to cement more closely those relations, by a Letter of Congratulation, and an offering of £200 to the respective Bible Societies of Philadelphia and New York. We now come to a transaction which more particularly characterizes the period immediately following, and may be regarded as fixing it as an epoch in the religious history of America — the formation of a Bible Society for the whole of the United States. The idea of an Institution on this comprehensive scale, was ^'•"■"latioii suggested in the first communication from the British and American Foreign Bible Society to the Bible Society of Philadelphia ; ™! May but obstacles to its realization existed, at that time, which were i'"7- thought to be insurmountable; and the object was therefore left to such support as it might find in local Societies, acting independently of each other, and confining their exertions chiefly, if not entirely, to the inhabitants of the State or the District for which they were respectively constituted. Defec- tive, however, as these measures appeared, they were attended with great success; and, as has been seen. Societies arose, under the Divine blessing, in rapid progression, and spread the flame of Scriptural zeal over by much the largest portion of the American Union. Nor was the attachment thus manifested to the plan of the British and Foreign Bible Society, confined to any particular religious persuasion : it was espoused, in fact, with more or less of promptitude and decision, by Christians at large ; and numbers of every class and every denomination were found among its zealous and determined supporters. Prosperously, however, as these Bible Societies advanced. 304 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, and greatly as their number continued to multiply, there was Chap I "^ them too much of insulation and locality, to produce effects United at all Commensurate with the o-randeur of the design, and the States . . _ ' wants of the American population. These wants were ascer- lfi04-54. tained, by a course of inquiries, to exceed any expectations 1817. which had been formed, or which the most discouraging calcu- lation would ever have assigned. Not to repeat details which have been already related, the following statement will suffi- ciently confirm the truth of this assertion : — "In 1814, it was estimated that there were in Ohio 13,000 Extent of families destitute of the Scriptures : 12,000 in the territories in many of Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri ; 5000 in the Mississippi ter- States. ritory; 8000 in Louisiana ; 10,000 in Tennessee; and 30,000 in Kentucky ! " To Mdiich is added, by another writer, that, "so late as 1815, in many of the principal towns of the West- ern States and Territories, there was not a Bible for sale." The means of supplying the wants which, from this speci- Numberof ^^^^> ^lay be supposed to have existed, were 108 Local Inde- separate pendent Societies, scattered through the Union, from Maine to Louisiana : and the number of Bibles distributed by them, from 1809 (when the Philadelphia Bible Society was founded) to the commencement of 1816, did not amount to more than 150,000 ; " a number," observes an American writer, " not greater than is, at this moment, wanted for the supply of the destitute in the single State of Kentucky." Impressed with a conviction of the inefficiency of these par- tial and disconnected measures, the Directors of the New-Jersey Bible Society, under the animating guidance of their venerable President, Dr. Elias Boudinot, addressed the American public on the importance of forming a National Society. Such an Institution, they very properly contended, would concentrate the zeal of all who were desirous to promote the circulation of the Scriptures ; and give to their effi^rts that unity, combina- tion, and exactness, which appeared essential to the full accom- plishment of such an intention. The project thus suggested, after encountering opposition from various quarters, was, at length, so generally approved, that, at a Meeting of Delegates from different Bible Societies, convened on the 8th of May 1817, in the Consistory Room of Societies. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 305 the Dutch Reformed Church at New York, it was uiiiini- America. mously resolved, that it was " expedient to estabhsh, without g„~ j dehiy, a General Bible Institution, for the circulation of the United Holy Scriptures, without Note and Comment." On the basis _ of this Resolution, a plan was digested, proposed, and adopted, 1(504^54. for the purpose of carrying into effect the design of the Con- I817. vention ; and the Institution, thus formed, " with a harmony ^mericau and unanimity almost unparalleled in so large a bodj^," was l^ible So- soon after announced as definitively organized, under the appro- formed. priate designation of The American Bible Society. The British Bible Society had the pleasure of offering to Grant from this new Sisterlnstitution in America, as a testimony of esteem Society. and good wishes, a donation of £500, together with a dupli- cate set of stereotjq^e plates for the French Bible, both of which were thankfully accepted. The formation of the American Bible Society found the in- habitants of that great Republic very readily disposed to imite under its banners, and to co-operate with it in the execution of its benevolent design. Many, who had doubted of the practicability of the plan, yielded to the pleasing conviction that they were mistaken, and joined with those who had never doubted on the subject, in cherishing the hope, that the National Institution would realize the most sanguine expectations of its ultimate prosperity. Its formation was hailed as a great and glorious era in the history of the country ; and its means of accomplishing the important end of its formation were increased with more than ordinary rapidity. " In proof of this statement, more than 200 Bible Societies, some of which existed before, became Auxiliaries to this National Establishment, within little more than eighteen months after its formation ; justifying, in a great measure, the assertion, " that a large proportion of talent, respectability of character, and influence in political society, was engaged in befriending its design, and securing its permanency." In the short term of three years, this Society had printed 105,270 Bibles and Testaments, and copies had been distri- buted, to a considerable amount, in nearly every State and territory of the Union. Vol. II. X 306 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. But the circumstance which gave to the American Bible Cu vp. I Society, at this period, tlie best pretension to the character it United had assumed, was the solicitude manifested about the moral _ " state of the Indian tribes inhabiting the Back Settlements, and 1804-54. affectionately described by the Committee of the Society as 1820. " their brethren in the woods." " The condition of these natives," they observe, " divided from us by their language Versions in their manners, their ignorance, their degradation, — by every Dialects thing which distinguishes savage from civilized man, — too often prepared, jjy ^]^g fraud and other injuries of profligate whites, addresses to us a mute, but piercing expostulation, for that help which they can obtain only, in very small portions, from any other quarter." The multiplicity of the Indian dialects appeared to throw a very serious obstacle in the way of effecting translations of the Scriptures for their use ; but this apprehension was diminished by the consideration of the affinity subsisting among the various dialects, — an affinity so close, that a young unlettered Indian could, it was said, make himself master of them all. To the Mo- hawk, and the Delaware dialects, as being intelligible (more espe- cially the latter) to a large population, the attention of the Ameri- can Society was more immediately directed. The Translation of St. Mark, (by Captain Brandt,) and that of St. John, (by Cap- tain Norton,) supplied materials for a commencement in the Mohawk dialect ; and a version of certain parts of the New Testament, by a Missionary from the United Brethren, did the same for that in the Delaware. Thus a promising entrance was made on the arduous task, of transfusing the Oracles of Divine Revelation into the barbarous dialects of the Aborigines of this country. History of From this period the American Bible Society may be con- the Amen- gidered as having a history of its own. Gathering around it, ciety in friendly alliance and co-operation, the numerous Societies ward^d°is- existing in the several States of the Union, (for even the Phila- tinct. delphian Society, the first formed of all the Transatlantic Auxi- liaries, though for a time distinct, afterwards merged into the great national institution), the Society assumed an indepen- dency of character and action, justly befitting the country which it represented. In 1820, it found itself at liberty to BRITISH AND FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 307 forego the further peciiniary aid of the British and Foreign Bible amehtca. Society ; a proffered grant of £500 being gracefully declined, ^^^~ j on the ground that to avail themselves further of its nmnificence, United would be to take an unfair advantage of the Society, and of ^^' the generous kmdness which prompted that and similar do- 1804-54. nations. 1824. The greatness of the scale, too, on which the operations of q^.^^^. ^^_ the American Society were now conducted, rendered it im- tent of its practicable to continue to exhibit, in the reports of the Britisli ^^^^^ '°"^' Society, any such account of them as would furnish a just idea of their variety and extent. From this time forward, there- fore, in order to compass its history, it would be necessary to refer to the Annual Reports of the American Society itself, now scarcely less bulky than those of the older Institution. Still, however, it seems due to the members of both Societies, that a summary statement should be given of what this great Ally has been doing, in the way of printing, distribution, col- lection of funds, and acquisition of Auxiliaries. From these summary statements, presented from year to A sum- year, a few of the more interesting incidents and facts will be Uieseonly, selected, as well to embellish these pages, as to complete the introduced general survey of the progress of the Bible work, which this tory. history is designed to exhibit. Up to February 1821, or in about five years, the American Society had printed, or were printing, Bibles and Testaments, amounting to 226,552 ; and the total number of its Auxiliaries then amounted to 233. The Philadelphia Bible Society, instituted in 1808, had, up to the same time, issued 91,201 copies of the Scriptures. In 1824, the operations of the American Bible Society had Newbnild- become of so extensive a character, as to make it necessary to '"g^''^<='^<^'i- erect a building for conducting its business. At this time the number of its Auxiliaries was 396 : its funds were in a ])x*o- sperous state, and its distributions, in the whole, amounted to 307,205 copies. The printing of the Spanish Scriptures was now included in its operations. In the following year, the Society was able to report that there was, at least, one Auxiliary Institution, in every State in the Republic. x2 308 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. The persevering activity of the College Auxiliaries was also ChIp 1 ^^^'S^^^y spoken of; every member of the North Carolina Uni- United versity enrolled his name on the books of the Society. u es. rpi^.^ ^^^^^ ^1^^ witnessed the commencement of a plan, often 1804-54. afterwards pursued by the Transatlantic Societies, of supplying, 1826. by one simultaneous effort, all the families in certain districts. Plan of found destitute of the Sacred Volume. In the county of .simuitane- Monroe, 1200 fiimilies w^ere discovered to be thus destitute ; c"scrip-^ when a public meeting was held in Rochester, attended by tures, Christians of all denominations, and from almost every town ; given^lls- and a resolution passed, and soon after carried into effect, to tricts. place a Bible in every such family. In various other counties, a similar investigation shewed that their wants were very far from being supplied ; and the Societies connected with them, led by the example of their sister insti- tution in the county of Monroe, resolved not to cease from their labours, until every fomily within their bounds should possess a copy of the Sacred Volume. Operations In 1828, the Philadelphia Bible Society, wdiichhadnow existed prri 1 f*^^' twenty years, and whose distributions had extended over a phia Bible great part of the Union, and now amounted, since its formation, society. ^^ above 112,000 copies, passed a resolution to supply every destitute family in the State of Pennsylvania with a copy of the Scriptures. It was supposed that about 100,000 copies would be wanted, and that it would require three years to carry their designs into effect. The Nassau Hall Bible Society Princeton, New Jersey, and some others, entered into a similar determination. In Philadelphia, wdiere a subscription of between 12,000 and 14,000 dollars was made for the pur- pose, the plan was carried into execution by the exertions of a Young Man's Bible Association. Several such institutions had been formed in different parts of the United States. Resolution This project was afterwards adopted on a larger scale by the lluStute A™e^'i<^-^n ^ibl^ Society. At its Anniversary, in 1829, the families Society having completed a new printing establishment, adapted thrstates*^ ^° operations on a more extensive scale, unanimously resolved, on the recommendation of its board of managers, to endeavour to supply all the destitute families of the United States within two years, provided the means for that purpose were seasonably BRITISH AND FOKEION BIBLE SOCIETY. 309 supplied by its Auxiliaries, and benevolent individuals. Various ameihca. measures were recommended tor ett'ectuating this beneficent ciilv. I. purpose. One of these was public meetings, the first of which United was held in New York, when upwards of 7600 dollars were _ subscribed. It was computed that 800,000 families in the l«0^5-l- United States required to be thus supplied. But besides l»;50. supplying the destitute of the United States, — South America, including parts of Mexico, Greece, Ceylon, India, and Burmali, engaged the attention and aid of this active and expanding Society. In 1830, the Board of Managers of the American Bible Friendly ' ° „ , . . correspou- Society, " desirous," as their resolution states, " of cultivatnig denceculti- the most friendly and intimate correspondence with the British [^g^]|^^7ush and Foreign Bible Society, and deeming it alike their duty and Society. pleasure to improve every means within their power for that end," " appointed the Rev. Dr. Milnor, Secretary for Foreign Correspondence, a delegate to attend the Anniversary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and svich meetings of its Committee, as he might find practicable and expedient, to ex- yj^j^. ^^ press the sincere respect and affection entertained by the Board, Dr. Miluor and to assure the British and Foreign Bible Society of the sentativeof earnest prayers offered by the friends of the Bible in America^ ^^'^ Amcn- for the more extended usefulness and final success of the ciety, British Society, in their benevolent efforts for diffusing the knowdedge of the Scriptures, and the holy doctrines they con- tain throughout the habitable world." Froni a comprehensive summary of the state of the American Society at that time, furnished by Dr. Milnor, it appears that the Auxiliaries had increased during the year from 598 to 645 ; that the receipts had been 143,000 dollars, and the expenditure 147,000 ; that the books printed were more than 360,000, of which 170,750 were Bibles, and 173,750 Testaments, in Eng- lish ; 500 were the Gospel of St. Luke in Mohawk, and 15,000 of St. Matthew in Hawaiian. There had been put into circula- tion, upwards of 200,000 copies in various languages. The in- crease of the issues over those of the preceding year was 65,515 ; the aggregate of the issues since the formation of the Society, 846,397. When Dr. Milnor returned to America, he bore back with him a resolution expressive of the high gratification afforded Chap. I, 310 HISTORY OF THE by his visit, and reciprocating on the part of the Committee and of the Society at large, the expression of kindly feeling United and good wishes. The report of Dr. Milnor to the Board of *• ^^®- Managers at New York, testified to the cordial welcome which 1804-54, i^is friendly visit had obtained in this country, and to the pleasurable impressions left upon his own mind. 1832. The year 1832 exhibits the American Bible Society as vigoi'ously addressing itself to the work of foreign distribu-. tion. 5000 dollars were voted to be employed by the Mission Foreign ^t Bombay, in printing the Holy Scriptures in the Mahratta oftheAme- language, and the further sum of 5000 dollars for printing an SoSt^'''^^ edition of 20,000 copies of the New Testament in the native language of the Sandwich Islands ; the New Jersey Bible Society undertaking to find the funds necessary for this latter object. It was also determined to print, as soon as cir- cumstances would permit, an edition of 30,000 copies of the New Testament in Modern Greek, for distribution in Greece and the adjacent countries. 5000 dollars were also appro- priated to aid the Baptist General Convention of the United States for Foreign Missions, in publishing the Scriptures in the Burmese language. The Convention on foreign distribu- tion, was also authorised to have 1000 copies of the three Epistles of St. John, printed in the Mohawk language, as soon as satisfactory evidence of the correctness of the translation should be obtained. This extension of operations abroad, was not allowed to interfere wnth the diligent prosecution of those plans of domestic usefulness, to which the Society was committed, especially that of supplying destitute families. This project was afterwards extended, so as to include a whole class of individuals, as well as families. With characteristic energy of purpose and largeness of aim, the American Bible Society resolved, in 1835, to invite all its friends throughout the country to co-operate in furnishing, as soon as practicable, a copy of the Bible or New Testament to every child in the United States, under fifteen years of age, able to read, and destitute of the Sacred Volume. The Philadelphia Bible Society reported, that they had, in less than two years and a half, redeemed their pledge of sup- BRITISH AND FOllEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 311 plying with the heavenly oracles, the destitute families in the America. State of Pennsylvania, the population of which amounted to Q^^~ ^ 1,200,000. United' About the year 1835, the Right Hon. the President of the _ British and Foreign Bible Society, Lord Bexlcy, and the Rev. 1804-54. G. Browne, the Secretary, were appointed, through the liberality i nas. of an unknown individual, life members of the American Bible Society. We mention this circumstance, chiefly with a view to introduce the following account, given by the American Secretary, of other noble acts of munificence, on the part of the unknown donor. " The money, sixty dollar.-^, by wliich tliey have been thus constituted, Munifi- was received in a letter, dated Philadelphia, the 6th instant, and signed, ^^ Episco- ' A Clerg-jTnanr of the Protestant Eijiscopal Church.' I would remark, palianMis- that we have received from the same source, since 1829, including' sixty sionary. dollars during- that year, the ag-greg-ate sum of one thousand six hundred and twenty dollars, by wliich fifty-four individuals, at home and abroad, have been invested with membership in this institution. He states that the money is ' from a fund which has arisen from the continued savings of a Missionary, by his laymg- aside portions of fees and presents at the time they were received, the entire amount of fees received on Sunday and Thursday in every week, also free-will offerings under pecuhar provi- dences, one-tenth of his regular salary, and one-tenth of the balance of his receipts, during the 3'ear, over his family expenses.' Our Society is not the only one that participates in the benefactions of this good man, and in the overflowing of his apparently inexhaustible fund. He not un- frequently sends me money for hfe-membership in the American Tract Society, and I am told the American Sunday School Union, in his own city, is also often a partaker of his benevolence. I communicate these particulars for your mformation, and you can do the same to his Lordship and your worthy Secretary. It is a singular instance of Christian self- denial, and of great results flowing from apparently small causes ; for 1 learn that our benefactor is a poor and laborious minister of the Gospel, of eminent piety, and you will perceive how much God has prospered him, seeing that all the streams which flow into his fund are derived, not from personal wealth, but from annual and occasional receipts. His salary camiot be large : those of the city Missionaries among the poor are not apt to be great. ' There is that scattereth, and yet mcreaseth.' " It may be here mentioned, that in 1839, the Philadelphia Bible Society, the first formed of all the Bible Societies on the western continent, and with which the Parent Society in Eng- land had kept up much gratifying and distinct correspondence, changed its title to that of the Pennsylvania Bible Society; 312 HISTORY OF THE Chap. I. United States. 1842. Summary of Ameri- can opera- tions, at home and abroad, in 1842. and henceforward carried on its operations in alliance with the great national institution, the American Bible Society. During the period it existed as a separate Society, it distributed 233,039 copies of the Scriptures. The American Bible Society, now appearing before the world as one compact body, representing all the United States, proceeded on its course steadily, perseveringly, and pro- sperously. In 1842, the following summary was given of the labours of this important Society, from its establishment to that time : — • " In the prosecution of this work, nearly three millions of copies have been sent forth from the depository itself, and means furnished to publish many thousand additional copies in foreigii countries and forei^i tong-ues. They have been published, in part, in five of the languages of our American Indians ; in seven of those spoken in Europe ; in five of those used in Asiatic Turkey ; in seven of those of India ; in the Chinese ; in the Hawaiian of the Sandwich Islands ; and in the Grebo tongTie, on the west coast of Africa. The Board have also furnished funds for the purchase and circulation of the Scriptures, in larger or smaller parcels, in about twenty adchtional languages and dialects Now, when it is remembered that these three millions of Scriptures, in something Hke fifty different tongues, have been sent forth, not among those who were before su})- plied, but, to a great extent, among the destitute, the neglected, the poor, the suffering- ; and when it is remembered that He who gave these Scrip- tures, has declared that his word is quick and powerful, that it shall not return void, but shall accomplish that which He pleases ; who can but anticipate results, numerous and glorious, far beyond our present power of comprehension !" The following interesting notice is given of the Sandwich Islands, for whose benefit the whole Bible had been translated and printed in the Hawaiian language: — " It appears that there are now in the Sandwich Island group eighteen churches, in which are included 15,915 members ; and that there are not far from 19,000 pupils connected with the common schools. The number of readers is between tliirty and forty thousand, most of whom would be happy to j^ossess the blessed book, which a portion already enjoy. Two editions of the New Testament have been prepared, of 10,000 copies each, and one edition of 10,000 copies of the entire Bible. An anxiety is felt that another edition of 10,000 copies should be early published in octavo foi-m, for family use, aged persons, &c. The forcible establishment of French papal Missionaries in the island, increases the anxiety of Protes- tants to have the Scriptures placed in every household where there are readers.'' BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 313 It was thus that the American Bible Society contimied, year America. after year, its most valuable co-operation in the great work of (.„~ j circulating the Scriptures among the nations of the earth. With United unabated vigour it cultivated the ample field embraced within _ its limits at home ; whilst at the same time it carried its 1004-54. generous efforts into foreign parts, and, by direct and efficient 1846. Agencies, as well as by other means, took a very efficient shai-e in translating, printing, and circulating the blessed volume of truth. In 1846, a correspondence was opened with the American Bible Society, on the subject of the publication of a new version of the Chinese Scriptures, to which the British and Foreign Bible Society was pledged, and in which work the Directors proposed the co-operation of their American friends. The American Society, while expressing a deep and growing interest in the circulation of the Scriptures in China, where many devoted Missionaries from their country were labouring, and were also taking an important part in translating and revising the new version, yet under the apprehension that it might cause delay, and perhaps embarrassment, declined assuming any direct agency in publishing the work proposed. They agreed, however, on the version proving to be faithfully translated, and of a catholic character, so that the different denominations might in common use it, to appro])riate and pay to the American Missionaries in China, 10,000 dollars, for the purchase of such copies of the new version as might be required for Missionary purposes : they also agreed to defray such travelling expenses as might be incurred by the American Missionaries, in preparing and revising the new version, or in transmitting copies from one place to another. The work of the American Society was now found to Extension , , , p . , . , of etturts iu increase on every hand, and from various causes, among whicii ^iie Wcst- may be mentioned the extension of the United States' own ter- ^^n States. ritories, the unparalleled growth of communities on the Westei'n shores of that continent, after the gold discoveries in California, — the rapid advancement of population in the more recently admirted States in the North- West, and the startling increase of innnigration from Europe. The extent to which the labours of the Society were 314 HISTORY OF THE Chap. I. United States. 1804-54. 1850. Editions of Dauish and other versions, for im- migrants, prepared. New Tes- tament in Choctaw printed. Version of St. Luke in the Grebo tongue. spreading, may be gathered from the account given in 1849, of new works contemplated or prepared. " It was stated in a previous Eeport, that plates for a Danish Bible were in course of preparation, for Norwegian immigrants : such a Bible is now completed, and many copies have been forwarded to Winconsin, where nearly 30,000 of these people now reside, and where others are rapidly gathering-. Soon after the completion of this work, an urgent request was presented by a Norwegian minister, that the Board would prepare a New Testament, with the Danish and English languages in parallel columns, for the use of young persons and others, who are with- out the Scriptures, and who are desirous of learning* our tongue. The Board had before them a like request in behalf of German immigrants, and also those from Holland. After much attention to this subject, the Managers were convmced that great good would result from a compliance with all these requests, and they have accordingly prepared plates, and an edition of the Testament in German and English, in Dutch and English, and in Danish and Enghsh. They have furtheimore been advised by residents in Spanish America, to prepare a Testament iu Spanish and Enghsh, for the use of those who speak the Spanish tongue in Mexico, Texas, and California, and in various South American districts with which we have a growing intercourse. " In the early part of the year, the Board received a communication from the Eev. Alfred Wright, in behalf of the Choctaw Mission, stating that he and his associates had prepared the New Testament entire in the Choctaw language, and desired its publication by this body. Having obtained full and satisfactory evidence that the work had been well pre- pared, and was of such catholic character that different denominations, here associated, could use it, an arrangement was made for printing it at the Society's House, with the aid of Mr. Wright in correcting the proofs. An edition of 2000 copies, in duodecimo form, has been printed, with every prospect of its extensive usefulness. " The Board have also published, at the Society's House, during the past year, the Gospel of Luke, in the Grebo tongue, for a tribe in Western Africa. The work was prepared by the Rev. Mr. Payne, a Missionary of the ' Protestant Episcopal Missionary Society,' and was found, on inquiry, to have been so prepared, that the Board could, with much satis- faction, publish it. It is expected that another Gospel, and the book of Acts, will, before long, be also presented for publication. The furnishing of any portion of the Divine Record to a people who have ever been with- out it, is always a matter, not only of pleasure, but of thanksgiving on the part of the Board. " A letter has been received from the Rev. Otto Tank, a Moravian Missionarj^, of British Guiana, now in Germany, repeating his request, noticed in the last Report, namely, that the Board would publish some portions of the Scriptures in the Arrawack tongue, for a tribe in South 1851. Various grants for versions in BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 315 America. Having- been furnisliecl with the MS. of most of the A'ew America. Testament in the above tong-ue, it has been resolved to publish the book — of Acts at an earlv day." 9/ V'- }' United The next year found these several works in progress, while States, the increased income of the Society gave an opportunity, 1804-54. cheerfully embraced, of making increased grants towards carrying on its Foreign operations. The following is an account of such grants, made during the year : — " The first, was 0700 dollars to Rev. Mr. Schauffler and associates, Mis- sionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign IMissions, at Constantinople, towards publishing- the Hebrew-Spanish Scriiitm-es. " A second, was the sum of 1000 dollars, for the American Missionaries at Ahmednug-ger, in India, to assist in publishing a further edition of the Mahratta Scriptures. From that post the Scriptures have long been India, issued ; many have been led to embrace them, and man}' also to oppose them. Efforts have even been made to put in circulation books in favour of the Mahomedan, the Hindu, and the Parsee religions, in order to check the threatened prevalence of the Bible and its doctrine. All this is an earnest of good, an indication of awakening mtellect, wliich may yet search for and find the truth. " A third, was 1-2.50 dollars to the Jafina Auxiliary Bible Society, to aid in pubhshing a new edition of the Tamil Scriptures, '\^^ith this Auxihary the American Missionaries are closely and happily united. Great num- bers of the native population have become not only readers, but cordial behevers of the Bible, and some have become its faithful expounders to their benighted countrymen. To a wide extent it has become the book of the school and the family, and is exciting a most hopeful influence. " To the Mission station at Madras, where the same language is used, and much the same circumstances exist, a grant of 780 dollars has been made, and further aid is called for. "To the Lodiana Mission in Northern India, connected with the American Presbyterian Board, have been sent 3000 dollars, to aid in publishing the Scriptures there in the Hindu, the Urdu, and the Pun- jabee. " To the Mission at the Sandwich Islands have been sent 1000 dollars. Some of the Scriptures there published begin to find native purchasers. The Hawaiian Bible Society has become an Auxiliary of stability and promise. Its Annual Meetings are attended, and reports made, with a punctuality and system surpassing what is found in many of the Societies near at hand, where the Bible has shed its light for centuries. "To the Nestorian Mission at Ooroomiah, in Persia, have been sent 1000 dollars, towards publishing the Scrii)tures in modern Syriac. This newly-made version is prepared with much care, and great numbers are ready to read it with serious and grateful attention. 1000 dollars more are still pledged to this work. Chap. I United Erection of a New 316 HISTORY OF THE " For printing- the Scriptures in Modem Armenian, at Smyrna, 2000 dollars have been remitted. From the care with which this translation has been made, and from the gratifying- chang-es which are in progress States. among the Armenians, gTeat and happy results may be anticipated. A — further pledge of 13,000 dollars remains still to be forwarded. 1804-54. u ;pq j,j(j jjj preparing- a new Arabic translation in Syria, under the 1853. direction of Rev. Eli Smith, 500 dollars have been forwarded. The object of this is to pay the native-assistant transl-ator. '* For the mission in South Africa, towards preparing portions of the Scriptures for the Zulas, 500 dollars have been granted. The Gospel of St. Matthew is translated, and other portions of the Scriptures are also in course of translation. " To the ^Methodist Episcopal Missionary Society have been granted 200 dollars, to enable their Missionaries in China to procure and circulate portions of the Chinese Bible. " The total amount of monies sent to foreign countries during the past year, to aid the circulation of the Scriptures, is 17,900 dollars, and at twelve different stations." In 1853, the American Bible Society had to report the erection and occupation of a new Bible House, constructed at an Bible expense of 250,000 dollars, (about £50,000), the whole of which had been provided for, without trenching in the least on the funds contributed for Bible distribution. This noble edifice will stand as an honourable and lasting monument of the zeal and liberality of the friends of the Bible in that country. This being the year of the Jubilee of the Bj'itish and Foreign Bible Society — the American Bible Society appointed a deputation to visit this country on the occasion. The Deputation selection fell on two gentlemen, singu^larly adapted to under- America in ^^^ ^^^i^ friendly mission, the Right Rev. Bishop Mcllvaine, the Jubilee of Ohio, and the Rev. Dr. Vermilye, of New York, who, though not able to be present at the Jubilee Meeting, attended and spoke at the Anniversary Meeting in May. On the return of these gentlemen to their own country, the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society thought it right to draw up and transmit the following resolu- tions : — " That this Committee entertain a lively and grateful sense of the kindness which prompted the Board of ]Managers of the American Bible Society to send a special deputation to this country, on occasion of this Society's year of Jubilee ; and wish to record their earnest desire and hope, that the bond of fraternal union which has hitherto so hapitily BEITISIT AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 317 subsisted between the two Societies may be maintained and streng-thened, AsrEuicA. and rendered increasingly ]iroductive of mutual benetit and pleasure. — "That this Committee would express their special acknowledgments ^"'^F' ]' to the Rig-lit Kev. Bishop Mcllvaine, of Ohio, and to the Rev. Dr. States. Vermilye, of the Dutch Reformed Church in Xew York, for consenting- to — accept the mission for which they were selected ; and, at the same time, l^'f^^-^-** would oflTer them their best thanks for the ver}' able and judicious 1854. manner in which they pleaded the cause of the British and Foreig-n Bi])le Society at its Public Meetmg-, and for the -valuable and g-ratifying- infor- mation they then communicated respecting- the state and prospects of that honoured sister institution, the American Bible Society, which they were deputed to represent." We now come to the close of this brief historic revie-w of the American Bible Society, which, though entering on its labours several years after the Parent British Society, has yet followed it with no wavering or unequal step, having, at the period at which we have now arrived, attained a magnitude only in a limited degree inferior to that of the original Institution. The following was the position of the Society at its Anniversary in 1854: — The Auxiliaries exceeded 2800 in number ; and the total number of Bible Societies, Auxiliaries and Branches, in the United States, including some distinct from the American Society, amounted to above 4000; 82 new Societies having been added, in the course of the year — Summary an important testimony to the homage paid to the Bible by °* Ainori- . . ^, . , . rni • . n ^ -, ^an opera- American Christians. 1 he receipts ot the year amounted to tions to tho 394,340 dollars, about £78,868— being an increase over the >'^" ''^^'*- preceding year of 47,798 dollars, about £9559. The total number of Bibles and Testaments printed during the year was 862,000 ; the total number issued 815,399, being an increase of 16,029 over the year before. The issues since the organiza- tion of the Society amounted to 9,903,751 copies. An extract from one of the American Society's Reports, somewhat earlier in date than the above, may be appealed to as indicating the extensive, and still unaccomplished mission, of this active and energetic Institution, and, at the same time, as a proof of the spirit of devotedness, faith, and ardent zeal, by which its conductors and su})porters continued to be actuated; and to the further exercise of wliich they felt them- selves imperiously called — " The Report has spoken of the prosjierous condition of the Society ; of 318 HISTORY OF THE AMEKicA. the enlarged operations of the year now closed. It must be understood — that this prosperity is in comparison with the doing-s of previous years, l/^f d * ^^^^ ^^°* ^^^^ *^^^ wants of the times, present or prospective. It has States. been seen, from the details given of different States, that great numbers — are yet without the Bible ; that many new counties have never been U4-j4. supplied, and many more, once or twice supplied, are again in a state of 1854. entire destitution. There is, it may be affirmed, scarcely a county at this moment, in any State, that has not more or less families unsupplied ; some Concluding have many hundreds. Apphcations, too, for Testaments, have been extract multiphed of late, for the use of Sunday-schools ; coming frequently from rom the those within the bounds of AuxiUaries which do not furnish a supply. American ^'^ •' Report. " Facts thus brought to light, the calls of our new territories at the West, an annual increase of half-a-million, at least, of our home popula- tion, and of nearly another half-million from abroad, will show to any thinking man that no motive for apathy is furnished by the prosperity of the year ; but simply encouragement given to go on with renewed exer- tion. Our own augmenting numbers demand now, and will demand ceaseless attention. Every thing, too, in the state of the world be- ??^^ ff ""t yond our borders seems to invite us to prepare the word and send at lioine it forth. Many a people can now be reached with its Divine mes- and abroad, sages, who were unapproachable but a few years since Our various foreign Missions, as shown in a previous Report, are all engaged in making new translations, and in preparing circles of new readers from the ranks of paganism. There is not room for a doubt, that the calls for this Sacred Book are to increase with every returning year. The teach- ings of the Book itself, the movements of Providence, all the signs of the age, assure us that unprecedented changes in the world's affairs are drawing nigh. " Nations can no longer remain isolated, and uninfluenced by other communities. There is everywhere seen a growing intercommunication, urged forward by commerce, by inquisitive science, and particularly by Christian benevolence. Many are indeed running to and fro, and know- ledge is increased at a rate unknown before. By this interming-ling of nations, comparisons are made as to civil and rehgious conditions, and causes sought for the wide differences which prevail — causes for those free institutions which a few have obtained, and which all desire. Every inquiry here brings conviction that the blessings sought go only with a pure Christianity, and that such Christianity is found but in close alhance with the word of God, where this is the household companion, the man of counsel, the rule of faith and practice. As this true sentiment advances, there must be a continually increasing demand for that Book of books, which this Institution has been raised up to furnish. Let none, then, here associated, think of relaxed effort ; none be wilhng to remain stationary in their work. Rather let every year bear witness to new activity and greater sacrifices, until the faithfully performed duties to the Bible here, prepare us for the rest which it promises above. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 319 AMEBIC A, CHAPTER n. BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 1804—1854. Mohawk version of St. John. — Grants to Settlers in Canada. — Auxiliaries formed in XJ-pfcr Canada. — Rev. J. West's visit to Canada. — Visit of Rev. Dr. Thomson. — Version in the Chip j)eivay dialect. — Gcelic Scriptures for Si(/hlandei's in Prince Edward's Island. — 3Ir. Thomson's visit to the Chippewa^/ Mission, and to the various chief towns of Canada. — Close of Dr. Thomso7i's tour. — Colportage among French Canadians. — Rev. J. Richardson, Agent. — Grants from Parent Society. — Canadian Travelling Mission. — Priyice Rupert's Land, — exertions of Bishop Anderson. — VersioJi in the Cree dialect. — Summary of operations in Canada, ^'c. — Jubilee celebration. — Visit of Rev. P. Kent, in the Jubilee year. — Labrador, — 3foravian Blission — Version of New Testament in the Esquimaux dialect. — Greenland Mission. — Version for the Greenlanders. The first opportunity which the Society enjoyed, of making an application of its funds to tlie printing of a portion of the Scriptures in a foreign language, was in connection with tlie British Provinces of North America. This was in 1804, soon after the Society was instituted, and it occurred under the following circumstances. Captain John Norton,* a Chief of the Six-Nation Indians * Captain Norton was adopted by the Confederacy in 1791, and in 1800 appointed a Chief, under the title of Teyoninliokarawen. His father was a Cherokee, and served in the British army. AMERICA. ClIAP. 11. British North America. 1804-54. 320 HISTORY OF THE AMEMCA. Chap. II. British North America. 1804-54, Mohawk version of Gospel of St. John. in Upper Canada, having been induced to visit England, partly with the design of serving in the British army, but principally with that of obtaining a confirmation of the grant, under which his Indian brethren occupied the Grand River settlement, fell into a connection which gave his mind, origi- nally intent on the general welfare of his tribes, a more decided direction towards their moral and religious improve- ment. Under this impression, he was advised to employ his intervals of leisure, in translating the Gospel of St. John into the Mohawk dialect, the current language of these con- federated nations. The reason for making choice of this Gospel was, that the Mohawks were already in possession of the Liturgy of the Church of England, select portions of the Old and New Testaments, and the entire Gospel of St. Mark, translated by Captain Brandt : it appeared therefore desirable to furnish them, in the next instance, with the entire Gospel of St. John. The Mohawks, and the Six Nations in general, were the old and steady allies of Great Britain. These confederated Indians had entered into an alliance with the English, immediately after the latter became possessed of the province of New York, in the seventeenth century. Their decided adherence to the British interest during the American war, made it expedient for them to abandon their ancient settlements, and remove to Upper Canada, when the independence of the British Colonies was acknowledged by this country. At the time when this translation of St. John's Gospel was suggested for their benefit, the number settled on the Grand River — though much reduced by various causes, some of which it was the object of Captain Norton's negociation to remove — amounted to at least 2000 souls. The total of the Con- federacy, (including the Caghnawagues, Hurons, or Wyandots, who professed the Roman Catholic religion,) was computed to exceed 8000. Add to this, that the dialect of the Mohawk was intelligible to certain other of the Aboriginal Tribes ; and that a very encouraging disposition had been shown to receive religious instruction. After adopting such means as were in their power to get the translation accredited, the Society ordered an impression of BRITISU AXD FOKEIGN BIBLE SOCIKTY. .'521 2000 copies in Moliawk aiicl Englisli to be printed. A pro- America. portion of the edition was consigned to the care of Captain ci,^ u Norton ; and, under his direction, copies were furnislied to British different stations in Upper Canada, and in the Ohio and Oneida America, country.* — r^ 1 ■ Pio- . 1- T... 1801-54. other operations or tlie Society, ni relation to liritisii — America, were, during the earlier years of its history, chiefly ^^^^' confined to occasional grants, for the use of Settlers in dift'erent parts. Some of these were on a liberal scale. Thus, besides several grants, at different tiines,.of the English Scriptures, and Occasional also the French, there were voted, in 1808, 500 Gfelic Bibles grants to and 800 New Testaments, to different correspondents in Nova Canada. Scotia and Canada, for sale or gratuitous distribution, at their discretion, among the poor Highlanders in that part of the world. During tliis period, the British Provinces in North America were not themselves wanting in a favourable disposition towards the object and designs of the British and Foreign Bible Society. A small Society had been formed at Quebec, and one at Pictou, for the eastern part of Nova Scotia, to which 500 Bibles and 1000 Testaments had been presented for distribu- tion: but it was not till the close of the year 1813, that any thing was attempted on a scale which at all comported with the rank of those provinces, and the wants of their numerous First and ill-supplied population. On the 23rd of November, in Auxiliaries that year, a Bible Society was formed at Halifax, under the designation of " The Bible Society of Nova Scotia and De- pendencies." Of this Institution, the Lieutenant-Governor of the province. Sir John Coape Sherbroke, became the Pre- sident ; the principal naval and civil officers, Vice-Presidents ; and Captain (afterwards Colonel) Addison, the Secretary : and with so much alacrity was it espoused, that, in little more than a fortnight after its establishment, it was enabled to present a donation of £200 to the British and Foreign Bible Society, " as the first-fruits of those contributions which it expected soon to see very greatly augmented." A Branch Society, in connec- * For further particulars relating to Captain Norton, and to the means adopted for accrediting his version, see Owen I., as above. Vol. H. y 322 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. II. British North America. 1804-54. Auxiliaries formed in Upper Canada. The Mo- hawk ver- sion under- stood by other In- dians. tion with this Institution, was shortly after formed at Liver- pool, denominated, " The Queen's County Auxiliary Bible Society," under the patronage and management of a Com- mittee, among whom were some of the most respectable residents, both civil and military. In the course of a few years more, the Midland District of Upper Canada, Niagara, Prince Edward's Island, and the Island of Bermuda, became the seats of newly-formed Bible Societies ; of the first of these, the Hon. Sir Peregrine Maitland, Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, accepted the office of President. In 1819, an Auxiliary Society was formed at St. John's, New Brunswick; and, in 1820, one at Montreal, under the Patronage of Earl Dalhousie, the Governor- in-Chief. In 1821, an Auxiliary Bible Society was established in the territories of the Hudson's-Bay Company. It received the support of the Governors and Directors of that Company. Its first remittance to the funds of the Society amounted to above £100. In connection with the above Societies, were formed minor Auxiliaries, Branches, and Associations, which tended to diffuse more widely the benefits of the Institution. Among these numerous subordinate Societies, the Ladies' Society at Miramichi, in New Brunswick, deserves honourable notice, on account of the perseverance, regularity, and effi- ciency with which it has been conducted through a long series of years. In 1825, an awful fire took place at Miramichi. Upwards of 1000 copies of the Sacred Volume were reported to have perished in the flames ; and, in some instances, the bodies of the sufferers and their Bibles Avere found half con- sumed together. On this affecting occasion, a grant was made by the Parent Society of 2500 Bibles and Testaments. A very grateful feeling was awakened by this seasonable act, and beneficial results appear to have followed. It has been mentioned, that, early in the history of the Society, the Gospel of St. John had been translated into the Mohawk, and an unexpected opening discovered for its circulation. In 1 826, a journey was undertaken by two members of the Montreal Society into some of the townships and villages of Upper Canada; and they most unexpectedly found, that the Iroquois Indians BllITISII AND FOREIGN lilJ5LE SOCIETY. 323 read the Mohawk, and that tliey received copies most thank- ameiuca. fully. Several declined it as a mt't, and were much cratitied ,, ~ tt !: . ^ ° Chap. 11. by havnig an opportunity to procure it for money. It had British been positively asserted that the language was not understood America. by them ; and that the people themselves, when told it was — the ISIohawk, were not aware that that language was their _J own. This happy experiment, however, dissipated the delusion, '«2f!. and proved that the Scriptures might be advantageously cir- cu.lated among them. Various communications, received from different parts of British North America, induced the Society to believe that still, in manyparts,the Scriptures were much wanted, where Societies had not been formed, and where, for a time at least, it might not be practicable to form them. This they were led to con- clude was particularly the case in the new settlements, where, generally speaking, there were few, if any, public means of visit of grace, and wliere, in consequence, it was most desirable and I^fv. .J. necessary that the Scriptures should be introduced. Informa- Cauada. tion also, on various points, regarding the Society's proceedings, was wanted, and some misunderstandings required to be re- moved. Hence it was thought that the presence of a gentleman, deputed for the purpose by the Parent Society, might be attended with many advantages. The Rev. John West, a Clergyman of the Church of England, was engaged to visit that country on behalf of the Society ; to confer with the existing Auxiliaries and friends of the Society, with a view to the enlargement of their operations ; and to form connections with individuals to whom the distribution of the Scriptures might be confided, where Societies could not be organized. Mr. West was also to prosecute inquiries as to what had been done, or might yet be practicable, with reference to the languages of the various tribes of the Indians. This gentleman had the peculiar advantage of having already twice visited this part of the world. He had several introductions to persons of rank, in civil and ecclesiastical situations. An assortment of 2000 Bibles and Testaments, in English, French, Gaelic, and German, was placed at his disposiil. At the same time, an engagement was likewise made with Mr. and Mrs. McDonald, of Miramichi, to make occasional Y 2 324 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. II. British North America. 1804-54. 1830. Tisit of Mr. Thorn- son to Canada. Version of Scriptures in tlie Chippeway language. journeys in the provinces^ for the purpose of promoting the objects of the Society. The proposal for Mr. West to visit the Auxiliaries in British America, was hailed by those Institutions with gra- titude, and his visit was accompanied with many of those results which were anticipated. The journal of his mission gives much evidence of the benefit which may accrue from such an occasional visitation. In 1830, the Societies in Canada were visited by the Rev. James Thomson, who had been acting as Agent for the Society in South America, and was now on his return from Mexico. Much gratifying intelligence was communicated by that gentleman, which was published at the time in the "Monthly Extracts," as well as in the Annual Report. The idea of establishing large depositories at some of the principal towns was suggested by him, and cheerfully entertained by friends in those parts. When communications from Mr. Thomson and others, on this subject, reached the Society at home, it was resolved that the Societies of York, Kingston, Montreal, and Quebec, should be encouraged to open depots for the sale of the Holy Scriptures ; and an assortment of 2000 Bibles and Testaments, including 200 for Sunday-school stock, was placed at the disposal of the Committees of these Institutions. Another interesting subject, which at that time engaged the attention of the Society, was the translation of the Scriptures into the Chippeway language. The subject is thus referred to in a Report of the York Auxiliary : — " Their attention was early directed to the important duty of extending- to the remnant of those powerful tribes, whose former possessions we now occupy, the blessed light of the word of life, by placing- that word within their reach in their native tong-ue. The Missangas, or Chippeway lan- guag-e, which appears to be understood by .30,000 or 40,000 of our Indian brethren, seemed to be calculated to facilitate this important object. The only persons whom the Committee could meet with, both competent and willing- to undertake the work of translating- the Scriptures into this language, are two brothers, of the River Credit Indians, of the names of Peter and John Jones.* Understanding that these men were in the employ of the American Methodist Society, the Committee applied to the Annual Conference of that Society, for permission to them to engage in this great work. To this the Conference readily acceded ; and the * The English names of two native chiefs. Chap. II. British 1804-54. BIIITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 325 Messrs. Jones are now employinji- as much of their time as can possihly America. be spared from tlieii- other duties, in translating- tlie Scriptures into tlie Cliippeway lang-uage. (\iptaui Anderson, at the Rice Lake, a "-entleman of talent and extensive information, and well acquainted with this dialect, Nuril- to whom the Committee feel under great obligations, has kindly under- America, taken to afford all the assistance in his power in revising- the work as it proceeds. The fii-st seven chapters of St. ^latthew, already translated, have been sent for his inspection, and returned with the testimony, that Is^l- he thinks the translation as g-ood as the Cliippeway language will admit of. The same testimony is borne by three literary gentlemen who under- stand that limguage." The Parent Society having previously had letters before them upon this subject, from gentlemen connected with the Methddist'';.|J> Episcopal Church, authorized a translation of the New Testa-:^ ment to be made into the Chippeway, at the chai-ge of the Society, and instructed them to draw upon the Treasurer for the sum of £100. The communications received, contained many interesting details of the progress of conversion among the native Indians, and the avidity with which the small portion of the Scriptures already printed was sought. As closely connected with this subject, the following account may be given of a visit made by Mr. Thomson, when he was in the country, to the interesting Indian people inhabiting a village on the north of the Rice Lake. " The distance of this village from Coburg is twelve miles by land, and Mission three in crossing the lake. This is a spot of peculiar interest. Here are ^':^''"" '"^^ 1 • •!• T I-/. 11 . . , . , . Rice Lake, gathered mto a town and civilized life, and, what is inhnitely more im- portant, into the fold of Chi-ist, about 200 of the Aborig-ines of Ujiper Canada. Only three yeavs ago, these now happy and exemplary Chris- tians were revelling- in all kmds of ungodliness : but the laboui's of the "Wesleyan Missionaries were blessed unto them, and they were tui-ned from darkness unto light, and now live in such a manner as to put to shame many of more knowledge and longer standing- hi the fiiith of the Gospel. I conversed with the Missionary resident on the spot, and with others who had been to visit the place at different times ; and the result of my inquiries was very satisfactory, as to their adherence to Christ as tJieii- only Saviour, and as to their obedience to him as their only Lord and Master. In 1831, Mr. Peter Jones, the Chippeway Indian Chief above yj^j^. ^ referred to, visited this country, and was introduced to the Mr. Peter Society by letters from the York Auxiliary Bible Society. thiTroim- Mr. Jones had translated the Gospel of St. Matthew into try. 326 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. CnAP. II. British North America. 1804-54. 1832. The Chip- peway ver- sion of St. John printed. Supplies of Gselic Scriptures for High- landers in Prince Edward's Island. the Chippeway language, while his brother had finished that of St. John. Having left his own translation in the hands of his brother, with a view to its being revised and printed at York, and having brought with him that of his brother, for the same purpose, to this country, he was authorized to carry the Gospel of St. John through the press, which he accordingly did, at the expense of the Society. The late Mr. Greenfield applied himself to the language, and soon became sufficiently skilled in it to render most material assistance in the work, and to form a judgment respecting the general fidelity of the version. At the first meeting of the Committee after the decease of that excellent individual, the printed copy was pre- sented, and 950 copies were ordered to be sent out to the York Bible Society. Mr. Jones, on his return to his native land, was to proceed with the remaining parts of the New Testa- ment, in conjunction with his brother, under the superintendence of the York Society.* From the letter introducing Mr. Jones, the following is a pleasing extract: — " Of the Cliippewnys, there are at this time nearly 2000 under religious instruction. From roving tribes of depraved drunkards, they have become a virtuous and praying- people, and most of them are now settling in villages to cultivate the soil, improve in mechanism, and afford to their children the advantages of schools. When 400 of these children shall all be able to read the Scriptures in the Indian language, who can estimate the good that may be produced among 30,000 who speak the same lan- guage, especially if tliej may have access to the word of God in their own language ? " Of the 400 Indian children in the Mission schools, more than 100 can now read the Scriptures both in English and Indian." In the same year two grants were made, one of 500, and one of 1000 copies, through the intervention of Major Rankin, for the benefit of the emigrants in Prince Edward's Island, com- prising at that time from 30,000 to 35,000 souls, most of whom spoke no other language than that of their country, the Gaelic of the Highlands of Scotland ; so that it was required that two- thirds should be in that language. Major Rankin reported the gratitude with which the books were received, in token of * The prosecution of this work was afterwards undertaken by the American Bible Society, and the New Testament completed ; the version being styled the Ojibwa. 1804-54. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETV. 327 which, 600 of these poor settlers gave m their names as coi\tri- amkrica. butors, of small sums, to the Society. ^ ~" ,, "^ Chap. II. i lie next tew years present nothnig very remarkable in the British history of the Northern Transatlantic Societies. The established America. Auxiliaries continued, with various degrees of success, to pro- secute their work. In 1835, an Auxiliary Society was formed in Newfoundland. Previously to the formation of this Auxi- *^'^^- liary, there had been circulated in the island upwards of 11,000 copies of the Holy Scriptures, principally through the Agents of the Newfoundland School Society. The plan of sending out an Agent from this country to visit the Societies in British America, and with special reference to the supply of emigrants proceeding thither, was repeatedly under consideration at this period. In the meanwhile, the friends on the other side of the Atlantic Experi- were concerting measures for the extension of the work. The ™cut of an United Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Upper Canada Cauada. " passed a resolution, recommending the further formation of Auxiliary and Branch Societies ; and the Rev. Mr. Smart, of Brockville, was led to ofPer himself to act as Agent for the Society. The testimonies in favour of Mr. Smart, as a fit and suitable person to undertake thew^ork were so strong — he having also resided for twenty-five years in Upper Canada, and being extensively acquainted with the country and its inhabitants — that the way seemed clear to accept of his proffered services ; and he was appointed Agent for Upper Canada, at a salary of £200 per annum. The disturbed state of the provinces in 1837, necessarily interrupted for a time the labours of the Society ; Mr. Smart, however, still prosecuted his work with nuicli dili- gence. But though the labours of Mr. Smart were considerable, and the success as much, perhaps, as could be reasonably expected ; yet the results of the experiment, on the whole, not being what the Committee deemed sufficient to justify a permanent Agency on so large a scale, his connection with the Society was closed at the end of the third year. Several of the Auxiliaries in the Canadas, and the other provinces, continuing to express a strong desire that an Agent, 328 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, immediately deputed from tlieParent Society, sliould visit them ; Chap. II. ^^^ arrangement was made with the Rev. James Thomson, on British his quitting Jamaica, where he had acted for some time as America. Agent for the West Indies, to make another and more ex- ,. ~ tended visitation of the Auxiharies and Branches in British l«04-54. ^^ , , — JNorth America. 1835. Qj-^g of the first measures adopted by Mr. Thomson, was the establishment of a considerable depot at Montreal ; both the Eev. J. ^ Montreal and other Societies having frequently suffered from second a lack of Bibles when they were required. 2500 Bibles and visit. Testaments in English, French, and Gnslic, were forwarded for the above purpose. In December 1838, Mr. Thomson, in company w^ith two friends of the Society from Montreal, performed an arduous journey up the course of the river Ottawa. After visiting numerous places in Lower Canada, and attending the Meeting of the Montreal AuxiHary, Mr. Thomson's attention was directed to Upper Canada, where he made an extensive tour of several months. Setting out from Montreal towards the close of April, he proceeded to Toronto, touching at Prescott, Brockville, and Kingston. On arriving at Toronto, he waited on His Excellency Sir George Arthur, the Governor, who, he found, had long cherished a friendly feeling to the Society, having presented to it a donation of £.50, through the Honduras Auxiliary, when he was Governor of Honduras. After making arrangements for a Public Meeting at Toronto, Mr. Thomson paid a short visit to some places in the neigh- bourhood ; among the rest, to the Chippeway Mission station on the River Credit, where he succeeded in forming the first Bible Society among the Aborigines of North America ; of the circumstances attending which he gives the following interesting account : — His visit " Pi'obably you ■will recollect sometliing about this Mission, from its to the being- the residence and immediate field of labour of the Rev. Peter Jones, Chippeway g^ ^^^l known in England, and, I doubt not, personally to yourself. It is a villag-e inhabited by Chippeway Indians, who, only a few years ago, were wandering over the expanse of this country ; but who are all now, by the providence and grace of God, gathered into this fold, where they enjoy the benefits of civilized life and of religion. There are about fifty BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 329 houses in the estahHshment, and the number of people is about 220. They ameutca. have a chapel and a school-house, and are privileg-ed with reg-ular reli- — gious instruction, and the means of elementary education. Much has been Br/tish " done among- them for g-ood ; but (as is still the case, alas ! in all countries. North and among all people,) much remains yet to be done, in order that they America, may fully reap all the advantag-es, which God has placed within their innVsi reach throug-h His blessing-, of civilization, education, and religion. — " On the 8th instant, your Agent visited tliis place ; and on the evening- l'^39. of the following- day, there was held a Meeting of the Chippeways, in their chapel here. The attendance was good ; and much interest seemed to be felt in the object which brought us together, and in the statements and details which were made. Your grand Bible plan I set before the Chip- Indian peways, and they seemed to perceive some of the gi-andeur of it ; for the settlement people are capable of higher conceptions, and more expansive ideas, than j^ivcr we are disposed to imagine. My West India labours led me to state many Credit, things concerning the past and present condition of the Negi-oes— a peculiar ]ieople ; and especially as concerns the Bible, their interest in it, and their labours to promote its general circulation. With the West India people I compared their own case, as also a pecuhar people ; endeavouring- to point out what God had done for them, and what He expected of them. " A number of the jieople in this village understand a good share of English ; but others know Httle of it. To meet this case, and that all the meetinc people might well understand the things that were brought before them, the Rev. Peter Jones went over my statements, when I had closed, em- bodying them in the Chippeway tongue. This served a double purpose ; for it gave those, who understood not before, a knowledge of the tilings said ; and, on the other hand, the re-hearing by others the same things in their own native tongue, which they had before hstened to in English, gave them a deeper impression of them, from the accompanying savour of their native and favourite dialect. " The chiefs present, of whom there were four, also addressed their countrymen on these topics ; and so also did the Itev. Messrs. flight and Scott, two Wesleyan Ministers, who were with us. All seemed to enjoy the occasion ; and a Bible Society was forthwith formed with good will." After this, Mr. Thomson succeeded in forming, at different other places, seven more Bible Societies, among the sons of the Auxdiancs forest, many of whom are now brought to revere and love that " Great Spirit " whom their forefathers ignorantlj worshipped, and to take a lively part in propagating his holy word. It is interesting to look over the long, hard, Indian names, of some of the first officers and subscribers of these novel Institutions : it is delightful to find the ranks of Christian philanthropy swelled from such a quarter. 330 HISTORY or THE AMERICA. ClIAP. II. British North America. 1804-54, 1840. Progress of Mr. Thomson's visitation. Proofs of destitution in the in- terior. French Canadians. On Mr. Thomson's return to Toronto, was held the Anni- versary Meeting of the Toronto Bible Society, whose title has been since exchanged for that of tJie " Upper Canada Bible Society," as more in accordance with the revised plan of opera- tions then adopted. Ml*. Thomson proceeded after this to visit several other places, in some of which he held Public Meetings, in others he had conferences with Committees and officers ; in all of which, as well as everywhere else throughout his extensive tour, he met with the utmost kindness and hospitality, from ministers and friends of different rehgious denominations. On the 23d of September, Mr. Thomson left Toronto for Quebec, taking Prescott, Brockville, Perth, and Bytown, on his way. During this time, the Montreal Auxiliary was zealously em- ployed in supplying every destitute family in the province with a copy of the Holy Scriptures. Several additional counties and townships had been visited during the year. These investigations brought to light numbers of families who had been living ten, twenty, thirty, and, in some instances, nearly forty years, without a copy of the Scriptures ; others never possessed the precious treasure. Several entries in the journal are to this effect: — *' Eight years married, never had a Bible " — " Seven years married, lost three children within six days, never had a Bible : received it with tears " — " Father of six children : owns a farm, but never owned a Bible " — " Married twenty-two years : never till now possessed a Bible." In one county, out of 1469 famihes, 658 were found destitute ; and in one day, of thirty-one families visited, twenty-three were without the Scriptures. The attention of this Auxiliary continued to be very earnestly directed to the distribution of the Scriptures among the French Canadians, wdio are very numerous in the Lower Province, and for the most part Roman Catholics. They again employed, in part at the expense of the Parent Society, a Colporteur, who had, in the preceding year, prosecuted this work with considerable success. At the urgent solicitations of the friends of the Society at Montreal, to have Colporteurs sent to them from France, BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIRLE SOCIETY. 831 M. de Pressense was applied to. Out of two recommended by ameiuca. him, one was selected and appointed, by way of experiment, ^.j^ ~ jj He continued, however, but a short time engaged in the work, British as he deemed it his duty to withdraw from the Society, and America, devote himself wholly to the work of preachincr and oeheral — . , ,. -^ lot. 1804-54. instruction. _ ]\Ir. Thomson was engaged during several months in the ^^^^' following year, 1840, in visiting the Auxiliaries, Branches, and Associations, in the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. After concluding his visit to the two pro- vinces, he passed the winter in Montreal, having obtained leave to cease from his labours for four months, which he devoted to prosecuting a course of medical study, with a view to his enjoying, by means of such knowledge, in- creased facilities in his future travels on behalf of the So- ciety, and with more immediate reference to his visiting South America. In 1841, Mr. Thomson, (now M.D., having taken out a medical diploma at Montreal,) renewed and completed his visit to the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He sent, as usual, full and interesting details of his operations and movements, wdiicli are much of the same character as those given above. Themission of Dr. Thomson to theprincipal British Close of provinces in North America, was now brought to a close. This go,j's niis-' mission, originally undertaken at the request of the Committee, ^'"°- though only expected to occupy about two years, necessarily spread itself over three ; and, had other calls permitted, might doubtless have been advantageously extended. In the review of it, the Committee expressed their satisfaction with the zeal, the diligence, and the prudence of their devoted friend ; nor did they omit to testify their sense of the kindness and attention shown to their Agent by the numerous friends of the Society who welcomed him, and encouraged him by their willing and hearty co-operation, in the great object of his mission. Most of the Bible Societies in the above provinces were visited ; and in the course of the three years many new Societies were formed, — some of them probably but small, yet calculated, by their combined efforts, to eftect a wide distribution of the Sacred Volume in districts where it was much needed, and amongst 332 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, a people that might be considered as having special claims on Q ~ II the parent country. British It has beeen already stated, that the attention of some of the America. North- American Transatlantic Societies had been directed to — the imi)ortance of employino; Colporteurs. Besides the one _ ' procured from France, the Montreal Auxiliary engaged the 1842. services of Mr. Hibbard, as an Agent to visit the French part of the population. He was employed for some years at the anions the expense of the Parent Society. The Montreal Auxiliary also French engaged a General Agent, besides Mr. Hibbard, who made ' journeys in different directions, thus giving a useful impulse to the energies of the Branch Societies in the remote parts of the province. The Upper Canada Society, also, engaged the services of a Travelling Agent, towards whose expenses the Parent Society for many years made a grant of £100 per annum. The Rev. James Richardson was appointed to this office in 1841 : his first visit in this capacity extended over the portion of the province between Kingston to the east, and Chatham to the west, a distance of nearly 450 miles. The following is a summary of his proceedings on this journey : — " The distance travelled by Mr. Richardson was about 2667 miles; the new Societies formed were 36; Societies re- vived, (which had become extinct,) 10 ; 36 others were visited and publicly addressed, some of which were almost inefficient, and would probably have been soon extinct; 1240 additional subscribers were added to these Societies ; subscriptions were Agency of obtained to the amount of £294 . 85. ; and the Committees of the Richard- several branches arranged to extend the subscriptions, by means son. of visiting, within their respective localities. This was by no means the whole good done. The orders for copies of the Scriptures from the various Branch Associations exceeded those of any preceding year in an extraordinary degree, which may be fairly attributed to the energy infused by the visits of the agent. During the preceding year, these orders had amounted to £315; but this year they rose to the sum of £930." It was during this tour, the following incident occurred: — " I crossed the Rice Lake," writes Mr. Richardson, " on the BRITISn AND FOKETGN BIBLE SOCIETV. 333 ice to Aldersville, and held the Bible IMeetino- among those amkkica. Red Men, when every man, woman, and child belonging to qh^^ h. the station, contributed something, to promote the translation of British the ' Good Book,' amounting altogether, to £5 currency." America. Up to the year 1844, the British Provinces of North yn^Tr, America had placed on the books of the Society, the names of — 246 tributary Societies. Many of these, doubtless, were but ^^'^'^' limited in the sphere of their influence, but others were of considerable extent and efficiency, aifording. many facilities for Extensive supplying, with the record of truth and salvation, the emigrant, organiza- the country-born, whether English or French, and, we may Auxiliaries. add, the aboriginal inhabitant of the forest ; for, as we have seen, some of these useful institutions were found among the native Indians. To the labours of the valued Agent of the Society, Dr. Thomson, doubtless, much of this extensive orga- nization was to be ascribed ; much also was due to the promp- titude with which his proposals were met, and the zeal with which the work was prosecuted, by numerous friends resident in these countries. A Missionary Society, formed in Canada, for the especial Grants benefit of the French Canadians, had been assisted from time (!"°"^ *J^® I arent to time by large supplies of the Sacred Volume. The grant Society, this year was 500 copies — sometimes it has been even more. ^ "■*"*■ Considerable supplies continued also to be sent to Newfound- land, either to Missionaries established there, or through the medium of the Newfoundland School Society. A Bible Societv had not yet been formed for the colony. An Auxiliary, how- ever, was formed at St. John's diiring the next year, 1846, under very pleasing auspices; His Excellency Sir John Harvey, Governor, becoming the Patron. In the summer of 1845, two awful and calamitous fires occurred at Quebec, by which, it was stated, nearly two- thirds of the city was consumed, and 20,000 people rendered homeless. Much sympathy was shown, as was natural, for the sufferers, and, among other modes of expressing it, the Auxiliary Society of Quebec took immediate steps to relieve the distress caused by the burning of the Bibles of the suf- ferers. They offered to supply a Bible or a Testament, either gratuitously or at reduced rates, to every person able to read. 1804-54. 1848. 334 IIISTOIIY OF THE AMEiucA. on affording evidence of their having lost one on the above ChaV TI cahxmitous occasion. To encourage and assist in this deed of British true charity, the Parent Society at once made a grant of 1000 America. Bibles and Testaments, and remitted to the Quebec AuxiHary their debt due for books received, amounting to £281 . 2s. It may be mentioned, that grants of considerable extent, amounting at times to nearly 500 volumes, have been made to the Stewart Canadian Travelling Mission.* These books Canadian were in English, Irish, and Gaslic, intended in part for the Mission. ° "se of emigrants from the United Kingdom, of whom as many as 96,500 were landed on the American shore during one year, multitudes of them in great wretchedness. Chiefly, however, the object of the Mission was to extend the benefits of the Scriptures among the scattered population of the back settlements in the distant wilderness. The following extract from a letter of one of the Agents of this interesting Mission, will tend to show the nature and value of its labours : — Its import- " The work is done, by the plentiful supplies scattered by the Missio- an an nary in his travels. Many and many a backwoodsman in the lonely character!' bush, while reading- the word of God thus provided for him, or the com- forting- and awakening Tracts, on the Sabbath day, c-alls to mind, deject- edly indeed, the former associations of his native land ; and, while he niminates on the still unforg-otten sound of the Sabbath bell, learns to bless God, that thoug-h deprived of the happiest privileges of the day of rest, still he is no long-er exposed to a famine of the word. I have mj'self known instances of the salutary effect of this mode of preaching upon careless characters, who, strolling into the tavern to spend their Sunday, have accidentally taken up one of these books, left by the Missionary weeks before, and been thereby brought to serious reflection, and ultimately to the exercise of prayer and praise." To the Nova Scotia Auxiliary, as well as to those in the two Canadas, the Parent Society allowed, for some years, the sum of £100, for the services of a Travelling Agent. He entered on his work in 1848. That such an Agency was much needed, will be seen from an extract from one of his earlier reports : — " In these several journeys, I visited eightj'-five towns, villages, and princijial settlements, in fifty-five of which, interesting Public Meetings were held, and thirtj^-nine new Branch Societies were formed ; sixteen in my first tour, and twenty-three since. * A Mission estabhshed by the late Dr. Stewart, Bishop of Quebec. BlilTISII AXD FOUEICN lUDLE SOCIETY. 335 #• " In my former report I mentioned, tliat, in one of our Meetinp-s, it was ameuica. stated, as an evidence of the want of IJihles in some remote districts, that — an inquest had been recently held in a distant settlement, and when the n^\-^\ jury had to be sworn, neither Bible nor Testament could be found. In North another place, containing about 150 inhabitants, it was said that they had America. not more than live copies of the Scriptures amongst them. In Annapolis i)joj~r( county, a clergyman told me he had imported a considerable number of Bibles and Testaments, which were readily sold, and had ordered more, yn-iii. not knowing- that a branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society was so soon to have its depot there. And in the more remote settlements of other counties the same destitution prevails. But in all the pruicipal places, as also along the sea-coast and the banks of navigable rivers, almost every house is supplied with Bibles and Testaments." The Pictou Bible Society, with its several branches, has held a prominent place in this province; but it has been chiefly distinguished by the munificent liberality of one of its principal friends and supporters, who, during a series of years, forwarded personal contributions to the Parent Society. A grant of Bibles and Testaments to the Bishop of Prince Rupert's Land, Dr. Anderson, on liis leaving this country, in „ . 1849, for his new diocese, laid the foundation for an interestino; liunort's T I correspondence relating to that country. His Lordship, who ^'^" ' succeeded in re-organizing an Association of which he himself became the President, soon found it necessary to apply for a further grant, including Gaelic and French, as well as English Scriptures. An extract from his Lordship's letter on this occasion. Exertions besides indicating his "zeal in seeking to promote the objects of the Society, contains an allusion to the circumstances under which the previous Association had been formed, which will be read with interest, as connected with the celebrated and lamented Arctic explorer. " I have left a portion of the Bibles at York Factory, where I hope to Former keep a depot for the Bibles of the Societv. I find that, as far l)ack as the presence ' niid lid (if year 1822, a Branch Association had been foi-med there by the Bev. .1. sir .John West, who was assisted on the occasion by Sir John (then Captain) Franklin. Franklin, of whose safety and preservation such serious doubts are now entertained. I received at York some account of that interesting Meeting, which was held in one of the rooms in the Fort. They spoke much of the zeal and energy- which Sir J. Franklin ever displayed in any su])ject connected with the glory of God and the benefit of immortal souls. Liberal contributions were then received, and many subscriptions pro- mised ; how it fell to pieces afterwards, I cannot learn, nor do I know jfth Bishop. 336 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, how long- the Branch continued to exist. Nothing-, I feel grieved to say, has been done for the last few years ; but it appears only to require an effort to direct the minds of the inhabitants to the worth and value of the Chap. II. British North Society. America. u j -^^^q^ jf the Lord will, to hold a Meeting- soon after the comraence- l}!04-54. ment of the year, and then to form a Branch Association for the diocese ; — the central depot would be here, in Red River ; a subordinate depot would be at York Factory ; and another, for the more distant districts on Various the Saskatchewan, would naturally be fixed at Cumberland House,, under Associa- ^j^g charge of the Rev. J. Hunter. A fourth spot, at which a g-ood supply depots pro- *^^ Bibles would be very essential, would be Moose Factory, at the lower jected. extremity of James's Bay ; but I would not ask for any for it until next year. With the central depot here, and these three subsidiary ones in active operation, I should view the British and Foreig-n Bible Society as firmly and permanently estabhshed in the country. I hope to gain some annual subscriptions for you at the meeting in January, but they will only be few in number for some time. " I trust that the Society will make me these grants, and hold out the hope of assisting- me for Moose hereafter. Of the amount of the three grants, I can guarantee that we can send home the half, as the people are very willing- to purchase. They are for the most part fond of their Bibles, and observe the Sabbath in an exemplary way. I would say this of the Scottish settlers around me here, and of the half-bred population at the Indian settlement, as well as the converted Indians there. Of the more remote parts of the country, I cannot yet speak. There are many who speak Gselic in their families here ; for them I would ask for Gselic Bibles. On the Saskatchewan there are many who speak only French ; for them I would appeal for French Testaments." 185.3. Three years after this, the Society had much pleasure, on Version of the recommendation of the Bishop, in ordering to press an the Cree edition of 1000 copies of the Gospel of St. John, in the Cree language, language, in the Syllabic character prepared by the Rev. W. Mason, a gentlemen connected with the Church Mis- sionary Society. His Lordship, on bringing the subject before the Committee, writes : — " I should be doing violence to my own feelings, and withholding a boon from the poor Indian, if I did not state my own earnest wish and desire, that the Society would kindly undertake to supply us with, at least, 1000 copies of the translation as it now stands. " I am not without hopes, that at some future day the whole of the New Testament may be given in the Roman character. But that will be a matter of time, and our want is immediate of some food for the poor wanderer, who visits us for a week or fortnight in autumn, and then leaves to follow the chase. BRITI;^II AXD FOIJETOX niKLE JiOCIETY :v.v, '' What then, i.s the present condition of those who are nnxious to know the word of God among- our poor scattered population I I find the trans- lation of St. John's Gospel in use at Eng-lish River, where the liev. Robert Hunt is stationed, and where I have just visited. It is used in his Sunday School, where I heard the children repeat the first chapter both in Eng-li.sh and in Cree. I saw it used, by the way, by Indians of the station where I now am, and who were tented with me for the Sunday, when we were tog-ether in the wilderness. They read it also during- the week in my own boat. " The character is used at Xorway House with great success, and jire- vails from that to York Factory. It is ado])ted with no substantial dif- ference, as I saw with g-reat delig-ht last summer, by the Rev. J. Horden, Church Missionary, of Moose Factory, St. James's Bay, as well as by the Rev. E. A. '\^'atkins, still farther north ; and the Indians along- the shores of that bay, at Albany, SIoGse, and Rupert's House, would gladly receive a (Gospel in the character, but copies cannot be supplied in sufficient num- bers. That the Church Missionary Society may be considered as sanc- tioning- it most fully, may be gathered from their having sent this summer a printing-press and a supply- of type to the Rev. J. Horden by the annual ship." Passing tlie intervening years, not as devoid of interest, for the Auxiliaries and Branches, and the travelhng Agents and Colporteurs, were all found perseveringly conducting their several departments of labour, but with, the view of not extending these details too far, we come to the last year included within the range of this history, Avhich deserves and must receive a somewhat more special notice. The Auxiliaries in the several provinces of British North America manifested during the year an unwonted interest and activity in the cause of the Society ; called forth, as it would seem, in no small degree by the occurrence of the year of Jubilee. Their ordinary oj)erations were marked by increas- ing vigour, and their special and liberal efforts on behalf of tlic Jubilee and China Funds were followed by most gratifying- results. This was strikingly the case with the Upper Canada Auxiliary at Toronto— an important Society, numbering no fewer than 115 Branches in connection with it. Tlic i-cniif- tances from this Auxiliary during the year amounted to £1941.125. 2d., including £440. 5^. 8^. to the General Jubilee Fund, and £153 . ds. Id. to the Fund for China; and after the accounts for the year were closed, a. further romit- VOL. II. ' Z AMKKICA. CUAP. II. British North America. l!)04-54. Summary of opera- tions in Canafla. lfi.54. 338 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, tance was received of £569 . 2.v. 4:d., to be divided among the ChapTii. Jiibilee and other Funds. The issues during the year amounted British to 21,573 copies, being 3,504 more than in the previous North T 1 ^ 1 11 America, year. Its orders tor the current year extended to 26,238 1807-54. ^°P^^^- — The Meetings held at Toronto, in celebration of the Jubilee, were stated to have been most delightful ; a large number, both of ministers and laity, attended ; and throughout, a truly Jubilee catholic spirit prevailed. The Meeting in the evening was celebration one of the finest ever held in that city ; at least 2000 people 111 ioronto. *^ ^ ^ were present. An interesting document was received at this time, contain- ing a review of the rise and progress of the Upper Canada Aux- iliary : from which it appears that its total issues, up to the close of the year, had amounted to 187,019 copies, and its receipts to £20,950. The following paragraph is taken from its close: — " Having- presented the foreg-oing synopsis of the rise and progress of the Upper Canada Bible Society, it only remains for us to add, that its prospects were never so bright as at the present. "The number of copies of the Scriptures that have been circulated during" the year ; the amount of free donations and subscriptions ; the Auxiliaries and Branches that have been organized ; the numerous and influential friends that have been added to the ranks ; the harmony and unity of co-operation and effort that have characterised all its operations, as well as the numerous doors of usefulness and extension that are being opened up ; all prove that the cause is not only destined to succeed, but is assuming its proper place in the sympathies and support of our improving and enlightened Christian population. As the country is rapidly advanc- ing in civil and commercial importance, and is destined at no distant da^y to become a great and powerful nation, it is highly desirable that the Bible Society should keep pace with its growth, and still continue to take the lead of its moral and religious organizations." The Society renewed their grant of £100 to this Auxiliary, towards the expenses of a Travelling Agent. The importance of the agency may be gathered from the folloAving statement, extracted from the document above referred to :— " Mr. Richardson continued his connexion with the Society lli years, travelling annually an average of about 3000 miles, his labours being confined to the western section of the province, that is, to the westward of the town of Kingston, and embracing a great variety in the circumstances, characters, and religious professions of the inhabitants. This gentleman having- resigned in the autumn of 1851, his place was supplied by the 1854. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 339 Rev. L. Taylor, with increasing' success, in reg-ard to both the number and ajif.rica. efficiency of the Branches, the copies issued, and the amount of finances." ^ — ,., Chap. II. The Kingston Auxiliary remitted £242 . 7*. 6d., of which ^^^^^^ £59 . 4:S. lid. was for the Jubilee Fund, one-fourth of it being America, appropriated to China. I80X54 A very animated Jubilee INIeeting was held there, which excited deep interest. With respect to this promising Auxiliary, the Secretary writes, in the beginning of 1854 : — " "VVe have still to thank God for the past, and to take courage for the future. Our Anniversary took place in January, and was fully equal to the Grand Jubilee Demonstration. " The issues have been 6353, an apparent decrease, but apparent only, Kingston when we take into account that shortly before our j^revious Anniversary, Auxiliary, most of our Branches had been 23lentifully supplied with stock, and did not need to be replenished, and, moreover, that for about half of the year we were deprived of the services of one of our colporteurs. The reduced amount we have to report this year gives no indication of a diminishing interest, or a retrograde course. On the contrary, as our field of operation is widening, and the resources of our province are being rapidly developed, and the forces of error are mustering, we feel that it is more than ever incumbent on us to brace ourselves up for an enterprise which increases every day in interest and importance, and to gird on our amiour (the whole armour of God) for that ' coming struggle ' of which Canada, in part at least, will be the theatre. " We have thiiteen Branches and six Depots. A new Branch was formed during the year at Madoc, about eighty miles from Kingston, close by the great Marmora Iron Works. We hope, during the current year, to plant at least four new Branches. The issues of our Belleville Branch during the year exceeded 800, trebling the former year, besides 300 circulated by colporteurs in the sun'ounding district. This Branch has kindly voted us a Free Contribution of £15, and we hope for a similar grant to the Jubilee Fund. Though for five months of the year we had but a single colporteur, our issues in connection with this depart- ment of our work reached 36()5. We have now two colporteurs, and are talking of employing a third, well versed in the IJomish controversy, on our projected railroad, as the bulk of the labourers will be Koman Catholics. "Our receipts for the year have been £003 . Gs. Qd. ; our disbursements, £471 . 19s. 7d. " Several of our Branches contributed their quota to the Jubilee Fund. We have not made any separate effort for China, but may probably designate a portion of the above to the million scheme, of whose progress we are rejoiced to hear. z 2 340 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. II. Eritish North America. 1804-54. 1854. Montreal Auxiliary. " Our Ladies' Association is proving a very efficient handmaid. Their Anniversary was held in December, and proved a very interesting- occa- sion. Their income for the last year, including- the balance on hand from the preceding-, amounted to £'104 . lis. lOif/. They have supported entirely one of the colporteurs, and contributed about £18 to the Jubilee Fund. They have circulated 5616 copies of the Scriptures since their Association was formed four years ago. Within ten months their zealous Ag-ent visited upwards of 4000 famihes. Who can calculate the amount of good that may be realized by such an extensive scattering- of the incor- rujitible seed?" Lower Canada. — Remittances were received during the Jubilee year from the Montreal Auxiliary, amounting to £915 . 10s. Ad., of which £248 . 3^. Qd. was for the Jubilee Fund ; in addition to which the Rev. H. Wilkes forwarded £170 . 9^. \d., as a separate contribution from members of his congregation for furnishing 10,000 copies of the Chinese Testament, which generous effort was made, after the con- gregation had taken their full share in the Jubilee collections. The celebration of the Jubilee called forth here, as elsewhere, a noble manifestation of interest in the Society's object. Sermons were preached, Meetings held, and a very lively interest excited, as may be seen from the large sum poured into the treasury of the Society. From the Report of this Auxiliary for the year, it appeared that its issues had amounted to 8069 Bibles and Testaments ; audit had received supplies consisting of 8259 copies. A further grant of £100 was made to the Montreal Auxiliary, towards the expenses of their Travelling Agent, the Rev. J. Green, from whose Report the following extracts are made : — " The summary of my winter's labours is this : travelled 1594 miles, visited 88 difterent townships, towns, or villages, transacted the business of 40 Branches and Depositories, established 3 new Branches and 4 new Depositories, addressed 47 Public Meetings, and jireached 14 or 15 ser- mons on kindred subjects. On a review of this part of the field, I find much to encourage. The objects of the Society are becoming better understood ; its friends are increasing in number ; and the gratuitous or free contributions were above one-third more, from this part, than the winter before. Hospitality was more freely offered, and consequent^ the expenses of prosecuting the work were somewhat less ; not that the entire expenses for the year have been less, but rather more, on account of the greater number of new places visited, but the expenses connected with I^RITISII AND FOllEIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 341 the older portions of our lield have been reduced. The lueetlag-s, also, AjiKincA. liave been g-enerall\' much better attended, and mniiy were evidently — meetins-s of much interest, i^'^.*^'. , ,, -r 1 • , British My last journey was beg-un on tlie 27th of August, and, with two or North three sliort intervals of rest, continued till the 24th of C)ctt)ber, when the America, nnid became so deep and the weather so uncertain, that I had to suspend 180Z54 uiy labours till Avinter should set in. During- this time I travelled 7.58 — " miles, visited 28 different places, opened two new Depositories, and ad- '^^^• dressed 22 Public ^leeting-s ; making- in the whole, during- the year, 3479 miles travelled, 179 towns, townships, or villag:es visited, in which I had given 121 public addresses, opened 12 new Depositories, and established 5 new Branch Societies. Here are multitudes of people collected from every part of the world, and by a most inscrutable providence cast tog-e- ther in the dense forests of Canada, without the means to protect them- selves effectually from the severe cold of a long- winter, or the means to provide any thing- but the merest pittance to satisfy the cravings of nature. Koman Catholics and Protestants have sympathies in common one for another. A Gaelic Bible given to a settler from the Highlands of Scot- land, who had not seen one before for six years, drew floods of tears not only from the recipient, but also from her Roman Catholic neighbours, who could not resist the influence to participate her joy. The Church never eng-ag-ed in a more Christian-like effort than that of circulating- the word of life in the wilds of Canada." Tlie Auxiliary Society at Quebec was revived during tli<5 QueW. year, under favourable auspices ; and remittances to the amount ''"^' of £298 . 15*. 3c/. were received, including £192.13*. Id. for the Jubilee Fund. A Grant was also made of 600 copies to the French Ca- nadian Missionary Society, whose labours are chieHy directed to the Roman Catholic population of the province. The Nova Scotia Auxiliary at Halifax made remittances, amounting to £665 . 6s. dd. ; of which £436. 17.?. 7c?. was towards the Jubilee Fund, and. £34 . 2.v. 8(/. for the Special Fund for China. In this province also the cclol)ration of the Jubilee, and the Services and Meetings connected with it, appear to have awakened, a deep and. lively sympathy, and to have given fresh impulse and encouragement to the friends of Bible dis- tribution. ]\rr. Smith, the Travelling Agent, was contiiuiing his useful labours ; and towards his expenses the further sum of £100 was contributed by the Parent Society. The su))i)lies of liibles 342 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. II. British North America. 1804-54. 1854. New Brunswick Frederic- ton. Miramichi. St. Jolin's. and Testaments sent to this Auxiliary amounted to 5500 copies. The AuxiHarj at Pictou remitted £109.6^. 6d., of which £14. 7*. was for the Jubilee Fund. The New Brunswick Auxiliary at St. John remitted £274. 145. Sd. in aid of the Jubilee Fund; and after the accomits were closed, a further remittance was received of £277.4*. 7rf. on purchase account; and £191. 17*. 6d., the amount of free contribvitions from the Auxiliary and its branches; with £166.13*. 8d., the contributions raised by them for the Chinese Testament Fund. The Report of this Auxiliary stated that the issues for the year had been 1930 Bibles and 2071 Testaments; total, 4001 copies. It had received during the year 3979 copies of the Scriptures. It was pleasing to learn that here, too, the very lively interest excited by the Jubilee had not diminished the ordinary income of the Auxiliary, which, on the contrary, was larger than the preceding year. The Fredericton Auxiliary remitted £125 . 19*. 4d, of which £15 was for the Jubilee Fund, and £35 for the China Fund. It also ordered supplies to the amount of 720 copies. Tlie Fredericton Ladies' Society, which heretofore had acted as a branch of the Auxiliary, was during the year con- stituted an independent Auxiliary ; and the Committee, con- sisting of Lady Head, Mrs. Brooke, Mrs. Wilmot, and other ladies belonging to various sections of the Protestant Church, had been actively engaged, not only in raising funds, but also in promoting the distribution of the sacred Scriptures. The Miramichi Ladies' Auxiliary sent a free contribution of £32. 11*. Sd. From the Prince Edward's Island Auxiliary was received a remittance of £150, in part for the Jubilee Fund, accompanied by an order for 550 Bibles and Testaments. The Newfoundland Auxiliary at St. John's made a remit- tance of £160, of which £104. 12*. lOd. was a free contri- bution. It ordered a further supply of 1838 copies. The sum of £55 was also remitted by this Auxiliary towards the Jubilee Fund, which was collected by the lady of the President. BKITISII AND FOKKIGN BIHLE SOCIETV. 343 The Rev. J. Ylcars also rendered an account of tlic appro- priation of » considerable part of a grant, of 250 Bi!)les and 500 Testaments, entrusted to him. This brief account of the operations and prospects of the Transatlantic Societies, in the Jubilee year, may be not in- appropriately concluded, by the report of a visit paid to them by Rev. Mr. Kent, one of the Society's Domestic Agents, which, though not accomplished within the year of Jubilee, was re- garded as part of the Jubilee movement. He was deputed also to represent the Parent Society at the Annual Meeting of the American Bible Society at New York. ]\Ir. Kent landed at Halifax on the l4th of April, 1854. " At the Meeting- of the Committee," writes Mr. Kent, "which was spe- cially summoned for the purpose, the welcome was formally and officially, thoug-h no less cordially, otFered, and a Resolution was ordered to be entered on the Minutes, expressive of the high sense of regard and esteem which was entertained towards the Parent Committee, and the full appreciation of their act in sending a special Deputation to the affiliated Societies in British North America. I may now state that similar Resolutions were passed by Committees at all Public Meetings throughout my extended tour. " I arrived in New York on Saturday evening, the 6th May. The Public Meeting was held on the 11th, at the Tabernacle, the present Exeter Hall of New York. I was introduced to the immense audience by the Rev. Dr. Tyng, aa Chairman of the Committee of Management, in a peculiarly g-raceful and pleasing manner ; and never can I forget the almost enthusiasm with which our American friends received me and listened to my address. I had invitations to Philadelphia and Boston, but my engagements in Canada rendered it impossible for me to accept them. 1 trust my visit will in some humble measure promote the feeling of fraternal regard and esteem. "I left New York on Saturday evening, ]\Itiy 13tli, and proceeded direct to Toronto, resting on the Sabbath at Albany, and reaching the foi-mer place on Tuesday, the l(')th. From Mr. Howard, the esteemed Secretary, in particular, and from the Committee in general, I received the kindest and most courteous attention, and trom the Rev. Mr. Taylor, the devoted Travelling Agent, the most valuable assistance. I had the pleasure of his company through the greater portion of my tour in llpppr Canada, and had the opportunity of witnessing the value of his labours to the Society. The PubHc Meeting was held on May the l^th; about 1500 persons were pjresent, and ministers and laymen of the various orthodox Churches filled the platform. I found this important Auxiliary in a state of surprising vigour, and the Report made amjile and honour- able mention of the indefatigable labour of Mr. Taylor. It is, liowever. AJIKKUA. Chap. 11. British North America. 1U04-54. lt{54. Vi&it of Mev. Mr. Kent to America. Public Meetings at New York. Tonmto. 344 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. II. Britisli North America. 1804-54. 1«34. Quebec. Newfound- land. impossible for one man to overtake the work of this gig-antic Auxihary, and our friends are contemplating the emplo^onent of a., second Agent. A perpetual tide of emigration flows on without diminution to Western Canada, and the rajiid increase of its population, and the enhanced value of property", is, in some districts especially, really startling-. The Committee of this Auxiliary appear to understand and feel the importance of their position ; and the history of the past furnishes ample promise that their energy will not fail in meeting future exigencies, and supplying- future demands. I visited various affiliated Societies, from Cohourg, on Lake Ontario, to 8arnia, at the foot of Lake Huron, many of which gave most cheering proofs of zeal and prosperity. Before I pass from this part of my Keport, I may state that the issues from this Auxiliary during the past year amounted to 21,574, being an increase over the ])receding year of SoOo. The receipts also show an increase of £1573 . 7s. 4rf. " I arrived at Montreal on the evening of the 13th of June. It was arranged that I should visit some of the Societies before the Public Meeting to be held at Montreal, and accordingly, on the 14th of June, I proceeded to St. John's, about twenty -six miles from the city. The Meeting was one of peculiar interest ; such was also the character of many others which I visited, between Three Rivers on the St. Lawrence, to Bj-town on the Ottawa. '' I landed at Quebec on the morning- of the 2Sth June, after a most temjiestuous voyage. A storm materially affected the attendance at the Meeting held on that day ; but on the following Sunday it was arranged that I should address the children belonging to the various Protestant Sunday Schools collectively. They entirely filled the area of the spacious building- in which they assembled, the galleries at the same time being- crowded with adults. It was the first time the children thus met, and our friends appear to attach much importance to the event. There was a large collection made, at the close of the service, towards ^le China Fund. " Having consumed all the time I could possibly give to Canada, and with a grateful feeling that I had been able in so short a time to accom- plish so much, and with sentiments of esteem and regard for many friends who had so cheered me in my path, I proceeded on my journey to Boston, to take the steamer to St. John, jVew Brunswick, where I arrived safely on Thursday evening, the 17th Aug-ust. There is a wide field to be cul- tivated in New Brunswick, and the assistance of a local agent is much needed. Without some such assistance it will be impossible to occupy g-round, which to so g-reat an extent now lies waste. " In Newfoundland I was received in the kindest manner, with every demonstration of esteem for the Parent Society. The Public IMeeting was one of unusual interest, being attended by families of the highest respec- tability, and belonging- to various religious denominarions. I am personally indebted to many friends here for their numerous acts of kindness, and took leave of them at a public breakfast with very grateful sentiments, on the day before I quitted their wild and rug-ged shores. AMERICA. ClIAP. II. British BKITISII AXD FOKKIGN lUlJLE SOCIETY. 345 " Throiig'hout the Avhule of my extended tour, a feelint;- of oontideiice towards the Parent Society was expressed. I have also every reason to believe that increased activity has been impai'ted to the various Societies. " FiiEXCH CA^-ADIA^•8. — Of these there are upwards of 7()0,00(», and Nortli their picturesque villages fringe the banks of the St. Lawrence, from America, above IMontreal to below (Quebec. From many conversations with friends lo ^T ► , full}' capable of forming an opinion, there appear many favourable cir- cumstances at the present time to render the employment of colportem-s I {554. extremely desirable. I ventured to state, both there and at Montreal, that the Parent Committee would regard with attention any application which they might see fit to make on this most important question. The great difficulty anticipated is that of securing- the rig-ht men as colporteurs ; but that being accomplished, I believe the result would amply repay any reasonable amount of outlay." In a word, tlie communications and reports received during the year from the Auxiliary Societies in British. North America, l)ore ample testimony to the steady progress which they were makhig in the work of distributing the Scriptures among their own people, and of raising funds for the supply of other nations. There is a small part of North America which has been i.abrador. reserved for distinct notice ; for though the operations of the Society there have been on a limited scale, yet they have some feattires of peculiar interest, and could not well have been in- cluded in the account of the eftbrts made for the benefit of the liritish provinces. Labrador is an extensive country in North America, to the east of Hudson's Bay. The Indian population spread over it, called Esquimaux, are not very numerous, but they have long attracted and received the notice of the Church of the Moravian Brethren, whose Missionaries have laboured there, with inde- fatio-able zeal and perseverance, and not without much gratify- ing success. It was at an early period in the Society's history (1809), Moravian that in answer to an appeal by the Rev. C. J. Latrol^e, Secre- fjle'EsquU tary to the Brethren's Missions, an edition of the (jos[)el of maux. St. John, in the Esquimaux language, was publi.shed at the Society's expense, for the use of the converted Es(piinKiux, on the coast of Labrador. It was in connection with thi^i undertaking that the dilliculty 346 HISTOliY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. I[. British North America. 1804-54. 1808. Labrador. 1813. Version of St. John in the Esqui- maux dia- lect. occurred, previously alluded to in an early part of this history, which gave the Directors of the Society an opportunity of testifying their vigilant and zealous regard for the simple object of the Institution. By a practice, in general use among the Brethren's congregations, a translation had been made of a Harmony of the Scriptures into the language of the Esquimaux; and the petition of their Secretary was, that this Harmony might be printed, for their benefit, at the Society's expense. To this proposition the Committee objected ; considering any mode of printing the Scriptures, but that which exhibited them as they stand in the Canon, to be a deviation from the letter and the spirit of their Institution. In this view of the subject the Brethren acquiesced; and, accordingly, engaged to conform their translation to the standard as generally received. A similar exception had been previously taken against the form of a Harmony, in the Calmuc version, when proposed by the Missionaries at Sarepta; and it was attended with a similar result. " When our Esquimaux " (says the Missionary Kohlmeister, who carried out the printed copies of the Gospel of St. John to Labrador) "were first informed of what had been done for them, they were most deeply affected, and exclaimed, with tears : ' Jesus is worthy of thanks, and our friends are worthy of thanks, who love us so much, though they have never seen us ; and have printed for us the comfortable words of God, that we might read them in our own language, to our joy and edification.' " The reception given to the Gospel of St. John, disposed the Society, in 1812, to pay a favourable attention to the prayer of these devoted and indefatigable labourers, that the three other Gospels might also be printed. A version of them had been made by the venerable Superintendent of the Labrador Mission, the Rev. C. F. Burghardt, who possessed an intimate knowledge of the Esquimaux dialect. From the good effect which the four Gospels had been seen to produce among the converted Esquimaux, encouragement was given to the translation of the remaining portions of the Testament into that dialect. From this time the Society continued to receive very pleasing BKITlSil AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. IIA] accounts of the gratitude unddelioht with which the Scriptures amehica. were read by the Esquimaux Christians, at the three stations n ~ ^r , (.IIAP. II. of Hopedale, Nain, and Okkak. British " It will be truly gratifying," write the Missionaries on one America occasion, " to our friends in England, to learn, that their T)er- — l(i04-54 severing exertions are attended with the most beneficial effects. _ We can assure them that, from the very time that our Esqui- , ^"-*^,- . . p . . Labrador. maux have been put m possession of one portion of tlie New Testament after another, and have been enabled to read it in their own vernacular tongue, their understandings have been much enlightened, and they are evidently growing in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." Again : " Expressions of thanks were heard, while we dis- tributed among them the copies of this work, (Epistles of the Apostles in Esquimaux). Many tears of gratitude and joy flowed dow^n their cheeks." " Several of our Esquimaux," writes one of the Missionai'ies Gratitude of the United Brethren from Nain, " who had been informed of °f,f'^,^,Il^" the nature of the Bible Society, and its aim in the distribution of the sacred Scriptures throughout the world, of their own accord began to collect seals' blubber, by way of making up a small contribution towards the expenses of the Bible Society. The expressions they made use of in presenting their gifts, deeply affected us all." — The oil produced by these humble efforts, consisting of about 30 gallons, was duly received. By the year 1825, the whole of the New Testament was reported as completed, and printed, with the exception of H525. Revelation; the Book of Psalms also was translated; and The New in the following year, information was received that every 3,^^^"^^"' family, nay, every individual tliat could read, was in possession Psalms of the whole of the New Testament, the book of Revelation ^"'"^ excepted ; and of this book 500 copies were sent out soon after. Two or three years later, 1000 copies of the Book of Psalms were printed and sent out in due course ; and the testimony of the Missionaries was, that their Esquimaux were particularly delighted when they received the Psalms of David in their own tongue, and were loud in their demonstrations of gratitude for the sacred boon. In 1835,500 copiesof Genesis in the Esquimaux were received 348 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, by the Brethren at Labrador — who continued their transhitlon CnA~ II. °^ *^^® ^^'^ Testament, and revision of the New. The Pen- British tatench, Psahns, and Isaiah, were at length found in tlie hands America, ^f these poor people, who hailed with much delight every i.„i"7r. fresh portion of the sacred volume. — In 1842, they were called to express their gratitude for Greenland ^^'^^ copies of various parts of the Old and New Testaments, granted for the use of the different INIissionary stations. Mission of It may be here stated, that the Missionary labours of the the j\U)ra- Moravian Brethren on the coast of Labrador, were in close vian Bre- .... , . thren. connection with similar labours on the part of their Mis- sionaries in Greenland. Some allusion has already been made to Greenland, and to the Scriptures printed for its benefit in Denmark. For the express use of the Moravian INIissionary stations in that country, the Society printed, in the year 1850, a second edition of the Greenland New Testament, Twenty- six years had elapsed since an edition had been printed for the same interesting people. The following is from one of the later letters of the Rev. Circulation P. La Trobe, on the subject, referring to the circulation of the Scriptures Scriptures in English, and also in the native languages of the in Green- inhabitants of Greenland and Labrador. A small remittance Labrador, accompanied it, being the sum realized by the Missionaries at Hopedale in Labrador, by the sale of English Bibles to Southlanders who visited that settlement in the spring of the preceding year. " At Easter," writes Mr. La Trobe, " we had the joy to see mtmj strangers , from the south ; so man}', that we could have almost foncied ourselves in Europe, rather than in Labrador. Several of these visitors apjjeared to be seriously impressed, and concerned for the salvation of their souls. Our stock of English Bibles was therefore of great use to us. We sold them for about a shilling a copy, and here^^•ith send the monev received, to the esteemed British and Foreign Bible Society. The number of our visitors amounted to forty-five persons. During- this period our Esquimaux houses were inconveniently crowded. " \ye are coming gradually into more frequent contact with the Euro- peans, half-castes, and Indians, living scattered in our neighbourhood. At Easter many of them visited Hopedale, and all appeared much grati- fied with the celebration of the solemn season. They were forty -five in number. Some had come with their sledges from Cape Harrison, three or four days' journey from this place. Several had never before seen a AMEIUCA. ClIAP. II. British 18().l-54. ]!1J4. Grcenlaud. BRITISH AND FOUEIOX BIBLE SOCIETV. ;U1) cliurcli, nor atteiuk'd divine service. In conversing- witli tlu-m, we were pleased to tind that they were not altog-ether without knowkHlge of reli- gious truth, and that they knew what they must do to inherit eternal life. The Bible is their only instructor. We exhorted them to read it diligently, ^{ioni and to live according- to its 2)recepts. Our last year's supjtly of Bibles Amcrit-a. enabled us to satisfy tlieir demands for that most precious book. "An Esquimaux family, from Cape Harrison, appeared particularly ple-ased to have an opportunity of Aisiting- us. They were very courteous 1"^^ and modest, and asked for an Esquimaux Bible and some school-books. AVhen we asked them whetlier they could read, they answered, < We can read, for we have among- us a woman, a former resident at Okkak : she taught us to read, and we teach our children. Besides her, we have no teacher except the books, according- to which we desire to conform our lives.' " I am now able to inform you, tliat 100 copies of the new edition of the Greenland ]N'ew Testament arrived here yesterday, fifty copies for Lichtenau, and fifty for Fredericksthal. The print, paper, and binding- are beautiful, and leave nothing- to be desired. Oh that our ( Jreenlanders may increasingly value this ])recious book, and read it diligently ! Of the first edition, Lichtenau received the half of the co])ies, of which only fifty are left ; but as the whole stock at Fredericksthal has been exhausted, I sent twenty -five to that place. Now all the copies of the first edition will soon be distributed, and it was therefore high time to print another. Vt'e request you, dear brother, to express our own and our Greenlanders' best thanks to the British and Foreign Bible Society, for the precious gift which that honoured Institution has, for the second time, conferred on this Mission." 350 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. CHAPTER III. SOUTH AMERICA AND MEXICO. AMERICA. Chap. TIT. South America and Mexico. 1804-.5-i. 1804—1854. Brwf effort to introduce the Scriptures at Buenos Ayres. — An xiliaries formed at Berhice and Honduras. — Distribution of Scriptures in Peru. — Version of New Testament in Ancient Peruvian. — Rev. .T. Thomson engaged as Agent at Lima. — Successful distribution of Scriptures in chief towns. — Efforts of Rev. Mr. Armstrong at Buenos Ayres. — Appointmeyit of Mr. Matthews as Special Agent. — Journey of Mr. 3Iatthews, and distribution of Scriptures. — Visit of Mr. Thomson to Mexico, and success in disposal of Scriptures. — Other journeys by 3Ir. Matthews. — His mysterious death. — Suspension of efforts in Soiith America. — Edicts prohibiting the Scriptures. — Second visit of Dr. Tliomson to Mexico. — Results of former eff'orts. — Revolution at 3Icxico. — Departure of Dr. Thomson. The history of Bible operations in Soutli America is one of sadness and disappointment. The name of Christianity has, indeed, extended over a large portion of its wide-spreading provinces ; but, amidst the rites and forms associated with that name, little place has been found for the Bible. Nor has the Society succeeded, except temporarily, and to a very small comparative extent, in supplying the lamentable lack of Scriptural knowledge w^iich is found to prevail there. Year after year, sometimes for several years in succession. South America has presented only a blank on the pages of the Society's Reports. Still, however, the occasional efforts made, on the part of the RRITISU AND FOREU-N BIBLE SOCIETY. .3,')1 Society, to introduce tlie Scrij)tures into that vast continent, ameru-a. have not been wholly Avithoi^t success. ^ ~,„ Chap. HI. In 1806, 600 copies of the Spanish Testament were South dispatched to Buenos Ayres and "Slonte Video, at the latter of ^'^^d^ which places, they were stated to have proved highly acceptable, Mexico, and even to have obtained a rapid and extensive circulation. 1804-34. It was asserted by the correspondent to whom they had been . ~ consigned, that this was the first instance, in which Testaments Buenos in the Spanish language had found their way to South America. -^J'"^^^- Applications for purchasing them were numerous; and among TheScrip- those who applied were Roman Catholic priests, who not only mitted fJr received them themselves, but also " reconmiended them to ^.sl'O'"' others as good and fair copies." It is not, however, to be dissembled, that upon the expulsion of the British from that possession, (an event which speedily fol- lowed,) this act of kindness was superseded by measnresof a very different description. Scarcely had the Spanish colours begun again to wave over this recovered settlement, when the Roman Catholic Bishop of Buenos Ayres called in, under the severest Afterwards ecclesiastical penalties, all copies of the New Testament, as well b>°the''^^ as of other religious publications, distributed b}^ the British ^'i^liolic during the period it remained in their occupation. Had this prelate replaced the Testaments which he suppressed, by others more congenial with the version accredited by his Church, there could have been no just ground for complainino- of his conduct. As it was, the ])eople were forcibly deprived of the light which had been furnished them by the British and Foreign Bible Society ; and nothing was given them as a sub- stitute for its guidance, or an atonement for its loss. For several years, nothing further appears to have been accomplished by tlie Society for the benefit of South America, except an occasional grant to parties willing to receive a few copies for distribution ; among the principal of these was one of 50 Dutch Bibles, and 250 Testaments for Surinam ; this was about 1814. Of the books thus granted, it is reported that " the eagerness to obtain them was only equalled by the gratitude, reverence, and attention, with which they were received." An Auxiliary Bil)le Society was establislied foi- the colony AMERICA. Chap. III. 352 HISTORY or THE of Berblce, In 1815, and one for tlie province of Honduras, in 1818, in behalf of which considerable interest was excited at South the time, as probably attbrdino; an opening into the central America pa- i • i i • -T i • n and P^i't 01 America, which object, howcA^er, was but very partially Mexico, olitained. Considerable distribiitions Avere indeed effected in 1804-54. these colonies themselves, as also in that of Demerara ; but 1820. these being British provinces and colonies, and thus connected also immediately with the operations of the Parent Society in formed at the West India Islands, any further notice of them will be Berbice niore appropriately given when treating of the West Indies in duras. general. By degrees the prospect, as it regards South America, brightens a little. A few new and unexpected inlets Avere found into its dark and unfrequented regions. Further _^ chieftain of Patagonia was discovered in possession of a openings in NcAV Testament, printed by the British and Foreign Bible Stlfe^'''^'^ Society. He had procured it at Buenos Ayres, Avhither he had repaired for trading purposes, and had thence conveyed it to his home, that he might explain its contents to his fellow- countrymen. A native of Rio Negro, (a small fort under the Brazilian Government,) on the river of that name, on the east coast of Patagonia, Avas so pleased with a copy of the NeAV Testament, that he requested the person Avho had brought it thither, to bring several copies Avith him on his return from Buenos Aj-res, for the vise of his family and friends. In the region of Bio de la Plata, in Chili, at Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco, the Spanish and Portuguese Scriptures Avere sought Avith eagerness, and received Avith gratitude ; and, as the American Bible Society co-operated in this extensive field, the number of copies in circulation could not be inconsiderable. The progress of education in these vast regions, of Avhich gratifying intelligence was received, afforded increasing facili- ties to the efforts of the kindred institutions. Every opportunity afforded for direct communication Avitli the countries north of Chili was improA^ed ; but the disturbed state of those countries prevented regular intercourse. Soon after this, the intelligence received from different parts of South America became BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 353 nent began to assume a somewhat important place in tlie pnnros amkuica. of the Society's Reports. „ ~„, ''I CiiAi'. in In 1822, a small Auxiliary Society was instituted at Buenos i~^^>"th Ayres, which made a remittance, consisting of contributions ami"^^ and receipts by sale of the Scriptures, amounting to £41. Mexico. From the Brazils, Chili, Peru, Caraccas, and ILmduras, i!;o4-54. to which countries supplies of the Scriptures had been trans- j^., mitted, the most gratifying communications were received. The following is an extract of a letter from a correspondent at Bona Vista, who had distributed copies of the Scriptures among the poor labourers in the salt works in the vicinity of that place. " I was highly gratified (says he) next day, to see these poor people seated on the sand at noon, when resting in the shade, from the heat of the sun, and one of them reading most devoutly to about twenty who surrounded him." At Pernambuco, a number of Portuguese Bibles, which had been admitted duty free into that .port by permission of the Government, were distributed " to crowds of applicants." To this station 1000 Bibles, and 1500 New Testaments, were subsequently transmitted. At Lima, 500 Spanish Bibles and as many New Testaments were sold in two days ; and the correspondent stated, that had their number amounted to 5000, they would have been disposed of, so eager was the demand for them. To this station, also, fresh supplies of the New Testament were despatched. At Valparaiso, Coquimbo, and Huasco, 200 Testaments had been distributed by a captain, to whose care they had been confided: of these 146 Avere sold, and their value, £19. Thv., placed in the hands of the Treasurer. The following is the captain's report: " I assure you the inhabitants seemed very desirous of religious instruction. I found the co])penniners, in particular, most anxious to possess and read the Holy Scriptures." From Lima, gratifying accounts continued to be received. The Bible was eagerly sought, and from thence, in 1824, a remittance of about £300 was received, acconii)anied with '■^criptinr an urgent request for further supplies. 2200 Bibles and 1500 Testaments were sent : 5000 were asked for ; — indeed, one correspondent wrote that were 10,000 sent, they would all Vol. 11. A A Dcmanil f(.r the 354 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. III. South America and Mexico. 1824. Version of New Tes- tament in the An- cient Peru- vian. The Eev. Mr. Arm- strong en- gaged as special Agent. meet with a ready sale. The stock on hand did not allow of a larger supply being sent at the time, but measures were soon adopted to meet this difficulty, by the printing of a new edition of 15,000 copies. A new version of the Scriptures in the Ancient Peruvian — the Quichua — was proposed; and the 1804-54. Society having encouraged the undertaking, the pleasing ~ intelligence was soon after received, that the translation of the Testament was already completed ; much care having been taken in its execution. It was forthwith ordered to be printed, but the subsequent changes wdiich took place, appear to have interfered with the accomplishment of this object. The accounts from South America becoming so favourable in regard to the disposition and even eager desire of the people to receive the Scriptures, the Society resolved upon adopting further measures of some importance, which the political convulsions of the times rendered possible, though at the same time perilous. Reflecting on the immense advantages which had accrued to the Society in sending out respectable and prudent representatives, they determined to accept the oflPer of the Rev. Mr. Armstrong, to visit South America on the Society's account. This gentleman had been chaplain at Honduras for twelve years ; a service in itself calculated to qualify him for such a mission as that contemplated. The Society had for some time enjoyed the valuable corre- spondence of the Rev. James Thomson, (whose name has been already introduced into this history,) who was then residing at Lima, having gone out under the auspices of the British and Foreign School Society, for the purpose of promoting the establishment of Schools. Mr. Thomson having mentioned the expediency of occasional journeys in furtherance of the object of the Society, it was resolved to place £300 at his dis- posal for that purpose, as also for carrying on the translating and printing of the Peruvian Scriptures. Before, however, a communication to the above effect reached Mr. Thomson, he had set out from Lima to Bogota, on his way to this country. The account transmitted by him of his success in the distribution of Scriptures between Lima and Bogota, increased the regret of the Directors of the Society, when they found that Mr. Thomson was not at once prepared to return Rev. J. Tliomson's successful efforts in distribu- ting the Scriptures. BRITISH AND FOREIGX lUBLE SOCIKTV to South America as tlioir Au-ent— wliich arranoemont was, amkiuca. howevei*, so far at least as related to ^lexico, as we shall sec, p Tiit afterwards brought about. South The following is an outline of his journey and operations "ami"^^* between Lima and BoSociety, which was almost unanimously resolved upon, after considerable and interesting discussions had taken place. Colonel Hamilton, and Mr. Henderson, His Britaimic Majesty's Consul, were present, and assisted on the occasion. Individuals, high in civil and ecclesiastical appointments, accepted various offices in tliis new Institu- tion ; and the President, Mr. Gual, addressed a letter to the Pre- sident, announcing the formation of the Society. Its second rule is worthy of being recorded. " Its sole object shall be to print the text of the Holy Scriptures, and to promote their circulation, in the first place, in Columbia ; in the second place, in South America ; and in the third place, throughout the world, as far its means will reach." On the receipt of this intelligence, the Committee im- mediately voted 10,000 Testaments in aid of these noble purposes, together with copies of different versions for the library which the Society purposed immediately to form. Reviewing the whole of Mr. Thomson's operations, and the evident openings thus created, the Committee thought it proper to direct that 5000 Testaments should be sent to Lima, to be despatched to the various stations pointed out by him ; together with 500 Bibles and 1000 Testaments to Mr. Henderson at Bogota. In the mean time, Mr. Armstrong, whose mission was, at first, one of discovery, with a view to the establishment of a per- manent agency in some commanding spot in South America, left England, and repaired to Buenos Ayres ; which place he reached in August, 1825, having it in prospect, at that time. BRITISH AND FOKEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 357 to proceed thence to visit Chili, Peru, and afterwards to return amkiuca. by Cohiuibia to this country. Ho ^Yas received with great Ciiv7iii kindness by several individuals in situations of influence ; and '^I'utli besides 500 copies of the Spanish Scriptures, previously sent, '^'11"^'^ 4600 Bibles and Testaments in Spanish, German and English, ^lesico. were shipped for that country. i8o"u54. Shortly after his arrival, Mr. Annstrong received and jgT- acceded to an invitation, to officiate as chaplain to the British residents in the city of Buenos Ayres. This he did, on condi- tion of having an assistant in the duties of his appointment, i^cttlemont and being at hberty to make occasional visits with a view to Armstrong promote the primary object of his going to that country. ^^ Huenos This arrangement was cheerfully acquiesced in by the Society at home, as he thus at once entered upon a position precisely of the kind which he had always contemplated, and without further expense to the Society. He proposed directing his attention to the provinces of La Plata, including also Chili and Brazil, and immediately proceeded to open an extensive correspondence within the above circle. He soon had occa- sion to write as follows : — ** I am most happy to inform you that a fine prospect is opening of an extensive circulation of the New Testament in the national schools of this province; and, independent of (me or two smaller grants, I have presented 500 Spanish New Tes- taments to the schools of the Sociedad de Beneficencia, in the name of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and as soon as the remainder of the number voted to me, for this place, shall arrive, I shall make further grants to the seminaries of youth- ^i^n "f "" ful instruction, of which, public and private, there are about Spaniph 100, containing 5000 scholars." Mr. Armstrong distributed ^^'^ ^'^^^' upwards of 1200 Bibles and Testaments, and from the in- quiries he made, it appeared that about 3000 had been dis- tributed in former years. Copies were sent to Monte Video, Rio de Janeiro, Ciiili, Mendoza, and Cordova. Two gentlemen about to proceed to Paraguay, known as friends of the Society, took charge of 500 Bibles and 1000 Testaments for sale. A further request was also received and complied with for 500 Ptirtuguese Bibles for Rio de Janeiro ; 358 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. III. South America and Mexico. 1804-54. 1825. Appoint- meut of Mr. Mat- thews as special Agent ; also of Mr. Thomson. and grants were made for a Colony at St. Leopolda ; and to Pernambuco, 200 Portuguese Testaments were sent. Mr. Armstrong opened an extensive correspondence with different parts of South America, and embraced every opening for disseminating the Scriptures ; but the circumstances of the war in Avhich that part of the country was involved, necessarily much impeded his operations. Through introductions which he obtained, he was enabled to send small supplies to Potosi and Cuzco, the one in Bolivia, the other in Peru; in neither of which districts, had the Bible in the Spanish language, perhaps, ever been seen. A gentleman at Truxillo, in returning thanks for 500 Tes- taments placed at his disposal, observes — " I am happy to inform you, that the generality of the natives entertain a strong desire of reading" these divine volumes." And in another para- graph he observes, " The inhabitants of the Sierra Highlands are more enlightened than those of the coast. The greater part of the Testaments sent to me by Mr. Thomson I have disposed of to the Suranos, who are in general an amiable people. The beautiful provinces of Caxamarca, Patas, Chachapoyas, Huamachuco, and Guambos, up to the frontiers of the Portuguese territory, and the many towns on the Amazon River, present flattering prospects of disseminatmg the Holy word. The curates con- tinually send to me for Testaments. Mr. Armstrong also received some valuable introductions to Arequipa and Cordova. In the neighbourhood of the latter town, the New Testament had begun to be admitted into the schools. The encouragement which thus seemed to attend the Society's labours and prospects, led to an engagement for three years with Mr. Luke Matthews, as an Agent for South America. He had previously been in that country, and spoke the Spanish language. He proceeded to Buenos Ayres in 1826. Thence he was directed to visit the principal towns, in crossing from that city to Chili ; and afterwards he was to retrace the steps of Mr. Thomson to Columbia, whence it was originally designed that he should visit the republic of Mexico. In con- sequence, however, of an engagement made with Mr. Thomson, to which we shall presently advert, his route was to have been changed on his arrival at Bogota. 6000 Spanish Bibles and 12,000 Testaments were sent to different places, Avhere it was AMr.lfK America and l!)2a. BRITISH AND FOllEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 3r)9 hoped depots might be established. lie set out on his jomney at the end of October 182G. ' Cnk7lll The great satisfaction which ]\Ir. Thomson gave by his !^outll former labours, in connexion with the Bible Society, made the Committee gladly embrace the opportunity of entering into an ^lesico. engagement with him for a period of two years, to be spent in iBo-i-54 visiting the city of Mexico, as well as the principal parts of that interesting republic. His principal object was to be the ch'culation of the Sacred Scriptures, and the finding properly qualified individuals to eifect new translations of the Sacred volume into the aboriginal languages. 10,000 copies of the Scriptiu*es, in various languages, chiefly in the Spanish, were despatched to Mexico and GuatemaUi, to be ready for distribution, under the direction of Mr. Thomson. The following Address, delivered by an Agent of the Ame- rican Bible Society at the Anniversary of that Institution, held in 1826, strilcingly shows the importance reasonably attached at that time, to the above agencies and operations : — " What do we behold, calculated to interest this noble Society? We behold, 15,000,000 of human beings— beings, too, professedly Christians, believing in Revelation, baptized in the name of the Trinity, and yet almost entirely without the Bible ! By the eftbrts of this Society, and that of Eng- land, they have, it is true, within a few years, received tTou." 7000 or 8000 copies of this holy book. But what arc these among so great a multitude ? Scarcely a single copy to 2000 souls ! Throughout the long road from Buenos Ayres to Chili, excepting a very few in Mendoza, not a solitary copy of the Book of God was found ; and I more than once pre- sented copies to aged priests tottering over the grave, who told me they had never before seen it in their native tongue. North of this road, in the great towns of Cordova, Tucuman, Salta, Potosi, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Charcas, Cuzco, Areqnij)a, and many others, I learned that scarcely a single Bible in their own tongue had yet found its way ; and coming down the coast of Chili, Peru, Columbia, and Mexico, a few copies were met with in the large towns on the Pacific, and were useful ; but the great mass, even there, are yet destitute, and, generally, in the interior, they never saw the Scriptures, and in some Population of Mexico, and its destitu- 360 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. III. South America and Mexico. 1804-54. 1827. Journeys of the So- ciety's Agents in South America. Koute of Mr. Mat- thews from Buenos Ayres, across to Mendoza and Val- paraiso. instances, told me tliey never before knew, that the Scriptures existed in their own language! Even in the capital of Mexico, a city more populous, and in some respects more magnificent, than this great metropolis (New York), I have reason to believe there is not one Bible to 200 families ; and that the other great cities of that republic, cities containing from 30,000 to 80,000 inhabitants, are still more destitute. But what gives such a peculiar interest to this subject is, that now, under their new Hberal systems, the w^ay is open to supply this lamentable deficiency of the word of life. The Bible is there no longer excluded by royal mandates and papal bulls; the houses of Inquisition have lost their terrors, for they are converted into the peaceful halls of legislation, and into school-houses, where the Bible itself may be daily read. Those new Governments are not only willing, but in some cases anxious, that the Scriptures should have a general circulation. Some of their most intelligent statesmen and influential clergy are ready to lend their personal aid towards so desirable an object. In one instance, a dignitary of the Church came and purchased of me 30 Testaments, for a school of which he was a director ; and then requested me to present him with as many more, for another school of poor children." The labours of each of the Agents mentioned above, were car- ried on for two years — the years 1827, 1828 — with considerable activity, and not without an encouraging measure of success. Afterwards an almost entire blank of several years occurs in the history of the Society's operations on behalf of South America ; nor have the same laboiirs ever been since renewed, except partially, and to a very limited extent. This circum- stance, together with the fact, that the state of these countries is so little known, may justify a somewhat larger space being given to the details of these two years, than would otherwise have been expedient. Mr. Matthews, one of the Agents already mentioned, left Buenos Ayres towards the close of 1826, proceeding, by way of Cordova, to Mendoza, Valparaiso, Coquimbo, Rioja, Salta, and Chuquisaca.* Many were the discouragements with which * For a series of interesting- letters from Mr. Matthews, detailing- the circumstances attending- his several journeys, see Appendix to Report,- 1828. BRITISH AND FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 301 he had to contend, arising Worn the unsettled state of the a.vkkica. country, the attempts to spread the poison of infidelity, and the (7,|^~iil indifference of the people to the Scriptures. His personal ^^>uth fatigues, privations, and dangers, were also very great. But, ' "auj"^* under every discouragement, he was borne up by tlie principles ^lexico. of the Book he was so industriously endeavouring to circulate. 1H04-54. In his way to Mendoza he followed the track of a Swedish jj~ physician, and met with several pleasmg instances of the benefit accruing from the judicious distributions of that individual. At Mendoza itself he found that the Scriptures were regularly j^^^^j j.^,^ on sale, and that they had, indeed, been early introduced : 200 of Scrip- Bibles had been disposed of, besides Testaments. From variou" Mendoza he visited the town of St. John's, the first place towns. where exertions had not been personally made, although several copies were in circulation. An English gentleman, resident there, took nearly the whole of his stock, (20 Bibles and 40 Testaments), expressing a conviction that he should soon have to send for a much larger supply to the Rev. Mr. Arm- strong at Buenos Ayres. In his way to Valparaiso, he found that at St. Jago, besides the few that had been circulated by Mr. Barnard, wdio had charged himself with the distribution in that place; on account of the Society, a considerable number had arrived from Liveq)ool and other places, particularly North America. At Valparaiso, he had the satisfaction of pro- posing to the governor of the public school the introduction of the Scriptures for the use of the children ; and, to the mutual satisfaction of both parties, it was agreed that 100 Testaments should be given, and 100 purchased, on the part of the school, by the council of the town. Being unexpectedly detained in Valparaiso, Mr. Matthews made a short excursion to Qui I lota, and there had the happiness of forming a connection with a gentleman in business, who, at a small reduction of the price, took all that he had carried with him, and who, in case of further supplies being wanted, was authorized to api)ly for them. Another place, Rancagua, was also visited, and 20 Bibles and 100 Testaments left under similar circumstances ; and it was hoped that the person engaged at this place would extend his exertions to other towns. Supplies of 200 Testaments and 48 Bibles were likewise sent 362 HISTORY OF THE Chap. III. South America and Mexico. 1804-54. 1827. Route north- wards. Chuqui- saca. Potosi. to the Island of Clillo, to the care of a Swedish gentleman, mentioned to Mr. Matthews by Dr. Edhellijerta. At Co- quimbo, New Testaments, to the number of 200, were intro- duced into the schools, on the same principle as at Valparaiso. On his way from Coquimbo to La llioja. Mi'. Matthews writes — " Since leaving the mountains, I have passed through three or four small villages, or, as they are called here, towns. I have disposed of, among them, about 80 Testaments, and 12 or 15 Bibles. I could have sold many more copies of the Bible if I had had them." He had taken the necessary measures to forward supplies. At Tucuman, he learned, with great regret, that though the Scriptures had been exposed for sale for four months, only 6 copies had been disposed of, and that those had been purchased by an English gentleman. From the steps, however, which he adopted, matters began to wear a different aspect, and, in the course of a week, he sold upwards of 40 Bibles and 90 Testaments. 50 were pur- chased by the governor for the Lancasterian school, and 12 by a clergyman to take to his curacy. At Salta he could only dispose of 32 Bibles. In his way thence to Chuquisaca, during a short stay at Jujuy, a frontier town, he sold 56 Bibles, and left it with the satisfaction, " that there was scarcely a decent family which was not in possession of the Sacred Scriptures ;" and it M'as still more gratifying to have perceived, that many were engaged in their diligent perusal. Several very interesting minor distributions were made in the course of his journey, the persons receiving the copies engaging to circulate them. And while some, both among the clergy and laity, were wholly indifferent to liis important object, others received him with unfeigned satisfaction. From Potosi, lie was obliged, in consequence of being disappointed in the arrival of supplies, to re-cross the mountains, and go down to the coast of Arica. On his way back, stopping at Omro, he quite unexpectedly disposed of between 60 and 70 copies ; and after his departure, inquiries were made for more. During his absence from Potosi, by the kind assistance of a gentleman, 76 copies were sold; and before he quitted it, a few more were added to the number. The opposition of the clergy in this last-named place was, unfortunately, great. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIKTY. l^fiS At Chuquisaca he liad also met with simihu- difficulties, and ameiuca. had eftected but little. Cu\i«~lll From Buenos Ayres, the Rev. INIr. Armstrong — the second ^''""''^ Agent referred to — embraced the opportunity of despatching ' and small quantities of the Sacred Scriptures here and there, to ^^*^^*''^- persons recommended to him by his different friends. Tlie iiu)4-5i. political circumstances of the country proved to him, as well as ul^. to Mr. Matthews, a serious impediment ; but the great evil against which they had both liad to contend, was the apathy of Distribu- the people. The total amount of the distributions, up to that ij^Jj^J; time, had reached 2443 copies. The blockade prevented the Ayies, by sending thither of fresh supplies ; but seven cases of Bibles and s^Vong""" Testaments were consigned to the care of Dr. O'Donovan, of Truxillo. In the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro were several congregations of emigrants from Germany, Switzerland, Finance, and Portugal, and likewise various bodies of troops ; the principal part of the congregations, as well as of the troops, being Protestant. A detailed account of their numbers and circumstances was trans- mitted by the Rev. C. L. A^osges, minister of the German JanTi^o^by colony at St. Pedro de Alacantara, and superintendent of I^ev. c. L. the Protestant congregations in the Brazils : in consequence, °*^^^' 800 Bibles and 800 Testaments, in German, 100 in French, and 100 Van Ess's Testaments, were forwarded to him. He was also furnished with 200 Portuguese Testaments. Robert Ralston, Esq., of Philadelphia, having stated that the Society in that city, of which he was the Treasurer, Avas again turning its attention to South America, 500 Bibles and 2000 Testaments, in Spanish, were placed at the disposal of the Board in Philadelphia, to enable them to embrace these favour- able opportunities. On May 17th, 1827, Mr. Thomson, the third Agent re- '"^urcoss of ferred to, reached ISIexico. On Jime 18th, he writes that liis son at sales had commenced, as he had received 300 Bibles and 1000 ^^^«^^'co- Testaments, which had been sent some time previously. Under date of July 27th, he adds : " I have now the pleasure of saying that the Avhole of the Bibles are sold, and at a i)rice equal to the original cost, and all expenses." Of the New Testaments, 380 had been sold on the same terms. 50 of 364 HISTORY OF THE Chap. III. South America and Mexico. 1804-54, 1827. Mexico. the above Bibles and 50 Testaments, were purchased to be sent to Puebla, a city three days' journey from Mexico, and containing about 80,000 inhabitants. In the sale of the Bibles in question, there was something peculiar; for intelli- gence had been received that a bookseller, who would have taken them all, had declined the purchase, in consequence of their not having the Apocrypha. In anticipating the arrival of the supplies from Vera Cruz, Mr. Thomson writes : " I not unfrequently contemplate the novel and truly Interesting spectacle afforded at the present time, on the road referred to. Surely it is a new thing in this land, to see twenty-four mules loaded with Bibles and Testaments, making their way up the mountains, and through the woods, to the interior of this country." Anticipating, from what he had already found to be the case, that his supplies would be nearly exhausted before any fresh ones could reach him, he suggested, in the same letter, that 1000 Bibles and 1000 Testaments should be sent without delay, which was accordingly done. On visiting San Augustin, about twelve miles from Mexico, Mr. Thomson found the Rector of the College, and other in- fluential individuals, well disposed towards the objects of the Society. From them he learned, that the whole population of the State amounted to about 1,000,000, and that of them, about one-half speak the Spanish, 300,000 the Mexican, and 200,000 the Otomi. The Governor of the State, a native of Yucatan, also informed him" that the whole population of Yucatan speak the Yucatanese, and that their number is about 800,000. With respect to these three languages, Mr. Thomson says, " Pray encourage me all that you can, that I may get some- thing done in them." In his instructions the Agent had full au- thority to make inquiry for competent persons to prepare trans- lations ; though, before he proceeded to print, he was requested to communicate fully with the Society. The Rector of San Augustin, Jose Maria Alcantara, became an annual subscriber to the Bible Society, as well as Jose Antonio Lopez Garcia de Salazar, a priest in Mexico, who was followed by a third. Dr. Jose Maria Mora. This last-named gentlemcan presented three volumes of Mexican manuscript to the Society. On October 20th, Mr. Thomson, with a train of fourteen BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 365 mules, quitted Mexico for Qudivtaro, and i-euchcd that city on america. October 29th. This city contains about 25,000 iuhabitiuits. Ciiv7lll The same plan was pursued as at Guayaquil, of posting up !^"uth advertisements, announcing the sale, and the number of days it ''^2"^^'^ would continue. An introduction to a friar. Father Cuevas, ^icxico. was of eminent service to him. The difficulties connected with IK04I54. the absence of the Apocrypha and notes were freely canvassed ,.I7- in the convent, and if the parties were not altogether satisfied, Mexico, they were at least much moderated in theii* feelings by the statements of the Agent. There was another difficulty which visit of arose out of the preceding, the suspicion that lurked in the minds ^^^- Tliom- of several, that those who had kept back those books, might Qudretaro. also have altered those which they had printed. Mr. Thom- son was seriously asked if the Bibles were, indeed, printed from Scio's version with fidelity : and on this subject Mr. Thomson remarks — " At present, though the Apocryphal books are wanting, and which is felt here as a great want, yet at the same time we can triumphantly appeal to an examination of the jjibies and Bibles, for the faithfulness and correctness of the books that are Tt-sia- printed." The copies of the Scriptures sold at Queretaro were as follows: 125 Bibles, 150 New Testaments, 80 of the four* Books, and 95 of Luke and Acts; in all, 450 copies; and 741 dollars 6 rials were received for them. In the same letter, speaking of the decided preference given to copies of the Scriptures in a large type, Mr. Thomson says — " I have a request to make, and I hope it will meet with your approbation. It is that you will print for me, with all speed, a pica New Testament, similar to the one in English." Of the probability of a demand for it, he says — " Mexico will at once take 2000 copies, and, very probably, soon after, 3000 more." He likewise writes — " 1 feel strongly disposed to re- quest you for an edition of the four Books in 12mo., but with tlie type in which the New Testament is printed." In accord- ance with these requests, editions of 5000 copies of each of these works were put to press. The next place at which he arrived was Zelaya, a city con- /eiaya. taining about 12,000 inhabitants. Here, also, he met with well-disposed priests, who encouraged the sale of the Scriptures, * The Four Books consisted of the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah. 366 HISTORY OF THE ^ AMERICA, and brought with them friends for the purpose of making ]3ur- Chap~III chases. During the sale a message was received from a South nunnery, requesting to see specimens of the books. One of anT^^ each kind was sent, and the messenger presently returned with Mexico, the price of the volumes in his hand. " This," says Mr. 1804-54. Thomson, "is the first time I have been honoured with the ~ dealers in this class, in a direct way; I hope it will not be the Mexico, last." Many of the poor were observed among the buyers. The sale lasted four days, and 69 Bibles were disposed of. Sale of and 55 Testaments, 30 of the four Books, and 17 of Luke and Nunuery. Acts; in all, 171 copies. In this, as well as in other places, Mr. Thomson met with many unequivocal proofs of the desire experienced by several to enjoy the benefit of education, or to impart it to their children. Guana- At Guanajuato, the next place in his journey, Mr. Thomson juato. experienced great kindness from an English gentleman, Mr. Henry, connected with the Anglo-Mexican Mining Company, and Mr. Williamson, the first commissioner. Of the sale in this place, he observes — " Our sale has gone on well, and more has Sale at heen done than in either of the two former places. I cannot the mines, say exactly we had no hindrances, but I can say, what did occur of this nature was as gentle as could be expected. There were sold, 268 Bibles, 160 New Testaments, 77 four Books, and 120 Luke and Acts ; or, in all, 525 copies ; and there were received for them, 1111 dollars 6 rials. San Juan At San Juan de Los Lagos, a small towai containing not de Los La- ^^^,^ ^-^^^^ 2000 inhabitants, a large annual fair is held. Under an impression that such an occasion afforded an excellent opportunity of making a Avide circulation of the Scriptures, and of sending them into parts where otherwise they might not reach for a considerable time, Mr. Thomson omitted some other important cities, and passed on to this place. In this expectation he found himself somewhat disappointed, and only disposed of 133 Bibles, 100 New Testaments, 34 four Books, and 19 Luke and Acts, for 524 dollars, and these were sold in a manner somewhat different from what he had supposed. Instead of being purchased in quantities of 20, 30, or 50, for the purpose of being sold again, they were all disposed of in single copies. liere he had a painful proof of BRITISH AND FORETON BIBLE SOCIETV. 307 the unhappy eagerness Avith wliich iiifidel publications arc AMEnTCA. sought after; for, as soon as it was known that he had books to (--„ ~^^^ sell, inquiries were made for books of this chai-acter. And here, Suutl. likewise, he witnessed multitudes performing the devotions pre- ^"a'mi""^ scribed by the Roman Catholic Church, in honour of an image Mexico, of the Virgin, which is said to have wrought several cxtraordi- l(t04-34. nary miracles. In the midst of such scenes as these, to see his ^^^ banner announcing the sale of the Scriptures waving in the air, l^Iexico. afforded him matter of grateful reflection and thanksgiving. Mr. Thomson had intended to have gone to Guadalajara next, but, instead of so doing, he sent tAvo cases of the Scrip- cfuentes. tures to a friend in that city ; and on December 13tli reached Aguas Calientes, (a place celebrated for its hot springs, whence, indeed, it derives its name,) where the authorities, both civil and ecclesiastical, attempted to put a stop to his proceedings ; but, by temperate firmness, he succeeded in maintaining his ground. The sale was, however, only small : 21 Bibles, 19 Testaments, 19 four Books, and 59 of Luke and Acts; for Avhich there w^ere received 121 dollars 1 rial. At Zacatecas, besides selling 142 Bibles, 1.57 New Testa- Zacatecas. ments, and 12 copies of the four Books, he left two cases in the hands of a merchant dealing in books, and who, in the way of his business, would send them into the interior. The only remainino- place visited in the course of this jour- ^■'*" ^'""-^ . . . Potosi. ney was San Luis Potosi, to which he travelled on horseback, finding his road with some difficulty, the country being for the most part but thinly inhabited. At San Luis he sold 85 Bibles and 77 New Testaments, for 300 dollars; and left with a merchant, by whom he was most kindly entertained, four cases more, to send into the interior. Here he met with a degree of discouragement from some of the ecclesiastics, while by others he was much encouraged ; and on this he justly observes — " Thus, you see, in almost every case when \vc have discouragements, we have some little encouragements to animate us to persevere in circulating the Scriptures in this land ; and, taking together all the circumstances which occur in regard to this matter, I am always niore surprised at the freedom and encouragement we enjoy, than at tlic discouragement and partial opposition we meet with." Li 368 HISTORY OF THE Chap. III. South America and Mexico. 180-1-54. 1828. Journeys of Mr. Matthews resumed. Lima. this letter he requested further supplies, of 1000 Bibles and 1000 Testaments, 1000 of the four Books, and 1000 of the Luke and Acts ; which were ordered. After having thus ex- pended the twentj-eight cases with which he set out from Mexico, he safely returned to that city, expressing his grati- tude to his Heavenly Preserver, for the blessings he had ex- perienced in the prosecution of his work. In the following year, 1828, the difficulties already alluded to increased, rather than diminished. This was attributable in part to the political circumstances of the country, which threw every thing into confusion ; and partly to that alarm, which the circulation of the Scriptures naturally occasioned in the minds of some. The absence of the Apocrypha was easily seized upon as the pretext for forbidding the circulation of the Bible, though it was evident that had these books not been wanting, some other equally futile reason would have been assigned. The same prohibition took place both in South America and in Mexico ; so that in each, the Agents found themselves seriously impeded in their work. At Chuquisaca, Mr. Matthews could only effect a distri- bution of 30 copies. In his way thence to Cochabamba, he scattered a few in several of the villages ; and in Cochabamba itself, he was agreeably surprised, by disposing in two days of 80 copies, and the number would have been much greater had he had larger supplies with him. At La Paz he met with much disappointment, and only sold 20 copies. On his road to Arequipa, he met with many favourable op- portunities of leaving a few Testaments. At Arequipa he was much grieved on finding that the cases he had expected had not arrived, and he therefore quitted it for Lima, having left necessary directions behind him. At Lima ho found the affairs of the Society in much confusion, and was reluctantly compelled to sell at a low price 400 dozen of New Testaments ; which were to be re-sold, by the merchant who bought them, in the city of Lima and its vicinity, as well as in the province of Truxillo. A large gratuitous circulation had previously taken place, which occasioned a difficulty in getting a better price ; 1000 copies of the Bible were also pur- chased l)y the Government, for the use of schools. Mr. Braxisn and foreign bible society. :wj Matthews, besides, engaged, at Lima, the services of an indi- amkui. v. vidual to visit the interior, and from the accounts transmitted. ^^.^^ ^^^ ,,j he anticipated that the number disposed of by him would •'^'luli amount to between 700 and 800. Another individual, who '""."[id"^ had accompanied Mr. Matthews as a servant, had also circu- '^^exko. lated and accounted for nearly 200 copies. 1804-54. On his way to Lima, Mr. Matthews passed through the j~- country in which the Aimara language is spoken ; and had the satisfaction of finding that tlie translation of Saint Luke, which \'orsion of liad been made by Dr. Pazos Kanki, the manuscript of which ■^\/p"''° Mr. Matthews had taken with him, was faithfully and well Aimara. executed. The Society therefore printed an edition of 1000 copies, with the Spanish, in parallel columns. Of the Quichua, or Ancient Peruvian, the translation of which ]Mr. Thomson had procured when in Peru, no further information was received. At Guayaquil, Mr. Matthews was kindly received by the r.iiaya.inii. American Consul. He found that his labours had been much anticipated by the American Bible Society, and says that, " generally speaking, the value of the Bible is appreciated ^ . among the prnicipal people ot (jruayaquil. in a school iutrodured in this city, every boy purchased and paid for a copy of the '"'° j^ New Testament. " Among other happy results," remarks Mr. Matthews on this sale, " should be reckoned the benefits which may accrue to many of the children's parents. It should never be forgotten, that there is no other Avay in which they would be at all likely ever to obtain any acquaintance with the contents of the Bible : the most of them are unable to read." To a public school he had also the happiness of ju'e- senting two cases of New Testaments, with the cordial con- currence of the Governor and the Cabildo. To a Society composed of the most respectable ladies of the city, for the education of females, he likewise confided a case : their receipt was acknowledged in the most grateful terms by the lady who was President of the Institution. 804 copies were in the whole disposed of, besides the above three cases in the schools ; and a Swedish gentleman had undertaken to promote further disti'i- butions. From Guaya(iuil, Mr. Matthews went to Panama, where he Panama. Vol. IL h n 370 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, Chap. III. South America and Mexico. 1804-54. 1827. Bogota. Second tour of Mr. Thom- son from Mexico. disposed of 350 copies, and left in the hands of a schoohnaster 270 more. Tlie American Bible Society had been there also before him. He observes — " The Testaments have been principally circulated among the lower classes, who in Panama are very generally able to read. I have been much delighted to see them earnestly engaged in the perusal." On his return to Guayaquil he visited some islands, where he had the happi- ness of finding that different individuals had supplied them- selves from Panama. From Guayaquil to Bogota, Mr. Matthews had to make a painful journey, meeting with various obstruc- tions ; sometimes, from the difficulties and dangers of travelling, — sometimes, and, indeed, principally, from the opposition made to the work. A few copies were, however, disposed of; on which he justly writes — " The sale of half a dozen copies of the New Testament may seem a very trivial circumstance to many, but I am persuaded that to you it will not ; when you consider the remote and solitary places where they have been dropped, you will not deem the event either uninteresting or unimportant." At Truxillo, a place which Mr. Matthews could not visit, Mr. O'Donnovan, who had resided there for thirty years, found a very pleasing desire for the Scriptures, and the people from the vicinity also flocked to him to obtain the New Testa- ment. 50 Bibles and 200 Testaments were sent to him. The Rev. Mr. Armstrong, of Buenos Ayres, contiimed his exertions and his cori'espondence, though the circumstances of the country allowed of his effecting comparatively little. In a visit paid to a school in the neighbourhood, Mr. Armstrong had a painful proof of the want of books in general ; the first classes were reading manuscripts, which he perceived were old documents taken from the public offices. On the conclusion of the peace between Buenos Ayres and Rio de Janeiro, Mr. Armstrong applied for 500 Spanish Bibles, which were for- warded. Another revolution occurred, and much confusion again prevailed. During the year 1828, Mr. Thomson performed another journey. He quitted Mexico on the 2d of April, with valuable letters of introduction to the Bishop of Puebla, from his friend Salazar, and Don Miguel Santamaria, the Columbian Minister, who showed lively interest in the concerns of the Society. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIliLE SOCIETV. ;57l The Bishop received him in the most friendly manner ; he entered amkkica. fully into the necessity and importance of procuring translations cu^~ ju in the native tongues, and undertook to provide persons to South accomplish a version in the Mexican language, very extensively "',^jd"^^ spoken. The Bishop further promised to give his name Mexico, to sanction the translation Avhen accomplished, and expressed 1 804-54. his readiness generally to co-operate with the Society. He . ~ addi'essed the President to this effect, in a letter repl^^ing to one, in Avhich his Lordship had commended the Society to his notice and protection. He also presented Mr. Thomson witli some volumes in the Mexican language, for the Society's Library. At Jalapa, arrangements were made Ly jNIr. Thomson for Jalapa. the sale of the Scriptures after his departure, and he proceeded to Orizaba, where he had the satisfaction of taking measures for the formation of an Auxiliary to the British and Foreign Bible Society. The proposal originated with a gentleman of the place, Don Joaquin Pesado. It was warmly supported by fori^ed'at Don Manuel Arguellas, and fully concurred in by the Vicar, Orizaba who preached in recommendation of the object. This indivi- dual, besides being the Rector of Orizaba, was the Bishop's Vicar, and had under him a numerous body of clergy, Avhich necessarily gave him considerable influence. A sale com- menced, and was as prosperous as could have been expected. The magistrates purchased 50 New Testaments for the public schools. Chalchicomvda had a Depository established in it, and Cordova. Cordova was visited by Mr. Thomson, and cases of the Scrip- tures forwarded thither. On leaving Orizaba for this latter place, Mr. Thomson had the satisfaction of seeing several persons engaged in the perusal of the Bibles and Testaments they had purchased ; and he says, *' The book is quite new to them ; and I believe the general method is, to begin at the beginning of the volume, and to read it through with as little interruption as possible." At Tehuacan, through which place Mr. Thomson passed in his way to Orizaba another Depository was formed. At the last-named place, he was at first very kindly received, and five cases out of six were quickly sold, and 50 New Testaments were taken for the public schools, p. B 2 Teliuacati. 4V2 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, Chap. III. South America and Mexico. 1804-54. Edict pro- hibiting the Scrip- tures. Departure of Mr. Matthews from Bogota ; ana mys- terious death. Difficulties were, however, soon created ; and the Bibles, in consequence of the absence of notes and the Apocrypha, fell under suspicion. In this city he obtained further information respecting the languages spoken in this part of Mexico, and found their number considerable. He endeavoured to make some arrangements for a translation into the Zapoteco. Mr. Thomson returned in safety to Mexico, though the roads when he set out were infested with robbers. While at Puebla, twelve of the robbers were brought into that city, and he observes — " Nothing but a sense of duty would have led me from home to travel on such a road at that time : but your supply of the Scriptures for us had arrived in this country, and I saw it was my duty to put them as early as possible into the hands of the people." In Mexico, an edict was this year issued by the ecclesiastical authorities, prohibiting any further circulation of the Scriptures, and requiring those who had received copies to give them up. The effects of the edict were not confined to the city of Mexico itself; for though no other edict was published elsewhere, there were not wanting those Mdio attempted, and with some success, to avail themselves of the one in question. At the first issuing of the edict, the sale of the Scriptures was nearly brought to a stand ; but the number of Bibles actually delivered up, it was supposed, was exceedingly small. The two folloAving years, 1829-1830, through the mysterious providence of God, beheld the closing again of those doors of usefulness, which had seemed opening so propitiously, in regard to the Society's object and labours in South America. Mr. Matthews, whose arrival at Bogota has been mentioned above, left that city, in the early part of the year 1829, on another journey into the interior, and was never more heard of. It is feared that he met with an untimely death, for all the inquiries which could be prosecuted, in order to obtain some information as to the particulars connected with his subse- quent movements, proved fruitless. The most probable con- jecture respecting this melancholy event, is that given in a letter from Major John Powell, which is dated Carthagena, August 14th, 1830:— •• It is, therefore, I fear, too certain, either that some accident befel the AMKUITA. Mexico. 1H04-54. BRITISH AND FOKEIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. ;)73 boat, by which he and all on board perished, or that he was robbed and murdered by his boatmen ; and I think the latter the most probable cir- — cumstauce, as it seldom happens that a boat of such a description meets ^''^''- ^^^ with any accident in descending- the river ; and as he Avas alone, and, I America beheve, unarmed, the money he would necessarily have about him, or his and baggage, or even the boat itself, would be a sufficient temptation to hi; men to commit such a crime. " I think it certain he never reached ]\Iompox ; for he would then have — applied to some of the English residents, who must have remembered him." During this period of long suspense respecting the fate of Mr. Thom- Mr. Matthews, INIr. Thomson was in Mexico, struggling with account of difficulties, arising from the convulsed political state of the increasing 1, p 1 . p , ,. . 1 (lilhculties, country, as well as from the operation ot the edicts against the leaves circulation of the Scriptures. He did not fail in zealous and ^^^^"=°- prudent exertion, and during his last year there, he succeeded in circulating 1600 volumes of various portions of the Sacred Scriptures ; but, notwithstanding the adoption of every neces- sary step to avoid the effects of the edicts issued against the circulation of the Scriptures, lie was at lengtli reluctantly com- pelled to aljandon the country. At Buenos Ayres, notwithstanding the continued efforts of the Rev. John Armstrong, little could be effected. A deplor- able check was thus put on the labours of the Society, in that part of the New World ; yet the good seed, the imperishable seed of the Divine word, had been pretty extensively sown, and might it not be hoped, that through the influence of the Holy Spirit, it was not wholly sown in vain. Nothing now occurs, for several years, in the history of the EfTorts iu- Society's proceedings in South America, to demand particular f^r several notice, with the exception of a renewed attempt, in 1838, on the y*^^"- part of a gentleman who had spent some years at Carthagena, where his father formerly had acted as the British Consul, and who was introduced to tlie Society as friendly to the circulation of the Bible, and disposed personally to assist in promoting this object. He was engaged, for a limited period, to undertake this fresh experiment. 2500 copies of the Scriptures had been forwarded to Carthagena, to be at his disposal for the work he had undertaken. Such difficulties, however, presented them- selves at the very outset of his mission, on the jiart of the 374 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. III. South America and Mexico. 1804-54. 1842. Second visit of Dr. Thomson to Mexico. Check on the Scrip- tures re- laxed. ecclesiastical authorities, that all his zeal, and address, and knowledge of the country, proved insufficient to surmount, to any great degree, the obstacles with which he had to contend ; and in the following year he resigned the appointment. In Rio de Janeiro, for some years, a British merchant, Mr. James Thornton, continued to receive and to distribute the Scriptures, on behalf of the Society ; but, about 1842, he was obliged to leave the Brazils, on account of his health. Before his departure, he succeeded in placing in the hands of respect- able residents at Rio, Bahia, Para, and Maccio, the stock of Scriptures undisposed of. In British Guiana, prospects were more cheering; but this is a part of the continent which, it has been already mentioned, will be treated of in connection with the West Indies. We now pass on to an attempt made, in 1842, to resume operations in Mexico, in the name and on behalf of the Society. When the Society's tried agent. Dr. Thomson, had concluded his engagements, already referred to, in British North America, it was, after much deliberation, determined that he should proceed again to Mexico. On his arrival at that city, (which was at the end of August 1842,) he set himself to collect such information as was in his power, as to the results of the former labours of the Society in that country, and of what had occurred in relation to the Bible cause, since his previous visits. The following is the substance of the information which he obtained, with observations of his own upon it, showing that his former labours had by no means been in vain : — "You will recollect the edict that was issued in this metropolitan diocese, in 1829, against the buying-, selhng, reading, or retaining in pos- session any of your Bibles, and of the difficulties at the custom-house, which arose out of this. Om- bookseller informs me, that in consequence of this edict, and some urgency in carrying it into effect, several of our books were demanded and given up at the confessional. He also, how- ever, gives me the pleasing information, that since the appointment of the present archbishop, no urgency has been used on the subject in the con. fessional ; our books, therefore, have now freer course than they had when I left, and for some time after. This is a gratifying change in advance. The Bibles and Testaments have been on open public sale uninterruptedly all along. How many have been sold since the last arrangement of accounts, I have not yet ascertained, but expect to do so soon. BRITISH AND FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. ;37o " The several thousands of copies of your Bibles and Testaments, which were brought into circulation here during- your agency in 1827—1830, have produced, we may well say, both a direct good, and an indirect one. The direct one, of course, was these thousands of copies of the word of God coming into many hands in a country destitute of it, and we may well suppose not without good effects, though we may not know them. The indirect one was a stir created about the Bible, both among those who were fi-iendly to our books, and those who were not. Those against the circu- lation of the Scriptures without notes, were anxious to bring in a Bible containing the notes ; and those friendly to us cheerfully joined them, glad thus to see the Scriptures come into more general use. The con- sequence was, that a bookseller ordered an edition of Torres Amat's Bible, which was printed in 17 small volumes, in 18mo, and was sold here at 25 dollars. About 1000 copies of this have been sold. The work is still selling well, and the price is now somewhat reduced. " But this is not all of the effects of your former sales here ; there is something better, something that manifests a considerable interest in the Scriptures, and does real honour to this country. A new and imjjroved version of the entire Bible has been published here since I left in 1830.* This is accompanied by the Latin of the Vulgate, together with a harmony of the Four Gospels, prefeces to all the books, analyses, expositions, plates, maps, and dissertations. The whole amounts to 25 volumes in Spanish quarto, (which is about equal to our royal octavo,) and a folio volume of maps and plates. This is altogether, as you see, an extensive work, and its publication cei"tainly does great credit to Mexico. It is the first Bible printed here, or in any part of Spanish Amei'ica, and therefore truly forms an era of a most important kind in regard to these countries. It was published hj subscrijition in 1831, 1832, and 1833, at 132 dollars each copy, in boards, and there were upwards of 700 subscribers, thus in- volving a capital in this Bible work of about 100,000 dollars. This was certainly an unexpected and great undertaking in this country, and under all its circumstances. The enterprising publisher has much of the merit of the case, and his name deserves to be recorded^ which is, Mariano Galvan Ribera. But there is another party which lias also great meiit in this work, namely, the priests of Mexico, by whom the translation was made : there were about eight of them engaged in it. This whole work is taken from the French of Vence, of which it is a translation. " Of this new Spanish version of the Scriptures, I have read through the Gospel by St. Matthew, and consider it a greatly improved version, and much superior to that of Scio or Torres Amat. The text is in many jiarts interlarded with expositions, but they are printed so as to be quite distinct from the text, which is rendered with about the same freedom as our authorized version. The style of the Simnish in this work is modern, ea.sy, AMKIUCA. Chap. 111. South America and Mexico. 1804-54. 1842. Good result of former efforts. A new version of the Bible pubUsbed. * Mr. Thomson procured and presented to the Society's Library two copies of th(! Spanish Bible — the one consisting of 25 volumes as above, the other of 11 vols. 8vo.— both published in Mexico. 376 HISTORY OF THE AMFiiTCA. ^'1^ dignified, and more acceptable to general readers than the two — versions above named. Q^^* v> " ^"^ thing- particularly distinguishes this translation over the other America ^-^^'^j namely, that though it is, in one sense, formally a translation of the and Vulgate, yet there is a constant reference in it to the originals in Hebrew Mexico. j^j,(j Greek, and all the variations of these from the Vulgate are noticed, 1 804-54. ^^^ "^^0 frequently adopted. — "Among the many valuable dissertations contained in this work, 1»43. amounting in all to upwards of 300, there are two on the Vulgate. In rp, XT , these its inferiority to the originals is distinctly set forth. The object of o-ate less t^ie Council of Trent, it is stated, was to declare its authenticity among closely fol- Latin versions on the one hand, and as containing nothing contrary to the lowed. £j^-jjj^ ^j^jj sound morals on the other, and not to say that it was free from errors, or preferable to the Hebrew and Greek, with which it was not compared at all, in the decree on the subject. In these two dissertations, errors in the Vulgate are not only admitted, but shown forth freely. " I have thus dwelt at some length on this subject, because of the pre- Advantage sent and prospective bearings it has on the general circulation of the thus gained Scriptures, both in Mexico and Spanish America generally, and also in ause^of Spain itself. Already the Bible stands on vantage ground through it in Scripture the eyes of this people, and this same advantag'e will, I doubt not, increase, circulation. 'X'jiis Bible, from its size and price, can of course come into the hands of but a few, whilst a desire will be stirred up in many to possess it, and these will avail themselves of your cheaper book. It was your labours here, unquestionably, that led to the publication of this extensive, interest- ing, and useful work, and in return the greater circulation of your Bibles will be much increased by it. Had you not sent the Scriptures here, and distributed them so fully, this work would not have appeared, and neither would Torres Amat's version have been so much circulated in this country ; and as you have brought in these, so will they increase your circulation, and leave you in possession of the main field ; just as with us in England, the Bibles without note or comment vastly surpass, in numbers, those with them ; and all work tog'ether for the general know- ledge of the word of God. " I am making inquiries whether it is possible to get an edition of the New Testament printed here, of this version ; I mean, of course, the text only. If this could be done with ecclesiastical sanction, formal or tacit, it would at once authorize, I may say, the general circulation of the Scrip- tures in the country, without notes, which would be a step gained of very great importance. Such a book, from its better language than the other two, would probably become an acceptable school-book. If the govern- ment here should interest itself in the matter in favour of the schools, it would be of much consequence. Would you authorize me to make arrangements for such an edition ? And would you give a reduction in price for the schools, should the government be friendly and anxious on the subject, in such a way as you favoured the French government and schools? And further, would you aid in putting this New Testament BRITISU AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, 37 AMKUIC V. CllAP. III. Suutli Aiiu'iica and Mexico. 1804-J4. 1843. into the hands of the military of this cdinitrv, .•should it be desired, as you aided the Prussians ? Be kind enoug-h to let me know your resolves on these points as early as convenient. "An edition of Scio was also pubhshed in this city, and by subscription, the number of names on the list being- about 1300. This edition was pubhshed in numbers, in all 77, at one dollar each. This Bible was printed about the same time with the Mexican version of Vence, and the one perhaps rather hindered the success of the other, whilst the revolution that occurred during- their publication injured them both, and con- siderably. " The issue of these three different Bibles here, in the course of a few years, and the extent of sale they have had, and at such hig-h prices, all show what attention this sacred book has obtained in the country. Let us pray that it may obtain an increased attention in e^er}^ way." Great hopes Avcre entertained by Dr, Thomson of being able to introduce copies of the new version of the New Testament largely into the schools. He put himself in communication with the authorities, both civil and ecclesiastical ; but after much delay in receiving replies, all his hopes, on this head, were extinguished. Ecclesiastical influence prevailed ; though it is but just to say, that the Society would have been hardly prepared to adopt the version, without a much more searching inquiry into its real merits, than there had then been time to make. Dr. Thomson had no less earnestly desired to procure trans- lations into several of the principal languages ; and he writes as follows : — " The other object, or rather the third one, of my solicitude here is, that Yersion for of getting- some portion of God's holy word into the hands of the Indians the Mexi- in their native tongues. The great body of the people in this country are can Indians, and they are of different nations and tong-ues. There are many nuich"'' schools among- them, and a goodly number, all things considered, can needed. read. A considerable portion of them can speak Spanish, and do speak it in the market-places, where they are required to do so in their business. But they are strongly attached to their own languages, and ever speak them among themselves. I hear these tongues daily spoken in the streets of this city as I move along, and observe the ImUans speaking with one another. The two chief tongues spoken within the diocese of Mexico, are what are called the Mexican, and the Otomi. One of the Gospels, you know, is already in the former of these dialects, and I long to hear about it from you and from Dr. Mora, llegarding the other, the Otomi, I am making efforts to get a fit translator, and have one in view. The advan- tage of getting the Scriptures into the Indian tongues is, I conceive, con- 378 HISTORY OF THE Chap. III. South America and Mexico. 1804-54, 1844. Bevolution at Mexico. Dr. Thorn - sou obliged to quit tlie scene. Removes to Yuca- tan. siderable ; for although many of them, as already stated, speak Spanish, they will feel a peculiar pleasure in having* the word of God in their own tongues, as was and is the case in the Highlands of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. I request, therefore, your prayers for this object also. The Indians are all Christians nominally, and I fear most of them, as well as most here of all classes, nominally only. I look upon it, that when the true Gospel begins to make way in this country, it will begin with the Indians, similar to the Gospel progress in the West Indies. The slaves were first awakened ; and through the black and slave population, the whites and other free people were at length led to a greater attention to rehgion. Thus does God choose the weak things of this world, and things that are despised, to bring to nought all the proud thoughts and gloryings of men. Let us not glory in our work, though most sacred and holy as it truly is, but let us glory only in the Lord." , But here again disappointment awaited him ; nothing could be effected. Large supph'es of Spanish Bibles and Testaments were for- warded to Mexico ; but Dr. Thomson himself, feeling that his prospects of usefulness were too much diminished to justify his remaining in Mexico, after making the best ai'rangements practicable, for the safe custody and gradual disposal of the books, left the city. The state of the country was very unsettled, and a revolu- tion occurred during Dr. Thomson's visit to Mexico ; the military, however, being all on one side, it pi'oved a revolution without fighting. Thus has been given a somewhat detailed representation of the then existing state of things in this quarter of the world, as it regards the Society's labours. A second time, it may be said, their agent was driven, by untoward circumstances, from his post; but the Society was not left without encouragement. Their first labours were evidently not in vain in the Lord ; neither, it may be hoped, were the last. Such is the confidence of faith. The friends of the Society may learn from such a state of things, that it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God, to open a free course for his word, and to preserve it when opened. Disappointed in his eiforts to circulate the Scriptures — at least, on any extensive scale — in Mexico, Dr. Thomson next made an attempt in the province of Yucatan. He proceeded to Campeche, and afterwards to Merida, the capital of Yucatan, BKITISn AND FOREIGN lilBLE SOCIETY. 379 Avliere lie obtained a friendly introduction to the Governor or america. President, and the Bishop; but circumstances did not justify p^^" j,j his continuing long in those regions, and after such arrange- South ments as were in his power for the prosecution of his work, he "^ a^uj*^* returned to England. The following extract Avill show the Mexico, difficulties he had to contend Avith, as well as the variety of ioo4^54. quarters from which help occasionally springs : — "7 " I announced to you peace between Mexico and Yucatan, and in doint^ so, little dreamed that this was a signal for war ag-ainst us. Yucatan, by this peace, has lost its religious liberty, which it had established in its new constitution ; and the bishop took occasion from this to oppose the Opposition general use of our books. This opposition has been met in a spirited °^ ^^'^ manner by some persons of standing here, and the subject has been freely Catholic discussed through the press, by which we expect that mucli light will be Bishop, diffused regarding the Scriptures, and that an interest -will be awakened for reading them. Both these were necessary in this place of .slumbering and .sleeping ; and thus we believe that the evil which has arisen will really prove a good, and an exten.sive one. Of this sleeping and deadness in regard to the Holy Scriptures, I may give you a striking instance, and T„,jQr'inoe which only came to my knowledge to-day. A parochial priest in this of the city, attached to the cathedral, had never seen a Bible in Spanish till the Priest- other day, and did not even know that there ever had been a Spanish translation of it published. He now has one of your Bibles in his posses- sion, and is much pleased with it. My informant also stated, that tliis priest was about as ignorant regarding the Latin Bible as the Spanish one, and that all he had or knew, as the Bible, was his missal. Through this controversy, and the press, a knowledge of what the Bible is,— that it has come to this land, — and that it is a high duty to read it, will be very generally diffused. " I felt anxious to get the New Testament introduced into the schools here, and a providential circumstance afforded an opening for the attempt. You will recollect, perhaps, that in the month of May, 1841, I met with a Yucatan gentleman, in the steam-boat from Albany to New York. Who should be elected first Alcalde, or Mayor, of this city, in the end of December last, but this very- gentleman ? Through him I made the pro- posal, and he introduced the subject into the city council, advocated it, and carried it. An order has, in consequence, been communicated to me for 200 Testaments. " This w^as the subject which awakened the bishop. A.s soon as he learned the matter, he spoke against it, and indicated his purpose of frustrating it. He sent a message to the Alcalde to this effect, and he inti- mated to the Secretary of State, in conversation, that he would or miglit have to apply to the Government to sustain his object and enforce it. I spoke to the Governor, to know what were his intentions in regard to the matter, and he gave a most decided negative as to any aid being affr)rded 380 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA Chap. Ill South America and Mexico. 1804-54. 1843. Scriptures sanctioned by the Board of Education. The black- smith col- porteur. to tlie bishop in his purposes by the Government. On succeeding oppor- tunities, I renewed the subject, and found him lirm in his intention. The Governor's disposition on this point may be seen, and pretty clearly, by the fact, that the g-entleman who has started up as our chief defender is the Governor's son-in-law, and living in the same house with him. This gentleman has rendered us a willing and an effectual service, and for which I pray that God may bless him and all his house. He is a member of the Government (or, as we should say, imvy council), and has a high literary standing in the country. " A law was made by Congress here lately in favour of general ele- mentary instruction, and the carrying of it into effect was committed to a board of education. One of the members of this board died since I came, and our friend, as I may well style him, Mr. Calero, was elected in his place. Through him I made application to the board as to our New Testaments, and 1000 copies have been ordered. " When the bishop began his opposition, and some of its immediate effects were perceived, we were struck with a sort of panic, and it was judged necessary to counter-order one half of the supply we had requested from you for general sale. Our affairs now^ look better, and will be bettered, I am sure, by all that has taken place. Still, however, it will be more judicious to send only half the quantity ordered, until you have a communication as to sending the rest. " These 200 Testaments to the city council, and the 1000 to the board of Education, are the duodecimo brevier size, and of Scio's version, bound in sheep. The price at which they are sold is a quarter of a dollar each copy ; but I have intimated that a further supply to the same amount will be sent to the two parties free of charge, after you shall hear from them of the arrival of the books, the payment, and their being put to the intended use. The number of copies thus purchased is therefore, in effect, 2400, and the price is one rial : this is about a third of the value at which they are priced in your list, and they are therefore afforded by you to this country on terms similar to those at which you supplied, many years ago, the French Government with 40,000 copies. I consider our bargain good in the view of our general object, and I shall be very glad to make many such contracts in my movements, and believe you also will be so. " Since my last letter was written, I have got acquainted with a black- smith here, who promises to be of essential service to us, and you your- selves have prepared him for the same. This man travels through the country very extensively, selling blacksmith's implements, through which occupation he creditably supports a numerous family. In his travelhngs he purchased one of your Bibles for six dollars, in one of the towns towards Behze, from whence the Bible intermediately came. This was several years ago. He has read this Bible carefully, and has a very extensive knowledge of its contents, and quotes it, and long passages too, very readily. He is all alive to the object proposed to him, of circu- lating our books as he moves along in his general employment, and the BRITISri AND rOUEIGX lilHLE SOCIKTY. 3S1 opposition sliown to the Bible Ims inspired liim ^vith new fire in favour of amkhica. diffusing- it widely over all the country. When your books arrive, this — man will be supplied with copies, from time to time, by Mr. Calero, and ^'go^.ti'/^" will account to him for the sales. This useful coadjutor and colporteur Auierica was introduced to me by a friar, who is a warm friend to our object, and and has taken a decided stand on our side. Another friar, who lives in the ^'"^j^*""- interior of the country, but whose acquaintiince I made in this city, will 1K04-5I. take charge of sales of our books in the place where he resides." — . 1S46. The 1200 copies adverted to, were sent ; and this was the last direct effort made by the Society for the benefit These, tbe of South and Central America, within the period embraced '^^'^"'.'ct . '■ . eliorts, in m this histor}^ A zealous captain of a British vessel, South and Captain Le Lacheur, had entrusted to his care, at different An"erJca. times, a number of Bibles and Testaments for distribution in Central America, for which he returned the full amount of cost ; at one time he ordered as many as 500 Bibles and 3000 Testaments at once, and, either by him, or by the help of a friend on the spot, they were all brought into circulation ; a few other grants w^ere also made, but nothing was accom- plished at all connnensurate with the wants of those large and benighted provinces. Taking all the preceding circumstances into account, it was Special c> 1 o _ 111- appropria- resolved, when the year of Jubilee approached, and various tion from plans were pointed out as deserving of peculiar attention, to in- pu„',i'^\,r elude a visit to South America, by a deputation selected for the renewed purpose, among the special objects towards which a portion of the Jubilee Fund should be directed. After numerous and diligent inquiries, however, no person, altogether suited to such a Mission, presented himself during the Jubilee year, nor for some time afterwards; but in 1856, two gentlemen were emxajxed as Agents for America, the one, Mr. DufKeld, for the ivfossrs. Spanish, the other, Mr. Corfield, for the Portuguese provinces. ^^"^ }^^^_ These gentlemen have each entered on the work with en- field ap- couraging prospects of being able to accomplish, at least, in some degree, the interesting and important Mission entrusted to them. 382 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. CHAPTER IV. WEST INDIES AND BRITISH GUIANA. 1804—1854. First grants to Moravian 31issio7is. — Auxiliai^y formed in Jamaica and Aiitifjtia. — Supply of French Scriptures for St. Domingo. — Barhadoes and Honduras Avxiliai'ies. — Spread of Scriptures among the Hegro population. — Visit of 3Ir. Thom- son to Jamaica. — Auxiliary formed for the whole Island. — 3Ir. Thorn S071 appointed Agent for the West Indies. — Visits to various Islands. — Negro Bible Association. — Sjiread of Scrip- ture-reading among the Slaves. — Prospect of Emancipation. — Proposition of Hev. H, Stowell, of gift of Testament and Psalms on the Bay of Freedom. — Resolution of Committee, and general enthusiasm, and liberality of Auxiliaries through, the Kingdom. — Tidings from the West, in prospect of the Bay and the Gift. — Tidings, after the 1st of August 1834. — Time of dis- tribution extended to 1st of August 1836. — Great success of Mr. Thomson's labours. — Agency of Mr. Wheeler. — Beparture of Mr. Thomson to Canada. — Beath of Mr. Wheeler. — Appoint- ment of Mr. M'3Iur7'ay. — Increasing demand for Scrip- tures.— Supplies to Refugee Converts from Madeira. — Grant of Scriptures to Ilayti. — Jubilee celebrations through the Islands. AMERICA. The first direct grant of the Society for the benefit of the West Chap. IV. Indies, appears to have been made on the appHcation of a Indierand insmber of the Society of Friends, then resident at St. John's, British Antigua. His probable opportunities of distributing the Scrip- tures he described as follows : — " Our wish is to have sup- plies to dispose of, to sailors of men-of-war which come in here, and also in the hospitals ; to soldiers in barracks in the Guiana. BllITISH AND FOKEIGX BIIJLE SOCIKTY. 383 i^, Mut.M.u Chap. IV. West 1808. different islands ; and to many poor overseers and other per- amf.uka sons who may long since have neglected such reading, l)ut who might be stirred up by a gift of this kind to set a little more store by it." This was in 1808. About the same time, the ^"£isl"^ Rev. C. J. Latrobe, Secretary of the Moravian lirethren's C'U'ana. Missions, applied for and obtained grants of Bibles and Testa- iho7-j4. ments, for the use of their Missionaries in different parts of the world— the West Indies, wliere they had several stations, being also included. ^''■•'^* ITT j5 1 1 . grants to VVehnd that m 1810, copies of the Scriptures, either in f'e West whole or in part, and in various languages, were sent, among other places, to the West Indies, for the use of Christian P'^*':'^'"- Negroes, in the Islands of Dominica, Bermuda, Jamaica, Gua- various daloupe, Martinique, Trinidad, Antigua, St. Thomas, St. Do- ^'''""^'" mingo, and also to the settlement of Demerara. These grants were renewed from time to time. Many gratify- ing testimonies were received of the beneficial effects, experi- enced among the Negroes, from the Scriptures thus furnished to them. One correspondent states, " that many of the Negroes steal time from their rest to learn to read, that they may be able to read the Scriptures, while others, who have acquired this talent, spend many an hour of the night in exercising them- selves in reading " (to use the simple language of the relater) " the most blessed of all books." In 1812, considerable zeal and liberality, in behalf of the Movement Society, was called forth in the Island of Jamaica; prompted. 1?^'^° T n • 11-Ti liible cause ni the first mstance, by a respectable mdividual,* who kindlv in Jamaica, put himself forward as its first public advocate in the Island, Jontribu-^' The sum of £250 was transmitted from Kingston as the first <^'o"- fruits of this zealous effort; liberal subscriptions were also raised in other parts of the Island. The clergymen of several of the parishes came forward and united in a separate contribu- tion, amounting to above £100; all these parties, at the same time, pledging themselves to promote the interests of the Society in their respective neighbourhoods; and 250 Bibles and 1000 Testaments were ordered. An impression was also made in favour of the Societj^ among Jamaica the people of colour. While the more opulent members of of"peopIJ * Stephen Cooke, Esq. " " ""'"* 384 HISTORY OF THE AMEKicA. tills part of the commimity associated their offerings with those Chap"iv ^^ *^^® Island in general, donations, chiefly from the poorer West classes, were afterwards transmitted through the medium of a British" society formed in 1812, under the designation of ' The Jamaica Guiana. Auxiliary Bible Society of the People of Colour,' it being in- li!04-5.i. tended to raise yearly subscriptions from persons of that de- jgY^ scription throughout the Island. Among the contributions received in the following year from different parts of the Island, maybe particularized, £283 .\0s.5d. from the corporation of Kingston, and £100 from the justices and vestry of the parish of Westmoreland ; also, £55, the first contribution from the Society of the People of Colour. Their second contribution amounted to above £140. Auxiliary An Auxiliary Society was instituted at Antigua in the begin- at Antigua, iiing of the year 1815, and towards its close, one at Berbice, under the patronage of the Governor, General Bentinck. In connection with the latter event, it is interesting to see how the minds of the poor Negroes were opening to thirst after and re- ceive divine truth. In evidence of this, the following letter may be introduced. The writer (it is believed) was the Rev. Mr. Wray, a Missionary, whose name became afterwards ho- nourably, though painfully, associated with the persecutions which arose on account of the Gospel : — " I embrace the present opportuiiity of acknowledg-mg" the receipt of fifty Bibles, kindly placed at my disposal by the British and Foreig-n Bible Society. It is necessary here to teach the Negroes to read, before we can distribute Bibles among them, which, of course, makes our progress slow in this g-ood work. I am often astonished at their patience and persever- ance. They appear never to be tired. As soon as their work is done in the evening-, they begin to learn with all their hearts ; some of them walk a considerable distance. A Negro at Le Resouvenir, in Demerara, where I formerly resided, of about fifty-eight years of age, has been very diligent, is now able to read the Bible very well, and it is his greatest de- light. I trust it will prove the power of God to his salvation. He was before a Mahomedan, and a man of bad character, but the Gospel of Christ has changed Ms heart. He frequently has many Negroes at his house, to whom he reads the Scriptures, teaches them to read, and catechizes them. " A short time ago, a white gentleman informed me of a free coloured woman who had learned to read for the purpose of reading the Bible, in which she had made rapid progress, and the change in her conduct was astonishing. She was formerly crut'l to her slaves, and would curse. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 3Su swear, and u:^e very foul lang:uao-e ; but afterwards she became mild,, and amkrica. would not say a bad word. " On an estate where one of tlie principal ]ieoi>le had learned to read, ^^^^^ several of the slaves contributed their mite to purchase a Bible for the Vntish" benefit of all upon the estate, who would meet to hear it read. Several Guiana, have since learned to read, and now possess Bibles. Their master, in the" m^ ^, beginning-, was against their learning, but his sentiments were soon — changed; he saw thieves becoming honest, rebellious persons obedient; 1815. and, instead of meetings for dancing and revelling, heard of meetings fur ])rayer and praise. " Some of the white people have also been su])plied with Bibles, and I trust with good efiFect. " I beg leave to offer my grateful acknowledgments, and those of many - poor Negroes, to the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, for the Bibles I have received from them." In 1815, some French Testaments were distributed at Port- au-Prince, in St. Domino-o, by Captain Reynolds, of the mer- ^^"PP^j^'^ ^f chant ship Hebe ; one of them was presented to Petion, Presi- Scriptures dent of Hayti, and another to his Secretary of State, Monsieur Domi^ngo. Inginac; these were thankfully received, and respectfully acknowledged. The letter from the latter observes : — " It is a work which is scarce m this country, and which, if circulated, would greatly contribute to the welfare of the Haytians." The Society took advantage of this information, to send a supply of French Bibles and Testaments to that part of St. Domingo, which was under the authority of President Petion. The transmission of a set of the Society's Reports, and a copy of the French Bible, to Christophe, whose authority was established over the northern part of St. Domingo, produced an equally favoural)le result. The thanks of this Chief were communicated to the President, by his Secretary of State and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Count Limonade; and the Society, in compliance with a wish expressed in that communica- tion, sent 500 Bibles, and 1000 Testaments, in French and English, to Cape Henry ; and also proceeded, in consequence of a request from the same autlioritv, to print the New Testa- ment, with the French and English in parallel columns, for the benefit of the llaytian population. One thousand copies of the Gospels and Acts, in the foi-in above mentioned, were first sent, and were soon followed by the remainder of the whole work, namely, 3000 entire New Testa- VOL. II. 0 C ' 386 HISTOKY OF THE a:merica. Chap. IV. West Indies and British Guiaua. 1804-54. 1S18. Auxiliaries at Barba- does and Honduras. 1827. Increased desire for the Scrip- tures among the Negro population, ments, together with the second part of what had been previously forwarded; and intelligence was afterwards received that, under the auspices of the King of Hayti, the Scriptures were intro- duced into all the schools, which were rapidly spreading over the largest portion of the Island of St. Domingo. In 1818, an addition was made to the number of Auxiliary Societies in the West Indies, by the formation of one at Barba- does " for People of Colour," and another for the province of Honduras. The latter was regarded as an event of consider- able interest, as it denoted an organization of measures for circulating the Scriptures, in a part of the American continent in which ignorance and prejudice held a strong dominion, and where, except by supplies of Bibles and Testaments to the Chap- lain of the Settlement, little or nothing, it was feared, had been done for making the people acqiiainted with Divine revelation. For several following years, the cause of the Society in the West Indies made no very marked or striking progress. Most of the Auxiliaries continued their labours as usual, and one or two new ones were formed ; as, for instance, one for the eastern part of Jamaica, and one for the people of colour in the Ber- mudas, where the friends of the Society stood prominently for- ward in their efforts to serve the cause. In Antigiia, also, the Auxiliary, after having suflPered some decline, was revived, and proceeded afterwards with considerable energy in its work. Contributions also continued to be received from all these quarters, and a pretty large number of copies were brought into distribution. Towards the year 1827, growing evidence of increased in- terest in the Bible on the part of the Negro population, as well as of the people in general, was found to show itself. From Barbadoes, in remitting a small sum, and requesting a few Bibles, the Secretary of the Auxiliary Society of the People of Colour, wrote : " People of all classes, but particularly the lower orders, through the divine blessing, are daily devoting a por- tion of their time to the reading of the word of life ; and it is with grateful pleasure, I can assure you, this Auxiliary has been the instrument of distributing it to numbers, who might otherwise have sought for the book of salvation in vain." A letter from a Missionary in Berbice stated, " Since the BlUTISll AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. :]S7 promulgation of the Negro Code, there has been an increasing iMicuirv. desire among the slaves to learn to read. I have applications c„ ~ ^y almost daily for spelling-books and catechisms ; I hope I shall \Vest soon be able to say the same of Bibles and Testaments." ^"ilHtistr' From Jamaica, a correspondent, describing what was passing ^'uiana. in his own parish, wrote: "Yon will rejoice to hear that the 1 804-5 j. time seems rapidly approaching when the word of God will be- ,^^ come a most cheering offering to our Negroes, multitudes of whom are now learning to read in our Sunday-schools. The last year, in this part of the island, has been a year marked with the most signal benefits, especially to the rising generation, of whom nearly 2000 are at present receiving instruction through the medium of the Local Association for the Conver- sion of Slaves." Another correspondent, in Jamaica, observed : " It has been supposed that Bibles are useless here, because it is thought Negroes can neither read nor are capable of learning ; but this is a mistake ; and such is their anxiety now to be able to read the Bible, that they will get children, who are at school by day, to instruct them at night, for which they pay from lOd. to Is. Sd. currency, per week. Several, unable to read them- selves, have yet wished to purchase copies, alleging that they have friends who can read to them." In 1828, gratifying communications were received from Visit of several of the West-Indian Islands. The Rev. Mr. Thomson, H^^' J]'-^'"' the active agent of the Society, on his passage to Mexico, landed .lamaica. for a short time at Jamaica. From thence he wrote : — " I have great pleasure in saying to you, that the Redeemer's cause here J^-^j^'p^J^" does not stand still. The little leaven which has been cast spect wi.idi into this mass is working its way, as it did in the woman's meal, "Jew."^ and is gradually leavening all around. Before the whole, hoAv- ever, is leavened, years must pass, or more leaven must be sent. Some of this leaven you have got, and you must send some to this place as soon as you can, — I mean to say, send here, without delay, 400 Testaments. Many slaves and free people of colour are hungering and thirsting for them." The Rev. Mr. Knibb,* on whose behalf this request was made, * A :Missionary of the Baptist Society, w'hos*> services and sufferitif^'-s in the cause of tlie Neg-mes are well known, f c 2 388 HISTORi' OF THE AMERICA, paid Mr. Thomson, for some he had before received, 48 dollars. Chap" IV. ^^^^® Society readily listened to this application, and were de- West lighted to receive another application from Mr. Knlbb himself, British who, very shortly after the arrival of the above grant, wrote : Guiana. « Though the Testaments have been in my possession so short 1C04-54. a time, I am happy to inform you, I sold all of the pocket size, 1829 and could have disposed of 25 more, had I possessed them; 100 of the school size have also been sold, and some few of the larger sizes. I mention this to show you there is an in- creasing desire for the word of God." He then proceeded to ask a further supply, and added : " Having a day-school of Request more than 300 children, I have very frequent applications from o7scr?p.'^^ them and their parents." 100 Bibles and 200 Testaments were tures by accordiuflv ffiveu. The desire to learn to read was consider- Ilev. W. o J G Knibb. able among the adult population with whom Mr. Knibb was connected ; the children of the school were the teachers, re- ceiving 5d. to lOfZ. currency, per week, for devoting their leisure time in the evenings to so important a purpose. Two aged persons, one seventy and the other sixty, were by these means enabled to read the Bible ; and being very poor, Mr. Knibb presented them each with a copy of the New Testament in large print, in the name of the Society. An old, grey-headed slave walked a distance of fifty miles to obtain a Bible, for the purpose of its being read to others, and returned, as he had pro- mised he would do, at the end of three months, bringing the full price of it ; a collection having been made among the slaves. The Rev. Mr. Phiilippo, another Missionary, also writes: " Those who cannot read are anxious to have the Scriptures, that they may get some one occasionally to read to them. The office of reader is frequently performed by the children, some of whom have long been in the habit of going from house to house, to read to the interesting groups assembled by previous appoint- ment." From Barbadoes, the Secretary of the Auxiliary Society of the People of Colour, in remitting £25, wrote (contrasting the existing state of things with what it was ten years before) : — " When this Auxiliary was formed, few individuals among us contemplated the necessity or utility of forming any kind of 1831. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIHLE SOCIETY. 3Si) Society tor the u-enerul instriution of youth, among tho 1u\\\t amkuica. orders of this conmuinity ; whereas," (in anotlier i)art of his ,, ~ ,,. *■ C II A P. 1 V , letter he adds,) " in Bridge-town alone there are at present 1000 West children receiving moral and religious education from public ^"Brkish"'* charity ; 650 are taught in the schools under the Bishop, the <^iui;ui;i. remainder in Sunday-schools lately established in this town. inoZ.-,4. The thirst after knowledge among all classes is gratifying. We have not a single Testament in our depository, and only six large Bibles." Copies of the Scriptures, to the value of £50, were granted to meet this interesting demand. Various applications were also made, on the part of different Missionary Institutions. The Wesleyan Missionary Society stated to the Society, that they had in the West Indies about 8000 children in their Missionary schools, and in other parts of the world 8000 more ; and solicited 2000 Testaments and 500 Bibles, which were accordingly voted. The Baptist Missionary Society, which had in other schools in Jamaica, besides that of Mr. Knibb, about 700 children, re- ceived 100 Bibles and 500 Testaments. The United Brethren, also, requested assistance for their stations in St. Kitt's, Antigua, Barbadoes, and Jamaica, and were supplied with 1700 Bibles and Testaments. An effort was made, in 1831, to give a new impulse to the Jamaica, work, by the formation of an Auxiliary for Jamaica, Avhich should embrace the whole island. This was accomplished through fon^.'elf'^ the instrumentality of W. Taylor, Esq., who actively sought JorUie to promote the interests of the Society. At the formation of jj^iand. the Auxiliary it was estimated that above .3500 persons were present ; Clergymen of the Establishment and Missionaries of various denominations uniting on the occasion. 2000 Bibles and Testaments were placed at the disposal of this new Society. It now became evident that something more was needed, to Mr.Thoiu- give efficiency to the cause of the Bible in this part of the J^j^p^'"''''" Avorld. For more than two years, the Committee had had their separate attention called to the desirableness of appointing an Agent ^^F^'^ ^°' to the West Indies. They had long been convinced, that there imlian was an ample field for the distribution of the sacred volume, which required the presence of an individual in whose zeal, discretion and piety, a just confidenc-e could be reposed. In 390 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. IV. West Indies and British Guiana, 1804-54. 1831. Reaches his desti- nation. Short visit to the Con- tinent. vain had they sought for such an individual, when at length their late Agent for Mexico, the Rev. James Thomson, ten- dered his services. His proposals were accepted, and 5000 Bibles and Testaments were forAvarded for Mr. Thomson's dis- tribution. After a tempestuous and lengthened passage, he reached Antigua in safety at the end of 1831, and immediately addressed himself to the object of his mission. He proceeded to make the necessary arrangements for the renewal of the Auxiliary in that island, and occupied a short time in visiting- some of the neighbouring islands, of which visit some account will presently be given. During that period of the year in which he could not prosecute his operations in the West Indies, Mr. Thomson visited the continent. He proceeded to Paloboso, thence to San Fernando de Assure, taking, in his course, the valleys of Anaqua, lying on the banks of the lake of Valencia, one of the most populous parts of the country. In the course of this joui'ney the successes he met witliAvere comparatively small, while the evidences continually presented to him of the Scriptures being needed, were many and painful. Arrangements were, however, made in several places for the sale of the Scriptures, and Mr. Thomson also attempted to get the Scriptures introduced into the public schools, by addressing a circular, through the governors, to the provincial deputation in each province of Venezuela. These provincial deputations, thirteen in number, had assigned to them the charge of the elementary schools. The deputations were not to meet during Mr. Thomson's stay in the country ; but when he touched at Barbadoes, in his way from Demerara to Trinidad, he received favourable answers to three of his circulars ; and, in conse- quence, the necessary supplies were sent to await his arrival at the Island of St Thomas, whence vessels were frequently going to all parts of the Spanish Main. After travelling through extensive valleys, and over im- mense plains, and sailing down no fewer than three mag- nificent rivers, Mr. Thomson returned to Trinidad in safety, and resumed his labours once more in the West India islands. To the review of these labours we now proceed, reverting to the commencement of tliem in the island of Antigua. The public meeting at which the Auxiliary Society was formed nRITlSII AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, .3'Jl liaving been delayed, Mr. Thomson luul, in the interval, amkuicv, visited several of the adjacent islands. At St. Christopher's, c„^7 jy it happened that a conference of Wcsleyan IMissionaries was West held at the same time, and Ur. Thomson availed himself of ^"^1=^'^ the opportunity of sending by the Missionaries, on their Guiana, return to their respective stations, supplies to St. Eustatius, i«04-5i. Saba, St. Bartholomew, St. Martin's, Anguilla, and Tortola. ,~., In St. Christopher's a small Society was formed, and 70 Bibles and 341 Testaments were left, with which to commence Visit to its operations. At Nevis, measures were adopted for further- islands, ing the Society's object, and 56 Bibles and 94 Testaments were assigned to the friends who had undertaken to ascertain the wants of the Scriptures. During his stay one lady had re- ceived the names of thirty, and another of forty persons, desirous of being furnished with copies. Similar steps were taken at Montserrat, Avhere Mr. Thomson enjoyed the co- operation of the two chn'gymen on the island, and also of a medical practitioner. Though Mr. Thomson had designed to stay but a few days in Antigua, on his return to it he was pre- vailed upon to remain by the Rev. N. Gilbert, for the purpose of forming a Bible Association among the slaves on his own estate. Though the notice was only given in the morning of the day on which the meeting was held, it was computed that 500 persons, all slaves, were present. This meeting led the way for one of a similar character the following evening on another estate, and arrangements were subsequently entered into for the establishment of eighteen more. Mr. Thomson gives the following interesting account of these Associations : — *' In the first place, these A,s.sociations are formed among- slaves. Some Account of of these are able to read, and have already got the Bible. These we exhort ^fR^o to read the Bible they have got with all attention, and to join and give us ^ssocia- their mites to enable us to send the Scriptures to those parts of the world tions. where they are not. Most of the slaves on Mr. Gilbert's estate are in these circumstances ; and although they need not the Scriptures for them- selves, being already supplied, yet have they most readily come forward to subsciibe to the Association formed among them, and their contril)u- tious are, of course, for sending the Scriptures unto others; and, in short, they thus join and co-operate with you in your great and general object of supplying the world with the word of God. "Tho.se among our Associations, who can read, and have not the Scrip- tures, we advise with all earnestness to see to get the Scriptures into their 1832. 392 « HISTOKY OF THE AMERICA, possession as soon as they possibly can ; and we point out to fhem the — facility of doing this, by subscribing- a small sum monthly to our Associa- w' f ^^^^- On the other hand, we advise those who cannot read, to learn with- Indies and out delay, showing- them the facility of doing this, as there are schools British everywhere around them. (juiana. "In the next place, I observe that the slaves take a great interest in this 1804-54. nifitter. This is proved by the numbers that have assembled at our meet- ings. We have had from 200 to 500 present in the forming of the Asso- ciations ; and last night we had in the Moravian chapel of St. John's, not fewer than 900. A further proof is found in the close and deep attention they pay to all that is spoken, and the alacrity with which they seem to enter into the business. " I would further observe respecting these Associations, that they are all formed with the approbation of the planters, who not only give us their consent, but, in most cases, attend our meetings and advocate onr object in person." In Guadaloupe, the island next visited, Mr. Thomson found a widely different state of things, and was only able to make arrangements with two booksellers for the sale of the Scrip- tures. In Dominica a small Auxiliary was formed ; while in Martinique and St. Lucia measures were adopted for the sale of the Scriptures. Barbadoes, like Antigua, proved the scene of important •iliary at^" opei'ations. The Society, composed of the people of colour, Barbadoes. existed at the time of Mr. Thomson's arrival ; and though Mr. Thomson rather wished that it should merge in the general Society he proposed to institute, its conductors judged it proper to preserve it as a distinct institution. The new Auxiliary was formed under very favourable auspices ; and, among the early measures of the Committee, was the division of Bridge- town, the capital of the island, into districts. Tlie population consisted of 20,000, a considerable proportion being whites, in poor circumstances. A Ladies' Association was also planned on the same occasion. Mr. Thomson quitted the island in June, and returned in December, and found the affairs of the Auxiliary and the Ladies' Association in a very flourishing condition. Measures were taken for forming Associations in the districts into which Bridgetown had been divided. At the first meeting which was held, numbers were unable to obtain admittance, and in fourteen days, 60 Bibles were demanded for subscribers. After BIlITISn -VXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 393 tins, a special ineetinfT of tlie Auxiliary Committee was hvl\, ameiuca. and a llepoi-t was presented by the President, who had per- cii^7iv sonally taken charge of a district. The substance of that ^Vest Report ]\Ir. Thomson gave as follows :— ^'V]'^^ f"*^ ^ ° British " He vit^itecl 333 families, and noted down the number of individuals in Guiaua. each, what persons could read and what could not, who had and who mftTcj wanted the Scriptures, who wished to have them, who could and would _I g-ive something- for them, and how much, tog-ether with such other par- l^^"-- ticulars as bore on the object of his visitation. In these 333 families there were found to be 1308 individuals, of whom !)30 could read, and 377 could not. The number of Bibles found in the district was 200, and the additional copies wished for, tui-ned out, by adding- up tlie list, to be nearly the same number, namely 200." Accompanied by the Rev. ]Mr. Edmondson, one of the Secretaries of the Auxiliary, Mr. Thomson assisted at the for- mation of an Association on an estate about seven miles from Bridgetown. Nearly 200 persons attended the meeting. Shortly afterwards Mr. Thomson, having experienced in Bar- badoes, from numerous friends, the same kindness as he had met with hi Antigua, quitted it for Demerara. Bibles and Testaments to the number of 760, w^ere ordered by the Auxiliary in Barbadocs, and remittances received to the amount of £150. In Demerara Mr. Thomson succeeded in establishing an Auxiliary Auxiliary, denominated " The British Guiana Auxiliary ^^ Heuic- Bible Society." British Guiana includes Demerara, Esse- quibo, and Berbice. Supplies of Bibles and Testaments were sent thither. The Rev. Mr. Ketley, of Demerara, had disposed of copies of the Scriptures for the Society to the amount of 557 guilders, and had collected in his chapel about 700, (equal to al)out £40). Mr. Thomson was not able to visit Berbice as he wished; but from that place the Rev. iNIr. Wray sent the following pleasing account : — "Almost daily the country slaves are applying for sjielling-books, catechisms, and Testaments. Our Sunday School also presents a most delightful scene: there are about 240 children, and upwards of 24 teachers; and almost every week we have applications from young- peopli^ to become teachers. Mr. Thomson proceeded from Demerara to Toljago, and 1833. 394 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, tliougli he could not allot more than three days to that island, CuapT IV, lie happily succeeded in establishing an Auxiliary. West The following year was spent by Mr. Thomson in visiting Indies and ,.,, ^ ^ ■ * i r^ ^ cT British the islands and colonies. Amongst others, urenada, ht. Guiana. Christopher's, Nevis, Tortola, and the Danish Islands of St. 1804-54. Thomas and Santa Crux, in the last of which he was enabled to establish a Bible Society, and two Ladies' Bible Associa- tions. He also re-visited the island of Antigua, without any Antigua, intention of prolonging his stay. The importunities, however, of the Society's friends prevailed upon him to alter his purpose, and results the most encouraging ensued. ■vj- , , DO these As- ^^ ^^^^ twenty Associations formed in the preceding year, sociations. he found sixteen working with pleasing activity, and the remaining four he had the happiness of stimulating to fulfil the engagements they had entered into. To these twenty, he had the satisfaction of adding twenty more, and might have increased their number, could he have prevailed upon himself to prolong his stay. In many instances, though notices were never given to that effect, collections were made spontaneously. The plans were cordially entered into by the owners of estates. Mr. Thomson, writes : — " In some instances, where the planters gave us Hberty last year to form Associations, thoug-h then somewhat doubtful of their issue, they have this year extended the liberty g-iven us, having* found that no evil, but good, had followed our last year's operations. We have formed an Association on the estate of the President of the Council, and also on the estate of the Speaker of the Assembly." Berbice. Another gratifying communication was now received from the Rev. Mr. Wray, of Berbice, showing the progress of the Scriptures, and of Scripture-reading among the Negro popula- tion. " Toby, the Negro, to whom the Committee voted a quarto Bible w^hen I was in England, is making great improvement, and growing in the know- ledge of the Scriptures. Every Sabbath, when he can cross the river, he comes to chapel with his quarto Bible under his arm. Mrs. Wray is highly delighted with the questions he asks, and she takes much pains in explain- ing to him the Scriptures. He reads the Bible to numbers of his fellow- slaves ; but, indeed, a great many are beginning to read well, and they are never weary of the exercise. I trust we shall soon have them flock for Bibles and Testaments, as they have done the few last weeks for spelling- books and catechisms. RRITISII AND FOUEIGN UIliLK S0CII:TY. 'M).') "Our Bible readers are increasing-. Yesterday some of onr Svnid:iy amkuila. Bible class of slaves sat down with us for the tirst time at the tal)le of the ~ Lord. It is delig'htful to see Ethiojiia stretching out her hands to receive ^y^gf^ the word of life, and the symbols of the broken body and shed blood of Indies and the blessed Saviour. British " I doubt not Ave shall have a very g-reat demand for the Sacred "^"*- Scriptures in Berbice very soon, as the desire of the slaves to learn to read 1804-54. increases daily, and I trust, in connection with religious instruction, will ~ be a happy means of preparing- them for the enjoyment of that freedom which is soon to be given to them ! Scripture " The gi-eat desire among- the negroes to learn to read the word is reading surprising- ; and we trust this desire will increase more and more. Last sieves • month I went over the river to preach in our new chapel on the west coast, and it was a most pleasing sig-ht to see u])wards of thirty neg-ro cause and slaves all reading the New Testament in a class, and ten in a Bible class, omen and several other classes in different parts of the chapel reading in their " 1^ spellintr-books and catechisms. Last Sabbath I preached in a new place, change, about five hours' pull, with four oars, up the river, in a large coffee logie. I think I had about 500 sl-aves. It was pleasing to see them come along the road from the various plantations decently dressed, and many of them briug-ing their stools, seats, or benches on their heads. All expressed the greatest desire to hear the word of life." Thus was the Negro mind gradually prcparhig for that great event which was on the eve of taking place, and the chief inci- dents of which, so far as they are interwoven with the measures carried into effect by the Society, we now proceed to relate. The 1st of Aurrust 1834, will long be celebrated in the West T''^ V''^' ''^ Indies, and will ever hold a conspicuous place in the annals of arrived ! Great Britain, as the day on which the Act, passed in the ))re- cedingyear for the abolition of slavery throughout the British Colonies, tirst came into force. On that day more than 8()(),()0() slaves, subjects of the British Crown, received their freedom, subject to an apprenticeship which was to cease after a few years. In connection with this interesting event, the British and Foreign Bible Society came under an engagement to supi)ly every liberated Negro, able to read, with a copy of the New Testament and the Book of Psalms, on occasion of their emancipation. It may be interesting, even now, to review the measures adopted for the accomplishment of this object, and to glance at the results that followed. At the Anniversarv meeting of the Society, hi'ld in May Ih;34, 396 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, the Rev. Hngh Stowell, of Manchester, alludingto the approach- ^ ~ jy ^"S ^^mancipation of the Negro population, observed : — " I should West propose that a separate fund might be raised, in order to put a "British ^opy of the word of God, in his own language, into the hand Guiana, of every slave ; as I know of no boon that can so well com- 1804-54. pensate him for the wrongs he has sustained, as the gift of ~ . those Scriptures which make known the pearl of great price." p . . The suggestion thus thrown out came early under the con- oftheKev. sideration of the Committee; and the following resolutions H. Stowell. J ,1 were adopted : — Resolutions " That the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society desire of Commit- to unite in the general feehng of satisfaction, expressed in so many ^^' quarters, at the approaching termination of slavery in the British Colonies. " That this Committee, while they rejoice in the extension of civil free- dom to their fellow-men, cannot but be reminded of that freedom of which the Scriptures speak, and on which the Scriptures lay so great a stress : ' If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed ; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free :' John viii. 31, 32. ' Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.' Eomans vi. 18. " That it appears a rehgious duty to embrace so appropriate a moment for calUng the attention of those about to be liberated from earthly bonds to this heavenly freedom ; and that to present, in an affectionate man- ner, to such persons, at the present juncture, a cojw of the Scriptures, would be calculated to produce beneficial impressions on their minds. •' That, with these views, a copy of the ISew Testament, accompanied by the Book of Psalms, in a large type and substantially bound, be tendered to every person receiving the gift of freedom on the approaching 1st of August, who can read ; or who, though not able to read, is the head of a family in which there are readers, or children learning to read ; such parties receiving a recommendation from a minister, teacher, or employer." Grateful Two communications were received at the same period, alid from the materially encouraged the Committee in proceeding to act upon Y^^^ the above resolutions. In one of these from St Christopher's, Indies. ' the following striking passages occur : — " The immense Negro population are, almost to a man, anxious to read, and to be in possession of the word of life ; and greater facilities will shortly be afforded, on their emancipation, for them to receive it. " The principal part of the Negroes cannot read, but they are. anxious to learn ; and wherever I have been, they are calling for spelling-books. These we cannot furnish, as they are very dear with us ; but I hope there is a Society in England which BRlTlJill AND FOREIGN lUBLK SOCIKTY. 'M)7 would send us a supi)ly. Can you (I do not say will you, for amkhka. I am sure your good wishes are with us) interest yourself, and e„^7iv procure a large supply for us ? They are needed." West In the other from Barbadoes, the writer observes :—" The ^°BrTtish"'^ Auxiliary Society here, composed of people of colour, have Guiana. requested that 50 Bibles may be sent. The sizes for which I i);oTo4. now write are principally required for the use of schools and ~ the labouring class of onr population, who, since the great changes wrought, and continuing to be Avrought, in their con- The Ne- dition, are very anxious to learn to read, and to obtain the fp^rn to Bible. It is really pleasing to behold nnmbers of these persons, '"^'id- when returning from the Saturday market, getting their lessons along the streets, from books which they have just i)urchased from the sale of a part of their provisions." The communications had with different ISIissionaries on _ ,, . Entlnisi- a visit to England from the West Indies, and with the Com- asm cf mittees and Officers of the Missionary Societies, strengthened j^i^^ncJ'^^ the conviction that the measure Avould prove most beneficial, land in the Intelligence of the design was speedily communicated to the Auxiliaries, Branches, and Associations, as well as among the various friends of the Society, and met with universal appro- bation. Subscriptions, for this peculiar object, were forthwith commenced in various forms ; special meetings were in some instances called ; in others, the subject was brought for\vard at meetings held in the usual course. In some places visits were made from house to house ; while, in others, sermons were preached. Collections were also made in various Sunday schools, the little children giving with the utmost delight ; while several friends, still feeling conscientious difficulties about uniting themselves with the Society, judged that they could, with propriety, aid this particular object, and made Amount of liberal donations. The contributions for the purpose amounted fyyj_^ to£15,007. \8s. Id.; and it was amatter of rejoicingto state, that this extra subscription in no way interfered with the Society's usual receipts. Several contributions were received from Ireland, and some small remittances from the Continent. Letters Avere written without delay to the different islands, Lottors requesting that returns might be made of the numlxrs wlio J,'j"',,J||,g would be qualified to rercivc the propos.-d boon: but, as the thcdcsign. 398 IIISTOIIY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. IV. West Indies and British Guiana. 1804-54. 1834. Replies from Mis sionaries. Berbice. Announce- ment of Resolution to the Ne- groes. period, between the Annual Meeting and the 1st of August, would not allow of replies to these letters being received in time to forward the books for delivery on the happy day itself, the period was extended to December 25th; and the friends of the measure in the West Indies were authorized to report as able to read, all the persons whose proficiency in learning, at the time of making up the returns of the number of copies wanted, gave a fair promise that, by the arrival of the appointed day, they would be able to make use of the book. At the earnest request of several Missionaries, the period was afterwards ex- tended to August 1, 1835 ; partly in consequence of the sup- plies not having arrived, in all the islands, at the appointed time, owing to circumstances which the Society could not control, and partly in consequence of the very earnest desire of many of the Negroes to obtain the gift, who had not succeeded in learning to read at Christmas. The measure was received with great approbation in the West Indies ; and the most cheerful co-operation was offered by all classes of persons, including Governors, and other official persons, the Clergy, the Missionaries, proprietors, managers^ and, above all, the Negroes themselves. Extracts from letters received from the different islands will best show the feeling which prevailed. The Rev. J. Wray writes, from Berbice : — " By this mail I had the pleasure to receive your interesting circular of .June 2d, enclosing- the Eesolution of the Committee of the 30th of May ; which is, ' That a copy of the New Testament, accompanied by the Book of Psalms, be tendered to every person receiving' the gift of freedom, on the approaching 1st of August, who can read.' This, indeed, is a glorious resolution ! I shall feel unfeigned pleasure in assisting the Committee to carry it into eifect. I received your letter on the Saturday evening" ; and the next day my chapc4 was crowded with slaves from distant plantations, to whom I preached, on the subject of their freedom on the 1st of August, from Philip, i. 27 — ' Only let your conversation be as it becometh tlie Gospel of Christ ;' when I read and explained to them your interesting communication. It was also communicated to the slaves of other planta- tions where we preach. As far as it respects British Guiana, Christmas will be the most suitable time, as it is a general holiday. I douljt not but many will be excited to learn to read, that they may receive the precious gift: and, oh! what a dehg'htful scene to behold Ethiopia stretching out her hands on that day to receive the Book of God— the charter of her eternal freedom! This will be 'Magna Charta ' indeed! — the Ma^-na in:i4. BIlITIS;iI AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETV. 'M)9 Charta of eternal freedom, furnished by the British and Foreig-n Bible America. Society ! A\'hat a blessed thoug-ht was that which led to so g:lorious a — resolution!— You will rejoice to hear that our Governor, Sir James ^"^y- ^^'• Carmichael Smith, has issued a proclamation, directing- that on the 1st of Indiefand August ' All places of worship in British Guiana shall be open, at least British tA\4ce, on that day for Divine Service ; and all IMinisters of the Gospel are ^^">=»"a- earnestly requested to prepare and deliver, from the pulpit, appropriate in04-54. and suitable religious exhortations and advice to their respective congre- gations ; and that it is incumbent upon each and ever}' inhabitant to return his humble and grateful thanks to Almighty God, to whose watchful and unerring providence alune it is to be attributed that this great change, in the relations of societj' in this colony, has been so far conducted without the slightest disturbance, or interruption of the public tranquillity.' '' Mr. Bourne, from AntIo;ua : — Tidings ° sent, 1st of " To-moiTow will the munificent grant of the British and Foreign -'^"S"*''- Bible Society' be proclaimed to assembled thousands ; who will, I trust, be taught to estimate the true philanthropy, which aims at making them ' free indeed,' through the instrumentality of the word of Eternal Truth, ^^"t'g"^- ^^'e had a special meeting of the Committee on the Monday subsequent to the receipt of j'our letter ; when your communication was duly con- sidered, and arrangements made for the due publication of your benevolent intentions. I tliink it probable we may want from 7000 to 10,000 copies of the books. " August 2d, the day of wonders, of anticipated confusion, riot, and 'ni^ j^y ^f bloodshed, has passed by ; and all is peace and quietness, and order ; no freedoin, ebullition of any kind, no martial law, no ostentatious disnlav of power. ^"^ . . The churches and chapels of all denominations were thronged to excess ; (Jess and and the day was more like a Christmas hoUda}- than any thing else." solemn worship. The Rev. Mr. Britten, from Nevis : — " On Friday last, the 1st inst. (a day observed by proclamation as a d;iy Nevis, of thanksgiving to Almighty God for the termination of Slavery,) I an- nounced from our pulpits, to many hundreds of the emancipated Negroes, your pious intention. It was most gratefully received ; and will, I believe, be productive of much good. The proprietors universally gave the Negroes here both Friday and Saturday ; and I am happy to write, that they conducted themselves in the most orderly and Christianlike manner. Yesterday I was round the island, and never heard of a single improper act, not even of a man being intoxicated. Without the interference of any law, they yesterday totally a])andoned the Sunday market ; and tliere was no more sign of this stronghold of the devil, either in town or countrA", than if it had never existed. Hallelujah ! Our chapels were crowded to suffocation. We must now find room in the places of worsjiip for the hundreds, for the many hundreds, who used to be every Sunday in tlie market-place." 400 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. IV. West Indies and British Guiana. 1804-54. 1834. Jamaica. Learning to read, for 2;;th of December. Barbadoes. Demerara. The Rev. James Thomson, from Jamaica : — " Your offered gift has come upon us opportunely, and has helped on our g-eneral rejoicing-. There is a good deal of stir created by it ; and many are learning to read, who never learned nor thought of learning- before, in order to get one of your books on the ensuing Christmas-day. Whilst I write this sentence I hear the sound of spelling- and reading among- the servants below ; and sometimes, when I awake in the night, I am cheered with the same sounds ; and the doling out of the letters and syllables resembles the tick-ticking of the clock in the dead of night. We have had some letters from the interior of the island in answer to our circular ; and there, too, it appears the same stir and interest are at work. " I have visited the different chapels here, with a copy of your gift- book in my hands ; and, showing it, h-ave stated to the large Negro congregations your kind and liberal mtentions, and have fixed their eyes on Christmas-day next for the verification of this giving and receiving*. All were highly pleased, and full of gratitude for your kindness. You will be pleased to hear that your gift has been announced in the Roman Catholic Chapel, by the priest ; who tells me that he will cheerfulh' help forward your generous object." Mr. J. Kennedy, from Barbadoes : — " The contents of your second letter have given universal satisfaction in this island. I presented it to His Excellency Sir Lionel Smith, our Governor, who takes great interest in the improvement, both spiritual and temporal, of the labouring classes of our community ; and he expressed his high approbation of the Resolutions for furnishing them with Testaments. Our patron, the Rev. William Garnet, and the clergy, have, as was to be expected, highly approved of the intentions of your Society ; and, in pur- suance of this approval, have directed the catechists and teachers through- out the island to ascertain, as nearlj^ as possible, the number of apprentices that can read, and forward the same for their information." The Rev. Mr. Ketley, from Demerara : — " I am instructed by the Committee of the British Guiana Bible Society to acknowledge the receipt of the Resolutions of the Parent Society, for the very liberal grant to those who may be able, or are learning- to read ; and to express their sense of the consideration and kindness which that step evinces, as well as the deep interest taken in the best interests of the Negro population. A copy of the Resolutions was pubhshed by us in the ' Royal Gazette,' of this province ; they cannot fail to meet the appro- bation and gratitude of all who value the Truth, or who are alive to the importance of Divine knowledge ; or believe that ' godliness is profitable unto all things ; having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." The follovsring are extracts of letters received, after the arrival of the books at their destination. 1804-54. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 401 The Reverend Messrs. Fidler and Biggs, from St. Vin- amkutca. cent's : — _ — ..^ Chap. IV. " Much interest has been excited by the promise of these books ; but ^^^^* when they actually did arrive, and the Negroes beheld them in their own Br^ti.sh° possession, their wonder at a g-ratuitous distribution of books seemed to Guiana, subside into a feeling- of satisfoction, and of most evident latitude to their unknown fi-iends and benefactors. _ '' The circumstances detailed in reference to Kingstown are a specimen 18:54. of those which occui-red in other parts of this island : and if the liberal contributors in England could have witnessed but a part of what we saw Tidings, on the 25th and 2Gth of last December, they would have rejoiced in the j- '■^-k^^ happiness of doing good to a people so truly appreciating the favour tion. conferred on them. " It is most pleasing to behold scores of adult Negroes coming- to our Resort of Sunday Schools, that they may receive further instruction, with the books adults they received at Christmas carefully covered. We give them all the |°mjj!y encouragement we can, and hope that the means of moral culture will Schools. be much more widely extended." The Rev. J. Wray, of Berbice : — Berbice. " We have had the great pleasure of receiving the 1080 copies of the New Testament and Book of Psalms, bound together, to be presented to the emancipated Negi-oes, in commemoration of the 1st of August 1834. Such a rich cargo was never before landed in Berbice. It is my earnest prayer, that God, our Heavenly Father, may abundantly bless the precious gift to all who receive it. The Negroes are greatly dehghted with the Sacred Vo- lume, and express their gratitude to the gentlemen in England who sent it. " We were in hopes to have received 3000 copies, agreeably to the original grant to Berbice, and have been very much disappointed in not po^-'tf^u^'of" doing so ; and I trust you will send us the remainder without delay, as Negro we must send away hundreds of applicants till we receive them. I really readers, thought at that time, that we should not find more than 1 000 who would be able to read the Scriptures ; but we have now fully ascertained that we could distribute more than 3000. The Rev. Mr. Howe has had upwards of a thousand apphcations at Hanover Chapel. Out of a population of 3000 people, 1000 can read. Thus, one-third of the population of that district, extending from Abary Creek, the boundary between Demerara and Berbice, to plantation Guelderland, a few miles above his chapel on the west bank of the river, can read ; and you will see by the enclosed that he has not received half the number : so we shall lind a deficienc;y in every other district. I think I shall want 1000 more, including town plantations. Providence and Overwinning, up the river, and all the plan- tations on both sides of the Canje, and on the Corentyne coast. A\e entreat you to send us the remaining -iOOO without delay. Myself, Mr. Mirams, Mr. Haywood, and Mr. M'Leod, have not got more than 500 copies to distribute among thirteen or fourteen thousand ])eople, very many ot Vol. II. n d 402 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, whom, I doubt not, will be found able to read by the time the books airive. — It is astonishing how they have been stimulated to learn to read since they ^West ' have heard of yournoble Resolution." Indies and The Rev. W. Knibb, of Jamaica :— British ' Guiana. " On behalf of my church and congregation, and on my own behalf, I 180~54. ^^§" *° return you unfeigned thanks for the very valuable present of Tes- — taments, with the Psalms, which we have received. The impetus given 1834. \)j the promise of this grant to lettered instruction is astonishing ; so much Jamaica. so, that, did I not perceive it, I could scarcely give credence to it. The number who have learned to read is delightful ; and while hearing them, and giving to them your valuable present, I have longed that you could Testimony personally participate in the joy. When I inform you that, in this and of Rev. W. the adjoining parish of St. James's, full 10,000 Primers have been dis- Knibb. posed of since the 1st of August ; and that such is the continued demand, that I have sent for 10,000 more, and am anxiously awaiting their Impetus arrival ; you will perceive what you have been instrumental in doing, given to Numbers of the members of my church, on different estates, teach the read. children and their fellow adults to read, three evenings in the week ; and many of the children walk eight or ten, and some twelve miles, to the Sabbath School : in it we have here about 400, who sit under a tent, for we have no school-room or chapel ; and the anxiety many of them mani- fest is very cheering to my heart. Extension "As all, or nearly so, of the books belonging to my people were *'Tf J destroyed in the insurrection of 1831, and as my poor people did not dare its special ^^ begin to learn till after the glorious 1st of August, may I petition that reason. you extend the time till August 1835 ? I hope that I shall succeed in this request; for if I fail, numbers of old and young will be deprived of the word of life, who have tried hard to obtain it ; while the announcement of so kind an intention will stimulate those who are fearful that, after all, they shall lose the prize, and will, I am confident, induce many others to commence. " I make it a rule, that all who receive the Testaments shall read to me, or to one of my friends : though this engrosses much time, I am well repaid. If any one had told me, before I left England, that so many of the adults in my church would be able to read the blessed word of God on my return, I should, with my knowledge of their former inabilitj^, have thought it impossible. " Perhaps it is necessary for me to say that my church consists of 900 members ; and that my congregation is nearly, if not quite, 2090. My brother Burchell's church, and our out-stations, are all in my circum- stances ; and, in pleading for myself, I wish to be understood as also pleading for them." Mr. Bourne^ of Antigua : — " Your welcome grant of 10,000 Testaments and Psalters, has been received with much gratitude by the Negroes of the island. In attending BRITISU AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 403 the meeting- after service at St. John's Church, on Christmas-day, I was much dehghted. The books were soug-ht after with great intensity of desire, and much disappointment manifested by those who were unable to obtain them. The sight woukl have amply compensated the good people of England for their sacrifice of money for tliis object ; and will, I trust in its permanent influence, show that your Committee have been wisely directed in this matter." Supplies to the following amount were subsequently for- warded, in consequence of applications contained in the letters from which the above extracts have been made : — 10,000 copies to Jamaica, 500 to St. Vincent, and 8000 to Berbice.* ItwiW not be thought inappropriate to quote in this place, from the report of the year's proceedings, the following strain of * The following is a table of the first shii»ments made ; and, it is pleasant to record, that they were all conveyed free of charge to the Society ; and a saving of not less than £250 was thereby effected : — Name of Place. No. of Cases. No of Copies. Name of Vessel. Antigua 17 4705 Codrington. 19 4995 Kingston and Jamaica. Barbadoes . . 30 7796 Calypso. Berbice . . . 4 1087 Highbur3\ Bermuda . . 2 400 Komulus. Demerara . . 11 2924 Ann Mondel. Dominica . . . y 937 Ealing Grove. Grenada . . 4 1044 tuckers. Honduras . . 1 200 Fair Arcadian. Jamaica : . . Kingston . 16 4810 Westbrook. ^ 10 2949 Nightingale. liuth. Morant Bay 10 3225 Port Antonio 10 3179 Ehzabeth. Anotto Bay 10 2949 New Phaniix. St. Ann's Bay 8 2300 Reserve. Falmouth 16 4746 Montego Bay 16 4719 Emma. Savanna-la-Mar 19 6274 Lady Kath. Barhaui. Old Harbour 16 4636 Westbrook. Montserrat . . 2 500 Lion. Nevis .... 12 3406 Hope. New Providence 2 666 Superior. St. Christopher . 11 2965 Hope. St. Lucia . . . 1 200 Palestine. St. Vincent . . 2 528 William. Tobago . . . 2 525 Prince l^egent. Trinidad . . . 4 1000 John Pirie. 258 73,695 AMERICA. Chap. IV. West Indies and British Guiana. 1804-54. 1034. D D 2 404 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. IV. West Indies and British Guiana. 1804-54. 1834. Such the result of a few brief words ! Time of distribu- tion ex- tended to 1st of August 1836. Successful labours of Mr. Thom- son. 1835. reflection naturally suggested in reference to the above trans- action : — " In the orig-in of that measure, may it not be believed that the provi- dence of God is discernible T May we not here apply, in the happier sense, — ' Behold ! how g-reat a matter a little fire kindleth V A few words, uttered at the last Anniversary, have issued in the sending- forth of 10>»,000 New Testaments, with the Book of Psalms ; in a contribution of between £15,000 and £16,000 ; in numberless expressions of goodwill to the once enslaved Neg-ro— expressions which, accompanied as they have been by substantial acts of love, are well calculated both to stimulate and to soothe the Negro mind ; in quickening- a desire for the benefit of religious instruc- tion ; in the promotion of a spirit of dutiful obedience. Who can survey all these things, and not gratefully ascribe praise to God— not feel en- couraged for the future ? Who can behold these things, and not regard them as indeed a token for good to the Society ?" The Society continued to receive assurances of the grateful manner in which the " Gift-Book," as it was termed, was re- ceived, and of the desire thus awakened to know more of the Sacred Volume. The advantages flowing from the great Act of Emancipation appeared in nothing more strongly, than in the increased facilities afforded for religions instruction, and the im- pulse given to the important work of education. In completion of the original purpose, several thousand additional copies of the gift-book were sent out, and the term of distribution ex- tended to the 1st of August 1836. The labours of the Society's Agent, the Rev. James Thomson, continued to be most abundant, and, through the indulgent blessing of Divine Providence, were crowned with gratitying success. Taking advantage of the favourable impression pro- duced in behalf of the Bible and the Bible Society, both on the white and on the black population, by the liberal distribution of the New Testament and Psalms among the emancipated Negroes, Mr. Thomson, besides adopting measures to improve the Auxiliary Society at Kingston, visited several parts of the island, and succeeded in establishing Bible Societies in many of the principal parishes, or districts ; namely, in Portland, St. Thomas-in-the-East, St. Catharine's, Manchester, St. Eliza- beth's, Westmoreland, St James', Hanover, and Trelawney. Most of these were formed under very encouraging auspices ; Chief Magistrates, Clergymen, Missionaries of different com- BRITISH AND TOUElCixN BIBLE SOCIETY. 405 muuions, and otlicrs, uniting with much zeal and liberality in ameuica. promoting the object. In connection with these Societies, ^^"ly numerous Associations were formed ; in some parishes three or West four; in one, that of St. Elizabeth, as many as ten or twelve. ^"Sish"'' The contributors to these Associations (among whom were Guiana, found a large proportion of apprentices) in some instances 1 804^54 . amounted to 200 or 300, and in one instance to 400. The "T value which these people set upon the Book, and the wish entertained by them to possess a good one, may be judged of from the fact, that 620 of the Society's quarto Guinea Bibles were ordered ; two of these Associations requiring 100 each, principally for apprentices, who were subscribing for them. Mr. Thomson had not }-et completed the original design of his appointment as Agent for the West Indies ; but the Committee, bearing in mind the painfully destitute position of Mexico and South America, were anxious that he should proceed, without further delay, to those countries. They had, in consequence, appointed another individual to succeed him, having been earnestly importuned by several friends in the islands, not to leave them without an Agent. So encouraging, however, was the field of general usefulness in Jamaica, that Mr. Thomson, umvilling to relinquish it, resigned his appointment as Agent of the Society, and accepted another, in connection with another Institution. This, however, he speedily relinquished, and, at his own request, was joyfully received back by the Society, and placed on his former footing. Mr. Joseph AVheeler, the gentleman selected by the So- Appoint- ciety to succeed Mr. Thomson in the West Indies, arrived in wSk?^"^' Jamaica at the close of 1835. After spending a few weeks with Mr. Thomson, conferring Avith him as to his future plans, and after visiting and forming several Associations, Mr. Wheeler proceeded to Hayti, there to commence his important operations. The 200 Bibles and 3000 Testaments, ordered by Mr. Scriptures Thomson for Hayti, to be introduced into the schools, and '"*'"', . bchools at among the military, were paid for, by an assignment, on the Hayti. part of the Hay tian Government, of seventy-six bags of coffee, which produced £180. 3^. 2(1. Mr. Thomson having, as stated above, resunu'd his ivlation- 406 HISTORY OP THE AMEBicA. ship to the Society, as one of its Agents, proceeded to visit the Chap" IV different parts of the island of Jamaica, where Auxiliaries and West Associations were already established, or new ones were about British to be formed. Several joui*neys were, in the course of the year, Guiana, undertaken for this purpose. After his retvirn from one in the 1804-54. County of Cornwall, he writes : — 1835. « J jjg^^g jjQ^^ jj^ ^jjg gracious providence and mercy of God, closed our Bible Society concerns for the County of Cornwall, Jamaica, for the pre- sent 3^ear, 1836. And what is the result of this, the tirst year's opera- tions in this district, containing one-third of the island? It is upwards Rapid sale of £650 sterling, collected chiefly from the Negro apprentices, and for of Bibles to ^j^e purchase of Bibles, mostly for their own use. This would procure, Negroes. ^^ ^^ average price for a Bible, 3000 copies. The Bible is the book in demand, and not the Testament by itself. The Testament with the Psalms came upon us as a shower, in j^our liberal boon, never to be forgotten here, or among the nations ; and you see what j^our shower upon our prepared ground has produced. Let us give all glory to God, who prepared the ground, sent the shower, and has produced these results ; to his name only be glory for ever and ever ! " Similar success attended him in other quarters, and the results of the year's visitation were, on the whole, very gratify- ing : a spirit of lively activity prevailed, and much zealous co- operation was experienced. The Negro population came forward in a remarkable way, and the Society's Agent met everywhere with an uninterrupted flow of Christian kind- ness. Contribu- The receipts of several of the Auxiliaries, were found to AuxUiaries ^^^^® ^e^n very encouraging. The Trelawney Auxiliary had raised £340 ; the St. Elizabeth £243, and nearly all from the Negroes or apprentices; the Hanover, £173; and the St. James's, £273. Mr. Wheeler's proceedings in the other islands were equally satisfactory. In Hayti he succeeded in forming a Society, which indeed for a time languished, but ultimately revived 1836. under more encouraging prospects. At Santa Cruz, His Ex- cellency the Governor General of the Danish Islands, gave his sanction to a public meeting being held, which accordingly took place in the church, and the St. Croix Bible Society was re-formed. Mr. Wheeler also visited Tortola, Antigua, and Barbadoes, and afterwards proceeded to Berbice and Dome- BlUTlSll AND FOKEIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 407 rara, and then to Trinidad, Grenada, and St. Kitts. llis pro- a.mkuica. ceedings in Berbice were particularly interesting, and will ^,^^ ~ .y justify the following extracts : — West " Mr. Wray and myself went over to Hanover, and formed an Associa- BritisU tion, called the Hanover Association. We took dowai the names of 177, as Guiana, subscribers for the Bible, about 150 of them with references. I assure you, i QivTsi the whole scene was very delightful, and deeply affecting- ; particularly to — dear Mr. Wray, who has so long- laboured in this vineyard, and, througli '836. evil report and g-ood report, performed the duties of a devoted servant of ^"^ '^®' Christ : so ahve is he to Bible work, that he told me, when he received my Bible As- letter, stating- my intention of coming- here, he shed tears of joy, to think sociatious ; of a Bible Ag-ent coming- to Berbice." Several other Associations in connection with Berbice, were likewise formed. Mr. Wheeler writes : — " Being supplied with a boat, through the kindness of Mr. Schroeder, a member of the Committee, Mr. Wray, Mr. Howe, a Missionary also, and myself, went to a station called Brunswick, about twenty-five miles up the river, to form an Association. Although we did not reach there until late in the evening, and the people did not expect us that night, yet, on blowing the shell, in about an hour, at least 900 asseml)led, and we had a most interesting audience ; and were occupied, after the meeting ^^ ?''''® until near midnight, in taking down the names of 177 as subscribers for ' Bibles. The next evening, on our return, we formed an Association at Feam ; and although the weather was unfavourable, several hundreds attended, and we commenced with 73 subscribers for Bibles. We have also formed an Association at New Amsterdam ; and commenced with 115 names, which are dailj' being increased ; and another at Lonsdale, with 54 names. In addition to the above intelligence resi)ecting Berbice, the following is from the pen of the Rev. Mr. Howe : — " In January, 1834, I had about thirty who could read the New Testa- ment. During the present month (Jan. 1836), I have distributed nearly 1000 copies of the New Testament, with the book of Psalms, amongst the people of my charge, all of whom can read." The Demerara Auxiliary was revived, and several Associa- Uemcrara tions were also formed in connection with it. Of his proceedings Auxiliary. _ there, Mr. Wheeler writes: — " Since my return to George Town, we have been proceeding actively towards the re-establishment of the Auxiliary Society, with the addition of a Ladies' Auxihary Branch, which will, I trust, prove very effective. We have also established an Associ-ation at Charles Town, with nearly 1200 names as subscribers for Bil)les. 408 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. 17. West Indies and British Guiana. 1804-54. 1837. Visit of Mr. Thom- son to Cuba. His efforts frustrated. The supplies ordered for Demerara and its Associations were 2322 copies. A considerable part of the summer of 1837, was occupied by Mr. Thomson in a visit to the large and populous Island of Cuba, towards which his views had been long directed. On his arrival at the Havannah, he took immediate measures for making known the object of his mission, and getting the Scrip- tures into circulation, by means of booksellers, and through other channels. After leaving the Havannah, Mr. Thomson proceeded to Matanzas, where he was able to accomplish but little ; a sad in- sensibility prevailed on the subject of religion generally, and no means which he could employ availed to awaken any demand for the Scriptures : a few copies, however, were left with a bookseller, for his disposal. When Mr. Thomson came to Puerto Principe, the next city that he visited, and the law capital of the island, he had to encounter a prejudice which had been raised against him and his mission, by a circular issued by the Archbishop of Cuba, (who was staying at Kingston when Mr. Thomson left, and with whom he had in vain sought an interview,) in which the people were warned of the attempt that would be made to circulate the Bible, and thereby, as it was alleged, to stir lap the slaves to assas- sinate their masters : still he had reason to be gratified by his visit to this place, the Holy Scriptures being to some extent sought after and purchased, and his observations ad- dressed to many, on the value of the word of God, being well received. At Santiago de Cuba, Mr. Thomson, though furnished with most respectable letters of introduction, fell again under the suspicion of being a person sent to disturb the public peace and order of the island. He was put upon oath by the autho- rities of the city, and subjected to a severe and lengthened examination, as to his objects, designs, and movements; and then directed to leave without delay. A case of Bibles, con- signed to him from Kingston, was seized and detained, and he himself escaped with some difficulty from the island, — an order for his arrest and imprisonment arriving, as it would seem, the day after he had embarked. Mr. Whee- ler to RRITISH AND FOREIGN RIBLE SOCIETY. 409 Thus the hope of gahiing any considerable access for the amkkica. Scriptures into Cuba was frustrated. „ ~ TV On liis return to Jamaica, Mr. Thomson devoted the rest of Wost the year to a tour through those parts of the island, where he ^"jSrUiJir'^ had previously succeeded in forming Bible Societies. Guiana. In the following year, 1838, Mr. Thomson, in compliance with ino4-54. the proposal of the Parent Society, proceeded to British North ^ ~g America, for the purpose of visiting the numerous and valu- Mr. Tbom- able Auxiliaries in that quarter of the world, with the view of ceedsuT affording them the benefit of his experience and covnisel. Canada. The time of Mr. Wheeler, the Society's second Agent in the West Indies, was chiefly spent during the year in visit- ing the other islands and colonies where Bible Societies Visit of already existed, several of which had been formed during his visit in the preceding year. On one occasion, indeed, he several proceeded as far as La Guayra and the Caraccas on the Spanish main, where he received much courtesy and kindness from Sir Robert Ker Porter, residing there as the British Charge d' Affaires. Through him, he succeeded in introducing to the notice of the Government, the subject of employing the Bible as a school-book, in all the schools supported at the public expense . There were forwarded to Barbadoes for the Caraccas, at Mr. Wheeler's request, 500 Spanish Bibles and 300 of St. Luke and the Acts, to meet such calls as might be made for them. Mr. Wheeler's tour amongst the islands and colonies in- cluded the following places, in order: — St. Kitt's, Nevis, St. John's, Tortola, St. Croix, Antigua, St. Thomas, Barbadoes, Demerara, Berbice, Trinidad; at which last place he succeeded in forming an Auxiliary Society, and a second Auxiliary was formed in the same island for San Fernando. Among other places visited by Mr. Wheeler, was St. Do- minfo, in which island he made an extended tour, or rather tours. One encouraging circumstance is mentioned by him with much pleasure, as it forms an honourable exception to the usual course of conduct pursued by members of the Roman Catholic communion, in almost every part of the world ; the Priests made no opposition, but, on the contrary, showed much civility and attention. I\Ir. Wheeler succeeded St. Do- mingo. 410 IIISTOKY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. IV. West Indies and British Guiana. 1804-54. 1839. Jamaica. Estimate of tbe state of the popu- lation. in distributing in the island, chiefly by sale, at low prices, 1100 copies of the New Testament and the Gospel of Luke and Acts. The Trustees of the Mico Charity, who had at various times obtained grants from the Society, now applied for its aid to enable them to establish depots, in connection with their schools, for the sale of the Scriptures. 4000 Bibles and Tes- taments, in English and French, were supplied to them for this purpose. During the greater part of the year 1839, Mr. Wheeler was occupied in an extensive visitation of the Island of Jamaica. Mr. Thomson, during his stay in Jamaica, had succeeded in form- ing Auxiliary Societies, in most of the principal places in the island. To these Mr. Wheeler added an Auxiliary for St. Dorothy, and a Ladies' Auxiliary at Kingston. He also insti- tuted 17 new Associations, besides assisting to revive others, that had gone somewhat into decay. One object, much kept in view by Mr. Wheeler in this visit, was to encourage the people to purchase the Sacred Vo- lume for themselves : and so great was his success, that he took down, in thirty-two places, the names of 3500 individuals, who came forward to pay for copies at the full cost price, it being distinctly understood, that these were the terms on which they were to be obtained. From one congregation alone, that of the Rev. Mr. Abbott, of St. Ann's Bay, he received 670 names. Mr. Wheeler's opinion of the then existing condition of the Negro population, and of the prospects opening before them in regard to the claims of the Bible and of religion, was very favourable. He writes : — " Tliere is in this island a great door now, I trust, eiFectually opened. Many things which, in a Avorldly point of view, act unfavourably as to the working- of the great change, have a beneficial effect on the Negro mind, rousing it with increasing rapidity out of the paralysis of slavery, and calling out liabits of independent action. In another letter, he writes : — " I am happy in the belief that there is an increasing eagerness on the part of the people to have Bibles of the larger size, and that, where well followed up, it will soon be thought quite discreditable to any one not to possess a Bible. 1840. BRITISH AND FOREICxN BIBLE SOCIETY. 411 " I have just been making; a calculation witli Mr. Clark, that out of a America. population of about 10,000 in this neighbourhood, there are not less than ^ "" 5000 who regularly attend some place of worship every Sabbath-day. y^'^^i " A large number of persons are very desirous of small pieces of land ; Indies and and a spirit of independenc_y is growing up among a people, who may British fairly be classed with the best labourers in the British dominions, not "l^"^- merely in external manner, in which respect the conduct of the Negro 1 if 04-54. would greatly surprise any one accustomed only to the manner of our working agriculturists at home, but I believe also in enlarging iutelli- g'ence and moral feeling." In connection with the above, the following gratifying testi- ^x?^"""?^ mony, to the same effect, received in a letter from the Rev. J. Clark. Clark, Missionary of Brown's Town, may be adduced : — " No part of the world is under greater obligations to the Bible Society Obliga- than this island, and nowhere have its operations been attended with more j^^gg^oes to delightful results. The Testament and Psalter, so nobly granted to those the Bible Negri-oes who learned to read the blessed volume in commemoration of the Society. 1st of August, has proved an incalculable blessing. My wife and myself have distributed between two and three thousand volumes to the peasantry in this district ; and now there is scarcely a cottage in which a copy will not be found, or a family without one or more members able to read it. " The effect of the circulation of the word of Life amongst the emanci- pated sons and daughters of Africa in this neighbourhood, has been most cheering. It has, in connection with the preaching of the Gospel and instruction in the Sabbath Schools, completely changed the moral character of the people. Although this district contains at least 1 0,000 Negroes, nearly half of whom are attached to mj' congregation, crime is scarcely known, and a drunken black man seldom to be met with. Tlie people are as industrious as any peasantry in the world ; and, in intelli- gence, i'uWj equal, if not superior, to the peasantry of England. Their attendance on the means of grace, and their liberality to the cause of (lod, are remarkable. A great jjroportion have a pleasing acquaintance with the Scriptures ; and there are few who have not clear views of the way of salvation by Jesus Christ. There is a great desire to possess the whole of God's word. I have sold about 400 copies of the Bible, and have orders for upwards of 500 more." Considerable supplies of books were sent out during the year to Jamaica, amounting in the whole to 5232 copies ; and re- mittances were received from the different Auxiliaries, or froju individuals, to the extent of £500. The year 1840 was spent by Mr. Wheeler in visiting the l)^^^^^ other islands and colonies, where liis reception and success were ^{rjjgjg^^ of an encouraging nature. On his return to Jamaica he was struck down by the hand of death, after an ilhu'ss of only a 412 IIISTOUY OF THE AMERICA, few days, on November 30, 1840. By this painful and un- Chap" IV looked-for dispensation, the Society was deprived of a valuable West Agent. A tribute to his memory was adopted by the Corn- British niittee on receiving intelligence of his death, from which the Guiana, following is extracted : — _^ ■ '' During the period of five years and a quarter that the late Mr. Joseph 1840 Wheeler held the office of Ag-ent to the Bible Society in the West Indies, he endeared himself much to the Committee, by liis unwearied zeal and diligence in the discharge of his duties, and by the unaifected simplicity of his conduct and correspondence, (jrateful u often placed in trying circumstances, he appears to have manifested his labours iiQuch of the meekness of wisdom, and to have conciliated the aifectionate esteem of persons of all parties. He walked in love, seeking the co-opera- tion of all who loved the Bible. Besides his constant occupation of establishing new Societies, and re-organizing and encouraging the mem- bers of such as before existed, he appears to have been very successful in bringing together those who may be called the immediate subject of his charge, the nog-roes, and in impressing upon them the importance of pos- sessing and reading the Bible. His practice was, with the consent of the ministers of congregations, both in and out of the EstabUshment, to deliver an address upon the subject, and, at the dose, to invite such as were willing to put down their names as subscribers for Bibles and Testaments, to be furnished to their ministers for them. It was a common thing for a hundred names to be put down at once, and on some occasions several hundred copies were subscribed for. Many thousands, on the whole, have thus found their way into the hands of willing purchasers. " Mr. Joseph Wheeler will long live in the aifectionate remembrance of the Committee ; but, above all, in the heart of many a negro, who will gratefully acknowledge that his possession of, and love to, the Bible, are owing to him, under the good providence of God. " The Committee, while they sympathize with the widow and fatherless children, desire to bow in humble submission to the infinite wisdom of God : they deplore the Society's loss of so valuable a fello w -labourer ; but, at the same time, look back upon the period of his connection with the Society with much satisfaction and thankfulness." A similar testimony to the Christian excellency of his cha- racter, and the value of his labours, was borne by several Mis- sionaries and other friends ; and a subscription was opened for the benefit of the widow and family of the deceased, towards which the Society contributed £150. The Society's operations in the West-India colonies, suffered not a little by the death of Mr. Wheeler. Remittances in- deed, amounting in the whole to a goodly sum, were received. BRITISH AND FOUEIGX lilBLK SOCIETY. 413 and large supplies of Bibles and Testaments ordered ; but the America. Auxiliaries both in Jamaica and the other islands, felt the chap~ IV want of that periodical, or at least occasional visitation, to West which they had been for some years accustomed. VrTtish" An Agent, in the room of jMr. WJieeler, was found, there- Guiana, fore, to be necessary, and the Society were happy in engaging 1804-54. for this office the services of Mr. James M'Murray, who had jg~, been for some years an Agent of the Mico Charity in the West Indies. Mr. M'Murray, who was in England when his appoint- Appoint- ment was made, proceeded to Jamaica early in 1842, and im- jir. mediately entered upon the discharge of the important duties ^''^fur- entrusted to him. He soon found, that, in too many places, he had to encounter a Avant of good feeling, and serious misunder- standings, which rendered it exceedingly difficult to pi'omote united co-o]^>eration in the Society's work : still, that work prospered, though, it would appear, success Avas materially owing to a different plan of operation. One of Mr. M'Murray's first movements was to establish a D^'pot depot in Kingston; and very shortly after the adoption of this ed at measure, he writes : — ■ Kingston. " Already we have executed orders for several thousand copies ; and, within a ver\' short time, I hope to have all on hand distributed. While this plan will g-ive a greater degree of efficiency to the work of distribu- tion, it will, I am persuaded, give a degree of permanency to the opera- tions of your Society, which in any other way, in the present circum- stances of the island, you could hardly expect. It will, I hope, secure more regular remittances ; and the work of your depository will be much more simphfied." Large supplies, amounting to more than 25,000 volumes, Unex- were forwarded to meet the demand, which proved asto- demand for nishingly rapid. For some time, after the general depot was Scriptures, opened, which was at the latter end of June, nearly 100 copies a dav, on an average, were sold, and, up to the middle of No- vember, the number sold amounted to 14,000 copies, while orders were on hand for 5000 more. The plan of establishing a depot at Kingston having an- D.'-pots in swered so well, Mr. M'Murray reconnnended the establish- ti„ns.'' ^" ment of similar depots at Barbadoes and Antigua, which places were visited by him in tlie course of the following year. 1844. 414 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. In his way thither, Mr. M'Murray visited the different Danish Chap" IV islands, where he met with a favourable reception, and had West many opportunities of furthering the object of his mission. VrTtisiT The Moravian Brethren have several stations in these islands, Guiana, ^nd among their Missionaries he found here, as elsewhere, 1804-54. some of the warmest friends and supporters of the Society. We come now to the year 1844. Ten years had passed since, in the islands of the Western Ocean, the voice of Britain was heard, proclaiming liberty to the captives ; ten years had passed since British Christians, availing themselves of the Ketrospect instrumentality of the British and Foreign Bible Society, y°earV/°* had hastened to present to the liberated Negro the news and freedom. the charter of a nobler freedom. A considerable distribution of the Sacred Volume had indeed been effected in the West- India islands and colonies before the act of emancipation took place ; but the grant of New Testaments and Psalms, made on that occasion, tended to foster and quicken a desire to possess the Sacred Scriptures in their more complete form, and from that time a large demand for Bibles sprang up, and now both Bibles and Testaments met with a ready, rapid, and chiefly by extensive sale. This was particularly the case in Jamaica, ^erlod"*'^ When Mr. M'Murray reached that island, in the spring of 1842, he proceeded, as we have seen, to establish a general depot of the Scriptures ; and it is a gratifying fact, that from that depot were issued, in the course of twenty-one months, no fewer than 32,726 copies: these were chiefly sold to the black and coloured population, and almost entirely at the full cost price. From the depots established in Barbadoes and Antigua, as well as from the Auxiliaries existing in those places, the issues were considerable. The correspondence of the Agent was now very much oc- cupied with matters concerning the formation and manage- ment of these depots, about which some difficulties had arisen, which, however, were happily adjusted ; so that, in harmony with the Auxiliary Societies, and to their benefit, these central depots now furnished a regvdar supply of the Scriptures in every direction. But while intent on the above object, the Society's active and zealous Agent was not unmindful of the general interests BRITISH AND FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 415 of the Society. During the year he had made a voyage to America. Antigua and Trinidad, touching, in the course of it, at other Q^j~iy places. He also accomplished an extensive tour throuoh a West part of Jamaica. " Indies and rr • • British The remittances this year, on account of sales effected in Guiana. Jamaica, amomited to above £667, and in the same period 1804^54. 16,294 copies of the Scriptures were sent to the depot there. "" The next three or four years were occupied by Mr. M'jMurray, much in the same manner as above described. His chief attention was directed to the Island of Jamaica, but a con- siderable portion of his time was devoted to visiting among the islands. He was a good deal discouraged by a spirit of division, which he found almost everywhere prevalent. Still there were, in most places, many prepared to co-operate with him in his work, and the distribution of the Scriptures was pretty successfully carried forward. Seven months of the year 1844 were thus employed among the islands. The follow- ing year was principally occupied in Jamaica itself. Eleven months of the year 1846 were spent among the islands. On his way to the Bahamas, he visited Havannah, but could effect nothing. He found Cuba still closed, — hermetically sealed to the introduction of the Scriptures. In St. Vincent he found that a new class of recipients had St.Vincent sprung np, consisting of Portuguese emigrants from INIadeira, ^^^ who had formed part of the flock of the persecuted Dr. Kalley. Provision M'as made for these interesting persons. At Trinidad ^"PP''.^^ *" he found a further number of these immigrants from Madeira, exiles, from who had fled from their homes, owing to the fierce persecutions ^"^^^^^ira. kindled against them by the Romish Priests. Of these, Mr. M'Murray remarks : — " God has grreatly blessed the reading- of his word in a teachable spirit, to these deeply interesting- people ; and now that many of them have found their way to a land of greater relig-iuus freedom, thoug-h delug-ed with Popish abominations like the one they left, we feel persuaded your Committee, who so cheerfully supplied them when in Madeira, (many of the copies they broug-ht with them,) will not suffer them to lack the word of Life in Trinidad. A second carg-o of these people is daily expected. As they acquire the French language, we feel convinced they will prove most useful auxiliaries in holding forth the lamp of life, by which they were conducted from Popish darkness and degrading- superstition. We may here add, that since our last letter to you in their favour, two more vessels 416 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA, f^"*^™ Madeira have arrived here, with fresh imijortations of Dr. Kalley's — adherents. Very many of those who first reached Trinidad have, how- ^^w' ^^ ever, fallen victims to the climate, and are now, we trust, weaiing some- Indies and thing- like the Martyr's crown, and shouting- ' Victory ' in yonder world British of glory, through the blood of the Lamb. In the distribution of the Guiana. Portuguese Scriptures, with which you have already kindly favoured us, 1804^54. ^^^ ha.Ye departed from our usual custom by dealing them out gTatuitously, — knowing that the people had not the ability to purchase them, even at a 1848. very reduced rate." The years 1847 and 1848 found Mr. M'Murray unabating in his efforts to revive and extend tiie work, in the wide and important sphere entrusted to him. About this time several Hayti. grants were made for the important Island of Hayti, under circumstances worthy of a passing notice. The Rev. J. T. Hartwell, Wesleyan Missionary at Cape Haitien, made the following representation on applying for a grant : — " I am happy to inform the Committee of your valuable Society, that the progress of Bible Christianity in this interesting Republic, although slow, has of late become very evident. The circulation of the Scriptures has, I believe, largely contributed to any success that maj have attended the labours of Missionaries in this island. Progress " I reside in a town containing from four to five thousand souls, and Tch'^^T^*^ during the last eighteen months I have disposed of nearly 150 copies of effort. Bibles and Testaments furnished me by the American Bible Society, for which I have received about half the publishing price. In one respect- able family in which I had the privilege of placing the Holy Book, the eldest son is converted from Romanism, not merely to Protestantism, but, I trust, to real Christianity, and has already become a useful exhorter to his fellow-countrymen : his family participate in his sentiments, and daily assemble to hear the reading of a portion of Sacred Writ, after which they bow the knee in domestic worship. Most of the members are also regular attendants on the means of grace. This happy change has, I believe, been produced mainly by the instrumentality of one Bible. Other copies of the Sacred Book may probably have accomplished equally well their ]\Iission, the result of which can only be known at the great day. I believe all who attend the public ministry in this town have become Bible readers; and wherever I preach occasionally, the Bible is generally sought for. Frequently is it confronted with portions of Scripture found in the Missal ; and many are the httle circles where its doctrines are dis- cussed. " I have also begun to employ a Colporteur, at my own expense, to caiTy Bibles and Tracts into the interior of the country." 500 copies of the French Scriptures were also entrusted to the Rev. M. B. Bird, a Wesleyan Missionary, stationed at AMKKICA. CUAP. IV. Indies ami British lii48. BRITISH AND FOUEIGN IJIRLE SOCIETY. 417 Port Republican, who had great confidence that he should be able to dispose of them advantageously, the Scriptures being much in demand there. ^"west" The Society had also the pleasure of comjilying with an application from the Rev. C. M. Birrell, of Liverpool, sup- Guiaua ported by the Secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society. iffo7 200 French Bibles and 500 Testaments, and two dozen each of German and English Bibles and Testaments, Avere granted; to wdiich were afterwards added, on the renewed application of the Rev. Mr. Webley, a further supply of 200 French Bibles and 500 Testaments. We come now to the last three years of Mr. ]\['Murray's labours in the West Indies. They were occupied as heretofore in the faithful and diligent discharge of the duties of his Mission. Extensive journeys and long protracted tours were under- taken by him, and the wide and scattered field cultivated as much as possible ; nor were there wanting substantial tokens of success ; still, there was much discouragement, arising in no Je^'^^°ssi°oa small degree from the state of depression under which the '» ^^^ whole West-India interest (so called) suffered for several years. Property was depreciated, and the Negro population, having lost the stimulus which the novelty of freedom had inspired, partook also of the general depression, and appeared less inclined to exert themselves than they once did in the cause of the Bible. The consequence was, an increasing difficulty in carrying on the operations of the Society with the efficiency that was desirable, or the vigour that once displayed itself. Hence, towards the close of the period above referred to, the Committee were led to review the state and prospects of the Society's work in the West Indies, for the purpose of ascer- taining whether the time was not come for discontinuing, or at least suspending their direct Agency there. They had nothing to allege against their valued Agent, Mr. M'Murray ; on the contrary, they felt greatly satisfied with the zeal, and prudence, and perseverance which he had displayed, and they believed that he had been doing all that could be done under then existing circumstances ; but it seemed incumbent on them to consider whether the distributions effected, justified the keeping up of so large an outlay. Vol. II. E E 418 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. Chap. IV. West Indies and British Guiana. 1804-54. Termina- tion of Mr. M'Mur- ray's Agency ; and death inAmerica. The result was, that it was arranged for Mr. M'Murray to return home in the spring of the following year, and, in the mean time, he was to use liis utmost efforts to place the depots and Auxiliaries on such a footing, as would be most likely to secure their well working, in the absence of an Agent. To this task Mr. M'Murray set himself with great dili- gence, and to this object the year 1850, the last he spent in the service of the Society, w^as devoted. In the summer of that year he visited several of the Auxiliaries in different parts of Jamaica — Morant Bay, St. Ann's Bay, Montego Bay. Mr. M'Murray afterwards passed through the parishes of Hanover, Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth's, Savanna la Mar, and Manchester; not overlooking the Moravian friends in the mountains of Westmoreland, who had for some years main- tained an Auxiliary among them. The breaking out of the cholera in Jamaica, to the fearful ravages of wdiich it was computed that not fewer than 25,000 of its inhabitants fell victims, induced Mr. M'Murray to leave the island sooner than he had intended : he, however, re- turned thither for a short time ; when he took measures, before he finally left, to place the depot at Kingston on a more efficient footing, under the superintendence of the Auxiliary there ; so that it might be a general storehouse for the Scrip- tures, whence every part of the island might draw supplies. Sailing from Jamaica, Mr. M'Murray proceeded to visit Barbadoes, St. Lucia, Dominica, Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, St. Vincent, &c. In all places, where practicable, he held Public Meetings; and, in the others, he sought by counsel and exhortation, to stir up the friends to care for and carry on the work after his de- parture. In the course of this, his last visit, Mr. M'Murray re- ceived many demonstrations of esteem and respect, accom- panied with indications of sincere regret at his leaving. Mr. M'Murray returned to this country in the summer of 1851, when his connection with the Society closed. He after- wards proceeded to America ; but had not long been resident there, before he was summoned to his heavenly rest by the Great Master, whom, with a willing and devoted mind, he had long sought to serve and honour. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 419 On the witliJrawal of ^Slr. ]\I'Mun*ay, it was thouijht dcsir- amkrica. able, on the part of the Parent Society, to issue a Circular, cu^iTiy. with a view to encourage and stimulate the different Auxi- ^y■est liaries and Associations to renewed exertions under their al- "BHtisl" tered circumstances. It was addressed to the Officers and Guiana. Committees of the several Auxiliary Societies, and to the 1804-54. friends of the British and Foreign Bible Society in the West ^~^ Indies. The Society was now brought into more direct correspondence w^ith its Auxiliaries in the AVest Indies ; and it was pleasing to find that some of them, when left to themselves, were aroused to new and vigorous exertions. The depressed state of things, however, generally throughout the islands, in which Jamaica peculiary shared, especially from the prevalence of the cholera, surrounded the friends of the Society with many difficulties, in their attempts to revive and extend its work. The year of Jubilee gave a fresh impulse to the operations Jubilee of the Society in the West Indies, as well as in many other ^eiebra- ■^ 'J tions ; and places. contribu- A large and influential Meeting was held at George Town, Demerara, on the 12th of October, to celebrate the Society's Jubilee. The Lieutenant-Governor presided, supported by His Honour the Chief-Justice, and a large number of respect- Demerara. able jMinisters and laymen. The proceedings were conducted with much ability and good feeling ; and, as the result of the Meeting, the sum of £294 . 16^. 10c/. was remitted as a contri- bution to the Jubilee Fund. The Rev. J. Ketley, the Society's valued correspondent in George Town, on his return after an absence of several months, proceeded immediately to replenish his stock, and renew his active Bible operations, by sending for supplies of the Scrip- tures. There were forwarded to his order, 1824 Bibles and Testaments. He also remitted £46 . 12^. 7d., besides £20 for the Jubilee Fund, and £12 contributed by himself and his friends towards the Chinese New Testament Fund. In the colony of Berbice, sermons were preached and collec- Berblce. tions made on behalf of the Jubilee Fund. The sum of £50 was transmitted, intended more particularly for the Chinese Testament Fund. E E 2 1854. Jamaica 420 HISTORY OF THE AMERICA. In several places in Jamaica, Meetings were held and ser- Chap. IV. mons preached in celebration of the Society's Jubilee. West The Meetino- at Kingston, on the 12th of October, was well Indies and i i i • i i • • British attended, and highly interesting. Guiana. rpj^^ remittances received from the Agency at Kingston 1804-54. amounted to £95 . 175. lOd., including £33 . 10^. 2d. contri- buted to the Jubilee Fimd, and £5 . 7^. 6d. for China ; and the Manchester Auxiliary was, during the year, re-organised under favourable auspices. The Rev. Mr. Clark, of Brown's Town, on sending £10 to be applied to the Chinese Testament Fund, the proceeds of Jubilee Meetings held at his two stations, wrote : — " The amount contributed is not so larg'e as could be wished, but the people are very poor, consisting- ahnost entirely of emancipated labourers ; it was given cheerfully, I might say joyfully, as an expression of the deep interest they feel in the evangelization of tlie benighted inhabitants of China, and of their gratitude to the Bible Society for tffe noble gift they received from it on their deliverance from bondage. " It has been my happiness, during the last year and a-half, to circulate several hundred copies of the word of God amongst our peasantry ; and I have daily opportunities of witnessing the blessed effects of that word on our once enslaved heathen population." The newly-revived St. James's Auxiliary at Montego Bay, which was prosecuting its labours with much energy, remitted £48 . Gs., and ordered 2024 copies. On the recommendation of the Secretary of the above Society, a grant of 150 Bibles and Testaments was made for the benefit of Grand Cayman, an island about 100 miles from Jamaica, containing about 2000 inhabitants, who were reported to be very destitute of the Scriptures. Contributions, varying in amount, were also received during the year, from Antigua, Dominica, Barbadoes, Trinidad, St. Vincent's, and several other places. At Trinidad, an interesting and well-attended Public Meet- ing of the Auxiliary was held, his Excellency Lord Harris, the Governor, presiding on the occasion. A supply of Chinese New Testaments was forwarded to this Auxiliary, for distribution among the numerous Chinese labourers who had recently arrived in the island. The St. Vincent's Auxiliary remitted the sum of £30 towards .V\rKltTCA. Chap. IV, BRITISH AXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 421 the Jubilee Fund. A Public Meeting in celebration of the Jubilee was held in October, His Excellency the Lieutenant- Governor occupying the chair. West Many of the contributions, however, both to the Jubilee and '"rlritish"'* the China Fund did not come in till the following year ; and it tJuiana. was reserved to a still later period to show the full effect of i«oT-54. that quickened activity, to which the friends of the Society in jg~ the West Indies, as elsewhere, had been happily excited. 422 HISTORY OF THE AUSTRALIA. 1804-1854. AUSTRA- LIA. 1804-54. 1807. First grants to Van Diemen's Laud. The new and vast field opened in the Australian Colonies. — First grants to Van Diemen's Land. — Auxiliary for Neio South Wales. — Version of St. Luke in the Aboriginal language. — Version in the language of New Zealand. — Australia Felix So- ciety formed, — Efforts of Dr. Brouming amongst the Convicts. — Auxiliaries at Adelaide and 3Ielb6urne. — Gold discovery and its immediate effect. — Increased efforts and liberality of Auxiliaries. — Jubilee celebrations, and large contributions to the Fund. — Dejmtation from the Parent Society to Australia. Of tlie countries and colonies now included under the name of Australia, but little was known at the period when the British and Foreign Bible Society commenced its course of usefulness. Some of those colonies, which now rank among the most im- portant and prosperous, had not then an existence ; and as to the few that were at that time beginning to rise, no conception could have been formed of the developement of which they have been found capable, or of the magnitude which they have actually attained, within the last few years. The cause of benevolence, as well as of commerce, finds in the rapidly increasing population of this part of the globe ample scope, and much encouragement. The attention of the British and Foreign Bible Society appears to have been first directed to this remote region of the earth in 1807, when a grant was made of 50 Bibles and 100 Testaments for the " Settlers " in Van Diemen's Land, and of 500 Bibles and 1000 Testaments for the " Colonists" in New South Wales. The latter supplies were consigned to the charge of the Rev. Samuel Marsden, Chaplain of the Colony, a gentle- man whose name was long associated with every benevolent ST KA- LI A. 1817. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 423 effort for the benefit of the colonists, convicts, and aborigines, and one to whom the cause of Christian ISIissions among the _ islands of the Pacific was eminently indebted. The grant to 1804-54 Van Diemen's Land was acknowledged by the Governor, the Hon. D. Collins, in a letter, in which he speaks of the settle- ment as "rather large!" and increasing, " being composed of upwards of 1000 souls, many of whom were extremely young." The gift was very gratefully received. In the histor}^ of the Society's proceedings, nothing further is met with in regard to New South Wales, with the exception of occasional grants to convicts proceeding thither, until the year 1817, when a Bible Society was formed at Sydney, in Port Jackson, under the designation of " The Auxiliary Bible Society of New South Wales." At the institution of this for New^ Society, which took place on the 7th of March 1817, His ^^.^Hl Excellency the Governor, who presided, explained to a nu- merous assembly of officers, gentlemen, and private indi- viduals, the nature of the proposed establishment, which he thought himself bound to sapport, " as a man and a Christian." The Rev. Samuel Marsden, Senior Chaplain, His Honour the Judge Advocate, and other respectable individuals, took part in the proceedings ; and the formation of the Society was followed by some practical arrangements for carrying its object into effect, as well as by a liberal subscription of more than £300. Of this sum, £150 was remitted to the Parent Society, accompanied with a respectful communication from His Ex- cellency, Governor Macquarie, acknowledging the receipt of 4000 Bibles and Testaments, sent out by the Society for the use of the colonists, "which," added the Governor, "they stood greatly in need of, and will be most thankful to receive on any terms." His Excellency gave, at the same time, an account of the judicious measures which he had adopted for effecting their proper distribution. " On the whole," remarks the Report for the year, " when it is considered under what circumstances, and for what end, this remote Settlement was formed, the degree of prosperity which it has attained, and the geographical position which it occupies, your Connnitfee cannot but regard the estal^lishment of the New Soutli Wales Auxiliary Bible Societ}-, as an event of considerable moinciit; 424 HISTORY OF THE ATJSTllA- LTA. 1804-54. 1821. Auxiliary at Hobart Town. Sydney and Para- matta Associa- tions. and anticipate, from its future operations, great moral benefit, not only to the Colony itself, but to the other parts of New Holland, and the adjacent islands, with which it may hereafter cultivate a friendly communication." From a well-directed inquiry made at this time, it was ascertained that more than one-third of the dwellings, and three fiftlis of the inhabitants of Sydney who could read, were without a Bible. It was a gratifying consideration, that the interests of the New South Wales Auxiliary were espoused by all the Civil, Ecclesiastical, and Military authorities in the colony, as well as by the mass of the settlers. A Branch to this Society was also formed at Van Diemen's Land, under the Presidency of the Lieutenant-Governor, with Vice-Presidents, and a Committee composed of the first and most respectable gentlemen of the settlement: 142 Sub- scriptions and Donations at Hobart Town, and 31 at Port Dalrymple, produced the sum of £312. Before the New South Wales Auxiliary had issued its Fourth Report, three Bible Associations had been formed in connection with it, at Sydney, Paramatta, and Windsor ; and the Branch Society at Van Diemen's Land continued to aftbrd it a very liberal and effectual co-operation. The numbers of copies of the Scriptures received by the Auxiliary up to that time, had amounted to 6328, and its contributions to the Parent St)ciety to £840. By the next year it had spread its ramifications throughout the colony, and had received from its active Agents and Asso- ciations many gratifying proofs of the effects produced by the distribution of the Scriptures, among the inhabitants of the vil- lages, and the prisoners on board the convict ships. Two new Bible Associations were formed, at Liverpool and at Campbell's Town. The Sydney and Paramatta Associations were well organized, and had become very efficient. The latter had been enabled to present £112. Gs. lOd. to the New South Wales Auxiliary, for the general purposes of the Parent Bible Society. A gratifying instance of usefulness was, at this time, comnm- nicated by the Rev. Samuel Marsden. He was summoned to BRITISH AND FOREIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 425 attend the death-bed of a young woman, who had been suddenly ArsrnA- arrested by sickness in the midst of health and vigour, and found ^^^ lier enjoying the full consolations afforded by the word of God. iaoj-54. This treasure she had received from an Agent of the Society; m"7(5. and Mr. Marsden observes, " She may be said to have attained her religion wholly from the Bible. I believe she did not know, or had ever conversed with, any religious person before I visited her." On board the convict ships the most gratifying effects were produced by the circulation of the Scriptures. For several following years, the correspondence from these distant colonies affords but little variety. Remittances were regularly made, and considerable supplies of Scriptures were forwarded, from time to time, and thus the work steadily pro- gressed. On one occasion, a request was made by a Missionary, who had recently returned from Sydney, for a class of persons whom he thus describes : — " The persons I have in view," writes the Missionary, " cannot purchase : they are principally prisoners of the Crown, sent into the wilderness to keep their masters' flocks and herds. Without society, without any pos- sibility of attending the means of grace, even were those means in existence among them, how nmch these poor herdsmen need the word of salvation to be sent among them !" In 1828, the Rev. Mr. Threlkeld, a INIissionary, transmitted the first specimen of his attempts at translation in the Aboriginal language of this quarter of the Avorld, accompanied with the ex- pression of his hope, that he might be instrumental in causing the Sacred Scriptures to be translated into the tongue of this people. The language was that of the Aborigines about Lake Mac- ^t. Luke quarie. The Gospel of St. Luke was translated, and the New riginal South Wales Auxiliary engaged to assist in printing it; but as ^a^Dguage. nothing further appears respecting this version, it may be pre- sumed that the state of this degraded people did not allow of much use being made of it. An edition of part of the Scriptures in the New Zealand v,.psioii in language was carried through the press at Sydney, about ^''c lan- tiie year 1883 : 600 copies of the following portions were nvw Zca- printcd :— Genesis, eight chapters, St. Matthew, St. Luke, the '^"*1- 426 HISTORY OF THE AUSTRA- LIA. 1834. Activity of Auxi- liaries. Auxiliary at Laun- ceston. Acts, the Epistle to the Romans, and 1st Corinthians. The further progress of this work, will be found referred to in the history of the South Sea Islands. A new Auxiliary was formed, in 1834, at Launceston, Yan Diemen's Land, called the " Cornwall Auxiliary," which has since taken an active and liberal share in the work of distri- buting the Scriptures, as well as of raising contributions. To show the continued activity and progress of the principal AuxiHaries, it may be stated, that in 1836, Sydney remitted £300, and ordered 900 Bibles and Testaments ; Hobart Town remitted £200, and ordered 880 copies of the Scriptures ; and the Launceston Auxiliary remitted £200, and ordered 500 copies. Several additional Associations were afterwards formed in different parts of the colony of New South Wales. In Van Diemen's Land, the Hobart Town Ladies' Association, then recently formed, raised in its first year above £60, of which £52 . 3s. 3d was a free contribution. Nearly every house in Hobart Town had been visited, and in most families were found copies of the Lispired Volume. The first mention of South Australia, in the reports of the Society, is in 1839. 50 Bibles and 100 Testaments were placed at the disposal of Lieutenant-Colonel Gawler, at that time appointed Governor of South Australia. And Mr. C. J. Latrobe, going out as Government Superintendent to the rising colony of Port Philip, received 100 Bibles and 300 Testaments. The population at that time was about 2000, " with every prospect of a rapid increase." In 1840, the Cornwall Auxiliary at Launceston was described " as deeply rooted in the affection of its friends." During the year, it remitted the sum of £200. The following is an extract from the Report of the Norfolk Plains Associa- tion, in connection with this Auxiliary : — " There is an increasing- demand for copies of the Scriptures in the homes of the people ; and in many famiUes who have heretofore appeared to hve without God in the world, the reading- of His word is regularly practised. " By the institution of schools, with which this district is now highly favoured, children have become, in some instances, instruments, in the liand of God, for the religious instruction of their parents ; and, instead BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 427 of growing- up in what mig-ht well be termed hereditary ig-noranoe and austr.v- vice, have been enabled to unseal the oracles of Divine Wisdom to those lia. who gave them birth. — " On many farms, too, where the prisoner population were wont to spend their evenings in the \'ice of idleness, or in active crime, and where, 1840. instead of using the Sabbath as a day of holy rest, thej^ devoted its sacred hours to riotous amusements or sinful occupations, do they now meet, after the duties of the day, to hear the word of God read to them by one of their own number, perhaps the only one among them who is able to do so. " But it is not in private establishments alone that this chang-e is ob- servable : a gratifying instance occurs in the chain-gang at Perth, There a school has been formed for instructing the prisoners in reading- — the teachers being men of their own class, and the school-book the Bible ! Up- wards of eighty men attend, and show much diligence in availing them- selves of the ojiportunity thus afforded them. And your Committee have promised to each of them a copy of the Xew Testament, as soon as he shall have learned to read in it." This year was formed the Australia Felix Auxiliary Bible Australia Society. The Secretary, in announcing that event, writes: — ^^^'.^ " The meeting was held in the Scotch School room, which is capable of formed, accommodating 300 persons. The attendance was large and highly respectable. His Honour, Charles Joseph La Trobe, Esq., most willingly took the chair on the occasion, and promised to give it all the support which lay in his power. " In the notice of the grant made to Mr. La Trobe, your Report says that ' the population of Port Philip is at present about 2000, with ever^' pro- spect of a rapid increase.' The population of the town of Melbourne alone is now somewhere about 5000, and in the Province of Australia Felix there cannot be fewer than 10,000 or 12,000 inhabitants. Many of these, it is to be feared, are destitute of the word of God, or hvingin the neglect of that word." The Van Diemen's Land Auxiliary at Hobart Town for- warded, in 1842, two considerable orders ; the first for 300 Bibles and 1000 Testaments ; the second for 4000 copies. In sending the second order, the Secretary writes : — *' The Government having now purchased all our Testaments, and 825 Applica- of our stock of Bibles, while another tender for a similar quantity of tion from Bibles has been advertised in the Gazette, of which we shall only be aljle 'j'JI^,^'^'^ to suppl}' about half, our stock will soon be entirely exhausted. " The large supply purchased by the Government is required for the convicts sent out here; and while we have to lament that there should be such numbers of our fellow-creatures suffering transportation for their crimes, yet we cannot sufficiently adore the mercy of God, when we see 428 HISTORY OF THE AUSTRA- LIA. 1804-54. 1844. Efforts of Dr. Browning amongst the con- victs. Stated ob- servances of divine worship on the voyage. all these men supplied with his holy -word, which maj^ yet make them partakers of the great salvation ." An important application was made in 1844, in behalf of the Wesleyan Sabbath Schools in New South Wales, amounting, at that time, to twenty-six in number, containing 196 teachers, and 1737 children: 2000 copies were placed in the hands of the New South Wales Auxiliary, with a request that they would use their best judgment in meeting that and similar applications. A grant was this year also made, of Bibles and Testaments for the inhabitants of a town in the district of Adelaide, on the ap- plication of G. F. Angas, Esq. ; and in the following year an Auxiliary Society was formed at Adelaide, under the most favourable auspices. It was entitled, the South Australian Auxiliary Bible Society. His Excellency the Governor con- sented to become President ; and His Honour the Judge of the Supreme Court, Vice President. The Colonial Secretary, the Advocate General, and many other respectable gentlemen, were found on the Committee. Repeated allusion has been made to grants of Scriptures furnished for the use of convicts. Among the most conside- rable of these, were some made to Dr. Browning,* a gentleman distinguished by his judicious management of the prisoners sent out, at different times, under his charge. The following ex- tract is from a communication made by him, on occasion of 400 copies of the Scriptures being placed at his disposal, when going out in charge of 200 convicts. It may be taken as illustrative of his method of treating the convicts, and the success attendmg it. " All the prisoners have been landed able to read ; a few, indeed, still imperfectly ; but the great body of the men read the Sacred Scriptures with ease and comfort. The period during which the prisoners were on board the ' Theresa ' was devoted to their instruction, chiefly in Chris- tianity as developed in the Holy Scriptures, and in training them to think, to govern their feelings and affections, to control their temper and their tongue, to form their principles, manners, and habits, and to direct their conduct. Twice every daj', morning and evening, three times on Tues- days and Fridays, and three times on the Lord's Day, we assembled for scriptural instruction and the social worship of God. Our whole voyage * Author of " England's Exiles." BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 429 luis been one of spiritual exercise and spiritual enjoyment : tht> people mstra. have been ruled by Cliristianity, kind treatment, the consistent and uni- lia. form exaction of obedience to lawful authority, the requirement of the njnT'ri habitual observance of established regulations, and of the punctual and cheerful performance of all personal and social duties; and with all our 1"17- exercises and proceedings, was united fervent and unceasing- prayer. In our social worship, praise occupied its proper place. One man, afflicted with partial and depraved insanity, and two boys, who appear to have Result of defied Parkhurst prison, caused me, on repeated occasions, some uneasi- y""***^'-^." , . , / . ,' , , , ' mstruction. ness ; but, with these exceptions, the people conducted themselves with amazing propriety-, and like thoughtful and considerate men. Of course we had no punishment deserving notice. As to flogging, that mode of correction has long been discarded from my sj^stem of government and discipline. Two hundred and thirty-two sets of irons had been put on board the ' Theresa,' witli the view of facilitating the control of the con- victs ; but not in one sing-le instance had I occasion to order irons to be employed ; none were brought on deck nor removed from the hold, and on no occasion w^as a prisoner placed under the care of a sentiy. In these particulars the ' Theresa ' stands pre-eminent in my experience. In several respects she surpassed the ' Earl Grey ;' in others the ' Earl Grey ' excels, owing, as far as human instnimentaUty seems concerned, chiefly to there being found amongst the prisoners of the latter vessel, two or three more intelligent and influential men than appeared on board the ' Theresa.' The prisoners in the ' Theresa,' although a greater propor- tion of them than of those previously committed to my care had been taught to read and write, appeared, at the period of embarkation, the least instructed, speaking of them as a body ; yet at the period of debarkation, still speaking of them as a body, they were the most fully instructed and improved. " Considering that fully the half of our voyage was accomplished in mid-winter, during short days, the progress of the people in the business of their education was quite extraordinary. And from the time we entered on the border of the Southern Ocean, and which was nearly thirty deo-rees west of the Cape of Good Hope, we experienced a succession of gales and squalls, with wet weather, and high sea running and frequently breaking over us, keeping the ship in a most uncomfortable and wretclied .state both above and below decks. During this period we were compcllijd to assemble ' for Church ' in the prison. Trinity Sunday, May 18, was a fearful day, both as it respected the weather and the state of the sliip. At Church we endeavoured to unite in praying the Litany, and the prisoners contrived to secure themselves by sitting compactly together. I coidd, by continued effort, hang on with my hands whilst I read the Service, the Lessons, and the Sermon : the sea all the while beating over us, and tor- rents of w^ater pouring down the hatchAvays, contributed to add serious- ness and solemnity to our devotions. Repeatedly did we find ourselves jilaced in corresponding circumstances during the voyage. Hut I fear 1 430 HISTORY OF THE AUSTRA- a™ entering- too fully into detail. You are aware tliat I never went to sea LiA. so amply provided with Bibles and Testaments, Prayer Books, Homilies, ■7^ and other suitable Books and Tracts for the use of the people on board, .T*^ ■ and for distribution in the Colonies. There was, tlierefore, no lack of 1847. suitable and profitable reading for the people on board during- the voyag-e ; and at the termination— and after the prisoners had passed throug-h an examination before a board of examiners corresponding- with that noticed in ' England's Exiles,' consisting- of the two officers of the guard, the master of the ship, a mate, and myself — the Bibles and other books were distributed as prizes, and each prisoner was landed in possession of a clean or new copy of the Sacred Scriptures. " In conclusion, I observe that, notwithstanding the extreme wetness of the ship, and the storminess of the weather during a considerable portion of the voyage, through God's blessing on the means employed to preserve the health of the people, very httle disease appeared on board, and death appeared not amongst us. Three hundred and twenty-nine persons em- barked in England, and three hundred and twenty-nine persons debarked at Hobart Town, Tasmania. To God, as most due, be ascribed the glory, praise, and thanksgiving." In 1847, Dr. Perry, then newly appointed Bishop of Mel- bourne, and Vice-President of the Parent Society, on his leaving this country, had placed in his hands 500 Bibles and Testaments, to be disposed of according to his Lordship's discretion. The communications from the different Auxiliaries continued satisfactory. This year the Cornwall Auxiliary at Launceston remitted £110, and ordered 3900 Bibles and 5800 Testaments. The importance and necessity of so large a supply of the Scriptures, at that time, will be seen in the statements con- tained in the following letter from the Secretary : — " I am happy to state that the demand for the Scriptures has increased, and that the cheapness and beauty of the books facilitate their circulation. By means of hawkers to whom the depositary is instructed to sell at Society's prices, many copies have lately been carried into the interior, and disposed of at the homesteads of the settlers, and the huts of their servants. By the last census, the free inhabitants of this island amounted Large sup- to 37,088, of whom 13,946 were un^er fourteen years of age ; from 1841 plies of the to 1846 no fewer than 23,846 convicts were poured into this colony ; and nee(kj"^^^ the actual number in bondage in March last was 30,846. Such a dispro- portionate mass of evil and corruption seems to defy the ordinary means of instruction and influence. It becomes, therefore, an imperative duty on the part of Bible Societies, to promote to the utmost the diflPusion of the 1804-54. BTITTTSII AXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETV. 431 Scriptures, especiallj' in the rural districts, where servants selilom hoar a AisTTtA- sermon, or hsten to serious counsel ; and I feel that the Local Associations lia. have a work to perform in tliis respect. When the Bible penetrates the wilderness, it may lie for a time neg-lected ; but occasions frequently arise which lead the solitary to the Scriptures; and instances are, happily, 1850. numerous, in which the Spirit of God has shone on the word, illuminated the mind, and affected the heart in the absence of human teachers. INIay such be the result here, and maj^ the Scriptures scattered in the towns, villages, and country districts of this beautiful island, not only exercise a restraining- and ameliorating influence, but produce a transformation in the character of thousands !" Activity of ries at Adelaide Tlie Auxiliaries at Adelaide and Melbourne were now rising in importance. The former was found expanding itself by ^^"^'' means of depots. Besides the one at Adelaide, others wore and Mel established at the Burra Burra, Kapunda, Houghton, ]\Iount ^°^"^^- Barker, Port Adelaide, and Port Lincoln. This must be con- sidered as gratifying, inasmuch as it showed that the Society was assuming its proper position in relation to the Colony, and was giving promise of becoming really the South Australian Auxiliary Bible Society, and not merely the Adelaide Bible Society. This Society began now to employ a Colporteur. His sales were principally at inns and public-houses. The city generally appears to have been well supplied with Bibles. A beginning was also made in canvassing some of the country districts, and the results were gratifying. Of 108 families visited, six only Avere found destitute. The others were found pretty well sup- Colportagc plied with Bibles and Testaments. At a Public Meeting of the ^^^l^^ Society, presided over by His Excellency the Lieutenant- Governor, the Bishop of the diocese, after alluding to the fact of the rapidly-augmenting population of the province, (being at the rate of 12,000 a year,) expressed his gratification at tlie moral aspect of society in South Australia, and his opinion that the state of intelligence, manners, and morals, was higher than tliat in the mother country. The Melbourne Auxiliary, also, now began to employ a Col- porteur for the distribution of the Sacred Scriptures among the British population. During some extended tours he experienced much kindness and encouragement from the settlers, and disposed of above 700 copies. The Bishop of jSIelbourne, who had 432 HISTORY OF THE AusTRA- become the President, manifested a lively interest in promoting ^^' its object. He applied for, and received, an additional grant of 1804-54, 1000 copies, which he disposed of chiefly by sale. 1851. ^^ J^ow arrive at a new epoch in the history of Australia, ^ „ , formed by the discovery of gold there. This event, which Gold dis- -^ _ . , . . . , covery, and gave SO extraordmary an nnpulse to nnmigration and commerce, diateeffet ^®i^^®^ ^^^^ to stimulate and call for exertions having a higher and nobler aim. The friends of the Bible did not fail to take advantage, as opportvmity offered, of these new openings for usefulness which now presented themselves. The Auxiliary at Sydney roused itself to renewed exertion. Agencies for the sale of Bibles and Testaments were established in several of the principal inland towns, and the subject of Oolportage for the settlers in the Bush was brought under consideration. Its usefulness was fully recognised, and an appeal made on its behalf. An Agent was also appointed for the gold-fields in their neighbourhood. The Secretary writes : — " Our g'old ^discoveries go on increasing" ; several new auriferous localities having been lately brought to light. The precious metal comes into Sydney at the rate of from £-20,000 to £25,000 per week, and it is expected that the vessel b}' which this letter g'oes, will take home about £100,000. There are 15,000 people at the mines, living in tents and bark huts, in very primitive style, and the majority, alas ! having no fear of God before their eyes. " Trading on the Sabbath exists to a great extent, but gold-digging on that sacred day is never allowed and never attempted, buying and selHng taking the place of cradle-rocking. Different religious denominations in Sydney have established preaching stations at Ophir, Sofala, Araluen, &c., and generally pretty good congregations attend. We are about to send an Agent among them to sell Bibles and Testaments, as it is now very evident that g'old dig'ging must go on for many years to come ; the auriferous region extending for many hundred miles along the mountain- range from Bathurst southward to Port Philip, where gold has lately been discovered in great abundance." The Australia Felix, now called the Victoria Auxiliary, at Melbourne, received supplies of above 5000 copies of Bibles and Testaments, among which were a number of German, French, Italian, and Chinese, for parties in the gold- fields. The year 1852, was one of much activity among the principal Australian Auxiliaries ; the gold discoveries, while 11!51. Increased ell'orts and BRITISH AXD FOKEICX RIBLE SOCIETY. 433 somewliat interrupting, at the same time stimulating their avstka- efforts. " '■^• Tlie Auxiliary Society at Sydney remitted £633, and i«04-o4. ordered 11,367 Bibles and Testaments. This Society, esta- blished in 1817, was stated never to have been in more flourishing circumstances. The sales of Bibles and Testaments during the year would have been increased threefold, had it 'i^f^^ality not. been for the suspension of all regular business, and the dis- liarics! organized state of society, consequent upon the gold discoveries. The issues ofthe year had amounted to 2956 copies, making the total issues of the Auxiliary 27,866 copies. The Special Fund raised for sending Colporteurs into the Bush, amounted to £104. Just as they had matured their plans for sending the first pioneer on the above important undertaking, the gold dis- covery took place, and threatened to bring about so many unforeseen changes, that it was deemed advisable by the Com- mittee, to delay for a few months the prosecution of their Colportcnr designs. They were afterwards able to meet with an intel- ligent and pious young man, anxious to take part in the woi'k for the sake of doing good to his fellow-creatures, and to engage his services for a time, as Colporteur. He started on foot with a pack on his back, on his way to Paramatta, with the intention of first traversing the counties of Camden and Cum- berland, and afterwards proceeding to some of the auriferous localities frecpiented by the gold-diggers. In the course of his tour he met with an amount of success far beyond the expectations of the Committee, who felt thankful that God had so far deigned to accompany with His gracious blessing this important movement ; and they were encouraged to hope that circumstances would soon enable them to add other labourers, who should assist in carrying far and wide the word of life. The following affecting incident is taken from the Report of this Auxiliary : — " A letter received in Sydney the other day, from a gentleman, (who is at present on a tour of hispection, searching- for gold indications amoiigst. the Australian Alps,) states, that he spent the Sabbath previous to last Christmas, encamped out in the mountains, in company with two shep- herds, one of whom had not seen a minister of the f Jospel for eleven years, and the other not for eighteen years. Vol. H. k e 434 HISTORY OF THE AUSTRA- I-IA. 1852. Meetings and Con- tributions of Auxi- liaries. Adelaide. Melbourne. Gcclong. A very interesting Anniversary Meeting of the Auxiliary was held at Sydney this year, at which the sura of £400 was contributed, one gentleman present giving £110, and another £100. The South Australian Auxiliary Society at Adelaide re- mitted this 3^ear £276, and received 2615 Bibles and Tes- taments. The total issues of this Society, since it was established in 1845, were 6967 copies; those of the last year 947, being a slight decrease on the preceding year, which is partly accounted for in the following extract : " In noticing- the above decrease, jour Committee beg- to assure you that there has been no lack of energy on their part to disseminate, nor of desire on that of your fellow-colonists to possess, the word of the living God ; but, as remarked in previous Reports, the inhabitants of this colony are generally well supplied with the Bible ; principally owing- to the noble efforts of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and other kindred Insti- tutions, as well as to the individual exertions of many true-hearted Christians, through whose agency few persons emigrate from the shores of Britain unprovided with a copy of the Holy Scriptures. The decrease in the sales has also, doubtless, been in some measure occasioned by the extensive emig-i-ation in the earlier part of the year to the gold-tields of the neighbouring colonies, and by the consequent disruption of society, and the cessation of the ordinary pursuits of the industrial classes of this colony. This inference is corroborated by facts, inasmuch as the sale of Bibles greatly increased during the latter portion of the year, after the return of many who had temporarily left the province." The attendance at the Annual Meeting was larger than at any preceding one. The Victoria Auxiliary at Melbourne remitted £200, and received 5499 Bibles and Testaments. The sales of the Scriptures at the various depots had been 2377 copies. The Secretary, in transmitthig an order, writes — " The pressure of demand is considerable, and the unexpected influx of gold- seekers is likely to increase our wants. One of our Agents at the Mount Alexander gold-field estimates his monthly average sales at 300 copies ; and these are nothing among the 50,000 people likely soon to be assembled there." The Geelong Auxiliary forwarded the sum of £74 for Bibles and Testaments, and £54 as Free Contributions, The operations of this Society, as well as of others already re- 1804-54. ll!5;i. Hobart BRITISH AXD FOREIGN lUIiLE SOCIETY. 43.5 ferrecl to, were greatly interfered Avitli by the extraordinary alstua state of things whicli then prevailed in the colony. '■^" The Yan Diemen's Land Auxiliary remitted the sum of Chap. I £200, and ordered 1974 Bibles and Testaments. After the accounts were made up, £130 more was received; on which occasion the Secretary writes : — "The excitement and changes consequent upon gold discoveries in this part of _the world have somewhat interfered with the regular prosecution Towu. of reUgious efforts. Our friends, in town and country, who canvass in hehalf of our Society, have not been so fully engaged in the work during the last 3'ear, as formerly. On the whole, however, our funds have been maintained, and, in some instances, those who have enlarged means, (acquired at the gold-fields or elsewhere,) have evinced enlarged hberality in contributing to this or other departments of Christian usefulness." The Cornwall Auxiliary at Launceston remitted £245, and received 2137 Bibles and Testaments. During the Jubilee year, the remittances received from Jubilee the Sydney Auxiliary amounted to £1140, of which £400 f.""tribu- were the proceeds of the interesting Anniversary above referred to. Supplies were forwarded of 8404 Bibles and Testaments. 500 copies of the Chinese Sacred Scriptures had also been ordered from Shanghai : these were at the expense of the Parent Society. It was found that the majority of the Chinese who came to the diggings were able to read, and were much pleased at receiving a book in their own language. Five Colporteurs were now engaged in the work of Bible dis- tribution, employed by the Sydney Auxiliary. The South Australian Auxiliary at Adelaide remitted sums amounting to £800, of which £500 was for the Jubilee Fund. A Jubilecr Meeting was held on the 12th of October, in the Wesleyan chapel, the largest building in Adelaide, when upwards of one thousand people Avcre present : the collection amounted to £72. A Branch Society had been established at Angaston, about fifty miles north of Adelaide, which appeared likely to l)e of great service. A similar Society at Willunga, about thirty miles south of Adelaide, had been broken up about two years before, in consequence of the migration t(j the neighbouring gold-fields. ^More eflfectuall}^ to moot the wants of (he popuhi- F I- 2 436 HISTORY OP THE AusTKA- tion, in regard to the Scriptures, the Auxiliary had established ^l^- depots in most parts of the Colony. 1804-54. The Victoria Auxilary at Melbourne made various remit- ]^3 tances, amounting in the whole to £1650. Of this large sum, £1000 was generously contributed towards the Jubilee Fund, and the remainder, £650, for books. Supplies of Bibles and Testaments were ordered, to the number of 3691 copies. From a statement presented at the Jubilee Meeting of this Auxiliaiy, at which the Bishop of Melbourne presided, it ap- Jubilee pears that it had circulated, in the twelve years since its for- Meeting at A -^ i i • i i Melbourne, mation, about 13,000 copies of the Scriptures; and that it had remitted to the Parent Society nearly £1400; besides ex- pending about £400 in the employment of an Agent, who, in the years 1849 and 1850, w^ent round nearly the whole of the province, and distributed, by sale or gift, 1167 copies. Several Branch Societies had also been formed in connection with the Auxiliary, some of which have since assumed an independent character and action. The Geelong Auxiliary remitted £125 as a Free Contribu- tion, and £110 for Bibles and Testaments, of which it received 320 copies. The Portland Bay Society, after applying such portion of its funds as might be required for the purchase of the Scrip- tures for local distribution, proposed to employ the surplus, for the most part, in promoting a system of colportage in the in- creasingly populous district around. From this Society a re- mittance of £40 was received, to pay for a supply of Scrip- tures. The Van Diemen's Land Auxiliary remitted £680, in- cluding £102 to the Jubilee Fund ; and ordered 2165 Bibles and Testaments. An interesting Jubilee Meeting was held at Hobart Town on the 12th of October, at which the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Hobart W. Denisoii, presided. The audience was numerous and respectable, and the claims of the Society were powerfully advocated by ministers of different denominations. The Cornwall Auxiliary at Launceston remitted £227, and ordered 220 Bibles and Testaments. Thus were the several Auxiliaries found, at this interesting Town. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 437 epoch of the Society's history, in a state of very gratifying activity and prosperity. At the period when this history closes, the Society was in i"^-*- treaty with two gentlemen to undertake a mission to Australia, in fulfilment of part of the plan for the appropriation of the Jubilee Fund. It was thought that a visit of this kind to ^ , . 1 . . , . , , , , Deputation these nnportant and risnig colonies, would not only be a from suitable mark of respect to the valuable and numerous friends gQ^fje"' to of the Society there, but might also contribute to revive, Australia, consolidate, and extend the work. This service was under- taken by the Rev. M. H. Becher, Rector of Barnoldby-le- Beck, Lincolnshire, and Thomas Charles, Esq., grandson of the late celebrated Rev. T. Charles of Bala. The deputation arrived at Sydney early in the year 1855, and immediately entered on their arduous and responsible duties. They were everywhere received with a thoroughly cordial and Christian welcome : the Auxiliary Societies passed resolutions expressive of their warm attachment to the prin- ciples and objects of the Parent Institution, and of their lively satisfaction in being permitted to receive its representatives. Mr. Charles was compelled, owing to the failure of his health, to return before the objects of the mission had been fullv attained. Upon Mr. Becher, therefore, devolved the re- sponsibility of completing the visitation for which arrangement had been made. The result of the whole was very satisfactory.* * An interesting- report of this mission, drawn up on the return of the Deputation, is inserted in the Appendix of the Society's Report for 1857, 438 HISTORY OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. 1817—1854. Progress of 3Iusions in Tahiti. — Grants for version of New Testament, — Speech of Rev. W. Ellis. — Grants for Tongan and Neiv Zealand versions. — Visit to England of Rev. J. Wil- liams; Visit of Rev. H. Nott, with entire Bible inTahitian. — Return of Messrs. Williams and Nott, with supplies of Scrip- tures.— Letters from Rarotonga 31issionaries. — Death of Mr. Williams. — Increasing demand for Scriptures iti New Zealand. — Incidents of grateful reception of Scriptures in Tahiti, Rarotonga, and New Zealand. — Expulsion of Missionaries from Tahiti hy the French. — Version for Navigators' Islands. — New Testament in Feejeean. — Jubilee Year in the South Seas. — Joy on arrival of entire Scriptures at Rarotonga. — Grant to New Hebrides Idands. SOOTH SEA Several years bad elapsed, after the formation of the islajsds. British and Foreign Bible. Society, before any progress was 1817-54. wi^de towards conveying the oracles of the Christian Faith, ■~ through the medium of tlieir own languages, to the idolatrous natives of the islands of the Southern Ocean. As the result, through the divine blessing, of the efforts of the London Missionary Society, commenced in 1796, and continued for more than twenty years against discouragements, which led many to consider success hopeless, and perseverance pre- sumption— the inhabitants of Otaheite, and of certain neigh- P ess of l^ouring islands, • were at length so effectually influenced by Christian the preaching of the Gospel, as to turn, in considerable numbers, and, as it were, by a simultaneous impulse from their idols and their vices, to the worship of the true God, and a practical conformity to the precepts and example of JesvTS Christ wliom He hath sent. So rapidly did this Missions in Tahiti. BRITISH AND FOREIGN lUHLK SOCIETV. 439 influence extend, and so completely did it operate, that, in south sea 1818, the Directors of the Mission were able thus to report: — islands, " The Christian religion, as a system, is now the religion of 1317-54. Otaheite, Eimeo, and six other islands. ^~^ " The natives have erected places of worship in every district of every island. They strictly observe the Sal)bath ; and constantly assemble together for Christian worship and instruc- tion : and they act thus (a point of great importance) spontane- ously, it being evident that the Missionaries can attend to Oliscrvance preach, or to direct the worship, at comparatively but few bath ami of places. Everywhere they are believed to observe private sh"p^^*"'' prayer ; and in Eimeo almost every house has family worship. A desire for knowledge is universally planted among the natives. They are everywhere importunate for books, and for jNIissionaries to come and instruct them : and where they cannot obtain the latter advantage, and have proper books, they teach each other. The instances of intelligent piety among them are represented to be numerous, and their manners to correspond to their Christian profession." To what has been already stated concerning this people, it may be added, that at that time more than eighty places of worship were numerously attended ; that 5000 individuals had become qualified to read; that a spirit of religious inquiry had been awakened in those neighbouring islands, which had ^"u^"'^" of not yet thrown off the yoke of idolatry ; that thus there was able to ave good reason to hope, that the word of the Lord would ha free course among this Insular population, once devoted to the blindest superstition and the most polluting immorality ; and that its dissemination through the press would consolidate and extend the triumphs, which had been achieved by its oral publication. A printing-press having been established in the island of Tahiti, and the Missionaries having translated the Gospel of St. Luke into theTahitian language, fifty reamsof paper were, in 1817, furnished by the Society, to enable them to pi-int 3000 copies of it. Other parts of the New Testament Avere then in a course of preparation. By the time these 3000 copies of St. Luke had been printed, and ncarlv distributed, the other Gospels, together wilh tli. read. 440 HISTORY OF THE SOTITH SEA ISLANDS. 1817-54. 1822. Version of St. Luke in 'lahitiau. Eagerness of natives to learn. Scriptures for the So- ciety and Georgian Islands. Acts of the Apostles, were nearly ready to be printed. Of these when completed, it was the wish of the Missionaries to print 10,000 copies, which number, considering tlie progress made by the natives in reading, and their urgent desire to possess the Scriptures, it was expected would still not be sufficient to supply their wants. '-'Multitudes" (said the Missionaries) " can now read with ease ; and their desire to teach others the word of God seems to grow with their own knowledge." " It is common to see those who have been taught to read, sitting in circles in the cooling shade, or in their own houses, teaching those who know not. Not content merely with what they learn at school, they frequently sit in circles till midnight, teaching each other. In some of the islands, Avhere a Mis- sionary has never resided, the natives can read and write ; and many have known how to teach their neighbours, before their names were ever enrolled in the school-book." The Society, anxious to afford all possible aid to exertions so disinterested and so eminently successful, transmitted, in 1820, a further supply of 200 reams of paper, together with some Enolish Bibles and Testaments, for the use of the crews of whalers, both English and American, touching at these islands, amongst whom the Missionaries observed, in several instances, a want of the Scriptures. In 1821 and 1822, the Society granted to the Society and Georgian Islands further supplies of paper, for the purpose of printing the Gospels in the Tahitian language. " We beg leave," wrote one of the Missionaries, " on behalf of our brethren and the natives of the Society Islands, to return our most grateful acknowledgments to the Committee for their kind attention to our wants, and the ample means with which they furnished us of putting into the hands of the islanders around us so much of that blessed Book, which is able to make them wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. The Gospel of St. John has been printed, and is circulating in Tahiti. We are also printing at this station a second edition of 3000 copies for the Leeward Islands, of which we have finished three sheets. We feel particularly thankful in being able to state, that the word of BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 441 God continues to be highly esteemed, and earnestly desired, south se.v by the people among whom we dwell." ]M..v>n>. In the following year, copies of St. Matthew, St. Lnke, and m 1-7-5 »• St. John, were received in this country. The Acts of the \s-26. Apostles, it was reported, was in the press, and the Epistles to the Romans and Ephesians, together with several hooks of the Old Testament, were under revision. The next information was, that 3500 copies of the Four (rospels had been printed at Huahine, one of the Society Islands, and received with avidity by the natives; and at IJorabora, the Epistles had been completed, every practical care being taken to ensure fidelity in the translation. Large editions were called for, in consequence of several other islands having embraced Christianity. 200 additional reams of paper were therefore granted, for the use of the iSIissionaries in })rintlng these parts of the New Testament. Still the call for supplies of paper continued. The Acts of Grant from the Apostles being completed, copies of it were circulated in thirteen different islands. 10,000 copies of the Scriptures, it was stated, were reqTiired to satisfy the demands of the Leeward Mission alone. Another grant of 500 reams of paper was made ; Alexander Birnie, Esq., owner of a ship trading to that quarter of the world, kindly forwarding it, as on former occasions, free of all charge to the Society. The Society had the pleasure, about this time, on the recom- mendation of Lord Bexley, of placing 100 Bibles and 300 Testaments at the disposal of the Rev. jMr. Bloxham, chap- lain of His Majesty's ship " Blonde," under the command of Captain, the Right Honourable Lord Byron, which carried out the remains of the late king and queen of the Sandwich Islands, who died whilst on a visit to this country. At the Twenty-second Anniversary of the Parent Society, the Speech of Rev. W. Ellis, then recently returned from the South Sea kiiis. Islands, gave an interesting account of the wonderful change wrought by the promulgation of divine truth in some of these islands. Thefollowing extracts are too valuable to be withheld: — " The first Missionaries who reached tlieir shores, found tlie lan{,'-uag-e of those islanders disting-uished by its beauty, variety, and strenji:th ; but, like tlieir mountains and their valleys, it was uncultivated. Its elements SOUTH SEA 442 HISTORY OF THE they reduced to a s,ystem ; books were prepared ; and tlie Natives tauglit ISLANDS, to read. Portions of the Scriptures have been translated ; and not less iSlTsi ^^^^ 2G,000 copies of different parts of the Sacred Volume have been _ * printed on paper liberally furnished by the British and Foreign Bible 1S26. Society, and distributed among- the people ; of whom, mall the islands, there are probably 10,000 capable of reading- in their own lang-uage ' the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make them wise unto salvation.' " England may have many friends, but there are Jione who feel a more lively or affectionate concern for the advancement of her best interests than the Natives of the South-Sea Islands : they look to Britain as the agent, under God, from whom they have received all those blessings which the Gospel has imparted. The tie that binds them to us is the tie o7tlie " ^ °^ gratitude ; and often is that gratitude expressed, when, in their wor- natives to shipping assemblies, they pray for Britain. ' Thence came the word of Britain. God to us,' they say. ' Long may that word grow there ! and long may that country be employed by God in sending forth His word, till it shall gTow in every land ! ' — May their prayers be full,y answered ! " Time would foil to tell the change the Bible has produced in the islands of the Southern Sea : the verdant landscape, once lovely in romantic wildness, often now appears a cultivated garden ; the lowly leaf-thatched hut is now a neat and cheerful cottage ; and the wanton, roving, idle Native, has become a decent, steady, and industrious member of society. Domestic happiness was unknown, and had not, in their lang-uage, a term their physi- h,y which it could be expressed ; but it now pervades the famihes, and caland sheds around their social circles its unnumbered blessings. Their civil dJti'on *^°"' institutions, since the introduction of the Gospel, have undergone a change no less surprising. Their government was formerly a most cruel and despotic system, but is now both mild and equitable. A charter, or code of laws, has been adopted by mutual agreement between the chiefs and people, by which the rights of person and of property are inviolably secured : courts of justice are established ; judges are appointed to admi- nister justice according to the laws; and the trial by jury, with all its advantages, is now enjoyed by the Natives of the South-Sea Islands. A high tone of independent feeling, and a bold attachment to their natural and acknowledged rights, pervade the several classes of the community; of which they have given many striking instances. " These happy changes in their civil institutions have not been produced by the direct instructions of the Missionaries ; for they have invariably avoided all interference with the civil and political usages of the countries in which they have laboured, and have directed their attention to the moral improvement and religious instruction of the people. The altera- tions that have taken place in their political economy and their civil con- stitution, have been but the legitimate effects of the truths of the Bible on their minds ; in which, through all the various relations they sustain in civil society, they are taught to ' do unto others as they would that others should do unto them.' Change wrought in BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 443 " War, the delig-ht of sav!ig:es, has censed ; its ravages liave been im- ^oi'th ska knoAvn since the principles of the Bible have prevailed amon?e delightful changes, no other means have been employed than the pro- mulgation, in a most plain familiar manner, of the great truths of Revelation. By these people the Bible is hig-hly valued, and earnestly' sought. At one time it was thought desirable to distribute Tracts : some Just ap- were translated, and shown to the ^'atives. They asked whether they P^pc':"!"" were parts of the word of God, or merely the word of man. We told them Scriptures that they were designed to illustrate or enforce parts of the Sacred Scrip- tures, though they were only thewTitings of men. ' Stop, then,' said the IN'atives, ' give us all the word of God first, and then the writings of men.' There is nothing the}' so much desire as the parts of the Scrij)tures published in their language. They bring the produce of the soil to pay for tliem ; as a small price, equal to the value of the paper, &c., is always required ; and when a man wants a copy, who has not the means of paying, he will most cheerfully work for it. The Scriptures are their constant companions, when they voyage from one island to another, or travel to different parts of the same island : they are not much concerned to caiTy their provisions, their changes of apparel, or articles of curiosity, but invariably carry their books : even when they leave their houses in the morning to work in the mountains, and expect to return in the evening, they frequently carry their books, that, during the hour of rest at mid-day, they may read the Holy Scriptures. I do not think, in my various journeys among the islands, since the Natives have possessed the Scriptures, I ever met a partly travelling, that had not their l)ooks with them, carefully wrapped in native cloth, or deposited in a little basket made on purpose to contain them. In 1828, accounts were received that the remaining parts of Rarntmijra tlie New Testament in the Tahitian language were put to press, Mission. and a great part of the Old Testament ready to follow. It liavingbeen ascertained that the language spoken in the Ilervey Islands was materially difterent from the Tahitian, it had been determined to form, as soon as possible, a I\Iissi(jnary station at 444 HISTORY OF THE 1817-54. 1833. SOUTH SEA Rarotonga, the principal island in the above group. The iM..A^D^. Scriptures continued to be eagerly sought for by the inhabitants of the various islands : whenever any part was nearly finished, hundreds were waiting and wishing to receive it. A year or two after this, the Rev. Mr. Darling, one of the Missionaries, after mentioning that arrangements were being made for printing the Old Testament in Tahitian, bears the following testimony to the fruits produced by the reading of the New Testament : — Growing knowledge of Scrip- ture among the natives. " Althoug-li there is not that general thirst for the Scriptures, amongst all the inhabitants of these islands, that existed when they first embraced Christianity, yet still very many rejoice to obtain every part of the word of God, as soon as it is printed. When the concluding Epistles of the New Testament, lately published, were put in the press, it was announced to all the congregations that such and such parts of the word of God were about to be printed, and a number of names were immediately given in for copies at each station, at some for 1 00, others to the extent of 300. We are happy in being able to state, that our people do not only receive and read the Scriptures daily in our schools, but a great portion of them can give very satisfactory answers to any questions that may be put to them, either with respect to the doctrines or to the practical duties taught in the word of God. This we do not say by way of boasting, but only to show, that, by their constant reading, and by the help of the instructions imparted to them fi-om the word of God, the people get a knowledge (without any other books, as they have no other at present in their language, with the exception of Catechisms and Tracts) of the ways and works of God, the Creator and Preserver of all things." In the mean time, the translation of the Scriptures was going on, in other of the languages spoken in the South Seas, in the New Zealand, for instance, and in the language of Tonga. In 1833, part of a remittance was retained by the Auxiliary at Sydney, for the purpose of aiding the printing of portions of the Holy Scriptures, which had been translated into the lan- guage of New Zealand by the Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society.* The Society further granted, on the suggestion of the Rev. W. Cowpei', 50 reams of paper. The Committee were informed, through the medium of a Missionary connected with another Society, that this translation had been prosecuted with much care and diligence. * The portions were. Genesis, eight chapters, the Acts, Epistle to tiie Romans, and the 1st to the Corinthians. Of these 600 copies were printed Grants fur BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 445 An application was also received from the Directors of the south sea Wesleyan Missionary Society, for aid in printing such portions ^^i^ ^"^• hoth of the Old and New Testaments as had been rendered 1817-54. into the language of Tonga, one of the Friendly Islands. {^^^ Copies had hitherto been multiplied in writing. The ISIissio- naries stated to the Directors of their Society, that "some thousands of the people of Tonga and the neighbouring islands professed Christianity Many hundreds of them had already versi( learned to read and write, and the work of education was ad- tbelongau, vancing with delightful activity." 100 reams of printing paper were voted for this M'ork. In 1835, the Rev. Mr. Yate, of the Church Missionary ^^^^^^, Society, reached England, bringing with him the translation of Zealand, the whole of the New Testament in the New Zealand Ian- ^"SU'^^Kt's- guage. The Society engaged to defray the expense of printing 2000 copies for the use of the Missionaries. Mr. Yate furnished the following interesting account of his labours, and the cir- cumstances of the people, for whose benefit they had been undertaken : — " The population of the islands included under the name of JN'ew Zea- land is about 180,000 ; of which number nearly 45,000 have more or less of intercourse with the Missionaries : 300 have been baptized into the Progress of Christian faith. There are about 800 adults who have been tauj^-ht in the Missions in Mission Schools to read, and 400 more are now under the same instruction, ^^^ ^''''^" besides 250 infants of eight years old and under. The natives have also established Schools of their own, in which many others have learned both readino- and writing-. The average number of attendants upon divine worship is above 1000 at the Mission settlements, besides many thousands to whom the Missionaries have access in their excursions for preaching- in the villages. The translation now otfered was beg-un by the Rev. W. Yate, and the Rev. W. Wilhams, about seven years and a-half ago, and has undergone many revisions, by the whole Mission family, including- Messrs. Puckey and Shepherd, the foi-mer of whom is very familiar with the native langnage, having resided in New Zealand ever since he Avas nine years old. It is made directly from the Greek original, and the translators have consulted the best commentators dui-ing the progress of their work. The New Zealand language is adapted for very literal trans- lation, which is, therefore, the style used by the translators ; and they have the testimony both of the common people, and of the more intelligent natives, in favour of its ichomatis purity." This year, also, the Rev. John Williams, of the London Mis- sionary Society, brought with him, from the island of iiui-o- 446 HISTORY OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. 1817-54. 1836. Visit of Rev. J. Williams. New Testament in the Tongan. Edition printed and sent out by the Society. tonga, a translation of the New Testament in the language of the Hervey group of islands". Mr. Williams gave the following statement respecting the manner in which the translation had been effected, and the prepared state of the people to profit by its circulation among them : — " The six islands of tliis group contain a population of 10,000 or 12,000 souls, one-third part of whom have learned to read fluently. Education has been so universally cultivated by the Missionaries, that there are few of the remaining two-thirds who cannot read indifferently. On first visiting- these islands, the Missionaries endeavoured for three years, but in vain, to teach in the Tahitian lang-uage, which is the basis of their own. It then became necessary to translate the Scrijitures expressly for their use. The work has occupied about five years, Mr. Williams being- the principal translator, with the Rev. Messrs. Pitman and Buzacott. It has undergone five several revisions by each individual translator,— Mr. Wil- liams, who has been eighteen years a resident among- the Polynesian Islands, being the final umpire. The translation is made from the Tahi- tian, which was itself made from the English version as a basis, but with constant reference in both cases to the original Greek. Much assistance has been rendered by native chiefs and pi-iests who have embraced Chris- tianity ; a cliief of the name of Pa being particularly specified as remark- able for his talents and judgment. The character of the language has enabled them to be very close and literal in the translation, and whet-e it supplied no expression parallel to the orig-inal, they have g-iven a Poly- nesian inflection to the Greek word, as in the term 'Baptism,' &c. The Missionaries, while making- the version, had access to the best modern com- mentaries." The Society granted £100 towards covering the expenses incurred in the preparation of this version, and engaged to defray the cost of printing 5000 copies, under the superinten- dence of Mr. Williams. The printing of this work was completed by the following year, and a vessel being about to sail to the island, the Society took advantage to transmit thither 2000 copies of the Gospels. How acceptable these copies were likely to prove, the following, being an extract of a letter from one of the Missionaries, will show: — " I am also happy to state, that all our schools are exceedingly well at- tended, and a disposition manifested, by not a few, to make progress in learning. It is a pleasing sight, and, I have no doubt, would fill your heart with joy, to see so many children, from seven years old and upward, able to read the Scriptures in their own tongue. Contrasting the present BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 4-47 Avitli fcirmer years, when tliey were living- in igiioitmce, and rememl)ering' sorxn sev tlie difficulties which then i>resented themselves, I cannot but discern in islands. the great chang-e 'the linger of God,' and often exclaun, ' What hath ~, tied wrought ! ' 'It is the Lord's doing-, and it is marvellous in our !S^ eyes!' Just before I left Rarotonga, I visited all the schools in the 1»37. island, four in number, in wliich upwards of three thousand children are under daily instruction ; and it is g-ratifying- to state, that the prospects were never more encouraging-. IMany children in each of the schools have repeatedly read through all the books printed in their native lan- guage ; and several classes, both boys and girls, are taught to translate out of theTahitian into this dialect." In 1837, the Rev. Henry Nott, wlio liad been, during forty Visit of years, a Missionary in tlie South-Sea Ishands, returned to Nott, witli England, bringing -with him tlie translation of the entire Bible eutireBible in the Tahitian, revised and prepared for the press. All the tian. expenses attendant on the translation having been defrayed from the funds of the London Missionary Society, it was thought right, after a conference with the venerable INIissionary himself, to re-imburse them to the extent of £500. An edition of 3000 copies of the Bible was ordered to be printed at the charge of the Society, and one of 3000 of the New Testa- ment in another size. In the following year it was announced that the printing of Edition the 3000 copies of the entire Bible had been completed, luider fhe'£ciety the superintendence of INIr. Nott, himself the principal translator of it, and that this venerable ^Missionary contemplated a return to that distant scene of his forty years' labours, that he might have the high gratification, if it should so please God, of dis- tributing with his own hand, and as the concluding act of his life, the precious treasure, among the people for whose benefit he had had so large a share in preparing it. This was the first time the whole Bible had appeared in any of the native languages of the South Seas. The Rev. J. Williams returned this year to the South Seas, in a vessel provided expressly for the purposes of the Mission, taking out with him, as an interesting pai't of its freight, 30()() copies of the Rarotonga New Testament, 2000 having hcvn previously forwarded in portions. The Rev. H. Nott, on his return to Tahiti in the following year, took with him, as lie so ardently wished, large siipplios of Tahitian Biljlcs. Before his departure he was permitted to 448 HISTORY OF THE 1817-54. 1840. SOUTH SEA present a copy of the Bible handsomely hound to Her Majesty isLA^Ds. j.j^g Queen, and a few other copies, prepared in the same way^ were taken hy him as presents, one for the Queen of Tahiti, and the others for different chiefs. The remainder of the Bibles, consisting of 1500 copies, together with the edition of 2000 Testaments in the Tahitian language, were sent out in the following year, together with 200 reams of paper for printing parts of the Old Testament in the Rarotonga language. Arrangements were also made for printing, in this country, a new edition of the Rarotongan Testament. The following letter from the Missionaries at Rarotonga, will show the feelings with which the copies of the former edition were received : — Letter from Missio- naries at Rarotonga Arrival of cases of Bibles. " It is with feelings of the Hveliest gratitude we acknowledge the receipt of fourteen boxes of New Testaments. " We are truly thankful for such a liberal grant, but are still obliged to say, considering they are to be divided among a pojiulation of from 12,0(K) to 14,000 souls, ' What are they among so many V " The joy of some of those who have obtained copies is bej^ond ex- pression. At our Friday meeting, after the arrival of the Testaments, we were greatly delighted to hear them exhorting each other to increased diligence in studying- the word of God ; and whilst holding up their books in their hand, with their eyes sparkling with joy, they exclaimed, ' See ! what an instance of the love of God is this ! See how He has filled the hearts of British Christians with compassion for us poor heathens ! They formerly sent us teachers free of any expense to ourselves : they have now sent us the word of God, not only beautifully printed, but also neatly bound. This indeed is the fruit of their love to God, but what fruit have we shown V " When the boxes were first opened our houses were hterally besieged ; and it was with considerable difficulty, arising from the intense anxiety of the people to get a book, that order could be preserved. We proposed that they should pay for their books, to which they readily consented, if we would let those have them on trust who had not property to pay for them. Those who had money considered themselves particularly fortu- nate, and most cheerfully paid for the inestimable treasure. Tlie mere possibility of there not being enough to supply the wants of all, made each so anxious, that nothing but actual possession could satisfy. The number of copies already distributed at Avarua is 365, for which £19 and a quantity of arrow-root, preserved banana, &c., has been received as part payment. " Owing to the extreme pt)verty of some, we do not expect they will be BlUTISH AND FOREIGN BIBLK SOCIETY. 449 able to pay the full amount of the prict- of their books. The Gospels, with south skv the Acts of the Apostles, &c., we have reserved for the schools, nearly the islands. whole of which are already in use, and are daily read. By the time the ~ neig-hbom-iug- islands have received the portion allotted for them, we do '^'^^■*- not expect to have a single copy remaining-; and many, we fear, will be 1840. destitute, who would most g-ladly avail themselves, if they could, of the o]iportunity for procuring- a copy. We are, however, thankful that so natives! '^ many who are thirsting- for the water of life, will now have it in their j)ower to draw for themselves from the well of salvation. " Our joy was great on receiving- a copy each of the Tahitian Scriptures, which, as far as we have examined, we consider to be very good. It will aiford us important aid in correcting what has ah-eady been translated in the Rarotonga dialect of the Old Testament, and in preparing what further remains to be translated. We sincerely hope that, ere long, the inhabitants of this group AAill also be blessed, as their brethren of the Tahitian islands are, with the whole of the sacred volume, in rheir own mother tongue. " In conclusion, we humbly entreat an interest in your prayers, that we may have grace to proceed in the great work in which we are engaged and that the South-Sea Islanders may have their minds so fortified with scriptural truth, that they may be preserved in the time of temptation, from the attacks of the ' man of sin,' with which they are threatened." A Memorial was also received from several Missionaries, in Memorial which the following statement and request were embodied .j. Williams relative to the Samoan dialect, spoken in the gx'oup of islands amlbrotlier called the Navigators', the population of which was stated to naries. amount to about 150,000. " It has pleased the Divine Head of the Church to bless, with a large measure of success, the preaching of the word of God in this interesting group, so that nearly 40,000 people have been brought under Christian instruction, several hundreds have received baptism, and above two hundred have become members of Christian churches. The number who can read is upwards of 20,000. •' At the Tahitian and Rarotonga presses, several elementary books have been printed, and are in use, and also 2000 copies of the Gospel of Matthew, 5000 copies of a brief Old Testament History, and .3000 copies of the Ilis- toi-y of Joseph. We have just received a press and printer from England, and have several further elementary books ready to print oif, and also a summary of New Testament History. " We are proceeding with translations of several books of the New Testament, and one or two of the Old, some of which will be ready for the press within the next twelve months ; but our sujiply of ])aper is very limited, and far from sufficient to print the elementary l)ooks now i-cady for the press. "Our method of translation is as follows :— We triiiislate, in ^l•ll(■^ll, Vol. II. o (; 450 HISTORY OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. 1}]17-S4. 1840. Lamented death of Mr. Wil- liams. Versions prepared in six of the South-Sea languages. directly from the originals, but with constant reference to the authorized English version, and frequent use of the Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and other versions ; using- also, in difficult passages, such lexicons and com- mentaries as we possess, and we believe we have some of the most valuable. We have also the advantage of being aided by the Tahitian, and portions of some other Polynesian versions. " We trust the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society will therefore afiPord us their aid, by a grant of paper, and thus still further extend the sphere of theii- benevolent and God-like efforts for the evan- geUzation of the world. (Signed) " J Williams, Thos. Heath, Chas. Hardie, a. W. Murray, W. Day, Alex. Macdo>'ald." W. Miller, The first name appended to the above Memorial, it will be seen, is that of John Williams, a name ever afterwards to be associated, not with Missionaries merely, but with martyrs ; for, after a life of more than ordinary toil and success, and after doing more than most to recommend to men of every rank the Missionary work, he returned to his former field of enterprise, only to fall a victim to ignorance and cruelty, and to leave his mangled body on those shores where his aim was to have planted the standard of the Cross. Mysterious, yet right, are the ways of God ! On the receipt of the above application from their valued friend and his associates, the Committee had much pleasure in voting 500 reams of paper for the object specified by them. They also, at this time, cheerfully voted the sum of £250 to the Church Missionary Society, towards expenses incurred in translating the New Testament into the language of New Zealand, of which an edition was now printing on paper sup- plied by this Society. An application was also received this year from the Wesleyan Missionary Society, for aid in printing the Scriptures in the Feejeean language. Thus, as the happy result of Missionary enterprise, the Scriptures were now found in six of the languages of the South Seas — New Zealand, Tahitian, Raro- tongan, Hawaiian,* Samoan, and Feejeean. It is delightful to think of the progress of Christianity and the Christian Scrip- * The Hawaiian was prepared at the expense of the American Bible Society. I SKA 15RITISII AXn FOUEIOX niliLK S(^CIETV. 4,-)l lures among tjic miniorons and l.oautiful islands of tlio irroat soini Southern Ocean, where, up to so late a period, idolatry h;id '•■elands. reigned in all its cruel and debasing forms, but where, now, i«i7lr,4. multitudes Avere brought to know the truth, to love it, and to u'jy, walk in it. Such was the rapid and urgent demand for the Scriptures New in New Zealand, that in one year (1841) the two principal ^*^^'=^"<^- Missionary Societies, engaged in the work of evangelization there, applied each for 10,000 copies of the New Testament ; i„proasod in consequence of which, 20,000 copies were printed, and for- 'l'^'"ia"J warded to their destination without delay, and a grant was scriptures made to the Wesley an Societ}-, to purchase 1000 copies of a former edition. As confirmatory of the fact of there being an eager thirst for the Scriptures, one Missionary writes : — " 1 know of nothing' that more satisfactorily indicates the commence- ment of better and brighter days for ^'ew Zeahmd, than the earnest desire which is ever j-wli ere manifested, among all classes of the iiet)}ile, fur the possession of books and Missionaries." Another : — " At this place, Rotongia, there is a great number of inquiring nn- tives, and the cry for books is indeed earnest. A native said to me, ' One thing- only do I desire : it is not a blanket, it is not nny thing tliat will pass away, but this, this is my great desire — the word of God.' I replied, ' I have disposed of all my Testaments at the dilferent villages ; but if you will accompany me to Waikato, and wait till the ship conies, you shall have one,' — ' 0 yes ! that I will ! ' was the reply. He ac- cordingly left his tribe, his friends, and his home, to accompanj- me a distance of 250 miles, to procure a Bible. He is now staying with me, and has become a candidate for baptism. The word of God is not lightly esteemed in iVew Zealand." " Having promised a New Testament to one of the congregations, about five days' journey from hence, as a reward for the superior neatness and care exhibited in the erection of their chajiel, one of their ]iiirty ac- companied me the whole way back ; and, finding that they had not yet aiTived, has this day proceeded to Mr, Hamlin's, twenty-five miles distant, to obtain it. Thus, when he has reached home, he will have taken a twelve days' journey for this one book 1 8uch a dearth of the iSacred Volume is now a sad hindrance." In giving an account of Edward Ngataru, a native chief, the Rev. R. Maunsell writes : — "His wife, Kaitupeka, also, seemed to l>e a superior person. Her maimers were jjcculiarly meek and cboerful, nnd she entered with leiuli- ii O 2 452 HISTORY OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. 817-54. 1842. Tahiti. Arrival of Rev. H. Nott. Scriptures sent to various islands. ness into our conversation. She brought me their copy of the New Testament, which she had kept tied up in a neat Uttle hag' ; and, lament- ing that it was so broken, asked if I could not repair it. It was an old edition, and bore marks of attentive reading-. The prospect also of getting- another is, I am sorry to say, very distant. The Scriptures are, with ixs, almost as scarce and as valuable as they were in England in the days of Henry the Eighth. The demand for them and for Prayer books is much greater than we can supply ; and many a person have we been obliged to send away disappointed, after he had spent a good part of a day, and much importunity, in seeking for a copy. Of course, therefore, I could not but accede to Kaitupeka's request, and left them much pleased with my visit ; humbly hoping that the Ngatitepa, the noble and haughty tribe near whom we are residing-, and among whom Ngataru holds a high rank, were beginning, even so much sooner than we expected, to feel the melting influence of the love of Christ." From Taliiti, also, most gratifying intelligence arrived of the reception given to the Sci'iptures, prepared and carried out by Mr. Nott. The Rev. Mr. Darling, one of the Mis- sionaries, writes : — " We were glad to see once more among' us our respected brother Nott, bringing with him a good supply of the Tahitian Bible, w hich he has been spared to carry through the press. A sufficient number came with him to afford a supply of 100 copies for each station, on all the islands both to windward and leeward. I believe at every station they have been bought with the greatest eagerness possible. At our meeting on their arrival, the price was fixed at two dollars each. The people would have given three as readily as two ; but as Mr. Nott proposed the latter price, and the brethren immediately agreed to it, they were sold for that sum. " It has been most encouraging to the brethren to witness the great desire which has been manifested by all classes to obtain a copy ; and now that they have got them, they are daily reading them, not, we hope, without benefit. " When our portion was brought home, the people came flocking to my house with the money in their hands, and would not leave until they received a copy each. Some, who had not dollars, ran for their fishing- utensils, went to sea, caught fish, and took them to market to get money to purchase a Bible : others ran about and borrowed from their friends, until they raised the sum required for a copy. It is very pleasing to see the people, not only church members, but others, so anxious to possess the word of God." The Rev. J, M. Orsmond, also Missionary at Tahiti, wrote: — " On my return to Bogue Town, I brought with me about 60 new Bibles. The sohcitude of my peojjle to obtain them was, indeed. SOITH SKA IS LANDS. 11U7-J4. 1842. BRITISH AXD FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 453 great. For months they had been waiting with the money in their liands. By far the g-reater number of those who have displayed so lixed a determination to obtain a copy are the jiersons that, in past years, gave us the greatest trouble ; but this year the use of ardent spirits has been almost given up, and the reading of the Bible substituted in its place." The following affecting account, by Mr. Orsmond, of the dying words of a native Christian, is vvorthy of being pre- served : — '* A short time since, a man named Faua was called to his eternal rest. From the time he embraced the Gospel till his last breath, his supreme delight was to hear of Jesus. He was an orator, and in all his pul)lic si)eeches aimed to show that there is nothing comparable to the Gositel. His eldest son had, for a short time, made a profession, but fell into sin, and was excommunicated. AVhen on the point of death, he called all his tamily to his bed-side, and said, " My land and office I care nothing about — that I leave to the hving : my last voyage is come, but Jesus is my floating raft, and I shall reach the true landing-place. I cannot sink while He lives. My son, how long will your ear be as that of a ship's figure-head ? Murder was all I knew in the reign of Oro — my club was iny pillow : I knew no rest. But Jesus has now the goverinnent : his word is an ocean without a swelling surg-e ; and if you will come on this raft with me, Jesus will not push you off to the endless flame. Go to the ilissionarj", abandon your wicked companions, pray to Jesus, and you will be happy." The Rev. Mr. Pritchard, when over in this country from ^'^^'^ of rr. 1 • • 1 nil PI • -1 ^^^''- ^'r. lahiti, thus connnned tJie account or the reception given by I'ritcliard the natives to the Bible :— ' ^" ^^'^ couutry. " The Bibles were received with the greatest avidity. Long before they reached Tahiti, many of the natives deposited their money in the hands of the missionaries, that they might be sure of obtaining them when they arrived. \\Tien I left Tahiti, in February 1841, only a part of them had come to hand; consequently some of the natives were much disappointed in not being supplied. They were waiting with great anxiety the arrival of the remaining part. " We were exceedingly sorry that so long a time elapsed before they Account of reached us. We were desirous of getting them into the hands of the nccption natives before the Roman Catholic priests settled among them ; feeling ^^.^ijl'turc.s. persuaded that nothing would so well fortify their minds against the en-ors of popery as Scripture truth. French frigates have forced upon the poor defenceless natives rum and Komaiiism at the mouth of the cannon. At present, however, the natives very highly ])rize the Sacred Volume. At the various Missionary stations the adults attend the Bible classes early in the morning, before they go to the various avocations of the day, when SOUTH SEA 1817-54. New edi tion of 454 IllSTOllY 0¥ THE they are interrog-atod upon the verses as they read them. jN^ot satisfied ISLANDS, with these opportunities of acquiring' scriptural knowledg-e, many of tlie natives come to our houses with the word of God in their hands, having certain passages marked down which they have been reading- at home, 1842. but not being- able to understand them, come to have them explained. They search the Scriptures, and are anxious to understand what they read." A second edition of 5000 copies of the Rarotonga New Tes- Tongau tauient was printed in this country during tlie year 1841, and Testament. .^^^^ ^^^^^^ copies presented to the London Missionary Society, to be forwarded to tliat island, in which the lamented Wil- liams laboured so long and so successfully. The former edi- tion was quickly disposed of, the natives gladly contributing according to their abilities, in purchase of the books. The sum of £19 was received during the first year, being the first- fruits of the sale of the Scriptures among them. The following interesting letter was received soon after. Letter of from the Rev. C. Pitman : — Pitman '' ^"^" ^'^** communications to the Committee of your noble Institution, expressed our heartfelt thanks for the munificent and invaluable gift of 5000 copies of the New Testament in this dialect, for the use of the Hervey-Island Mission, Such a treasure was never before put into the possession of this people : placed by the side of which, gold, silver, and precious stones, sink into insignificance. The joy we felt, in receiving- such a boon, camiot be expressed ; and we could not but hail it as one of Rarotonga's brightest days. It will, we are persuaded, afford the Com- mittee of the Bible Society no small pleasure to be iziformed, that it has been received by the people with the liveliest demonstrations of joy, and by verj many read with feelings of gTeat dehght, and, we doubt not, lasting profit. Not a few who have been received into the Saviour's fold, in relating the way in which they were brought to a saving acquaintance with the method of salvation through a Crucified Redeemer, have pointed out various portions of Scripture which first impressed their minds, and convinced them of the evil of sin, and which ultimately led to an unreserved surrender of body and soul to Christ. For the last few years this island has been visited with a disease which has swept into eternity hundreds of the inhabitants. In our visits to the sick and dying, it is a very rare tlung not to see by their side some portion of the Sacred Scrip- tures, which they read as their pains subside or their weakness will allow ; and it is cheering to our spirits to know, that, as they passed through ' the valley of the shadow of death,' the word of God has been their support and comfort. Many, we doubt not, will, through eternity, bless God for this inestimable gift. " Bible classes are formed ; and a great desire is manifested to under- BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 45.) stand the moiiniiig- of the hispired writers. Great portions of the Scriptures p- >uth s i:a are committed to memory by the people ; — some, whole chapters ; others, a ^^^^^^ "^• whole Gosjiel ; and some, all the Gospels. One young- woman, by repeating- 1(117.54 a few verses every night at family prayer, has proceeded so far as the — Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, and will, we expect, should her life be *^^''^- spared, ere tliis reaches you, have committed to memory the whole of the JVew Testament. "What results may we not expect from the perusal of the blessed Rarotongn. volume of inspiration ! Gentlemen, ' pray for us, that the word of God may have free course, and be g-lorified, even as it is with you ; ' and that the Holy Spirit may ' open the eyes ' of the people, that they may see wondrous things out of His law. "^Ye have the pleasure to inform the Committee that the transla- tion of the Old Testament is now completed in the llarotongan dialect ; which we arerevismg with all possible care, and earnest prayer to God fur divine assistance in this great work. The Book of (Genesis is in the hands of the people, and the Book of Psalms is in the press. "Our i)eople are very poor; but as soon as they were informed that to the utmost of their ability they must pay for their books, they imme- diately planted arrow-root for the purpose ; and many have brought ' what they could ' in payment for books received ; the amount of which, as soon as sold, will be forwarded to the Parent Society. We anxiously wait for an answer to our appeal."' A few days after he adds : — " Since closing my letter we have had tm opportunity of disposing of part of the property, collected for the purchase of New Testaments m this dialect, to ^Ir. Williams, son of the lamented Missionary AVilliams : its amount is £17 . 7s. l^d., for which I now forward a bill of exchange. Tins year, a further grant of 50 reams of paper, was voted to the Wesleyan Missionary Society for printing portions of the New Testament, in the language of Tonga. A similar grant was made towards the continuation of the printing of the Feejeean version. In consequence of the demand for the New Zealand Scrip- Larger turesbeino; still continued, a second edition of 20,000 New Tes- ^"fP^""'^ « _ ' for J\cw taments was printed in 18-43: of these, 10,000 were at once /^calami, placed at the disposal of the Church Missionary Society, and 5000 granted to the Wesleyan Missionary Society; to which latter grant, in the ensuing year, were added the 5000 roinaining copies. Still, however, the supplies were found to l)e insufficient, and two years afterwards, a third edition of 20,000 copies was printed, making 60,000 copies in about four yt«irs. SOUTH f=KA ISI,ANnS. Gratitude and libe- -456 HISTORY OF THE That these books were not provided for an unwilling, _ ungrateful, or unprepared people, the following extracts, se- ir. 17-54. lected from many other of a similar character and tendency, 1843. '^^'^^^ show : — From the Rev. W. Williams — land " ' " ^^^ feeling- of the ISew Zealanders will be shown most substantially by the manner in which they regard the boon The cases containing this precious treasure are not destined to lie unheeded in whatsoever place they may be landed from the vessel ; but so soon as it is known that books are to be had, the attention of all is directed to that quarter : and though a desire for Eui-opean clothing is becoming- universal, yet a desire to possess ralityof the the word of Life holds the iirst place. Of the books which have been received in New Zealand, I have had as yet only one case, containmg 493 copies. In eig-ht days the whole were disposed of; and I have the grati- fication of sending you the sum of £30 . 15s. 6d. received from the natives in payment of a portion of them. Of the 10,000 copies sent for the Church Mission, I could readily dispose of 3000 m this part of New Zealand : so that neither will it appear that our demand was exorbitant, nor that your liberality has been misplaced. My only fear is, that when I shall have received all that fall to my share, there will be a great deficiency. " You are perhaps aware that the Papists are making- a vigorous eifort in this country. They number nearly as many Missionaries as we do, but they can effect nothing against the matchless sword of the Spirit. Many natives will pay for a copy of the Scriptures, who cannot read ; and I have found that the mere possession of the book is enough to deter them from listening- even to the first overtures of the Papists ; and many who pro- fessed to belong to them, have said, ' Supply us with books, and we will join you.' But when once in possession, there is an inducement to learn to read, which is generally effectual in old as well as young." From the Rev. Samuel Ironside : — Service for distribu- tion of Scriptures. " On returning- from the Annual District Meeting, I sent messengers to distribu- our out-villages, inviting- the people to come to the feast provided by the tion of munificence of our fathers in England. In a day or two, about 700 were gathered together, every countenance beaming with dehghtful expecta- tion. I, of course, saw that my 400 Testaments would, by no rule of division, meet the wants of the 700 persons already assembled, letting- alone the hundreds who lived at a greater distance, and who might be soon expected. In order, therefore, to meet the case as well as I could, and, if possible, prevent any thing like confusion or dissatisfaction, I got the names of all the leaders arranged on paper, and made out as fair a proportion to each as pos.sible, taking into consideration the numbers in each class. The books were then arranged in the open air (our chapel being too small by one-half), and the bell was rung for service. Although the expectation of the peojile was now at its highest, yet the greatest BRITISn AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 457 order prevailed in assembling'. After sin'ew-Zealanders straining their eyes towards me and the heap of books, as the distribution was going on ; looking as though they would devour the heaji. Oh, had the managers of your noble Institu- tion seen this, they would liave con.sidered themselves amply repaid, and would have gone with still greater zest to devise means for the satisfying of the hundreds who are still famishing for the bread of life. But, not- withstanding we could not supply half the number with books, there was no ill feeling manifested among those who were sent empty away. I will not say there was no sorrow — there was sorrow, very, very great sorrow, among the disappointed : however, we praise the Lord for what is done, and we will hope that the remaining deficiency will soon be met. "Two or three weeks after this, I noticed an unusual bustle among the Tiio I'arc- natives ; some coming over the hill from Queen Charlotte's Sound, and '"itta, or some from my immediate neigh buurhood, all loaded with baskets of pota- pgogj,"" " toes and Indian-corn : this led me to suppuse that the ' Paremata ' was coming. A very short time served for conjecture ; when tlie whole of the people having an-ived, the food was arranged the entire length of the court-yard, and I and Mrs. Ironside were invited outside ; when forth stepped a native chief, and, tucking up his blanket, he seized a long stick, and went from one end of the pile to the other, striking the baskets at intervals, and telling me to accept of this token of their love, in the name of our fathers at home. ' This is all we can do,' said he, ' to show our love to those who have 2)lentifully supplied us with food for our souls.' The sight was overpowering. I attempted a few words in reply, but was obliged to desist. I then counted the baskets, and found 000, each of which was worth not less than sixpence : some were worth much more. This, from poor New-Zealanders, is quite equal to ten times as much fi-om Englishmen, considering their different circumstances, 'J'hey also paid in cash the sum of £9 . 17«. Gd. ; so that, altogether, I have received about £24 for those Testaments ; a striking evidence of their sincerity in desir- ing for themselves the word of God." Norwas thisouthurst ofentlmsiastic foeliiios tlie cnt'ct ofincro novelty: the contrihutions went lorwarfl, and liclbrc the thinl 458 HISTORY OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. li]17-54. «44, Tahiti, Expulsion of Missio- naries by the French. edition above referred to reached New Zealand, tlie Chvircli Missionaries liad transmitted £210, and the Wesleyan Mis- sionaries £221, in return for copies sold; thus furnishing a very substantial proof of the high estimation in which the Inspired Volume was held by the Christian natives of New Zealand. In many instances the purchasers had no money. Their payments were made, as already noticed, in any article which the native possessed. A touching instance is related of the use made of the New Testament by a converted native : — "■ The case of Puaha, as connected with the melancholy tragedy at Wairau, deserves to be noticed. He is a respectable chief, baptized by one of our brethern, and called Rawiri Kingi (David King-) ; and when he found that the Europeans were dis]iosed to resort to arms, he ran forward with his New^ Testament in his hand, and exclaimed, ' See ! See ! this is my weapon ; the white man's book. You sent us this book, and it tells us not to fight : you have got other we.ipons —weapons of blood : use them not ; fight not ; or my heathen relations will fight too. Remember your book ! Remember yom- book ! ' Alas ! this advice was rejected, and the consequences were most disastrous.'' Nor in Tahiti, and the neighbouring island, any more than in New Zealand, did the gratitude of the natives for the precious boon of the Bible evaporate in temporary expressions of joy. Thence too, the returns made for the books was highly gratifying, as a proof of the value set upon them. Before the year 1844, two remittances had been received from Tahiti, the produce of the sale of the Scriptures, one of £280, the other of £245, to which subsequently further sums were added. The good work was now much endangered, and at length seriously disturbed in Tahiti, by the island being taken for- cible possession of by the French. After their authority was established, the Protestant Missionaries wei*e expelled from the island; notwithstanding which the Scriptures were still read and valued, and continued in so large request, that another edition of 3000 copies of the Bible was applied for, and ordered to press. Only the Pentateuch and New Testament, however, were proceeded with, as it was found that the whole Bible was undergoing a thorough revision by the Missionaries. Several of the expelled Missionaries having deemed it right to return to this country, application was made by the BRITISH AND rOllEIGX BIBLE SOCIETY. 159 London Missionary Society for 5000 coi)ies of the revised south ska Bible, to be printed; Messrs. Howe and Jesson, two of the '•^^■^"^' Missionaries, being appointed by the Directors to superintend Uii7-.'>4. its progress through the press. The subjoined extracts from a Letter of Messrs. Howe autl Jesson, will explain the grounds on which this application was made : — IIMI Taliili " Notwithstanding- the painful circumstances which have recently traiis- ]nred in the Tahitian group of islands, so as, in a great measure, to sus])end our Missionary operations, we are hapjiy to have it in our power to state, that the attachment of the natives to the Protestant Christian institutions established amongst them remains unabated. " In no wa}^, we conceive, can sympathy and aid be rendered to them in their present circumstances so effectually, as by furnisliing them with a new and large edition of the Tahitian Scriptures. This they could use for their instruction and consolation in the fastnesses of the mountains, where no Foreign M issionary can now obtain access. " It is to be remembered that there were but 3000 copies of the entire ^^ , Scriptures, for a population of about 23,000 who have been trained in our for the en schools. And although a much larger number of Gospels and Testaments t're Scrii)' were sent out, the people universally said, ' Why give us parts of the ''"'^■'* word of God ? We have had it long enough in little bits ; let us now have it entire.' From this feeling we were pressed for copies of the Scriptures by the people in Tahiti and Eimeo, who could not be sujiplied, as well as from the Leew^ard, Paumotu, and Austral groups, so as to render our position often truly painful. " When the war broke out, owing to the French aggression, and the people were obliged to take to the mountains, many of them at first took their Bibles to their Missionaries, and said, * Keep these in safety until we have beaten our foes, when we will ask for them again.' But some time afterwards they returned, saying, 'We are likely to be long absent from our dwellings : give us, therefore, our Bibles again, that we may use them in the mountains.' The officers of our churches also, who joined the people, asked for skeletons of sermons, that they might use when called to address their brethren. " It should also be remarked, that, long after the people had left their stations, even within a short period of our departure, many people from the Paumotu group were offering an increased price for the Scriptvu-es, but, of course, could not obtain them. " We are happy to be able to state, that every ordinance of religion (the Lord's Supper excepted) is as regularly observed, as when the \m)[}h were dwi'lliiigon the >ea-sh()re in tlu'ir villages." The printing of anew edition of 5000 copies was iiinuedialcly set on foot. 460 HISTORY OF THE SOUTH SEA I.SLA>'DS. 1817-54. 1844. Rarotonga. But It was not in Tahiti alone that this zeal for the Sacred Scriptures was evinced : other groups in the vast Pacific, the scene of modern Missionary enterprise, were, at the same time, rejoicing in the eftbrts of Christian zeal and charity to supply them with the light of revealed truth. From the Missionaries at Rarotonga, the chief of the Hervey Islands, where the Missio- naries. Joy of per- sonal read- ing of the Divine , word. Gratitude of Missio- naries for aid in their work of interest, and which held out much promise for the future, as the following extracts will show. The Rev. C. Pitman, on being informed of a grant of 200 reams of paper for the purpose of printing the Old Testament, writes : — " Our hearts leaped for joy. We thanked God, and took courag-e. Yon will, doubtless, rejoice to hear that the Book of Psalms, and the two first Books of Moses, are in the hands of the people, and the third in the press. By the time this reaches you, we hope the Five Books of Moses will be read by the inliabitants of this once heathen and cannibal race. It is truly gratifying- and soul-cheering- to perceive the ardent desire manifested by the people to possess the Psalms ; which, with the New Testament, are daily read and highly prized by not a few. A few months ag-o, on my visits to the sick, I entered, unperceived, the house of a poor man who had been confined to his dwelling- for more than two years. He was read- ing- aloud a chapter in the Gospels. Soon as he saw me, almost forgettiug- his weakness, he attempted to rise from his mat, and cried out, with such an expression of joj^ as I think I shall never forget, ' O Teacher, I have found it ! I have found it ! Here it is ! here it is ! Come and see (turning- over in haste the leaves of the Sacred Word, till he arrived at the precious portion) ; I have got it ! ' ' Well,' I said, ' what is it that you have found, and which seems to fill you with so much dehght ?' ' Here it is,' showing me the second chapter of the Gospel by Luke— 'the birth of the Saviour announced by angels. Oh, I have read it again and again, and my soul is filled with joy.' He had heard of it before. Frequently had it been read in public ; but now his eyes saw it, and he read it in his own tong-ue, which jn-oduced such an ecstasy of joy." In the following year he thus acknowledges the grant of 3000 Testaments, and 500 reams of paper : — " We have received your favour, conveying- to us the heart-cheering intelligence of two munificent grants of paper from your noble Society, to enable us to proceed with the printing of the Old Testament in the Raro- tongan language — the first of 150 reams, and the next of 350 reams ; and also of a further grant of 3000 New Testaments, all of which, I am happy to say, came to hand in good condition. Plow can we express to you tlie feelings of delight produced in our hearts on the receipt of your welcome BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 401 epistle, informing- us of such an unexpected supply '' A\'e were filled with south ska joy, and blessed God for the existence of such a Society. May the God jsl.v>ds. of love smile upon your united efforts to disseminate the best of books in ~, every language, and amongst all nations ! Go on, dear brethren, and "^ _"' ' prosper : you have the prayers of tens of thousands. When the gratifying 1«44. intelligence reached our shores, we had ' hung our harps on the willows,' Rarotonua being unable to finish the book of Psalms for want of paper. Quickly did we take them down, and tuned them afresh, magnifying and praising the ever-blessed God for his marvellous loving-kindness, thus manifested in supplying our wants in the time of need. Your liberality has enabled us to put into the hands of the people the Pentateuch, the Book of Psalms, and also the Books of Solomon, wliich have been received with much gladness, and are carefully and prayerfully perused by not a few. Bible classes are formed in our settlements; and many young jieople join us, we hope with an earnest desire to understand the great and important truths contained in the Sacred Volume." And he afterwards adds — " You will be gTatified to hear that the Scriptures have not been road in The Scrip- vain. It has pleased God to bless His own word to the souls of many on tures inuch this island : some of whom, I trust, are now before the throne, magnifving '^^ ; ^' J 1 . , . . not m the gTace of God that such a treasure was ever put into their possession, vain. Our souls have often been refreshed to hear man}' of our flock, in niu(;h simphcitj', but apparent sincerity, testify the advantages and spiritual benefits they have received, by reading, in their own tongue, the word of God. Two young men, both of them among the first scholars in our school, were received into church communion the same evening : it is a singular coincidence that both of them dated their first serious impressions from reading the third chapter of the Gospel of St. John. They have since been sent forth as Isative Evangelists, to make known the truths of that Blessed Volume to those perishing for lack of knowledge. One of them came to me for conversation one Sabbath evening, after the services of the day, with whom I spoke till near midnight. ' What a book,' said he, ' is the word of God 1 What heights ! what depths ! who can fathom it! What a Being is Gcd ! IIovv amazing the jilan devi.sed by Him for our salvation ! The more I read it, the more I am ama/ed. Alas, what a poor ignorant creature is man ! What a dreadful .-^tate of darkness were we in, till you were sent with the word of God to make known to us the will of the great God !' " At the Navigators' Islands, also, the printing of the Scrip- Navi-_ tures was proceeding. The Rev. Mr. Heath, a Missionary jsiauds. from those islands, when in London, in 1844, writes: — " When the * Camden' left Samoa, Dec. 184^, an edition of 10,000 of the Gospel of St. John was nearly disposed of, and an edition of 10,000 of St. Mark was also rapidly selling. As to the produce of tlie sale, no accurate account could be obtained. Some had been sold for arrow-root 462 HISTORY OF TnE SOUTH SEA Slid oil, and for all the copies otherwise ilisposed of, the brethren were to ISLANDS, account at 4rf. per cop_y. Since we left, Mr. Stair states that he had printed of the Gospel of St. Luke 10,000, and of the Epistle to the Romans 10,000, and had just received the tirst part of the Acts of the Apostles, which he hoped to print oiF soon. He adds, ' The books sell well.' " 1817-54. lf!4G. Entire Bible in the Ha- waiian. In the Friendly Islands, the Wesleyan Missionaries, aided by grants of paper, were prosecuting the printing of the Scriptures in the Tonga language. A new and entire edition of the New Testament was found necessary, and portions of the Old Testament were issued. Though the Society had no share in producing the Scrip- tures in the Hawaiian, the language of the Sandwich Islands, that having been, as intimated above, the work of the American Bible Society, and of American Missionaries ; yet the Com- mittee could not but unfeignedly rejoice that such a work was accomplished, though by other hands, and it was with much pleasure that they received, in 1845, by the hands of Admiral Thomas, Commander-in-Chief of her Majesty's naval force in the Pacific, an entire copy of the Bible in the language of the Sandwich Islands. The Missionaries addressed to the Admiral a letter, of which the following is an extract : — - " There have been printed three editions of the New Testament, 10,000 copies each, duodecimo size, one octavo edition of 2000 copies, one duo- decimo edition of the whole Bible, and one octavo edition, also each of 10,000 copies, and one quarto edition of 500 copies ; making- in all 20,.500 copies of the entire Bible, and 32,000 copies of the New Testament. There is also an edition of 10,000 copies of the New Testament now going through the press. '* At an early period of the Mission, select portions of Scripture, such as the Psalms, Isaiah, Gospels, &c., were printed and circulated in pamphlets. The expense of these has been sustained by the American Bible Society. An Auxiliary Society was formed at Auckland, in New Auxiliaries Zealand, in 1846, and another at Wellington in 1848. One of the speakers on the former occasion adduced the following formed in New Zea- land. facts, in reply to an insinuated charge, that scriptural labours had done little or no good to the natives : — " The diffusion of Scripture knowledge done no good ! What has tei-minated the sanguinary wars of the New Zealander? William Naylor, a powerful Chief of Waingaroa, known to some of you, told me that it was an argument drawn from the Scripture that first induced him to give New Zca- BRITISII AND FOIIEION UIDLE SOCIETY. AOW up fig-hting-. lie was on the eve ofdepartinp,- on sin expedition of \v:ir, to soitii ska seek reveng-e for some of his friends that had fallen in a previous contest, islands. A Missionary arrived at his ' kaing-a,' and, just as they were g-oing: to ~. start, reasoned with him, and tried to dissuade him from liis jiurpose ; and ^'"^ ' it was this argument that prevailed: — ' Leave it,' said the Missionary, 18H1. ' till the day of judg-ment, and the great God will aveng-e the death of your friends ; for He will judg-e every man, and reward every man ac- laaj cording- to his works.' That fastened on his mind. He called to his ^1,^ Scrip- friends, 'Listen! the Pakeha says that (lod will utu the death of our tnres the friends : let us leave it with Him ; ' and from that time to this he has "}*''1!'^ I'*^ never engag-ed in war. What saved the few remaining- Aborigines of the ^ar."" '"^ Taranaki district, that had been well nig-h utterly depojiulated by succes- sive j'ears of war and bloodshed ? The diffusion of Scripture principles has preserved them alive. Some may say that war has not entirely ceased. It has not. New circumstances, into which the half-civilized New Zealander has been thrown, have, in some cases, led to Avar ; but I am fully persuaded that their late wars have been much less sang'-uinary '^'''^'' *^''*^ than they would have been, if they had not had the Scriptures among- prpscrvoJ them. I was struck with this on one of my visits to Manukau. During- from cx- the late quarrel, when on my return from the Ngatiteata to Bunting-'s tiuctiou. camji, I found them all on their knees, in solemn prayer to God that He would interfere, and prevent the threatened Jmio. Instead of charg-ing'- their muskets, with which to receive the other party, they commended the affiur to God, and met them with empty g-uns ; and who can tell but that Divine Providence, in answer to their prayers, prevented bloodshed on that occasion ? ^^ hat was it that taug-ht them this, but the word of CJod ? " The subject of printing the Book of Psalms in the New Zealand language, was in 1848, brought under notice of the Socict}'. In pursuance of a request to that effect, trans- mitted from the Wesleyan Missionaries labouring in New Zealand, application was made to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, for permission to print an edition of the Psalms, from the Psalter forming a part of the New Zealand Common-Prayer Book, then in course of publication by tliat Society. The request was very courteously complied with, and, further, an offer was made of the use of the Society's stereotype plates, or the types from which the plates were cast. Though it was afterwards found expedient to employ other types, yet the Committee of tlie Bible Society highly appre- ciated the kindness and liberality whicli ])romptcd the offer. 20,000 copies of the book were printed. It may be i)ro[)er to remark, that the translation is conformed to the Bible version of the Psalms. 464 HISTORY OF THE SOUTH SEA ISIvAXDS. 1817-54. 1848. New-Zea- laud. Portions of the Old Testa- ment printed. Revised edition of Taiiitiaa Bible. Faithful character of this version. The Committee were also induced, on the representation of the Church Missionary Society, to undertake an edition of the Pentateuch and Book of Joshua in the New Zealand language. This work, originally prepared and printed by the Missionaries there, subsequently passed under the revision of a Syndicate appointed by Bishop Selwyn, and was sent to this country, with the Bishop's approbation, to be printed. The Church Missionary Society having asked for 5000 copies, an edition of 10,000 was ordered, one half of which was promised to that Society, the other half was reserved for the use of the Wesleyan Missionaries. This year the revised edition of the whole Bible in the Tahitian language was completed in this country. The edi- tion consisted of 5000 copies, which were placed at the dis- posal of the Directors of the London Missionary Society. The Rev. Messrs. Joseph and Moore, the Missionaries to whom this work was latterly entrusted, (the Rev. Mr. Howe, having, during the progress of the work, returned to Tahiti,) addressed a letter to the Society, explanatory of the course adopted by them in regard to this important revision, which may be properly introduced here : — " In regard to the character of the new edition, so far as our depart- ment is concerned, it is not for us to speak ; the Brethren of the Islands will be able to do that : but we shall simply state, that, in its preparation, we have paid the strictest reg-ard to the instructions with which we were furnished at the commencement of the work, as your excellent Editorial Superintendent* can show in regard to the hundreds of pages submitted to him. We may add that, in our opinion, we have now a much closer and more correct translation of the word of God. We have made uniform the very irregular orthography of the first edition, and have removed nume- rous typographical errors. We have also rejected many unnecessary foreign words, and substituted Tahitian ones, making the late Rev. H. Nott himself our authority in most cases. " But while all that we have stated has been done, we have retained as much of the old text as was compatible with fidelity, and have closely adhered to Mr. Nott's idiom, it being, in the estimation of the Missio- naries, very excellent. We are far from thinking the book perfect, but it will certainly be found much nearer perfection than its predecessor. Under these circumstances, we greatly rejoice in the prospect of the speedy circulation of the new edition among the poor injured people, for Rev. J. Jowett. moan. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 465 whom it is intended. We doulit not many of tliem will esteem it a {rreat south sea. blessing- to possess a larg-er and better edition of the Holy Scriptures, their islands. severe trials having taug-ht liundreds among them to appreciate the ,0,",, Bible more than ever they did before. It must be evident to you, and _^"^ ' the Committee of your noble Institution, that the Bibles will be circulated imu. among- the Tahitians at a very important crisis in their history— Avhen they themselves will be in circumstances to peruse them without much interruption, it is to be hoped, this being their transition state ; and when, moreover, the Catholics will be bringing all their long-prepared instru- mentahty to bear on the conversion of the nation to Popery. May God defend His Church, and establish His truth among- the islands of the Pacilic ! This year, intelligence having reached the Society that the wliole of the New Testament, in the Samoan language, had been translated, and printed by the Missionaries of the J^^g^t^^n London jMissionary Society in the Navigators' Islands, a the Sa- grant was made of £200, towards the expenses incurred in preparing and carrying through the press the above work. Shortly after, a request was received from the Missionaries that an edition of 15,000 copies might be printed in this country, as soon as they should be able to send a revised copy for this purpose. The following information was also I'eceived about this time, relating to the circulating and reading of the Scriptures in llarotonga — " It will, I doubt not, be gratifying- to you to be informed that the New Testament, and other printed portions of the Scriptures, are con- stantly, careful!}^, and praA'erfully read by many. Nearly twenty years Retrospect ago, when I first came among this ])eople, they knew not the power of °^ twenty letter-s. When I see numbers coming, from day to day, to our house, with the word of God in their hand, to inquire into the meaning of what they read ; and when I see young men, formerly children in our schools. Sabbath after Sabbath, go to our out-station, to pubhsh the glad tidings of salvation, contained in the precious volume of truth, to their fellow- countrymen, I often involuntarily exclaim, ' What hath God wrought!' and, contrasting their former with their present state, cannot but think, ' This is the finger of God.' ' Our mouth is filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing ; for the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.' "The good effects of reading the Scriptures are very apparent; and also of Bible classes, where important truths are caix;fully explained. PLxcept on account of illness, Ave scarcely ever have an aljsentee. Lutfjly conversing on passages of vital importance, they observed the difference VOE. II. II H Ilarotouga. 466 HISTORY OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. 1817-54. 1848. Rarotonga. Intense de- sire to un- derstand the Scrip- tures. Revised edition of entire Bible sent out. of the word of God from any thing- else. Of other things they soon ac- quire a complete knowledge, but the word of God always presents some- thing new ; and one said, ' Yes ; for reading a passage with which I have been familiar for years, such new thoughts spring up in my mind as I can hardly express.' " A week or two back, a young man, and, soon after, two others, came a distance of nearly ten miles— their pastor being absent from home— with various passages noted down for ex2:)lanation. With them I spent nearly a whole afternoon, illustrating the passages, and when any other was quoted as an explanation, it was carefully noted down ; and, lest any thing should be forgotten, one said to the other, ' Don't forget what was said on this part ;' when he made a particular mark lest it should escape his memory. These men lately came from the island of Mangaia : they were bi'ought to a knowledge of the truth by the preaching of the word by my valuable native assistant Mai'atu, a man singularlj^ blessed in the conversion of souls. " I lately sent up some portion of the Scriptures to our out-station, to Iro, the native teacher there. As the man to whose care I com- mitted them passed by the houses to the village, they inquired, ' ^VhcLt is that V He said, ' A fresh portion of the word of God ;' when they rushed out of their houses, surrounded him, and actually seized them from him. When Iro heard of it, he was much concerned. They came to him with the books in their hands, and said, ' Iro, don't be angry, here is my book, write down my name ; as soon as the arrow-root is ripe we will bring the payment. We have not stolen them, but desire them.' He did so; and said that many others had been beg'ging of him copies for themselves, which I gladly supplied ; and scarcely one now remains but has obtained his wish." The revision of the whole Bible in the Rarotongan lano-nao-e had now been going on for several years. In the spring of 1848, the Rev. Mr. Buzacott, one of the principal translators, accompanied by a Christian native, arriyed in this country, for the purpose of completing the work, in communication with the Rev. T. W. Meller, the Society's Editorial Superintendent, who, for some years preceding, had pursued the study of this language, and had written letters to the Missionaries, con- taining suggestions highly valued by them. This revision, together with the printing of 5000 copies of the work, was conducted at the expense of the Society, and was finished in 1851 ; when the whole edition, consisting of 5000 copies, was forwarded by the Missionary ship " John Williams," which was detained some months by the Directors of the London Missionary Society, that it might be the bearer of this precious SOUTH SEA ISLAXDS. 1817-54. Rarotonga. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 467 and much looked-for treasure. Before he embarked, Mr. Buzacott left the following account of the history of this version, and of the people for whom it was prepared : — " It was only in tlie year 18-22, that the island of Rarotono-a was 184«. discovered, when the people were found to be in a state of savag-eness not easily described. CamiibaUsm prevailed among- them to a most fearful extent. Native evang-elists were landed, and they succeeded, throug-h the Results of blessing- of God, in inducing- the whole island to abandon their g-ods, and ^lissiouary the train of abominations connected Avith their idolatry. The Rev. ^^'^°"'^- Messrs. ^MlHams and Pitman arrived at this island in 1827, and we Idolatry joined them early in 18-28. Up to this time there had been very little abandoned, attempted, in order to reduce their lang-uag-e to a written form. Characters it had none ; and, long- after our arrival, a note sent from one station to a written another would excite the greatest wonder in the minds of the natives, who language would follow the bearer to the Missionaries' house to hear what the letter ^'^'^'^^'^'l- had to say ; and I have sometimes seen them come, while I have been reading- the communication, and put their ear as near as possible, to try to discover what it said. Xow, education is almost universal : a great Education number of the adults can read, and all the children, w^ho are not physi- become cally or mentally incapacitated. During Mr. Williams's stay at Rarotonga, ^^^'^'^^ • which was at this time about nine months, he attempted a translation of the Gospel of St. John, and the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians. One month after our arrival he left Rarotonga, and took his manuscript with him, and got it printed at Huahine ; and though these portions of Holy "Writ were very incorrect, they were exceedingly valuable, and highly prized by the natives, many of whom committed the greater part to memory. By the time Mr, Williams visited England, the manuscript of the New Testament was completed ; it having been efiFected conjointly by Mr. Williams, Mr. Pitman, and myself. It was committed to IMr. 'Wil- liams, w^ho brought it to England, and succeeded, through the aid of the British and Foreign Bible Society, in procuring oOOO copies, which have been an invaluable boon to the natives. Mr. Pitman and myself next pro- ceeded with the Old Testament, and, as the portions were completed, they were printed by the natives of Rarotonga, under the superintendence of the Missionary, the paper being supplied by the British and Foreign Bible Society. We proceeded in this way till 2000 copies of the whole of the Tbe entire historical parts, and also the Psalms, the Books of Solomon, and the Pro- ! '^["j"'j' phecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, had been completed, and in the hands of the people ; and it was very encouraging to witness the eagerness of the people to procure the various portions as they issued from the jiress, and the cheerfulness with which they brought what they had, in payment for these precious portions of the -word of God." Ill the mean time, the whole edition of the Tahitian l>ihlc, Tahiti, had reached its destination, and very gratifying accounts were H H 2 468 HISTORY OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. 1817-54. 1850. Tahiti. Arrival of Tabitian Bibles ; and their reception. Ileception in the neighbour- ing islands. received of the manner in which it was welcomed. One of the Missionaries in Tahiti writes : — '' I have g-reat pleasure in informing you of the safe arrival of the revised edition of the Tabitian Bible, consisting of .5000 copies. '' A portion of 1900 in number has been sent to the Leeward or Society Islands ; the remainder have been retained in Tahiti, for the use of the inhabitants of the Windward or Georgian group. It is intended, as soon as possible, to forward a number of copies to the Austral and Paumotu Islands, where it is calculated there are 4000 or 5000 people, of whom the Tabitian is the vernacular tongue. " Up to the present time, 700 copies have been sold on this island, at 8s. each ; and the Secretary of the London Missionary Society has been instructed to pay you the sum of £-280 sterling-, being the amount realized by the sale. As more copies are sold, the proceeds will be accounted for by an earl}^ opportunity. " The natives express their admiration at the neatness and clearness of tyjie of the revised Bible, and all, both Natives and Missionaries, feel under great obligations to your noble Institution, for liaving furnished the inhabitants of these distant isles with such a beautiful and improved edition of the Sacred Scriptures. May the Holy Spirit bless their perusal to the conversion of many, and render them instrumental in building ujj the members of our Churches in the faith of Christ, in preserving them from error, in leading them into the paths of righteousness, and making them wise unto salvation !" A confirmation of the manner in wliich these books were received and vahied, not only in Tahiti, but in other and distant islands to which thej were carried, will be found in the following extracts of letters from the Rev. W. Howe, who took a leading part in preparing this revised edition, during the period of his temporary residence in this country. Thus he writes : — " The eagerness of the people for the Bible there (in the Austral Islands) is truly delightful. Many of them will not take any thing for their work or g-oods, but the Bible ; and, when obtained, many of them press it to their bosoms, and say, ' My utmost desire is now fulfilled.' Upwards of 400 copies have passed through my own hands to this inte- resting people." " It is truly delightful to see the eagerness of the peo2:>le to obtain copies of the Sacred Volume, especially at the out-stations. One of the many small vessels which ti-ade between this port and the dangerous Archipelago, called the ' Paumotus,' came in the other day, and the captain had a long list of names of persons who would not take any tiling for their work or produce, but Bibles ; and he was obliged to return here for them before he could pay them. Upwards of 1000 copies have gone to that group BRITISH A2s'D FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. 4G9 alone ; and so desirous are the people for tlieui, that the merdiauts would sorrn ska take luany more to distribute among- tliem, if we could spare them. How ifSLAXD-s. g-ratifying- it is to see the little vessels, as they pass out of the harbour, T with 50 or 100 Bibles on board, as the case may be, to exchange for the ' }^"^"'" labour or commodities of the people, instead of demorahzinf'eceding narrative. — Proof given that such an Institution ivas needed. — The rapid growth and exten- sion of the Society. — Union of all ranks and denominations in support of its object. — The hindrances encotmtered by it. — The success which has crowned its labours. — The varied instrumen- tality which became auxiliary to its design, at home and abroad. • — Its position and prosj)ects in the year of Jubilee. — The result due alone to the Divine blessing. We now close our narrative of the many and widely-ramified operations, in which the Bible Society has borne a part. Ex- tended, as these have been, to almost every comitry on the face of the globe, and in each distinguished by results of deep and varied interest, the difficulty has been, to reduce the sketch within the limits wliich our allotted space required, and yet to preserve something of detail and circumstance, without which no faithful impress could be given of the Society's labours. It was considered due to the cause of Bible distri- bution, not simply to narrate the order and processes of pro- curing supplies of the Scriptures in all languages, and the or- ganization requisite to provide the means for these, but also to take account of the reception and effect of these distributions, both as encouragement to continued effort, and for the higher reason, that such results, brought together from all lands, multiply the evidence that the Bible alone is the book adapted to the moral wants of man. We revert briefly to the successive portions of the history, thus brought down to the year of the Society's Jubilee. COSCIXSION. BKITISII AND FOREIGN BII5LE SOCIETY. 481 After tracing tlie onVin, progress, and extension of tlie Society at home, and attempting to elucidate the principles on which it has been conducted, we endeavoured to exhibit the system of Bibhcal operations carried on in Europe, both in its Central and Northern, and in its Southern kingdoms and provinces. In this part we had to trace these operations among nations in affinity i" coiuaa to our own, in respect of civilization, and the general recognition n.peaa d- of Christianity. But passing into Asia, we had to contemplate ^'I'^-iti'J" ; widely different phases of human society. We had to recount the order and character of successive translations, by which the communication for divine truth was opened to various tribes and peoples in British India and in China, where a civiliza- tion long antecedent to that of AVestern Europe had existed, though mixed up with the revolting imaginations and usages ^j^,^ ^,,p of heathenism and Mahomedanism. We had also to mark the super- gradual spread of Scripture circulation, and to present well- tlo'SLtl attested examples of the result of such circulation, in that part of the world. In tracing the prosecution of the same great work in the different regions of Africa, we had not to with give account so much of the number and elaboration of ver- sions, as of the wonderful effects wrought by Divine truth among the various native tribes awakened by the inspired word to a new intellectual, as well as moral life. Evidently the historian's duty would have been inadequately fulfillecl, if he had passed over in silence all the incidents and circum- stances of this great change. These were, it is true, results of Missionary effort; but they were inseparably blended Avith the gift and perusal of that Sacred Volume, which it was the pri- vilege of the Bible Society to communicate. Animated details, witli again, from the Isles of the West Indies, give us the picture u.'o wLt" of a scene which can occur but once in a people's history, and exemplify the influence of Divine truth in preparing the minds of the enslaved sons of Africa for civil freedom, and in consecrating and chastening the joys of emancipation. 'I'lic -results of Missions in the Pacific display to us the human with bar- mind in the period of the first access of Gospel truth to its J'l^^'j^'" '.V apprehensions, Avhen first awakened from its brutish torpor; •'^cas. and Ave see whole tribes a})andf)n their superstitions and vices, and yield themselves wifli an unf\;iiiii)Ifil dfvotcdness fo the Vol. II. I I African (ie- basciiieut ; 482 HISTORY OF THE CONCLUSION, service of the Redeemer! Thus various are the Society's ~ operations, as they penetrate, in one quarter, the populations of the civiHzed world, or, in another, touch on races sunk in Yet essen- barbarism. Yet the design of these operations in all regions oAheworl7 °^ *^^^ earth has been the same, the work has been the same ; and its re- the gift has been one, and the results of its communication have been shown to have been the same. All have drunk of the same Rock, and that Rock was Christ ! The facts which have been brought before us in the fore- going narrative, afford ample material for extended and edify- ing comment ; but nothing more will be attempted in this con- cluding chapter, than a brief re-capitulation of the more salient points. Evidence Let US first recal to the reader's attention the overwhelming Sodei" was '^^^^' <^<^cumulaled evidence, that a Society, like the one we have needed. heeii contemplating, was needed to meet the existing and grotving requirements of the age. It was a special case of destitution, which first awakened at- tention to the desirableness and importance of facilitating the means of more widely diffusing the Holy Scriptures. Inquiry was set on foot and stimulated, and a most lamentable want began to show itself in every direction. It was the lifting up a veil which hung over the condition, even of nominal Christendom ; and how truly affecting the spectacle which was Theap- then brought to light ! Unimagined numbers of families, even destitutio "^ ^^^ ^^" favoured country, were found to be destitute of the brought to Scriptures ; on the Continent the case was much worse ; whilst in the vast regions beyond, the famine of the word of God was extreme and entire. This fact came out more fully, as the Society advanced in its work. To meet this appalling and wide-spread destitution, the means previously existing were lamentably scanty and circumscribed. Something was required on a broad scale, that should enlist a large amount of co-operation, and spread itself out in every direction. A catholic Society was called for, and, through the favour of God, a catholic Society arose. Scarcely had the Society entered on its course of action — it had made but small advance in its self-imposed and honour- light by it. BRITI^ilT AXD FOlIEinX r.IIlLK SOCII.TY. 483 able task— M-hen a new necessity sprang up to justify its for- mation. The opportunity of obtaining the Scriptures quickened the demand for them. That which was at first the mere sup- ply of destitution, was soon followed by the awakening of a new and healthful desire for the word of truth. No^ only destitute families became applicants for the Sacred Volume, and destitute individual adults, but children were found eager to obtain it, and parents anxious to supply them. The Scrij^tures also came into request for purposes of education generally, and, both at home and abroad (where they were allowed to be introduced) found a large circulation in Schools- As an evidence that the demand has grown with the facility and means of supply, the fact may be mentioned, that the issues of the Scriptures at home, where millions of copies have been circulated, have been increasing, not diminishing, from year to year ; that this increase has borne a striking proportion to the increased facilities; and that the demand still keeps up, even where the copies brought into circulation actually out- number, as in Wales and some other places, the entire population. It would not be right, however, to attribute this contiiuied demand for the Holy Scriptures only to the enlai'ged op- portunities and facilities of obtaining them : there are indica- tions of a growing reverence for the Book itself ; a widening and deepening conviction that the Bible, for its oAvn sake, is worthy of acceptance and respect ; that it is well that all should possess it and read it. Is it presumptuous to suppose that the efforts of the Bible Society, by drawing attention to the Bil)le, may have been instrumental in inspiring and cherishing this feeling? — a further proof of the necessity for the estal)lislnn('i)t of a more enlarged organization for purposes of Scriptui'e dis- tribution, than had till then existed. After the Society had sprung into existence, how marvel- lously rapid was its groictli, and how exiranrdinary its ultimate expansion. The Society was f(juii(lid on a ln-oarl basis, and was so constituted as to admit of ;m uiilimitcil ciilai-gfincnt of its boundaries ; in this apjjcaivd at once the w isdum and faith of its loumlers. P.nt still it could bo lookrd upon, af its I I 2 The desire quickened for tlie Siicre■!'>- and Foreign Bible Society. It sought to do this in the most met with effectual manner, by teaching and stimulating them to bene- ^'^'"'^^'i- fit themselves. Correspondences were opened in ditierent quarters, and soon kindred Institutions sprang up, at first only here and there, but, after a time, they spread and multiplied. They were local, they were provincial, they were national : the whole of Europe was pervaded by them, and the flame spread to distant lands. Across the Atlantic, Bible Societies were established and flourished, in the United States, in the British-American Provinces, in the West Indies ; and thence we trace them in the isles of the wide Pacific, in China and the East Indies, and on the shores of Africa ; insomuch that, after comparatively few years, the system of the Bible Society may be said to have encompassed, as a net work, nearly the whole globe. \Yhatever deductions and drawbacks may rerpilre to be made, in estimating the real character of the undertaking ; what- ever defects may have been discovered or suspected in orga- favour of nization or management ; whatever amount there may have ^'"^ l^Mo, been or doubtiul, transient, and even erroneous motive and forgottm, feeling mixed up with it ; yet it must be admitted that the f., !''""'' o I. ' J tancouscii- movement itself was very remarkable. The Bible had become thiisiasm a neglected book — a forgotten book — an unknown book — to a vast and melancholy extent, when it was suddenly brought out of its obscurity, lifted high among the nations, and sent I'orth on its glorious mission throughout the earth. This fact becomes the more impressive, wlien it is borne in 'ii,,,. mind that the Society did not acquire such extraonlinary and J|,'|"i'^."aro?o rapid expansion without numerous checks and hindrances. It in the path cicty. has had to contend with direct and outward opposition; it h ■ also suffered still more, from feuds and controversies, which have arisen within the pale of its own constituency, and even amongst some who were once its warmest supporters. The opposition shown to the Society at its «tance3 where this has occurred, but the reader will be reminded of some of tUvrn', when we mention the names of Carey, ^larsliin.in, and Ward, of Martyn and Rhenius, of Morris(m, Milne and Mudhurst, of Williaius and of Moffat, names which are amere specinuj! and Iragment of the host that deserve to be held in hononr.ilile and lasting remembrance; but which are now alhided to, to sIkiw the lations abroad. 490 HISTORY OF THE CONCLUSION, The So-_ ciety at its Jubilee. Its prin- ciples nn- changed : its human adminis- tration changeful. Its re- sources still increasing. diversified and invaluable. instrumentality, by means of which the great object of the Society has been carried out. Happily the constitution of the Society left it open to accept this help from every quarter, and each section of the Christian Church has thus contributed to enrich its agency, and extend its usefulness. The position in which the Society was found, and the pro- spects ivhich opened around it, at the period lolien this history closes, must, lastly, be noticed. In every essential respect, the Society is the same as when it sprang into existence, and was hailed by so many with a hearty welcome. Fifty years of chequered experience, of alternate cloud and sunshine, have rolled over it : its foundations remain unshaken, and we behold it still graceful in its .sim- plicity of structure, and in its noble elevation. But the Society, while unchanged itself, as to its essential character, nevertheless exhibits, in the succession of its Agency, and in other respects, that mutableness to which every human institution is subject. Its principal administra- tors and officers have been replaced again and again ; and of the numerous friends who witnessed its early popularity, sym- pathized in its subsequent conflicts, and rejoiced in its ad- vancing triumphs, how few remained, when the year of Jubilee arrived ! But others have been raised up in their place, and the Society never presented a goodlier array, both at home and abroad, of warm-hearted, sincerely-attached, and zealous adherents. Though the accessions of later years may not have included so large a proportion of the rich and the great, the noble and the honourable of the earth, and have been chiefly drawn from the less distinguished and humbler classes, still the Institution has not suffered from this change. There has been no falling off in its resources. Its income, inci'easing from year to year, has now swelled beyond the most sanguine predictions of its earlier friends ; and its success in the distribution of the Scrip- tures has reached a height which none would have ventm-ed to anticipate. If it rests less on popular applause, and more on the support and aid of principle — if the attraction of novelty has given place to the healthier hue of a deliberate and con- BKITISn AND FOREIGN TURT.E SOCIKIY. -191 scicntious adherence— this is surely no change for the Morse, co.nclu.su.s. It is quiet, patient, prayerful perseverance that gives the assur- ~~ ance of stability, and the prospect of success, in a cause like this. After this review, are we not irresistibly led to the great TlieDivino practical deduction, that the hand of God is to he seen, and hath "^ ought to he devoutly acknowIed(/ed, in the rise and progress of crownod its the British and Foreign Bihle Society? This inference must often have presented itself, in the course of this history ; but, now at its close, demands to be distinctly and emphatically reiterated. This let us do, in tlic language of the Holy IJook itself: — "Give unto the lord, o ye kindred of the teoi'le, GIVE unto the lord GLORY AND STRENGTH." " LeT THE PEOPLE PRAISE THEE, O GOD; LET ALL THE PEOPLE PRAISE THEE !" " Oil THAT MEN AVOULD PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS GOODNESS, AND FOR HIS WONDERFUL WORKS TO THE CHILDREN OF MEN !" "HE SENDETII FORTH HIS COM- MANDMENT UPON EARTH: HIS AVORD RUNNETH VERY SWIFTLY." Here wc pause, that we may gather up our thoughts in humble, reverential prayer. " Blessed Lord, who hast caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning ; grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy Holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the hoi)e of everlasting lifi", which tluni hast given us in our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen." APPENDIX 1 . Note A, Vol. I. p. 2. It appears that another Society, formed on belialf of foreigners, had pre- viously existed, and had been only recently dissolved, entitled " The French Cible Society," of which Mr. Owen gives the following- account :* " The French Bible Society was instituted in May 1792, and commenced its operations by opening- a correspondence with a respectable Minister of the Reformed Church at Paris, and treating- with a printer of rejnitation in that capital for an edition of the French Bible, of which the Protestant Minister who had recommended liim was to take the superintendence. The revolutionary war having- put a period to all communication between the two countries, the French Bible Society suspended proceeding-s, and invested the amount subscribed (Avith the exception of 40U0 hvres advanced to the printer at Paris) in the public funds. On the re-establishment of intercourse between France and England, in the j^ear IbiOl, the Society learnt, by a letter from the Protestant Minister, that the jirinter was living-, but that the Revolution had totally ruined him. " The Society, discourag-ed by these and similar difficulties, and appre- hending- that their original desig-n of circulating- French Biljles among- the Roman Catholics in France was become impracticable, resolved to apply the money, of which they had been so long- possessed, to the jiurdiasc of Eng-hsh Bibles, for distribution among- ' poor Catholics and otlu-rs in the United King-dom of Great Britain and Ireland :' 2000 coi)ie3 were accord- ing-ly procured, of which 1000 were entrusted to the care of the late Rev. Dr. Coke, a principal Minister in the "Weslej'an connection, to be dispersed by the means of their Missionaries among- the Catholics in Ireland. A letter having- been received from AVilliam Hall, Esq., of Dublin, pointing- out other channels throug-h which 10,000 Jiibles mig-ht be usefully distributed in Ireland, and offering- tog-uarantee their correct distribution, the remain- ing- 1000 copies were, in the month of August 1803, ]tlacfd at his disjutsal : and after this act, and the necessary formalities of pecuniary scfflcment, the French Bible Society was finally dissolved." * Owen, Vol. I., p. 24. 494 APPENDIX r. {Note B, p. 4.) The following account of the origin of the Bible Society is extracted from the Third Chapter of the " Jubilee Memorial of the Religious Tract Society." The chapter is headed " The British and Foreign Bible Society" : — In former times the Lord made known his will to his people in visions, or spoke unto them in dreams ; but in these latter days he guides them by his Holy Spirit, and, by his providential dispensations, leads them clearly to understand his mind. Soon after the estabhshment of the Tract So- ciety, an event occurred wlu(;h may be considered one of the great collateral benefits of its formation ; and the part taken by the Committee in furthering the noble object will justify the introduction of the subject as a deeply interesting episode in the -history of the Society's operations. Several circumstances, apparently trivial in themselves, led to the for- mation of the British and Foreign Bible Society. In the year 1802, the Rev. Thomas Charles, of Bala, was walking in one of the streets in that town, when he met a child who attended his ministry. He inquired if she could repeat the text from which he had preached on the preceding Sunday. Instead of giving a prompt reply, as she had been accustomed to do, she remained silent. " Can you not tell me the text, my little girl l " repeated Mr. Charles. The child wept, but was still silent. At length she said : " The weather, sir, has been so bad that I could not get to read the Bible !" This remark surprised the good man, and he ex- claimed, " Could 3-ou not get to read the Bible ? how was that ?" Tlie reason was soon ascertained : there was no copy to which she could gain access, either at her own home, or among her friends ; and she was accus- tomed to travel every week seven miles over the hills to a place where she could obtain a Welsh Bible, to read the chapter from which the minister took his text. But during that week the cold and stormy weather had prevented her usual journey. Surely the word of the Lord was precious in those days to this lamb of the Saviour's fold. This incident made a deep impression on the benevolent mind of Mr. Charles, and increased the anxiety he had long felt to secure for the Welsh a good supply of the Scriptures in their own tong-ue. The next step which advanced the Bible cause is stated by his bio- grapher. After noticing the failure of various attempts to obtain the Scriptures in Welsh, fron\ the Christian Knowledge Society and other sources, " Mr. Charles, in December, 180'2, took his aimual journey to London, intending to lay certain plans for securing his object before several charitable friends, particularly the Committee of the Religious Tract Society, of which he was then a member. The subject was much on his mind ; and while awake in bed, as he told me himself, the idea of having- a Bible Society established in London, on a similar basis to the Religious Tract Society, occurred to him. He was so cheered by the thought that he instantly arose, and went out to consult some friends on ArrEXDix I. 495 the subjoct." The fii\>t poi-.'^on he met was Mr. Tani, who w:is then on the Committee of the Ti-.iet Society. They diseiis.^cil thesul.jert tojretlicr for a considerable time. At the next meeting: of tlie Society, lielil on Tuesday, the 7th December, 1802, Mr. Charles was introduced. On this occasion, the Rev. Matthew Wilks occupied the cliair, and the following- friends were present :— The Rev. Messrs. Steinkopfi; Towui^'^nd, and Hug-hes; also Messrs. Pellatt, Alers,* INIackenzie, Couldsniith, Shrubsole, Preston, Freshfield, Reyner, Hamilton, Fowler, Shotter, and Tarn. IMr. Tarn, after tlie reg-ular business of the Committee was finished, mentioned the particulars of liis conversation with Mr. Charles, when the latter fully unfolded his plans, and urg-ed assistance in the attainment of an object which had long- occupied his mind. How deeply imj)ortant was the hour devoted to this conversation ! Surely the Lord was in the midst of the little assembly, sug-gesting- holy thouglits to his servants ! At the moment when Mr. Charles was appealing- for the Rible for Wales, it occuiTed to Mr. Hughes, " Surely a Society might l)efonned for the jnir- po.se ; and if for Wales, why not also for the empire and the world ? " He mentioned to the friends that it appeared to him desirable to extend the plan suggested by Mr. Charles, so as to facilitate a general circulation of the Scriptures. In these views all present united, and instructed Mr. Hughes to make the following entry in the minute-book of the Tract Society : — '' Mr. Charles of Bala, having introduced tlie subject, which had been previously mentioned by Mr. Tarn, of dispersing- JJibles in Wales, tlie Committee resolved that it would be highly desirable to stir up the pubUc mind to the dispersion of Bibles generally, and that a paper in a magazine to this effect may be .singularly useful. The objectf was deemed sufficiently connected with the object of the Society thus generally to appear on these minutes ; and the Secretary, who sug-gested it, was accordingly desired to enter it." This minute is not very correctly expressed, though it gives a dear view of the result of the conference. In the early history of our leading Societies, the resolutions were entered on the minutes during the sittings of the Committees, which frequently led to small inaccuracies of ex- pres.sion. Mr. Hutches was requested at this conference to prepare a circular- letter, inviting Christians of every name to unite in a Society to send the word of God, without note or comment, all over the world. The origin of the Bible Society, as furnished by its eloquent his- torian, the Rev. John Owen, agrees very mucli with the stiiteinents which have been given. He notices the Committee of the Uf^Iigiou.s Tract Society as "a circle of friends who had met to transact a * Afterwards W. Alers Haiikoy, Ksq. •t That i.s, the circulation of tlic WMc tlin)Uf;li<)Ut tlic wurl.l. 496 APPENDIX I. different business;" and in a note acknowledges the services they rendered " at the commencement of the noble effort, to spread scrip- tural truth throughout the world." It is due to the Society, however, fully to state the part its Com- mittee took in this holy work. We have shown the dawn— let us- now exhibit the progress of the cause. On Tuesday, the 21st December, 180-2, the Tract Committee again met, when Mr. Thomas Pellatt presided. There were present, the Rev. Messrs. R. Hill, Townsend, Hughes, Anlezark, Charles, and Wilks ; and Messrs. Preston, Alers, Shrubsole, Freshfield, Reyner, Rogers, Gouldsmith, Tarn, Saddington, Mills, and Williams. The following entry on the minutes is in the writing of Mr. Pellatt : — " Mr. Secretary, read a paper on the importance of forming a Society for the distribution of Bibles in various languages. " Resolved—' That a special meeting be holden next Tuesday, at eight o'clock, as preparatory to a general meeting, to ]>romote that end.' " At the appointed time the Committee met. Mr. Charles was in attendance. The following minute was the result : — " The object of the intended Society was maturely considered, and determmed unanimously to be : ' To promote the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in foreign countries, and in those parts of the British dominions for which adequate provision is not yet made ; it being understood that no English translation of the Scriptures will be gratuitously circulated by the Society in Great Britain.' " The address by Mr. Hughes, explanatory^ of the object of the intended Society, was adopted after careful revision ; and Mr. Mills was requested to prepare the outline of a plan for its regulation. In January, 1803, it was an-anged that Mr. Reyner should " correspond with some liberal in- dividuals in different parts of the country on the subject of opening a subscription, as the basis of the intended Society." On the 1st of February, 1803, the rules of the Society were finally settled. On the 8th of the same month, an important minute is recorded — " That the translation of the Scriptures, estabHshed by public authority, be the only one in the English language to be adopted by the society." At this meeting also it was proposed to apply to His Majesty George III. for his patronage of the Society ; but the design was afterwards abandoned. The friends appear to have considered that a more suitable patron could not have been found, than the monarch who had expressed the pious wish, "that the day might soon come when every poor child in his king-dom should be taught to read the Bible." At this period fAe friends of the new cause were greatly encouraged by a letter received from Mr. Kiesling, of Nuremberg, in Germany, one of the earliest and most efficient correspondents of the Tract Society. He was a merchant, who annually travelled through several parts of Europe, in the prosecution of his business. In his letter he described in very affecting terms the great difficulty under which the poor laboured in pro- APPENDIX I. 497 curing Bibles, and the eager desire manifested by persons of all ag-os to be supplied with the word of life. He lamented the inadequacy of his own means to satisfy tlieir pressing- wants, and expressed his hope that the friends of rehgion in England would afford Ifim tliat aid, without which they must remain unrelieved. This letter led the Committee, by the advice of Mr. AVilberforce, to adopt measures to ascertain the want of the Scriptures both at home and abroad. Dr. Steinkopff, who was about to visit the Continent, was requested to obtain all the infonna- tion he could on the subject. lie subsequent!}' presented an interesting and affecting statement, showing the great destitution of the people, both in Germany and Switzerland, of the Sacred Volume. At the fourth general meeting of the Tract Society, held at St. Paul's Coffee-house, on the l-2th of Ma^^ 1803, the contemplated Bible Society was the great absorbing subject of the morning. The Secretary stated " that it was in tlie contemplation of some respectacle friends to form an extensive plan for the diffusion of Bibles into the hands of such persons as are at present unable to procure them ; and requested the members present to inquire, in their respective vicinities, as to the facility of procuring Bibles, and to communicate such information." After this communication, several of the ministers addressed the meeting on the subject, and the following- record is copied from the Society's minute-book : — " The Rev. John Townsend, in a very impressive address, urged tlie necessity of a dilig-ent attention to the want of Bibles both in this Island and on the Continent. ''The Rev. Mr. Knight related an instance of a man who had travelled sixty miles over the snow in Xova Scotia to obtain a Bible, which he received with the deepest expression of gratitude. " The Rev. Mr. Bogue suggested the jiropriety of printing a Bible in the modem Greek language, should a Society be formed for the noble purpose of extending the distribution of the Scriptures. " Several gentlemen stated the great want of Bibles in various parts of the counti-y. " The Rev. Mr. Tracey mentioned that in the countries which had been under the power of infidelity, during the French Revolution, the Holy Scriptures had been generally destroyed in the conflag-rations with other religious books, which had occasioned such a scarcity as cannot be possibly supplied by the Missionary Society." Subsequently to this meeting, and during the remainder of the year 180.3, various difficulties impeded the formation of the Society, but a wise and prudent course on the part of its friends gradually removed tliem. In January, 1804, a special meeting was held "for the purjjose of promoting the Bible Society," when it was resolved, " That the title of the Society should be ' The British and Foreign Bible Society,' agreeably to the suggestion of the Secretary, and that he be requested to prepare a circular-letter on the subject." Vol. II. K K 498 APPENDIX T. This circular was soon presented by Mr. Hughes to the Committee, and approved by them. It was extensively circulated, and led many persons to consider the great object which had so long engaged the anxious attention of the Tract Committee. Among other results, Mr. Reyner reported, " that, from a conversation he had had with Robert Howard, Esq., he had reason to conclude that several respectable members of the Society called Quakers would attend the public meeting, and exert themselves on behalf of the excellent object." At length the happy period arrived, when the prayers of many Chris- tians were answered, and the preliminary and anxious labours of the Tract Committee were happily and successfully terminated On the 7th March, 1804, the British and Foreign Bible Society was fully esta- blished. On this occasion several members of the Tract Committee "ex- plained the nature and design of the projected Society, demonstrated its necessity, and, in a strain of good sense, temperate zeal, and perspicuous information, urged the importance of its immediate establishment." Among the elected Committee were the following members of the Tract Society :— Messrs. 'William Alers, Josejoh Bunnell, Robert Cowie, Joseph Hardcastle, Thomas Hodson, Samuel Mills, Joseph Reyner, Robert Steven, and C. Sundius. The Rev. Joseph Hughes was one of the Secretaries of the new Institution. The following is taken from a volume, prepared in Welsh, by the Rev. T. PhilHps, late Jubilee Secretary, entitled " Llyfr y Jubih," &c. The extract is introduced here, as giving some additional and interesting particulars, relative to those introductory proceedings and circumstances, which issued in the formation of the Society : — " Before the formation of the Society, Mr. Jones, of Creaton, and Mr. Charles, of Bala, are the honoured names brought before us, first, separately, and then in concert, endeavouring to supply Wales with Bibles." " With the exception of the little that was done by private enterprise, to multiply the number of Bibles, and that chiefly in South Wales, the only Institution capable of giving Bibles to the Principality was the " Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge," a Society belonging exclusively to the Established Church." " Through the instrumentality of the Rev. Thomas Jones, of Creaton, and others, several editions of the Welsh Bible were obtained, and circulated at a low price throughout Wales. In this work there was the most cordial co-operation between Mr. Jones and Mr. Charles. Mr. Jones received infoi-mation from Wales through Mr. Charles, and Mr. Charles obtained Bibles from England through Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones felt deeply for his countrjTnen, but, living in England, it was impossible for him to take active measures in Wales ; on the other hand, Mr. Charles, living in Wales, had not the influence necessary to move the Society for Promoting APPENDIX I. 499 Christian Knowledge. Both, thoug-h far apart, worked together for the benefit of their native country.'' " According to the testimony of Mr. Jones, it was hopeless to expect further aid from the old Society ; consequently, it became necessarj- to adopt other means of supplying the increasing demand for Bibles. An excellent plan was prepared by Mr. Jones, and sent to his friend Mr. Charles ; but the circumstances of the country at the time were such as to render it impossible to carry it out. The plan was, to print Bibles at Chester, for the use of the Welsh ; to sell them at low prices ; and to pre- sent them gratuitously to those who were too poor to purchase ; on the principle that the rich, out of their abundance, should help the poor, by subscriptions and donations." " Towards the end of the year 1802, Mr. Charles went to London, to supply Spa-Fields Chapel, and had an opportunity, through his friend Mr. Tarn, of stating his case before the Committee of the Kehgious Tract Society. He is said to have exhibited his plans, and earnestly requested help to carry them into execution : but we are not told what plans — whether the plan of Mr. Jones, to promote a subscription in Wales to supply Welsh Bibles ; or his own, to foi-m a Society in London, on the same principle as the Tract Society'-. However, it is certain that he secured the sympathy of the meeting, and had reason to hope that his efforts would prove successful. " Bibles for Wales!" said Mr. Charles. " Bibles for the whole world !" responded Mr. Hughes. Such was the feeling-, and such the desire of all who were present on that memorable occasion." " From this time, we find the business entii-ely in the hands of the Com- mittee of the Religious Tract Society ; and fifteen months after Mr. Charles had pleaded on behalf of his countrymen in the Committee Room of that Society, the Institution was actually established on a much more extensive scale, and with far wider objects, than he had proposed. Neither Mr, Charles nor Mr. Jones were present at the formation of the Society, and yet it is clear that the}', by their previous labours, had been privileged to bring the necessitous state of Wales into notice, in such a way as to lead eventually to the establishment of a Society which should supply not only Wales, but the World with the lldlj Scriptures." K K 2 500 APPENDIX I, Note C, Vol. I., pp. 40 & C6. E U L E S RECOMMENDED FOR AUXILIARY SOCIETIES, BRANCH SOCIETIES, AND BIBLE ASSOCIATIONS. [The Rules are here given, as revised and modified in 1852 (see Report for that year) , several of the original regulations and suggestions, as printed in the earlier Reports of the Society having become obselete.] The attention of those who are concerned in the estabhshment or direction of Auxihary Societies, Branch Societies, and Bible Associations, is par- ticularly requested to the following extract from the Society's Eighth Report : — "It is the object of the Committee, in all their transactions, to adhere with the utmost strictness to the simple princii^le of the Institution, viz. the distribution of the Holy Scriptures without Note or Comment ; and, while they feel the obligation to this duty increase with the increasing magnitude of the establishment, they trust that a similar feeling ,will pervade the several Auxiliary Societies and Bible Associations throughout the United Kingdom, and that one correct line of operation may continue to characterize the whole body." FOR AN AUXILIARY SOCIETY. I. That a Society be now formed, to be called the " Auxiliary Bible Society of ," for the purpose of co-operating with the British and Foreign Bible Society, in j^romoting the dis- tribution of the Holy Scriptures, both at home and abroad. II. That, conformably to the principles of the Parent Institution, the Bibles and Testaments to be circulated by this Society shall be without Note or Comment ; and, those in the languages of the United Kingdom, of the authorized version only. III. That all persons subscribing one guinea j)er annum or upwards, or ten guineas or upwards at one time, shall be Members of this Societj^. IV. That the business of this Society shall be conducted by a President, Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, Secretaries, and a Committee, consisting of not less than other members, half of whom, if practicable, shall be members of the Established Church ; and that three members of this Committee constitute a quorum. V. That every clergyman or other minister, who is a member of this Society, shall be entitled to attend and vote at the Meetings of the Com- mittee. VI. That the Committees shall meet once every month, or oftener, on some day to be fixed by themselves. VII. That the Committee divide this town and neighbourhood into dis- tricts, and appoint two or more of their members for each district, who maj' associate with themselves any subscribers, for the purpose of soliciting* Subscriptions and Donations from the inhabitants thereof ; and that the}^ ArrENDix r. 501 establish proper Agents and Correspondents iii difterent parts within tlie hmits of this Auxiliary ."^ociet}'. VIII. That the whole of the Subscriptions and Donations received by the Society shall be applied, after deductinp: incidental expenses, in the first instance, to the purchase of such a number of Bibles and Testamenta from the Parent Institutioii as are required for local distribution ; and that the surplus funds shall be remitted to the Parent Society. That the members of this Auxihary Society shall be entitled to the privilege of purchasing; from its Depository Bibles and Testaments, on the same con- ditions as the Members of the Parent Institution. IX. That, for the purpose of g'iving- full effect to the benevolent desigii of the British and Foreig-n Bible Society, in their g-rant of the Scriptures for distribution among' the poor, the Committee shall make it their busi- ness to inquire, cither personally, or by means of Bible Associations, what families or individuals, residing- within their several districts, are in want of Bibles and Testaments, and unable to jirocure them ; and tliat it shall be the duty of the Committee to furnish them therewith, at prime cost, or otherwise, according- to their circumstances. X. That, for the still further promotion of the circulation of the Scrip- tures, it is expedient to encourag-e the formation of Branch Societies in such districts, within the sphere of this Auxiliary .Society, as may not be sufficiently populous to form Auxiliary Societies of their own ; such Branch Societies, and the individual members thereof, to be entitled to the same privileges from the Auxiliary Society, as it and its individual mem- bers enjoy from the Parent Institution. XI. That such persons as may not find it convenient to become Mem- bers of the Auxiliary Society, or any of its Branches, shall, upon furming- themselves into Bible Associations, and sending- a cojij' of their Pules to the Committee, be entitled to purchase at the Depository of this Societj^, under the direction of the Committee, cojiies of the Scriptures, at prime cost, for gTatuitous distribution, or sale, among- their poorer neighbours. XII. That all clergymen, and other ministers, within the sj)here of this Society, making collections in tlieir respective congregations in behalf of the Institution, shall be entitled, on remitting such collections to the Treasurer of this Society, to receive Bibles and Testaments to an amount not exceeding one-half of the said respective collections, estimated at prime cost, as shall be found to be needed by the poor in the vicinity ; .such return of Bibles and Testaments to be claimed within one year from the remittance of the collection. It is recommended, in all practicable cases, to supply the poor by .sale, rather than by gift. XIII. That a General Meeting of the Sub.scribers be held on the in in each year ; when the accounts .shall be presented, the proceedings of the past year stated, a new T'ommittee appointed, and a Report agreed upon to be ]irinted, under the direction of the Committee, and circulated among the Members. XIV. That, in tbe formation of the new Committee, the President, 502 APPENDIX I. Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Secretaries, and such three-fourths of the other Members as have most frequently attended the Committee, sliall be re-ehgible for the ensuing year. FOE, A BRANCH SOCIETY. I. That a Society be now formed, to be called the ''Branch Bible Society of ," for the purpose of co-operating with the British and Foreign Bible Society, through the medium of the Auxiliary Bible Society, in promoting the dis- tribution of the Holy Scriptures, both at home and abroad. II. That, conformably to the principles of the Parent Institution, the Bibles and Testaments to be circulated by this Society shall be without Note or Comment ; and, those in the languages of the United Kingdom, of the authorized version only. III. That all persons subscribing per annum or upwards, or guineas or upwards at one time, shall be IMembers of this Society. " IV. That the business of this Society shall be conducted by a President, Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, Secretaries, and a Committee, consisting of not less than other members, half of whom, if practicable, shall be members of the Established Church ; and that three members of this Committee constitute a quorum. V. That every clergyman, or other minister, who is a member of this Society, shall be entitled to attend and vote at the Meetings of the Com- mittee. VI. That the Committee shall meet once every month, or oftener, on some day to be fixed by themselves. VII. That the Committee divide this town and neighbourhood into dis_ tricts, and appoint two or more of their members for each district, who may associate with themselves any subscribers, for the purpose of soliciting Subscriptions and Donations from the inhabitants thereof; and that they establish proper Agents and Correspondents in different parts, within the limits of this Branch Society. VIII. That the whole of the Subscriptions and Donations received by the Society shall be from time to time remitted, after deducting incidental expenses, to the Auxiliary Society of on condition of such Society granting to this the same privileges which the Parent Institution grants, in such cases, to its Auxiliary Societies. IX. That the Committee shall make it their business to inquire, either personally, or by means of Bible. Associations, what families or individuals, residing within their several districts, are in want of Bibles or Testaments, and unable to procure them ; and that it shall be the duty of the Com- mittee to furnish them therewith, at prime cost, or otherwise, according to their circumstances. X. That such persons as may not find it convenient to become Mem- bers of this Society, shall, upon forming themselves into Bible Associations, ArPEXDix I. 503 and sending a copy of their Rules to the Committee, be entitled to purchase at the Depository of this Society, under the direction of tlie Committee, co])ies of the Scriptures, at prime cost, for sale among their poorer neigh- bours. XI. That all clergymen, and other ministers, within the sphere of this Society, making collections in their respective congregations in behalf of the Institution, shall be entitled, on remitting such collections to the Treasurer of this Society, to receive Bibles and Testaments to an amount not exceeding one-half of the said respective collections, estimated at prime cost, as shall be found to be needed by the poor in the vicinity ; k such return of Bibles and Testaments to be claimed within one j^ear from the remittance of tlie collection. It is i-ecommeuded, in all practicable cases, to supply the poor by sale, rather than by gift. XII. That a General Meeting of the Subscribers shall be held, at such time as shall be fixed on by the Committee, in each year ; when the accounts shall be presented, the proceedings of the past year stated, a new Committee appointed, and a Rfiport agreed upon to be printed, under the direction of the Committee, and circulated among the Members. XIII. That, in the formation of the new Committee, the President, Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Secretaries, and such three-fourths of the other jMembers as have most frequently attended the Committee, shall be re- eligible for the ensuing jear. FOR A ladies' branch SOCIETY. I. That the object and constitution of the British and Foreign Bible Society having the cordial approbation of this Meeting, we form ourselves into a Society, in connection with that Institution, through the medium of the Auxiliary Society, for the purpose of contributing towards the circulation of the Holy Sci'iptures without Note or Comment^ particularly within this district ; and that tliis Society be denominated " The Ladies' Branch of the Auxiliary Bible Society. II. That the business of this Society be conducted by a Committf-e, composed of the Honorary Meml)ers, Treasurers, and Secretaries of all the Ladies' Bible Associations now formed, in connection with the Auxiliary Bil)le Society, and of all the ratroues-es and Vice-Patronesses who may join the Institution. III. That the objects of this Committee shall be — 1. To preserve one uniform mode of proceeding throughout all the Associations represented in this Branch Committee. 2. To provide a regular medium of communication, by mean.s of this Committee, with the Committee of the Auxiliary Society, and thereby facilitate the operations of eadi Associa- tion. 3. To constitute a medium through which the several Associa- tions may receive their Bibles and Testaments from, ami nmit 504 APPENDIX I. their Contributions to, the Auxiliary Society, and recommend to the Committee of that Institution any deserving objects of gTatuitous supply. 4. To condense the several reports of the respective Associations, and prepare and publish one Annual Report of the whole pi'o- ceeding-s of the united Associations. 5. To solicit and obtain patronage. IV. That the Committee meet once a month, or often er, on some day to be fixed by themselves. V. That a President, Treasurer, and three (or more) Secretaries, eligible to re-election, shall be annually chosen at the Committee Meeting in the month of VI. That, in consideration of the offer of the Auxiliary Bible Society to allow to this Branch the privileges which they are allowed by the Parent Society, the whole of the funds be paid, after supplying local wants, and deducting incidental expenses, to the Treasurer of the Auxiliary Society, to be by him remitted to the Parent Institution, as the Contribution of the Ladies' Branch of the Auxiliary Bible Society, and stated as such in their Annual Report. VII. That this Committee prepare an Annual Report of its proceedings, which shall be transmitted to the Secretaries of the Auxiliary Society, on or before the of in each year, and which shall be read and published as the Report of the Ladies' Branch of the Auxiliary Bible Societ3^ And that every Collector, and every other con- tributor of ten shillings or upwards per annum, be entitled to a copy. VIII. That this Branch hold their Anniversary Meetings conjointly with those of the Auxiliary Society. But that the Associations belonging to this Society shall be at liberty to hold their respective Annual Meetings if their Committee deem it expedient. IX. That a copy of these Rules, sig-ned by the Secretaries, be trans- mitted to the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and to the Committee of the Auxiliary Society. FOR A ladies' bible ASSOCIATION. I. That we form ourselves into an Association, in connection with the British and Foreign Bible Society, through the medium of the Bible Society, for the purpose of contributing towards the circulation of the Holj'' Scriptures without Xote or Comment, particularly in and its vicinity ; and that this Association be denominated, " The Ladies' Bible Association^^ II. That all persons subscribing the sum of One Penny or upwards per week, or making a donation of One Guinea or upwards at one time, shall be Members of this Association. III. That the business of this Association shall be conducted by a Com- mittee, to be chosen annually, consisting of a Treasui-er, Secretaries, and not less than other Members, eligible for APPENDIX I. 505 re-election, and under the Patronage of such otlier Honorary Members iis the Society or Committee shall select and obtain. lY. That the Committee meet once a month, or oftener, if necessary on a day to be fixed by themselves ; and that five IVIembers be empowered to act. V. That, for the purpose of soliciting and collecting Donations and Subscriptions, either for the general purposes of the Society, or for the purchase of Bibles or Testaments by weekly payments, the Committee divide this neighbourhood into districts, and appoint one or more Collec- tors from among themselves to each district ; and that these contributions be paid to the Treasurer at the montlily Committee Meetings. VI. That the Committee make it their business to inquire whether any famihes or individuals, residing within the limits of this Association, are in want of Bibles or Testaments, and unable to procure them ; in which case it shall be the duty of the Committee to supply them therewith at prime cost, or otherwise, according to their circumstances. VII. That the funds of this Association, or so much thereof as tlie Committee shall direct, whether arising from Subscriptions, Donations, or the sale of Bibles and Testaments, shall from time to time be expended in the purchase of Bibles and Testaments, at prime cost, to be sold to the poor in the neighbourhood, as before dii-ected ; and that any surplus which may arise, be remitted, at the discretion of the Committee, to the Bible So- ciety, in aid of the general purposes of the British and Foreign Bible Society. VIII. That a General Meeting of the Subscribers and Fiiends of the Association be held on such day as shall be fixed on by the Committee, in each year, at Six o'clock in the evening, when the accounts (as audited bv the Committee) shall be presented, the proceedings of the past year re- ported, and a Treasurer, Secretaries, and Committee chosen for the ensuing year. IX. That a copy of these Rules, signed by the Secretaries, be transmitted to the Committee of the Bible Society, with a request, that they will grant permission to lay out the funds of this Association in purchasing, at the Depository of the said Society, Bibles and Testaments at the cost prices. FOR A BIBLE ASSOCIATIOX. I. That we form ourselves into an Association, in connection with the British and Foreigii Bible Societj^, through tlie medium of the Bible Societ}-, for the purpose of contributing towards the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, without JN'ote or Comment, jiarticularly in this vicinity; and that this Association be denominated " The Bihle Association^ II. That all persons subscriliing < me penny a-week, or more, wliether 506 APPENDIX I. as Free Contributors or for the purchase of Bibles or Testaments, shall be Members of this Association. III. Thi>t the business of this Association shall be conducted by a Com- mittee, to be chosen annually, including- a Treasurer, Secretary, and all the Collectors, with power to add to their number, and to obtain patronag-e. IV. That the Committee meet once a month, or oftener if necessary, on some day to be fixed by themselves ; and three members shall be em- powered to act. V. That for the purpose of solicitmg and collecting- Donations and Sub- scriptions, the Committee divide this neig-hbourhood into districts, and appoint one or more Collectors from among themselves to each district ; and that these Contributions be paid to the Secretary and Treasurer at the monthly Committee Meetings. VI. That it shall be the duty of the Collectors to inquire whether any families or individuals within their respective districts are in want of Bibles or Testaments, in which case it shall be the duty of the Committee to supply them therewith, at prime cost, or otherwise, according to their cir- cumstances. It shall also be the duty of the Collectors to solicit Free Contributions. VII. That a cojiy of the <' Monthly Extracts of Correspondence" be regularly presented, by the Collectors, to every Free Contributor. VII I . That in case the Collectors meet with any individuals totally destitute of the Scriptures, and too indigent to aiford a penny a-week for the purchase of them, the names and addresses of such persons shall be reported to the Committee, with a request that they may be visited, and, if found suitable objects, gratintously supi^lied.* IX. That the funds of this Association shall, from time to time, be ex- pended in the purchase of Bibles and Testaments, at prime cost, to be sold to the poor in the neighbourhood, as before directed ; and that any surplus which may arise be remitted, at the discretion of the Committee to the Bible Society, in aid of the g-eneral purposes of the Parent Society. X. That a General Meeting of the Subscribers be held on such a day as shall be fixed on by the Committee in each year, w^hen the accounts (as audited by the Committee) shall be presented, the proceedings of the past year reported, and a Committee chosen for the ensuing- year. RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR SMALL AUXILIARIES, AND BIBLE ASSOCIATIONS. I. That a Bible Association be hereby formed, in connection with the British and Foreign Bible Society, for the purpose of contributing towards the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, without Note or Comment, both at home and abroad. * When the Loan Stock is adopted, the latter part of this Rule should be altered thus — " with a request that they may be supplied with a Loan Bible or Testa- ment." APPENDIX I. 507 II. That the business of this Society shall be conducted by a Com- mittee, to be chosen annually, including- a Treasurer, Secretary, and all the Collectors, with power to add to their number, and to obtain pa- tronag-e. III. That, for the purpose of soliciting- and collecting: Donations and Subscriptions, tlie Committee divide this neig-hbourhood into districts, and appoint Collectors from among- themselves to each district ; and that these Contributions be paid to the Treasurer and Secretary at the Com- mittee Meeting-. lY. That the Collectors be requested to call at every house in their respective districts once, or oftener, during- the year, and thereby aiibrd an opportunity to individuals, as well as famihes, to contribute towards the Society. V. That a moiety of the Subscriptions and Donations obtained durinf^ the first year, be used to estabhsh a Depository of Bibles and Testaments, from which all persons within the sphere of the Society may obtain the Scriptures, at cost prices, or otherwise, as the Committee may appoint ; and that the money thus received be expended in replenishing- the stock. VI. That a General Meeting- be held once in the year, when the accounts shall be presented, the proceeding's of the past year reported, and a Committee chosen for the ensuing- year. VII. That an Annual Report, containing- the Treasurer's account, Depositaiy's statement, together with a list of Conti-ibutors, be pi-inted for distribution. VIII. That, when a deputation from the Parent Society cannot attend the Annual Meeting-, the Committee shall invite suitable persons to con- duct the proceeding-s, and advantage be taken of such Meeting to make the collections throughout all the districts embraced by the Societ3% For Societies conducted in conformity with the above Rules, the following- books and papers will be found sufficient : — Treasurer's Book. Address to Collectors. Village Secretai-j^'s Book. Form of Bil)le Order. *Collecting Book. *RuIes and Regulations. *Specimens of Types. Suggestions to Officers, &c. *Summary Statement. jN'.B. — Books and papers, for the use of Auxiliary Bible Societies and Bible Associations, may be obtained (gratuitously) Ijy application to the Depositary, Bible Society House, 10, Earl Street, Blackfriars. * Those marked thus (*) may be had iu Welsh. 508 APPENDIX I. Note D, Vol. I., p. 100. The following- are the names attached to the Protest referred to : — J. Lamb, Master of Corpus Christi Colleg-e Samuel Lee, M.A., Professor of Arabic. Frederic Thackeray, M.D., Emanuel College. W. Farisii, B.D., Mag'dalen Colleg-e, Jacksonian Professor, A. Sedgwick, Trinity Colleg-e, Woodwardian Professor. C. SiMEOif, King's Colleg-e. G. King, M.A., Prebendary of Ely. James Scholefield, A.M., Fellow of Trinity Colleg-e, and Secretary of the Cambridge Auxiliarj^ Legh Richmoind, A.m., Trinity College (Turvey, Befordshire). W. Clark, A.M., Corpus-Cliristi College. W. Mais^dell, Fellow of Caius College. H. P. Elliot, A. M. Fellow of Trinity College. George Milman, .4.M., St. John's College. J. Lodge, A.M., Magdalen (JoUeg-e, Librai'ian of the University. Baptist W. Noel, A.M., Trinity College. T. P. Pl4tt, M.A., Fellow of Trinity College. G. E. Corrie, M.A., Fellow and Tutor of Catherine Hall. W. TwiGG, M.A., Trinity College. Edward Edwards, M.A., Corpus Christi College (Lynn, Norfolk) . Samuel Hawkes, M.A., Fellow of Trinity College. Henry Venn, M.A., Fellow of Queen's College. H. J. Sperling, M.A., Trinity College. W. H. Markby, B.D., Corpus Christi College. Samuel Carr, 31. A., Fellow of Queen's College. W. Cecil, M.A., Fellow of Magdalen College. H. Godfrey, D.D., President of Queen's College. Note E, Vol. I., p. 113. The " Circular Letter " referred to in the text, was thoug-ht of sufficient importance to be introduced into the Foreign transactions of the Society, where it is given at full length. See Vol. I., p. 362. APPENDIX I. 509 Note F, Vol. I., p. 24(5. EXTRACTS PROM THE REPORT OF THE ATTENDANT AT THE SOCIETV's STALL IN THE GREAT EXHIBITION, 1851. I commenced my labours on the lltli of Aug-ust, and found the work of the Society was, comparatively speaking, little known by the visitors ; and gTeat was the surprise of many when they saw the Bible in 1-18 lang-uag'es and dialects. Many said, " What use is that to me ? I know but one." I then showed the Society's work, in reducing- the prices of the Eng-lish Bible, and bringing- it within the reach of all classes, the poor as well as rich, either by purchase themselves, or through the subscriptions of the wealthier part of the community. Others said, " This is a good work indeed ?" While many of the visitors— and some, among the poorest, possessing but little of this world's goods -exulted, saying, "This is the glory of the whole Exhibition, and shame it is to be in so bad a position ; it ought to have as prominent a place as the Great Diamond. On the 13th of October, I received a Royal visitor. Her M-ajesty the Queen was engaged at the Xational-School Depository "stall. An attendant asked me if I had any papers to show Her Majesty relating to the Bible. I gave a copy of the Specimens, Summaries, and Brief View. His Roj-al Highness Prince Albert came to the stall. I made a statement of its con- tents, and by whom exhibited; taking the Bibles of 1816, contrasting the prices with those published in 1851, and showing the value of the Society in bring-ing the Gospel within the reach of the poorest of his subjects. He remarked, "It is a good work." Some asked for the dates of the Bibles, their translations, and wliether the work was going on. The friends of deceased translators were anxious to see the works of good departed men. A widow and daughter came. " My husband, now in glory," she said, " translated this :" and many wished to possess specimens of the types of those particular Bibles. Specimens of Type. — At the commencement of my work the distribution was small ; but I soon found it necessary to increase my supply. Thrice I brought as many as I could carry to the omnibus. I then got permis- sion of a poor woman in Knightsbridge to make a depot of her house, from whence I received larger supplies, as my demand increased. My first week's distributions of Specimens* did not exceed 2500, besides Con- densed and other Summaries. The daily distribution varied from 1000 to 1500 per day ; then I reached 2000, until the 9th of October, varying and increasing : on that day I distributed 5000 English Specimens, besides Foreig-n and Welsh, with 1-200 Summaries. The fifty-seven days' work averaged 1815 English daily. For the week ending the 11 th of October, the distribution reached 25,000 Engli.sh, 1500 Foreign, besides * These Specimens contained Verses of Scripture, in various sized types. 510 APPENDIX T. Welsh, and other papers relating to the Society. Total of English Speci- mens, about 103,470 ; Foreign, 8000 ; Welsh, I have no account ; 1000 Brief Views. I received from the Society's Printer 14,060 Summaries, about 5000 Hand-bills, besides thousands which I received from Leicester Square and those printed in the Exhibition. French, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Italian, and foreign visitors generalh^, received the papers with civility, often with thankfulness, and looked on the work with gladness. In one instance, indeed, a Frenchman would have torn the specimen but for the gentle restraint of the lady accompanying him. Two foreigners came, asking me for papers to take home with them. "We are looking to you," the speaker said. " France, Germany, and all the nations look to England for the Bible." I was asked one day for a sight of a Bible, which I reached for the lady, when some unknown hand slipt the following Unes into the case as I turned round to present it to her : — Almighty Lord, be gracious still ; Atteud with power thy word and will ; And let this spot, supplied the best. More honoured be than all the rest. Amen. Note G, Vol. L, p. 279. For " Brief View," giving account of the number and variety of Translations, and other Statistics of the Society in 1854, see Appendix III. APPENDIX II. ^11 APPENDIX 11. Note A., Vol. I. p. 334. GENERAL VIEW OF THE JOURNEYS OF DRS. PATERSON, HBNDERSOX, AND PINKERTOX, FROM 1814 TO 1829. The spring of 1814, when the peace was estaWished, found Drs. Paterson and Pinkerton in London. Thence, in pursuance of instructions to that effect, they repaired to their former post at St. Petersburgh, but by dif- ferent routes. Dr. Paterson proceeded, by way of Ilamburg-h, through Ilolstein, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, arriving- at St. Petersburgh in Octol)er. Dr. Pmkerton travelled throug-h Holland, Germany, and Poland, being- present at, and assisting- in, the establishment of the Netherlands Bible Society at Amsterdam, the Berg- Bible Society at Elberfeld, the Hanoverian Bible Society, the Prussian Bible Society, and the Saxon Bible Society. He also took measures for the formation of a Society at Breslau, for Silesia, and at W-arsaw, for Poland. He arrived at St. Petersbuig-h in September, and soon became occupied with a plan for supplying- tlie Scriptures to Persia and to Georg-ia, and other distant countries more or less connected with Russia. On his journey he also went to Leyden, to prosecute inquiries respecting- AU Bey's translation of the Scriptures into the Turkish languag-e, a work which had been just before broug-ht under the notice of the Committee. Dr. Henderson, who, in the beginning- of 1814, was at Copenhagen, after seeing the preliminaries adjusted for the formation of the Danish Bible Society, which was shortly after accomplished, proceeded to Iceland, where he arrived in July 1814, and did not return till August in the following year. Dr. Paterson and Dr. Pinkerton spent the year 181 o at St. Peters- burgh, assisting in conducting the affairs of the Russian Bible Society. Dr. Henderson, after his return from Iceland, in Autrust, remained at Copenhagen. In the summer of 181 G, Dr. Paterson undertook a journey into the 512 APPENDIX II. East-Sea provinces, in company with His Excellency Mr. PapofF, to visit the various Bible Societies established there. Towards the close of the year he suffered a severe illness. Dr. Henderson spent the greater part of this year in visiting Jutland, Sleswick, Prussia, &c. When he arrived at Hamburg, in October, he re- ceived instructions to repair to St. Petersburgh, to relieve Dr. Paterson, who, in consequence of over-exertion, was then laid aside. He arrived at St. Petersburgh in December. In 1816, Dr. Pinkerton accomjilished a very important journey of about 7000 miles, occupying from March to December, in the course of which he visited extensively the south of Russia, returning through Austria, Germany, and Poland. While on his journej^, he obtained much valuable information respecting the languag'es spoken, not only in the Russian pro- vinces, but in those stretching beyond them. Dr. Paterson, early in the year 1817, left St. Petersburgh, and came, by way of Stockholm (where he spent a short time), to London, in the hope of recruiting his shattered health and strength; which object being happily reahzed towards autumn, he returned again to his work at St. Petei'sburgh. Dr. Henderson remained at St. Petersburgh till autumn, when he pro- ceeded on a visit to the Duchies. Dr. Pinkerton also remained at St. Petersburgh, but in the course of the year, paid a visit to Moscow. In 1818 Dr, Paterson was engaged the whole year at St. Petersburgh. Dr. Henderson again visited Russia, Denmark, and Sweden ; came over to London, and returned to Copenhagen, having it then in contemplation to proceed to, and station himself at, Astrachan, which purpose was after- wards abandoned. In the same year (1818) Dr. Pinkerton made another extensive tour through parts of Russia, visiting also Germany, Poland, London, and back to St. Petersburgh. The journey occupied from May to November, during a portion of which time, Dr. Pinkerton was accompanied by the Rev. M. Blumhardt, of Basle. In 1819, Dr. Paterson remained at St. Petersburgh, with the exception of a tour in Finland, Dr. Henderson left Copenhag'en, with a view to visit Norway ; but meeting with a serious accident near Gottenberg, he was obliged to return to Copenhagen, where he was laid up for some time, and then proceeded to St. Petersburgh. Dr. Pinkerton again undertook another long journey, extending this time, not only through Russia, but into Greece and Turkey, and occupying from February 1819 to February 1820. In 1820, Dr. Paterson visited Sweden. Dr. Henderson remained principally at St. Petersburgh. As also did Dr. Pinkerton. In 1821, Drs. Paterson and Henderson, unitedly, entered on a long APrENDix ri. 513 tour through the Russian provinces, including- tlie Crimea, extcndin- from March 1821 to February 1822. Dr. Pinkerton, at the same time, visited Finland, Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, and returned to St. Petersburgli. In 1822, Di-s. Paterson and Henderson retire'd from the British and Foreign Bible Society, and connected themselves more fully with the Russian Bible Society. Dr. Henderson, after a time, returned to this country. Dr. Paterson remaining at St. Petersburgh in the service of the Russian Society till the year 1826, when the Society was suspended by an Imperial Ukase. In 182.3, Dr. Pinkerton was sent for to England, where he remained, occupied for the Society at home during the following year. In 1824 he set out on a journey to Malta and Greece, but being taken ill, was obliged to return. In 1825 he accomplished a long and important journey for the Society, making the tour of seven different kingdoms. In 1826 he was appointed Foreign Secretary jsro. te?n., on the resignation of Dr. Steiiikopff. The following year, 1827, he visited the Continental Societies, in company with the Rev. R. Waldo Sibthorp, for the purpose of making the Foreign Societies fully acquainted with the views of the British and Foreign Society in regard to the Apocrypha. In 1828 he visited Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and France. In 1829 he made another long and im- portant visit to the Continent ; and in the following year, 1830, took up his permanent residence at Frankfort, with his fomiiy, as the Society's General Agent, at the request of the Committee. mte B, Vol. I., p. 361. EXTRACTS FROM REPLIES OF FOREIGX SOCIETIES ON THE SUBJECT OF THE APOCRYPHA. The following are selected as being among the most important of these communications : — From the Connniltee of the Bible Society at Basle to the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Basle, March 12, 1826. Ge>-tleme>-, — You will surely permit one of your oldest filial Societies on the Continent, which has had the happiness, ever since the earliest establishment of the Parent Institution, to proceed hand in hand with her (no doubt in great weakness, but still with activity and zeal, aii-x, Minister of State, and President. Count Daxckelmaxn, Minister of Justice, Vice-Pre>i(lSTTEi>, I^rivy Counsellor, Vice-President. 520 APPENDIX II. Note C, Vol. I., p. 405. EFFOKTS OP MESSRS COURTOIS OP TOULOUSE. The following brief extract is given from the early correspondence of Messrs. Courtois : — " We have always been extremely anxious to ascertain if the New Testaments which had passed throug-h our hands had been kept. The number wliich we have discovered to have been seized by the priests has been very small. If in some instances our hearts have been g-rieved to find that copies have been burnt, it has been only a few sohtary copies ; and of these we have the comfort to say, that their destruction has been the occasion of promoting- a greater wish to read the word of Life " Could all the souls which have been called from the death of sin to a hfe of faith in a crucified Redeemer, by the word of God which you have so largely circulated, express their gratitude and their joy, how abundantly would the sacrifices you so generously make be repaid ! It is by faith we are called upon to walk, and not by sight. Still, often, very often, the Lord allows a ray of His merciful ways to shine before us, to encourage and cheer our hearts " We continue to avail ourselves of your permission to distribute New Testaments among soldiers ; a great number have passed through Toulouse on their way to the frontiers of Spain, and we have not chosen to neglect such a good opportunity of making known to them Him, who came to seek and to save that which was lost. Though many are light and thoughtless, there are some among the soldiery of a more serious turn of mind, and on whom religious instniction is not thrown away : we are, however, careful only to give the Scriptures to those who appear likely and disposed to make a good use of them : they are always received with thankfulness and respect. We are going to write to our fi-iends of the Beam, and on the frontiers of Spain, to induce them to redouble their eiforts to place the Spanish New Testament in the hands of Spaniards : perhaps the revolution in that country will afford us opportunities, which we shall be anxious to improve. When we have exhausted our present stock, we shall take the liberty of requesting a fresh supply of the Scrip- tures in the Spanish language, or the Catalonian dialect. Ere long, we hope the Lord will open a wide and effectual door for His Gospel through that superstitious and deeply-benighted country. We shall thank you, in the meanwhile, to have about a hundred copies of the Catalonian New Testament sent to us, that we and our friends may be provided in case of need." " It is with feelings of gratitude towards our God that we have wit- nessed the increase of vital religion m this part of the country. A great and good work has been done by the circulation of the Bible and of the New Testament : the population have much clearer ideas of -what Chris- tianity really is. We have attended family worshij) in the house of a friend, where a great number of Roman Catholics came, some peasants APPENDIX 11. 521 from several miles' distance, thoug-li the service takes place late in the evening. We have met many clerg-ymen who are full of zeal, and devoted to the cause : their ministry is blessed, thoug-li they meet much ojiposi- tion from nominal Christians, who feel alarmed at the efforts made to bring- light among the thick darkness of popery, ^\e have received the Spanish and Catalonian Testaments. We keep a watchful eye on every circumstance which may favour the circulation of the A\'ord of (.Jod in that neighbouring country, and shall eagerly seize every opportunity of having the Spaniards who visit our frontiers supplied. As soon as it is a thing possible, we wiU send pedlars over to Spain. Note D, Vol. I., p. 4U. EXTRACTS RELATING TO THE SOCIETY'S COLPORTEURS IN FRANCE, TAKEX FROM THE REPORTS OF M. DE PRESSENSE. " At T , a small town, I was very badly received by the Vicar, who, in a tone of anger, forbade me to sell what he termed my bad books, that were disapproved of by the Church, and which I colported. Convinced, however, that it was better to obey God than man, I did not suffer myself to be deterred from continuing my vocation, but proceeded, as usual, from house to house. I was grieved to find that I could not dispose of a single copy. There was still one house left, and there the Lord was pleased to change my sorrow into gladness, for I found in it a person who had heard of the ' Father to come to Christ' — [this hist phrase is cojiied literal! v, though it is not quite clear] — and who for twenty-seven years had been in possession of the Book of Life. I was very desirous to ascertain in what manner the volume, which was printed in London, had fallen into his hands, when he satisfied my curiosity by the following statement : — ' You may recollect,' said he, ' that under the reign of Napoleon we were at war with the Eng-lish. I was then in the arm}-, was taken prisoner, and was conveyed to England. While in confinement with others of my coun- trymen, we were often visited by several gentlemen, who addressed us seriously on religious subjects ; and what was more, supjilied every one of us, capable of reading, with a New Testament, earnestly recommending its frequent i>erusal. At the period of the Restoration we were sent back to our homes, and I took care to cany my invaluable book along with me. Our Vicar has often tried to get it from me, but he never could succeed. I have even been offered a high price for it ; but I shall not part with it for any money, because there are none like it to be met with here.' On hearing this, I exhibited my Testaments, wliich, on examination, he found to be in every respect like his own ; and I pointedly asked bini if he were not inclined to imitate the friendly Eiiglishnien, of whom he had before spoken. 'How so?" he inquired. M\'hy,' replied I, ' by doing for others what they did for 30U — by furnishing- them with the word of God, if they have it not, and by exhorting them to read it.' ' Indeed, in- 522 APPENDIX II. deed,' cried he, ' you are perfectly in the rig-ht : it is a debt which I cer- tainly oug:ht to repay ;' and with this he purchased six New Testaments and a copy of the Psalms. Only think, that twenty-seven years had elapsed since this person had perhaps heard the last Christian address, and that, during- that period, his only teacher had been the New Testa- ment, which he had studied and obeyed, althoug-li surrounded on all sides by persons hostile to the Gospel. Assuredly, such an instance as this ought to encourag-e us to redouble our zeal and devotedness in the cause of the Lord!" " My whole attention this month" (writes a Colporteur in his journal) '' has been directed to the sea-coast, and my sales have been chiefly among- fishermen, sailors, and my old companions in arms, the custom-house officers. A few days ago, when it was growing late, I thought of halting at a small inn near to the beach : there was, however, no room, and, though greatly fatigued, I was obliged to go fui'ther. Before quitting the inn, I invited some persons whom I saw there, and jjarticularly a gToup of sailors, who were engaged in drinking brandy, to buy my books. No one seemed disposed to listen. I renewed my offers, but all in vain ; the party were too much engaged in attending to a romantic account which one of the sailors was giving* of his adventures at sea. I therefore abandoned the part of an applicant, and took up that of an au- ditor. After the sailor had finished the narration of his fourth shipwreck, I cried out — ' What ! four shipwrecks already, and hard upon a fifth ! You are indeed to be i:)itied !' 'How?' returned the narrator; ' what is that you say — a fifth shij^wreck?' 'Yes, indeed, my friend,' I replied, 'and one more dreadful than any you have hitherto experienced,— no less than the shipwreck of your immortal soul, unless you consult in time the pilot whom I recommend to you. You have shown that God has spared you four times in the most signal manner, and you still shut your ears to His warnings ! It is now the fifth time that He manifests His compas- sion towards you, by making you an offer of His Holy Word ; but if j'ou refuse it, you must inevitably perish !' My words produced a good effect: the sailors remained silent, they stretched out their hands for my books, and attentively examined them. ' They are, indeed, good books,' said one of them : ' the man seems an honest man, and we can do no better than buy a copy a-piece ; for even if we can make no use of them ourselves, they may do for our children.' In short, each bought a Testament; and oh! that the Lord may give them to understand that His saving Word is equally addressed to the old and to the young, and that, to secure them- selves against the danger of making final shipwreck, they must anchor on the Rock of Ages I" The following is an interesting narrative :— " About twenty months ago a young man from the neighbourhood of Chartres, the son of a former in easy circumstances, felt himself called upon to forsake father, mother, brotliers, sisters, house and lands, and to APPENDIX II. 523 betake himself to Paris. It was not with him, as with many other young persons who repair to tlie capital in search of pleasure or to obtain a good appointment, but he came solelj'with a view to confer with the Agent of your Society there.. He had led a gaj' life ; and, though brought up in the Romish Church, had thrown oft' the yoke, and, as an iniidel, ridiculed the priests and the clergy. In this state of mind — which, alas ! is the state of the great majority of the population of our country — he was accosted one day by a Colporteur, who otfered him a Bible for sale, and at the same time addressed him in an earnest tone upon tlie gTeat doctrine of salvation which it contained. Astonished at this address, the young man made some further inquiry, and at once declared that what he heard was altogether difterent from the religion professed by the priests. After suitable expla- nations, he soon discovered that the New Testament made known to him things, both respecting* God and the way of his own salvation, which he had not previously been taught. He immediateh" purchased a copj' ; and such was the impression produced on his mind by the conversation of the Colporteur, that he resolved without delay to examine the Scriptures, and to make a diligent and careful search after the truth. The Lord in mercy blessed his endeavours, and, by the aid of His word, caused the scales to fall from his eyes, convincing him of his state of guilt and condemnation, and leading him to the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ, where, through faith, he was enabled to obtain the assurance of pardon and reconciliation. Rejoicing in the happiness of the children, of God, his first care was to devote himself wholly to the service of Him who had so greatly loved him ; and calling to mind the instrument by which the Lord had been pleased to rescue him from a state of infideUty, he could not refrain from considering the calling of a Colporteur as that by which he himself would be best able to g-lorify his God and Saviour. Under this impression, he arrived in Paris with the full intention of offering his services to those Christian friends who had Colporteurs in their employ, and respecting whom the individual who sold him a New Testament had given him some cursory information. The persons of whom he first made inquiries con- cerning the object of his search, in the pubHc streets, either did not under- stand him, or treated him with ridicule. As, however, he persisted in speaking of Bibles and Testaments, some one whom he encountered, thinking he wished to visit our depot, gave him my address, and in this way he found me out. I was greatly affected and edified by the love which he manifested towards the Lord and his fellow-creatures ; and it .struck me at once that I had providentially met with one who was likely to prove a valuable assistant in our work. Accordingly I engaged him, and sent him to one of our oldest Colporteurs, a man of unfeigned piety, but who had not had the advantage of a good education, recom- mending him to profit by the opportunity afforded him, in learning of his new companion to read more fluently, and to write when they should retire to their nightly quarters. The Lord has eminently blessed the labours of these his children since their meeting together, so that, in the 524 APPENDIX II. space of twenty- one or twenty-two months, they have actually sold nearly COOO copies of the Bible or New Testament, At the same time, the young- person here more particularly alluded to lias made the most satisfactory progress with his friend in tlie knowledge of the truths of the Gospel, so that he has become an intelligent and active defender of his principles ; and it may with justice be said of him, 'He believes, and therefore he speaks.' Full of faith and joy, he wrote to his parents to inform them of the great change which had taken place in him, and of the happiness and peace which reigned in his heart, entreating- them also to devote them- selves to the Lord Jesus Christ. His father paid little attention to his appeal ; and his mother, who was a bigoted Roman Catholic, alarmed at the state of her son, and instigated by the priests, first accused him of heresy, and then broke off all connection with him. It happened, how- ever, that, some time afterwards, a Colporteur visited the village in which the mother resided, and the Lord was pleased to conduct him to her house. His address interested her : she hstened to him attentively, and was not a little struck with the g-reat resemblance between his conversation and the contents of her son's letters. Her curiosity was more and more awakened ; she became less reserved, spoke in terms of deep regret of the heresy of her son, and seized with avidity upon the assurances of the Coljjorteur, who sought to undeceive her in regard to him. In fine, so greatly did the Lord bless the conversation to her soul, that, before it was brought to a close, the poor woman felt convinced that the views of her son were cor- rect, and that it was she herself who was wandering in the mazes of error. She quickly wrote to her son, begging him to return to her ; alleging that she wanted much to see him, and to be instructed by him in the way of salvation, of which she stood so much in need. Our young Colporteur was labouring on the coast of the Mediterranean when his mother's invi- tation reached him. He immediately requested me to grant his dismissal, and set out on a journey of more than 200 leagues, anxious to communi- cate to his friends and relatives some portion of that Gospel light which had been vouchsafed to himself, and by which he had been instrumental in opening- the eyes of many of his fellow-sinners." " In the Department of Mayenne the following- affecting circumstance occurred : — One of our Colporteurs, on entering- a small town, went into the first house that was open. ' Would you please to buy a Bible ? ' said he, to a woman whom he met with. Scarcely had he asked the question, than the woman, hastily rising- from her seat, cried out lustily, ' My hus- band ! The Bible ! the Bible I We have at last got it again !' On hearing her cries, a man came running in. '■ What !' said he, ' the Bible ? Where is it ? where is it V At these words the woman turned again to the Colporteur, who held a Bible in his hand, and, hastily seizing it, she pressed it to her bosom, exclaiming, at the same time, ' No ! no ! I shall never let it go again !' *■' The following may serve as an explanation of the foregoing :— The Bible had actually been ouce in the house : it had been read ; but in a ArrEXDix II. 52o moment of fear it had been given up to the Cure, wlio liad destroyed it. As much, however, of it as had been read, made a lasting- impression upon the readers and hearers ; and not a day passed but sig'hs and prayers were offered up for the return of the Bible-seller." " From the time the Society beg-an the work of Colportag-e in France," •n-rites M. de Pressense, " it may be calculated that you have employed nearly two hundred different individuals— one hundred and seventy of whom, at least, were formerly Roman Catholics, who (and the circumstance is not a little sing-ular) have been sui>erintended, in j-our name, by one who also was formerly a Roman Catholic, a pupil of the Jesuits from his childhood. "Oftliis great number of Colporteurs, four only have not given full satisfaction ; yet, in reporting this, it cannot be alleged that tliey have been g'uilty of any serious offence that could tend to compromise your work, ■" At least three-fourths of those who were formerly lloman Catholics, and have become Colporteurs, were led to follow that calling in conse- quence of reading the Holy Scriptures, which had been put into their hands hj other Colporteurs. " Of those who have devoted their time and labour to the cause, forty or fifty, among the very first who were engaged, are still in full occupa- tion, and seem determined to spend the rest of their lives in the service. They are the pillars of the work — men of experience, whose acquaintance with the Scriptures is wonderful. " The Colporteurs who have only acted as such for a longer or shorter period, have, for the most part, returned to their families, where thev continue to be useful in the sacred cause, in behalf of which they once more ipamediately laboured. Several of these are zealous depositaries, and endeavour, when their various occupations admit of it, to distribute the Scriptures. I keep up a connection with most of them, and can safely say of some, that they are lights in the district in which they reside. I might even mention some who have been the instrument of awakenings, and have mainly assisted in the foundation of Protestant Churches which are prospering. " Among several young Christians who have made me aii offer of tiieir services, I may more particularl}' refer to eight, on whose endeavours the blessing of God has rested in a very remarkable manner. The whole eight are country people, and all of tliem were infidels l)efc)re they engaged in the work. " At this present time, one of them, after having ]iassed through a course of regular study for four years, is a minister of the Gospel, and the pastor of a considerable congregation, where he is very active, particularly seeking the sjiiritual welfare of Roman Catholics. ''A .second will, in the cour.se of two months, have completed bis theological studies, as will also a third at a later period ; and both hold out a promise of becoming true and faithful messengers of the glad tidinirs of salvation. 526 APPENDIX II. " Two others also, after a certain course of study, have become school- masters, and are at present at the head of large Protestant schools, which are frequented by Roman Catholic children. Another has just entered a normal school, in order to prepare himself for a similar office. " Two more are now acting- as Evang-ehsts in the midst of a Roman Catholic population, where an awakening- is beginning to manifest itself. " These individuals were, I repeat, in great darkness a short time before God touched their hearts, and eventually led them to engage in the work of Colportage. And it is this work, so greatl}' blessed by the Lord, both for themselves and many others, wliich has rendered them what they now are. The following anecdote aflbrds a striking and beautiful illustration of those words in the book of Lamentations, " They have heard that I sigh : there is none to comfort me." — (Lam. i. 21.) " A Colporteur was traversing a village in the Department of Lot and Garonne : he saw in the street a group standing at a cottage door, from which the most mournful cries proceeded. Upon his inquiry into the cause of these cries, '■ Alas !' said they, ' the poor mother Bard on has lost her only son, a handsome young man about thirty. That amiable young man fell from his boat into the river, and was brought back to his mother, but he was a corpse. The poor woman, in a state bordering on distrac- tion, bent over the corpse of her son, pressed it in her arms, and burst into a flood of tears. Some of us who are her friends tried to console her, but it was to no purpose : she wept more bitterly. * You are but cold com- forters,' said she. ' None of your words can do me good.' One of us called for the Vicar, believing that he would more efficaciously console her. The poor woman scarcely listened to the Vicar, and wept as bitterly after his visit as she did before. ' I asked,' says the Colporteur, ' whether I could call upon the distressed mother.' ' Why not V said one. ' Aoiy- body may enter ; she takes no notice of it. She does nothing but weep.' ' I stepped in, and witnessed a scene of desolation. An aged woman was kneeUng by a bed, upon Avhich lay the corpse of a sturdy man, but whose face was already emaciated by death. The woman wrung- her hands in despair, uttering incoherent words, casting wild looks at the surrounding- people, and saying, ' "V\Tio can comfort me V But how amazed I was, when, looking at the corpse of the deceased young man, I perceived by his side a book exactly similar in point of size and binding to that which I circulate. It was a Bible, but it was a closed Bible, and this is the reason why there was such profound grief. "■ Upon the poor woman exclaiming— ' Who will comfort me?' I came up to her and said, " I." She looked at me wildly and said, " How I you ?" " I am mistaken," said I ; " I am only a man, and can but speak human words ; but you want divine words." " Divine," said she ; " I will have none of them ! It is God who has taken away my son from me. APPENDIX II. 527 He is cruel and " I immediately stopped her, and pointing- out the Bible, I authoritatively said, " Here is comfort for you : you can find it nowhere else." " No, no ; comfort is not there ; I have sought for it, but have been deceived." " What have you done ?" " Georg-e had told me that this book could work miracles, and I beheved it was so, when I took up this book which George purchased one year ago, which he frequentlj^ perused, and about which he said wonderful things. lie said that if I should do hke him,— peruse that book, and pray— it would impart life to me. I took up the book, placed it upon my son's heart, and said to it, ' If thou art really what my son said, bring- him to life again and I will worsliip thee.' " " Poor deluded soul," I said ; " if you consider it merely as a book, it has no more power than any other book in the world. Its power lies in what is written on the pages ; and that power comes from faith alone. If you had been more attentive to what your son said It appears that he fomid much joy in these matters." " Yes ! his joy, his happiness!" exclaimed the woman: " he read no other book : and when he perused his Bible, his looks were not as usual ; but I understood no- thing about the mater, though he was at great pains to instruct me. I frequently was afraid lest he should become mad. He would no longer attend the public-house when coming from his work : he would read his book, and said that this was his relaxation from work. How kind he was ; my poor George I I was proud of being his mother," said the poor woman in despair. I then took up the Bible which was lying upon the young-'s man's breast, and opened the volume at John xi. ; I read the verses 25, 26, 27, observing that her son must have perused them, as they were underlined. I explained to her, to the best of my abilities, the meening of these words of Christ : " I am the resurrection and the life," and the meaning also of Martha's answer, " Yea, Lord : I beHeve that thou art the Christ, the Son of God." " And according to all appearances, 3'our son was also a believer in these things ; and this is the reason why he is not to be sought after in this lower world, but in heaven, sitting at the right hand of his Saviour." " While 1 was speaking-, the woman ceased weeping. She stedfastly looked at me, listening with much attention to what 1 said about the happiness of her son. The people around us were also listening with much interest to the things which were spoken. Indeed, the scene was laost affecting. Encouraged to go on, I perused a few pages more in the Holy Scriptures : I dwelt on Hebrews xi. and more particularly on the 11th verse. The poor woman was more and more interested : she still wept ; but without irritation or anger. I offered to pray, with which they all compHed.- You may easily imagine what I asked of God under such circumstances. "When I had done praying, they were all deeply affected, and the afflicted mother had received real comfort." "A Piedmontese in , near , Viho cultivated a .small piece of ground belong-ing to him, came, after a long absence, to France, in 528 APPENDIX II. wintez", for the purpose of following the calling' of an itinerant tinker. It happened in the course of last year that this person, in one of his tours in France, fell in with a pious Christian, who spoke so much to him of the Bible, that he determined to purchase one. At the close of the rainy- season our tinker returned to his native country with a Bible, which he had no small trouble to get conveyed beyond the frontier. He, how- ever, succeeded, and devoted the long winter evenings to reading in it. But he was unable to keep to himself the gi-eat benefit which he derived from it. He spoke of it to his friends, read the Scriptures with them, and all expressed their great desire to obtain similar books. It was decided that they should wait till the spring, to see what could be done. At that season the tinker recommenced his travels, and, by some means unknown to me, obtained my address, and made a pressing apphcation to me for a supply, which I answered by sending him a small case of Bibles and New 'I'estaments, which I agreed to let him have at a reduced price. The amount having been duly paid, I heard no more of the matter till a few days ag'o, when a pious fj'iend, residing in Provence, made a com- munication to me to this effect : — He mentioned that an interesting Piedmontese was staying in his house, and had furnished him with the following information, on his obtaining possession of the case of Scriji- tures which I sent to him on the confines of France. He entered his own country with a view of apprising his friends of the circumstance, who, up to the number of sixteen, came to the resolution of passing across the mountains, and by defiles known only to smugglers, into France, and of endeavouring to introduce the books which were forbidden in Piedmont, under pain of being sent to the galleys for life. These sixteen brave young men succeeded in their undertaking, not without risking their lives, and returned to their respective homes, without their absence having- been noticed by any one. In this way several persons were found possessed of the Sacred Scriptures ; and, as it is written, ' I believed, because I have spoken,' their sentiments underwent a complete change. They were, however, guilty of impi'udence, and it was not long before the priests and the authorities ascertained this introduction of Bibles among them, and the name of the party who had been at the bottom of it. The commis- sary of police of the town of Suze summoned the tinker, and at first spoke to him with much mildness, engaging that if he would obtain the bad books in question from all who had purchased them, and ■\\ho were neces- sarily known to him, all further proceedings should be quashed. The tinker objected that the books in question were excellent books, the word of God Himself, and that he should be very sorry to g'et them back again from those whom he had furnished with them. On this the commissary adopted a different tone, telling him undisguisedly, that if, within twenty- four hours, he did not obey his order, he would cause him to be arrested and handed over to the tribunal, when his sentence to perpetual imprison- ment in the galleys would assuredlj- follow. Our friend went his way in no small trouble, and repaired to the mayor of the village to seek his APPENDIX II. o-?!) advice; but scarcely had he reaolied tlie house wlien a ffens-d'armes came forward to seize him. Tlie mayor, a man of o-j-eat mikhiess, to.,k pity on the tinker, and entered the more warmly Into liis case, as lie himself had purchased a Bible. He concealed him ; and after the g-ens- d'armes, who had provided themselves with fetters to secure their prisoner, had left, he enabled him to leave his liiiUng'-place in the nig-ht, and urg-ed him by all means to quit the country at once. This our poor friend oug-lit certainly to have done, thoug-li time would have scarely been allowed hira to take leave of his wife and live children ; but as it was a question of banishment for ever from his country, he betook himself to the neigli- bouring- mountains until the gens-d'armes should have quitted the village. For three days this worthy man remained concealed in the clefts of rocks, suffering intensely from cold, the snow, and privations of every kind. At length twenty of his friends, being those who had obtained copies of the Scriptures, came by night, and, having discovered him, stated that a description of his person had been pul)lished, which rendered it absolutely necessary for him to keep away from the village, and to take refuge in a foreign country without the least delay. This he effected, and afterwards became a Colporteur in the t^ociety's service." " More than thirty years ago a travelling French hawker, not a Colporteur of the Scriptures, but one who carried stockings and similar articles for sale, pursued his journey to Switzerland, with his bundle at his back, hoping to meet with better success there, in trade. Being one day obliged to traverse a ver^- lofty mountain, he strayed so far from the right path, that, on the approach of night, which proved extremely dark, he had lost all traces of it. His anxiety was extreme, when, in the midst of precipices by which he was surrounded, he fancied death was inevitable, lie cried aloud, but echo alone answered him. At length he thought he perceived a light on one of the hills. After encountering innumerable dangers, he reached the summit, where he found a chalet. The mountaineers cordially welcomed him, and a place was assigned him near the fire, around which several persons were assembled. A person of respectable appearance was addressing the rest, and reading at intervals from a book which he held in his hand. It was the Bible, and the discourse of the speaker was that of a pious man who is anxious to communicate to others that peace and joy which he hiijisclf had experienced in cordially believing the truth of Divine Revelation. Our hawker, after having warmed and in some degree recruited himself, was so taken with hearing things to which he had previously been an utter stranger, that, forgetting all fatigue, he became one of the most attentive auditors at this little Ijible meeting held on the summit of the mountain. So great was the interest which lie took in what he heard, and which he evinced from time to time by exclamations which seemed involuntarily to engage him, that the speaker, who was a ]\rinister of the Gospel belonging- to the French part of Switzerland, iiut who had taken up his abode at the clialet, for (lie piir)ii.se of breutliiiig Vol. II. M M 530 APPENDIX II. tne pure mountain air and invig-orating- his shattered health, felt induced to have some private conversation vrith him after all the others had retired to rest. Their conversation was continued through great part of the night. The next morning, when the hawker was about to go out on his journey, the minister of Christ did not fail to give him the necessary directions where to obtain a copy of the New Testament, and how to make a proper use of it, to which the hawker, on his part, promised thankfully to attend About u month ago a hawker of a different description, namely, one of those Colporteurs who claim our respect, inasmuch as their commerce is carried on to the gloiy of the Lord, and whose packs are stored with copies of the Sacred Scriptures, beheld an aged man with white locks, and of respectable appearance, entering the house which he had adopted for his temporary residence, in a town where an important religious movement had manifested itself. ' It is only a few days ago ' said the old man, * that I was informed of your residence here, of your calling, and of your object ; and I am come with a view of joining you in serving the Lord, in spirit and in truth.' It turned out, after a while, that the speaker was no other than the hawker of stockings, who, thirty years before, had lost his way among the mountains of Switzerland. After having entertained our friend with a muaute detail of all the circum- stances before mentioned, he added, that for a long time the address of the Minister had made a serious impression on his mind; that he frequently reflected on the necessity of becoming- religious ; and that it always struck him that the religion of his mountain friend was that which was most suited to his wants. On his return to France (he continued) he had entered simply into his trading pursuits, and had insensibly lost the recol- lection of the night when he had heard the Bible read and explained on one of the Swiss hills. He was not permitted by the Lord, who sought him, to succeed in his temporal affairs. At different times he met with very heavy losses, and every fresh loss brought a fleeting recollection to his mind of the conversation which had taken place on the mountain, causing him frequently to exclaim, ' The minister was perfectly rig'ht : the good things of this world are not solid and lasting : we must seek for happiness elsewhere.' Thus every fresh misfortune caused him to take a fresh step in advance towards a rehgious life. At length, one which nearly overwhelmed him and destroyed all his credit, induced him to form the resolution of seeking consolation in religion, but he adopted a wrong course. Not having furnished himself with the New Testament, as he had been advised to do, he determined within himself to become a good Roman Catholic, and to attend Mass and Confession regularly, and also to bring up the daughter, whom God had given him, in a similar way. Nevertheless, with all his eag-erness to comply with his religious duties, neither they nor his conversations with the vicar served to awaken in him those feehngs which he had formerly experienced on the mountain. He was unable to say, in reference to either, that they Mere -^'liat he wanted, as he did then. He became more and more troubled in his mind. -vrPEXDix 11. 531 and vvould often say to liimself, ' Ah, no ! this is not tlie ivli-ion of th,. g-ood old mnnster : his went direct to the heart, but mine gives n.e n.> rest.' His wishes, however, in regard to his daughter, seemed to be reahzed. Educated under the priest, by the a..sistance of the nuns, she had become so zealous and so fervent, that it was considered proper to place her m a house belonging to a certain congregation. Matters were m this state, when one of our Colporteurs passed through the ^^llage where the old man resided. The Colporteur offered him a New Testa- ment, adding a few friendly hint^ on the benefit arising from a perusal of it, much in the same strain as the Minister's discourse, to which he had so long before Ustened on the mountain. He was deeply affected by the incident, and, taking the New Testament which was offered to him, read a few passages in it. ' This is it,' cried he ; ' the very book out of which the Minister read to us on that memorable night, and the same that he so strongly urged me to procure.' Then, addressing the Colporteur, 'It is God himself (he said) who has guided your steps hither, and may His holy Name be praised ! Let us pray together that I may be enabled to devote myself wholly to His service.' Ever since, this worthy individual has read and re-read his New Testament, and the persual of it has become the first business of his life. In this way he has been led to seek up those around him who are of the same mind with himself, and can join him in prayer. And thus it was that he found out the Colporteur in the midst of a religious movement, and that he felt emboldened, when accosting him, to say that he was come to join him in seeking the Lord in spirit and in truth. Note E, Vol. I., 1). 478. EXTRACT FROM I.IEUT. GRAYDOX's CORRESPONDENCE. The following extract, from the coiTespondence of Mr. Graydon, relates to a journey of his, intermediate between those given in the body of the narrative : — On the 2l8t of June, 1846, 1 proceeded in my little and most convenii'iit baggage van, containing more than 1.5f)0 copies, to the fair of the large village of Langmau, and, on my arrival, paid my usual friendly visit to the Minister of the place, who, although deeming my object not needed, very willingly procured me a table, chair, and a young catechumen, to assist me in the fair the next day. 1 had to take my stand up against a large inn, which appeared to be literally crammc'd with human beings. Between half-past seven in the morning and half-past si.\ in the evening. I sold 111 copies. On the following day I proceeded to the market of Thun, and in tli.' course of nine hours sold 9U more. On the 10th of September I set out for the fair of Untersr-cn. On arriving there it seemed to be as a deserted place. My feeling.^ of dis- appointment were many. I visited the Minister. He put me off to a more convenient hour. I thought some few purchasers might I)e foinid, and so visited the Prefet to obtain the nece-ssary permission for selling ■M ■\r 2 532 APPENDIX II. He very kindly received me, and his lady expressed much jo}^ to have an opportunity to purchase a copy for her little boy. I then called on the proprietors of some of the various hotels and pensions, inviting- them and their households to the sale on the following day. The next morning' I opened it in the road close so Unterseen. I was surrounded by some apparently poor women, and really ragged children. The master of the little inn, the White Cross, lent me a table and a clean white table-cloth. Scarcely had I placed on the table a few of my httle gilded companions, when it seemed to me as if the Lord said to several of the bystanders, 'Purchase, purchase,' for in a few moments some thirtj^ were purchased by them. I then got the pubUc crier, and sent him, with his most sonorous drum and voice, through Unterseen, and afterwards through Interlaken. He beat the one, and cried up so often and lustily the arrival of my precious copies, that in a short time, and from all directions, many purchasers were seen advancing- to my table ; and I was oblig-ed to continue the sale to stragglers and servants, by candlelight, up to nearly eight o'clock, when rain forced me to close the sale of 205 copies. What goodness and encouragement from the Lord ! Very few, as far as I could surmise or learn, of these copies were purchased either by the hotel-keepers or their inmates, with one sing-le exception. The young- keeper of the hotel Belvedere engaged all her household to purchase, and charged me for bed and supper, &c., only the prices paid by her own people. Not half- a-dozen of my own countrymen purchased a copy, or came nigh, having, no doubt, copies of their own. I was constrained to leave at daylight the following morning for the market of Thun, to which I had promised to go. On arriving, and by the time I reached my room in the Freien- hof Hotel, and had been two minutes in it, forty-four copies were pur- chased by the most impatient persons, and afterwards forty- five more in the market by the country-people. I returned the same evening to Berne- On the 14th of the same month, I proceeded to the great fair of the large and rich village of Langenthal, but on the next day could obtain no suitable place in it, every corner of it being previously let out by the municipality. I sold only twenty-t;ve copies : the next morning ten more. In the afternoon I moved on to Bourgdorf, where, on a former visit, I had left ninety copies in the hands of the hotel- keeper, a widow, whose heart the good Lord had made willing, and who, at the end of a month, remitted to me the proceeds of thirty copies sold. She received me with joy, paid me immediately for the remaining- copies sold, free of any charge, and requested of me, if I deemed her trustworthy, 220 copies more, assuring me of a ready sale. On the 23d, I proceeded to the fair of Unterseen, which took place on the 25th. On board the steamer from Thun I sold twenty-three copies ; in the fair only-forty-six more ; and on my way back to Berne forty- nine copies. On the 29th, set off for the fair of Thun : on the following day sold 105 copies, and on the three following- days, 114 copies more. ( 533 ) APPb^xNDIX Jll. NAMES OF THE PliESIDE^'T, VICE-PEESIDENTS, COMMITTEE, Ax\D OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY IN THE JUBILEE YEAli. THE KIGHT HON. THE EARL OF SHAFTESJiURY, Freddcnt. Vice-Presidents : His Grace the ARCHBISHOP of CANTEKIiUliY. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of WINCHESTER. Right Rev. LORD lUSHOP of RIPO,V. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of PETERBOROUGH. Riglit Rev. LORD BISHOP of WORCESTER. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of ST. ASAPH. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of MANCHESTER. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of HEREFORD. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of CHESTER. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of NORWICH. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of CASHEL, WATER- FORD. andLISMOUE. Right Hon. and Right Rev. LORD AUCKLAND, BI.SHOP of SODORand MAN. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of MEATH. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of CALCUTTA. Right Rev. Dr. CARK, late BISHOP of BOMBAY. Riglil Rev. LORD BISHOP of BOMBAY. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of MADRAS. Riglit Rev. LORD BISHOP of JERUSALEM. Riglit Rev. LORD BISHOP of MELBOURNE. Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of VICTORIA. Right Rev. LORD BP. of PRiNCE RUPERTS LANDJ Right Rev. LORD BISHOP of SIERRA LEONE. Very Rev. the DEAN ofLLANDAFF. His Grace the DUKE of MANCHESTER. Most Noble MARQUIS of CHOLMON DELE Y. The MARQUIS of BLANDFOIID, M.P. Right Hon. EARL of CARLISLE. Right Hon. EARL of CHICHESTER. Right Hon.E.ARL of HARROWBY. Right Hon. EARL of UURLINtiTON. Right Hon. EARL of RIPON. Right Hon. EARL of GAINSBOROUGH. Riglit Hon. EARL of RODEN. Right Hon. Lieutenant General VISCOUNT LORTON. Right Hon. LORD LILFORD. Right Hon.LOHD GLENELG. Right Hon. LORD TEIGNMOUTH. LORD HENRY CHOL.MONDELEY. Sir THOMAS DYKE ACLAND, Bart.,M.P. Sir ROBERT HARRY INGLIS, Bart., M.P, Committee A. BACH, Esq. Capt. C. A. BARLOW, K.N. RICHARD BARRETT, Esq. J. BELDAM, Esq. THOMAS BINNS, Esq. JOHN BOCKETT, Esq. K. C. BOWDEN, Esq. K. CHARLES, Jun., Esq. J. CLAYPOX, E.sq. B. CLAYPON, Esq. T. M. COOMBS, E^q. JAMES FARISH, Esq. THOMAS FARMER, Esq. JOSIAH FORSTER, Esq. JAMES FOSTER, Esq. H. GREGORY, Esq. S. GURNEY, Jan., Esq. r. B. HALL, Esq. JOSEPH HO A RE, Esq. W. E. HUBBARD, Esq. GENERAL MAC INNES. II. S. MONTAGU, Esq. G. PEA BODY, Esq. GEORGE POLAND, Esq. JOHN RADLEY, Esq. J. H. RAVENSIIAW, Esq. II. ROB ARTS, Esq. HENRY ROBERTS, Esq. II. D. C. SATOW, Esq. EUSEBIUS SMITH, Esq. G. STACEY, Esq. W.TAYLOR, Esq. C. TOTTlE,Jun., Esq. C. WARE, Esq. R. WESTENHOLZ, Esq. H. 11. WHITE, Esq. JOHN THORNTON Esf|., Treasurer. Secretaries : REV. ROBERT FROST, M A. Rev. (JEOHGE BROWNE. Superintendent of the Translating' and Editorial Department, Rev. T W. MELLER, M.A., Uccfor of H'oodbridge. Honorary Solicitors : Messrs. MARTEN, THOMAS, and HOLLA MS. Ml. WILLIAM HVVi^Hlti.Accoitntant/lf Assistant Secretary. || Mr..IAMES FRANKLIN, /)epo.9i7ff)7y Mr. HENRY KNOLLEKE, Assistant Foreign Secretary . Foreign /Igenls of the Society. Rev. Dr. PINKERTON, (,erma)iy. Mr. BENJAMIN BARKER, Turkev- M. DE PRESSENSE, France. Mr. W. P. TIDDY, Belgium, S,-c. Rev. ISAAC LOWNDES, Malta, Greece, ,^,: Lieut. GRaYDON, li.'S.,Sioitzerlan New Testament . Gospel of St. Luke New Testament . I Old Testament . The entire Bible Icelandic ........ Swedish Lapponese Quanian or Nortveyian Lapponese, by Norwegian Bible Society) . Finnish Danish Faroese, or Ancient Icelaiidic (by Danish Bible Society) . . s Norttein 'Europe The entire Bible . . Ditto New Testament , . 4 New Testament . The entire Bible . . Ditto I St. Matthew . . | Central iSuropc Dutch ; States-General Version. jThe entire Bible Ditto ; Luther's and Schurin's do. New Testament Flemish i The entire Bible British Empire, &c. Wales. Highlands of Scotland. Various parts of Ireland, particu- larly the Provinces of Munster and Connaught. Isle of Man. France, Switzerland, Belgium, and French Colonies. Province of Brittany. Departments of the Pyrenees, and Province of Navarre. Spain generally, and Spanish Co- lonies. Prov. of Catalonia and Valencia. Provinces of Biscay, Guipuscoa, and Alava. Spanish Jews in Turkey, &c. Ditto. Portugal, & Portuguese Colonies Iceland. Sweden. Russian and Swedish Lapland Norwegian Lapland. Finland. Denmark and Norway. Faro Islands, between Sliethuid and Iceland. Holland and Dutch Colonics. Ditto. Belgium. ArrENuix HI. 535 ©cutral iSiuopt German ; Luther's version Ditto : two versions — Gosncr and Kistemaker Ditto : Van Ess's version . . . German & Hebrew (in columns) Gcfmaii, in Hebrew ciiaracters . Litlmanian Snmogitian Polish Judcco-Polish Welldish, Upper Ditto, Lower Bohemian .... Hungarian . . . Hungarian- Wendish Tlie entire Bible . ? New Testament Ditto and Psalms . Old Testament New Testament . The entire Bible . New Testament . The entire Bible . New Testament . The entire Bible . Ditto . . . . eontinned. Protestant Germany, Prussia, &c. Ditto Ditto New Test. For Rom. Catholics in Germany. For German Jews. Province of Lithuania. In tiiree Districts of Wilna. Poland, Posen, Silesia, .Sic. For Polish Jews. Sii.xon Lusatia. Prussian Lnsatia. For Tschelis of Bohemia, and Slovaks of Hungary. Magyars of Hungary and Tran- sylvania. For the Protestant Vandals in Hungary and Carniola. ITALY AND SWITZERLAND Italian; two versions — Diodati and ^Martini ...... Latin Bomanese Ditto Lower, or Enghadine . . Piedmonlese Ditto (witli Italian) . . . . Ditto (with French) ... Vandois (with French) GREECE AND TURKEY. Greek, Ancient Ditto, ditto //. Greek, Modern Albanian (with Modern Greek) . Turkish ^outfjcvn 3£uvope. Ditto, in Greek characters Ditto, in Armenian characters Ditto, ditto (by American Soc.) . Moldavian, or Wallachian . J{. 'Ditto Servian, or Serbian ... 7/ Ditto (by Wuk S. Karad.schitsch; Bulgarian (the Psalms trans- lated) / ( The entire Bible : Italy. Ditto j Cliielly for Ecclesiastics. Ditto 1 In the Grisons of Swit/.crlai Ditto . . . New Testament Psalms . . . Gospels . St. Luke & St. Joiiu New Testament . The entire Bible , Ditto . . . , New Testament . The entire Bible . Ditto . . . New Testament Old Testament . I'he entire Bibl^ New Testament . Ditto .... Ditto .... Ditto. . . . llussia. On the borders of the 'i'yrol. Piedmont. For the Vaudois, or Waldenses. For Students. For the Greek Ciiurchcs. For the Greek People in general. Province of Albania, on Adriatic. Turkey in general. For Greek Christians usingTurk- ish lang. with Greek character."?. For Armenian Christians using j tiie Turkish language with Ar- 1 menian characters. , INIoldavia, Wallacliia, ajid part of Transylvania. In Servia and some bordering Austrian States. Turkish Provinces E. and S. of Hungary. Slavonic, ancient and ecclesiastical language . ' 11. Russ, Modern R. \ The entire Bible \ s — -— i ^ Octateucb, Ps., \ \ and New Test. . S Slavonic and Modern Russ (in co- } ^^^^ Testament . lumns) R. S Dorpat Esthonian . . . . R. , New Test. & Psulms Reval Esthonian . . . . R. [The entire I5ible , Lettish, or Livonian . . . R /?. !st. M For the purposes of tl Church. Russia generally. Ditto. Russian Karelian Zirian, or Sirenian R. Southern part of Eslhonia. Northern do. on Gulf of P'inland, ])itto I Provinces of Livonia .fcCourland. S I For a Finnish Tribe in the go- f i vernment of Tver. Ditto Ditto, in government of Vologda, 536- APPENDIX III. Versions. 1 VVnatpHnted. j ^, ^i^'^Z'^^^i^^,. ^Russia — continued. 1 ( For aFinnisliTribe on banks ofOka § 50 Mordvitiiau, or 3[orduin It. New Testament . ^ and Volga, in governments of Nische-Novogorod and Kasan. ( Ditto on the banks of tlie Volga § 51 Tscheremissian .... J{. New Testament . . } and Kama, in the governments of Kasan and Simbersk. 1 For a Finnish Tribe of the moun-j § 52 Tschuivaschian .... It. The Gospels . . . tains in Kasan, Nische-Novo-' gorod, and Orenburgh. ^ § 53 54 Orenburgh Tartar . . . Karass, or Turkish Tartar It. (se- New Testament . . | For Tartars in the vicinity ol Orenburgh. veral other Books of tlie Old j Ditto & Psalms . j For Tartars in the government of Astrachan. Testatneiit translated) . . It. § 55 Crimean 'J 'artar .... It. Genesis . . . . 't For the Caraite Jews of the Cri- I mea, by way of trial. (3Iaucasinn anb 23oit(ev CToiiutn'ts. § 5G Ossitiniaii (in tlie Eussian de-i Gospels (but never > ^ . . . . . _ p3t) It circulated) . . S '"'^'"'■''' regions ol the Caucasus. f New Testament l\^ . ., ,,. . ,, ^, > > Georgia, b. W . of the Caucasus. § 57 Georgian, in Kutsuri, or Ecclesi- astical characttirs . . . It. § 58 Ditto, in Mkedvuli,orconimon do. Ditto . . . . ) Armenian, Ancient . It. The entire Bible . s Armenia Proper; but also pre- Ditto New Test. & Psalms / aims/ § 59 Ditto, JModern (with Ancient, in pared for tlie Armenians of columns ...... New Testament . ( Old Test., printing^ Constantinople, Calcutta, &,c. * Ditto, Modern (by Amer. Bib. Soc.) 60 Ararat- Armenian New Test. & Psalms Around Mt. Ararat, S. of Georgia. Grusinia. 61 Trans-Caucasian Tartar . St. Matthevy . . . 62 Kurdish St Matthew, printing . Kurdistan. 1 Semitic Hauguflcjtg. 63 Hebrew Old and New Test. . For the .Jews, and for Students. 64 Arabic The entire Bible . . For Mohammedans everyvvhcrc For Jews in Yemen, Egypt, Jndao-Arabic (Arabic in He- } Four Books of S brew characters) ... S New Testament \ The entire Bible . J Syria, and Mesopotamia. Forthe Syrian Church in Travaii- core, and parts of Syria. 65 Syriac Syriac and Carshun, in paral Carshun (Arabic in Syriac racters) ... . . cols, cha- Ditto . . . .^ f New Testament l Mesopotamia, Aleppo, and other parts of Syria. Syro-Chaldaic (Syriac in Nesto- j Gospels . . . ! Mosul, Djezira, Tolamisk, and rian characters) . . . rniinfrv W^-at nf KiirHictnn Persia. 66 Ppmir (TJ TVTnrtvn^ . New Testament . . } Old 'J'estament . . S For the Mohammedans, Parsers, and Persians of India. Ditto (Archdeacon Robinson) Ditto (Dr. Glen) .... Ditto •) Ditto (Mirza Ibrahim) . . Isaiah . . . . [ Persia Proper. Ditto (Mirza Jaffier) . . Genesis . . . . j 67 Judao-Persic (Persic in Ht characters) brew '. Four Gospels . . Hist. Books and N.T. For Jews in Persia. Afghanistan. § Pushtoo, or Afghan . . . S. § 68 Belochee, or Bulochee . . . s. Three Gospels. . j Belochistan, South of the Indus, on the Arabian Sea. APPENDIX III. 537 What printed. Where circulated, • for wlioin designed. Sanskrit, or SunyiJirit . . S. Hindustani, or Urdu (H.Martyn) Ditto (Mr.'J'homason,and others) Ditto (Serampore version) . ^ The entire Bible New Testament . The entire Bible Ditto . . . I'lie SMcrt'd c"v: loarned language of tiie Brahmins througlioiit India. For the Mohammedans of India and others ; the language being generally understood in all the larger towns. ISToitljcrn anU (iCcniral Jutiia. Ben()ali .S' Ditto, tivo versions (Ellerton, and Yates and Wenger) . Ditto (in Roman characters) . Ditto (with English) . . . Mayhudha S Uriya, or Orissa . . . . Hindui (Bowley) .... Ditto {called Hindee by Ser Trans.) both in the Nagree and Kythee characters ... A' Dialects of the Hindai. Bughelcundee . Brnj, or Brij-bhasa . S Canoj, or Canyacubja . .S' Kousulu, or Koshala . . S Do. for Central India, or Rajpoot State.s Harrotee S Oojein, or Oiijjuyunce . . S Oodeypooi-a S Marwar • Kumaou A'. Gurwhal, or Schrcenarjur . S. The entire Bible . f New Testament Ditto. . . . . Ditto Ditto . , . . The entire Bible . Ditto . , . . ( Ditto .... New Testament. . Ditto .... Ditto . . . . St. Matthew . . New Testament . Ditto . . . . St. Matthew . . New Testament . St. Matthew . . New Testament . Ditto . . . . St. Mattliew . . New Testament . The entire Bible . J New Testament S Pentateuch, Hist. ( Books, &N.'JVst. New Testament . St. Luke and Acts Ditto Ditto Ditto Province of Bengal. Province of S. Beliar, now part of the province of Bengal. Province of Orissa, the greater part attached to Bengal. For Hindustan, or the upper provinces of the Bengal Presi- dency. A district between the province of Bundelcund and the source.* of the Nerbudda Kiver. Province of Agra. In the Doabof Ganges & Jumna. Western part of Oude. A province W. of Bundelcund. Province of Malwali. Province of Mewar, or Oodeypoor. Province of .Joudpoor, or IVIar- war, North of Mewar. Province of .Joy poor, K. of Mar- war, and West of Agra. Province of Bikaneer, North of Marwar. Prov. of Buttaneer, W. of Delhi. Province ofSindh,E. of thellidus, N. of Sindh, between the Indus, Chenaub, and Gharra Bivers. Province of Lahore. Mountainous, or Northern dis- tricts of I>ahore. Cashmere, North of Lahore. Kingdom of Ne|)aiil, about Kat- mandha. Small States N. of Oude, below the Himalayas. Province of Kumaon, W. of Palpa. Province of Gurwhal, West o) Kumaon. 538 APPENDIX III. 95 99 lUO 101 10-2 103 MADRAS PRESIDENCV. Telinga, or Teloogoo Ditto (Vizagapatam version) Karnata, or Canarese . . Ditto (Bellary version) . . Tamul, or Tamil .... Malayalim Tulu (by Basle Bible Society) . BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. Kwiliiina S. Mahratta S. Ditto (Bombay version) . Gujerattee S. Ditto (Sural version) . . . . Cutchee, or Cutchee . . . . Pali (in Burmese characters) . S'outljcin Untiia. Pentateuch & N. T. ^ S N.T.& large part) I of the Old Test, j New Testament . j The entire Bible . J Ditto .... Ditto .... New Testament . Singhalese Indo- Portuguese (Old Testament preparing) Pent. & New Test. The entire Bible . Ditto New Testament . The entire Bible . ^ N. T. preparing, ^ some ofit printed New Testament . The entire Bible . S Pent., Psalms, & ( j I New Testament ( ' Northern Circa rs, Cuddapalu Nellore, and greater part of Hydrabad, or Telingana. Througliout the Mysore, also in the province of Canara, and as far north as the Kistna Eiver. TheCarnatic,&N. partof Ceylon. Travancore and Malabar. Canara, westward of the Mysore. The Concan, chiefly the S. part, among the common people. The Concan, and throughout the Mahratta territory. Surat, and province of Gujerat. Province of Cutch, between tlie Gulf of Cutch and the Indus. t Sacred and learned language of ) Ceylon, & Indo-Chinese nations. ' South partof the inland, fromEat- ticolaontheEastto theK.Clii- law on the West, and in tlie interior. For Portuguese settlers and their descendants in Ceylon and va- rious parts of the Indian Seas. 3IntJ0-(a[D5iiuse ®ountri£S. Assamese S. Murdpoora S. Khassee (New Test, translated) Burmese (by Dr. Judson, for American Bible Society) . Siamese, ovThat/(N.'Vest. transl.) The entire Bible . . New Testament . . Four Gospels & Acts. The entire Bible Chinese (Morrison's version) Ditto (Marshman's ditto) Ditto (Board of Revisers) 111 1 12 113 114 115 116 117 118 'll9 Manchoo Burial, or Eastern, Mongolian . Calmuc, or Western Mongo- lian R. St. Luke & St. John , Tlie entire Bible . -) Ditto . . . . > Ditto . . . . ) New Testament . i The entire Bible Malay, in Roman characters . Ditto, in Arabic characters . f New Testament. f^itDcv Polynesia. The entire Bible . ^ i Malay, Low Javanese (Old Test, preparing by the Netherlands Society) Dajak, or Dyak Japanese (New Tost, translated) Loochooau Ditto . . . New Testament . . ^ Ditto Ditto St. John Luke & Acts, printing. Assam, subject to Bengal Presid Munipoor, or South of Assam. KhassuCountry,E.ofGarrowHilli Burmese Empire, and Arracan. Kingdom of Siam. China Proper, & numerous Chi- nese in Indian Archipelago. Manchuria : it is also the Court language of Pekin. For tlie Buriats about Lake Bai- kal in Siberia, and for tlie Kalka Tribes of Mongolia. For Calmucs of the Don &. Vo]g;i, in Russia; Sc Eleuths, Caflmucs, and Soungars, of Mongolia. For the Moluccas, and Eastern part of the Archipelago. Malay Peninsula ; sea-ports and coasts of Sumatra, Java, and other Islands. Batavia and its neighbourliood. Island of Java. Borneo. Japan. Loochoo. APPENDIX III. 539 Wliat printed. * 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 Wliereciiculateil, for whom desiKned. Iluicaiian (byAmerican Society) Tahitiaii Jiarotonf/an Marquenan \ Tongan (Old Test, preparing) . Maoyi or New Zealand . . J Malagasse Samoan Feejeean 3Iare j New Caledonian Papuan Coptic (with the Arabic) . . Etliiopic (Ecclesiastical) . ^w/zarjc (Vernacular). . Kinika (St. John, Romans, and Ephcsians translated) . . . Berber (Four Gospels and Ge- nesis translated) . . . . Bullom (vvitli English) . . . iJ/anrfi/ti/o (Four Gospels transl.) Accra Yorula Grebo (by American Bible Soc.) Namacqua Sechuauu ) Caffre \ Sesuto (Gospels printed by French Missionary Society) . NORTH. Greenlandish Esquimaux . Mohawk (Pent. & Psal. trans.) Mic-Mac . Cree j Chippeway or Ojilway . . . Ditto,diUo,{by Amcr'iC'dnSocAety) Delaware (by ditto) . . . . Choctaw (by ditto) . . . . Dakota (by ditto) Creolese (by Danish Society) . The entire Bible. . Ditto Ditto Someportionsgiven, ^ version preparing S New Testament . Pent., Josh , Psalms, | and New Test. .} The entire Bible . . Pent.,Psalms,&N. T. New Testament . Portions given, ver-) sion preparing . .i Ditto • St. Matthew, printing • Africa. Psalms and Gospels . N. Test. & Psalms . . The entire Bible . . I Gospel of St. Luke. j Part of St. Luke } St. Matthew . . . Ditto St.Matthew&St.John, S Genesis,Exodus,&.j[ i GBooksofN.Test.S Genesis and St.Luke ■ St. Luke, &c. . . . New Test., and greater part of Old Test. N. Test. & portions I of the Old Test. . S \ 5 Psalms printing 0meiica. S N. Test, and large } I portion of Old T. S S Gen., Ps., Prov., ) i Prophets, New T. S 5 Isaiah, St. Luke, \ i and St. .John . S St . Matt, printed, Luke 6 Acts preparing ■ St. John printed, other portions preparing . St. John. ... I New 'I'estament . / Epistles of St. John j New 'J'estament . PortionsofO.cViN.Test. New Testament . Sandwich Islands. Georgian&other islands in S.Sc Hervey Islands, ditto. IMarquesan Islands, ditto. Tonga Islands, ditto. New Zealand. IMadagasear. Navigators' Islands. Feejee Islands. Islands of Mare. New Caledonia. New Hebrides. For the Copts of Egypt. For the Church in Abyssinia. Abyssinia. Wanika Tribes, Eastern Africa. The Oases of the African Deserli from Mount Atlas to Egypt. About Sierra Leone, on W. coast. Mandingo country S. of Gambia K Gold Coast, Western Africa. Yoruba Tribe, W. Africa. For Grebos, in Western Africa. N. of Orange Eiver, S. Africa. f Bechuana, East of Namacqua Cafrraria,E. coast of South Africa For the Basutos in South Africa Greenland, for the Moraviar. IVIissions. Labrador, ditto. Indian Nations, West of the Fall> of Niagara. I For the Mic-Mac Indians in S Nova Scotia. } For the Cree Indians, Hudson's S Bay Territories. For the Chippeway or Delaware Indians. For Choctaw Indians. For Dakota Indians. Danish West-Indian Islauds. 540 APtilNDIX IIJ. Version. What printed. Where circulated, or for whom designed. 150 * 151 152 SOUTH. Negro Dialect of Surinam . Negro Dialect of Curasao (by Netherlands Society) . . . Aimara (with Spanish) . . . Mexican ^metitiL— continued. New Test. & Psalms . j St. Matthew . . St. Luke .... Ditto Surinam, Dutch Guiana. Island of Curasao. Bolivia. Mexico. RECAPITULATION. Ok these 152 Languages or Dialects, the Distribution, Printing, or Translation of the Scriptures, in whole or in part, has been promoted by the Society, Directly in 101 Languages or Dialects J| Indirectly . . , 51 ditto . Total, 152. The number of Versions (omitting tliose whicli are printed in different characters only) is 179. Of these, 125 are Translations never before printed. EXPENDITURE. During First Year, £ 619 10 2 Second 1,637 17 5 Third 5,053 18 3 Foiuth 12,206 10 3 Fifth 14,565 10 7 Sixth 18,543 17 1 Seventh 28,302 13 7 Eighth 32,419 19 7 Ninth 69,496 13 8 Tenth 84,652 1 5 Eleventh 81,021 12 5 Twelfth 103,680 18 8 Thirteenth 89,230 9 9 Fourteenth 71.099 1 7 Fifteenth 92,237 1 4 Sixteenth 123,547 12 3 Seventeenth 79,560 13 6 Eighteenth 90,445 6 4 Nineteenth 77,076 0 10 Twentieth 89,493 17 8 Twenty-first.... 94,044 3 5 Twenty-second.. 96.014 13 7 Twenty-third... 69,962 12 3 Twenty-fourth.. 86,242 9 8 Twenty -fifth.... 104,132 6 11 Twenty-sixth... 81,610 13 6 Carried up.. £1,696,898 6 8 Brought up £1,696,898 5 8 Twenty-seventh. 83,002 10 9 Twenty*ighth.. 98,409 10 9 Twenty-ninth.. 88,673 110 Thirtieth 70,404 16 7 Thirty -first 84.249 13 4 Thirty-second... 107,483 19 7 Thirty -third.... 10.3,171 5 2 Thirty-fourth... 91,179 14 11 Thirty -fifth 106,.509 6 4 Thirty-sixth.... 110,175 8 5 Thirty-seventh.. 133,934 18 9 Tliirty-eighth... 90,968 9 5 Thirty-ninth.... 86,964 10 6 Fortieth 84,669 8 3 Forty -first 85,817 15 9 Forty-second . . . 105,851 2 9 Forty-third 128,525 3 3 Forty-fourth . . . 105,042 19 1 Forty-fifth 88,831 1 2 Forty-sixth 97,246 2 0 Forty-seventh.. 103,.543 10 10 Forty-eighth..., 103,930 9 10 Forty. ninth 95,507 2 6 Fiftieth 119,257 15 1 Total £4,070,251 2 6 BIBLE SOCIETIES 541 CONNECTED WITH IN 1S54. IN GREAT BRITAIN : Auxiliaries, 460. . .Branches, 373. . .Associations, 2482. . .Total, 3315. Of these Associations, the far greater part are conducted by Ladies. IN THE COLONIES, OTHER DEPENDENCIES, &c. : Auxiliaries, 68 Branches, 307 Associations, 200. .. .Total, 575. BIBLE SOCIETIES connected with the HIBERNIAN BIBLE SOCIETY : Auxiliary and Branch Societies and Associations (in 1854) in tlie P'our Provinces, 51 1. FOREIGN AGENCIES CONNECTED WITH THE BKITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, Which have the superintendence of l)^p6ts of the Holy Scriptures : I. In France, at Paris. II. In Belgium, at Brussels. III. In Holland, at Amsterdam. ■ IV. In Germany, at Frankfort, Cologne, and Breslau.— V. In Sweden, at Stockliolni. VI. In Norway, at Christiania, Drontheim, Christiansand, Stavanger, and Bergen. VII. In Russia, at St. Petersburgli. VIII. In Switzerland, and for Northern Italy, at Lausanne. IX. In Malta, at Valetta. X. In Turkey in Asia, at Smyrna. The British and Foreign Bible Society has also Depots of Bibles and Testaments in the following places; viz. Odessa, Constantinople, Athens, Gibraltar, Bucharest,&c. FOREIGN SOCIETIES, FORMERLY OR AT PRESENT ASSISTED BY THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, WITH THE AMOUNT OF THEIR ISSUES. WSXt^Um lEuvope ^ French, Breton, Spanish, Catalonian, schipiuuks. i^ Portuguese, German, ^c. Bihies& Tests 1. Protestant Bible Society at Paris, instituted 1818, with 132 Auxi- liaries 285,2^.3 2. French and Foreign Bible Society at Paris, instituted 1833, with Auxiliaries 212,G89 3. Strasburgh Bible Society, instituted 1815 — (chiefly German Bibles and Testaments) 7S,4'J3 Issued from the Society's Depot in Paris, from April 1820, 3,1 12,233 copies. A. Icelandic Bible Society, instituted 1815 10,445 5. Swedish Bible Society, instituted 1809, with Auxiliaries 076,022 The Agency at Stockliolm, formed 1832, has issued 583,1 62 copies. 6. Norwegian Bible Society, instituted 1816 48,903 Tlie Agency at Christiania, formed 1832, has issued 88,315 copies. 7. Stavanger Bible Society, instituted 1828 7,017 8. Finnish Bible Society, instituted 1812, at Abo, with many Branches, 130,000 9. Danish Bible Society, instituted 1814, with Auxiharies 214,333 ©cntval Icuvoijc. 10. Netherlands Bible Society, with Auxiliaries 519,315 The Agency at Amsterdam and Breda, established 1843, has issued 354,478 copies. 1 1. Belgian and Foreign Bible Society, at Brussels, instituted 1834 . . . 7,623 12. Belgian Bible Associations, instituted 1839 14,909 The Agency at Brussels, established 1835, has issued 202,805 copies. L3. Antwerp Bible Society, instituted 1834 439 14. Ghent Bible Society, "instituted 1834 ... 8,980 15. Sleswick-Holstein Bible Society, instituted 1315, with Auxiliaries . . 135,000 16. Eutin Bible Society, instituted 1817, for Principality of Liibeck . . 5,296 17. Liibeck Bible Society, instituted 1814 14,644 18. Hamburgh-Altona Bible Society, instituted 1814, with Branches . . 101,353 19. Bremen Bible Society, instituted 1815, with an Auxiliary 26,913 20. Lauenburgh-Ratzcbnrgh Bible Society, instituted 1816 10,67.5 Carried forward . . 2,509,192 12 APPENDIX III. UiblcsiTi-sts. Brou;;lit forward 2,501), 19j 21 Rostock Bible Society, instituted 1816 19,1. 0-1 2-2. Hanover Bible Society, instituted IS 14, with Auxiliaries .... 125.539 23. Li ppe-Detmold Bible Society, instituted 1816 . 3,569 24. Waldeck and Pyrmont Bible Society, instituted 1817 2,800 25. Hesse-Cassel Bible Society, instituted 1818 30.000 2(1. Hanau Bible Society, instituted 1818 3.316 27. Marburg Bible Society, instituted 1825 7,832 28. Frankfort Bible Society, instituted 181 G 73,565 The Agency at Frankfort, appointed 1830, has issued 1,342,115 copies. 29. Hesse-Darmstadt Bible Society, instituted 1817, with Auxiliaries . . 31,484 30. I)iichy-of-Baden Bible Society, instituted 1820, with Auxiharies . . 18.585 31. WUrtemberg Bible Society, instituted 1812, with Auxiliaries . . 623,515 32. Bavarian Protestant Bible Institution at Niiremberg, instituted 1821, with Auxiliaries 181,645 33. Saxon Bible Society, instituted 1814, with Auxiliaries 225,230 31. Leipzig Bible Society, instituted 1840 22,978 35. Anhalt-Bernburn Bible Society, instituted 1321 4,786 36. Anhalt-Dessau Bible Society 3,310 37. Weimar Bible Society, instituted 1821 3,773 , 3S. Eisenach Bible Society, instituted 1818 4,938 39. Brunswick Bible Society, instituted 1815 700 40. Prussian Bible Society at Berlin, instituted 1805, with Auxiliaries . 1,766,810 Issued to the Prussian Troops, since 1830 360,000 The Agency at Cologne, appointed 1847, has issued 342,225 copies. (^ttjCVlnutl aut) Utalg — German, French, Italian, and Romanese. 41. Basle Bible Society, instituted 1804 427,865 42. Schaffhausen Bible Society, instituted 1813 13,179 43. Zurich Bible Society, instituted 1812, with an Auxiliary at Winterthur, 15,163 41. St. Gall Bible Society, instituted 1813 42,296 45. Aargovian Bible Society, instituted 1815 19,454 46. Berne Bible Society 44,64& 47. Neufchatel Bible Society, instituted 1816 19,016 48. Lausanne Bible Society, instituted 1814 47,692 59. Geneva Bible Society, instituted 1814 69,474 50. Glarus Bible Society, instituted 1819 5,000 51. Coire or Chur Bible Society, instituted 1813 12,267 52. Waldenses Bible Society at La Tour, instituted 1816 4,238 Cijiccce ant) 'CTuil&tjj. 53. Ionian Bible Society, instituted 1819 atCorfu. with three Auxiliarie-s 7,377 Mu00ia. 54. Russian Bible Society, St. Petersburgh. (previous to its suspension by an Imperial Ukase in 1826, had 289 Auxiliaries, and had printed the Scriptures in various languages ; the circulation of which is still allowed) 861,105 55. Russian Protestant Bible Society at St. Petersburgh, instituted 1826. with numerous Auxiliaries 250,325 The Agency at St. Petersburgh, formed 1828, has issued 349,986 copies. Inlita. 56. Calcutta Bible Society, instituted 1811, with various Branches . . 779,280 Serampore Missionaries 200,000 57. North-In;lia Bible Society, at Agra, instituted 1845 58,656 53. Madras Bible Society, instituted 1820 860,112 59. Bombay Bible Society, instituted 1813 190,877 60. Colombo Bible Society, instituted 1 81 2,with various Branches in Ceylon, 39,263 61. JafTha Bible Society 105,577 ^mcvifa, 62. American Bible Society 9,0''8,352 63. American and Foreign Bible Society 686,696 64. Philadelphia Bible Society 233.039 Total of Cop'.es of Scriptures . . .20,103,670 TIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES, AND INTEGRAL PORTIONS THEREOF, 543 ^rintcti (directly) fov tlie 15ritisl) & ,-jForeign ISible g-ocietj). (Made up to December 31, 1853.) VEKSIONS. BIBLES. TESTS. TOTAL ^ccra, St. Matt. & St. John 1,010 . 1,010 Vimara & Spanish, St.Luke . 1,104 . . 1,104 \.lbanian & Modern Greek . 2,C00 . . 2,0(10 ^.mharic 1,996 . 6,UI0 . 8,006 Portions of 0. Test... 2,010 . . 2,010 Arabic 14,441 . . 31,128 . . 45,509 Portions of Old Test. 24,200 . . 24,200 Gospels and Acts... . 1»,(I00 . . 10.000 Armenian,Ancient&Mod. . 3,000 . . 3,000 Ancient . 8,000 . 8,000 Modern . 21,000 . . 21,000 1 Mod.Por.ofNewTest. 2,000 . 2,000 Armen. (Ararat) Ps. & Test . 5,000 . i,-';oo . . 6,5C0 with Ancient in par. cols. 4,500 . . . 4,500 Basque (French), St. Matt. . 2,000 . 2,000 2,000 . . . 2,000 Basque (Spanish),St.Luke . 1,000 . 1,000 Bengali ... . 3,026 . . . 3,026 and English ... . 2,018 . 2,018 Boiber, St. Luke ... 250 . 250 Boliemian 25,000 . .. 26,000 . .. 51,000 Testaments & Psalms .. 13,000 . . . 13,000 Breton .. 8,000 . 8,000 .. 15,000 . 4,UC0 . . . 15,000 . . 4,000 Carsliun Catalan 9,030 . 9,030 Chaldaie Gospels .. 2,000 . 2,000 5,000 . . 101,029 . . . 106,029 Portions of 0. &. N. T. 6,500 . . 22,006 . . . 28,.'506 Chippeway, St. John 1,000 . 1,000 Coptic &. Arabic,Ps. & Gos. 2,014 . .. 2,0110 . . . 4,014 1,500 . 1,500 Danish , 20,848 . .. 140,934 . .. 161,782 Dutch.... 133,395 . . 586,104 . .. 719,499 15,500 . 15,500 Engliadine .. 2,000 . . . 2,000 English, various editions, 7,843,874 . .8,612,127 . .16,455,00) Psalms ■ 425,982 . .. 425,982 Gospels and Acts.... .. 5,198 . 5,198 .. 4,000 . . 4,025 Portions of Old Test. 4,025 . 2,100 . . . 5,000 . . 2,020 5,000 . . 4,120 Ethiopic, Psal. & New Test Feejeean 5,040 5,040 Finnish 10,000 . .. 112,500 .. 122,500 Test, and Psalms... . . 5,000 . . 5,000 5,000 . 417,872 . . . 70,350 . 2,693,239 . . 10,060 . . 75,350 ..3,111,111 . . 10,000 and English & German Test. & Psms 3,030 . . 3,030 Portions of O.&N.Test. 65,363 . .. 167,234 .. 232,597 66,696 . . . 77,949 .. 144,645 434,919 . ..1,103,755 ..1,538,674 . . 78,998 Portions of Old Test. . . 78,998 . Testament and Psalms .. 400,915 .. 400,915 » In Hebrew Character . 1,000 1,600 P Greek, Ancient & Modern . . 45,294 . . 45,294 Ditto, Gospels . . 2,030 2,030 Modern 11,120 . .. 75,415 . . 80,505 Portions of O.&N.Test. 110,923 .. 1,010 .. 117,933 Greek, Ancient .. 11,982 , . 11,982 Ancient and Latin . . 3,250 . . 3,250 Greenlandish, Ps. andN.T 1,200 . 2,000 . . 3,200 Hebrew 91,539 .. 13,412 .. 104,951 Pentateuch & Psalms . 57,858 . . 57,858 Hebrew and German . . . 8,083 . . 8.083 Portions of Old Test. 38,462 . . 38,462 Hindustani or Urdu ... . . 10,000 . . 10,00( 59,300 . . 27,000 Hungarian Test. & Psalms .. 11,(00 . . 11,000 «KltSIONS. BIBLES lESTS. TOTAL Indo-Portuguese,Portions of Old and New Test. 6,000 ... 1,000 ... 7,000 New Testament . . 7,000 .. 7,000 Irish, in Roman Character 10,000 . . 5,050 .. 15,0.50 Genesis & St. Matthew 5,000.. 10,000 .. 15,000 In Irish Character... 5,000 . . 79,473 .. 84,473 Gospels and Acts.... 3,020 .. 3,020 Italian 88,399 .. . 5,000 . . 174,190 .. 2,500 .. 262,589 Parts of 0. and N.Test 7,.500 and Latin Psalter. . . 2,000 .. . 2,000 .TudBeo-Arabic,Four Books 2,020 .. 2,020 Judoeo-Persic, Gospels . . 1,000 .. . 1,000 Judoco-Spanish 3,000 .. 3,000 s.noo .. . 3,000 . 7,113 Testaments and Psalms, . 7,113 .. Malagasse Por.ofO.&N.T. 15,160 .. 1,018 .. . 16,178 New Testament .... 11,116 .. . 11,116 Malay, in Rom. Character, 10,000 .. 12,000 .. . 22,000 in Arabic Character, 5,000 . . 10,000 .. . 15,000 Malayalim,Portions of N.T . 7,065 .. 7,0(i5 Mandingo, St. Matthew.. 500 .. 500 5,000 .. 1,060 .. 2,250 .. Manks . 7,250 Mexican, St. Luke 250 .. 250 Mic-Mac, St. Matthew.. 750 .. 750 Mohawk, St. John . 2,000 .. 2,000 . 2,015 .. . 3,000 .. Negro Dialect, Surinam.. . 3,000 New Zealand,Peiit.&;J.jsh. 10,120 .. . 10,120 Psalms and Tests... 20,200 .. . 70,020 . . 96,220 Persian, Portions of O.T. 16,097 .. . 16,097 New Testament .... . 14,850 . . 14,850 Piedmoutese . . .' . 1,000 .. 1,000 and Italian Psalms.. 1,010 . 1,010 & French, Luke (fc John 2,030 .. 2,030 Polish 14,000 .. . 74,000 .. . 88,000 Test and Psalms. 5,000 .. 5,000 Portuguese 18,042 .. 5,000 . . 55,010 . 1,000 . . 73,082 . 6,000 Portions of 0.& N.T. Rarotongan 5,250 .. . 10,100 .. . 15,350 Russ, .Modern . 2,140 .. . 2,140 1,000 .. • . IJOO Samoan . 15,200 .. . 1.5,200 Sechuana, Test. & Psalms 5,050 . . 5,0.50 53,869 . . 4,000 . . 168,997 . Spanish . 222,800 and Latin 1,000 .. 38,000 . 1,000 . 49,740 Portions of 0.&; N.T. . 11,140 . Swedi-sh 147,730 . . 422 784 . . 570,514 . 30,640 Test. & Psalms. .. . 30,640 .. Psalms 51 500 . . 51,500 . 18,126 Syriac 4,000 . . 14,126 . and Cavshun . 2,000 . . 2,000 Tahitian 8,046 . 3,030 . . 13,114 . 3,020 . 21 lOO Pent.& Gospels & Acts, . 6,050 Tartar(Trans.Cauc.)St.Matt 1,014 . . 1,014 Tongan . 10,080 . . 10,080 Turkish 5.000 . 9,000 . . 14,000 Genesis and Psalms. 4,030 . . . 4,030 In Greek Character.. 2,500 . . 5,000 . 7,500 Ditto, Por.ofO.&N.T. 4,000 . 1,000 . . 5,000 In Armenian Character . 2,500 .. 2,. 500 Vaudois&French,Luke&John . . 3,020 . . 3,020 Wallachian . 10 000 . . 10,000 . 851,672 . 12,010 390,525 . . 461,147 . . 12,010 . and English Wcndish 8,000 . . 8,000 (Hungarian)Test.&Ps. 5,000 . 5,000 Yoruba, Portions of O.&N.T.2'500 . 3,500 . 6,000 544 APPENDIX III. Issues i)j) tf)c 33iitis& anti Jporcip i3fbU Society. iFrom Hontton. ®n«)c ©oiuinent. BIBLES AND NEW TESTS. BIBLES AND NEW TESTS PARTS OF AND PARTS OF AND TOTAL. OLD TEST. PARTS. OLD TEST. PARTS. March 7, 1804, to Sept. 17, 1805 .... ( None issued, theVniaersitifis not hav "S completed tl eir Stercuti/pe Editions. S.»pt. 17, 1805 to March 31, 180S, .. . 16,544 . .. 64,013 . .. 81,157 March 31, 1808 to March 25, 1809, . . . 35,910 . .. 41,302 . . . 77,272 March 25, 1809 to Feb. 16, 1810, . . . 18,662 . .. 45,806 . . . 64,468 Feb. 16, 1810 to March 25, 1811, . . .. 33,609 . . . 69,009 . . . 102,618 March 25, 1811 to Feb. 21, 1812, .. . . 35,690 .. 70,733 . .. 106,423 Feb. 21, 1812 to Dee. 31,1813, .. .. 81,319 . .. 121,261 . .. 202,580 Dec. 31, 1812 to March 31, 1814, . . . - 167,320 . .. 185,249 . . . 352,569 Year ending... ...March 31, 1815, .. 126,156 . .. 123,776 . . . 249.932 March 31, 1816, ., . 138,168 . .. 110,068 . .. 248,236 .... March 31, 1817, .. . 92,239 . .. 100,782 . . . 193,021 i .... March 31, 1818, . . 89,795 . .. 104,306 .. . . 194,101 ... March 31, 1819, . . . 123,247 . .. 136,784 . . .. 260,031 March 31, 1820, . . . 115,775 . .. 141,108 . .. 2.56,883 March 31, 1821, .. . 104,828 . . . 142,129 . .. 246,957 .... March 31, 1822, .. . 118,766 . .. 136,973 . .. 2.35,739 .... March 31, 1823, . . .. 123,127 . .. 136,723 . . 259,850 March 31, 1824, . . .. 123,197 . .. 167,298 . .. 290,495 .... March 31, 1825, . . .. 116,539 . .. 164,116 . .. 280,655 March 31, 1826, . . .. 110,963 . .. 175,439 . . 286,402 March 31, 1827, .. .. 127,142 .. 166,864 . .. 294,006 March 31, 1828, . . .. 137,162 . .. 199,108 . . 336,270 .... March 31, 1829, . . . 164,193 . . 201,231 . .. 365,424 Issued previous to March 31, 1829, .. . 221,0.59 .. 893,228 . ..1,114,287 Year endinff. • > ...March 31, 1830, ... . 140,593 . . 184,860 . . 21,706 .. 87,263 . .. 10.5,653 . . . 434,422 .. 470,929 March 31, 1831, . . . 157,556 . . 191,729 .. . 1.5,991 .... March 31, 1832, . . , 160,701 . .. 182,444 . . 32,954 .. 207,789 . .. 583,888 ..4. March 30, 1833, . . . 140,295 . . . 168,362 . . . 28,977 .. 199,207 . .. 530,841 .... March 31, 1834, . . . 132,764 . .. 155,427 . . 13,498 . . 92,211 . .. 393,900 .... March 31, 1835, . . . 240,634 . .. 284,888 . . 20,509 . . . 107,.573 . ,. 653,604 March 31, 1836, . . . 221,642 . . . 191,229 . . 21,888 .. 124,083 . . . 558,842 .... March 31, 1837, .. . 195,820 . .. 182,977 . . 23,740 . . 139,306 . .. 541,843 March 31, 1838, . . . 188,255 . . , 181,509 . . 37,650 .. 186,984 . ., 594,398 .... March 30, 1839, .. , 205,357 . .. 211,919 .. . 37,773 .. 2(f3,019 , .. 6.58,068 .... March 31, 1840, . . . 272,577 . .. 265,882 . . 38,714 .. 199,187 . .. 776,360 . March 31, 1841, .. . 288,091 . . 349,764 .. . 39,720 .. 223,337 . .. 900,912 March 31, 1842, ,. . 285,096 . . 299,448 . . . 34,659 .. 196,.348 . .. 81.5,.551 .... March 31, 1843, . . , 293,123 . .. 434,707 .. . 39,776 .. 214,454 . .. 982,000 .... March 30, 1844, .. . 298,293 . .. 378,331 .. . 37,301 . . 230,106 . .. 944,031 March 31, 1845, . . . 273,009 . . . 331,991 . . . 44,225 .. 26.5,986 . ,. 915,811 ... March 31, 1846, ,. . 492,693 . . 612,094 .. . 50,894 .. 28.5,970 . ..1,441,651 .... March 31, 1847, .. . 515,638 . . . 593,586 . . 42,935 .. 267,124 . . . 1,419,283 .... March 31, 1848, . . . 373,893 . .. 463,408 .. . 51,640 .. 235.066 . .. 1,124,067 March 31, 1849, .. . 403,107 . . 399,026 .. . 55,124 .. 2.50,261 . .. 1,107,518 March 30, 1850, .. . 373,358 . . 409,815 .. . 76,712 .. 276,780 . . . 1,136,695 .... March 31, 1851, . . . 401,303 . . 386,770 .. . 73,310 .. 270,234 . .. 1,137,617 .... March 31, 1852, .. . 414,529 . . 390,652 .. . 76,061 .. 273,400 . .. 1,154,642 .... March 31, 1853, .. , 458,348 . .. 382,204 .. . 59,734 .. 268,.508 . .. 1,168,794 .... March 31, 1851, .. Total . 518,047 . . 497,916 .. 10,935.766 . 99,606 .. 251,959 . 6,061,036 .. 1,367,528 9,645,673 1,296,156 27,938,631 ( 545 ) INDEX Abo, destructive fire at, and grant from Society, I. 507 Abo, Arclibishop of, Dr. Melartin, dis- tribution of Scriptures by, I. 518 Abyssinia, Amharic version for, by M. Asselin, II. 287 ; Etiiiopic and Am- haric version of four Gospels, pre- pared by Mr. Piatt, and reception of, 289; Manuscripts of Ethiopic Scrip- tures (10 vols.) presented by Church Missionary Societv, 289; entire Bible in Ethiopic, edited by Mr. Piatt, 290 Acworth, Rev. W., engaged as Domestic Agent ofthe Society, I. 117; resigna- tion of, 174 Address, An, by "Country Clergyman" against Society, and reply by Mr. Owen, I. 24 ; second Pamphlet by "Country Clergyman" withdrawn, 30; Address, from President, Vice- Presidents, &c., on Test and Prayer Controversy, 124 AFRICA, general references to its later history, II. 235. South Africa, including Cape Colony, Cdffraria, and Islands adjacent: — Scriptures for Settlers at the Cape, II. 240 ; Auxiliaries formed at Mauritius and St. Helena, 241 ; dis- trilution of Scriptures at Cape Colony, 242 ; Auxiliary at Cape Town, 243 ; eager demand for Scrip- tures among natives, ih. ; Sechuana version of St. Luke by Rev. R. Mofiat 244; grant for Caffre version, ib.; Emancipation at Mauritius, and gift of Testaments. 245 ; visit of Missio- naries and Caffre converts to this coun- try, 246 ; addresses of Caffre Cnicf and Hottentot, 240 ; letter of Mr. Moffat, 247; grant for Sechuana version, 249 ; visit of Mr. Moffat to England, and speech at Annual Meeting, 249 ; Emancipation at the Cape, and gift of Testaments, 254 ; arrival of Rev. D. Livingstone, with Scriptures, at Latakoo, ib.; return of Mr. Moffat, 255 ; Scriptures for Europeans at the Cape, ib.; grant for entire Bible in Vol. II Caffre language, 256 ; grants solicited for Mission Schools, 257 ; mission of Mr. T. J. Bourne to the Cape, 258 ; labours of, and Auxiliaries formed by, 259, 260 ; grant to Wesleyan Missio- naries, 261 ; letter of Mr. Moffat, 262 ; Jubilee Meetings at the Cape, 263 ; total issues of Cape Town Aux- iliary, 264 Madagascar .-—first grant for Scriptures in the Malagasse, II. 2G5 ; Malagasse New Testament completed, 266 ; large editions of parts of Scripture, 267 ; clouded prospects of the Mis- sion, ib. ; entire Bible in Malagasse printed, 268 ; persecution of native converts, 269 ; martyrdom of Rafara- vavy, ib. ; arrival in JEngland of Mala- frasse refugees, 270 ; revision of Malagasse Bible, and large editions of, prepared, 271 West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, &c.: — first grants to Sierra Leone, II. 272; version of St. Mat- thew in Bullom dialect, 273 ; Auxi- liary at Sierra Leone, ib. ; letter of Rev. E. Bickersteith, ib. ; Scrip- tures for tribe.'; on the Gambia, 274 ; version of St. Matthew in Mandingo, 275 ; supply of Scriptures to Niger Expedition, 276 ; grant for Ashantec Scriptures, ib. ; Mission at Fernando Po, ib. ; Arabic Scriptures for Foulah Mission, 277 ; version of St. John in the Accra dialect, ib.; sup- plies to Lady Huntingdon's Mission at Sierra Leone, 278 ; and to German Mission of Gold Coast, ib ; summary of operations at Sierra Leone, 279 ; versions in the Isubu and Yoruba dialects, 280 ; extent of population embraced byG4andAshantee dialects, 283 ; alj.habet formed by Rev. H. Venn, ib. ; version of St. Matthew and St. John, by Rev. Mr. Hanson, ib. East and North Africa, including Abyssinia, Egypt, Algiers, Tunis, &c., II. 285 :— Amharic version for Abys- sinia, by M. Asselin, 287; four Gospels N N 546 INDEX. printod with Ethiopic version, under revision of Mr, I'latt, 2!]8 ; Egypt, distribution of Coptic Scriptures in, by Mr. Burckhardt, ib. ; visit of Mr. Jowett to convents of Upper Epypt, ib. ; aid rendered by British Consuls, Messrs. Salt and Lee, ib. ; Ethiopic manuscripts (10 vols.) presented by Church Missionary So- ciety, 239; edition of Psalms in Coptic and Arabic, edited by Professor Lee, at Cambridge, ib. ; entire Scriptures in Amharic, edited by Mr. Piatt, 290 ; manuscript version in Berber lan- guage obtained, and portion of St. Luke printed, ib. ; supply of Arabic Scriptures to Messrs. Lander, ib. ; distribution of Scriptures at Algiers, Tunis, &c., by Rev. Mr. Ewald, 2i)l ; close of operations in Abyssinia, 292 ; Protestant Missionaries excluded, 293 ; later distributions at Algiers, Tunis, &c., ib. Agencies, local, established for large towns, I. 178; for populous districts, 226 ; separate, for Continent recom- mended, after Apocryphal Contro- versy, 366 ; central, at Frankfort, commenced by Mr. Claus, 367; finally established under Dr. Pinkerton, 421; formed in Norway, 494; in Swe- den, 496 ; in Russia, by Rev. Mr. Knill, 509 ; in Malta, II. 25; in Con- stantinople, 29 ; in Smyrna, 32 ; in India, 151 ; in China, 213; in West Indies, 389 Agents, Foreign and Domestic, pre- sence of, at Jubilee Meeting, I. 254 ; importance of their labours, 285 Albert, H. R. H. Prince, Patron and Life Governor of Parent Society, I. 199 Alexander, Emperor, visit of to Eng- land in ini4, I. 70; his i-eception of Deputation from Parent Society, 71 ; patronage and support given by, to Russian Bible Society, 326; Russ version of Scriptures suggested by, 386 ; liberal donations of, 388 ; memorable declaration of, respecting Bible Societies, 389 ; purchase of Sclavonian pocket Testaments for the army, ib.; death, 395 Allied Sovereigns, visit of to England, I. 70 ; Deputation to, from Parent Society, 71 ; influence thus gained for Continental operations, ib. Alsace, grants to district of, under Pastor Oberlin, I. 298 AMERICA:— United States: first A merican Society formed at Phila- delphia, II. 297; grant from Parent Society, 298 ; domestic need of Scrip- tures brought to light, ib.; Female Bible Society,Philadelidiia, 301; Nas- sau Hall Society, ib. ; New Orleans Society, 302; extent of destitution in many States, 304 : formation of American Bible Society, 305; grant from British Society, ib.; number of Auxiliaries, ib ; versions in Indian dialects prepared, 306; history of American Society, henceforth dis- tinct, ib.; great extent of its opera- tions, 307; new building erected, ib. ; operations of Philadelphia and other Societies, 308 ; supply of all destitute families in the States re- solved on, ib.; friendly relation maintained with British Society, 309 ; visit of Dr. Milnor to England, ib. ; foreicn operations, i6. ; LoidBexley, and Rev. G. Browne, constituted life members, 311; summary of opei-ations in 1842, 312; extension of efforts in the Western States, 313; grants for versions in India, &c., 315; erection of new Bible House, 316; Bishop M'llvaine and Dr. Vermilyp, deputa- tion to England in Jubilee Year, ib. ; summary of American operations in 1854, 317 ; extract from Report, 318 British North America: — Mohawk version by Captain Norton, 11. 320 ; grants of Scriptures for Settlers in Canada, 321; first Auxiliaries, Que- bec, Halifax, &c., ib.; Auxiliaries in Upper Canada, 322 ; activity and perseverance of Ladies' Association at Miramichi, and grant on occasion of destructive fire, ib. ; Mohawk ver- sion understood by other Indians, ib.; visit of Rev. J, West to Canada, 323 ; services of Mr. and Mrs. M'Donald, of Miramichi, 323; visit of Mr. Thomson to Canada, 324; version of Scriptures in the Chippeway, by Messrs, Peter and John Jones, ib. ; Mr. Thomson's account of Mis- sion Settlement at Rice Lake, 325; Mission of Mr. Peter Jones to this country, and printing of Chippeway version of St. John, 326 ; supplies of Gtelic Scriptures for Highlanders in Prince Edward's Island, ib. ; agency of Rev. Mr. Smart in Canada, 327 ; second visit of Mr. Thomson, 328 ; his account of the Chippeway Mission, ib.; Auxi- liary formed among the Chippewas, 329 ; proofs of destitution in the in- terior, 330; close of Dr. Thomson's mission, 331 ; Colportage amongst French Canadians, 332; Agency of INDEX. 547 Rev. J. Richardson, lb. ; grant on occasion of fires at Quebec, 333; Canadian travelling Mission, 33 1 ; grants for travelling- Agents, ib. ; Prince Rupert's Land ; — exertions of Bishop Anderson, and former services rendered by Sir John Franklin, 335 ; version in the Cree language, 33n ; summary of operations in Canada, 337; Jubilee Meeting at Kingston, and con- tribution to Fund, 339 ; Montreal, 340; Quebec, 341; New Brunswick, 342 ; visit of Rev. Mr. Kent to Canada, 343 ; Public Meetings at Toronto, &c., ib. : — Labrador ; Moravian Mission to the Esquimaux, 346; Greenland Mis- sion, and grant for versions, 348 South America and Mexico, 350 : — Scriptures introduced for a short time at Buencs A\res, 351; occasional openings in Spanish States, 352; eager demand for Scriptures at Per- nambiico, &c., 353 ; version of New Testament in ancient Peruvian, 354 ; Rev. Mr. Armstrong engaged as spe- cial Agent, ib. ; distribution of Scrip- tures by Rev. James Thomson, ib.; journey from Lima to Bogota, 355; settlement of Mr. Armstrong at Buenos Ayres, 357 ; distribution of Spanisli Scriptures, ib. ; appointment of Mr. Matthews and Mr. Thomson as Agents, 358 ; route of Mr. Matthews from Buenos Ayres to Valparaiso, 360 ; ready sale of Scriptures in various towns, 361 ; distribution at Buenos Ayres by Mr. Armstrong, 363 ; at Rio de Janeiro, by Rev. C. Vosges, ib.; ar- rival of Mr. Thomson at Mexico, and successful disposal of Scriptures, ib. ; visit to neighbouring towns, 365 ; and incidents of distribution, ib.; ef- forts of Mr. Matthews in his route to Lima, &c., 368 ; second tour of Mr. Thomson to various places in Mexico, 370; mysterious and lamented death of Mr. Matthews, 372; departure of Mr. Thomson from Mexico, 3/3 ; second visit to Mexico, in 1842, 374 ; results of former efiorts, 375; new Spani.sh version published at Mexico, ih. ; revolution at Mexico, and de- parture of Dr. Thomson to Yucatan, 378; appropriation from Jubilee Fund, for renewed agency in South America, 381; Messrs. DufKeld and Corfield appointed, ib. West Indies and British Guiana :— First grants to West Indies, 383; contributions to Parent Society from Jamaica, ib. ; Jamaica Auxiliary of People of Colour, ib. ; Auxiliary at Antigua, 384 ; supplies of French Scriptures for St. Domingo, 385 ; Auxiliaries at Barbadoes and Hon- duras, 386; visitofMr.Thomson to Ja- maica, 387 ; application for Scriptures by Rev. W. Knibb and others, 388 ; Jamaica Auxiliary formed, 389; Mr. Thomson undertakes special Agency for West Indies, ib.; visit to various islands, 391 ; Negro Bible Associa- tions, ib. ; Auxiliary at Barbadoes, 392 ; at Demerara, 393 ; progress of Scripture-reading amongst the Slaves, 395 ; Day of Freedom arrived, ib. ; proposition of Rev. H. Stowell, of gift of Testaments and Psalms, and resolutions of Committee, 396 ; con- currence and support of Auxiliaries in England, 397 ; amount of Special Fund, ib, ; First of August, how ob- served, 399 ; letters from Mr. Thom- son and others, 400; increasing num- ber of Negro readers, 401 ; extension of time of distribution requested by Mr. Knibb, 402 ; Table of first ship- ment of Scriptures, 403 note; success of Mr. Thomson in establishing Aux- iliaries, 404 ; appointment of Mr. Wheeler as Agent in the West Indies, 405 ; Scriptures for Schools at Hayti, ib. ; contributions from Auxiliaries, 406; Bible Associations in Berbice, 4G7 ; failure of Mr. Thomson's efforts in Cuba, 408 ; and departure for Canada, 409 ; visit of Mr. Wheeler to St. Domingo, ib. ; account of state of Negro population, 410 ; testimony given by Rev. J. Clark, 411; death of Mr. Wheeler, ib. ; grateful record ofhislabours,412; appointment of Mr. M'Murray as Agent, 413; increased demand for Scriptures, ib.; supplies of Scriptures for exiles from Madeira, 415; gradual success in Hayti, 416; period of depression in the Islands, 417; termination of Mr. M'Murray 's Agency, 418; Circular from Parent Society to Auxiliaries, 419; Jubilee celebration and contributions, ib. American Missionaries in Greece. Tur- key, &c. : — Armeno-Turkish Testa- ment completed by, at Malta, II. 44 ; Schools formed by Rev. Messrs. Hill and King, 45 ; letter of Rev. Messrs. Dwight and Homes, respect- ing usefulness of Modern Armenian version, 55 ; letter of Mr. Benson, on spread of Scriptures in Greece, 58; of Mr. Hill, giving instances of the effects of Scripture, G2 ; of Mr. Homes, respecting religious awaken- ing amongst Armenians, 69 ; of Mr. N N 2 548 INDEX. Everett, mentioninp: formation of Ar- menian churches, 11 ; of Mr. Dwight, giving account of .Tubih'e Mee'ting at Constantinople, 84. Anderson Bishop, exertions of, in Prince Rupert's Land, II. 335 Anglesea, large contributions of, I. 207 Apocrypha, historical notices of, I. 93 ; earlier procedure of the Society re- specting it, 96 ; aversion of Foreign Societies to its exclusion, 97 ; final resolutions of Bible Society to ex- clude it, 101 ; regulations, ih.\ effect of the controversy on the Continent, and at home, 107 ; Circular to Con- tinental Societies on the subject, 113; additional regulations, 23 j ; Circulars quoted, 360, 362 Appert, M., exertions of, in France, I. 401 Armenians, eagerness of, for the Scrip- tures, II. 20 ; supplies of Scriptures to, 30 ; religious awakening amongst them, 54 ; earnest study of the Scrip- tures, 55 ; persecution of, for reading the Scriptures, 68; progress of reli- gious i-evival, 09 ; numerous Chris- tian Churches formed, ih. ; version for Armenians in the East, 117; claims of, urged by Dr. Buchanan, 118 Armenian, Eastern, version into, by Missionaries at Shushi, II. 42 Armeno-Turkish New Testament, com- pleted at Malta, II. 44 Armstrong, Rev. Mr., settlement and Agency of, at Buenos Ayrcs, II. 357 Arragon, Bishop of, editions of Spanish Bible published by, II. 5 Arthur, Kev. W., proposition of, to give S>."riptures to every family in India, II. lOi Asselin, M., Amharic version prepared by, II. 2S7 Associations, Bible, first examples of, I. 64 ; their rapid increase, 67 ; their safe and beneficial tendency vindi- cated by Rev. W. Dealtry, 67 ; ad- vantages of, argued by Dr. Chalmers, 68 Athens, Bible Society formed at, II. 28 ; Mission School formed at, by Rev. Mr. Hill, 47. Attacks on Bible Society, first, by " Country Clergyman," and reply by Mr. Owen, I. 24 ; on diiFusion of Scriptures in India, and reply by Mr. Owen, 34 ; and by Lord Teienmouth, 35 ; of Dr. Wordsworth, 45 ; replies by Lord Teignmouth and Dr. Dealtry, 46 ; of Dr. Marsh, 47 ; and replies by Dr. E. Clarke, Dr. Dealtry, Rev. R. Hall, and others, 48 ; of Dr. Maltby, 51 ; reply by Rev, J. Cun- ningham, ih. ; and Mr. Hall, 52 ; ultimate good effect of these attacks, 53 ; by three Northern Prelates, 72 ; on Society's versions in Quarterly Review, 115 ; and reply by Mr. Piatt, 116; on Continental versions, 184; replies, by Rev. J. Jowett, 186; and Mr. Radley, 188 Australia. — first grants to Van Die- men's Land, consigned to Rev. S. Marsden for|Colonists,II. 422 ; Auxi- liaries for New South Wales, 423 ; Hobart Town Auxiliary, 424 ; ver- sion of St Luke in the Aboriginal language, 425; version in language of New Zealand, ih. ; activity of Auxiliaries, 420 ; Australia Felix So- ciety formed, 427 ; su])ply of Scrip- tures for Sabbath Schools, ih ; Auxi- liary at Adelaide, under presidency of the Governor, 428 ; efforts of Dr. Browning amongst convicts, ih. ; large supply of Scriptures to Launceston Auxiliary, 430 ; d^pot formed in connection with Adelaide and Melbourne Auxiliaries, 431 ; Colportage adopted, ih. ; application from Bishop of Melbourne, ih. ; and support given by, to Bible operations, 432 ; Gold discovery and its effect, ih. ; increased efforts and liberality of Auxiliaries, 433 ; Jubilee year meet- ings, and contributions of Auxiliaries, 435; deputation of Rev. M. H. Becher, and Mr. Thomas Charles to A ustralia, 437 Austria, visit of Dr. Pinkerton to, and failure of attempt to form a Bible Society, I. 344 ; subsequent effort of Mr. E.Millard, and inerations of Society on the Con- tinent, subsequent to the Peace, and in Foreign coimtries generally, see names of Places and Countries respectively — Concluding retrospect of the Society's labours, II. 480-491 Biblical Library of Society commenced, I. 22; first contributions to it from Granville Sharp, 23 ; its present ex- tent and character, ih. Bickerstetb, Rev. E., letter of, from Sierra Leone, II. 273 ; death of, I. 230 Binding of Bibles and Testaments, great improvement of, I. 197; un- founded charge as to wages for, 229 Birkbeck, Wilson, Esq., services of, in collation of English versions, I. 31 Blind, the. Scriptures for, I. 177 Blumhardt, Rev. C. T., of Basle, ser- vices of, I. 435 ; death, ib. Bohemia, supplies of Scriptures to, from Halle, 1.309; Bohemian Bible completed, 310 Bora, Mr. Van der, appointed Deposi- tary, at Amsterdam, I. 475 Bombay ; Auxiliary foi-med at, under presidency of Sir E. Nepean, II. 115; enlarged operations of, 158; Jubilee celebration and contributions, 184. (See India.) " Book and its Story," by L. N. R., large circulation of, I. 270 Borneo ; version of New Testament for the Dajacks, by the Rhenish Missio- naries, and grant for, II. 222 ; distri- bution among Dajacks, 223 ; results of spread of Scriptures, 229. See China. Borrow, Mr. G. ; Mantchou New Testa- 551 ment edited by, at St. Petersburgli, I. 517 ; efforts of in Spain, II. 5 ; versiou of St. Luke in Gitauo made by, 10 : forced to quit Spain, ib. Bourne, Mr. T. J., appointment of, as Domestic Agent, I. 183; mission in lt)4G to Cape Colony, and labours, in forming and organizing Auxiliaries, II. 258 Biackenbury, Mr. W., engaged as domestic Agent to the Society, I. 114 ; death, 211 Brandram, Rev. A.', appointment of as Secretary, I. 87 ; death of, and memo- rial, 237 Breton version of Nevi' Testament, re- vised by Rev. T. Price, I. 419 ; new version prepared, by Rev. Mr. Jen- kins, ib. Brooke, Rev. T., appointment of, as Do- mestic Agent, 1. 139 ; resignation of, 183 Brown, Rev. D., Cliaplain of Fort Wil- liam, support rendered by, to Oriental Translations, II. 103: sermon of, at Calcutta, and result, 107 Brown, Rev. Mr., Agency of, at St. Petersburg, I. 513 Browne, Rev. George, appointment of as Secretary to the Society, I. 150 ; resignation of, 269 Browne, R^v. H. A., Agent for Society, I. 211 ; resignation of, 225 Browning, Dr., eiforts of, in convict ships, I. 199; 11.428 Brunraarck, Rev. Dr., Pastor of Sv/cdish Church in London, services of, in for- mation of Swedish Societies, I. 378 Buchanan, Dr. C, appeal and generous proposal of, respecting Oriental ver- sions, I. 33 Buchwald, in Silesia, Bible Association of, under presidency of the Countess ofReden, I. 430 Bulgarian New Test., version of, II. 46 Bunting, Rev. Dr., congratulatory ad- dress of, at Jubilee meeting, I. 258 Burckhardt, Rev. Mr., services of, in Egypt, &c., II. 27 ; death of, ib. Burgess, Dr., Bishop of St. David's, one of first Vice-Presidents of the So- ciety, I. 15; able reply of, to Mr. Norris, 63; death, 175 Burn, Rev. E. Secretary of Auxiliary at Birmingham, I. 29 Buizke, Pastor, labours of, in Siberia, I. 541 Buzacott, Rev. Mr., arrival of, in Eng- land from Rarotonga, and superin- tendence of edition of Tongaa Bible, II. 4(56; return of, with Scriptures iu the "John Williams," 473 Caffraria. (See Cape Colony, and South Africa.) Cafl're Chief, address of, II. 246 Calcutta, Correspondence Committee at, II. 100 ; Bibliotheca Biblica esta- blished, 108 : formation of Bible So- ciety, IIO; operations of Auxiliary, 114; versions for Armenians in the East, 117 ; grant to Missionary Col- lege, 12i; amount of issues, and grants for Scriptui-es, 125 ; Bible Association formed, ib. ; summary of circulation, 162 ; grant from Ju- bilee Fund, 183; review of versions and editions, 186 ; extract from Re- port, 189. (See India) Calmucks of the Steppe, account of, and grant for version of Scriptures for, I. 319 Cambridge Auxiliary, incidents of for- mation of, I. 43 Campbell, Dr. J., eflbrts of, to reduce cost of Scriptures, I. 194. Canstein Bible Institution at Halle, account of, I. 300 Canterbury, Archbishop of, com- memoration sermon preached by, in Jubil-e year, I. 260 Cape Colony, Bible and School com- mission formed at, II. 242 ; distribu- tions cf Scriptures among colonists and natives, ib. ; South Africa Auxi- liary formed, 243 ; Namacqna versiou of New Testament, ib. ; Graham's Town Auxiliary formed, 245 ; Eman- cipation, and gift of New Testament, 254 ; Scriptures for European Settlers, 255 ; grant for Mission Schools, 257 ; Mission of Mr. Bourne to the Cape, 258 ; Auxiliaries formed and re-or- ganized, 259 ; Jubilee meeting at Cape Town, 263 Carey,Dr.,of Serampore,commencem(?nt of his labours, in conjunction with Dr. Marshman, and Mr. Ward, II. 100 ; testimony respecting usefulness of Scriptures amongst natives, 114; death and memorial, 140. (See So- rampore Missionaries.) Catalonian version of New Testament, by Mr. Pratt and Rev. Mr.Cheap, II. 5 "Catholic Priest," sermon of, iu favour of Dr. Maltby's principle in his at- tack on the Society, I. 50 Centenary Fund, Wesleyan, donation from, I. 198 Centenary, Third, from 1st edition of English Bible, referred to, I. 161 Ceylon, Auxiliary of, formed at Colombo, by exertions of Sir Alexander John- ston, II. 113 ; grant to, f/;.; Singhalese New Testament commenced by Mr. 552 Tolfrey, 115; completed by Messrs. Chaterand Clougb, 120; Pall version of New Testament finished by Mr. Clough, 129; version for Portuguese, by Kev. Mr. Newstead, 130 ; prant for Cotta version of SinE;halese Bible 151 ; revision of Tamil Scriptures, 163 ; differences of Singhalese ver- sions, 164; these reconciled, 181; Jubilee Meeting and contributions, 185 ; review of past efforts, ib. Chalmers, Dr., extract from his defence of Bible Associations, I. 68 Charles, Rev. Thomas, of Bala, applica- tion of, for Welsh Bibles, and its result, in formation of Bible Society, I. 4 ; efforts of, in Wales, and first contributions remitted by 20 Charles Thomas, Esq , deputation of, to Australia, I. 266, II. 437 China ; Chinese manuscript of New Tes- tament found in British Museum, 11. 192; its publication declined, 193; Chinese version of New Testament, by Dr. Marshman, and grant by Society, ih. ; version by Dr. Morrison, 195 ; distribution of Chinese Scriptures by Dr. Milne, 196 ; portions of Penta- teuch printed, 197; Auxiliaries at Batavia and Amboyna, 193; Malay Scriptures for the Moluccas, 199 ; Auxiliaries at Penang, Sumatra, &c., ib. ; death of Dr. Milne, 201 ; Chinese Bible presented by Mr. J. Marshman in 1823; and by Dr. Morrison in 1824, 202; return of Dr. Morrison, and letter, 203 ; depot for Scriptures at Singapore, 205 ; visit of Messrs. Gutzlaff and Tomliu to Siara, 206 ; Siamese New Testament, 207 ; letter of Leang A fa, 208 ; visit of Mr. Gutz- laff to Northern China, ib. ; publica- tion of his Journal, 209 ; death of Dr. Morrison, and memorial, 210; ap- pointment of Special Agent for Chinese Archipelago, 213 ; voyage of Messrs. Medhurstand Stevens ib. ; of Messrs. Lay and Stevens, 215; death of Mr. Stevens, ib. ; close of Mr. Lay's Agency, 216; war with China, and suspension of Missionary operations, 217; measures for revision of Chinese Scriptures, 218; resolutions of So- ciety to defray the expense, 220 ; toleration proclaimed in China, 221 : revision of Chinese Testament com- pleted, and grant, ib. ; version of New Testament for Borneo, and grant to Khenish Missionaries, 222 ; differences regarding Chinese terms for names of Deity, 223 ; distribution by Chinese Colporteurs, 225 ; grant for Dr. Gutzlaff's version, ib. ; ex- treme cheapness of Chinese New Testament, 226 ; revision of Chinese New Testament completed, ib ; editions of, 223 ; edition in Mantchou and Chinese, ib ; results of Scrip- ture circulation in Borneo, 229 ; in- surrection in China, and homage to the Scriptures professed by insur- gents, 231; Resolution of Society for a million copies of New Testament for China, 232; version in Colloquial Mandarin, 233 ; Jubilee celebration at Shanghai, 233 China Fund, special appeal for, I. 263 ; amount of, 266 ; appropriation of, 267 Circular Address, first, at formation of Bible Society, I. 6 ; names ap- pended to it, 8 ; to Auxiliaries on occasion of Jubilee, 249 ; to Conti- nental Societies on Apocrypha Regu- lations, first, 360 ; second, more ex- planatory, 362 City and Town Missions, large grants of Scriptures to, I. 182 Clark, Rev. J., Missionary in Jamaica, letter of, regarding spread of Scrip- tures amongst Negroes, 11. 411 Clarke, Dr. Adam, aggregate of collec- tions from Wesleyan body presented by, I. 39; edition of Scriptures in Ancient and Modern Greek, recom- mended by, II. 24 Clarke, Dr. E., speech by, at formation of Cambridge Auxiliary, I. 44 ; reply of, to Dr. Marsh, 48 Claus, Mr., Agent for Society at Frankfort, I. 367-421 Collinson, Rev. G. J., appointed Secre- tary, L 245 ; resignation of, 249 ; Jubilee statement by, 253 Cock, Horatio, Esq., large bequest of, I. 160 Cockle, Mr., Depositary of Society, death of, and memorial, I. 236 Cologne, depot of Scriptures established at, by Mr. Tiddy, for towns on the Rhine, I. 468 ; extent of distribution from, 469 Col portage adopted in this country, I. 208 ; result of, in Lancashire, &c., 211 ; first experiment of in South of France, by Messrs. Courtois, of Tou- louse, 405 ; effective extension of, by M. de Pressense, 411 ; results, in several French Communes, 415 ; zeal and perseverance of Colporteurs, 417 ; commenced in Germany, 446 ; origin and success of, in Belgium, under direction of Mr. Tiddy, 453 ; extension to Holland, 462 ; Cologne, 468; commenced in Swiss Cantons INDEX. ;53 by Committee at Geneva, 48/ ; in- cideats of, in Sweden, 499 Commemoration sermons for Jubilee, preached by Archbishop of Canter- bury, Bishops of Winchester, Chester, and Hereford, and by Clergymen and Dissenting Ministers, I. 260 Committee of Bible Society, constitution of, I. 12 ; names of first, 13 ; reference to the labours and responsibilities of, 281 ; demand on their time, delibera- tion, forbearance, '282 ; devoted at- tendance of many gentlemen, 233 ; spirit of unanimity by which its de- liberations have been characterized, ib. Connor, Rev. Mr., services of, in Egypt, 11.288 Constantinople, issues of Scriptures at, by Mr. Leeves, II. 37 ; free sale of Scriptures permitted, 67 ; Firman of the Sultan in favour of religious freedom, 71 ; Jubilee meeting of Christian residents, 83; Auxiliary formed at, 84 ; distribution of Scrip- tures to Allied Armies, 85 Continent, Special Fund for, on occasion of openings presented in 1848, I. 224 Continental Correspondents of Society, the first, I. 289 Continental Societies, the first, formed at Nuremberg in 1S04, 1. 289 ; others at Ratisbon, Basle, Zurich, St. Gall, Frankfort, Berlin, 299-308; first principal northern Societies, formed by exertions of Drs. Henderson, Pa- terson, and Piukerton ; Copenhagen, 316; St. Petersl.urgh, 324; Stock- holm, 331 ; rapid increase of, after the Peace, 3.34 ; period of their highest efficiency, 356 ; Circular to, respecting exclusion of Apocrypha, 360; their dissent, 3G1 ; second Circular, with more specific regula- tions, 362 ; deputation to, of Dr. Pinkertonand Rev. R. W. Sibthorp, 364 ; general result, recommendation of independent Agency for Germany, 367 ; continued adherence of, to Apocrypha, 399 ; establishment of separate Agency at Frankfort, under Dr. Pinkerton, 421 Copenhagen Bible Society formed, 1.317 Corrie, Dr., Bishop of Madras, death of, and memorial, I. 179; H. 147 » Country Clergyman,' Address of, against Society, I. 24 ; reply to, by Mr. Owen, ib. Courtois, Messrs., of Toulouse, efforts of, to circulate the Scriptures, I. 404; Colportage commenced by, 405. (See France.) Coxe, Lieut, services of, in Merchant Seamen's Society, I, 32 Creole version, prepared by Danish So- ciety, I. 376 Crimea, the, visit of Dr. Pinkerton to, and acquisition of Tartar manuscript of Old Test. Scriptures, 1.387; Visits of Mr. Melville, 52(» Cuunin^'ham, Rev. J. VV., reply of, to Dr. Maltby, I. 51 Cyril, Archbishop of Constantinople, testimony of, in favour of Modern Greek version, II. 24 D. Dale, David, Esq., of Glasgow, an early and earnest supporter of the Society, I. 19 Dalecarliaos, the, interesting anecdote of, 1. 331 ; supplies of Scripture to,497 Daly, Bishop, speech of, in favour of native Irish Scrii)tures, I. 90 Damascus, distribution of Scriptures at, by Mr. Barker, II. 34 ; services of Mr. Tod, 44 Darling, Rev. Mr., letter of respecting Tahitian version, II. 444 Dealtry, Dr., Bishop of Madras, support given by, to Bible circulation, II. 170 Dealtry, Rev. William, ]M.A., reply of to Dr. Wordsworth, I. 46 ; to second Pamphlet of Dr. Wordsworth, ib. ; to Dr. IMarsh, 48 ; to Mr. Norris, 63 ;. defence of Bible Associations by, 07; death of, and memorial, 217 Derbecq Oi^ee, Colporteur, notice of his valuable labours, I. 470 Dexmaek — Danish Society formed under Royal patronage, and grant to, 1. 317; Auxiliaries formed by Dr. Henderson in 1818, 375; version of Scriptures for Greenland, and Creole version, 376; adherence of, to the Apo- crypha, ib. ; disconnection generally with British Society, ib. ; amount of issues in 1826, ib.; relaxed opeia- tions of Danish Society, 492 ; visits of Dr. Henderson and Mr. Knolleke, 493 De Sacy, version of, circulated among Catholics in France, 1. 357 ; testi- monies in its favour, 189 Dublin (afterwards Hibernian) Bible Society, formation of, I. 26. (See Ireland) Dudley, Mr. C. S., services of in forma- tion of Bible Associations, I. (i5, note ; regulations for Auxiliaries 554 INDEX. drawn up by, 66 ; visit of to Scotland, and results, 89 DufF, Dr., suggestion of, respecting Scriptures for Mission Schools in India, II. 182 Dwight, Rev. H. G, O. letter of re- specting Armenian version, II. 55 ; his account of Jubilee celebration in Constantinople, 82 Dyer, Rev. Mr., Missionary atPenang, intelligence from, II. 207 ; death of, 219 E. Earl Street premises of the Society, en- tered on, I. 72 Edinburgh Bible Society formed, I., 39 ; increase of Auxiliaries, 7 1 Editorial Superintendence ; Honorary services of Mr. Piatt, I. 119; appoint- ment of Mr, Greenfield, I. 120; of Rev. J. Jowett, 139 ; of Rev. T. W. Meller, 225 Educational movement, grant of Scrip- tures in aid of, I. 204 Edwards, Mr. G. T., Domestic Agent, I. 235 Egypt : Coptic version, distribution of by Mr. Burckhardt, II. 288 ; visit of Mr. Jowett to convents in Upper Egypt, ib. ; edition of Coptic and Arabic versions, prepared at Cam- bridge by Professor Lee, 289 Ellerby, Rev. Mr., Agent at St. Peters- burg, I. 518 ; his review of operations of Agency in Russia quoted, 531 Eisner, Mr., Secretary of Berlin Society, efforts of in connection with the Prussian army, I. 428 ; death, 429 English authorized version, collation of editions of, I, 3 1 Episcopacy in India, aid rendered by, to spread of Scriptures, II. 142 Esthonia, effect of spread of Scriptures in, I. 529 ; retrospect of Scripture cir- culation and of the results, 536 ; testi- mony of Counsellor von Schwebbs, ib. ; efforts of Priuce Lieven, 539 Europe,Coutinental, retrospect of opera- tions in, II. 86 ; extent of desti- tution of Scriptures, 87 ; interest awakened in the spread of Scriptures, 88; support given by Sovereigns, Clergy, &c., 89 ; number of Societies and Agencies, 90 ; services of Drs. Henderson, Paterson, and Pinkerton, ib. ; effect of Apocryphal Controversy, 91; separation and decay of Continehtal Societies, 92; resistance of Popish countries to the introduction of the Scriptures, 93; Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, 94 ; Continental opera- tions of the Society eminently pros- perous as a whole, 93 ; their geogra- phical extent, ib. ; total of Continental circulation, 96 Ewald, Rev. Mr., labours of in Algeria, &c. 11.291 Exhibition, Great, efforts in connec- tion with, I. 245 F. Fabricius Bishop, of Herrnhut, visit to, of Dr. Pinkerton and Mr. Sibthorp , 365 ; supply of Scriptures to, I. 425 ; services and labours of, 431; testi- mony of, regarding effect of Scripture circulation in Lapland, 534 Fawkes, Major, Agent for Metropolis, I. 248 Farish, Professor, speech made by, at formation of Cambridge Auxiliary, L 44; death of, 176 Fuhnen Religious Society, labours of, I. 315; grants to, ib. Finland Bible Society, formed under Imperial patronage, and grant to, I. 320 ; incidents of Bible distribu- tion, 513; grant for large edition of Finnish Testament, 518 ; review of Scripture circulation, 531 ; signal re- sults of, 553 Foot, Rev. Lundy, amendment moved by, on Test and Prayer question, at Annual Meeting in 1S31, I. 131 France, first supplies of Sciiptures for, through Basle Society, I. 303 ; grant to Consistories in Paris for edition of Dt> Sacy's New Testament, 340 ; Pro- testant Bible Society formed at Paris by exertions of Mr. Owen, 349 ; numerous Auxiliaries, and issues of Scriptures, 356 ; Ostervald's French Bible published with notes, 358 ; Protest 'of Committee, 359; De'- pot at Paris under charge of Pro- fessor Kieffer, 400; efforts of M. Appert, 401 ; varied labours of Pro- fessor Kieffer, 402 ; Revolution of 1830, and wider openings for Scrip- ture circulation, 403; elibrts of Messrs. Courtois at Toulouse, 404 ; and first experiments in Colportage by, 405 ; Colportage by Geneva Evangelical Society, and Societies at Lyons, Basle, &c., 406 ; death of Professor Kieifer, 407; record of his services, ib.; Appointment of M. de Pressens6, 408 ; formation of French Bible '-Society, 409; rapid extension of Colportage, 411 ; Colporteurs em- ployed by Parent Society under 555 direction of M. ile Prcssensd, 412: result of Colpovtage in several French Communes, 415 ; zeal and jjcrse- veraiice of Colporteurs, 417 ; total of Scriptui^e distribution in France, 419 ; Scriptures in the Breton lan- guajre, ib. Frankfort, Society formed at, I. 305 ; depot established for Germany, uuder Dr. PinkertoD, 421 Franklin, Mr, James, appointment of, as Depositary, I. 245 Franklin, Sir J., advocacy of Scripture circulation by, in Prince Rupert's Land, II. 335 Frost, Rev. R. appointed Secretary of the Saciety, I. 249 Fund, Special, on occasion of Negro Emancipation, I. 158; amount of, 173 ; Jubilee, amount of, and appro- priation, 2Gti ; China, amount of, ib. Gaelic version, text of, I. 27 ; amount of subsequent issues, 28 Galloway, Rev. Mr., travels of in the Caucasus, II. 47; visit to Kir- ghesian tribes, and sale of Scrip- tures, 48 Galitzin, Prince, President of Russian Society, I. 325 ; resignation, 395 (lambier. Admiral Lord, one of first Vice-Presidents of Bible Society, I. 15 Gawler, Lieut. -Col., Governor of South Australia, aid of in diifusiou of the Scriptures, II. 426 Geneva Bible Society, witbdrawment of British Society from, and letter of Committee, 433 Geneva Iwaugelical Society formed, and operations of by Colportage, I. 405 Georgia, version for, published at St. Pecersburgh, I. 384 ; visit of Mr. Melville to, 527 German Colonists on the Wolga, grant of Scriptures to, I. 318 Germany : Berlin Bible Society formed, I. 308 ; Hanover Society, 337 ; Saxon Societyat Dresden, ib.; Lubeck Society, 339 ; separate agency for, established under l)r.Piukerton at Frankfort, 421 ; extent of his labours, issues of Scrip- tures, correspondence, . -. Persic version of H. Martyn, published at St. Petersbtirg, 116; version for Armenians in the East, 117; Malay Scriptures pub- lished, 119; fund originated by Mr. Hey, for Oriental versions, 121 ; Syrian version for Travancore, 1'2'2; grant to Missionary College in Cal- cutta, ib. ; summary of versions at Serampore, 123: grant from Society, ib. ; Madras Bible Society formed, 124; Sub-Committee for transla- tions, ib. ; Calcutta Bible Association, 125 ; Resolution respecting grants for translations modified, 127; memorial respecting terms for Baptism, 128; grants to Serampore cease, ib. -. Aux- iharies at Cawnpore, Benares, Meerut, )29; Pali New Testament completed by Mr. Clough, 129 ; Extent of issues &c., in 1825, 130 ; death of Bishop Heber, 131 ; Testimonies regarding gradual spread of Scriptures, 133; entire Bible in Canarese, by Rev. Mr. Uand.s, 134 ; attack on Orien- tal versions, and vindication by Mr. Greenfield, 135; standard ver- sion in Bengali, by Dr. Yates and Mr. Wenger, 140: death of Dr. Carey, and memorial, ib. ; death of Dr. Marshmau, 142 ; eloquent Appeal of Bisliop Wilson for India, 143; its result in large grants, 145; Madras; —versions in Tamil, JIalayalim, &c., 140; Bombay : versions in Persic, IVlahratta, &c., ib. ; death of Bi- shop Corrie of Madras, 147 ; Rev. Mr. Hffiberlin appointed Agent for- India, 152; close of his Agency, 15.') ; '! estimonics to the efiect of Scripture circulation, 156; Agra Auxiliary for Northern India, 161 ; Scripture* for Coolies, 162; version for the Hill Tribes, 164 ; entire Bible in Mahratta, 16,5 ; proposition of Rev. W. Arthur to give tJcripturcs to every family, 166 ; opinions of Cjlcutta and Madras Committees, ib ; grant for Mis- sionary itinerancies, 168; support given by Bishop Dcaltry to operations at Madras, 170; grant for Urdu version of New Testament, 171 ; pro- gressive versions of Tamil Scriptures, 172; Colportage at Madras, 174; summary of translations efi'ected in India, 178; total of issues by Madras Auxiliary, 17'.l ; varying opinions of Singhalese translators reconciled, 131 ; grants to India from Jubilee fund, 182; Jubilee celebration in Madras, 184; Bombay, ib.-. Ceylon, 185; Calcutta, progress of versions at, 186 ; 558 INDEX. concludiug extract o! Calcutta Picport, Inglis, Rev. J., letter of, giving account of New Hebrides Islands, II. 477. Ionian Bible Society, operations of, II. 3a Ireland; grants to Dublin and other Societies, I. 36: Hibernian Society formed, ih. ; increase of Auxiliaries, 56 ; Scriptures in Native Irish, advo- cated by Bishop Daly, I. 90 ; large edition of, completed, 115 ; Colportage introduced, and large distribution to Sunday Schools, '216; account of re- ligious movement the result of Scripture circulation, 232 ; large ap- propriation, for Scriptures, from Jubi- lee Fund, 266 Ironside, Hev. S., letter of, giving account of the joy of Natives on arrival of Scriptures in New Zealand, II. 456 Italian-Swiss Bible Committee formed at Geneva, I. 483 ; Colportage of in Swiss Cantons, 487 Italy : — Introduction of Scriptures into in 1848, by Lieut. Graydou, I. 481 ; sales at Milan, Turin, Genoa, 482; editions of Scriptures printed at Florence and Rome, 483 ; urgent ap- plicatiou from, for Scriptures, 484; second visit of Lieut. Graydon, 485 ; labours of Major-Geueral Beckwith, 488: distribution of ItaHan Scriptures at Malta and Messina, 11. 18; efforts of Dr. Naudi, ib. ; efforts of Professor Schircks in the Grisons, 20 ; total of Italian Scriptures printed, ib. Jackson, John, Ph. D., Assistant Foreign Secretary, appointment of, I. 89 ; reference to his long and valuable ser- vices, 230: resignation, 231 Jjenicke, Rev. J., services of, in Berlin Bible Society, I. 30S James, Rev. J. A , appeal of, for China, 1.262 Jenkins, Rev. Mr., Breton version of New Testament by, I. 419 . Jerusalem, circulation of Scriptures in, by Bishop Gobat, II. 73 Jones, Mr. William, Secretary of Reli- gious Tract Society, address of at Ju- bilee Meeting, and presentation of Minute Book, relating incidents of formation of the Bible Society, I. 2j7 Jowett, Rev. J., appointment of as Edi- torial Superintendent, I. 139; defence of Foreign versions by, 136 ; resigna- tion, 225 Jowett, Rev. W., services of, in Malta, IL 27; visit to Smyrna, and forma- tion of Bible Society, IL 28 ; visit to Convents in Upper Egypt, 288 Jubilee year of the Society, I. 247 ; re- signation of Rev. G. J.Colliuson, and appointment of Rev. R. Frost, 249; special efforts in connection with Ju- bilee, 250; Circular to Auxiliaries, ib. ; Jubilee Statement, and other tracts and pamphlets, published, 253 ; Rev. T. Phillips, Jubilee Secretary, ib. ; first meeting at London Tavern, 254 ; presence of Foreign Agents and Deputations, 257 ; Meeting at Exeter Hall, 2.38; Jubilee fund pro- posed, 259 ; Commemoration ser- mons preached, 260 ; wide-spread sympathy and effort amongst Aux- iliaries at home, and in Foreign lands, 261 ; appeal for China, originated by Rev. J. A. James, 263 ; amount of Ju- bilee and China funds, aud appropria- tion, 266 Kalley, Dr., efforts of, at Madeira, and results, in religious awakening amongst Portuguese, tl. 13. (See Madeira) Karass, on the Caspian, Missionaries at, Messrs. Pinkertou and Brunton, I. 317; grant for Tartar version, 318 Karaite Jews in the Crimea, visit to, of Dr. Pinkertou, I. 387 ; visit of Mr. Melville, 520 ; special prayer of, for Bible Society, 521 Kent, Duke of, cordial support given by to Society, and death of, I. 83 Kent, Rev. P.. appointed Agent of So- ciety, I. 211: visit of, to Canada in Jubilee year, II. 343 Ketley, Rev. Mr., Demerara, letter of, IL 400 Kettler, Pastor, appeal of, for Esthonia, I. 519 Keyser, Mr., separate Agency of, at Stockholm, I. 496; death of, 506 Kieffer, Professor, services of, in the revision and editing of Turkish Bible, I. 400 ; Agent at Paris for circulation of Scriptures among Roman Catholics, ib. ; varied labours of, in editing dif- ferent versions, 402 ; death of, and memorial of his services, 407; (see France) Kirkpatrick, Mr., appointed Depositary Agent at Brussels, I. 475 Knapp, Dr., of Halle, correspondence, of, I. 300 Kuibb, Rev. W., applicatoin of, for sup- ply of Scriptures for Negroes, II. 559 38r> : letter, requesting cxteusiou of time for gift of Testaments, 402 Knill, Rev. K., commencemeut of Bible operations by, at St. Petersburg, I. 397 ; interesting results of his first distributions, 5u9 ; total distributed by him, 312; return to this country, 513 Knolleke, Mr. H., appointed Assistant Foreign Secretary, I. 231 ; visit of. to Copenhagen, and its good effect, 493 Konigsberg Committee, grant to, for Lithuanian Bible, I. 311 Labrador, Moravian Mission to the Esquimaux, II. 345; version of St. John published, 316; gratitude of the Esquimaux, 347 ; entire version of New Testament, and portions of Old Testament, completed, 348 Ladam, a zealous Colporteur in France, large distribution of, I. 417, see note Lancashire, extraordinary movement in, for .sale of Scriptures, I. 211 Lander, Messrs., supply of Arabic Scrip- tures to, for Central Africa, II. 290 Lapland, religious revival in, the effect of Scripture circulation, I. 529 ; re- view of Scripture circulation, 534; testimony of Bishop Fabricius and others, 534 ; (see also Sv/eden). La Trobe, Mr. C. J., services of in Australia, II. 426 Lausanne Bible, notes of objected to, and cancelled, I. 105—359 Laws and regulations of Bible Society, I. 16; of Auxiliaries, 66 Lay, Mr. appointed special agent for Chinese Archipelago, II. 213 ; voy- age of, with Mr. Stephens, 215: re- turn to England, 216 Leang Afa, first Chinese convert, letter of, II. 206 ; application for Scriptures from, 20 ) Lee, Professor, of Cambridge, services of, in revision of Persic, Syriac, and other Eastern versions, II. 36, edition of Psalms in Coptic and Arabic edited by, 289 Leeves, Kev. H. Agent for Society at Constantinople, II. 29 ; temporary removal to Odessa, and rcturu, 31 ; tour to Smyrna, , 1.382; grants to, ib.\ version of New Testament for Finns, ib. ; visits of Hon. C. J. Shore, 1831, ami Dr. Paterson, 1832, 493 ; separate Agencies established, 4 94; review of Scripture circulation, ih. Nott, liev. Henry, visit of to Englaml, with entire Bible in Taliitian, If. 447 ; return of and arrival at Tahiti, with edition of Bible, 452 Nuremberg, Auxiliary formed at ; the Vol. II. first foreign link of connection with the Britisli Society, I. 20, 298; exchange by, of Protestant for Catholic Testa- ments, rescinded, 229 ; suppressed by the Bavarian Government in 1817, 347 O. Oberlin, Pastor of Ban de la Roche, one of first foreign correspondents of So- ciety, I. 20, and 298 ; account of Mr. Owen's visit to, in 1818, 349 O'Callaghan, Rev. A., attack of on Bible Society, I, 75 Oriental Sub-Committee of the Society formed, I. 289 Oriental Translations, proposals of Dr. C. Buchanan in aid of, I. 33, II. 101 Ostervald's French Bible published at Lausanne, protest of Society against its notes, I. 359 Otter, Rev. Mr., reply of to Dr. Marsh, L48 Ouseley, Sir Gore, friendly services of, to Henry Martyn in Persia, and aid in publication of his Persian New Testament at St. Petersburg, I. 384, II. 112 Owen, Rev. J., speech of at first Meeting for formation of the Bible Society, I. 9 ; one of the first Secre- taries of the Society, 1 1 ; reply of to " Country Clergyman," 24 ; reply to attack ou efforts in India, 34 ; visit to the Continent, 1818, IG; Ex- tract from conclusion of his History of Bible Society, 80 ; his declining health, 82 ; death 85 ; Memorial of his services, 86 ; account of visit to the Continent, Ban de la Roche, &c., 349 ; valuable results of his visit, ib. Page, Rev. J. A., appointed Agent for Yorkshire, I, 248 Palestine, circulation of Scriptures in, II. 33; visit of Mr. Barker, and dis- tribution of Scriptures, 35 ; Scrip- ture circulation by Bishop Gobat at Jerusalem, and in Samaritan villages, 73 Pauchaud, Rev. D., deputed to represent Belgian Evangelical Society at J ubilee Meeting, I. 257 Papal Opposition in Austria and Po- land, 1. 344 ; Hungary, Bavaria, 347 ; effect of in suppression of Nuremberg Society, ih. Paris Protestant Bible Society, formation of, I. 400 Paterson, Rev. .T., occasion and com- mencement of labours of, in Northern O O 562 INDEX. Europe, I. 313 ; residence at Co- penhagen, 314; superintendence of edi- tion of Icelandic Testament, 315 removal to Stockholm, 316; obtains grant from Society for Finnish version of Scriptures, 320 ; removal to St Petersburg, 322 ; success of efforts in formation of St. Petersburg Bible Society, 323 ; forms various Auxili- aries in Livonia and Esthonia, &c., 327 ; succeeds in the formation of Stockholm Evangelical Society, 329 ; Tour through Northern Europe, 339; labours of in Sweden referred to, 378 ; tours through Russian pro- vinces, 387, 392 ; becomes permanent Agent of Russian Bible Society, 393 ; visit to Norway in 1832, ib. ; to Sweden, 495 ; striking testimony to result of his visitations in Sweden, 503; effect of his labours in Baltic Provinces, 537 Peace of Europe, (in 1814,) effect of, in extension of Bible operations on Con- tinent, I. 70, 333 Pearson, Rev. Hugh, efforts of, in for- mation of Oxford Auxiliary, I. 63 Percival, Rev. Mr., Missionary at Madras, services of, in revision of Tamil Scriptures, II. 163 Perry, Dr., Bishop of Melbourne ; sup- port given by, to Bible operations, II. 430; President of Melbourne Auxi- liary, 431 Persian versions; — New Testament of Henry Martyn, brought to St. I'eters- burg by Sir G. Ouseley, and pub- lished there, I. 384 ; version of parts of Old Testament, by Kev. Mr. Glen, at Astrachau, II. 44 ; version of Isaiah, by Mirza Ibrahim of Haileybury, ib. Petersburg, St., Agency, distribution of, I. 543. (See Russia ) Phelan, Rev. W., attack of, on Bible Society, I. 75 Philadelphia, Bible Society formed at, 1808, 1. 38. (See America.) Philip, Dr., Missionary at the Cape, extracts from letters of, H. 243, 244 ; visit of to this country with Caffre converts, 246; account given by, of Emancipation at the Cape, 254 ; Ap- peal of for Dutch and Caffre Scrip- tures, 256—257. Phillips, Rev. G. W., appeal of on Test and Prayer question, 1. 124 ; Secretary of Trinitarian Bible Society, I. 132 Phillips, R., Esq., services of, in dis- seminating tracts in defence of So- ciety, I. 54 ; rules for Auxiliaries drawn up by him and Mr. Dudley, 86; death of, and memorial, 164 Phillips, Rev. T., appointment of as Agent for Wales, I. 165; Jubilee Secretary, 253 Pinkerton, Rev. R., Missionary at Karass, I. 317; removal to Moscow and efforts of, in formation of Bible Society, 321 ; tour througli Germany, Holland, &c., and formation of various Societies, 336 ; efforts of, at Vienna, frustrated, 344 ; succeeds in forming Polish Bible Society, 345; tour in Germany, 1825, 359; deputation of, to Continental Societies, with Mr. Sibthorp, 364 ; visit to Sweden in 1828, 367; extensive tour in Russian provinces, 1816, 387; visit to the Crimea, and acquisition of Tartar manuscript of Old Testament from Karaite Jews, ib. ; tour in Tur- key and Greece in 1819, 391; ar- rangements in Greece for Albanian and Grrcco-Turkish versions, II. 29 ; residence in England to aid foreign department of Society, I. 3St3 : settle- ment at Frankfort as general Superin- tendent, 421; extent and variety of labours, in correspondence, issues of Scriptures, &c., 422; tours in Germany, &c., 423; tour in 1844, 431; mea- sures of, in supply of Scriptures to hotels at Baden-Baden, Wiesbaden, &c , 444 ; total of issues by, to Jubilee year, 447 ; address at Jubilee Meet- ing, 256. (See also Appendix II.) Pitman, Hev. C, interesting letter of, on reception of Rarotougan Scriptures 11. 454 ; extracts from letters, relating the delight felt by natives in the Scrip- tures, 460 Piatt, T. Pell, Esq., Honorary Libra- rian to the Society, I. 88 ; defence of Society's versions by, in reply to "Quarterly Review," 116; history of translations compiled by (still in MS.), ib. ; honorary services in su- perintendence of translations, 119; edition of Ethiopic New Testament superintended by, II. 289; revision of entire Ethiopic Scriptures, 290 ; se- cession from the Society on the Test and Prayer question, I. 136; resolu- tion of Committee in grateful acknow- ledgment of liis services, ib. PoL.\ND ; Bible Society formed at War- saw by Dr. Pinkerton, I. 345 Porteus, Bishop, warm encouragement given by, at formation of Bible Society, and suggestion of Lord Teignmouth as President, I. 15 ; one of first Vice- Presidents of the Society, ib. ; im- pressive testimony of in favour of it, 44 ; death, ib., note. INDEX. 563 Portugal -, editions of Portuguese Scrip- tures, II. 4 ; importation of Scrip- tures permitted, but no successful distribution, 12; revision of Portu- guese New Testament by llcv. Mr. Whiteley, of Oporto, ib. ; total of Por- tuguese Scriptures printed by Society, Pratt, Rev. J., part taken by, in forma- tion of Bible Society, I. 1 1 ; death of and memorial, 209 Prayer at Publ:c Meetings, question of, revived : reading of Scriptures adopted, I. 227 . (See Test.) Presburg, Society formed at, under patronage of Baroness de Zay, I. 306 Pressense, Jf. de, appointment of as Agent for Society in France, I. 40S ; effective extension of Colportage by, 411 ; progressive increase of circula- tion, ib. ; judicious instructions of, to Colporteurs, 413; his account of results of Colportage. 414; " Jubilee Review" of, 416; general results of his agency, 418. (See also Appendix Price, Rev, T., of Crickhowell, Breton version revised by, I. 419 Printing Stereotype, perfected by Earl Stanhope and Mr. Andrew Wilson, and first used at time of formation of Bible Society, I. 21 ; resolution passed for a large edition of Welsh Scrip- tures by this process, 22 Prisons and Hospitals, supply of Scrip- tures to, I. .'^2 Prisoners of ^Yar, supply of Scriptures to, I. 23 ; supplies to those returning home at the Peace, 70 I'ritchard, Rev. Mr., visit of to this country, II. 453: account given by, of state of Tahiti, ib: Prussia; Berlin Hible Society formed vith Royal sanction, I. 30!i ; merged in Prussian Bible Society, 312; sup- ply of Scriptures to the army through agency of ^fr. Eisner, 42H ; Silesia ; efforts of Countess of Reden, 429 Prussian army ; incidents of eager re- ception of Scriptures by the soldiers, 1.429 Prussia, H. ^f. King of, direct annual contribution of, to the Parent Society, 1.200 " Quarterly Review," attack of, on Society's versions, I. 113; and reply by Mr. Piatt, 116 Queen, Her Majesty The, patronage of, given to Bible Society, 1. 109 Radley, Mr., defence of Society's foreign versions by, I. 188 ; Jubilee tracts of, 253 Rafaravavy, martyrdom of, II. 269 ; her calm fortitude and faith, 270 Raffles, Hon. Sir T. S., support ren- dered by, to Biblical operations in Java, . ; progress ami sum- mary of translations by, 123; grant from Society, 1 Jo; memorial of Missio- naries respecting translation of words for Baptism, 1-28 ; cessation of grants to, ib. ; death of Dr. Carey, and memorial of, 1-10; Dr. Marsh- man's Chinese version of New Testa- ment, 193 : Chinese Bible of, presented, 20-2; death of, 142 Shaftesbury, Earl of, President of Bible Society, I. 24.^ Sharp, Granville, Esq., eminent services of in formation of Bible Society, I. 9 ; Chairman of first Public Meetings, 9, 12; present of Scriptures in various languages to Biblical library, 23 Shirley, Bishop, Vice-President, death of, I. 217 Shore, Hon. J. C , visit of to Nor- way, I. 493; and Sweden, 495; and his account of various Societies, ib. Shushi, version by Missionaries at, into Ararat, or Eastern Armenian, II. 42; into Tartar Turkish, 43; Mission terminated by Imperial Ukase, 47 ; incidents of Scripture distribution around Shushi, 137 Siberia, versions prepared for by St. Petersburg Society, I. 390; Scriptures for exiles to, and exertions of Dr. Haas, .513; (see Russia) Siberian Mission under Rev. Messrs. Swan and Stallybrass, I. 514 ; results of 515 ; close of, 516 Sibthorp, Rev. R. W , deputed, with Dr. Pinkerton, to visit Continental Soci- eties, lfi27, I. 113 and 3G4 ; result of visit, given by him, 3G6 Sierra Leone, first grant of Scriptures for, II. 272; version in Bullom dia- lect, by Rev. J. Nylander, 273 ; Auxi- liary formed at, ib. ; intej-esting letter from Rev E Bickersteth, ib. ; Public Meeting of natives at, 275 ; summary of operations, 279- See Africa Simeon, Rev. C, zealous part taken by, in formation of Cambridge Auxiliary, I. 44 ; reply of, to Dr. Marsh, 48 ; death, 175 Sleswick-Holstein Society formed, and grant to, I. 375 Smith, Mr. John, first Collector to the Society, I. 11. Smith, Rev. J. Secretary of Madras Auxiliary, death of, II. 159 South Sea Islands, progress of Christian Missions in Tahiti, II. 438 ; uumber of natives able to read, 439 ; version of St. Luke in Tahitian, 440: grant from Society, 440; speech of Rev. W. Ellis, 441 ; gratitude of the natives, 442; change wrought in their con- dition, z6. ; Rarotonga ^Jission, 443; grant for versions in the Tongan and New Zealand languages, 445 ; popu- lation of New Zealand, and proportion of under instruction, 445 ; visit of Rev. John Williams to this country, and account of Rarotongan version of New • Testament, 44G ; "grant for printing tliis version, ib.: visit of Rev. H. Nott, with entire Bible in Tahitian, 447; grant for large edition, ib.; return of Messrs. Williams and Nott, ib. ; letter from Missionaries at Ra- rotonga giving account of arrival of Bibles, 448 ; joy and gratitude of na- tives, 449; memorial from Rev. J. Williams and brother Missionaries, ib. ; lamented death of Mr. Wil- liams, 450 ; completed versions in six of the South Sea languages, 450 ; large demand for New Zealand Scriptures, 451; arrival of Mr. Nott in Tahiti with Scriptures, 452 ; visit of Rev. Mr. Pritchard to this country, 453; ac- count of reception of Scriptures in Ta- hiti, ib. ; new edition of Tongan Tes- tament, 454 ; letter of Rev. C. Pitman, on occasion of arrival of Scriptures, 454 ; larger supplies required for New Zealand, 455; letters of Rev. Messrs. Williams (W.) and Ironside from New Zealand, with account of reception of. Scriptures, 45G ; evidence of efl'ect of Scriptures in abolishing war, 458 ; ex- pulsion of Missionaries by the French, 458 ; distress of Tahitian converts, and solace in Scriptures, 459 ; letters from Rev. C. Pitman, relating the joy of con- verts in reading Scriptures for them- selves, 4G0; letter of Rev. Mr. Heath from Navigators' Islands, 4G1 ; grant to Wesleyan Missionaries for Tongan version, 462; entire Scriptures in Hawaiian, completed by American Mis- sionaries, 462; Auxiliaries formed in New Zealand, 462; testimony of the peaceful influence of the Gospel, given in speech of a New Zoalander, 4 63; large edition of New Zealand version of Psalms, 463 ; portions of Old Tes- tament in New Zealand language, 4G4 ; revised edition of Tahitian Bible, ib. ; New Testament in the Samoan, 465 ; progress and awakening effect of Scrip- ture-reading in Rarotonga, ib. ; revised edition of Tongan Scriptures sent out in the "John Williams," 466; account 566 INDEX. of this version, by Rev. Mr. Buzacott, 467; arrival of Taliitian Bibles, and their reception, 468 ; large sums con- tributed by Georgian and Society Islands in payment for Scriptures, 469 ; grant for New Testament in Feejeean, 470 ; grant to Wesleyau Mission for Tongan New Testament, 471 ; year of Jubilee in the South Seas, 472 ; arrival of ilie " John Williams," with freight of Bibles, at Rarotonga, 473 ; eager- ness and exulting joy of the natives, 473 ; New Hebrides Islands, Auxiliary formed in, 477 ; historical notices of, ib. ; supply of Scriptures to, 478 ; the entire bible read in five of the lan- guages of the Pacilic, 479 Southwark Auxiliary, formation of, in 1812, I. 56; activity, and rapid in- crease of contributions, 57 ; special efforts of, 203 Spain, supplies to Spanish prisoners, I. 33; editions of Spanish Scriptures, II. 4 ; Corresponding Committee at Gibraltar, 5; Catalouian version of New Testament, ib. ; efforts of Messrs. Graydon and Borrow in 1835; intro- duction of Scriptures in many towns, 6 ; eagerness of people to possess the Scriptures, 7 ; incidents of distribu- tion, ib.\ version of St. Luke in Gitano, by Mr. Borrow, 10 ; Messrs. Graydon and Borrow forced to quit Spain, ib. ; later efforts of Dr. J. Thomson, 11; total of Spanish Scriptures printed, ib. Spring, Rev. F., Secretary of Madras Auxiliary, death of, II. 139 Stallybrass, Rev. Mr., Missionary in Siberia, Mongolian version of, in con- junction with Mr. Swan, I. 515 Stanley, Bishop, Vice-President, death of, I. 230 Staunton, Sir G., correspondence with, respecting Chinese MS. in British Mivseuni, II. 192 Steinkopff, Rev. C. F. A., takes part in formation of Society, 9 ; one of its first Secretaries, 1 1 ; visit to Switzer- land in 1812, 303; and success in formation of various Societies, 304 ; tour of, in 1815, in Germany and Holland, 72, 341 ; tour in 1820, and its interesting incidents and results, 333; tour in 1823, ;S55 ; last tour in 1826, 336; resignation of Secretaryship, 1826, 110; resolution of Committee, in affectionate acknow- ledgment of his eminent services, 111; Christian congratulations to, in Jubilee Resolution, and his Ad- dress, 236 Stephens, Rev. Jlr., American Missio- nary, voyage of with Mr. Medhurst along Chinese coast, II. 213; voyage with Mr, Lay, 215; death of, at Singapore, ib. Stewart, Rev. James, Gaelic version of New Testament by, I. 27 St. Gall, Society formed at, I. 304 St. Helena, Auxiliary formed at, II. 241 Stowell, Rev. Hugh, proposition of, for Special Fund on occasion of Negro Emancipation, I. 138, II. 396 Strasburg Bible, preface of, objected to and expunged, I. lO.i, 357 Stratford de Redcliffe, Lord, obligations of Protestant Christians in the East to, II. 71 ; obtains Firman in favour of religious freedom, ib. ; speech of, on occasion of Jubilee celebration at Con- stantinople, 83 Stratton, G. F. Esq., exertions of in formation of Oxford Auxiliary, 1.63 Sultan Abdul Medjid, noble Firman of, proclaiming religious freedom to all Christians throughout his dominions, IT. 71 Sumatra Auxiliary formed, II. 109; transferred to Netherlands Society, 200 Sunday-schools, reduction of cost of Scriptures to, I. 93 ; further reduc- tion, 191 Surrey Chapel Juvenile Association, the first formed, (1812) I. 64; amount of contributions, ib. Swan, Rev. Mr., Missionary in Siberia, author, with Mr. Stallybrass, of Mon- golian version, I. 515 Sweden: — Stockholm Evangelical Society formed, by exertions of Mr. Paterson, 329; grants to, 330; version of, for Laplanders, ib. ; Dalecarlia : — re- fusal of the people to use the war" prayer against England, 331 ; Swedish Bible Society formed under Royal patronage, ib. ; Societies formed in other provinces, 332 ; progress of numerous Societies, 377; Auxiliaries formed in Universities of Upsala and Lund, 377; exertions of Rev. Drs. Brunnmark, Paterson and Henderson, 378; testimony of Count Rosenblad regarding the effect of Scripture cir- culation in Sweden, 379 ; issues of Swedish Society in 1825, 380; ad- herence to the Apocrypha, 381 ; visit to, of Dr. Piukerton, 381 ; separation from British Society, ib. ; issues in 1829, 382 ; visit of Hon. J. C. Shore, 495 ; and of Dr. Paterson, ib ; Agency established at Stockholm, and appoint- ment of Mr. Keyser, 496; extent of issues, 497 ; application of Arch- INDEX. 567 bishop of Sweden for Scriptures, 498 ; Colportage introduced, 4it9; instances of usefulness, ib. ; death of Count Roseublad, 501 ; patronage of the King, continued to Swedish Bible So- ciety, 501 ; review of Scripture cir- culation in Sweden, and of its marked results, in revival and extension of Evangelical religion, 5li2 ; amount of circulation in, 504 : death of Mr. Keyser, 50C ; visit of Mr. Kuolleke, and success in re-organizing Agency, under direction of Kev. Mr. llohtlieb, 506 ; grant for Scriptures to the army and navy, 5U7 Sweden, King of, Patron of Swedish Bible Society, and Crown Prince Honorary member, I. 332 Switzerland, formation of Central Bible Society at Basle, in 1806, I. 301 ; grants to, 303 , visit of Dr. Steinkopft" to Basle, &c., in 1812, 304; Auxi- liaries formed at Zurich, and St. Gall, ih ; visit of Dr. Steinkopff, in 1815, and grants to various Societies, 343; visit of Mr. Owen to Ban de la Roche, in 1818, 349: various Societies visited by Mr. Owen, and grants to, 352 ; Ge- neva Evangelical Society formed, 405 ; withdrawal of British Society from Geneva Bible Society, and reasons stated, 433; death of the Eev. T. C. Blumhardt, of Basle, 435 ; notice of his services, ib ; labours of Lieut. Graydon in 1845, &c., 475 ; sales of Scriptures by him at Swiss fairs, 476 ; Colportage in Swiss Cantons, 487 ; labours of Major-General Beckwith, 488 ; sales in various Cantons resumed by Lieut. Graydon, 489 : total issues by, 490 Tarn, Mr. Joseph, first Assistant Se- cretary of Society, L 11; death of, 176; memorial referring to his early connection with the Society, and his long and faithful services, ib. Teignmouth, liight Honourable Lord, first President of the Society, 1. 15: Pamphlet of, in defence of spread of Christianity in India, 33 ; reply to Dr. Wordsworth, 46; death, 150; grateful record of the important ser- vices rendered by him, of his zealous practical interest in the Society's affairs, and of his high and varied attainments, 151 Tests and Prayer Controversy agitated, L 123; Letters of Rev. J, Hughes on the question, 124; Address of President, Vice-Presidents, &c., to Auxiliaries, deprecating change, ib. ; Amendments propo.'^ed by Captain Gor- don and Rev. Lundy Eoot, at Annual Meeting of 1S31, and negatived by an overwhelming majority, 131, 132 ; concurrence of Auxiliaries generally in the decision against change, 1 33 ; for- mation of Trinitarian Bible Society, 133; question of Prayer revived; 1849; and reading of portion of the Scriptures adopted, 227 Thomason, Rev. Mr., member of Cor- responding Committee at Calcutta, II. 106 ; Secretary of Calcutta Auxiliary, 130; testimony of regarding spread of Scriptures in India, 131 Thomason, Hon. J., Patron of Agra Auxiliary, II. 161 Thompson, Rev. Adam, efforts of, for re- ducing cost of Bibles, I. 194 Thomson, Dr. James, efibrts of in Spain, ll. 11; visit to Canada, 3.!4; se- cond visit, 328 ; account of Chippe- way Settlement, 329; close of Mission in Canada 331 ; visit to South America, and success in distribution of Scriptures at Lima, Bogota, &c., 354 ; appointment as Agent for Mexico, 358 ; arrival at Mexico, and success in disposal of Scriptures, 363; visit to Queritaro, &c., 365 ; incidents of distribution 365; second tour in Mexico, 370 ; departure to Yucatan and success, 378; visit to Jamaica, 387; undertakes Agency for West- India Islands, 3s9 ; visit to various islands, 391 ; success in Jamaica, 404 ; efforts in Cuba frustrated, 408 Thorkelin Justiciary, of Copenhagen, his Appeal respecting Iceland, and re- sult in supplies of Scripture, I. 314 Thorlakson, Rev. J., Icelandic I'oem of, addressed to Bible Society, I. 374. Thornton, Henry, E.sq., first Treasurer of Bible Society, I. 15 Thornton, John, Esq., Treasurer of So- ciety, his long and valued services re- ferred to in Jubilee Resolution, I., 256. Thornton, John, Esq., President of Agra Auxiliary, IL 161 Tiddy, Rev!! W. P., commencement of his successful labours in Belgium, 452 ; appointed Agent for Society, 453 ; Colportage conducted by, and interest- ing incidents of, ib.; results of his labours in Belgium, 457-461 ; exten- sion of Colportage to Holland, 462; and to Cologne, for towns on the Rhine, 467 ; summary of his distribu- 1 tions, 47 1 ; termination of Agency in 568 INDEX. Jubilee year, and settlement as Pastor near London, 473 ; Present from Com- mittee in grateful acknowledgement of his services, 475 Tolfrey, Mr., Singhalese and Pali versions commenced by, II. 113; death of, 120 Tomhn, Rev. W., Missionary, visit of to Siam, with Mr. Gutzlaff, II. 206 Tract Society, Minute Book of Com- mittee of, referring to origin of Bible Society, presented by Mr. W. Jones, I. 257 Translations, valuable history of, (in MS.), compiled by T. V. Piatt, Esq., Honorary Librarian of Society, I. 116 Trans-Volga Auxiliary, formed among German Colonists, operations of, I. 54-2 Treves, "Holy Coat" agitation at, I. 442; secession, headed by Johannes Eonge and others, I. 4-13 Trinitarian Bible Society formed, I. 133 Turkey ; Kev. H. Leeves, Agent at Constantinople, II. 29 ; Mr. B. Barker, Agent at Aleppo, 30; circula- tion of Scriptures, Syrian, Turkish, Armenian, &c., 31 ; tour of Mr. Leeves to Smyrna, &c., 32; tour of Mr. Barker in Turkey, 33 ; versions in Grseco-Turkish, Armeno-Turkish, &c., 34 ; total of issues, 37 ; removal of Mr. Leeves from Constantinople to Corfu, 39; version into Eastern Armenian, by Missionaries at Shushi, 42 ; Ar- meno-Turkish Testament completed by American Missionaries, 44 ; visit of Mr. Barker to Bucharest, 46 ; Bul- garian New Testament published, ib. ; travels of Ilev. Mr. Galloway in the Caucasus, and distribution of Scrip- tures, 47 ; opposition of Greek Hie- rarchy commenced, 49 ; second visit of Mr. Barker, to Wallachia, 50; gift of Testaments as prizes in Govern- ment school, 51 ; Grffico Turkish ver- sion prepared by Mr. Leeves, 53; free sale of Scriptures at Constan- tinople permitted, 67 ; Firman of the Sultan proclaiming religious tolera- tion, 71 ; Kemoval of Mr. Barker to Bucharest, 76; visit to England in Jubilee year, 79 ; return to Smyrna, 81 ; Jubilee celebration at Constan- tinople, 82 ; Speech of Lord Strat- ford de Kedcliffe, and other ad- dresses, 83 ; Auxiliary formed at Con- stantinople, 84 ; distribution of Scrip- tures to allied armies in the East, 85 Turkish version of Scriptures, by Hali Bey, I. 338. u. Union Workhouses, supplies of Scriptures for, 1.205 Upsala and Lund Universities, Bible So- cieties of, I. 377 Usko, Rev. J. F., superintendence of modern Greek version by, 11. 24 Van Ess, Professor, an early correspon- dent of Bible Society, I. 20, 307; Agent of Society, 308 ; continued eflbrts of, notwithstanding Papal inter- dict, 348 ; total issues in l-iSO, 355; enlarged operations of, 359 ; termina- tion of his Agency, 368 Vansittart, Right Hon. N. (Lord Bex- ley), reply of, to Dr. Marsh, I. 47; second reply, 48. Vansittart, Hon. Mrs. Sophia, large be- quest of, I. 173 Versions of the Society, attack on, in the " Quarterly Review," and defence by Mr. Piatt, I. 115; attack on Conti- nental versions circulated by the So- ciety, I. 184 ; replies, by Rev. J. Jowett, 18G; and by Mr. Radley, 188 Victoria, Bishop of, zealous co-operation given by, to circulation of Scriptures, II. '228 ; Jubilee Sermon of at Shang- hai, 233 Von Diez, Baron, aid of in editing Turk- ish version of Hali Bey, I. 339 V/ Wales : its necessities the occasion of formation of Bible Society, 1.4; First large contributions from, 20 ; joyful reception of first supplies of Scriptures, 30 ; Auxiliaries of, and increased con- tributions, 56 ; total of contributions .in 1836, 174 ; plan of contributions, 207 ; general eagerness to possess the Scriptures, 209 Wallachia, Mr. Barker's visit to, and incidents of distribution of Scriptures, 11.30 War in the East, supplies of Scriptures to Allied Armies on occasion of, I. 268 Ward, Rev. W., of Myland^ pamphlet of in reply to Dr. Wordsworth, I. 47 Warren, Dr., Bishop of Bangor, zealous efforts of, in conjunction with Mr. Charles, of Bala, and results, in large contributions from Wales, I. '20 Welch version, early olijections to, ob- viated, I. 24; large amount of sub- sequent issues, ib. Wellesley, Marquis, Governor-General INDEX. 569 of India, support given by, to Trans- lations in India, II. 102, 103 Wenger, Rev. Mr., Missionary at Cal- cutta, Bengali New Testament of Dr. Yates revised by, and adopted as standard version, II. 140 Wesleyan Methodist body, large contri- tions from, presented by Rev. Dr. Adam Clark, I. 39; donation from Centenary Fund, 198 West Indies, Creole version of New Testament for, accomplished by Danish Society, I. 376. (See America.) West, Rev. J., visit of to Canada, II. 323 Wheeler, Mr. J., appointment of as Agent to West Indies, II. 405 ; visit to St. Domingo, 409 ; labours of, in Jamaica and other islands, 410; estimate of state of Negro population, 410 ; death of, and memorial, 412 Whitley, Rev, Mr , of Oporto, revised edition of Portuguese New Testa- j ment by, II. 12 | Wittman, Regens, President of Rati.sbon Bible Society,I. -299 I Wied, Rev. Mr. correspondent of So- ' ciety at Christiansfeld, I. 493 Wilberforce, Wm. Esq., zealous co operation of, in formation of Bible So ciety, 1.5: prominent part taken by j in first meetings, 13 ; Vice-President, i 15 ; extracts from speech of, at fifteenth , Anniversary of Society, 77 ; death of, j and memorial, 140; extracts from his I later speeches, 142 Williams, Rev. John, arrival of in Eng- land, with version of Rarotongan New Testament, II. 446; return to Raro- tonga, with supplies of Scripture, 447 ; memorial from, on subject of Raro- tongan Scriptures, 449 ; death at Ero- manga, 430 Williams, Rev. W., letter of on reception of Scriptures by New Zcalanders, II. 456 WiUiamson, Rev. Mr., Agency of at Smyrna, II. 28 : death, 30 Wilson, Bishop, support given by to operations of Calcutta Auxiliary, II. 142 ; urgent appeal of for India, 143; and result in large grants from So- ciety, 145 A^'ilson, Mr. Andrew, stereotype printing perfected by his efforts, and efi'ectively applied to meet the increased demand for Scriptures, I. 21 Winnner, Rev. Mr., efforts of in Hun- gary, I. 437 ; incidents of labours, 439 ; exile, 441 Wingard, Archbishop, application of, for supplies of Scriptures, for diocese of Upsala, I. 498 Wordsworth, Dr., first attack of, on Bible Society, I. 45 ; second pamphlet of, 46 ; replies by Lord Teigumoufh, Dr, Dealtry, and Rev. W. Ward, 47 Wurtemberg, Bible Society of formed, I. 305 Wray, Rev. Mr., of Berbice. account given by, of Scripture-reading among negroes, II. 394 ; letters of, 398, 401 Y, Yates, Dr., Bengali New Testament of, revised by Mr. Wenger, and adopted as the Standard Version in India, II. 140 Yate, Rev. Mr., account given by, of New Zealand Missions, II. 445 Zurich, formation of Bible Society of, in 1812, under direction of Antistes Hess. I. 304 Vol. II. W. M. WATTS, CROWN COURT, TEMPLE I!AR. Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries 1 1012 01235 9594 Date Due ipKCViV-^^ ,^00^ f .m^l^ff'^-^ •^^3» / \ i/if'/^ r 1 / ^ 1