the life of william carey-第42章
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the Mahratta country the Devanagari character is well known to men of education； yet a character is current among the men of business which is much smaller； and varies considerably in form from the Nagari； though the number and power of the letters nearly correspond。 We have cast a fount in this character； in which we have begun to print the Mahratta New Testament； as well as a Mahratta dictionary。 This character is moderate in size； distinct and beautiful。 It will comprise the New Testament in perhaps a less number of pages than the Orissa。 The expense of casting； etc。； has been much the same。 We stand in need of three more founts； one in the Burman； another in the Telinga and Kernata； and a third in the Seek's character。 These； with the Chinese characters； will enable us to go through the work。 An excellent and extensive fount of Persian we received from you； dear brethren； last year。〃
Panchanan's apprentice； Monohur； continued to make elegant founts of type in all Eastern languages for the mission and for sale to others for more than forty years； becoming a benefactor not only to literature but to Christian civilisation to an extent of which he was unconscious； for he remained a Hindoo of the blacksmith caste。 In 1839； when he first went to India as a young missionary； the Rev。 James Kennedy17 saw him； as the present writer has often since seen his successor； cutting the matrices or casting the type for the Bibles； while he squatted below his favourite idol； under the auspices of which alone he would work。 Serampore continued down till 1860 to be the principal Oriental typefoundry of the East。18
Hardly less service did the mission come to render to the manufacture of paper in course of time； giving the name of Serampore to a variety known all over India。 At first Carey was compelled to print his Bengali Testament on a dingy； porous； rough substance called Patna paper。 Then he began to depend on supplies from England； which in those days reached the press at irregular times； often impeding the work； and was most costly。 This was not all。 Native paper； whether mill or hand…made； being sized with rice paste； attracted the bookworm and white ant； so that the first sheets of a work which lingered in the press were sometimes devoured by these insects before the last sheets were printed off。 Carey used to preserve his most valuable manuscripts by writing on arsenicated paper； which became of a hideous yellow colour； though it is to this alone we owe the preservation in the library of Serampore College of five colossal volumes of his polyglot dictionary prepared for the Bible translation work。 Many and long were the experiments of the missionaries to solve the paper difficulty； ending in the erection of a tread…mill on which relays of forty natives reduced the raw material in the paper…engine； until one was accidentally killed。
The enterprise of Mr。 William Jones； who first worked the Raneegunj coal…field； suggested the remedy in the employment of a steam…engine。 One of twelve…horse power was ordered from Messrs。 Thwaites and Rothwell of Bolton。 This was the first ever erected in India； and it was a purely missionary locomotive。 The 〃machine of fire；〃 as they called it； brought crowds of natives to the mission； whose curiosity tried the patience of the engineman imported to work it； while many a European who had never seen machinery driven by steam came to study and to copy it。 The date was the 27th of March 1820； when 〃the engine went in reality this day。〃 From that time till 1865 Serampore became the one source of supply for local as distinguished from imported and purely native hand…made paper。 Even the cartridges of Mutiny notoriety in 1857 were from this factory； though it had long ceased to be connected with the mission。
Dr。 Carey thus took stock of the translating enterprise in a letter to Dr。 Ryland：
〃22nd January 1808。Last year may be reckoned among the most important which this mission has seennot for the numbers converted among the natives； for they have been fewer than in some preceding years； but for the gracious care which God has exercised towards us。 We have been enabled to carry on the translation and printing of the Word of God in several languages。 The printing is now going on in six and the translation into six more。 The Bengali is all printed except from Judges vii。 to the end of Esther； Sanskrit New Testament to Acts xxvii。； Orissa to John xxi。； Mahratta； second edition； to the end of Matthew； Hindostani （new version） to Mark v。； and Matthew is begun in Goojarati。 The translation is nearly carried on to the end of John in Chinese； Telinga Kurnata； and the language of the Seeks。 It is carried on to a pretty large extent in Persian and begun in Burman。 The whole Bible was printed in Malay at Batavia some years ago。 The whole is printed in Tamil； and the Syrian Bishop at Travancore is now superintending a translation from Syriac into Malayala。 I learnt this week that the language of Kashmeer is a distinct language。
〃I have this day been to visit the most learned Hindoo now living； he speaks only Sanskrit； is more than eighty years old； is acquainted with the writings and has studied the sentiments of all their schools of philosophy （usually called the Darshunas of the Veda）。 He tells me that this is the sixteenth time that he has travelled from Rameshwaram to Harhu （viz。 from the extreme cape of the Peninsula to Benares）。 He was； he says； near Madras when the English first took possession of it。 This man has given his opinion against the burning of women。〃
Four years later； in another letter to Ryland； he takes us into his confidence more fully； showing us not only his sacred workshop； but ingenuously revealing his own humility and self…sacrifice：〃10th December 1811。I have of late been much impressed with the vast importance of laying a foundation for Biblical criticism in the East； by preparing grammars of the different languages into which we have translated or may translate the Bible。 Without some such step； they who follow us will have to wade through the same labour that I have； in order to stand merely upon the same ground that I now stand upon。 If； however； elementary books are provided； the labour will be greatly contracted； and a person will be able in a short time to acquire that which has cost me years of study and toil。
〃The necessity which lies upon me of acquiring so many languages； obliges me to study and write out the grammar of each of them； and to attend closely to their irregularities and peculiarities。 I have therefore already published grammars of three of them； namely； the Sanskrit； the Bengali； and the Mahratta。 To these I have resolved to add grammars of the Telinga； Kurnata； Orissa； Punjabi； Kashmeeri； Goojarati； Nepalese； and Assam languages。 Two of these are now in the press； and I hope to have two or three more of them out by the end of the next year。
〃This may not only be useful in the way I have stated； but may serve to furnish an answer to a question which has been more than once repeated； 'How can these men translate into so great a number of languages？' Few people know what may be done till they try； and persevere in what they undertake。
〃I am now printing a dictionary of the Bengali； which will be pretty large； for I have got to page 256； quarto； and am not near through the first letter。 That letter； however； begins more words than any two others。
〃To secure the gradual perfection of the translations； I have also in my mind； and indeed have been long collecting materials for； An Universal Dictionary of the Oriental languages derived from the Sanskrit。 I mean to take the Sanskrit； of course； as the groundwork； and to give the different acceptations of every word； with examples of their application； in the manner of Johnson； and then to give the synonyms in the different languages derived from the Sanskrit； with the Hebrew and Greek terms answering thereto； always putting the word derived from the Sanskrit term first； and then those derived from other sources。 I intend always to give the etymology of the Sanskrit term； so that that of the terms deduced from it in the cognate languages will be evident。 This work will be great； and it is doubtful whether I shall live to complete it； but I mean to begin to arrange the materials； which I have been some years collecting for this purpose； as soon as my Bengali dictionary is finished。 Should I live to accomplish this； and the translations in hand； I think I can then say； 'Lord； now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace。'〃
The ardent scholar had twenty…three years of toil before him in this happy work。 But he did not know this； while each year the labour increased； and the apprehension grew that he and his colleagues might at any time be removed without leaving a trained successor。 They naturally looked first to the sons of the mission for translators as they had already done for preachers。
To Dr。 Carey personally； however； the education of a young missionary specially fitted to be his successor； as translator and editor of the translations； was even more important。 Such a man was found in William Yates； born in 1792； and in the county； Leicestershire； in which Carey brought the Baptist mission to the birth。 Yates was in his early years also a shoemaker； and member of Carey's old church in Harvey Lane； when under the great Robert Hall； who said to the youth's father； 〃Your son； sir； will be a great scholar and a good preacher； and he is a holy young man。〃 In 1814 he became the last of the young missionaries devoted to the cause by Fuller； soon to pass away； Ryland； and Hall。 Yates had not been many months at Serampore when； with the approval of his brethren； Carey wrote to Fuller； on 17th May 1815：〃I am much inclined to associate him with myself in the translations。 My labour is greater than at any former period。 We have now translations of the Bible going forward in twenty…seven languages； all of which are in the press except two or three。 The labour of correcting and revising all of them lies on me。〃 By September we find Yates writing：〃Dr。 Carey sends all the Bengali proofs to me to review。 I read them over； and if there is anything I do not understand； or think to be wrong； I mark it。 We then converse over it； and if it is wrong； he alters it； but if not； he shows me the reason why it is right； and thus will initiate me into the languages as fast as I can learn them。 He wishes me to begin the Hindi very soon。 Since I have been here I have read three volumes in Bengali； and they have but six of consequence in prose。 There are abundance in Sanskrit。〃 〃Dr。 Carey has treated me with the greatest affection and kindness； and told me he will give me every information he can； and do anything in his power to promote my happiness。〃 What Baruch was to the prophet Jeremiah； that Yates might have been to Carey； who went so far in urging him to remain for life in Serampore as to say； 〃if he did not accept the service it would be； in his judgment； acting against Providence； and the blessing of God was not to be expected。〃 Yates threw in his lot with the younger men who； in Calcutta after Fuller's death； began the Society's as distinct from the Serampore mission。 If Carey was t
