the life of william carey-第50章

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ohammedan　cultivators　as　flowing　from　the　relation　of　the　people　to　the　soil。　　India　was　in　truth　a　land　of　millions　of　peasant　proprietors　on　five…acre　farms；　rack…rented　or　plundered　by　powerful　middlemen；　both　squeezed　or　literally　tortured　by　the　Government　of　the　day；　and　driven　to　depend　on　the　usurer　for　even　the　seed　for　each　crop。　　War　and　famine　had　alternated　in　keeping　down　the　population。　　Ignorance　and　fear　had　blunted　the　natural　shrewdness　of　the　cultivator。　　A　foul　mythology；　a　saddening　demon…worship；　and　an　exacting　social　system；　covered　the　land　as　with　a　pall。　　What　even　Christendom　was　fast　becoming　in　the　tenth　century；　India　had　been　all　through　the　eighteen　Christian　centuries。

The　boy　who　from　eight　to　fourteen　〃chose　to　read　books　of　science；　history；　voyages；　etc。；　more　than　others〃；　the　youth　whose　gardener　uncle　would　have　had　him　follow　that　calling；　but　whose　sensitive　skin　kept　him　within　doors；　where　he　fitted　up　a　room　with　his　botanical　and　zoological　museum；　the　shoemaker…preacher　who　made　a　garden　around　every　cottage…manse　in　which　he　lived；　and　was　familiar　with　every　beast；　bird；　insect；　and　tree　in　the　Midlands　of　England；　became　a　scientific　observer　from　the　day　he　landed　at　Calcutta；　an　agricultural　reformer　from　the　year　he　first　built　a　wooden　farmhouse　in　the　jungle；　as　the　Manitoba　emigrant　now　does　under　very　different　skies；　and　then　began　to　grow　and　make　indigo　amid　the　peasantry　at　Dinapoor。　　He　thus　unconsciously　reveals　himself　and　his　method　of　working　in　a　letter　to　Morris　of　Clipstone：

〃MUDNABATI；　5th　December　1797。To　talk　of　continuance　of　friendship　and　warm　affection　to　you　would　be　folly。　　I　love　you；　and　next　to　seeing　your　face；　a　letter　from　you　is　one　of　my　greatest　gratifications。　　I　see　the　handwriting；　and　read　the　heart　of　my　friend；　nor　can　the　distance　of　one…fourth　of　the　globe　prevent　a　union　of　hearts。

〃Hitherto　I　have　refrained　from　writing　accounts　of　the　country；　because　I　concluded　that　those　whose　souls　were　panting　after　the　conversion　of　the　heathen　would　feel　but　little　gratified　in　having　an　account　of　the　natural　productions　of　the　country。　　But　as　intelligence　of　this　kind　has　been　frequently　solicited　by　several　of　my　friends；　I　have　accordingly　opened　books　of　observation；　which　I　hope　to　communicate　when　they　are　sufficiently　authenticated　and　matured。　　I　also　intend　to　assign　a　peculiar　share　to　each　of　my　stated　correspondents。　　To　you　I　shall　write　some　accounts　of　the　arts；　utensils；　and　manufactures　of　the　country；　to　Brother　Sutcliff　their　mythology　and　religion；　to　Brother　Ryland　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　inhabitants；　to　Brother　Fuller　the　productions　of　the　country；　to　Brother　Pearce　the　language；　etc。；　and　to　the　Society　a　joint　account　of　the　mission。〃

He　had　〃separate　books　for　every　distinct　class；　as　birds；　beasts；　fishes；　reptiles；　etc。〃　　Long　before　this；　on　13th　March　1795；　he　had　written　to　the　learned　Ryland；　his　special　correspondent　on　subjects　of　science　and　on　Hebrew；　his　first　impressions　of　the　physiography　of　Bengal；　adding：　〃The　natural　history　of　Bengal　would　furnish　innumerable　novelties　to　a　curious　inquirer。　　I　am　making　collections　and　minute　descriptions　of　whatever　I　can　obtain；　and　intend　at　some　future　time　to　transmit　them　to　Europe。〃

〃MUDNABATI；　26th　November　1796。I　observed　in　a　former　letter　that　the　beasts　have　been　in　general　described；　but　that　the　undescribed　birds　were　surprisingly　numerous；　and；　in　fact；　new　species　are　still　frequently　coming　under　my　notice。　　We　have　sparrows　and　water…wagtails；　one　species　of　crow；　ducks；　geese；　and　common　fowls；　pigeons；　teal；　ortolans；　plovers；　snipes　like　those　in　Europe；　but　others；　entirely　unlike　European　birds；　would　fill　a　volume。　Insects　are　very　numerous。　　I　have　seen　about　twelve　sorts　of　grylli；　or　grasshoppers　and　crickets。　　Ants　are　the　most　omnivorous　of　all　insects；　we　have　eight　or　ten　sorts　very　numerous。　　The　termes；　or　white　ants；　destroy　everything　on　which　they　fasten；　they　will　eat　through　an　oak　chest　in　a　day　or　two　and　devour　all　its　contents。　　Butterflies　are　not　so　numerous　as　in　England；　but　I　think　all　different。　　Common　flies　and　mosquitoes　（or　gnats）　are　abundant；　and　the　latter　so　tormenting　as　to　make　one　conclude　that　if　the　flies　in　Egypt　were　mosquitoes；　the　plague　must　be　almost　insupportable。　　Here　are　beetles　of　many　species；　scorpions　of　two　sorts；　the　sting　of　the　smallest　not　mortal；　land　crabs　in　abundance；　and　an　amazing　number　of　other　kinds　of　insects。　　Fish　is　very　plentiful；　and　the　principal　animal　food　of　the　inhabitants。　　I　find　fewer　varieties　of　vegetables　than　I　could　have　conceived　in　so　large　a　country。　　Edible　vegetables　are　scarce；　and　fruit　far　from　plentiful。　　You　will　perhaps　wonder　at　our　eating　many　things　here　which　no　one　eats　in　England：　as　arum；　three　or　four　sorts；　and　poppy　leaves　（Papaver　somniferum）。　　We　also　cut　up　mallows　by　the　bushes　for　our　food　（Job　xxx。　4）。　　Amaranths；　of　three　sorts；　we　also　eat；　besides　capsicums；　pumpkins；　gourds；　calabashes；　and　the　egg…plant　fruit；　yet　we　have　no　hardships　in　these　respects。　　Rice　is　the　staple　article　of　food。。。

〃My　love　to　the　students。　　God　raise　them　up　for　great　blessings。　Great　things　are　certainly　at　hand。〃

But　he　was　also　an　erudite　botanist。　　Had　he　arrived　in　Calcutta　a　few　days　earlier　than　he　did；　he　would　have　been　appointed　to　the　place　for　which　sheer　poverty　led　him　to　apply；　in　the　Company's　Botanical　Garden；　established　on　the　right　bank　of　the　Hoogli　a　few　miles　below　Calcutta；　by　Colonel　Alexander　Kyd；　for　the　collection　of　indigenous　and　acclimatisation　of　foreign　plants。　　There　he　at　once　made　the　acquaintance；　and　till　1815　retained　the　loving　friendship；　of　its　superintendent；　Dr。　Roxburgh；　the　leader　of　a　series　of　eminent　men；　Buchanan　and　Wallich；　Griffith；　Falconer；　T。　Thomson；　and　Thomas　Anderson；　the　last　two　cut　off　in　the　ripe　promise　of　their　manhood。　　One　of　Carey's　first　requests　was　for　seeds　and　instruments；　not　merely　from　scientific　reasons；　but　that　he　might　carry　out　his　early　plan　of　working　with　his　hands　as　a　farmer　while　he　evangelised　the　people。　　On　5th　August　1794　he　wrote　to　the　Society：〃I　wish　you　also　to　send　me　a　few　instruments　of　husbandry；　viz。；　scythes；　sickles；　plough…wheels；　and　such　things；　and　a　yearly　assortment　of　all　garden　and　flowering　seeds；　and　seeds　of　fruit　trees；　that　you　can　possibly　procure；　and　let　them　be　packed　in　papers；　or　bottles　well　stopped；　which　is　the　best　method。　All　these　things；　at　whatever　price　you　can　procure　them；　and　the　seeds　of　all　sorts　of　field　and　forest　trees；　etc。；　I　will　regularly　remit　you　the　money　for　every　year；　and　I　hope　that　I　may　depend　upon　the　exertions　of　my　numerous　friends　to　procure　them。　　Apply　to　London　seedsmen　and　others；　as　it　will　be　a　lasting　advantage　to　this　country；　and　I　shall　have　it　in　my　power　to　do　this　for　what　I　now　call　my　own　country。　　Only　take　care　that　they　are　new　and　dry。〃　Again　he　addressed　Fuller　on　22nd　June　1797：

〃MY　VERY　DEAR　BROTHERI　have　yours　of　August　9；　16；　which　informs　me　that　the　seeds；　etc。；　were　shipped。　　I　have　received　those　seeds　and　other　articles　in　tolerable　preservation；　and　shall　find　them　a　very　useful　article。　　An　acquaintance　which　I　have　formed　with　Dr。　Roxburgh；　Superintendent　of　the　Company's　Botanic　Garden；　and　whose　wife　is　daughter　of　a　missionary　on　the　coast；　may　be　of　future　use　to　the　mission；　and　make　that　investment　of　vegetables　more　valuable。〃

Thus　towards　the　close　of　his　six　years'　sacrifice　for　the　people　of　Dinapoor　does　he　estimate　himself　and　his　scientific　pursuits　in　the　light　of　the　great　conflict　to　which　the　Captain　of　Salvation　had　called　him。　　He　is　opening　his　heart　to　Fuller　again；　most　trusted　of　all：

〃MUDNABATI；　17th　July　1799。Respecting　myself　I　have　nothing　interesting　to　say；　and　if　I　had；　it　appears　foreign　to　the　design　of　a　mission　for　the　missionaries　to　be　always　speaking　of　their　own　experiences。　　I　keep　several　journals；　it　is　true；　relating　to　things　private　and　public；　respecting　the　mission；　articles　of　curiosity　and　science；　but　they　are　sometimes　continued　and　sometimes　discontinued：　besides；　most　things　contained　in　them　are　of　too　general　or　trivial　a　nature　to　send　to　England；　and　I　imagine　could　have　no　effect；　except　to　mock　the　expectations　of　our　numerous　friends；　who　are　waiting　to　hear　of　the　conversion　of　the　heathen　and　overthrow　of　Satan's　kingdom。

〃I　therefore　only　observe；　respecting　myself；　that　I　have　much　proof　of　the　vileness　of　my　heart；　much　more　than　I　thought　of　till　lately：　and；　indeed；　I　often　fear　that　instead　of　being　instrumental　in　the　conversion　of　the　heathen；　I　may　some　time　dishonour　the　cause　in　which　I　am　engaged。　　I　have　hitherto　had　much　experience　of　the　daily　supports　of　a　gracious　God；　but　I　am　conscious　that　if　those　supports　were　intermitted　but　for　a　little　time；　my　sinful　dispositions　would　infallibly　predominate。　　At　present　I　am　kept；　but　am　not　one　of　those　who　are　strong　and　do　exploits。

〃I　have　often　thought　that　a　spirit　of　observation　is　necessary　in　order　to　our　doing　or　communicating　much　good；　and　were　it　not　for　a　very　phlegmatic　habit；　I　think　my　soul　would　be　richer。　　I；　however；　appear　to　myself　to　have　lost　much　of　my　capacity　for　making　observations；　improvements；　etc。；　or　of　retaining　what　I　attend　to　closely。　　For　instance；　I　have　been　near　three　years　learning　the　Sanskrit　language；　yet　know　very　little　of　it。　　This　is　only　a　specimen　of　what　I　feel　myself　to　be　in　every　respect。　　I　try　to　observe；　to　imprint　what　I　see　and　hear　on　my　memory；　and　to　feel　my　heart　properly　affected　with　the　circumstances；　yet　my　soul　is　impoverished；　and　I　have　something　of　a　lethargic　disease　cleaving　to　my　body。。。

〃I　would　communicate　something　on　the　natural　history　of　the　country　in　addition　to　what　I　have　before　written；　but　no　part　of　that　pleasing　study　is　so　familiar　to　me　as　the　vegetable　world。〃

His　letters　of　this　period　to　Fuller　on　the　fruits　of　India；　and　to　Morris　on　the　husbandry　of　the　natives；　might　be　quoted　still　as　accurate　and　yet　popular　descriptions　of　the　mango；　guava；　and　custard　apple；　plantain；　jack；　and　tamarind；　pomegranate；　pine…apple；　and　rose…apple；　papaya；　date；　and　cocoa…nut；　citron；　lime；　and　shaddock。　　Of　many　of　these；　and　of　foreign　fruits　which　he　introduced；　it　might　be　said　he　found　them　poor；　and　he　cultivated　them　till　he　left　to　succeeding　generations　a　rich　and　varied　orchard。

While　still　in　Dinapoor；　he　wrote　on　1st　January　1798：　〃Seeds　of　sour　apples；　pears；　nectarines；　plums；　apricots；　cherries；　gooseberries；　currants；　strawberries；　or　raspberries；　put　loose　into　a　box　of　dry　sand；　and　sent　so　as　to　arrive　in　September；　October；　November；　or　December；　would　be　a　great　acquisition；　as　is　every　European　production。　　Nuts；　filberts；　acorns；　etc。；　would　be　the　same。　　We　have　lately　obtained　the　cinnamon　tree；　and　nutmeg　tree；　which　Dr。　Roxburgh　very　obligingly　sent　to　me。　　Of　timber　trees　I　mention　the　sissoo；　the　teak；　and　the　saul　tree；　which；　being　an　unnamed　genus；　Dr。　Roxburgh；　as　a　mark　of　respect　to　me；　has　called　Careya　saulea。〃

The　publication　of　the　last　name　caused　Carey's　sensitive　modesty　extreme　annoyan