the life of william carey-第52章

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at　there　is　a　large　body　of　Chinese　on　that　island。〃　　They　〃applied　to　the　late　Lieut。…Governor　of　Java；　requesting　that　an　English　Resident　may　be　sent　to　govern　them；　and　offering　to　be　at　the　whole　expense　of　his　salary　and　government。　　The　Borneo　business　may　come　to　nothing；　but　if　it　should　succeed　it　would　be　a　glorious　opening　for　the　Gospel　in　that　large　island。　　Sumatra；　however；　is　larger　than　any　one　man　could　occupy。〃　　As　we　read　this　we　see　the　Serampore　apostle's　hope　fulfilled　after　a　different　fashion；　in　Rajah　Brooke's　settlement　at　Sarawak；　in　the　charter　of　the　North　Borneo　Company；　in　the　opening　up　of　New　Guinea　and　in　the　civilisation　of　the　Philippines　by　the　United　States　of　America。

To　Roxburgh　and　his　Danish　successor　Wallich；　to　Voigt　who　succeeded　Wallich　in　Serampore；　and　hundreds　of　correspondents　in　India　and　Germany；　Great　Britain　and　America；　Carey　did　many　a　service　in　sending　plants　andwhat　was　a　greater　sacrifice　for　so　busy　a　manwriting　letters。　　What　he　did　for　the　Hortus　Bengalensis　may　stand　for　all。

When；　in　1814；　Dr。　Roxburgh　was　sent　to　sea　almost　dying；　Dr。　Carey　edited　and　printed　at　his　own　press　that　now　very　rare　volume；　the　Hortus　Bengalensis；　or　a　Catalogue　of　the　Plants　of　the　Honourable　East　India　Company's　Botanic　Garden　in　Calcutta。　　Carey's　introduction　of　twelve　large　pages　is　perhaps　his　most　characteristic　writing　on　a　scientific　subject。　　His　genuine　friendliness　and　humility　shine　forth　in　the　testimony　he　bears　to　the　abilities；　zeal；　and　success　of　the　great　botanist　who；　in　twenty　years；　had　created　a　collection　of　3200　species。　　Of　these　3000　at　least　had　been　given　by　the　European　residents　in　India；　himself　most　largely　of　all。　　Having　shown　in　detail　the　utility　of　botanical　gardens；　especially　in　all　the　foreign　settlements　of　Great　Britain；　he　declared　that　only　a　beginning　had　been　made　in　observing　and　cataloguing　the　stock　of　Asiatic　productions。　　He　urged　English　residents　all　over　India　to　set　apart　a　small　plot　for　the　reception　of　the　plants　of　their　neighbourhood；　and　when　riding　about　the　country　to　mark　plants；　which　their　servants　could　bring　on　to　the　nursery；　getting　them　to　write　the　native　name　of　each。　He　desiderated　gardens　at　Hurdwar；　Delhi；　Dacca；　and　Sylhet；　where　plants　that　will　not　live　at　Calcutta　might　prosper；　a　suggestion　which　was　afterwards　carried　out　by　the　Government　in　establishing　a　garden　at　Saharanpoor；　in　a　Sub…Himalayan　region；　which　has　been　successfully　directed　by　Royle；　Falconer；　and　Jameson。

On　Dr。　Roxburgh's　death　in　1815　Dr。　Carey　waited　to　see　whether　an　English　botanist　would　publish　the　fruit　of　thirty　years'　labour　of　his　friend　in　the　description　of　more　than　2000　plants；　natives　of　Eastern　Asia。　At　his　own　risk　he　then；　in　1820；　undertook　this　publication；　or　the　Flora　Indica；　placing　on　the　title…page；　〃All　Thy　works　praise　Thee；　O　LordDavid。〃　　When　the　Roxburgh　MSS。　were　made　over　to　the　library　of　the　Botanic　Garden　at　Calcutta；　the　fourth　and　final　volume　appeared　with　this　note　regarding　the　new　edition：〃The　work　was　printed　from　MSS。　in　the　possession　of　Dr。　Carey；　and　it　was　carried　through　the　press　when　he　was　labouring　under　the　debility　of　great　age。。。The　advanced　age　of　Dr。　Carey　did　not　admit　of　any　longer　delay。〃

His　first　public　attempt　at　agricultural　reform　was　made　in　the　paper　which　he　contributed　to　the　Transactions　of　the　Bengal　Asiatic　Society；　and　which　appeared　in　1811　in　the　tenth　volume　of　the　Asiatic　Researches。　　In　the　space　of　an　ordinary　Quarterly　Review　article　he　describes　the　〃State　of　Agriculture　in　the　District　of　Dinapoor；〃　and　urges　improvements　such　as　only　the　officials；　settlers；　and　Government　could　begin。　　The　soils；　the　〃extremely　poor〃　people；　their　〃proportionally　simple　and　wretched　farming　utensils；〃　the　cattle；　the　primitive　irrigation　alluded　to　in　Deuteronomy　as　〃watering　with　the　foot；〃　and　the　modes　of　ploughing　and　reaping；　are　rapidly　sketched　and　illustrated　by　lithographed　figures　drawn　to　scale。　　In　greater　detail　the　principal　crops　are　treated。　　The　staple　crop　of　rice　in　its　many　varieties　and　harvests　at　different　seasons　is　lucidly　brought　before　the　Government；　in　language　which　it　would　have　been　well　to　remember　or　reproduce　in　the　subsequent　avoidable　famines　of　Orissa　and　North　Bihar。　　Indigo　is　set　before　us　with　the　skill　of　one　who　had　grown　and　manufactured　it　for　years。　　The　hemp　and　jute　plants　are　enlarged　on　in　language　which　unconsciously　anticipates　the　vast　and　enriching　development　given　to　the　latter　as　an　export　and　a　local　manufacture　since　the　Crimean　War。　An　account　of　the　oil…seeds　and　the　faulty　mode　of　expressing　the　oil；　which　made　Indian　linseed　oil　unfit　for　painting；　is　followed　by　remarks　on　the　cultivation　of　wheat；　to　which　subsequent　events　have　given　great　importance。　　Though　many　parts；　even　of　Dinapoor；　were　fit　for　the　growth　of　wheat　and　barley；　the　natives　produced　only　a　dark　variety　from　bad　seed。　〃For　the　purpose　of　making　a　trial　I　sowed　Patna　wheat　on　a　large　quantity　of　land　in　the　year　1798；　the　flour　produced　from　which　was　of　a　very　good　quality。〃　　The　pulses；　tobacco；　the　egg…plant；　the　capsicums；　the　cucumbers；　the　arum　roots；　turmeric；　ginger；　and　sugar…cane；　all　pass　in　review　in　a　style　which　the　non…scientific　reader　may　enjoy　and　the　expert　must　appreciate。　　Improvements　in　method　and　the　introduction　of　the　best　kinds　of　plants　and　vegetables　are　suggested；　notwithstanding　〃the　poverty；　prejudices；　and　indolence　of　the　natives。〃

This　paper　is　most　remarkable；　however；　for　the　true　note　which　its　writer　was　the　first　to　strike　on　the　subject　of　forestry。　　If　we　reflect　that　it　was　not　till　1846　that　the　Government　made　the　first　attempt　at　forest　conservancy；　in　order　to　preserve　the　timber　of　Malabar　for　the　Bombay　dockyard；　and　not　till　the　conquest　of　Pegu；　in　1855；　that　the　Marquis　of　Dalhousie　was　led　by　the　Friend　of　India　to　appoint　Dietrich　Brandis　of　Bonn　to　care　for　the　forests　of　Burma；　and　Dr。　Cleghorn　for　those　of　South　India；　we　shall　appreciate　the　wise　foresight　of　the　missionary…scholar；　who；　having　first　made　his　own　park　a　model　of　forest　teaching；　wrote　such　words　as　these　early　in　the　century：〃The　cultivation　of　timber　has　hitherto；　I　believe；　been　wholly　neglected。　　Several　sorts　have　been　planted。。。all　over　Bengal；　and　would　soon　furnish　a　very　large　share　of　the　timber　used　in　the　country。　　The　sissoo；　the　Andaman　redwood；　the　teak；　the　mahogany；　the　satin…wood；　the　chikrasi；　the　toona；　and　the　sirisha　should　be　principally　chosen。　　The　planting　of　these　trees　single；　at　the　distance　of　a　furlong　from　each　other；　would　do　no　injury　to　the　crops　of　corn；　but　would；　by　cooling　the　atmosphere；　rather　be　advantageous。　　In　many　places　spots　now　unproductive　would　be　improved　by　clumps　or　small　plantations　of　timber；　under　which　ginger　and　turmeric　might　be　cultivated　to　great　advantage。　　In　some　situations　saul。。。would　prosper。　　Indeed　the　improvements　that　might　be　made　in　this　country　by　the　planting　of　timber　can　scarcely　be　calculated。　　Teak　is　at　present　brought　from　the　Burman　dominions。。。The　French　naturalists　have　already　begun　to　turn　their　attention　to　the　culture　of　this　valuable　tree　as　an　object　of　national　utility。　　This　will　be　found　impracticable　in　France；　but　may　perhaps　be　attempted　somewhere　else。　　To　England；　the　first　commercial　country　in　the　world；　its　importance　must　be　obvious。〃

Ten　years　passed；　Carey　continued　to　watch　and　to　extend　his　agri…horticultural　experiments　in　his　own　garden；　and　to　correspond　with　botanists　in　all　parts　of　the　world；　but　still　nothing　was　done　publicly　in　India。　　At　last；　on　15th　April　1820；　when　〃the　advantages　arising　from　a　number　of　persons　uniting　themselves　as　a　Society　for　the　purpose　of　carrying　forward　any　undertaking〃　were　generally　acknowledged；　the　shoemaker　and　preacher　who　had　a　generation　before　tested　these　advantages　in　the　formation　of　the　first　Foreign　Mission　Society；　issued　a　Prospectus　of　an　Agricultural　and　Horticultural　Society　in　India；　from　the　〃Mission　House；　Serampore。〃　　The　prospectus　thus　concluded：〃Both　in　forming　such　a　Society　and　in　subsequently　promoting　its　objects；　important　to　the　happiness　of　the　country　as　they　regard　them；　the　writer　and　his　colleagues　will　be　happy　in　doing　all　their　other　avocations　will　permit。〃　　Native　as　well　as　European　gentlemen　were　particularly　invited　to　co…operate。　〃It　is　peculiarly　desirable　that　native　gentlemen　should　be　eligible　as　members　of　the　Society；　because　one　of　its　chief　objects　will　be　the　improvement　of　their　estates　and　of　the　peasantry　which　reside　thereon。　　They　should　therefore　not　only　be　eligible　as　members　but　also　as　officers　of　the　Society　in　precisely　the　same　manner　as　Europeans。〃　　At　the　first　meeting　in　the　Town　Hall　of　Calcutta；　Carey　and　Marshman　found　only　three　Europeans　beside　themselves。　　They　resolved　to　proceed；　and　in　two　months　they　secured　more　than　fifty　members；　several　of　whom　were　natives。　　The　first　formal　meeting　was　held　on　14th　September；　when　the　constitution　was　drawn　up　on　the　lines　laid　down　in　the　prospectus；　it　being　specially　provided　〃that　gentlemen　of　every　nation　be　eligible　as　members。〃

At　the　next　meeting　Dr。　Carey　was　requested　to　draw　up　a　series　of　queries；　which　were　circulated　widely；　in　order　to　obtain　〃correct　information　upon　every　circumstance　which　is　connected　with　the　state　of　agriculture　and　horticulture　in　the　various　provinces　of　India。〃　　The　twenty　queries　show　a　grasp　of　principles；　a　mastery　of　detail；　and　a　kindliness　of　spirit　which　reveal　the　practical　farmer；　the　accomplished　observer；　and　the　thoughtful　philanthropist　all　in　one。　　One　only　we　may　quote：〃19。　　In　what　manner　do　you　think　the　comforts　of　the　peasantry　around　you　could　be　increased；　their　health　better　secured；　and　their　general　happiness　promoted？〃　The　Marquis　of　Hastings　gladly　became　patron；　and　ever　since　the　Government　has　made　a　grant　to　the　Society。　　His　wife　showed　such　an　interest　in　its　progress　that　the　members　obtained　her　consent　to　sit　to　Chinnery　for　her　portrait　to　fill　the　largest　panel　in　the　house　at　Titigur。　　Lord　Hastings　added　the　experimental　farm；　formed　near　Barrackpore；　to　the　Botanic　Garden；　with　an　immediate　view　to　its　assisting　the　Agricultural　Society　in　their　experiments　and　pursuits。　　The　Society　became　speedily　popular；　for　Carey　watched　its　infancy　with　loving　solicitude；　and　was　the　life　of　its　meetings。　　In　the　first　eighty…seven　years　of　its　existence　seven　thousand　of　the　best　men　in　India　have　been　its　members；　of　whom　seven　hundred　are　Asiatics。　　Agriculturists；　military　and　medical　officers；　civilians；　clergy；　and　merchants；　are　represented　on　its　roll　in　nearly　equal　proportions。　　The　one　Society　has　grown　into　three　in　India；　and　formed　the　model　for　the　Royal　Agricultural　Society　of　England；　which　was　not　founded　till　1838。

Italy　and　Scotland　alone　preceded　Carey　in　this　organisation；　and　he　quotes　with　approbation　the　action　of　Sir　John　Sinclair　in　1790；　which　led　to　the　first　inquiry　into　the　state　of　British　agriculture。　　The　Transactions　which　Carey　led　the　Society　to　promise　to　publish　in　English；　Bengali；　and　Hindostani；　have　proved　to　be　only　the　first　o