rther assistance. The business of the
translation of Sanskrit works is as follows: About two years ago I
presented proposals (to the Council of the College) to print the
Sanskrit books at a fixed price, with a certain indemnity for 100
copies. The plan was thought too extensive by some, and was therefore
laid by. A few months ago Dr. Francis Buchanan came to me, by desire
of Marquis Wellesley, about the translation of his manuscripts. In the
course of conversation I mentioned the proposal I had made, of which he
much approved, and immediately communicated the matter to Sir John
Anstruther, who is president of the Asiatic Society. Sir John had then
been drawing out a proposal to Lord Wellesley to form a catalogue
raisonne of the ancient Hindoo books, which he sent to me, and entering
warmly into my plan, desired that I would send in a set of proposals.
After some amendments it was agreed that the College of Fort William
and the Asiatic Society should subscribe in equal shares 300 rupees a
month to defray the current expenses, that we should undertake any work
approved of by them, and print the original with an English translation
on such paper and with such a type as they shall approve; the copy to
be ours. They have agreed to recommend the work to all the learned
bodies in Europe. I have recommended the Ramayana to begin with, it
being one of the most popular of all the Hindoo books accounted sacred.
The Veda are so excessively insipid that, had we begun with them, we
should have sickened the public at the outset. The Ramayana will
furnish the best account of Hindoo mythology that any one book will,
and has extravagancy enough to excite a wish to read it through."

In 1807 Carey became one of the most active members of the Bengal
Asiatic Society. His name at once appears as one of the Committee of
Papers. In the ninth volume of the Asiatic Researches for that year,
scholars were invited to communicate translations and descriptive
accounts of Asiatic books. Carey's edition of The Ramayana of
Valmeeki, in the original Sanskrit, with a prose translation and
explanatory notes, appeared from the Serampore press in three
successive quartos from 1806 to 1810. The translation was done by "Dr.
Carey and Joshua Marshman." Until Gorresio published his edition and
Italian translation of the whole poem this was the first and only
attempt to open the seal of the second great Sankrit epic to the
European world. In 1802 C