ranslation 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 th