Under these circumstances the Superintendants of the College resolved to encourage individuals to proceed with their versions by such means as they could command; and to trust to the contributions of the public, and to the future sanction of the Government, for the perpetuity of the design. They purposed at the same time, not to confine the undertaking to Bengal alone, or to the territories of the Company; but to extend it to every part of the East, where fit instruments for translation could be found. With this view, they aided the designs of the Baptist Missionaries in Bengal, of the

more than the elements of the Oriental Languages can be conveniently learnt in England. But this elementary labour at bome is doubtless so much time saved in India. And thus far the institution at Hertford, independently of its other objects, is highly useful, in subserviency to the College of FortWilliam. The two Institutions combine the primary idea of Marquis Wellesley; and the expense is not less than that Statesman had originally intended. There is this difference in the execution, that there are now two institutions instead of one. His Lordship proposed that the two institutions should be in India combined in one; and his reasons were, that the organs of speech in youth are more flexible at an early age for learning a new language: and that the constitution of young persons assimilates more easily to a strange climate. There are various advantages however in having the elementary Institution at horne, which may counterbalance these reasons; and if it continue to be conducted with the same spirit and effect which have hitherto distinguished it, I think that the present plan is preferable.

Lutheran Missionaries in Coromandel belonging to "the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge," and of the other Missionaries in the East connected withSocieties in England andScotland: and also patronised those Roman Catholic Missionaries in the South of India whom they found qualified for conducting useful works. About the same period they exerted themselves in circulating proposals for the translation of the Scriptures into the Oriental Languages, by the Baptist Missionaries in Bengal, and in promoting subscriptions for that object by all the means in their power; and when it was proposed to the Governor-General (Lord Minto, then just arrived) to suppress this Mission, a memorial was addressed to the Government in its behalf.

In order to obtain a distinct view of the state of Christianity and of Superstition in Asia, the Superintendants of the College had, before this period entered into correspondence with intelligent persons in different countries; and from every quarter, (even from the confines of China) they received encouragement to proceed. But, as contradictory accounts were given by different writers concerning the real state of the numerous tribes in India, both of Christians and Natives, the Author conceived the design of devoting the last year or two of his residence in

the East, to purposes of local examination and inquiry. With this view, he travelled through the Peninsula of India by land, from Calcutta to Cape Comorin, a continent extending through fourteen degrees of latitude, and visited Ceylon thrice. And he soon discovered that a person may reside all his life in Bengal, and yet know almost as little of other countries in India, for instance, of Travancore, Ceylon, Goa, or Madura, of their manners, customs, habits and religion, as if he had never left England.* The principal objects of this tour, were to investigate the state of Superstition at the most celebrated Temples of the Hindoos; to examine the Churches and libraries of the Romish, Syrian, and Protestant Christians, to ascertain the present state and recent history of the Eastern Jews; and to discover what persons might be fit instruments for the promotion oflearning in their respective countries, and for maintaining a future correspondence on the subject of disseminating the Scriptures in India. In pursuance of these objects the Author visited Cuttack, Ganjam, Visagapatam, Samul

* Of the Books published in Britain on the discussion relating to Missions and the state of India, the most sensible and authentic are, in general, those written by learned men of the Universities who have never been in the East.

cotta, Rajamundry, Ellore, Ongole, Nellore, Madras, Mailapoor, Pondicherry, Cudalore, Tranquebar, Tanjore,Tritchinopoly, Aughoor, Madura, Palamcotta, Ramnad, Jaffna-patam, Columbo, Manaar, Tutecorin, Augengo, Quilon, Cochin, Cranganor, Verapoli, Calicut, Tellicherry, Goa, and other places between Cape Comorin and Bombay; the interior of Travancore and the interior of Malabar; also seven principal Temples of the Hindoos, viz, Seemachalum in the Telinga country, Chillumbrum, Seringham, Madura, Ramisseram, Elephanta, and Juggernaut.

After this tour, the Author returned to Calcutta, where he remained about three quarters of a year longer and then visited the Jews and the Syrian Christians in Malabar and Travancore a second time before his return to England.

Those nations or communities for whom translations of the Scriptures have been commenced under the patronage or direction already alluded to, are the following: the Chinese, the Hindoos, the Cingalese or Ceylonese, the Malays, the Syrian Christians, the Romish Christians, the Persians, the Arabians, and the Jews. these it is proposed to give some account in their order.

Of

THE CHINESE.

In the discussions concerning the promulgation of Christianity, some writers have confined their' views intirely to India, merely, it is supposed, because India is connected, by political relation with Great Britain. India however contains but a small part of the nations which seek the Revelation of God. The Malayan Archipelago includes more territory and a larger population than the continent of India. China is a more extensive field than either; and is, in some respects, far more important. The Romish Church has maintained a long and ineffectual contest with that empire; because it would never give the people," the good and perfect gift," the Bible. It further degraded the doctrine of the Cross by blending it with Pagan rites.

The means of obtaining a version of the Scriptures in the Chinese language, occupied the minds of the superintendants of the College of Fort-William, at an early period. It appeared an object of the utmost importance to procure an erudite Professor, who should undertake such