Religious and Literary Entelligence. BAPTIST MISSION IN INDIA. THE Committee appointed for conducting the affairs of this society, have just published an octavo pamphlet, accompanied by a map, illustrative of their different stations, and of the countries in which the respective languages are spoken; entitled, "A brief View of the Baptist Missions, and [of the] Translations [of the Scriptures]; with Specimens of various Languages in which they are now printing at the Missionary Press, at Sarampore."-Price 1s. As the affairs of this society are every year acquiring additional interest, and as it is probable that we shall hereafter be frequently called upon to notice their proceedings, we have thought it might be acceptable to the readers of our Magazine to have before them a condensed view of the different missionary stations, as they existed June 1814; with the names of the persons employed at each station, in preaching the gospel; together with an account of the various translations of the Scriptures, partly executed, and partly in a train of forwardness, at Serampore, at the close of the year 1813. To such as have not access to the pamplet itself for more ample information, the following epitome may be useful. "The missionary stations in the East amount to twenty; some of which, as Sirdhana and Amboyna, must be full 4000 miles distant from each other. "1. SERAMPORE AND CALCUTTA. Missionaries, Drs. Carey and Marshman, Messrs. Ward, Lawson, Eustace Carey, who has arrived, and Mr. Yates on his voyage, and seven native brethren, viz. Krishna, Sebukrama, Bhagvat, Neelo, Manik, Jahans, and Cait'hano. "The station at Serampore was established in 1799, about six years after the arrival of Messrs. Thomas and Carey, as missionaries in India. Serampore is about fifteen miles north from Calcutta, on the western bank of the river Hoogly. "2. DINAGEPORE AND SADAMAH'L. Ignatius Fernandez. Dinagepere is a city, estimated to contain 40,000 inhabitants, situated about 240 miles north of Calcutta. "At Sadamah'l, a few miles from Dinagepore, Mr. Fernandez has indigo works, at which several of the members being employed, they have christian worship there, and form a branch of the Dinagepore church. 66 3. CUTWA. VOL. 1. Mr. William Carey, Kanta, Muthoora, Vishnuva, Buluram, and Kangalee. Cutwa is a town on the western bank of the Hoogly, in the district of Burdwan, about 75 miles north of Calcutta. "4. RANGOON. Mr. Felix Carey and Mr. Judson. Rangoon is the chief sea port of the Burman empire, and about 500 miles E. of Calcutta, containing 5000 houses. This city was in March 1814, a second time since the establishment of the station in 1807, reduced to ashes! "N.B. The mission-house and printingpress were preserved from the flames. 66 5. JESSORE. William Thomas, Pram-das, Pran-Krishna, Suphul-rama, Punchanun, Manika-sha, and Nurottuma. Jessore is a district in the east of Bengal, about seventy miles E.N. E. from Calcutta, containing 1,200,000 inhabitants, in the proportion of nine Mahomedans to seven Hindoos. Goa 6. "GOAMALTY. Ram Prusad. malty is situated near the ancient city of Gour, between Cutwa and Dinage pore, about 200 miles north of Calcutta. "7. DIGAH. Messrs. Moore and Rowe, assisted by Brindabund. Digah, near Patna in Hindostan, is situated about 320 miles N.W. of Calcutta, on the south bank of the Ganges. It was established a station in 1809, by Mr. Moore. "8. BALASORE. John Peter, an Armenian, and Juggunat'ha. Balasore in Orissa is about 120 miles S. W. of Calcutta, and in the vicinity of the temple of Jaggernaut. This station was established early in 1810, by Mr. John Peter, an Armenian. "9. AGRA. Messrs. Peacock and M'Intosh. Agra is a large city situated on the banks of the Jumna, nearly 800 miles N.W. of Calcutta, and 117 miles S. E. of Delhi, the capital of the province of Agra, and of Hindostan. The station was established in 1811, by Messrs. Chamberlain and Peacock. and "10. NAGPORE. Mr. Ram-mohun. Nagpore is in the Mahratta country, 615 miles west of Calcutta, Its population has been estimated at 80,000 inhabitants. "11. COLUMBO. Mr. Chater. Columbo, in Ceylon, about 1220 miles S.S.W. from Calcutta, established in 1812. This island is said to contain 270,000 inhabitants, of whom 50,000 bear the Christian name. "12. PATNA. Mr. Thompson. Patna is a city of Hindostan proper, the capital of Behar, 320 miles N. W. from Calcutta, R on the south bank of the Ganges, said to contain 500,000 inhabitants. "13. BOMBAY, Carapeit Aratoon. Bomby or Surat, situated on the western `side of the great peninsula of India, at the distance of 1010 miles west of Cal cutta. "14. CHITTAGONG. M. Du Bruyn. Chittagong lies in the eastern extremity of Bengal, on the borders of the immense forests of Teak Wood, which divide the British dominions from the Burman empire. It is about 230 miles east of Calcutta. "15. SIRDHANA. Mr. Chamberlain, and Purum-anunda. Sirdhana is the ca pital of a small independent territory fifty miles north of Delhi and Hindoostan, beyond Agra, near the Punjab, or country of the Sieks. It is about 920 miles N.W. from Calcutta. 16. JAVA. Messrs. Robinson and Riley. This station was formed by Mr. Robinson, who arrived at the island in 1813. His first residence was at Weltevreden, but he has since taken a house, and opened a school at Molenuliet, within "18. Ava. Mr. Felix Carey. Mr. Felix Carey has lately formed a new station at Ava, the capital of the empire, 500 miles east from Calcutta, where he is greatly favoured by the emperor; by whose order a printing press has been established there. "19. AMBOYNA. Mr. Jabez Carey and Mr. Trowt. Amboyna is about 3230 miles S.E. from Calcutta, and near the S.W. point of the island of Ceram. "20. ALLAHABAD. Mr. N. Kerr, and Kureem. This station was formed in 1814, by Mr. N. Kerr, and a native brother, Kureem. Allahabud is a large city of Hindostan, situated about half way between Patna and Agra, at the fork, or junction of the Ganges and Jumna rivers, about 490 miles W.N.W. from Calcutta. "The following Sketch of the state of the Translations is given in a kind of geographical order. Those spoken in the middle part of India being first mentioned, and then those spoken in the south, in the west, in the north, and in the east. Six of these languages may be included under those spoken in the middle part of India, viz. the SUNGSKRIT, HINDEE, BRIJ-BHasa, Mahratta, BENGALEE, and ORISSA. Translated and printed. Translated; a second edition of the Pentateuch of 1000 copies is printed; and the Hagiographa has been long out of print. 6. ORISSA, OR OORIYA. Translated; the historical books printed; all except the Pentateuch published. The languages spoken in the south of India are the TELINGA and Kurnata; which are spoken throughout countries as large as England. 7. TELINGA. Pentateuch translated, Translated, and the Gospel of Matthew nearly finished. in the press. This language is spoken in the small but numerous Maldivian Isles, which lie to the south-west of Ceylon. In the west of India the GUJURATTEE, BULOSHEE, and PUSHTOо are spoken. Matthew printing. The languages spoken in the north of India are the PUNJABEE and KASHMERIAN. 13. PUNJABEE, OR SHIKH. Translated, and printed to the Epistle to the Romans, It was expected to give the whole of the Scriptures to this nation about the end of 1813. 14. KASHMER. Translated to 1 Corinthians, and the Gospel of Matthew printing. The ASSAM, BURMAN, PALI or MAGUDHA, and the CHINESE, are the languages spoken to the east of India. 15. ASSAM. Translated, and preparing for the press. 17. PALI, OR MAGUDHA. Translation commenced. 18. CHINESE. Translated and printed. Nearly translated; and Genesis is printing in a new beautiful and reduced type. Other Translations of the Scriptures, lately printed, or in the press, at Serampore, at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society. Punches partly cut for printing the whole Bible. 5. HINDOSTHANEE. By desire of the corresponding committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the version of the late Rev. H. Martyn, in the Persian eharacter, has been begun, and the four Gospels nearly printed. 6. HINDEE. Mr. Martyn's Translation of the Hindee from the Arabic, suited to the Mussulmans population, is about to be printed. 7. PERSIAN. The four Gospels published. APPROACHING MISSIONARY MEETINGS. As the annual return of these Meetings, in which the religious part of the community take so lively an interest, is now fast approaching, the conductors of the NEW EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE think it necessary to apprize their friends, that they are making arrangements for the purpose of securing a most full, correct, and impartial detail of the whole of the important proceedings which are about to take place relative to this subject, and which will be communicated to their readers with all possible promptitude, through the medium of their journal. In their ensuing number they hope to put their friends in possession of a general outline of the pending proceedings, including the names of the Ministers that are to be engaged, with the respective times, places, &c. RECENT INTELLIGENCE FROM INDIA. IT is with deep regret that, at the moment of closing our monthly labours, we have to announce the receipt of letters from the Baptist Missionaries at Serampore, which state occurrences of a very distressing nature that had recently taken place among them. Mr. Felix Carey, son of Dr. Carey, accompanied by his wife, two children, servants, &c. was proceeding to Ava, in the beginning of September last, with the view of there establishing a printing-office and missionary station. He had taken his passage on board a vessel which sailed from Rangoon, and was proceeding up the river Irrawady, when, through some accident, which is not explained, the vessel was upset, and she immediately sunk. Mrs. Carey and one of the children, we believe an infant, instantly fell victims to a watery grave, together with four female servants, and some of the crew. Mr. Carey himself, we understand, snatched his eldest boy in his arms, and committed himself to the waves. For a considerable time he continued to swim, at the same time supporting his child; but finding himself at length nearly exhausted, he resigned the latter to a Lascar who had followed him from the vessel. Mr. Carey's own life was providentially preserved ; but the Lascar was at last obliged to let the child go, in order to save his own life. To add to the distress of this disastrous occurrence, the whole of the printing materials, including founts of type, printing press, &c. &c. amounting, as we are informed, to the value of two thousand pounds, were totally lost. On Mr. Carey's reaching the shore, the Governor of the place supplied him with every necessary; and gave him a thousand ticals and a boat to convey him to Ava, to which place he has pro ceeded. Our readers may In some faint degree imagine how overwhelming must be this train of calamitous events to the mind of the venerable and aged Carey, whose distress we understand was so great at the time the accounts came away, as to unfit him for the task of corresponding with his friends. May he and his afflicted family find support in the consoling recollection that, "not a sparrow falls to the ground without the permission of their heavenly Father, with whom even the hairs of our heads are all numbered!" BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. THE Secretaries of this noble institution have communicated to us some interesting Extracts from their Correspondence, since the publication of their last annual Report. They contain the substance of Letters 1. From Dr. Carey, dated August 26, 1814, stating, that in all parts of India, the demand for Bibles is so great, that every exertion to print them sufficiently fast has hitherto been inadequate. Beside the Tamul, Cingalese, Persian, Malayala, and Malay, which he and his friends have not translated, but only printed : the scriptures are now translated, or under translation, by the Baptist missionaries, into twenty-five languages; of which, twentyone are actually in the press, and nothing hinders the other from going to press, but some trifling work to complete the founts of letter for them. What an achievement is this ! 2. From the Rev. M.Thomson, Madras, Dec. 18, 1813, mentioning that the demand there for the scriptures in the native languages is still considerable, and even from the Brahmins, of which his letter contains some pleasing particulars. 3. From the Rev. J. C. Supper, Foreign Secretary to the JAVA AUXILIARY in the month of March, 1814, from which has emanated a Netherland Bible Society, that has ramified into 26 divisions; insomuch that there is scarcely a town in Holland or the Netherlands, of any note, which is not honoured with a branch of it; and all instituted in the short space of nine months. 11. The last article is from R. Ralston, Esq. Treasurer to the AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, dated Philadelphia, Nov. 7, 1814. stating that in the United States, the Bible Societies have encreased to the number of sixty-five. The writer adds, that though, in consequence of the war, it had been with them truly a calamitous BIBLE SOCIETY; dated Batavia, Sept. 3, | 1814, contains an account of the establishment of this last mentioned Society, on the preceding 4th of June, in the house and under the Presidency of His Excellency Lieut. Governor Raffles. A fund, consisting of seven or eight thousand rupees, had been already raised by subscriptions and donations, and the Java Auxiliary Bible Society had come to the resolution of getting the New Testament translated into the Low Malay dialect, which they represent as differing from the High Malay, as much as the German does from the Dutch. The Low Malay is spoken throughout the island of Batavia, and the lower parts of the island of Java.time, and of sore rebuke, yet the ex4. From the Rev. G. R. Nylander, Yongroo, West Africa, Sept. 1, 1814, merely contains an account of the distribution of a few Arabic Bibles, one of which was given to the king of that country, who received "the white man's book" thankfully. The writer afterwards saw an aged Mahomedan teacher reading it to about twenty other Mahomedans, who were collected around him. 5 and 6. are articles of continental intelligence, respecting the establishment of a Bible Society in Denmark, under the patronage of his Danish Majesty, with some account of the distribution of the Scriptures at Gottenburg. 7. Is a letter from Altona, Dec. 20, 1814, announcing the establishment of the "HAMBRO-ALTONA BIBLE SOCIETY," towards which the exertions of the Rev. Mr. Paterson are said to have greatly contributed. 8. From the Secretary of the "BASLE BIBLE SOCIETY," dated Dec. 24, 1814. gives an account of the distribution of the Scriptures in Switzerland, Batavia, Suabia, Alsace, &c. towards which object the parent Society here had formerly voted a sum of money. 66 9. Is a letter from Eisenach, in Saxony, Dec. 5, 1814, communicating some interresting intelligence, the result of an inquiry instituted in that quarter, with the view of ascertaining the extent of the want of Bibles, and the numerous and pressing applications for them. "In this town and its vicinity," says the writer, "I have, with the aid of my colleagues, instituted a minute inquiry; although I have not given publicity to my real object, from fear of being overwhelmed with applications, which have already been so numerous that I am not able to comply with the tenth part of them. This desire for the word of God is, however, extremely gratifying, and animates me with new zeal in the discharge of my duty." 10. From the Rev. Dr. M'Intosh, a Director, and English Secretary to the "NETHERLAND BIBLE SOCIETY," at Amsterdam, Feb. 24, 1815. From this document we learn, that an English Bible Society was instituted in Holland, ertions of Christians did not appear to be WEST LONDON AUXILIARY THE second quarterly meeting of this Union was held on the 22nd March, at the meeting house, Little Wild-street, Lincoln's Inn Fields. David Niven, Esq. in the chair. The objects of the Union were stated, which are to facilitate the intercourse between the Schools; to improve the methods of instruction; to assist those Schools which are in embarrassed circumstances, and to establish Schools in those districts that are most in need of such institutions. The Report for the last quarter was read, which contained the pleasing intelligence that the Society has under its patronage 703 teachers, and 7033 children. Several Schools have been added to the Union; and that the committee had assisted in increasing the numbers of some, and in the establishment of others, which are now going on with considerable prospects of success. A report was also delivered from an Adult School, established in Grafton Street, in February last, which has now thirty persons under tuition; several of whom have been taught to read the Bible with tolerable accuracy in the short space of three weeks, although considerably advanced in life. It was also strongly recommended to the committee to establish Adult Schools in every district. The adjourned question, "What are the best means of securing the constant attendance of Sunday School Children?" was discussed at considerable length; and the important question, "What are the best means of securing the constant attendance of Sunday School Teachers?" was appointed for consideration at the next quarterly meeting. Subscriptions and donations will be thankfully received by the Treasurer, S. Yorkney, Esq. Bedford-street, Covent Garden; Mr. Baisler, Depository, 326, Oxford-street; the Secretaries, 67, Great Queen-street, 13, Mercer-street, Long. acre, 10, Church-street, Soho. |