versation, leaving the Shanscrit at length to be cultivated by the studious of their tribe as a learned language: and it bears in fact much of the same relation to the vernacular dialects that the Latin does to the Italian, the classical Greek to the modern Greek, and the Saxon to the English. Although there is a striking similarity between many of the practices of the Hindoos and institutions of the Levitical law, and though many words in common use, at least in the province of Bengal, seem to be derived from the Hebrew, yet there is "a total difference" between the Hebrew and the Shanscrit, "very few" words in the latter having "any affinity" to the former. But there appears to be a much more striking resemblance between the Shanscrit and the Greek. It "answers to Greek," says Mr. Brown, "as face answers to face in a glass. The translation will be perfect while it will be almost verbal. You will find the verb in the corresponding mood and tense, the noun and adjective in the corresponding case and gender, The idiom and government are the same. Where the Greek is absolute, so is the Shanscrit; and in many instances the primitives or roots are the same." "This extensive, copious, and highly venerated language," in regard to the purpose for which it is employed is the Latin of the East, and "perhaps better understood," says Dr. Carey,than Latin is in Europe. It is read, howIt is read, however, only by the more studious part of the Brahmins, the common people being forbidden access to the sacred books, and many or most of the Brahmins being too ignorant to read them. The principal Shanscrit Library is at Benares, the great Hindoo university: but it must not be supposed that all the works in Shanscrit are deposited there, nor that all the Hindoo books are confined to this language. There are some works in Bengalee, a few poems in Hindostanee, and, to go no further, there is the famous Mahratta and Shanscrit Library of the kings of Tanjore.* XII. TELINGA. Two distinct versions have been made into The first was this language. undertaken by the Baptist Missionaries, probably in the month of May, 1806, certainly before September; but little or no progress had been made at the end of October. End of 1807. Translation advanced nearly to the end of John. Aug. 12, 1809. New Testament translated, but not revised, and the Old begun;-types casting;-application had been made to England for that article, but it was found cheaper to cast a fount on the spot. Nov. 9. A part or the whole of Job translated. [This, however, was afterwards rejected.] June 1810. ished, Dec. 7, Types not fin Types finished about this time;-New Testament, and two or three books of Ed. R. No. 32, p. 391,394-395. Ch. Ob. QR, No. 1, p. 46-51,58. vol. x, p. 529. Ch. Res. p. 124, 200, Mem. p. 69. B. P. A. vol. i 211. note, 130, 131, 224 note, 377379. Pan. vol. iii, p 333,334: vol. vi, p. 37. M.B.M.M. vol. i, p. 2:6; vol, ii, p. 291. N.Y.M.M. vol. iii, p. 475. p. 79 the Old, translated;-the Missionaries were going to print Desgranges' translation. March 1811. They hoped to begin to print that year. [But it proved to be Desgranges' translation that they had in view.] Oct. 4, New Testament, and the Old to Numbers, translated;-New Testament stated to be in the press; [but it was Desgranges' translation, the only one in the press at Serampore, as late as Jan. 12, 1812.] The second version was undertaken at Vizagapatam, early in 1808, by Ananda Rayer, under the superintendance of Messrs. Cran and Desgranges. After the death of Mr. Cran in 1809, the work of revisal and superintendance devolved wholly on Mr. Desgranges, who had no sooner finished the revisal of the first three Gospels, than he was removed by death on the 12th of July, 1810. The translation was at that time advanced at least to the end of Acts, and by about the close of the year, to the end of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. Between March and October, 1811, the three Gospels were put to press at Serampore by the Corresponding Committee of the Bible Society. The printing was conducted under the eye of Ananda Rayer. In October Mr. Gordon was revising John at Vizagapatam, in hopes of getting it ready to be printed with the other Gospels; and Mr. Lee was employed in Genesis. In January, 1812, the work was still in the press. The Telinga is the language of the Northern Sircars, one of the four great provinces of the British Empire in Hindostan. It derives its name from that part of the province which lies between the rivers Krishna and Godaver", and is separated by the form from the Carna... This di trict and all the Kin dom of the Nizam lying between the two rivers, was formerly called Tellingana. Next to the Orissa, the Telinga is the most common language spoken by the residents at Juggernaut, the bor. der of the Telinga country being "only a few miles distant" from that Mecca of the Hindoos. The Baptist Missionaries reckon the population to be benefited by the Telinga versions, to be equal to that of England, which amounts to nine millions.* XIII. GUZERATTEE. This version was begun by the Baptist Missionaries, probably in May, 1806, certainly before the month of September, but little or no progress had been made at the end of October. End of 1807. Printing begun, but soon stopped for want of funds. Aug. 12, 1809. Printing pronounced not begun. Nov. 9. The four Gospels were translated, and the version has never been carried any further. December 1810. Numbered among the languages in which the printing was "more or less" advanced. [This had reference to the small beginning made in Matthew, in 1807; no more had been printed on the 15th of Jan. 1812.] The territory comprised in the ancient soubah of Guzerat, lies on the western coast around Ch. Res. p. 109, 134. Nar. p. 39. M's Geog. vol. ii, p. 100, 435 note, 455, 457, 458. the gulph of Cambay, containing most of the present possessions of the English in that eighborhood, and a large region further Irth extending to the Indus, which near its mouth separates Guzerat from Persia. It is one of the finest provinces of India, containing, it is said, thirty-five cities, (among which are Cam bay and Surat,) and inhabited by a fierce and rapacious people.* XIV. SEEK. This version was commenced by the Baptist Missionaries between the middle of September and the middle of October 1806, but at the end of the latter month they had made little or no progress. End of 1807. Translated to the end of John. Aug. 12, 1809. New Testament translated, but not revised; -a fount of types completed; types set for the first sheet. Nov. 9. A part or the whole of Genesis translated;-types in the same state. March 8, 1810. Printing stated to be "begun." This statement was repeated in the same words in June 1810, and in March 1811. August 1811. New fount of "types in the Gooroomookee Naguree character, used by the Seeks in the Punjab," finished. Oct. 4. "New Testament in 'the press;" probably little printed, or the progress would have been marked; Old Testament translated to Numbers. This language is sometimes called the Punjabee; and the province of Lahor, the chief seat of the Seeks, is called the Punjab. This province, which for M's Geog. vol. ii, p. 436, 447 Role, 458. merly made a conspicuous figure in the Indian history, and is still very populous, and highly cultivated and healthy, lies on the eastern branches of the Indus, and is bounded on the north by Cashmire, on the east by Delhi, on the south by Moultan, and on the west by Kandahar and Cabul. The city of Lahor, once the residence of the Mogul Kings, is the capital of the Seeks. This "numerous nation," which is said to consist of a number of small independent states in federal union, occupies, besides the province of Lahor, that of Moultan, and a part of Delhi. "The Seeks," says Bryce, "advancing from the temperate regions of Lahor and Cabul, and like the torrents that descend from eight mountains, gathering strength as they proceed, are now almost come into contact with the only power in India that they can regard as formidable; and are perhaps destined, at no very remote period, to decide the fate of the British Empire in that quarter of the world. They have already planted their banners in the borders of Oude; and their further progress must be regarded as the signal of hostility between them and the British government,—— an event more perhaps to be dreaded than any that has occurred since the establishment of our Empire in India.” "This singular people" have formed "a secession from Hindooism." Their "founder" was a "Hindoo of the military tribe, and his followers are all converts from the established superstition of the country. Their system is pure philosophical theism," without the fables of the Brahmins. Dr: Carey remarked, under date of Nov. 16, 1810, "It is probable that brother Chamberlain will remove from Cutwa to a station up the conntry, perhaps Delhi or Agra. It is our wish that he should attempt to introduce the Gospel into the country of the Seeks. At present some obstacles are in the way, but I trust they will eventually be removed." Mr. Chamberlain has since settled at Agra.* XV. MALAYALIM or Mala bar. This version was begun about the first of December, 1806, at the instance of Dr. Bu chanan, by Mar Dionysius, Metropolitan of the Syrian Church in Malabar; and was entrusted as fast as it was finished to Col. Macaulay, at that time British resident in Travancore, under whose direction the printing was afterwards conducted at Bombay. 1807. In the course of that year the Gospels were finished and sent to Calcutta, and Dr. Buchanan contemplated printing the version at Serampore, but he afterwards relinquished that design. The same year he published in Bengal an account of the Syrian Christians. January 1808. New Testa ment finished, and carried by Dr. Buchanan to Bombay to be printed, a fount of types having lately been cast there. Learned natives went from Travancore to superintend the press. 1810. Matthew and Mark, beautifully printed, arriv * Ch. Ob. vol. xi, p. 242, 328. Q. R. No. 1, p. 185. Mem. p. 32. Pan. vol. vi, p. 37, 570. M's Geeg. vol. ii, p. 434, 442, 452. Bryce's Sketch of the State of British India, p. 162. Crutwell's Gazetteer. ed in England; and the Committee of the Bible Society, after seeing these copies, sent a quantity of paper to Bombay to for ward the edition. September 1811. Printed to John xii; the work was advanc ing less rapidly than Dr. Bu chanan had expected, who six months before had expressed a hope that the New Testament was nearly finished. They seem to have been printing about one Gospel a year. October. The Calcutta Ausiliary Bible Society had determined to print 5000 copies of the New Testament at Seram pore. Jan. 15, 1812. Not in the press at Serampore, and no types preparing at that place. What progress has been made in translating the Old Testa ment, is not known; but it was expected that the work would not cease till the whole Bible was printed. This is the language of the country of Travancore and Malabar, which is called Malay-ala, and is comprehended between the mountains and the sea, from Cape Comorin to Cape Dilly; a region extending upwards of 300 miles along the Malabar coast, and containing by compu. tation 50,000 Syrian, (according to Dr. Kerr, 70 or 80,000,) and 150,000 Syro-Roman Christians, all of whom speak tne Malayalim language. Besides these, there are many Jews in the region, and very many Pagans.* XVI. BURMAN. This version was begun at Serampore in the spring of 1807, by a native Ch. Res. p. 134, 148 note, 159,160, 170. Mem. p. 50,52. Ch. Ob. vol. j p. 650. vol. xi, p. 106,108,109,111. employed to assist the two Baptist Missionaries destined for Rangoon, in acquiring the knowledge of the language. May 19, 1807. Nineteen chapters of Matthew translated by the native teacher, types had been begun since the commencement of the year. November 1810. The two Missionaries were studying the language at Rangoon, and had begun to translate. March 1811. The printing pronounced to be begun at Serampore; but the work in the press proved to be only a pamphlet containing some extracts from Scripture. Oct. 4. Printing not begun; -types finished;-Matthew and Mark translated. Jan. 15, 1812. Printing again stated to be begun. This is the language of the ancient kingdom of Pegu, now swallowed up in the Burman Empire. It is said to have no affinity with the other languages on the east of the Ganges, (the Arracan, Barma, Siamese, Laos, Tonquinese, &c.) and is considered by Dr. Leyden as an original tongue. Mr. Johns states that it is spoken by seventeen millions of people. This is perhaps a mistake, made by confounding Ava, which alone is supposed to contain seventeen millions, with Pegu, which in the year 1754 was reduced to a dependant province by the King of Ava. If the language of Pegu is spoken in Ava, (which seems to be taken for granted in a late Report of the London Missionary Society,) it is probably spoken by considerably more than seventeen millions. Dr. Leyden, in his enumeration of the differVOL. V. New Series. ent languages beyond the Ganges, speaks of that of Pegu, but makes no mention of a distinct tongue for Ava. Another translation into this language, or at least into that of Ava, was contemplated by the two Missionaries of the London Society. After the death of Mr. Brain at Rangoon, Mr. Pritchett was still expected to proceed to the city of Ava, the capital of the Burman Empire, and enter on the work of translating; but it is doubtful whether he has ever begun. As the nations of India beyond the Ganges have never adopted the religion of the Brahmins, but are worshippers of Boodha, they have no cast, and therefore are free from many of the prejudices which obstruct the spread of the Gospel in Hindostan.* XVII. CARNATA. In the latter part of October, 1806, it was hoped that this version as well as the Burman, would be commenced in a short time. It was begun at Serampore, before the end of July 1807, and from the progress made at the end of the year, probably as early at least as the spring. Translated End of 1807. nearly to the end of John. Aug. 12, 1809. New Testament translated, but not revised, and the Old Testament begun. This version was to be printed with the types preparing for the Telinga, merely with the addition of a letter or two. Nov. 9-Part or the whole of Genesis translated. |