Correspondence of the Br. and For. Bible Society. 103

the Burmah country, where he learned to speak with fluency their language, which is connected with the Cingalese, and still more with the Pali. He had for some time studied much with Mr. Tolfrey, particularly in the translation of the Psalms, and has acquired an extensive and grammatical knowledge of Cingalese. Mr. Armour, of whom frequent mention is made in our Reports, is perfectly acquainted with the common Cingalese, which he speaks as fluently as English. Mr. Clough, a Wesleyan Missionary, has made a good proficiency in the study of Cingalese. These three gentlemen have engaged to superintend the translation of the Scriptures; and they meet for that purpose four times a week. The learned natives, who assisted Mr. Tolfrey, regularly attend these meetings; and it may be well supposed, that they have not studied so long with Mr. Tolfrey, without a great improvement in' their knowledge.

From the Secretary of the Moscow Bible Society, to the St. Petersburg Bible Society. April, 1817.

With great anxiety we have watched a fit opportunity of sending off the Holy Scriptures to Georgia; and this occasion is now arrived. By means of his Excellency Korneif, nineteen chests are to be sent into Georgia, along with a military transport, by way of the Fort of St. Dimitrius. These chests, containing 400 copies of the Georgian New Testament, and 349 Armenian Testaments, are packing up, to be forwarded to Georgia in the same manner, by other transports. And thus our fellow-believers in Georgia, among whom even a manuscript copy of the New Testament is considered as a rarity, will soon be illumined by the light of the word of God, which rouseth those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and leadeth them into eternal life and blessedness. How will the inhabitants of Georgia, Imeretta, Mingrelia, and Armenia, rejoice to behold such a number of copies of the Holy Scriptures, which make wise unto salvation, brought all at once into their native countries! What a vast number of interesting subjects for reflection do the Bible Societies of our day present to the enlightened and benevolent Christian! Russia delivered, glorified, exalted! What cause of gratitude to Christ the deliverer! And this Russia now multiplies that book which contains in itself the way, the truth, and the life; translates it into the languages of nations still unacquainted with Jesus Christ; and puts it into the hands of all who thirst to know and to love Him who shed his precious blood for us upon the cross, and now sitteth at the right hand of his Father, interceding for our salvation.

The transport of Bibles from your depository has again quickened our operations here. A few days after receiving these Bibles, we succeeded in sending off 300 copies to the different provinces, particularly to the Archbishops and Bishops, who still continue to demand great numbers of copies, to supply those of their flocks who are anxious to obtain thein, whose number still continues to increase; and to satisfy whom, many thousands of Bibles and Tes

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taments are still needed: so great is the hunger of our fellow. countrymen for the word of God!

By every post we receive petitions from all parts of the Empire, praying to be furnished with the Holy Scriptures. The contents of some of these petitions, from the poorest of the people, are so striking and pious, that the reading of them draws tears of compassion from our eyes. A discharged subaltern officer writes from Cherson as follows: "I live twenty-three versts? (upwards of seventeen miles English) "from the city; yet I come to it every week on foot, in order to know from the gazettes, what the Christloving Bible Society is doing, which our great sovereign, protects and supports. Oh! how joyful it is for me to read, that all meu are now striving to know the word of God! I pray God, that be may lengthen my life, till I shall bear that all men are beginning to live also according to the word of God! I earnestly beg the benevolent Moscow Bible Society to send a Bible for me and my children; and on account of my poverty, gratis. I desire no other riches. The word of God! This is my treasure; possessing it, I am ready to die!"

Our Bible Depository is visited every day by people of all classes and denominations. On the day when the transport of Bibles arrived from St. Petersburg, a multitude of people assembled at the Depository, desirous of purchasing The sale did not commence, however, till three days after, when the Bibles left the bookbinder. That morning, at the break of day, upwards of twenty persons stood before the doors of the Depository, which were still shut, patiently waiting to purchase Bibles. Since that period the number of purchasers daily increases.

From his Majesty the King of Denmark, written with his own hand, addressed to his Serene Highness, Charles, the Landgrave of Hesse. Nov. 9, 1816.

The Bible Society, as it is now conducted, is excellent, and deserves all possible encouragement. The reading of the Bible is of the greatest importance in these times, (which present a strange mixture of superstition and infidelity,) and DESERVES THE UTMOST ATTENTION FROM EVERY GOVERNMENT.

TURKISH BIBLE.

The lamented decease of Baron Von Diez, of Berlin, while engaged in superintending the printing of this work from the Leyden Manuscripts, will cause the following extract from a letter, written by him shortly after the commencement of his undertaking, and not before printed, to be read with particular interest.

"If I find, in the progress of the work, Hali Bey's version as correct as hitherto, I do not say too much when I assert, that it will rank among the very best versions of the Sacred Volume; and in many passages even excel them. I really begin to think, that Hali Bey enjoyed peculiar assistance, from God in this work. His style is truly classical, and will gain

Correspondence of the Br. and For. Bible Society. 105

the hearts of men among all Turkish or Tartar tribes, which it will reach; for they are extremely partial to every thing that exhibits the language in its perfection. This seems to me a providential circumstance. Indeed, should the Turkish language ever be lost, it might be restored, from this work, in all its copiousness and ease. Having made the Turkish language for thirty years my constant study, and considered it almost a second mother tongue, it is really a treat to me every morning to sit down, in order to hear the word of God speaking to me in this language.

"I am truly affected by the kind interest which the excellent Lord Teignmouth takes in this work, as indeed in the cause of Christianity in general. I am confident that God will abundantly reward him in a better world, through Jesus Christ our Lord Will you assure him of my sincerest veneration; and tell him, though I am determined not to grow weary in the work I have undertaken, I shall yet consider his kind participation, and that of all British Bible friends, as a powerful stimulus to animate my exertions. Their pious wishes and prayers will be the best pledge to me of the Divine assistance, for which I daily pray myself.

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P.S. When Mr. Lodge brought me the manuscripts, and related to me the temporary loss of his trunk, I told him he owed the recovery of it to the treasure it contained. A peculiar kind providence of God watches over every thing that promotes his cause. The state of the Baron's inind, on the 1st of April, 1817, (a week only previous to his dissolution,) is thus described by one of the Secretaries to the Prussian Bible Society, after returning from an interview with him.

"He was resting his head, on his writing-desk, hardly able to speak but the few words he said, gave me great pleasure. I shall indulge a hope,' said he, that God will restore me, that I may be able to finish the Turkish Bible: but if he should have otherwise ordered it, his will be done. I can say with Paul: If I live, I live unto the Lord, or if I die, I die unto the Lord, I par. took,' continued he, of the Lord's Supper last week, in order to be strengthened thereby in communion with my Saviour."

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The completion of this work having been assigned to Professor Kieffer, of Paris, Interpreting Secretary to the king of France, a gentleman of high character, and great attainments in Turkish literature, the French government very liberally granted the Professor leave of absence, to confer with the Committee in London, to proceed to Berlin, &c. and free permission to have the necessary materials imported to Paris free of duty.

From Alfred Hennen, Esq. Secretary to the Louisiana Bible Society. New-Orleans, February 22, 1817.

The first. 1000 Spanish New Testaments were just distributed, as the second donation arrived. Within the last two months I have had numerous applications from Spanish captains of vessel, crews, and others, for the Testament; a few copies of which have been taken by almost every vessel that has sailed for a Spanish port.

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From frequent inquiries, I believe the Spaniards are much pleased with reading the Testaments; but they very often inquire, if the whole of the Bible will not be printed and circulated among them; and express a wish to have the Old as well as the New Testament.

From the Rev. D. Dickson, Secretary to the Edinburgh Missionary Society. West Kirk, Edinburgh, April 22, 1817.

The Directors can never forget, that it was owing to the aid af forded them by the British and Foreign Bible Society, that they were enabled to print the Turkish Tartar New Testament at Karass; and cannot, therefore, but view your Committee as having been instrumental in proving this best of all gifts for the numerous individuals, Mahommedans, Heathen, Armenians, Greeks, and Jews; among whom it has already been distributed throughout a vast extent of country, till then almost wholly unillumined by a single ray of divine truth.

The intelligence which the Directors have lately received from the Crimea in particular, so immediately following the peculiarly interesting accounts of Mr. Pinkerton's visit to that peninsula, is such as to lead to anticipations the most animating and delightful. Mr. Paterson (Missionary at Karass) spent the most of the month of June there, and, wherever he went, whether to cities, towns, or villages, or to residences of the Tartars in the more open places of the country, the reception which he, and the object of his visit, the distribution of copies of the New Testament, met with, were the same. The interest, as well as readiness, with which every class of the population, and of every different religion, received copies, and read them, and with which they listened to Mr. Paterson's explanations of Christian doctrine; and the regret which they expressed when he had no more copies to give away, and was obliged to separate from them, he describes as having perpetually excited his gratitude, and called forth his praise to that God whose precious revelation he was communicating to them. Though his health suffered considerably during his journey, his spirits were continually revived by the scenes presented to him. Wherever he halted, he was instantly surrounded by multitudes of people, pressing with eagerness for copies of the Word of Life; disappointed if their wishes were not instantly complied with, and not to be repulsed till they gained the object which they had in view. Sometimes from the top of the cart on which he rode in the market-places of the towns, or in the midst of an open place, he would stand for hours together, talking to the listening and wondering people, concerning the great truths contained in the Sacred Volume, which he was about to put into their hands. At other times, he would sit in the midst of a group at the foot of a tree, and read to them portions of the Scriptures, unfolding their meaning as he went along; addressing them on the value of their souls; or replying to the questions and objections, which were suggested to them by what be said.

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Malta Bible Society.

Official accounts have been received of the establishment of a Bible Society at Malta, of which the Rev. W. Jowett, the Rev. Mr. Lowndes, and Dr. Cleardo Naudi, are Secretaries. The Committee, consisting of Members of the British, Greek, and Maltese nations, held their first meeting on the 27th of May, 1817. Five hundred pounds have been granted in aid of the funds of this important Institution.

From the Second Report of the Swedish Bible Society.

With renewed and sincere veneration, and under a sense of deep gratitude, your Committee again bring before you a name which we have all learned to reverence that of the British and Foreign Bible Society--the Parent of every Bible Institution throughout the world. Their zeal shrinks not from the most extended undertakings, and their wisdom and liberality entitle them to that honourable name. The year past has, like the preceding, witnessed their love for the Swedish Biblical work; and not only has this Society received from them 300l., (which have materially aided our cause,) but they have likewise, with a parental affection, rendered powerful assistance, either for the support of existing Auxiliary Societies in our native land, or as an encouragement to bring new ones into existence.

By means of these providential subsidies, united to the exertions and liberality of friends at home, our Biblical work has been kept in progress; and your Committee have been enabled to publish 13,000 complete Bibles, and 8000 New Testaments; most assuredly the greatest number of copies of the Scriptures ever issued from the Swedish press in one year. The total published, (commencing with those of the Evangelical Society,) amounts to 73,600 New Testaments, and 31,500 Bibles; besides 3000 copies of David's Psalms, all which (with the exception of 5000 Bibles, and 3000 New Testaments) are already in the hands of the public. It will be thus seen that your Committee have, by God's assistance and blessing, endeavoured to do their best; and they trust, that, as Bible Associations are increasing, and will gradually empty their small rills into the broad streams of the local Bible Societies in country places, the supply will considerably increase, although (to judge by the means in hand) not in proportion to the.. existing hunger in the land for the word of God.

Cologne, July 19, 1817.

Our Bible Society prospers, and we often meet with signal proof of the distinguished regard in which the word of God is held, not only by our Protestant, but also by some of our Catholic brethren, whose mouths overflow with expressions of gratitude and admiration, for being put into possession of so invaluable a book, (the New Testament,) at such an easy rate, and even receiving it gratuitously. One person lends his copy to another: some express their readiness to oblige their neighbours by any friendly