the life of william carey-第57章
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w； when he was far enough advanced in his translation； Carey amid the swamps of Dinapoor looked to England for press； type； paper； and printer。 He got the last； William Ward； a man of his own selection； worthy to be his colleague。 But he had hardly despatched his letter when he found or made all the rest in Bengal itself。 It was from the old press bought in Calcutta； set up in Mudnabati； and removed to Serampore； that the first edition of the Bengali New Testament was printed。 The few rare and venerable copies have now a peculiar bibliographic interest； the type and the paper alike are coarse and blurred。
Sir Charles Wilkins； the Caxton of India； had with his own hands cut the punches and cast the types from which Halhed's Bengali grammar was printed at Hoogli in 1778。 He taught the art to a native blacksmith； Panchanan； who went to Serampore in search of work just when Carey was in despair for a fount of the sacred Devanagari type for his Sanskirt grammar； and for founts of the other languages besides Bengali which had never been printed。 They thus tell the story in a Memoir Relative to the Translations； published in 1807：
〃It will be obvious that in the present state of things in India it was in many instances necessary to cast new founts of types in several of these languages。 Happily for us and India at large Wilkins had led the way in this department； and by persevering industry； the value of which can scarcely be appreciated； under the greatest disadvantages with respect to materials and workmen； had brought the Bengali to a high degree of perfection。 Soon after our settling at Serampore the providence of God brought to us the very artist who had wrought with Wilkins in that work； and in a great measure imbibed his ideas。 By his assistance we erected a letter…foundry； and although he is now dead； he had so fully communicated his art to a number of others； that they carry forward the work of type…casting； and even of cutting the matrices； with a degree of accuracy which would not disgrace European artists。 These have cast for us two or three founts of Bengali； and we are now employing them in casting a fount on a construction which bids fair to diminish the expense of paper； and the size of the book at least one…fourth； without affecting the legibility of the character。 Of the Devanagari character we have also cast an entire new fount； which is esteemed the most beautiful of the kind in India。 It consists of nearly 1000 different combinations of characters； so that the expense of cutting the patterns only amounted to 1500 rupees； exclusive of metal and casting。
〃In the Orissa we have been compelled also to cast a new fount of types； as none before existed in that character。 The fount consists of about 300 separate combinations； and the whole expense of cutting and casting has amounted to at least 1000 rupees。 The character； though distinct； is of a moderate size； and will comprise the whole New Testament in about 700 pages octavo； which is about a fourth less than the Bengali。 Although in the Mahratta country the Devanagari character is well known to men of education； yet a character is current among the men of business which is much smaller； and varies considerably in form from the Nagari； though the number and power of the letters nearly correspond。 We have cast a fount in this character； in which we have begun to print the Mahratta New Testament； as well as a Mahratta dictionary。 This character is moderate in size； distinct and beautiful。 It will comprise the New Testament in perhaps a less number of pages than the Orissa。 The expense of casting； etc。； has been much the same。 We stand in need of three more founts； one in the Burman； another in the Telinga and Kernata； and a third in the Seek's character。 These； with the Chinese characters； will enable us to go through the work。 An excellent and extensive fount of Persian we received from you； dear brethren； last year。〃
Panchanan's apprentice； Monohur； continued to make elegant founts of type in all Eastern languages for the mission and for sale to others for more than forty years； becoming a benefactor not only to literature but to Christian civilisation to an extent of which he was unconscious； for he remained a Hindoo of the blacksmith caste。 In 1839； when he first went to India as a young missionary； the Rev。 James Kennedy17 saw him； as the present writer has often since seen his successor； cutting the matrices or casting the type for the Bibles； while he squatted below his favourite idol； under the auspices of which alone he would work。 Serampore continued down till 1860 to be the principal Oriental typefoundry of the East。18
Hardly less service did the mission come to render to the manufacture of paper in course of time； giving the name of Serampore to a variety known all over India。 At first Carey was compelled to print his Bengali Testament on a dingy； porous； rough substance called Patna paper。 Then he began to depend on supplies from England； which in those days reached the press at irregular times； often impeding the work； and was most costly。 This was not all。 Native paper； whether mill or hand…made； being sized with rice paste； attracted the bookworm and white ant； so that the first sheets of a work which lingered in the press were sometimes devoured by these insects before the last sheets were printed off。 Carey used to preserve his most valuable manuscripts by writing on arsenicated paper； which became of a hideous yellow colour； though it is to this alone we owe the preservation in the library of Serampore College of five colossal volumes of his polyglot dictionary prepared for the Bible translation work。 Many and long were the experiments of the missionaries to solve the paper difficulty； ending in the erection of a tread…mill on which relays of forty natives reduced the raw material in the paper…engine； until one was accidentally killed。
The enterprise of Mr。 William Jones； who first worked the Raneegunj coal…field； suggested the remedy in the employment of a steam…engine。 One of twelve…horse power was ordered from Messrs。 Thwaites and Rothwell of Bolton。 This was the first ever erected in India； and it was a purely missionary locomotive。 The 〃machine of fire；〃 as they called it； brought crowds of natives to the mission； whose curiosity tried the patience of the engineman imported to work it； while many a European who had never seen machinery driven by steam came to study and to copy it。 The date was the 27th of March 1820； when 〃the engine went in reality this day。〃 From that time till 1865 Serampore became the one source of supply for local as distinguished from imported and purely native hand…made paper。 Even the cartridges of Mutiny notoriety in 1857 were from this factory； though it had long ceased to be connected with the mission。
Dr。 Carey thus took stock of the translating enterprise in a letter to Dr。 Ryland：
〃22nd January 1808。Last year may be reckoned among the most important which this mission has seennot for the numbers converted among the natives； for they have been fewer than in some preceding years； but for the gracious care which God has exercised towards us。 We have been enabled to carry on the translation 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
