the life of william carey-第72章

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t　from　the　Burman　dominions。。。The　French　naturalists　have　already　begun　to　turn　their　attention　to　the　culture　of　this　valuable　tree　as　an　object　of　national　utility。　　This　will　be　found　impracticable　in　France；　but　may　perhaps　be　attempted　somewhere　else。　　To　England；　the　first　commercial　country　in　the　world；　its　importance　must　be　obvious。〃

Ten　years　passed；　Carey　continued　to　watch　and　to　extend　his　agri…horticultural　experiments　in　his　own　garden；　and　to　correspond　with　botanists　in　all　parts　of　the　world；　but　still　nothing　was　done　publicly　in　India。　　At　last；　on　15th　April　1820；　when　〃the　advantages　arising　from　a　number　of　persons　uniting　themselves　as　a　Society　for　the　purpose　of　carrying　forward　any　undertaking〃　were　generally　acknowledged；　the　shoemaker　and　preacher　who　had　a　generation　before　tested　these　advantages　in　the　formation　of　the　first　Foreign　Mission　Society；　issued　a　Prospectus　of　an　Agricultural　and　Horticultural　Society　in　India；　from　the　〃Mission　House；　Serampore。〃　　The　prospectus　thus　concluded：〃Both　in　forming　such　a　Society　and　in　subsequently　promoting　its　objects；　important　to　the　happiness　of　the　country　as　they　regard　them；　the　writer　and　his　colleagues　will　be　happy　in　doing　all　their　other　avocations　will　permit。〃　　Native　as　well　as　European　gentlemen　were　particularly　invited　to　co…operate。　〃It　is　peculiarly　desirable　that　native　gentlemen　should　be　eligible　as　members　of　the　Society；　because　one　of　its　chief　objects　will　be　the　improvement　of　their　estates　and　of　the　peasantry　which　reside　thereon。　　They　should　therefore　not　only　be　eligible　as　members　but　also　as　officers　of　the　Society　in　precisely　the　same　manner　as　Europeans。〃　　At　the　first　meeting　in　the　Town　Hall　of　Calcutta；　Carey　and　Marshman　found　only　three　Europeans　beside　themselves。　　They　resolved　to　proceed；　and　in　two　months　they　secured　more　than　fifty　members；　several　of　whom　were　natives。　　The　first　formal　meeting　was　held　on　14th　September；　when　the　constitution　was　drawn　up　on　the　lines　laid　down　in　the　prospectus；　it　being　specially　provided　〃that　gentlemen　of　every　nation　be　eligible　as　members。〃

At　the　next　meeting　Dr。　Carey　was　requested　to　draw　up　a　series　of　queries；　which　were　circulated　widely；　in　order　to　obtain　〃correct　information　upon　every　circumstance　which　is　connected　with　the　state　of　agriculture　and　horticulture　in　the　various　provinces　of　India。〃　　The　twenty　queries　show　a　grasp　of　principles；　a　mastery　of　detail；　and　a　kindliness　of　spirit　which　reveal　the　practical　farmer；　the　accomplished　observer；　and　the　thoughtful　philanthropist　all　in　one。　　One　only　we　may　quote：〃19。　　In　what　manner　do　you　think　the　comforts　of　the　peasantry　around　you　could　be　increased；　their　health　better　secured；　and　their　general　happiness　promoted？〃　The　Marquis　of　Hastings　gladly　became　patron；　and　ever　since　the　Government　has　made　a　grant　to　the　Society。　　His　wife　showed　such　an　interest　in　its　progress　that　the　members　obtained　her　consent　to　sit　to　Chinnery　for　her　portrait　to　fill　the　largest　panel　in　the　house　at　Titigur。　　Lord　Hastings　added　the　experimental　farm；　formed　near　Barrackpore；　to　the　Botanic　Garden；　with　an　immediate　view　to　its　assisting　the　Agricultural　Society　in　their　experiments　and　pursuits。　　The　Society　became　speedily　popular；　for　Carey　watched　its　infancy　with　loving　solicitude；　and　was　the　life　of　its　meetings。　　In　the　first　eighty…seven　years　of　its　existence　seven　thousand　of　the　best　men　in　India　have　been　its　members；　of　whom　seven　hundred　are　Asiatics。　　Agriculturists；　military　and　medical　officers；　civilians；　clergy；　and　merchants；　are　represented　on　its　roll　in　nearly　equal　proportions。　　The　one　Society　has　grown　into　three　in　India；　and　formed　the　model　for　the　Royal　Agricultural　Society　of　England；　which　was　not　founded　till　1838。

Italy　and　Scotland　alone　preceded　Carey　in　this　organisation；　and　he　quotes　with　approbation　the　action　of　Sir　John　Sinclair　in　1790；　which　led　to　the　first　inquiry　into　the　state　of　British　agriculture。　　The　Transactions　which　Carey　led　the　Society　to　promise　to　publish　in　English；　Bengali；　and　Hindostani；　have　proved　to　be　only　the　first　of　a　series　of　special　periodicals　representing　Indian　agriculture　generally；　tea；　and　forestry。　　The　various　Governments　in　India　have　economic　museums；　and　the　Government　of　India；　under　Lord　Mayo；　established　a　Revenue　and　Agricultural　Department　expanded　by　Lord　Curzon。　　Carey's　early　proposal　of　premiums；　each　of　a　hundred　rupees；　or　the　Society's　gold　medal；　for　the　most　successful　cultivation　on　a　commercial　scale　of　coffee　and　improved　cotton；　for　the　successful　introduction　of　European　fruits；　for　the　improvement　of　indigenous　fruits；　for　the　successful　introduction　from　the　Eastern　Islands　of　the　mangosteen　or　doorian；　and　for　the　manufacture　of　cheese　equal　to　Warwickshire；　had　the　best　results　in　some　cases。　　In　1825　Mr。　Lamb　of　Dacca　was　presented　by　〃Rev。　Dr。　Carey　in　the　chair〃　with　the　gold　medal　for　80　lbs。　of　coffee　grown　there。　　Carey's　own　head　gardener　became　famous　for　his　cabbages；　and　we　find　this　sentence　in　the　Society's　Report　just　after　the　founder's　death：〃Who　would　have　credited　fifteen　years　ago　that　we　could　have　exhibited　vegetables　in　the　Town　Hall　of　Calcutta　equal　to　the　choicest　in　Covent　Garden？〃　　The　berries　two　centuries　ago　brought　from　Arabia　in　his　wallet　by　the　pilgrim　Baba　Booden　to　the　hills　of　Mysore；　which　bear　his　name；　have；　since　that　Dacca　experiment；　covered　the　uplands　of　South　India　and　Ceylon。　Before　Carey　died　he　knew　of　the　discovery　of　the　indigenous　tea…tree　in　its　original　home　on　the　Assam　border　of　Tibeta　discovery　which　has　put　India　in　the　place　of　China　as　a　producer。

In　the　Society's　Proceedings　for　9th　January　1828　we　find　this　significant　record：〃Resolved；　at　the　suggestion　of　the　Rev。　Dr。　Carey；　that　permission　be　given　to　Goluk　Chundra；　a　blacksmith　of　Titigur；　to　exhibit　a　steam　engine　made　by　himself　without　the　aid　of　any　European　artist。〃　　At　the　next　meeting；　when　109　malees　or　native　gardeners　competed　at　the　annual　exhibition　of　vegetables；　the　steam　engine　was　submitted　and　pronounced　〃useful　for　irrigating　lands　made　upon　the　model　of　a　large　steam　engine　belonging　to　the　missionaries　at　Serampore。〃　　A　premium　of　Rs。　50　was　presented　to　the　ingenious　blacksmith　as　an　encouragement　to　further　exertions　of　his　industry。　　When　in　1832　the　afterwards　well…known　Lieutenant…Governor　Thomason　was　deputy…secretary　to　Government；　he　applied　to　the　Society　for　information　regarding　the　manufacture　of　paper。　　Dr。　Carey　and　Ram　Komal　Sen　were　referred　to；　and　the　former　thus　replied　in　his　usual　concise　and　clear　manner：

〃When　we　commenced　paper…making　several　years　ago；　having　then　no　machinery；　we　employed　a　number　of　native　papermakers　to　make　it　in　the　way　to　which　they　had　been　accustomed；　with　the　exception　of　mixing　conjee　or　rice　gruel　with　the　pulp　and　using　it　as　sizing；　our　object　being　that　of　making　paper　impervious　to　insects。　　Our　success　at　first　was　very　imperfect；　but　the　process　was　conducted　as　follows：

〃A　quantity　of　sunn；　viz。；　the　fibres　of　Crotolaria　juncea；　was　steeped　repeatedly　in　limewater；　and　then　exposed　to　the　air　by　spreading　it　on　the　grass；　it　was　also　repeatedly　pounded　by　the　dhenki　or　pedal；　and　when　sufficiently　reduced　by　this　process　to　make　a　pulp；　it　was　mixed　in　a　gumla　with　water；　so　as　to　make　it　of　the　consistence　of　thick　soup。　　The　frames　with　which　the　sheets　were　taken　up　were　made　of　mat　of　the　size　of　a　sheet　of　paper。　　The　operator　sitting　by　the　gumla　dipped　this　frame　in　the　pulp；　and　after　it　was　drained　gave　it　to　an　assistant；　who　laid　it　on　the　grass　to　dry：　this　finished　the　process　with　us；　but　for　the　native　market　this　paper　is　afterwards　sized　by　holding　a　number　of　sheets　by　the　edge　and　dipping　them　carefully　in　conjee；　so　as　to　keep　the　sheets　separate。　　They　are　afterwards　dried；　folded；　and　pressed　by　putting　them　between　two　boards；　the　upper　board　of　which　is　loaded　with　one　or　more　large　stones。

〃In　the　English　method　the　pulp　is　prepared　by　the　mill　and　put　into　cisterns；　the　frames　are　made　of　fine　wire；　and　the　workman　stands　by　the　cistern　and　takes　up　the　pulp　on　the