harvest has been looked for, before the seed could be sown, or even the ground broken up.

Of the state and progress, the plans and operations of this mission, ample statements and details have been given in preceding Reports. For the present occasion only a succinct recapitulation is designed.

At the very time that Mr. Nott was embarking at Bombay, for his return, Mr. Bardwell, with four of his brethren, who were intended for Ceylon, was ordained for the mission; and he arrived at Bombay on the 1st Nov. 1816. About sixteen months after, viz. on the 23d of February, 1818, Mr. Nichols and Mr. Graves with their wives, and Miss Philomela Thurston, now Mrs. Newell, arrived. Thus strengthened, the mission, so far as is known to your Committee, has since continued without diminution; consisting of five missionaries with their wives; holding its primary seat in the great native town of Bombay; and occupying a station at Mahim, distant about six miles on the northern part of the same island, and another distant about 25 miles, at Tannah, on the island of Salsette, of which it is the chief town.

PREACHING THE GOSPEL, as they have opportunity, to the untold multitudes around them, of whose corruption, darkness, and wretchedness no adequate conception can be formed in this land,-is a principal and daily work of the missionaries. In the prosecution of it, they not only visit the temples and places of resort in the city; but make circuits of less or greater extent, upon the islands, and in the provinces of the continent. In the course of a year, many thousands thus hear from them something concerning the true God and Eternal Life.

"Our daily custom"-they say in their latest joint letter, dated in January"our daily custom of addressing the people, wherever we find them, we consider our most important business. In this branch of our labor we find some of our highest pleasures, as well as our chief trials.

"The brethren in Bombay have hired a large room for a school, and have made some use of it for the stated instruction of the people on the Sabbath. Attendance at present is rather encouraging; and those, who assemble, are in general as silent and attentive as could be expected. We would hope, that the divine blessing will enable us to continue these exercises, and will make them ultimately profitable to many.

"During the past 7 months, we have taken the following tour for the promotion of our object. Brother Hall visited Panwell, and the vicinity, across on the coast. Brother Bardwell went to Bancote, and several adjacent towns, with some others nearer Bombay. Brethren Nichols and Graves went northward to Cullian and Bhewndy with several small places between them and Basseen. In all the towns we distributed many copies of the tracts and portions of Scripture, which we have printed. All these tours were very pleasant and refreshing to us. But we were called to mourn over many thousands living in spiritual darkness and death; while we could only give to some of them a hasty outline of the way of salvation. There are several important towns, where, if a missionary were permitted to settle, he might enjoy a more promising station than some of us now occupy. We would hope soon to welcome brethren, who will supply at least some of these places."

Of their tours for preaching some idea may be formed from the following extracts.

In the journal of his tour to Panwell, Mr. Hall says:

"About 7 o'clock in the morning, Dec. 14, we landed at Panwell, which is about 12 or 15 miles east of Bombay:

"16. I went out among the people three times, which occupied nearly the whole of the day. I found opportunities for communicating religious instruction to a very considerable number of people. In some places, I spoke to 30, 40, 50 or 60 in one company. In another place, there were no more than three or four. I distributed a few books during the day. At first, when the people were tr! had religious books to give, they could not believe it; but seemed deterred from receiving them, through fear they should have to pay for them sooner or later. The idea of a gratuitous distribution of books among them, was what they probably never before heard, or thought of. But when they were convinced, that nothing would ever be received of them for the book; and that they were relig ious books, they seemed to be in no fear of receiving them. And the fact of their being religious books, was mentioned among themselves more than once, in my hearing, as a reason why they should be received. I soon perceived, however, that only a small part of the people could read, and that I was not likely to dispose of a large number of books, unless I were in effect to throw them away.

"The first person, who asked me for books, was a Jew of respectable appearance. I gave him Genesis and John, bound together, and a tract. Of this man I learned something of the state of the Jews in this place.

"I reached the further village, called by the natives Tukkeer, between eleven and twelve o'clock. It was an hour of the day, in which many of the people were engaged in their respective labors, and therefore less favorable for their assembling to hear me. I walked through the village and saw no convenient opportunity for commencing my labors. After walking about until I began to be weary, and almost discouraged, I turned aside to a border of the village, where a few boys were at play, and a few adults standing near them under the grateful shade of a large tamarind tree. I came to them, and asked them if they would listen to what I had to communicate to them. They readily complied, and I took my seat and desired them to sit down around me, and also to invite the other villagers, who were disengaged, to come and hear. About thirty persons were soon assembled, and to them I read and discoursed on the great things of the Gospel, for about an hour. They seemed very attentive; no one contradicted; and I thought their appearance manifested, that their consciences testified to the truth of God's word, which they heard. I gave books to a few among them, who could read, and they were received with apparent gratitude.

"A little detached from the town, and in the rear of a large Hindoo temple, was a little hamlet containing about 15 huts. Hearing the sound of music among these poor cottages, I bent my course thither, and found nearly the whole village, men, women, and children, 60 or 70 in all, assembled in one house, stowed together as thick as possible, and engaged in their ceremonies. The occasion was this. A woman was ill of a fever, though to appearance she was by no means severely ill. Her poor heathen neighbors, in their sympathy and compassion, were assembled to relieve the sick woman from her illness by their incantations and nameless extravagancies. The woman was seated nearly in the middle of the assembly. Before her, some white marks were fancifully drawn upon the ground, (the common flooring of their poor houses,) flowers, parched rice, &c. were scattered about, and incense was burning. A number of the people, men and women, nearest to the sick person, were writhing and forcing themselves into the most wild, unnatural and painful attitudes, sometimes blowing ashes into each other's faces, beating themselves, and striking their foreheads violently on the ground. The design of the whole seemed to be to move their god, from a view of what they were voluntarily suffering, to extend relief to the sick person; and this seemed to be accompanied by a kind of challenge, that if their god would not grant their request, they would torture themselves to death. For now and then they would exclaim to their god, "Hear us, or we will die: why should we live, if thou wilt not hear us." The noise of several drums, beating at the same time in the house, made it a scene of much confusion, which is generally the case, when any ceremonies of idolatry are performed. The scene excited in my mind an unusual degree of tenderness and pity for these my deluded fellow mortals, and I resolved, that before I left them, I would instruct their ig norant minds in the knowledge of the true God. After waiting awhile, they, in a great measure, intermitted their devotions; and I addressed myself to them, and desired, that they would hear what I had to say. They very readily complied,

and soon all were still in the house. I asked them, why they thus tortured themselves! Should your child, said I, come and ask any thing of you when it stood in need, would any one, who is a parent, be pleased to see his child put itself in pain and anguish, in order to induce the parent to give the thing requested? "No. no, was the reply, from several of the company. I told them, that God was their kind and tender parent; that he did not take pleasure in seeing any of his creatures inflict pain upon themselves; and that he was able and ready to hear and grant the prayers of all, who come unto him humble and penitent. I enlarg ed upon the character of God; endeavored to convince them of their great sin in rejecting him, and worshipping idols and beasts and men; and told them, how their offended Maker would be reconciled to them through his crucified Son, if they would repent, believe, forsake their idols, and obey the truth.

They were very attentive, and some of them were somewhat affected with what they heard. One called aloud and said, I was a God; from which I took occasion to reprove her, and to speak further to them on the character of the true God, whom alone they must worship, if they would escape everlasting woe and obtain eternal happiness. Some said, "Let us lay aside our ceremonies;" and I have reason to think they did so. I exhorted them to think, from day to day, of what I had told them; for it was God's message of love and mercy to them. They said they would. I then left them highly grateful for the attentive hearing, which they gave God's word.

"It was about midday, when I hastened towards the village of Tamboor, which lies on the road to Cullian, and is about three miles distant from Pauwell. On my way I fell in with two travellers; one an inhabitant of Cullian, to whom I gave tracts, and who promised to have them read in the circle of his relations and friends. To both of my fellow travellers, I endeavored to point out the only way to heaven.

"When I reached the village of Tamboor, I inquired for the Pattell, that is, the head man of the village. Being directed to him, he received me in a very friendly manner; and, on my proposing it, most of the people, who were disengaged, amounting to about 60, were almost immediately assembled: for the houses of this little hamlet, though more than 20 in number, are, as I should judge, all within the limits of an acre of ground.

"I spent nearly an hour in preaching to this little assembly. The people were very attentive. None contradicted or objected; but all seemed to approve; and they promised to remember and regard what they had heard. They told me, that there were three persons, belonging to the village, who could read; but that they had all gone abroad. I left books for them, which the people promised to have read. It seemed a matter of some surprise to these villagers, to see a white man travelling about on foot, in the character of a religious teacher. They seemed, however, to be highly gratified with my visit to them; and, on my departure, they gave me many compliments and good wishes, and insisted on my acceptance of one of their villagers, to guide me in the best foot path to the next village.

"The next place I arrived at can hardly be called a village, as it contained only five huts. I sat down by the way side under the shade of a large tree, and addressed myself, for a short time, to eight or ten persons. On taking my leave of this little audience, I was again, in the same friendly manner as before, furnished with a guide to the next village, called Adda. There I called on the Pattell as at Tamboor, was received in the same friendly manner, and within a few minutes after I reached the place, I was seated in the midst of not less than 70 Hindoos. I discoursed to them about three quarters of an hour. They were very attentive; and their whole appearance was very interesting and encouraging to my feelings. At the conclusion of my discourse, I addressed them, as I had previously addressed several other like assemblies, nearly in these terms; "My friends, I have come to you in the name of God your Maker. I have come with a message from Him to you. I have delivered his message to you. You have heard it. It is his word, and not mine. I never saw you before, and I know not that I shall ever see you again until the day of judgment.-Such a day is coming, when the one only true God will assemble all men before him, and judge and reward all men according to their works. Then I must give an account to God of the manner, in which I have this day delivered his holy message to you; and your

also must give an account to God of the manner, in which you have received and shall have treated his gracious message of saving love. He is now looking into our hearts, observes all our actions, and knows all things. O prepare for that awful day. Fear and worship and serve the true God, your Maker, and your Judge. Repent and forsake your sins. Believe in Jesus Christ; obey his Gospel. No more worship your vain idols, which are an abomination to God. Let this sink into your hearts. Regard it, and it surely shall be well with you in life-well with you in death-well with you in judgment-well with you in eternity."

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"The idea of being called to judgment seemed considerably to affect them Several spoke out aloud, "We will no more worship idols, we will worship only the one true God, as you have told us." They asked when I should come to them again, and expressed many strong wishes, that I should soon make them another visit. I was told, that not one person belonging to the village could read. There was present a young man from Panwell, who acted in the capacity of a writer in the village, who could read. I gave him books, which he promised to read to 27 the people. This village, like each of the others which I visited to day, did not, as I was informed, contain a single bramhun. Wherever we find the people removed from the bramhuns, they seem more accessible and more attentive; and th the prospect of winning souls to Christ seems the greatest.

"Leaving the village of Adda, I returned to Panwell, having made a circuit, as nearly as I could judge, of seven or eight miles, the greater part of which was performed in the hottest hours of the day. I was extremely fatigued; but know not, that I ever spent a day more agreeably to my feelings and wishes."

The next are passages from the Journal of Mr. Nichols at Tannah. [See Pan. for Sept. 1820, p. 415.]

A brief passage or two, from the Journal of Mr. Graves at Mahim, will close these extracts. [See Pan. for Sept. p. 412.]

THE TRANSLATING OF THE SCRIPTURES, early engaged the attention of Messrs. Hall and Newell. That the Scriptures in the vernacular language of the people would be of essential importance to the great object of the mission, must be evident to every mind. To the missionaries it was most palpable. And scarcely less palpable were the evils of a bad translation, in its effects upon the minds of the people, in the embarrassment it would occasion to missionaries, and in the waste and loss of time and money.

"It would seem," they say, in a paper upon the general subject, of which mention was made in the Report of 1816,-"It would seem to be a self evident principle, that no person can translate correctly into any language, which he does not understand as well, or nearly as well, as his mother tongue; and it seems to be no less evident, that no person can understand a foreign language as well, or nearly as well, as his mother tongue, without residing at least a number of years in the country where that language is vernacular, and conversing habitually with all kinds of people who speak the language.

"The language of books, in every country, is rather above the ready comprehension of the common people. But in the east, where instruction is limited to the few, while the pride of learning leads those who possess it to affect, in their language and compositions, a style of studied superiority, the language of books becomes nearly as unintelligible to the common people, as Latin is to the unlearned in Europe and America. Now those translators, who have never been in the countries, where the languages, into which they translate, are vernacular, must have acquired their knowledge of the languages principally from books; and their translations, of course, will be in the book style, and not in the popular dialect. Hence such translations, it would seem, can be of little if any use to the great body of the people, for whom they are designed."

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This is sensibly said; and it might have been added, that, for a good translation, not only is a lengthened residence among the people necessary; and a free intercourse with them; but also the practice of preaching to them, expounding to them the Scriptures and conversing with them familiarly on divine subjects. And it has become a well known fact, that some of the translations of the present age, hastily made without these advantages, have proved unintelligible and useless to the people, for whose benefit they were intended.

Under these impressions, in a letter which accompanied the paper just cited, the missionaries say;

"We consider it our duty, if God should spare our lives long enough, to attempt a translation of the Bible, in the Mahratta language, which is vernacular here, and is spoken by many millions of people on this side of India. And if we, with the aid of others, who, we hope, will shortly come to our assistance, are enabled, in the course of our lives, to make a good translation of the sacred volume, into this one language, in addition to preaching the Gospel daily to the heathen, (which we consider the principal business of a missionary,) we shall think that we have not labored in vain, nor spent our strength for nought."

Such were the feelings and views with which, about five years ago, they commenced the arduous and responsible undertaking; and in accordance with them is the manner, in which, as your Committee believe, the work has been prosecuted.

At first they took care, that portions of the Scriptures, which they had translated, should be perused in manuscript, by learned and by unlearned natives; and then ascertained how these portions were understood. As soon as they got their printing press into operation, they began to print select passages, and to distribute them among the people, and use them in their schools. In this practice they have ever since continued; and the advantages it must have afforded them for revising and correcting, and making their translation in all respects what it ought to be, will be obvious to every mind.

More than a year ago, they had translated the whole of the New Testament and a considerable part of the Old; and they are by this time prepared for printing and distributing the Scriptures in part, or in whole, as soon and as fast as means for defraying the expense shall be afforded to them, and a due attention to the other departments of their general work will admit. They have labored in this department with indefatigable diligence.

Besides the great work of translating the Scriptures, they have composed, compiled, and translated several tracts and school books, and some of them such as must have cost no inconsiderable time and labor.

Another part of their work, in which they have shewn the same exemplary industry, is PRINTING. As soon almost as they entered upon active operations, they began to feel the want of a printing press. Not only were they without Bibles, tracts and school books, for the various purposes of the mission; but there were none to be obtained. There' was not even a press with the Nagree type, the proper character for the native language, within a thousand miles of them. Measures were accordingly taken for a printing establishment. With a view to it, Mr. Bardwell acquired some knowledge of the printing business VOL. XVI.

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