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The obstacles in the way of the gospel are very great, and were it not that God is almighty and true, would be insurmountable. The caste is such a superstition as no European can conceive, and more tenaciously regarded than life. It was, I think, originally political, but is now interwoven with every circumstance of their lives; and their deceit and avarice are unparalleled. But the work was begun by God, and

I doubt not but he will carry it on.

'My journal I intend to send by the ships of this season, in which, though the greatest part is personal, relating to myself, yet some hints will be found relative to what I have observed among the Hindus.

'I was much disappointed on the arrival of the Nancy, packet, by the return of which I send this, at not receiving one European letter. Surely you have not forgotten us. As the packet is expected every day to sail, and I have been removing so much from place to place till this week, I must refer all my friends to this letter, and desire to be remembered to all the churches and ministers of Christ, especially my christian acquaintance.

'I am, with warm affection, yours,

'W. CAREY.'

To MR. SUTCLIFF.

'Mudnabatty, Aug. 9, 94.

'MY DEAR BROTHER,

'I scarcely think this letter can be in time for the packet; but write, hoping that it may. I have hastily

written to the society; but many particulars I have reserved to write to my friends which are not there mentioned. The packet sailing much sooner than was expected, will however make it impossible for me to write to many.

"The particulars of my situation I mentioned in that letter, and only observe to you that a more eligible situation could not have been chosen. Mr. T. and I are only sixteen miles distant from each other, and our respective factories will furnish support for several thousands of people; so that there will be a comfortable and honourable asylum for all who lose caste for the gospel.

'I have not yet seen Parbotee. Moonshi is with me, and I hope is a real christian, but wants zeal and fortitude: he has not yet lost caste. Mohun Chund professes more zeal than Moonshi, but there is something suspicious in him. It is very difficult to get these people together: travelling is expensive, and they are all poor; though Moonshi's was one of the first families in that part of Bengal, till ruined by Mr. Hastings. We are now just upon the point of forming a gospel church, which I hope may be prosperous.

'As for the dangers and difficulties of the country, we think very little about them. Some diseases are very common here; as dysentery, which generally arises from the coldness of the night air, after the heat of the day. With this disorder my wife and eldest son have been afflicted for eight months: my wife is nearly well, but my son very ill now.

Fevers

are frequent in the rains, or rather agues; perhaps arising from the number of rice-fields which are full of water. But the country agrees better with my health than England did: I never was better in my life.

'We have no fear of beasts, though there are many buffaloes, hogs, and tigers in our neighbourhood. Tigers seldom attack men, but commit dreadful devastation among cattle; except those of the Sunderbunds, a very large forest near the sea, where there are no cattle; there they seize men. Serpents are numerous; and some so mortal that the patient never survives two hours, and often dies in five minutes; but they give us no concern, or very little. Crocodiles no man minds: I have one in a pond about ten yards from my door, yet sleep with the door open every night. The whole country is one large valley or plain, without a hill ten feet high, unless made by art, or a single spring of water. The Ganges and Berhampooter run quite through it; each of them about three miles wide upon an average, though in many places ten, with large inhabited islands in the middle; and these branch out into some hundreds of rivers more, many as large as the Thames. Major Rennel's map, or rather atlas, of India, will give you a very just idea of the geography of this country; and Sonnerat's voyage will furnish you with the best epitome of Hindu mythology extant: allowing for the different writing of names in different dialects, he has related the whole in a very just and impartial

manner.

The language is very copious, and I think beautiful. I begin to converse in it a little; but my third son, about five years old, speaks it fluently. Indeed, there are two distinct languages spoken all over the country, viz., the Bengali, spoken by the Brahmuns and higher Hindus; and the Hindostani, spoken by the Mussulmans and lower Hindus, which is a mixture of Bengali and Persian. I intend to send you soon a copy of Genesis, Matthew, Mark, and James, in Bengali; with a small vocabulary and grammar of the language, in manuscript, of my own composing, to which you will afford a place on one of the shelves in your library. I have written to the society to stop my allowance, as I am amply provided for: perhaps it might be acceptable to Mr. Thomas to continue his a little longer on account of his debts.

'I cannot say much about myself. I intend to send my journal soon; but it only relates to myself, or very little to other things. However, I may express my hope, nay, I may say confidence, that God, who has so astonishingly made our way plain and clear, will bless the word to the conversion of many, and thus crown the wishes of the praying ministers and people in England.

'At present, being incapable of preaching, I can say nothing of success; but my heart is engaged in the work, and I know that God can convert the most obstinate and superstitious, and has promised to do it. This is the foundation of my hope, and in this confidence I engage in the work. Adieu,

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SECTION II.

JOURNAL CHRISTIAN SOCIETY-LANGUAGE, &C.

'Aug. 16-24. Nothing worth recording passed. I feel too much sameness to be spiritual. If I were in a more spiritual frame, the holy war would be carried on in my soul with greater vigour, and the fresh discoveries of sin would cause new hopes, new fears, and new struggles; but when I am at ease, it is like a calm at sea, where there is a contrary current: I not only get no ground, but am insensibly carried back.

"The last of these days was Lord's-day; I spent it in reading to and praying with my family. Towards evening I went out, when the workmen who have built the works came to me, and said that, as I was to begin making indigo to-morrow, it was much their wish that I would make an offering to Kally, the goddess of destruction, that I might have success in the work. This Kally is the most devil-like figure that can be thought of: she stands upon a dead man ; her girdle is strung with small figures of human skulls, like beads upon a bracelet; she has four arms, and her tongue hangs out of her mouth below her chin; and in short, a more horrible figure can scarcely be conceived of. I took the opportunity of remonstrating with them upon the wickedness and folly of idolatry, and set my face as much as possible against

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