him afterwards, in the hearing of the people, who were so credulous as to believe that he had actually, that morning, turned a pot of water into milk. I asked him to dine with me (this no native would do on any account), and observed to the people, that if he could change water into milk, he could change pork into mutton: pork being never eaten by Mussulmans.

Thus I have given you a short account of this remarkable worship. They have a book of directions for the performance of it, which I am trying to get. If I succeed, I may in a future letter send you a translation of its contents.

'You inquire after the officer I mentioned: his name is Frole. Mr. Udney, who has since dined with him, thinks him enthusiastically insane. He is gone to England. The missionary's son I never saw: he soon left Malda. I have seen his daughter, who is the wife of Dr. Roxburg, the superintendent of the company's botanic garden, and my intimate friend. I learnt no particulars from her.

'We have a prospect of soon setting up a printingpress at Mudnabatty. A letter-foundry is set up at Calcutta for country characters. Mr. Powel is making a press. Mr. Udney will advance ready money on the credit of bills on the society, and I believe will contribute generously. Our friend Fernandez sets his hand to the work. I wish the society would present us with a fount of English letter, and some Greek and Hebrew. Arabic we shall get here. I hope soon to get the bible published.

'My christian love to the Rev. Mr. Horne, and to all your friends, and to all the ministers or others who care for us. Brother Fountain is well, and joins in love. We are all well. I have four sons. Brother Thomas went to Calcutta some time ago; then concluded to practise surgery there; to-day writes me that he is coming back.'

. Indeed I am,

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Very affectionately yours, 'W. CAREY.'

TO THE BAPTIST SOCIETY.

Hoogly River, near Plassy, Jan. 10, 1799.

DEAR AND HONOURED BRETHREN,

'I am now on a journey to Calcutta ; and when I tell you that the continual motion of the boat I am in, occasioned by the oars, shakes me all the time I write, you will excuse the shortness of my letter. Yet I must embrace this opportunity of writing, because the ships are under dispatch, and I shall scarcely arrive time enough to send this by them.

'I am sensible of the honour you have done me by appointing me your treasurer in India; and accordingly I send enclosed the accounts of the society in this country, brought up to the first instant, by which you will understand the whole of our temporal

concerns.

1. The success we meet with in preaching the gospel. This, we must confess and lament, is very far short of what we wish, and I fear very short of what

you expect. Yet our state is not desperate. The object of our mission is better known than it was, both to the natives and to Europeans; and though I cannot positively speak of conversions, yet we have a few concerning whom appearances are so hopeful, and so long continued, that should they fail, the disappointment would be very great indeed. We preach to the natives once every day, when we are at home, and twice on Lord's days; also once a month at Dinagepore, and once a month at Malda; besides our preaching to Europeans. Brother Thomas is now at Nuddea, and has written me word that he has great hopes concerning several persons there, and expects to baptize one Brahmun, Raji Krishnu, if not more, on the 29th instant, when I hope also to be with him.

'Our sphere of action among Europeans is also very considerably enlarged the past year; for we preach to a congregation of Europeans at Malda, and to another at Dinagepore, each once a month, and I trust not without success: but time must determine whether our hopes are well founded or not, though I can scarcely doubt. Brother Fountain frequently preaches in English and in Bengali, at home, where the people, being accustomed to him, can understand him much better than they can at other places. He is a good man, and greatly desires the salvation of the heathen.

2. Translating and publishing the scriptures. This is an object which has been always very near my heart. I have now finished the Pentateuch, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel,

part of Daniel, and the New Testament, except Matthew, Mark, and James, which were formerly translated by brother Thomas; and brother Fountain is translating from Joshua onwards. He has got

through Judges and Ruth, except the correcting, which is reserved for me to do.

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We thought of publishing the New Testament alone, and have received advice from brother Fuller, that the society had agreed to print ten thousand copies, and afterwards that they had agreed to print two thousand, and are sending paper for that purpose. I wish paper had been sent for the ten thousand, because I hope to be able to print an impression of one or two thousand copies of the whole scriptures by the beginning of next year, and am, for that purpose, setting up a press at Mudnabatty. I some time ago saw a printing-press advertised for sale in one of the Calcutta papers. This I considered as an opportunity not to be neglected, and accordingly made a purchase of it for four hundred rupees, and it is set up at my house. A friend has since made a present of it to the society, as you will see by the inclosed accounts. I am now going to Calcutta, to bespeak types, and to engage workmen; and the same friend has generously engaged to advance money for this purpose, on the credit of the society, and which, at the lowest computation, will amount to £2000 sterling, to strike off one thousand copies, and pay for press, types, paper, and workmanship. I am not without hopes of getting a good subscription towards it; but I fear to set it on foot till the printing-house is complete, lest some un

foreseen accident should put it out of my power to accomplish it. The society must be ready to pay bills to the amount of at least £2000 sterling, whenever I shall find occasion to draw upon them, though the whole will not be drawn at one time.

expense.

'3. The school. This now consists of nearly forty scholars, and has till now been wholly supported by brother Fountain and myself. The school would have been much larger, had we been able to have borne the expense; but, as among the scholars there are several orphans whom we wholly maintain, we could not prudently venture on any further A subscription, however, which was made at Malda on the first instant, after I had preached a sermon on the occasion, will enable us to support it on an enlarged scale during the present year; and if the society would allow a sum yearly for the same purpose, I think the money would not be expended in vain. The boys have hitherto learned to read and write, especially parts of the scriptures, and to keep accounts. We may now be able to introduce some other useful branches of knowledge among them. Our friend Fernandez, who, with a Mr. Xavier, accompanies me to Calcutta in the same budgerow or boat, intends to set up a school on our plan at his own expense, at Dinagepore. I trust these schools may tend to promote curiosity and inquisitiveness among the rising generation; qualities which are seldom found in the natives of Bengal. I now mention our wants.

1. We want more missionaries; men of mild tempers, good sense, genuine love to our Lord, and zeal