the life of william carey-第23章

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s　store　of　observations　of　the　people；　the　customs　and　language。　　Meanwhile　he　was　longing　for　letters　from　Fuller　and　Pearce　and　Ryland。　　At　the　end　of　January　1795　the　missionary　exile　thus　talks　of　himself　in　his　journal：〃Much　engaged　in　writing；　having　begun　to　write　letters　to　Europe；　but　having　received　none；　I　feel　that　hope　deferred　makes　the　heart　sick。　　However；　I　am　so　fully　satisfied　of　the　firmness　of　their　friendship　that　I　feel　a　sweet　pleasure　in　writing　to　them；　though　rather　of　a　forlorn　kind；　and　having　nothing　but　myself　to　write　about；　feel　the　awkwardness　of　being　an　egotist。　I　feel　a　social　spirit　though　barred　from　society。。。I　sometimes　walk　in　my　garden；　and　try　to　pray　to　God；　and　if　I　pray　at　all　it　is　in　the　solitude　of　a　walk。　　I　thought　my　soul　a　little　drawn　out　to…day；　but　soon　gross　darkness　returned。　　Spoke　a　word　or　two　to　a　Mohammedan　upon　the　things　of　God；　but　I　feel　to　be　as　bad　as　they。。。9th　May。　　I　have　added　nothing　to　these　memoirs　since　the　19th　of　April。　　Now　I　observe　that　for　the　last　three　sabbaths　my　soul　has　been　much　comforted　in　seeing　so　large　a　congregation；　and　more　especially　as　many　who　are　not　our　own　workmen　come　from　the　parts　adjacent；　whose　attendance　must　be　wholly　disinterested。　　I　therefore　now　rejoice　in　seeing　a　regular　congregation　of　from　two　to　six　hundred　people　of　all　descriptionsMussulmans；　Brahmans　and　other　classes　of　Hindus；　which　I　look　upon　as　a　favourable　token　from　God。。。Blessed　be　God；　I　have　at　last　received　letters　and　other　articles　from　our　friends　in　England。。。from　dear　brethren　Fuller；　Morris；　Pearce；　and　Rippon；　but　why　not　from　others？。。。14th　June。　　I　have　had　very　sore　trials　in　my　own　family；　from　a　quarter　which　I　forbear　to　mention。　　Have　greater　need　for　faith　and　patience　than　ever　I　had；　and　I　bless　God　that　I　have　not　been　altogether　without　supplies　of　these　graces。。。Mr。　Thomas　and　his　family　spent　one　Lord's　day　with　us；　May　23rd。。。We　spent　Wednesday；　26th；　in　prayer；　and　for　a　convenient　place　assembled　in　a　temple　of　Seeb；　which　was　near　to　our　house。。。I　was　from　that　day　seized　with　a　dysentery；　which　continued　nearly　a　week　with　fearful　violence；　but　then　I　recovered；　through　abundant　mercy。　　That　day　of　prayer　was　a　good　day　to　our　souls。　　We　concerted　measures　for　forming　a　Baptist　church。〃

To　his　sister　he　wrote；　on　the　11th　March；　of　the　church；　which　was　duly　formed　of　Europeans　and　Eurasians。　　No　native　convert　was　made　in　this　Dinapoor　mission　till　1806；　after　Carey　had　removed　to　Serampore。　〃We　have　in　the　neighbourhood　about　fifteen　or　sixteen　serious　persons；　or　those　I　have　good　hopes　of；　all　Europeans。　　With　the　natives　I　have　very　large　concerns；　almost　all　the　farmers　for　nearly　twenty　miles　round　cultivate　indigo　for　us；　and　the　labouring　people　working　here　to　the　number　of　about　five　hundred；　so　that　I　have　considerable　opportunity　of　publishing　the　Gospel　to　them。　　I　have　so　much　knowledge　of　the　language　as　to　be　able　to　preach　to　them　for　about　half　an　hour；　so　as　to　be　understood；　but　am　not　able　to　vary　my　subjects　much。　　I　tell　them　of　the　evil　and　universality　of　sin；　the　sins　of　a　natural　state；　the　justice　of　God；　the　incarnation　of　Christ　and　his　sufferings　in　our　stead；　and　of　the　necessity　of　conversion；　holiness；　and　faith；　in　order　to　salvation。　They　hear　with　attention　in　general；　and　some　come　to　me　for　instruction　in　the　things　of　God。〃

〃It　was　always　my　opinion　that　missionaries　may　and　must　support　themselves　after　having　been　sent　out　and　received　a　little　support　at　first；　and　in　consequence　I　pursue　a　very　little　worldly　employment　which　requires　three　months'　closish　attendance　in　the　year；　but　this　is　in　the　rainsthe　most　unfavourable　season　for　exertion。　　I　have　a　district　of　about　twenty　miles　square；　where　I　am　continually　going　from　village　to　village　to　publish　the　Gospel；　and　in　this　space　are　about　two　hundred　villages；　whose　inhabitants　from　time　to　time　hear　the　Word。　My　manner　of　travelling　is　with　two　small　boats；　one　serves　me　to　live　in；　and　the　other　for　cooking　my　food。　　I　carry　all　my　furniture　and　food　with　me　from　place　to　placeviz。　a　chair；　a　table；　a　bed；　and　a　lamp。　　I　walk　from　village　to　village；　but　repair　to　my　boat　for　lodging　and　eating。　There　are　several　rivers　in　this　extent　of　country；　which　is　very　convenient　for　travelling。〃

Carey's　first　convert　seems　to　have　been　Ignatius　Fernandez；　a　Portuguese　descendant　who　had　prospered　as　a　trader　in　Dinapoor　station。　　The　first　Protestant　place　of　worship　in　Bengal；　outside　of　Calcutta；　was　built　by　him；　in　1797；　next　to　his　own　house。　There　he　conducted　service　both　in　English　and　Bengali；　whenever　Carey　and　Thomas；　and　Fountain　afterwards；　were　unable　to　go　out　to　the　station；　and　in　his　house　Thomas　and　Fountain　died。　　He　remained　there　as　a　missionary　till　his　own　death；　four　years　before　Carey's；　when　he　left　all　his　property　to　the　mission。　　The　mission…house；　as　it　is　now；　is　a　typical　example　of　the　bungalow　of　one　story；　which　afterwards　formed　the　first　chapel　in　Serampore；　and　is　still　common　as　officers'　quarters　in　Barrackpore　and　other　military　stations。

Side　by　side　with　his　daily　public　preaching　and　more　private　conversations　with　inquirers　in　Bengali；　Carey　carried　on　the　work　of　Bible　translation。　　As　each　new　portion　was　prepared　it　was　tested　by　being　read　to　hundreds　of　natives。　　The　difficulty　was　that　he　had　at　once　to　give　a　literary　form　to　the　rich　materials　of　the　language；　and　to　find　in　these　or　adapt　from　them　terms　sufficiently　pure　and　accurate　to　express　the　divine　ideas　and　facts　revealed　through　the　Hebrew　and　the　Greek　of　the　original。　　He　gives　us　this　unconscious　glimpse　of　himself　at　work　on　this　loftiest　and　most　fruitful　of　tasks；　which　Jerome　had　first　accomplished　for　Latin　Christendom；　Ulfila　for　our　Scandinavian　forefathers；　Wiclif　for　the　English；　and　Luther　for　the　Germans　of　the　time。

〃Now　I　must　mention　some　of　the　difficulties　under　which　we　labour；　particularly　myself。　　The　language　spoken　by　the　natives　of　this　part；　though　Bengali；　is　yet　so　different　from　the　language　itself；　that；　though　I　can　preach　an　hour　with　tolerable　freedom　so　as　that　all　who　speak　the　language　well；　or　can　write　or　read；　perfectly　understand　me；　yet　the　poor　labouring　people　can　understand　but　little；　and　though　the　language　is　rich；　beautiful；　and　expressive；　yet　the　poor　people；　whose　whole　concern　has　been　to　get　a　little　rice　to　satisfy　their　wants；　or　to　cheat　their　oppressive　merchants　and　zameendars；　have　scarcely　a　word　in　use　about　religion。　　They　have　no　word　for　love；　for　repent；　and　a　thousand　other　things；　and　every　idea　is　expressed　either　by　quaint　phrases　or　tedious　circumlocutions。　　A　native　who　speaks　the　language　well　finds　it　a　year's　work　to　obtain　their　idiom。　　This　sometimes　discourages　me　much；　but　blessed　be　God　I　feel　a　growing　desire　to　be　always　abounding　in　the　work　of　the　Lord；　and　I　know　that　my　labour　shall　not　be　in　vain　in　the　Lord。　I　am　much　encouraged　by　our　Lord's　expression；　'He　who　reapeth'　（in　the　harvest）　'receiveth　wages；　and　gathereth　fruit　unto　eternal　life。'　　If　I；　like　David；　only　am　an　instrument　of　gathering　materials；　and　another　build　the　house；　I　trust　my　joy　will　not　be　the　less。〃　　This　was　written　to　the　well…beloved　Pearce；　whom　he　would　fain　have　had　beside　him　at　Mudnabati。　　To　guide　the　two　missionaries　whom　the　Society　were　about　to　send　to　Africa　on　the　salaries　which　he　and　Thomas　had　set　free　for　this　extension；　Carey　adds：〃They　will　do　well　to　associate　as　much　as　possible　with　the　natives；　and　to　write　down　every　word　they　can　catch；　with　its　meaning。　　But　if　they　have　children　with　them；　it　is　by　far　the　readiest　way　of　learning　to　listen　to　them；　for　they　will　catch　up　every　idiom　in　a　little　time。　My　children　can　speak　nearly　as　well　as　the　natives；　and　know　many　things　in　Bengali　which　they　do　not　know　in　English。　　I　should　also　recommend　to　your　consideration　a　very　large　country；　perhaps　unthought　of：　I　mean　Bhootan　or　Tibet。　　Were　two　missionaries　sent　to　that　country；　we　should　have　it　in　our　power　to　afford　them　much　help。。。The　day　I　received　your　letter　I　set　about　composing　a　grammar　and　dictionary　of　th