One Gospel had been translated, probably into this language, certainly into this or the Jaghatai, before October 9, 1811. This is the language of the kingdom of Siam, beyond the Ganges. This kingdom is separated by high mountains on the east from the kingdoms of Cambodia and Laos, on the west from Pegu, and on the north from Ava, or more properly from Jangoma: On the south lies the river Siam, and the peninsula of Malacca, the north west part of which is subject to Siam. The Siamese are divided into two tribes, of which the more ancient inhabit the country bounded by the Menam and the river of Cambodia. Their language is considered by Dr. Leyden as original, though connected with some of the Chinese dialects.* XXV. JAGHATAI. This is the last of Dr. Leyden's seven versions and undertaken in March 1810. Either this or the Siamese, more probably this, was neglected till his death. A single Gospel had been translated into the other before October 1811. It is to be hoped that the College of Fort William will not suffer the benevolent design of Dr. Leyden to fail, but will contrive means to carry through the several versions which he had undertaken. "The Jaghatai is the original Turcoman language as spoken in the central districts of Asia;" and bears much the same relation to the Turkish that the Saxon does to the English. The affinity is so great, that though the Turks have long since lost their Tartar configuration, their Ed. R. No. 32, p. 395. M's. Geog, vol. ii, p. 466. language sufficiently betrays their descent from a Turcoman tribe. "The Jaghatai or Zagathai is the language of Great Bucharia, which was called Zagathai from a son of Zenghis Khan, who professed Christianity in his oapital of Samarchand at a time when there were more than a hundred Christian churches in Zagathai. Some of these churches remain to this day. The language is spoken in Bochara, Balk, Samarchand, and other cities (of Usbec and Independent Tartary, a district of country extending from the north west point of Hindostan towards the Caspian sea, and bordering on Persia. This region, which contains multitudes of Jews, has by some been fixed upon as the chief residence of the ten tribes. Dr. Buchanan's opinion is, "that, if from Babylon as a centre, you describe a segment of a circle from the northern shore of the Caspian sea to the heads of the Indus," comprehending country, the greater part of Persia, and the north west corner of Hindostan, "you will inclose the territories containing the chief body of the dispersed tribes of Israel." this or This part of Tartary was once the seat of a more powerful em. pire than that of Greece Rome. Zenghis Khan, who flourished about the year 1200, and Tamerlane, who died in the year 1405, both made it their favorite residence. Samarchand was the birth place of the latter, and the royal seat of both.† XXVI. COMARRE or Canara. This version was begun at Be! † Ch. Res. p. 237-239. Ed. R. No. 32, p. 390. M's. Geog. vol. ii, 412, 413. lary by Mr. Hands, from the London Missionary Society, about the beginning of 1811. By the following October he had produced a translation of Luke. This language which has an affinity to the Telinga, and takes the name of Canara from a country lying on the Indian sea, between Goa and Malay-ala, about 120 miles long, and from ten to thirty broad, is spoken from Goa and the Mahratta borders to the southern extremity of Mysore.* XXVII. ASSAM. This version was commenced by the Baptist Missionaries after March 1811, and by the 4th of October they had translated the Gospel by Matthew, but had not begun to print. The country of Assam, for which this translation is intended, lies to the north east of Bengal, and is bounded on the north by Thibet, on the west by Hindostan, on the south by Meckley, and on the east by a part of the Burman Empire, or Ava. some maps it is placed within the bounds of Hindostan.† In XXVIII. NEPALA. This version was commenced by the Baptist Missionaries after March 1811, and by the 4th of October eleven chapters of Matthew were translated, but the printing was not begun. The version is supposed to be intended for the kingdom of Napaul or Neipal, which lies immediately north of Oude, and borders on Thibet. According to some maps at least, it is included within the limits of Hindostan. XXIX. TURKISH. The mission at Karass, between the Black and Caspian seas, was es *R's. Cyc. under Canara. tablished by the Edinburgh Missionary Society in 1802. In 1805 two Missionary printers were sent out with a printing press and a fount of Arabic types. Before May, 1807, the British and Foreign Bible Society had sent a new supply of Arabic types, and paper suffi cient to print 5000 copies of the New Testament. By the month of August 1810 the New Testament was printed to the end of Acts. At the beginning of 1812 it was "nearly completed."* XXX. CALMUC. A small portion of the Scriptures had been translated into this language by the Moravian brethren at Sarepta, when they applied to the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, about the year 1807, to send them 600 rubles, to enable them to purchase a fount of types at Petersburgh, The Committee, before the month of May 1808, had sent them this sum, with a promise of more in case they would proceed to translate and print entire books of the New Testament. Stimulated by this encouragement the brethren sat down in earnest to translate the Gospel by Matthew, some time apparently in the year 1808, and the Committee received an account of their proceeding in the spring of 1809. It was expected at that time that the work would be prosecuted till the whole New Testament was published. These are the thirty languages into which an attempt has been made to translate the Sacred Scriptures. Of these, fourteen, exclu sive of the Assam and Nepala, are languages of Hindostan; Ch. Ob. vol. xi, p. 399. viz. the Tamul, Bengalee, Hin dostanee, Mahratta, Orissa, Shanscrit, Telinga, Guzerattee, Seek, Malayalim, Carnata, Afghan, Cashinirian, and Comarre; including almost all the dialects of that country. Three are spoken in India bes yond the Ganges; viz. the Bur man, Siamese, and Assam, (unless Assam be considered as be longing to Hindostan,) besides the Eastern Malay used in the peninsula of Malacca. Six are spoken in the islands; viz. the Eastern Malay, Cingalese, Western Malay, Maldivian, Bugis, and Macassar; besides the Tamul used in one district of Ceylon Seven are spoken in other parts of the continent of Asia; viz. the Persian, Chinese, Arabic, Jaghatai, Nepala, (unless Neipal be considered as belonging to Hindostan,) Turkish, and Calmuc. Except the Chinese and Burman, all the languages under the care of the Baptist Missionaries belong to Hindostan, if the Assam and Nepala may be considered as belonging to that country. Next to the Tamul, Eastern Malay and Bengalee, which are finished, and exclusive of the Cingalese, which is an old ver. sion of the whole New Testament and three books of the Old, the most forward of these Translations are the Orissa, Shanscrit, Mahratta, and Hindostanee, which on the 4th of October, 1811, were in the following state. VOL. V. New Series Orissa. New Testament printed; the Old Testament, except the Pentateuch and from Judges to 2 Kings inclusive, printed; Ruth also printed; the whole Bible translated except the Pentateuch. Shanscrit. New Testament, and the Old to the end of Joshua, printed; the translation advanced to 1 Kings, viii. Mahratta. New Testament and Genesis, with a second edi tion of the Gospels, printed; Old Testament translated, except from Joshua to 2 Kings inclusive and the Prophetical Books; and of this portion, Ruth, Lamentations,and Daniel were translated. Hindostanee. New Testa ment, with a second edition of the Gospels, printed, and Genesis in the press; the Old Testament translated to Job. Many languages still remain in Eastern Asia into which no part of the Scriptures is translated. These are, the language of Cabul, (and indeed in that province no less than eleven dif ferent tongues are said to prevail,) the languages spoken by different small nations of moun taineers to the north and east of India; the language of Bootan; those of Tartary; several in India beyond the Ganges; and many in the Islands. The exact number has not been ascertained, and it is difficult even to form a conjecture on the subject, as there are probably many tongues in the numerous islands, and some beyond the Ganges, which have never been noticed by Eu topeans. 39 RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. For the Panoplist. ON THE WORD BRETHREN AS THE Bible is written in a manher wisely suited to take strong hold of the hearts and understandings of men. In that quality of good writing which is de scribed by the epithet interesting, the word of God infinitely surpasses all other hooks. One great reason of this distinction is, that the Bible makes great use of those incidents in human affairs, and those relations in life, which are equally intelligible, and deeply felt, in all countries, in all stages of society, and at every period of the world. The relations of parents and children, brethren and sisters, husband and wife, are employed throughout the Scriptures to convey the most important instruction, in a manner which cannot fail to impress the heart of every attentive reader. It is my design to make a few remarks on the word Brethren as applied to Christians, and to shew that this single word teaches professed Christians their duty to each other, in the most forcible and affecting manner. The relation which subsists between the children of the same parents, has been regarded by the whole human race as naturally prompting to the most tender and unshaken friendship. Many of the heathens have felt and exquisitely described the power and tenderness of this re lation. In all Christian countries, the man who looks with indifference upon his brother's concerns, who does not sympathize with his brother in afflic tion, and rejoice with him in prosperity, is accounted unnat. ural and unfeeling. I now proceed to observe, that the scriptural application of the word Brethren to Christians teaches us, 1. That all Christians have a common father. This is so ob vious that it needs hardly to be mentioned; and yet it is full of the most serious instruction, and gives rise to many affecting considerations in the mind of every contemplative man. God is the Father of all men as their Creator; but he is, in a more endearing sense, the Father of those who are born again. Persons of this character he describes as begotten again to a lively hope, and, in another place, as begotten with the word of truth. In this high and spiritual sense, Christians are called the sons of God, are entitled to the privileges of children, and are made heirs to an inheritance incorruptible, un defiled, and reserved for them in heaven. Surely the idea that Christians have a common father, and that the everliving God stands in the relation of a spiritual Father to each one of them, may well endear them to each other, and unite them in the clos est bonds. 2. The word Brethren applied to Christians should remind them that they have a common interest. The children of earth ly parents, living under the same ry member of the family. They tion, increase, and purification of churches, in the settlement of faithful ministers, in the promotion of brotherly love, and in the present hopes and prospects of a better day for the church of God. Nor should they rejoice only; they should labor and pray and strive carnestly for the continuance of favorable prospects, and for the special interposition of God to save ruined men. How should they mourn over the progress of infidelity, the increase of vice, the neglect and profanation of divine ordinances, the multiplication of sects and heresies, the increase of false teach ers and blind guides, the delu-* sion of immortal souls to their final perdition, and the devices and partial triumphs of Satan. Nor should they mourn only; they should exert themselves to counteract evil by all lawful means, and, without intermission or weariness. If these observations are true, how do they reprove the actual conduct of professed Christians, and the actual state of their hearts and feelings. How engaged and earnest are they, at least many of them, about the perishing things of this world, the news of the day, the ordina ry politics, gain or loss, and future temporal prospects. Tell them of the conversion of a sin ner, or a revival of religion, and some of them are struck dumb; others make a few languid in quiries, and change the subject; while few burn with a celestial ardor, and appear inflamed with love to God, and animated by zeal to promote the salvation of men. I am often amazed when I look within myself, and then cast my eyes upon professed |
