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Burmah.

The letter of brother Ranney, which we publish without curtailment, gives a very full view of our scripture operations in Burmah. To attempt to add anything to so complete an account, would be superfluous.

All lovers of the Bible, must be grieved at the announcement, in the postscript, of the failing health of the great pioneer of American Missions in Asia.

WILLIAM H. WYCKOFF, ESQ.

"MAULMAIN, January 20, 1850.

Cor. Sec. of American & Foreign Bible Society:

MY DEAR BROTHER,-By this month's Overland mail, I have the pleasure to send you my annual statement of issues from the Maulmain Printing Office, by which you will perceive that the number of pages of Scripture and parts of Scripture issued during the year 1849, is about the same as in 1848; the increase in 1849, being only a little more than 3000 pages.

You will not fail to notice how few of Peguan Testaments have been sent out, the number being but 17 copies. This is to be accounted for in the fact that there is now no Peguan Missionary in the field. This is greatly to be regretted. Amherst Province, of which Maulmain is the capital, has a Peguan population greater than that of any other race. It forms a part of the ancient Peguan Kingdom; and though the Burman conquerors have made endeavours to suppress the language,it is still spoken and transmitted down by every successive generation. The Peguans of the towns mostly are able to speak and read the Burmese language, but our Burmese Missionaries, on going into the interior, find their efforts every day baffled, in endeavoring to communicate with the masses through the medium of the Burmese. You will understand therefore, how much it is to be regretted that we have no Peguan Missionary. The kingdom of Siam contains also a large population of Peguans, carried away captive many years since from this country, and in 1847, the year in which the printing of the Peguan New Testament was completed, I sent nearly 400 copies to Siam, which were at once put into the hands of the people by our Missionaries at Bankok.

Burmah Proper still remains closed against us, notwithstanding which the Bible and other religious books and tracts, though few in number, find an entrance by means of traders, and our hearts are gladdened by hearing that there are places and people in Burmah proper where the word of God is held as a Treasure. There is no ground of hope whatever, that a Missionary can live and labor in Burmah proper, until there is a modification of the arbitrary Government. The present king is distinguished for his ignorance and intolerance; but it matters little who or what the king may be. The labors of former years by our Missionaries have made the priests sufficiently acquainted with Christianity, to know that its triumph would be their overthrow. They are the real rulers of the kingdom, and it is not strange that they should exert their influence against the Gospel. The arrogance and intolerance of government officials is continually being mani

fested in various ways at Rangoon against all foreigners. The treaty with England is disregarded, and Englishmen in several instances have been arbitrarily fined, imprisoned and tortured. These things are now suffered. Apparently no notice is taken of them by the Company's government, but it is believed they are not overlooked, and will not be forgotten. Another contest with Burmah will of course result in the subjugation of the country to British rule. We none of us doubt that God will, at no distant day, remove the obstacle which now hinders the preaching of the gospel in Burmah proper. How, we know not, but the way indicated above; >

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During the year now closed, the first edition of the Psalms in the Sgau Karen language has been printed, and two new tracts in the Burmese ; one entitled "The Ten Commandments," and the other "How do we know there is a God?" These tracts will be classed under the head of "Parts of Scrip ture," as they consist of portions of Scripture arranged in accordance with the subject presented in each.

Before the close of the year 1850, it is now believed the printing of the Bible in Sgau Karen will have been commenced, not at Tavoy, but at Maulmain. It may be delayed, however, for want of paper, there not being on hand a supply of an uniform quantity sufficiently large to complete an edition such as may be required. Indeed, we have but about 1000 reams of various qualities, and nearly 2000 reams are required for an edition of 3000 copies of the Bible, smaller than which, probably, it will not be deemed advisable to print.

The gospel of Luke, 500 copies, has been printed during the year in Pwo Karen, and I commenced a re-print of the gospel of Matthew, in the same dialect a few weeks since, but had to stop the work, there being no one in town to read the proof sheets. The printing of the New Testament as a whole in Pwo Karen is not yet commenced, nor has the manuscript been put into my hands.

Above I have endeavored to advise you as fully as practicable of the extent of our operations the past year in printing and circulating the word of God. in this benighted land. It would be gratifying to you, and to all who build their hopes of salvation upon the truths of the Bible, if I could also assure you that the Word has "free course and is glorified" in them by whom it is received. Though not able to do this, it is the privilege of all to know that "His word shall not return unto Him void." That it may prosper in the thing whereto it is sent," let us continue to labor and pray while we have opportunity.

Very sincerely, yours,

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THOMAS S. RANNEY.

P. S. We are concerned and anxious in regard to the health of Dr. Judson. Having had an attack of fever and dysentery,his recovery, though the disease is apparently conquered, is so slow, and his debility so considerable, that we fear the breaking up of his constitution is indicated. Having received some benefit from a short sea voyage, a change of residence to Amherst, upon the seaboard, it is hoped will help him still more.

2nd P. S. I have enclosed to you a Maulmain Price Current, and will thank you to give it to some of the Commercial men who are in the habit of trading with the East. Now that the carrying trade is thrown open, we are expecting oftener to see reports in Maulmain from America, for teak, timber, or rice, and a Price Current from here will be of use to make known what will sell here, and what may be obtained from here. If any one desires it, I can furnish a Price Current with some regularity.

Tavoy.

We have received the fourteenth annual report of the Tavoy Missionary Society, which contains quite an extended and a highly interesting account of the origin of the mission at Tavoy and a history up to July, 1848. Nothing is said in particular of the scripture operations of the mission. We find the follow

ing item concerning the printing for the year.

"The number of pages printed the last year, was 698,000.and 853,156 pages were issued from the Depository. The number of pages already printed the present year exceeds the number executed last year."

Since the foregoing was written, the fifteenth annual report of the same society, has reached us. It is principally occupied with accounts of the condition of the respective mission stations. Under the head of the Karen Mission Press is this statement:

"This branch of the Tavoy Mission has been in active operation the past year, and 2,096,960 pages were printed, and 849,676 pages issued from the Depository. Among the books printed

was an edition of 1000 copies of Genesis."

In the description of the course of study pursued at the Karen Theological School, occurs the following:

"The first exercise commences before six in the morning, and continues about two hours. The class took up the book of Matthew at the begining of the term, and went thoroughly through, with such portions at a time as could be passed over each morning as above stated. Two mornings and often more, were spent on a chapter. In the review however, a different method has been followed, and we are happy to say, with success. The class is required to repeat from memory the chapter to be explained. This is done by one individual after another repeating the whole, till it has been gone over three or four times, when one taken pro

miscuously in the class, takes up the chapter, still without looking at the book, and repeats it passage by passage and gives the meaning. In this way it is seen that the class have pretty well retained what they learned in first passing over the book. It may also be remarked here, that a similar method was pursued the last term, with the books of Acts and Revelation. The pupil is not required to repeat verbatim; but first to obtain in his mind the different subjects treated in the chapter and their connection with one another, and then to be able to present them in their order. There are many who never fail, when called upon, to present the whole chapter, and nearly verbatim."

The annexed letter from brother Bennett, contains the latest intelligence which we have received direct from Tavoy.

TAVOY, JUNE 10th, 1849.

MY DEAR BROTHER WYCKOFF.-I had the pleasure to receive the quarto bible for our chapel pulpit by the last arrival, and last Sabbath the Scriptures were read from it for the first time in our desk.

Please present to the committee of the American & Foreign Bible Society our thanks and gratitude for the donation.

I had the the pleasure of printing 1000 copies of Genesis, for the American & Foreign Bible Society in December last,and designed to have rendered an account ere this, but I soon after went upon my jungle tours, and when I returned, I was laid up for a time with the jungle fever, and though relieved for a time it returned no less than three times; but I hope now the enemy has been effectually routed. Besides I have had so many other duties to perform, the rendering the account for the printing of Genesis has remained until the present, and will be found below.

The American and Foreign Bible Society,

1848

To Karen Mission Press, Dr.

Dec.-To printing an edition of Genesis, 144 p. 12 mo.

2 Compositors at 12 Rs. each per month, for 20 days labor, Rs. 16.

1 Pressman 1-3 of a month,

Folding, sewing and binding,

13 Reams of Paper 6 Rs. each,

My own superintendence, 1-2 a month,

4.

12.

78.

75.

Cos. Rs. 185, or

$84,10. This is furnishing a copy put up in stiff covers, for 8 1-2 cents.

Had the edition been 2000, they would have been furnished for about 6 cts. per copy, 3000 at 5 cents per copy, and 5000 at 4 cents per copy. The first edition of the New Testament was executed here for a little less than $2000 of 2000 copies, bound in leather.

As Mr. Mason the Translator is to return here at the close of the rains, pos

sibly the Old Testament will be printed here, where the pay of workmen is much less than it is in Maulmain, and stock is the same in both places.

If the work should be done here, I shall endeavor to get it into 1 vol. large 8vo. which I fancy can be done in the small type I had executed while in America.

The only printing I am now executing is an Arithmetic, and the 3rd vol. of the Thesaurus, or Karen Dictionary all in native character.

The Vocabulary of the Sgau dialect, left unfinished when Mr. Wade left, has been completed and printed.

Perhaps the Pentateuch will be printed in a small volume before the Old Testament is carried through the press as a whole. But more of this hereafter.

Im a still interested in the operations of the Bible Society, and hope more will be done to spread the volume of Divine truth at home, as well as abroad. I am, dear brother,

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Siam has never occupied a very large share of attention on the part of this Society. But we think that the prospect of the future is favorable to a development of enlarged sources of interest in the progress of the mission there established. The operations conducted by the mission, have been quietly but steadily progressing, and there is reason to hope that the time is not far distant when the scriptures in the native tongue will be extensively circulated.

We have received from the Missionaries a printed sketch of the various attempts made of late years by different denominations to evangelize Siam. Nearly all these attempts have failed, or have been discontinued, except the enterprise conducted by Baptists.

The annexed letter from brother J. H. Chandler furnishes a pretty full account of the scripture printing at Bangkok. It will be borne in mind that the expenses alluded to, are exclusively confined to the printing department, while the applications to us by the Missionary Union for appropriations for Siam, embrace also the expenses of the translation and circulation of the Sacred Scrip

tures.

WM. H. WYCKOFF, ESQ.,

BANGKOK, SIAM, October 22,

1849.

Cor. Sec. of American & Foreign Bible Society. DEAR BROTHER: I had the pleasure of receiving your letter of February 16, 1849, on the 16th instant. You have probably learned ere this that

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