[97] Missionary Herald. Vol. XLI. p. 138.
[98] Missionary Herald. Vol. XLI. p. 206.
[99] English Baptist Missionary Report for 1845. p. 9.
[100] It appears that the Baptist Missionary Society in the year ending in March, 1845,[A] expended in India $29,500, of which sum nearly $15,000, or rather more than one half, was expended in making translations of books into various languages. The remainder was for the support of the missionaries, their outfits and passages, the support of native teachers—schools &c. The languages and dialects which have been studied and elucidated and into which books have been translated may be summed up as follows.
32 languages and dialects in India,
4 do. do. in Persia and the Caucasian countries,
5 do. in China and the Indo-Chinese countries,
4 do. in Polynesia.
The translations consist of the whole or portions of the Scriptures; books on religious or moral subjects; elementary works on Science, popular Histories, geography, &c. Elementary books in the several departments of Science and History constitute the greater variety, though of the whole number of works distributed, the Bible and Testament constitute by far the greatest part. For example, the English Baptist Missionary Society printed and issued in the year ending March 1845, fifty-five thousand copies of the Bible and Testament in the Sanscrit, Bengali, Hindostani, and Armenian languages. The number of books printed and distributed in India by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was as follows.
Madras Mission. In the Tamil and English languages: The Scriptures or portions of them—books of a religious character—elementary school books—tracts—periodicals and reports of benevolent associations bearing on the cause of Christianity and the social and intellectual improvement of the population of India, there were printed at this single establishment, within a fraction of twenty-seven millions of pages—or, if in volumes of two hundred and seventy pages each, one hundred thousand volumes; but as there were many tracts, the number was doubtless double or treble. Besides this there are six other large establishments in Southern India, where books in the Tamil language are printed, all under the control of Missionary Societies.
Ceylon Mission. In the Tamil and English languages were printed during the year, twenty-three thousand seven hundred and forty-four volumes, and one hundred and forty-five thousand tracts, amounting to six million one hundred and fifty-six thousand pages.
Siam Mission. In the Siamese language were printed in two years two million four hundred and sixty-two thousand pages.
When so much is accomplished by one Society, how vast must be the influence exerted by the various Missionary and Tract Societies engaged in the same cause.