"I daily converse with Chinese, but dare not so much as hint that I desire to stay here, or what my intention for coming is. Little merchants and tradesmen daily come to me, to know what I have got to sell, or what I wish to buy. I come to vend the pearl of great value, yet without asking money or price; but dare not tell my errand. I know that you will descend to the grave, praying for the success of your son in the faith of Jesus."
He subsequently resided in the factory of some American agents at Canton, who showed him great kindness, and promoted his views to the utmost of their ability. At first he conformed to the Chinese manners, both as to eating and dress, from an erroneous idea that this would recommend him to their kind notice; but when he discovered his error, he resumed the manners of a European. But so anxious was he to learn Chinese, that he prayed even in secret in it, when he was but very imperfectly acquainted with its idioms. He quite secluded himself from society for months, till his health began to suffer; and the first time he ventured out into the fields was in a moonlight night, under the escort of two Chinese.
In the beginning of 1809, he married Miss Morton, the eldest daughter of a medical gentleman there; and, accepted an appointment in the Company's factory, as Chinese translator, which unquestionably facilitated his perfect acquisition of the language, and added much to his domestic comfort. Such diligence and perseverance could not fail of success. From Macao, December 28, 1810, he thus writes:—
"I believe I was in Canton when I last wrote to you, via., the beginning of this year. I continued there till March, carrying on a discussion with the Chinese government respecting the alleged murder of a Chinaman. I obtained great eclât, by the public examination of witnesses. Every body was astonished, that in two years I should be able to write the language, and converse in the Mandarin and vulgar dialects. In consequence of that, three of the Company's servants determined to begin the study of Chinese; and I have during the summer been a regular Chinese tutor. I pray that the Lord may soon grant to me some from among the heathen, who will faithfully join in the promulgation of divine truth. I wish you had come with me to China: I want some humble, persevering fellow-labourer."
He regularly spent six months alternately at Macao and Canton, in compliance with the requisition of the Chinese policy, whose jealousy permits few foreigners to reside in the "celestial empire," as they proudly denominate it; but which, in consideration of an annual revenue, tolerates the Portuguese settlement on the insignificant island of Macao.
In a letter dated December 29, 1811, he states:—
"Sir George Staunton, who is very friendly to me, leaves the Company's service this year; and I am appointed to his place, as Chinese Secretary. This will confine me in Canton six months of the year. The Missionary Society judge it proper that I should be in this employment. It is far from being congenial with my taste or wishes, considered in itself. I greatly prefer entire devotedness to my missionary labours, and the perfecting, for future missionaries, a dictionary of the language."
This appointment, however, greatly increased his comforts and influence, and enabled him to perform some of those noble acts of Christian benevolence to be hereafter noticed.
About this time, though he had before been turned out of a miserable house, because its owner said he had converted it into a chapel, he commenced his exercises on the Lord's-day, by reading the "Harmony of the Gospels;" and afterwards continued it, by exhorting a few Chinese who attended, principally from his own household. These humble efforts were rendered, under the Divine blessing, the means of enlightening and converting several who are now actively engaged in the dissemination of Christian knowledge among their pagan countrymen. In 1810, he tried the practicability of printing the Scriptures, by revising and publishing the Acts of the Apostles, which he had brought out with him; for printing which he had paid the large sum of a dollar per copy—the price at which the whole New Testament has since been published—on account of the personal risk which those who engaged in it were supposed to run. Yet he was encouraged; and next year he finished his Grammar, and sent it to the press at Serampore, where the East India Company afterwards honourably defrayed the expense of its publication. About the same time he published his own translation of Luke's Gospel, and a tract which the Missionary Society had requested him to write, on "The Redemption of the World," and a catechism for the use of the Chinese. Thus he proceeded, step by step, till, in 1813, he finished his translation of the New Testament, having thus successfully toiled six years alone at the most difficult language on earth, and done what was quite enough to immortalize his name. The whole expense of the mission and translation had hitherto been borne by the Missionary Society; but about this time, on the presentation of a copy, first of one of the Epistles, and then of Luke's Gospel, translated into Chinese, the British and Foreign Bible Society twice voted £500. And soon after, on the presentation of the whole New Testament, they voted the noble sum of £1000; and this was subsequently munificently repeated, at different times, till, on the completion of the whole Bible, it amounted to the princely sum of £5000, without which, the work of translating the entire Scriptures would, probably, not have been accomplished.