Two years before the baptism of these girls, the Bre thren were encouraged to take another, and most important step towards the attainment of their ultimate object in settling in this country. The Rev. Dr. Steinkoff had addressed several queries to the minister of SAREPTA, relative to the Calmucs, and the practicability of translating the Bible into their language, and circulating it among them; at the same time offering to the Brethren, if they would undertake the work, the most liberal aid from the British and Foreign Bible Society. The queries having been answered to the satisfaction of this excellent institution, the committee placed a sum of money at the disposal of the Brethren in SAREPTA, for the purchase of a set of types of the Calmuc language, (the characters of which amount to one hundred and fifty-two,) and accompanied this grant with the promise of further aid, if the translators proceeded in their labours. Animated by the cheering pros pect, thus opened to them, for extending the knowledge of the word of God among their numerous heathen neighbours, the Brethren entered with zeal on the important work of translating the New Testament. Previous correspondence with the British and Foreign Bible Society; the casting of the types, and various other circumstances, for a time retarded the work, so that the manuscript of the gospel of St. Matthew could not be forwarded for printing to Moscow till in the year 1812*.

A translation of the Scriptures into the Calmuc lan guage may justly be regarded as an object of great impor tance. According to the most authentic information, the Calmucs in the Steppe amount to upwards of sixty thousand souls. Beyond the limits of the Steppe, on the banks of the Wolga, there are about ten thousand of this tribe, who have nominally embraced christianity, and belong to the Greek church. Besides these, sixty-five thousand families, speaking the Calmuc language, migrated from Russia in 1791, and now live under the protection of China. The Calmucs are represented as con

The Brethren had previously translated detached parts both of the old and new Testaments; but as they had no version of an entire gospel, the work, had in fact to be commenced afresh.

G g

stituting only one of the three tribes, into which the nation of the Mongols is divided, who all employ nearly the same written language, and use the same alphabets. Hence it appears that next to the Turkish,‍ the Calmuc is the language most extensively spoken in Western and Eastern Tartary. And what promised greatly to promote the object of the Bible Society, and of our Brethren in translating and circulating the sacred volume, is, that all the clergy and the higher orders of the Calmucs can read and write*.

The desire of the Brethren in SAREPTA to extend the knowledge of the word of God, having received a fresh impulse by their engagements in translating the Bible; they once more directed their attention to the heathen in their neighbourhood; and being most generously assisted by a grant of 300% from the London Missionary Society †, recommenced a regular mission among the Calmucs, directing their endeavours, in the first instance, to the Torgots horde, living at a greater distance from SAREPTA than the Dorpots.

Every preparatory arrangement having been completed, and the two brethren J. Gottfried Schill and Christ. Huebner appointed for this service, they left SAREPTA on the 20th of May 1815. Their journey was long, and attended with great difficulties, some of which they could not have surmounted, if they had not been countenanced by the Russian government, and recommended by prince Galitzin. After passing through several Cossack villages, they arrived on the 29th at the residence of the Calmuc prince, thirty-five versts from Astrachan. They were introduced to him in his Kibitke, or tent, where he was sitting on a rough skin on the ground, barefooted, clad in black horse-fur, and a black silk cap on his head. He ordered chairs for them, but they declined the honour of sitting in his presence. Several dishes of food were set before them, served upon white plates, with silver knives, forks and spoons, much in the European manner. On sunday they

Reports of the British and Foreign Bible Society 1808 and 1813, and Owen's History of the British and Foreign Bible Society, Vol. i. 294–298. ↑ Twenty second Report of London Missionary Society.

breakfasted with him, and had much conversation. On another occasion they had an opportunity of witnessing their religious worship: twenty gellongs, or priests, were seated in two rows, each having a small bell in his hand; they observed a variety of ceremonies during their prayers; and their dresses were made of rich silks and coloured stuffs. Afterwards the missionaries paid a visit to the Lama in his Kibitke, who received them in a friendly manner, but spoke little. They were then introduced to another prince, who had lost the greater part of his subjects. He and others made many inquiries concerning the christian religion, expressing their surprise at its being so widely spread. With the assistance of this prince, who had engaged to instruct them, they diligently applied themselves to the learning of the language, but found the acquisition of it a very difficult task.

Towards the latter end of July the horde broke up, and removed to another place, where there was plenty of grass; but which in other respects proved exceedingly uncomfortable, being very damp and unhealthy. "Here," say the missionaries "we set up our Kibitke, which was speedily filled with toads, frogs, and other vermin, but we soon became accustomed to them. Provisions are very scarce and dear; milk and butter can scarcely be procured for money; we have no more coffee, and the water is hardly drinkable *."

A few extracts from their journals of 1816 shall conclude this chapter. The 22nd of October they write: "On this and the following day the demand for the gospel of St. Matthew was so great, that we distributed thirty copies. What surprised us most was, that many, to whom we had formerly offered them in vain, now eagerly begged for them. This, as might be expected, excited the jealousy of the gellongs, and especially of an aged priest, who lives in the neighbourhood of Astrachan, and is reputed very learned. He represented to the other gellongs, or priests, that their craft would be endangered, if this book were generally read by the

* Per. Acct. Vol. vi. p. 255.

common people. The dread of incurring the displeasure of the gellongs induced many to return their copies; but the alarm soon subsided, and in a few days numbers came, requesting to have the books back again. This, more than any thing, convinced us that they set some válue upon the gospel, and gave us reason to hope, that it would not be read in vain by them. A young man, who had received a copy, said, the gift of God is freely bestowed in this, for all may learn the way of salvation?' He then began to relate to all who were present, the contents of the gospel. We were astonished to find a Calmuc so well acquainted with the word of God. The testimony he bore to the truth, in the presence of others, induced us to hope that the Lord would, ere long, open the hearts of this nation. It gives us pleasure to perceive, that they begin to be uneasy about themselves, and to inquire what they must do to be saved *.”

The Rev. Dr. Paterson, who transmitted the journal, from which the preceding quotation is taken, adds in a letter of October 22nd 1817: "We have intelligence from our brethren of a much later date, from which it appears, that notwithstanding the opposition of the gellongs, the demand for the gospel has been so great that not a copy of those we sent remains undisposed of, and we are now printing a new and much larger edition. The news from other hordes is equally interesting, and the demand for the gospel very urgent. The tract, drawn up by Mr. Schmidt, has been well received and read with avidity. We have heard of several instances of individuals, who have repeated it from beginning to end by heart. A letter, lately received, informs us, that one of the leading men in a horde, near SAREPTA, died professing his faith in Christ alone for salvation. Brother Loos, who was present at the time of his death, had his body decently interred, instead of leaving it to be devoured by the wild beasts, as is usual among them. Surely all these things are encouraging †."

* Dub. Christ. Inst. 1818. p. 41. + Ibidem

CHAP. VIII.

UNSUCCESSFUL MISSIONS.

HAVING now completed the narrative of the missionary labours of the United Brethren in those countries, where they are still continued; the author had intended, here to conclude his work. On the suggestion of some of his friends, however, he has been induced to add the following concise account of several attempts, made by the Brethren, for propagating the gospel among other heathen nations, but which, from various causes, have finally proved unsuccessful.

1. LAPLAND. Three brethren, who had offered to begin a mission among the Laplanders, left Herrnhut in 1734, and after a residence of some months in Stockholm, arrived the following year at Tornea, from thence travelling through the whole of Swedish Lapland. But finding, that measures had already been adopted for the instruction of the natives, they repaired to that part of the country, which was subject to Russia. In Archangel they formed an acquaintance with some Samojedes, with whom they proposed to travel into their country. But, on applying for a passport, they were suspected of being Swedish spies, and thrown into prison, where they were confined for five weeks, in separate apartments. Hereupon they were sent to Petersburg. On their way, having to cross a lake, the ice broke. Two of the brethren and two of the soldiers, who escorted them, fell into the water; but the third brother succeeded in rescuing them from a watery grave. This kindness on his part won upon the soldiers, who acknowledged his humanity in not leaving them to be drowned, and thus recovering their own liberty by flight. The guard, who at first had treated them very roughly, now behaved with more kindness. After suffering a second confinement for five weeks, they were furnished with a passport to Lubec, and permitted