tihxavy of t^e theological ^tmimvy 
 
 PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Mrs. Sanford H. Smith 
 
 ^. .... .. , ...3 1852 
 
 Clement, Jesse, 1815- 
 Memoir of Adoniram Judson 
 
Engraved fcy J.C3-attre. 
 
 (7 
 
 -^^^^yY r/^O 7^1 -z^/ ^f^Z-'-r^f ^ /-/ r-^ "^^f:^ O-^KL 
 
FOURTH THOUSAND. 
 
 MEMOIR 
 
 ADONIKAM JUDSON: 
 
 BEING A SKETCH OF 
 
 HIS LIFE AND MISSIONARY LABORS. 
 
 BY J. CLEMENT, 
 
 ▲VTHOR OP "noble deeds OF AMERICAN WOMEN." 
 
 '* Knowest ihou the leader of that train, who toil 
 The everlasting Gospel's light to shed 
 On earth's benighted climes? " 
 
 AUBURN: 
 DERBY AND MILLER. 
 
 1852. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in (he year 1851, 
 
 BY DERBY & MILLER, 
 
 In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States for 
 the Northern District of New York. 
 
\t jfxlnh pf (CjiriBtian JHiHsinnH, 
 
 AND 
 
 ADMIRERS OF MORAL HEROISM, 
 
 THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The preparation of this work was not a self-imposed task : 
 it was undertaken at the solicitation of the publishers, and 
 by the request of parties to whom we look for an assignment 
 of labors. 
 
 No one can be more sensible than is the writer, of his 
 unworthiness to be associated, in the relation of biogra- 
 pher, with the good man, an outline of whose missionary- 
 toils is presented in these pages. So much veneration is 
 attached to his name, and such solemn grandeur to his 
 character, that it may be deemed sacrilegious presumption 
 for an unpretending layman to endeavor to perpetuate the 
 one or to portray the other. Nor have we attempted either, 
 save as a plain recital of his pioneer and persevering efiforts 
 for the spiritual freedom and eternal salvation of the millions 
 of idolatrous Burmah may conduce to that end. 
 
 True, even a meager sketch of his hfe-work must disclose 
 most of his noble traits of character; and it is to be hoped 
 that the contour of the more prominent may be discernible 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 in this volume. His firmnjcss and elevation of principle, 
 expansive conceptions of christian duty, simplicity and in- 
 flexibility of faith, and fervor and enthusiasm of piety, are 
 apparent in the portions of his journal and letters which we 
 have inserted; and his practical judgment, strong executive 
 capacities, untiring patience, and profound philological and 
 other literary attainments, are exhibited in the nature, 
 amount, and excellence of his labors, at which this work 
 repeatedly hints. If there is any one trait which is not 
 developed in the following pages, it is benevolence. Much 
 of it, however, is implied in the fact, that he gave thirty- 
 eight years of manly toil for the redemption of a people 
 who robbed him under the vail of taxes cruelly levied, 
 loaded him with fetters, cast him into dungeons and death- 
 prisons, drove him bare-footed over burning sands, and, 
 finally, to bar him from the heart of the empire and from 
 the "golden presence," swung against his philanthropic heart 
 the iron gates of intolerance. But he gave more than his 
 days to the cause of Missions — more than his comforts a 
 martyr to persecution: about fifteen hundred dollars re- 
 ceived for the memoir of his second wife, and between four 
 and five thousand dollars presented as a reward for his 
 services as interpreter during the English and Burman war, 
 were put into the treasury of the Lord. All he was, all 
 he had, all he received, he cheerfully laid on the altar 
 of Missions; and while, by divine grace, he was enabled 
 to point others to imperishable riches, so far as it respects 
 
PREFACE. VU 
 
 this world's goods he himself died a poor man. The only 
 legacy he has left, for an invalid widow and several children, 
 is a great and good name and a precious memory. And it 
 may not be improper, in this connection, to mention that, 
 with commendable generosity, the publishers of this work 
 have voluntarily pledged themselves, in case profits should 
 accrue from its sale, to donate a liberal portion to the sur- 
 viving members of the Judson family. For this reason, if 
 for no other, we could wish the work had higher merits, 
 and brighter anticipations of public favor. 
 
 In order that it might not be deemed valueless, we have 
 made it as autobiographical as was consistent with our plan. 
 Nearly half of these pages are extracts from Mr. Judson's 
 writings, in which he details, in his modest yet highly at- 
 tractive manner, his efforts to sow the seed of divine truth 
 beside the waters of Burmah. For his interesting narratives 
 of jungle tours, adventures at the capital of Burmah Proper, 
 and errands of mercy along the shores of the Indian seas, 
 and across the mighty deep, we are mainly indebted to the 
 " Mssionary Magazine," to files of which, from its com- 
 mencement, we have had access. We have drawn so largel}^ 
 upon the rich fruits of his pen, that, should our name be 
 used in connection with the work, we may with most pro- 
 priety be regarded in the light of a compiler. Essential aid 
 has been derived from other pens, from those of Knowles, 
 Gammell, Choules, Malcom, and others, to whom indebted- 
 ness is acknowledo-ed elsewhere. 
 
Vm PREFACE. 
 
 In sketchino- the life and labors of Mr. Judson, we have 
 incorporated as much missionary intelligence, particularly 
 wich reference to the stations where he labored, — those 
 in Burmali Proper and the province of Maulmain, — as 
 could be compressed within our prescribed hmits. 
 
 So far as the work professes to be historical, great pains 
 have been taken to make it reliable. It is not improbable, 
 however, that an error, here and there, may have escaped 
 notice. We have consulted no author who is faultless in 
 in dates ; and if, in some instances, we have been misled by 
 works that are denominated standard, and have received 
 indiscriminate and unqualified praise, and in others are 
 guilty of misleading by our own carelessness, we have only 
 to ask of the candid critic, whose services we covet rather 
 than deprecate, that our faults be pointed out in kindness 
 and christian love. 
 
 Two or three works, commemorative of the name and 
 services of Mr. Judson, have already appeared; and one of 
 them, a lengthy and eloquent discourse on his life and 
 character, is of so low a price, yet of so high a value, 
 as to bring it within the reach of all, and to ensure its 
 introduction into thousands of families, where a costly work 
 might never gain access. 
 
 No volume, however, that has yet appeared, possesses 
 sufficient fullness to be entitled to the name of "Life'' of 
 Mr. Judson. While this one and its predecessoi-s, may 
 serve a humble purpose, in some instances, finding their 
 
PREFACE. Uf 
 
 way into hands where a more expensive one would not, 
 and in others, creating or sharpening an appetite for one 
 of naore ambitious pretensions, a work of the larger class 
 is demanded, and, we are happy to say, is in a course 
 of preparation. The small volume which we have pre- 
 pared, can not be regarded as its rival, but may serve in 
 the humble capacity of a John Baptist, to herald a worthier. 
 
 J. C. 
 
 Buffalo, Aug. 7, 1851. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 page 
 
 Mr. Judsoa's Birth, Education, and Conversion — Desires to be- 
 come a Missionary — "V^isits England — Appointment as a 
 Mfssionary — Marriage and Embarkation for India. . . 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 An-ival of the Missionaries at Calcutta — Their 111 Treatment 
 by the Bengal Government — Change of Religious Sentiment, 
 and Baptism of Messrs. Judson and Rice 27 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Embarkation for the Isle of France — Return of Mr. Rice to 
 America — Mr. Judson sails for Madras and thence for Ran- 
 goon — Sketch of the English Mission at Rangoon — Descrip- 
 tion of the Place — Character of the Burmans — Their Religion. 35 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Early Labors of Mr. Judson at Rangoon — Missionary Move- 
 ments among American Baptists — Mr. Judson's Literary 
 Progress — Death of the First Born 48 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 Mr. Judson joined by Mr. Hough — Printing in the Burman 
 Language — First Inquirers after Truth — Mr. Juason sails 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 Tag* 
 for Cliittagong — Driven out of liis Course and Delayed — 
 Mr. Hough goes to Bengal — Mr. Judson returns to Rangoon — 
 Heroic Conduct of Mrs. Judson. 58 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Appointment of Messrs. Colman and Wheelock — Erection of a 
 Zayat — Early Labors thereat — Conversion and Baptism of 
 Moung Nau — Death of the King — Revision of the First 
 Tract — Death of Mr. Wheelock 68 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 New Inquirers, with a Description of one of them — More Bap- 
 tisms — Signs of Persecution — Mr. Judson decides to visit 
 tho King. 78 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Messrs. Judson and Colman embark for the Capital — Voyage 
 up the Irrawaddy — Introduction to the King — His Rejection 
 of their Petition — They return to Rangoon — Interview with 
 the Native Converts — Mr. and Mrs. Colman go to Chittagong — 
 Death of Mr. Colman 86 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 More Conversions — Progress of the work of translating the New 
 Testament — Sickness of Mrs. Judson — Mr. Judson repairs 
 with her to Bengal — Tlieir Return — The Native Converts — 
 The New Viceroy — Moung Ing — Mrs. Judson's 111 Health, 
 and Departure for America — Clouds — Their Dispersion — 
 Arrival of Dr. Price — Return of Mr. Hough, . . 100 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Mr. Judson and Dr. Price visit Ava — Favorable Recej^tion of the 
 Former — Mr. Judson's Interviews with Moung Zah, with tlie 
 King, and Prince M. — Mr. Judson's Negotiations for a Build- 
 ing Lot — Sufficiently gains the End for which he had visited 
 the Capital, and retui'ua to Rangoon — State of the Mission 
 tkere. • ... 117 
 
CONTENTS. atffl 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Pag. 
 
 Mr. Judson returns to Burmah — Mr. and Mrs. "Wade accompany 
 Her — Mr. and Mrs. Judson go to Ava — Coldness of their 
 Reception — Formal Removal of tlie Seat of Government from 
 Amarapura — War with the Bengal Government — Bombard- 
 ment of Rangoon, and Persecution of the Missionaries there — 
 Messrs. Hough and Wade go to Calcutta, . . . 129 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Movements at Ava, on the Fall of Rangoon — Arrest, Examina- 
 tion, and Discharge of Mr. Judson and Dr. Price — Their Con- 
 finement and Sufferings in the Death Prison — Persecution, 
 Trials, and Heroic Conduct of Mrs. Judson. . . . 143 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Mr. Judson and other Prisoners taken to Oung-pen-Ia — Cause 
 of their Removal — Mrs. Judson follows her Husband — Suf- 
 ferings of the Judson Family — Progress of the EngUsh 
 Army up the Irrawaddy — Messrs. Judson and Price taken 
 from Prison to assist in Negotiations for Peace — Sickness of 
 Mrs. Judson — War Closes — Dr. Price remains at Ava — His 
 Death — Mr. and Mrs. Judson go to Rangoon. . . . 163 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Retrospect of the Mission — Mr. and Mrs. Judson remove to 
 Amherst — Mr. Judson goes to Ava, in connection with the 
 English Embassy — Returns to Amherst — Death of Mrs. Jud- 
 son — Return of Mr. and Mrs. Wade, accompanied by Mr. and 
 Mrs. Boardman — Death of Mr. Judson's Daughter. . . 176 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Establishment of the Maulmain Mission, by Mr. Boardman — 
 Messrs. Judson and Wade remove thither — Mr. Boardman re- 
 moves to Tavoy — His Death — Mr. Judson renounces the 
 Title of D. D. — Arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett — Messrs. 
 Judson and Wade visit Rangoon — Mr. Judson proceeds to 
 rrome—His Return to Rangoon. . , . ', 188 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Page. 
 Labors of Mr. Judson at Rangoon — Removal to Manlmain — 
 Arrival of Messrs. Mason, Kincaid, and Jones — Mr. Judson 
 travels in the Jungle, and establishes the Christian Communi- 
 ties of Wadesville, Newville, and Chummerah — Another Tour 
 among the Karens. 205 
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 Arrival of Mr. Cutter — Messrs. Kincaid and Cutter visit Ava — 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wade sail for the United States — Arrival of 
 Messrs. Brown and Webb, and Miss Harrington — Mr. Judson 
 completes the Translation of the Bible — Marries Mrs. Board- 
 man — Return of Mr. and Mrs. Wade with Messre. Howard, 
 Vinton, Comstock, Dean, and Osgood, and Miss Gardner — 
 Mr. Judson's Labors — Mr. Malcom's Visit — Growth of the 
 Churches 218 
 
 CHAPTER XVIIL 
 
 Retrospect of Mr. Judson's Career — Review of the Progress of 
 Baptist Missions — Illness of Mr. Judson, Voyage to Calcutta 
 and Return — Maulmain Theological Seminary, and other 
 Schools — Revised Edition of the Burman Bible — Rangoon 
 abandoned by the Missionaries — The Judson Family visit 
 Calcutta and Serampore — Loss of a Member — The Survivors 
 proceed to the Isle France — Return to Maulmain. . . 231 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Mr. Judson commences a Burman Dictionary — Labors of his As- 
 sociates — Condition of the Maulmain Mission Churches — 
 Printing — Manlmain Missionary Society — Arrival of Messrs. 
 Binney and Bullard — Baptismal Scene, &c. — Illness of Mrs. 
 Judson — Mr. Judson decides to visit America. . . 244 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Embarkation of the Judson Family for the United States — 
 Hopes and Fears, and Changes of Plans at the Isle of France— 
 
CONTENTS. XV 
 
 rage. 
 
 Voyage continued — Mrs. Judson's last Hours — Her Death 
 and Burial at St. Helena — Mr. Judson arrives in Boston — 
 His Reception there — Dr. Sharp's Address — An Incident. 256 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 Mr. Judson at the Meeting of the Convention in 1845 — Dr. 
 Wayland's Address to him — Interesting Scene in tl/O Con- 
 rentiou — Mr. Judson's Reception at Richmond — Address of 
 J. B. Jeter — Mr. Judson's Private Character — He marries 
 Miss Chubbuck — Farewell Services in Boston — Mr. Judson's 
 Address 273 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Judson embark for Burmah — Messrs. Beecher and 
 Harris, and Miss Lillybridge accompany them — Changes at 
 Maulmain — Growth of the Churches there — Mr. and Mrs 
 Judson repair to Rangoon — State of Civil and Religious Mat- 
 ters in Burmah Proper — Return to Maulmain — Arrival of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Moore — Newton and Maulmain Stations. . . 294 
 
 CHAPTER XXIli. 
 
 Christian Reciprocity — Mr. Judson proposes to visit Ava — 
 Temporary Abandonment of the Project — Failure of Mr. 
 Abbott to re-enter Burmah Proper — Messrs. Kincaid and 
 Daweon appointed to the Ava Mission — Latest Intelligence 
 from them — The Burman Dictionary 309 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Mr. Judson's last Illness — Fruitless Efforts for his Restoration — 
 Beautiful Decline of a Life of Faith — Mr. Judson embarks for 
 the Isle of Bourbon — Mr. Ranney accompanies him — Last 
 Moments of Mr. Judson — His Death and Burial. . . 321 
 
OUTLIl^E 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LIFE AND MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 OP 
 
 REV. ADONIRAM JUDSON. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Mr. Jiidson's Birth, Education, and Conversion — Desires to become a Mis 
 sionary— Visits England — Appointment as a Missionary — Marriage and En- 
 barkation for India. 
 
 Adonieam Judson was the son of a Congrega J 
 ' tional clergyman, and was born in Maiden, Massa- 
 chusetts, on the 9th of Angnst, 1788. His father 
 early and anxiously strove to imbue his mind with 
 the principles of the divine word, and to develop 
 his moral sensibilities; but, as is frequently the\ 
 case, the seed seasonably sown did not take root] 
 immediately, nor show any promise for years. The 
 son fitted for college in an impenitent state, and 
 graduated at Brown University, in 1807, a deist in 
 sentiment, and with the prospect that his talents 
 and learning would be of no service to the world. 
 But He, who sees the end from the beginning, and 
 brings wondrous things to pass, had marked out 
 for our young graduate a path which led through 
 
 3 
 
18 THE MISSIONARY LABOKS 
 
 the valley of humiliation, across fields of highest 
 usefulness, and over the hill- tops of the morally 
 sublime. 
 
 Soon after leaving college, he commenced a tour 
 designed to embrace the United States, but had 
 hardly entered upon it, before some providential 
 occurrence shattered his skeptical sentiments, and 
 led him to examine the evidences of the inspiration 
 of Scripture. Restless and unhappy; losing all 
 relish for traveling; sick of the vanities of the 
 world, and tired of feeding his famishing spirit on 
 the husks of unbelief and sin, he returned to his 
 father's house, and soon raised the important in- 
 quiry, " "What must I do to be^ saved ?" 
 
 A short time before this date, the theological 
 seminary at Andover, in his native state, had been 
 opened ; and he now became anxious to avail him- 
 self of its superior advantages for the investigation 
 of religious truth. According to its rules, no one 
 could be admitted without evidence of piety; but, 
 notwithstanding this embarrassing circumstance, he 
 was so eager to obtain religious instruction, that, 
 without attempting to conceal his moral unfitness, 
 he presented himself for membership. It was a 
 singular request, and might, under some circum- 
 stances, have received the prompt refusal of the 
 faculty; but, in this instance, they wisely decided 
 to so far deviate from their regulations, as to allow 
 him to remain and receive instruction, though he 
 was not, at first, enrolled among the theological 
 students. In two or three months he became the 
 
OF ADOXIRAM JUDSON". 19 
 
 subject of renewing grace, and tliere was no longer 
 any doubt about the ]3roprietj of considering him a 
 regular member of the institution. 
 
 With his pride measurably subdued, and his am- 
 bition sanctitied, he was now prepared to live for 
 some high purpose. Feeling the power of the gos- 
 pel, and anxious that the world might reap its 
 benefits, he applied himself, with the utmost dili 
 gence, to fit himself for the ministry. 
 
 AYhile engaged in his theological studies, Dr. Bu- 
 chanan's sermon, entitled " The _Star in the East," 
 fell into his hands, and its perusal kindled all the 
 fire of his soul into a living and quenchless flame, 
 and gave his thoughts a new direction. The scope 
 of his christian sympathies became enlarged; the 
 tone of his prayers was changed, and their subjects 
 multiplied ; and he hinted to some of his intimate 
 friends, that it was, perhaps, his duty to engage 
 in missionary labor. There was then no society 
 in this country to which he coidd look for support, 
 and the persons to whom he communicated his 
 impressions, gave him but little encouragement; he 
 therefore wrote to the directors of the London Mis- 
 sionary Society, stating his feelings on the subject 
 of missions, and asking for advice and information. 
 His letter elicited an encom-aging reply, and he was 
 invited to visit England, and receive personally the 
 information desired. 
 
 About this time, several of iiis fellow students 
 also had their attention called to the subject of 
 missions, and some of them resolved to embark in 
 
20 THE MISSIONARY LAB0K3 
 
 the enterprise as soon as a way could be provided. 
 They were all Congregationalists ; and were desirous 
 that their christian brethren should know their feel- 
 ings and impressions of duty: accordingly, when 
 the Massachusetts association of ministers of that 
 denomination met at Bradford, in June, 1810, the 
 following document, prepared by Mr. Judson, and 
 signed by himself, Samuel Nott, Samuel J. Mills, 
 and Samuel Newell, was presented : 
 
 " The undersigned, members of the divinity col- 
 lege, respectfully request the attention of their rev- 
 erend fathers, convened in the general association at 
 Bradford, to the following statement and inquiries : 
 
 " They beg leave to state, that their minds have 
 been long impressed with the duty and importance 
 of personally attempting a mission to the heathen; 
 that the impressions on their minds have induced 
 a serious and, they trust, a prayerftd consideration 
 of the subject in its various attitudes, particularly in 
 relation to the probable success, and the difficulties 
 attending such an attempt ; and that, after examin- 
 ing all the information which they can obtain, they 
 consider themselves as devoted to this work for life, 
 whenever God, in his providence, shall open the way. 
 
 " They now offer the following inquiries, on which 
 they solicit the opinion and advice of this associa- 
 tion: Whether, with their present views and feel- 
 ings, they ought to renounce the object of missions 
 as visionary or impracticable; if not, whether they 
 ought to direct their attention to the eastern or the 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. SI 
 
 western world ; whether they may expect patronage 
 and support from a missionary society in this coun- 
 try, or must commit themselves to the direction of a 
 European society; and what preparatory measures 
 they ought to take previous to actual engagement? 
 "The undersigned, feeling their youth and inexpe- 
 rience, look up to their fathers in the church, and re- 
 spectfully solicit their advice, direction, and prayers." 
 
 This paper was referred to a special committee, 
 who, after much deliberation and prayer, reported, 
 in substance. That the object of missions is one of 
 the utmost importance ; that the command, " Go ye 
 into all the world, and preach the gospel to every 
 creature," is sacred and binding ; and that the pecu- 
 liar and strong convictions by which the memorial- 
 ists were influenced, should probably be regarded 
 as a divine intimation in respect to the duty of 
 American christians in the work of spreading the / 
 truth. It was voted " That there be instituted, by this j 
 general association, a Board of Commissioners for i 
 Foreign Missions, for the pm^pose of devising ways 
 and means, and adopting and prosecuting measures 
 for promoting the spread of the gospel in heathen 
 lands." Such was the origin of an organization 
 which soon rallied to its support the concentrated 
 forces of the Congregationalists and Presbyterians 
 throughout the United States ; and which had, in a 
 few years, established its missions at Bombay, Cey- 
 lon, Siam, on the MediteiTanean, in the Sandwich 
 Islands, and among several tribes of Indians, and 
 
23 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 identified itself with many of the noblest triumphs 
 of truth in modern times. 
 
 Anxious to be engaged in the work for which 
 their hearts yearned, Mr. Judson and his compan- 
 ions desired a prompt official assignment of their 
 stations; but no plan of operation being matured, 
 and no funds raised, the Board advised them to 
 continue their connection with the institution, and 
 to wait patiently until Providence should open the 
 way for their departure. 
 
 The missionary spirit had then warmed but few 
 hearts in America, and Mr. Judson feared that, if he 
 depended for su2)port on the churches at home, he 
 might not be appointed for years ; he therefore, by 
 permission of the Board, sailed for England in Jan- 
 uary, 1811, with instructions to ascertain whether 
 the London Society would cooj)erate with the Amer- 
 ican Board, and whether the former would render 
 any aid, should the latter need it, in order to sustain 
 a mission. The vessel in which he embarked, was 
 captured by a French privateer, about twenty days 
 after sailing, and he was detained several weeks on 
 board. He was then taken to Bayonne, and thrown 
 into prison. Through the intercession of some of 
 his own countrymen, he was, ere long, released on 
 parol, and after some delay and great exertions, the 
 emperor was induced to grant him a passport. He 
 had been so long delayed that he did not reach 
 England until May — four months after sailing. 
 
 His mission to London was not wholly unsuccess- 
 ful, though he was unable to secure a concert of 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 23 
 
 measures between the two missionary associations. 
 The London body doubtless thought that American 
 christians should support missionaries of their own, 
 nor had they much faith in the successful working 
 of a jurisdiction divided by an ocean three thousand 
 miles wide. The directors of the foreign society, 
 however, promised full support to Mr. Judson and 
 his associates, in case of failure to do as much on 
 the part of the American Board. Leaving the mat- 
 ter in this indefinite state, Mr. Judson returned. 
 
 A meeting of the Board of Commissioners was 
 held at AVorcester, Mass., in September following,, 
 and Mr. Judson and one of his associates attended, 
 and expressed a desire to be appointed, if the Board 
 thought proper, without delay. They also stated, 
 that if the Board did not feel warranted in promis- 
 ing them support, they would, if no serious objections 
 were made, put themselves under the patronage of 
 the foreign society. The prospect of a war between 
 the United States and Great Britain seemed to ren- 
 der it necessary that the course to be adopted should 
 be decided upon at once. The American Board had 
 been organized but three months; its funds were 
 scanty; and what dependence could be ]3laced on 
 the liberality of the churches, was then unknown ; 
 nevertheless, trusting in God to fui'ther their efforts, 
 the Board nobly decided to establish a mission in 
 Burmah. This decision made, the proffered services 
 of the young students were needed ; and Messrs. 
 Judson, Newell, Is'ott, and Gordon Hall, were forth- 
 with appointed. Three others, among whom was 
 
24: THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 Luther Rice, were soon afterward set apart to the 
 same work. 
 
 When at Bradford, in the year 1810, Mr. Judson 
 became acquainted with Miss Ann Ilasseltine, a 
 native of that town, and the daughter of Mr. John 
 Hasseltine. She was then in the twenty-first year 
 of her age; had been educated at the celebrated 
 academy located there; and possessing a polished, 
 active, clear, and strong mind, ardent piety, and a 
 prepossessing person, she made a deep and abiding 
 impression on his heart. Their acquaintance was 
 soon afterward renewed, and ere long Mr. Judson 
 offered her his hand, accompanied by the proposi- 
 tion for her to forsake not only her parents, birth- 
 place, and friends, but native land also : hence, to 
 accept his offer required no ordinary decision of 
 character. She examined the subject in all its bear- 
 ings, and after much prayer, with few earthly friends 
 to encourage her, she decided, from conviction of 
 duty which she could not resist, that, with her pa- 
 rents' consent, she would encounter the hardships 
 and dangers attendant uj^on an unbroken missionary 
 path. 
 
 In compliance with a hint from Miss Ilasseltine, 
 Mr. Judson wrote to her father asking his consent 
 to the proposed union. The following extract shows 
 the candor and frankness of Mr. Judson; his devo- 
 tion of purpose, and sense of the sacrifice a parent 
 must make in giving up a daughter under such pe- 
 culiar circumstances : 
 
OF ADONIRA]M JUDSON. 25 
 
 " I have now to ask, whether yon can consent to 
 part with your daughter early next spring, to see her 
 no more in this workl ; whether yon can consent to 
 her departm-e for a heathen land, and her subjection 
 to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life? 
 whether you can consent to her exposure to the dan- 
 gers of the ocean ; to the fatal influence of the Si3uth- 
 ern climate of India; to every kind of want and 
 distress ; to degradation, insult, persecution, and per- 
 haps a violent death? Can you consent to all this, 
 for the sake of Him who left his heavenly home, and 
 died for her and for you — for the sake of perishing 
 immortal souls — for the sake of Zion, and the glory 
 of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon 
 meeting your daughter in the world of glory with a 
 crown of righteousness, brightened by the acclama- 
 tions of praise which shall redound to her Saviour 
 from heathens saved, through her means, from eter- 
 nal woe and despair ? " 
 
 The parent thus honorably addressed, obeyed the 
 voice of duty at the sacrifice of feeling, and gave his 
 daughter to the cause of missions, for the sake of the 
 first great Missionary, who had freely given his life 
 a ransom for many. Mr. Hasseltine's was the first 
 offering of the kind in America ; it was made under 
 the most trying circumstances, and shows, that love 
 for Christ can loosen the coils of selfishness, and that 
 faith can relinquish the brightest jewels of the heart. 
 
 The marriage took place at Bradford, on the 
 6th of February, 1812. On the 16th, Mr. Judson, 
 
26 MISSIONARY LABORS. 
 
 together with Messrs. Newell, ISTott, Eice, and Hall, 
 was ordained as a foreign missionary, at Salem. It 
 was the first ceremony of the kind ever performed 
 by American Protestants. From its novelty and 
 importance it was fraught with peculiar interest, 
 and an unusual degree of excitement. Drs. Griffin, 
 "Woods, Morse, Worcester, and Spring, conducted the 
 exercises. 
 
 On the 19th of the same month, Messrs. Judson 
 and ISTewell, with their wives, sailed from Salem, in 
 the Caravan, for Calcutta. The enterprise in which 
 they that day embarked was in its infancy in this 
 land ; only here and there a christian had faith in its 
 expediency or success ; and, hence, when our young 
 missionary adventurers went down to the shij), but 
 few persons accompanied them. With scarcely a 
 parting hand to take at the vessel's side ; without a 
 formal christian benediction to comfort them, or an 
 inspiring anthem to drown the chilling roar of the 
 wintry surge, and carry their souls on buoyant wings 
 to heaven, they weighed anchor, floated out of the 
 harbor, and, as they supposed, lost sight forever of 
 their native land. 
 
 On the Sttth of the same month, Messrs. !N"ott and 
 Hall, with their wives, and Mr. Rice, sailed from 
 Philadelphia, in the ship Harmony, all bound for 
 Calcutta. Thence, if practicable, they were to pro- 
 ceed to the Burman empire ; otherwise they were to 
 seek such unoccupied field in India as seemed the 
 most inviting. 
 
CHAPTEE II. 
 
 Arrival of the Missionaries at Calcutta — Their III Treatment hy the Bensral 
 Government— Change of Religious Sentiment, and Baptism of Messrs. Jud- 
 eon and Rice. 
 
 The first American heralds of the gospel to the 
 heathen were now afloat upon the traclvless deep, 
 bearing toward their field of contemplated labor; 
 and it was an important epoch in the history of 
 onr churches. The question, What will be the result 
 of this movement ? must have occupied many minds, 
 and received answers corresponding to the degree 
 of faith animating the souls of the self-questioners. 
 Some, doubtless, saw, in imagination, the wreck of 
 the Caravan, the loss of its precious freight, and the 
 termination of the enterprise ; others, perhaps, beheld 
 these adventurous pioneers w^ilting beneath a tropic 
 sun on a foreign shore, or perishing at the hands 
 of the ungrateful and benighted people to whom 
 they had been commissioned to carry the message 
 of salvation; and a few had hopes — though proba- 
 bly not the strongest — that a mission might be es- 
 tablished which would be permanent, powerful, and 
 
28 THE MISSIONAKY LABOES 
 
 ramifying. But who, among the most sanguine 
 friends of the great enterprise, had even the faintest 
 conception of its importance, the magnanimity in 
 reserve for it, and the glory with which He, who 
 was its author, and is still its head, had resolved to 
 crown it. 
 
 God had a noble part for Mr. Judson to perform, 
 and he and his associates were borne across three 
 oceans with unusual rapidity, and permitted to land 
 in safety at Calcutta, on the 18th of June, 1812. Dr. 
 Carey, of the English Baptist Mission, which was 
 established in Bengal in 1793, greeted them with 
 christian cordiality, welcomed them to the country, 
 and gave them an invitation, too pressing and op- 
 portune to be refused, to join the mission family at 
 Serampore, until the arrival of Mr. Rice and his 
 companions, who had sailed five days after the 
 Caravan. 
 
 Serampore is fifteen miles above Calcutta, and 
 thither the missionaries repaired the day after their 
 arrival. 
 
 They had shared the hospitalities of Messrs. Ca- 
 rey, "Ward, and Marshman's pleasant families, about 
 ten days, when Messrs. Judson and Newell were 
 summoned to the government house, and ordered 
 to return to the United States with their wives, in 
 the ship which brought them out; otherwise she 
 could not receive a clearance. The authority of the 
 British East India Company, which had jurisdic- 
 tion over that part of the country, was peremptory ; 
 and there being no hope that the order would be 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. l9 
 
 remanded, the missionaries concluded to ren e to 
 some part of India beyond their control.* 
 
 As the missionaries had been directed ')y the 
 Board of Commissioners to establish, if pc sible, a 
 mission somewhere in the Burman emp e, they 
 wished to comply with this instruction ; \ t the un- 
 settled state of things between that govei tnent and 
 the English, seemed to render the atte pt at that 
 time impracticable. A vessel, bound fo /he Isle of 
 France, was about to sail ; and obtaining »ermission 
 to leave on her, Messrs. Judson and ]S'e>vell souglit 
 a passage. Her accommodations were such, how- 
 ever, that berths could be procured for only two 
 persons ; and it was decided that Mr. Jewell and 
 lady should embark. Mr. Judson could find no 
 other passage readily ; and in about six weeks after 
 their first landing in Calcutta, he and his wife were 
 joined by the company that sailed in the Harmony. 
 
 During the voyage to India, it occurred to Mr. 
 Judson, that he should there meet the English Bap- 
 tist missionaries, and, perhaps, have occasion to dis- 
 cuss the question of baptism ; accordingly, while 
 engaged in translating the Scriptures, he examined 
 this point very critically, and before the voyage was 
 ended he had nearly decided that immersion was 
 
 * Without canvassing the motives by which the East India com- 
 pany were actuated in their treatment of these missionaries, it is 
 enough to say, that when, in 1813, their charter was renewed, it was 
 60 amended, through the influence of Wilberforce, Fuller, and other 
 christian philanthropists, as to countenance missionary effort by 
 whomsoever made. 
 
30 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 the primitive and only legitimate mode. In this 
 opinion he was fully confirmed after a few weeks' 
 examination of the subject, while waiting on foreign 
 and forbidden grounds for an opportunity to depart. 
 He announced his change of sentiments to the mis- 
 sionaries at Serampore, in the following letter : 
 
 TO MESSRS. CAREY, MARSHMAN, AND WARD. 
 
 Calcutta, August 27, 1812. 
 
 As you have been ignorant of the late exercises 
 of my mind on the subject of baptism, the commu- 
 nication which I am about to make, may occasion 
 you some surprise. 
 
 It is now about four months, since I took the sub- 
 ject into serious and prayerful consideration. My 
 inquiries commenced during my passage from Amer- 
 ica, and after much laborious research and painful 
 trial, which I shall not now detail, have issued in 
 entire conviction, that the immersion of a professing 
 believer is the only christian baptism. 
 
 In these exercises I have not been alone. Mrs. 
 Judson has been engaged in a similar examination, 
 and has come to the same conclusion. Feeling, 
 therefore, that we are in an unbaptized state, we 
 wish to profess our faith in Christ by being baptized 
 in obedience to his sacred commands. 
 
 Adoniram Jtjdson, Jr. 
 
 Four days afterward he sent a copy of the above 
 letter to Rev. Thomas Baldwin, of Boston, accom- 
 panying it with the following note : 
 
OF ADONIEAM JTJDSON. 31 
 
 " I write YOU a line, to express mj grateful ac- 
 knowledgments to you, for the advantage I have 
 derived from your publications on baptism ; particu- 
 larly from your ' Series of Letters ; ' also to introduce 
 the following copy of a letter, which I forwarded 
 last week to the Baptist missionaries at Serampore, 
 and which you are at liberty to use as you think 
 best." 
 
 Having become a Baptist, Mr. Judson could not 
 expect the continued support of the Commissioners 
 in America, should Providence see fit to open a field 
 of labor for him in the East; accordingly he ad- 
 di-essed a letter to Rev. Dr. Worcester, in which he 
 says: 
 
 " Mj change of sentiments on the subject of bap- 
 tism, is considered by my missionary brethren, as 
 incompatible with my continuing their fellow-laborer 
 in the mission which they contemplate on the island 
 of Madagascar; — and it will, I presume, be con- 
 sidered by the Board of Commissioners as equally 
 incompatible with my continuing their missionary. 
 The Board will, undoubtedly, feel as unwilling to 
 support a Baptist missionary, as I feel to comply 
 with their instructions, which particularly direct us to 
 baptize ' credible believers, with their households.' " 
 
 The remainder of the letter, which is expressive 
 of Mr. Judson's feelings on being obliged to dissolve 
 his connection with the Board, is as follows : 
 
32 THE MISSIONAET LABORS 
 
 " The dissolution of mj connection with the Board 
 of Commissioners, and a separation from my dear 
 missionary brethren, I consider most distressing con- 
 sequences of my late change of sentiments ; and in- 
 deed, the most distressing events which have ever 
 befallen me. I have now the prospect before me 
 of going alone to some distant island, unconnected 
 with any society at present existing, from which I 
 might be furnished with assistant laborers or pecu- 
 niary support. Whether the Baptist chm-ches in 
 America will compassionate my situation, I know 
 not. I hope, therefore, that while my friends con- 
 demn what they deem a departure from the truth, 
 they will at least pity me, and pray for me." 
 
 This letter was written at Calcutta, the first day 
 of September, 1812. At the same date Mr. Judson 
 addressed one to Eev. Lucius BoUes, of Salem, in 
 which he says : 
 
 " Within a few months I have experienced an en- 
 tire change of sentiments on the subject of baptism. 
 My doubts concerning the correctness of my former 
 system of belief, commenced during my passage from 
 America to this country; and after many painful 
 trials, which none can know, but those who are taught 
 to relinquish a system in which they had been edu- 
 cated, I settled down in the full persuasion, that the 
 immersion of a professing believer in Christ is the 
 only christian baptism. 
 
OF ADONIRAM JFDSON. 33 
 
 " Mrs. Jiidson is united with me in tliis persua- 
 sion. We have signified om* views and wishes to 
 the Baptist missionaries at Serampore, and expect 
 to be baptized in this city next Lord's day. 
 
 '' A separation from my missionary brethren, and 
 a dissolution of my connection with the Board of 
 Commissioners, seem to be necessary consequences. 
 The missionaries at Serampore are exerting them- 
 selves to the utmost of their ability, in managing and 
 supporting their extensive and complicated mission. 
 
 " Under these circumstances, I look to you. Alone, 
 in this foreign, heathen land, I make my appeal to 
 those, whom, with their permission, I will call my 
 Baptist hrethreii in the United States." 
 
 Eev. Samuel I^ott, one of the brethren who thought 
 it not advisable for Mr. Judson to accompany them 
 to Madagascar, bears the following testimony to 
 the honesty of his motives in \3ec0ming a Baptist : 
 " From the time of my arrival m Calcutta, I knew 
 intimately the labor of his mind ; and I declare my 
 full conviction, that he gave the subject the most 
 thorough and serious examination, studying care- 
 fully the Scriptures, and all the authors he could 
 find on the subject; that he studied it religiously; 
 and that, in all his conversation upon it, he seemed 
 under a solemn and deep religious impression. In- 
 deed he manifested a real enthusiasm upon it. It 
 occupied his whole mind. Should I blame him 
 at aU, it would not be for sinister motives and 
 insincere professions, but for suffering his mind to 
 
 3 
 
34 MISSIONAKY LABOKS 
 
 lose, in some measure^ the calmness and coolness 
 desirable in the consideration of argument. But, 
 be that as it may, if I ever beheld evidence of piety 
 in any man, I beheld it then in him." 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Judson were baptized by Rev. Mr. 
 Ward, on the sixth of the month. Mr. Rice also 
 met with a similar change of views, and was bap- 
 tized on the first of November following. 
 
 A short time after this change of views, Mr. Jud- 
 son delivered a discourse, embodying the strong 
 arguments in favor of believers' baptism and im- 
 mersion as the only proper mode. This discourse 
 was immediately printed by the English Baptists at 
 Serampore, and Dr. Carey pronounced it one of the 
 best on the subject he had ever heard. Several 
 editions have been printed in this country. 
 
CHAPTEE III. 
 
 Embarirstion for the TsTe of France — Return of Mr. Rice to America — Mr. JaJ* 
 pon saJJs for Madyas and thence for Rangoon — Sketch of the English Mission 
 at Rangoon — DeseTiption of ibe Place — Chajractcr of the Burmans — Their 
 Religion. 
 
 We now behold Mr. Judson in a traly perplexing 
 condition. Severed from the Board of Commission- 
 ers, and ignorant of what he should receive at the 
 hands of American Baptists, he was ordered out of 
 the countiy, and knew not whither to flee. In this 
 trying state he stood, waiting for an opportunity to 
 sail for Java, Persia, South America, or any other 
 part of the world where he could be useful in the 
 service of his Master, when the Bengal government 
 issued an order requiring the missionaries to embark 
 in one of the East India Company's ships, then just 
 Teady to sail for England. Messrs. Judson and Kice 
 "were accompanied to their abode by an officer, who 
 impudently ordered them to remain within doors, 
 lantil permitted to do otherwise. Their names were 
 printed in the list of passengers, but they were de- 
 termined not to go to England. Learning that a 
 ship, called the Creole, would sail in two days for 
 
So THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 the Isle of France, they applied for a passport, but 
 were refused. Nevertheless, they persuaded the 
 captain to let them embark, and, every thing on 
 board, they set sail at night. A government dis- 
 patch chased them down the river, and at the end 
 of two days overtook them, and ordered them to be 
 put on shore. With sad hearts they sought lodgings 
 near the river's margin, and saw the ship proceed on 
 her way. After much perplexity, and three days' 
 delay, they obtained a pass from the magistrate, to 
 return to the Creole : and hurrying down the river, 
 overtook her at Saugar roads, seventy miles distant, 
 where she had lain at anchor two days. 
 
 After about seven weeks' sail, Mr, Judson reached 
 the Isle of France, on the 17th of January, 1813, and 
 found Mr. I^ewell mourning the loss of his wife, and 
 an infant daughter, born at sea. 
 
 Messrs. Judson and Rice had been on the island 
 laboring for souls about two months, when it was 
 deemed expedient that the latter should return to 
 the United States to create, if possible, an interest 
 among the Baptist denomination, in the cause of 
 foreign missions. 
 
 Not satisfied with having driven the missionaries 
 from Calcutta, the directors notified the governor of 
 the Isle of France, of their presence, and directed 
 him to keep a vigilant eye on their movements. The 
 governor, however, paid but little regard to such 
 instruction; and they were allowed the freedom of 
 the island. But Mr. Judson had not visited the Isle 
 of France with the intention of remaining ther^ 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 3T 
 
 He had, at first, tlie island of Madagascar in view ; 
 but learning it would be impossible to establish a 
 mission there, he determined to try the experiment 
 at Penang, or Prince of Wales' island. As a direct 
 passage thither could not be obtained, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Judson concluded to sail for Madras, the seat of one 
 of the presidencies of Hindostan, hoping to proceed 
 thence to the field under contemplation. They left 
 the Isle of France about the middle of May, and 
 reached Madras the early part of June. Here they 
 learned that the Honorable Company's government 
 accused the American missionaries of being spies — 
 there being war at that time between England 
 and the United States — and had lately attempted 
 to send Messrs. Hall and Kott to England. This 
 renewed assurance of hostility led Mr. Judson to 
 fear lest he might receive similar orders, and he re- 
 solved to leave the place at the earliest opportunity. 
 He forthwith ascertained that there was but one ship 
 in the Madras roads that would leave before the 
 authorities at Calcutta might hear of his return to 
 India ; that one was bound to Rangoon, the principal 
 port in the Burman empire. From the unsettled 
 state of things there, Mr. Judson dreaded to attempt 
 a mission ; but finding no passage to Penang, and 
 deeming it expedient to hasten from Madras, he took 
 leave of the English missionaries and others who 
 had kindly entertained him, and sailed for Burmah, 
 on the 22d of the month in which he arrived. 
 
 The shores of the Indian seas are lined with 
 hidden reefs of coral ; and as the passage was 
 
38 THE ^nSSIONARY LABOES 
 
 unusually boisterous, the missionaries were exposed 
 to imminent perils. But God had them in keep- 
 ing, — and after tossing on the furious waves for 
 three weeks, with these reefs looking upward at times 
 with horrible threatening, they anchored in the har- 
 bor of Hangoon. It was a memorable day, in 1813 ; 
 and the 14th of July should be sacred to every 
 American Baptist, — it being the anniversary of the 
 landing of their first representative on the shores of 
 Burmah, Adoniram Ju.dson that day entered upon a 
 work which has honored the Baptist name through- 
 out Christendom, and given him a fame too pure to 
 covet the "storied urn," and too enduring to trust 
 itself with the " animated " but pulverizing " bust." 
 ^ Rangoon had previously been the seat of a mis- 
 sion. Rev. Messrs. (Jhater and Mardon made a 
 visit to the place in January, 1807, under the direc- 
 tion of the English Baptist Missionary Society ; and 
 on returning to Serampore, the following May, made 
 a favorable report. It was consequently decided to 
 commence operations there, the mission to be under 
 the direction of the gentlemen at Serampore. Mr. 
 Charter and Mr. Felix Carey, a son of Dr. Carey, 
 were accordingly designated as laborei'S there, and 
 Bailed v»^ith their wives in November. In 1810, they 
 were joined by Rev. Messrs. Pritchett and Brain, 
 from the London Missionary Society. The latter 
 Boon died ; and as the Burman government held bel- 
 ligerent relations to the Siamese, the former in a 
 short time departed for a more promising field. In 
 1811, the country was simdered by the revolt of 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. Z9 
 
 the Muggs and Eaclimers ; war among the different 
 princes of Burmah threatened Rangoon; and Mr. 
 Chater forsook the station, and went to Ceylon. In 
 1813, Mr. Carey went to Ava, to inoculate some 
 members of the royal family, and departed thence 
 to Serampore. 
 
 Thus, on the amval of Mr. Judson at Kangoon, 
 he found that Providence had vacated the station 
 for him. Of all its members, Mrs. Carey alone 
 remained. She being the sole occupant of the 
 mission-house, he had but to enter the unoccupied 
 apartments, and prepare for his great work, and the 
 baptism of suffering and sori'ow which awaited him. 
 
 Rangoon is situated on a river of the same name, 
 which resembles a broad bay, being six miles wide 
 at its mouth. It is one of the outlets of the Irra- 
 waddy. The town is about thirty miles from the 
 sea ; is built on marshy land, and has an excellent 
 harbor. It is not very prepossessing in its appear- 
 ance, and, at some seasons of the year, when the 
 water is high, is said to resemble " a neglected 
 swamp." I n 1813^ Jts_population was estimated at 
 forty thousand^ It is the only seaport except Bas- 
 sein. Its commerce is extensive, and it is second 
 only, in importance as a city, to Ava. The latter is 
 the capital of the empire, and Hes on the Irrawaddy, 
 thi'ee hundred and fifty miles above the former. 
 
 The Burman empire was, at the period of which 
 we are speaking, about a thousand miles long and 
 six hundi'ed wide. Among its kingdoms were Ava, 
 Pegu, Mergui, Tavoy, and Arracan. Others were 
 
40 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 added by Nunsun, who ascended the throne in 1819 
 A war with the British, of which we shall have oc- 
 casion to speak hereafter, lessened its dominions. 
 The name of the reigning monarch in 1813, was 
 Menderagyee, who ascended the throne in 1782, and 
 died in 1819. 
 
 The Burmans have some good and as many bad 
 traits of character. They are active, industrious, 
 persevering, hospitable and courteous to strangers, 
 yet filthy, sensual, deceitful, crafty, and thievish; 
 and, when governed by rapacious rulers, are cun- 
 ning, false, and perjurious. Their lives are said to 
 be " wasted in the profitless alternation of sensual 
 ease, rude drudgery, and active sport. J^o ele- 
 ments," the same writer adds, " exist for the im- 
 provement of posterity, and successive generations 
 pass, like the crops uj^on their fields. Were there 
 but a disposition to improve the mind, and distrib- 
 ute benefits, what majesty of piety might we not 
 hope to see in a country so favored with the means 
 of subsistence, and so cheap in its modes of living! 
 Instead of the many objects of an American's am- 
 bition, and the increasing anxiety to amass property, 
 the Burman sets a limit to his desires, and when 
 that is reached, gives himself to repose and enjoy- 
 ment. Instead of wearing himself out in endeavoi*s 
 to equal or surpass his neighbor in dress, food, furni- 
 ture, or house, he easily attains the customary stand- 
 ard, beyond which he seldom desires to go." 
 
 It is not our purpose to enter into the details of the 
 grossnesB and degradation of the Burman character; 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 41 
 
 tlie picture would be too revolting. It is enough 
 to say that it is drawn in the first chapter of Ro- 
 mans, — where its colors stand out in boldest relief, 
 and give us the deepest and most melancholy im- 
 pression of the debasing power of sin. 
 
 Sin ! what ravages it has made in the world, and 
 how sad to contemplate its eifects, especially upon 
 the mind! "Witness its lofty powers bowed down 
 in ignominious servitude to base corporekl appetites, 
 and furious and debasing passions. See how the 
 understanding is darkened, the will perverted, and 
 the heart alienated from all that is holy. See reason 
 and conscience dethroned, and selfishness reigning in 
 gloomy and undisputed tyranny over the immortal 
 mind, while appetite and passion have become its 
 obsequious panders. See how the affections turn 
 away with loathing from God, and what a wall of 
 separation has sprung up between man and his Ma- 
 ker; how deeply and universally he has revolted 
 fi:*om his rightful Sovereign, and has chosen other 
 gods to rule over him." — "Hitchcock's Religion of 
 Geology," page 103. Such is the character of all 
 pagan nations ; thus debased and blinded were the 
 Burmans when Mr. Judson entered their empire. 
 
 Before giving an account of the labors of Mr. 
 Judson among these people, it seems proper to pre- 
 sent an epitome of their religion, to the overthrow 
 of which those labors were to be directed. They 
 belong to the sect of Buddhists, from Buddh, their 
 term for divinity. Buddhs have been innumerable, 
 Bome in most worlds, but in no one more than five. 
 
42 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 Ours has had four, of whom Gaudama was the last. 
 He was born 625 years before Christ, and lived in 
 this world about eighty years. He w^as the son of 
 Thokedawdareh, king of Benares. " He had pre- 
 viously lived in four hundred millions of worlds, 
 and passed through innumerable conditions in each. 
 In this world, he had been almost every sort of 
 worm, fly, fowl, fish, or animal, and almost every 
 grade and condition of human life. Having, in 
 the course of these transitions, attained immense 
 merit, he at length was born son of the above- 
 named king. 
 
 " The moment he was born, he jumped upon his 
 feet, and, spreading out his arms, exclaimed, ' JSTow 
 am I the noblest of men ! This is the last time I 
 shall ever be born ! ' His height when grown up, 
 was nine cubits. His ears were so beautifully long 
 as to hang upon his shoulders ; his hands reached to 
 his knees; his fingers were of equal length; and 
 with his tongue he could touch the end of his nose ! 
 all which are considered irrefragable proofs of his 
 divinity." 
 
 The only sacred books of the Buddhists extant, are 
 the laws and sayings of Gaudama. They were re- 
 duced to writing, in the Pali language, about ninety- 
 five years after Christ. These books are called the 
 Bedagat. Its cosmogony slightly varies in the dif- 
 ferent books, and even the same book sometimes 
 contradicts itself. For a very interesting sketch of 
 the Buddhist's universe, we refer the reader to the 
 first volume of " Malcom's Travels," by which work 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 4:3 
 
 we are mainly guided in our statements of tlie char- 
 acter and religion of the Burmans : 
 
 " Of any supreme God, or any eternal, self-exist- 
 ent being, Buddhism affords no intimation ; nor of 
 any creation, or providence. From the annihilation 
 of one Buddh, till the development of another, there 
 is literally no God. Intervening generations must 
 worship his image, law, and priests, and for their 
 rules of life keep the sayings of the last Buddh, 
 viz. Gaudama. 
 
 " IS'ot only has the universe and all its sakiya 
 systems existed from eternity, but also the souls of 
 all the inhabitants, whether animals, men, or celes- 
 tials. These souls have from eternity been transmi- 
 grating from one body to another, rising or falling 
 in the scale of existence and enjoyment, according 
 to the degree of merit at each birth. This rise or 
 fall is not ordered by any intelligent judge, but is 
 decided by immutable fate. In passing through 
 these various forms of existence the amount of sor- 
 row, endured by each soul, is incalculable. The 
 Bedagat declares that the tears shed by any one 
 soul, in its various changes from eternity, are so 
 numerous, that the ocean is but as a drop in com- 
 parison ! Existence and sorrow are declared to be 
 necessary concomitants ; and therefore ' the chief end 
 of man ' is to finish this eternal round of changes, 
 and be annihilated. 
 
 " The great doctrines of this faith are five, viz : 
 1st. The eternal existence of the universe, and all 
 
4A THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 beings 2cl. Metempsycliosis. 3d. Kicban or anni- 
 hilation. 4th. The appearance, at distant periods, 
 of beings who obtain deification and subsequent 
 anniliilation. 5th. The obtaining of merit. Of the 
 ■first four of these, enough has been ab*eady said. 
 Tlie last is more deserving of notice, embracing, as 
 it does, the whole system of morals. 
 
 " Merit consists in avoiding sins, and performing 
 virtues ; and the degree of it is the sole hope of the 
 Buddhist. The forgiveness of sins, and the receipt 
 of favor througli the merit of another, are doctrines 
 unknown. That suffering can be in any way re- 
 garded as a blessing, is to him absurd. 
 
 " The sins which are to be avoided are described 
 in a moral code, consisting of five principal and pos- 
 itive laws: — 1st. Tliou shalt not kill. 2d. Thou 
 shalt not steal. 3d. Thou shalt not commit adul- 
 tery. 4th. Thou shalt not lie. 5th. Thou shalt not 
 drink any intoxicating liquor. These are explained 
 and branched out so as to include all sins of the 
 same kind, under each head. The first of these 
 laws is extended to all killing, even that of animals 
 for food. The very religious will not kill vermin. 
 "War and capital punishments are considered forbid- 
 den by the first law. 
 
 " Sins are divided into three classes : 1st. Those 
 of the body ; such as killing, theft, fornication, <fec 
 2d. Those of the tongue ; as falsehood, discord, harsh 
 language, idle talk, &c. 3d. Those of the mind ; as 
 pride, covetousness, envy, heretical thoughts, ador- 
 ing false gods, &c. 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 45 
 
 " The sacred books portray strongly the evils of 
 pride, anger, covetousness, and inordinate appetites. 
 Men are urged to avoid excessive perfumes, orna- 
 ments, laughter, vain joy, strong drink, smoking 
 opium, wandering about the streets in the night, 
 excessive fondness for amusements, frequenting bad 
 company, and idleness. Those who aspire to Nic- 
 ban are cautioned to abhor sorcery, not to credit 
 dreams, nor be angry when abused, nor elated wheu 
 approved, not to flatter benefactors, nor to indulge 
 in scorn or biting jests, and most carefully to avoid 
 enkindling strife. 
 
 " The states of the mind are resolved into three 
 classes: — 1st. When we are pleased in the posses- 
 sion of agreeable things. 2d. When we are grieved 
 and distressed by evil things. 3d. When neither do 
 good things gratify us, nor evil things distress. The 
 last is the best state; and in it a man is rapidly 
 preparing for JSficban. In this there is no small 
 resemblance to the doctrine of the Stoics, and some 
 approach to the christian doctrine of weanedness 
 from the world. Some of their books abound in 
 good comparisons; such as, that he who runs into 
 sinful enjoyments is like a butterfly, who flutters 
 round a candle till it fiills in ; or one who, by licking 
 honey from a knife, cuts his tongue with the edge. 
 There is scarcely a prohibition of the Bedagat, which 
 is not sanctioned by our holy Scriptures ; and the argu- 
 ments appended to them are often just and forcible. 
 
 "Merit is of three kinds: — 1st. TJieela^ or the 
 observance of all the prohibitions and precepts, and 
 
46 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 all duties fairly deducible from them; such as be- 
 neficence, gentleness, integrity, lenity, forbearance, 
 condescension, veneration to parents, love to man- 
 kind, &c. 2d. Dana^ or giving alms and oiferings. 
 This includes feeding priests, building kyoungs, pa- 
 godas, and zayats, placing bells at pagodas, making 
 public roads, tanks, and wells, planting trees for 
 shade or fruit, keeping pots of cool water by the 
 wayside for the use of travelers, feeding criminals, 
 birds, animals, &c. 3d. Bawana^ or repeating pray- 
 ers, and reading religious books. Of this last, there 
 are three degrees or sorts ; the first consisting in 
 merely reciting prayers, or reading thoughtlessly; 
 the second, and more meritorious, is praying or read- 
 ing, with a mind attentive to the exercise ; the third, 
 and most excellent, is performing these exercises 
 with strong desires and awakened feelings. He who 
 neglects to lay up merit, is compared to a man who 
 sets out on a journey through an uninhabited coun- 
 try, beset with wild beasts, and provides himself 
 neither with food nor weapons. 
 
 *' Alms-deeds are meritorious according to the ob- 
 jects on which they are bestowed ; according to the 
 following general scale: — 1st. Animals. 2d. Com- 
 mon laborors, fishennen, &c. 3d. Merchants and 
 the upper classes when in necessity. 4th. Priests. 
 For alms of the first class, the rewards are long life, 
 beauty, strength, knowledge, and prosperity, during 
 a hundred transmigrations ; for those of the second 
 class, the same, during a thousand transmigrations ; 
 for the third, the same, during ten thousand ; for the 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 47 
 
 fourth, a vastly great number, but indefinite, being 
 graduated according to the degree of sanctity the 
 particular priests may possess. Alms given by a 
 poor man are declared to be incomparably more 
 meritorious than those given by the rich. So great 
 merit is conferred by acts of Dana^ that persons are 
 distinguished in society by honorable appellations 
 on this account. The most meritorious deed is to 
 make an idol, and this in proportion to its size and 
 value. 
 
 " In attaining Bawana^ the third sort of merit, a 
 prominent exercise, is the frequent repetition of the 
 words ' aneit-sa^ doke-kha^ Ah-nah-ta? The first of 
 these words implies our liability to outward injuries 
 and evils ; the second, our exposure to mental sufifer- 
 ings ; the third, our entire inability to escape these 
 eA^ils. The repetition of this prayer or soliloquy is 
 of far greater merit than even alms-giving. To keep 
 some reckoning in this most important particular, 
 the votary commonly uses a string of beads, and 
 passes one through his fingers at each repetition. 
 
 " Many discourses, said to have been delivered by 
 Gaudama, are given in the Bedagat. In these, the 
 duties of parents, children, husbands, wives, teach- 
 ers, scholars, masters, slaves, &c., are drawn out and 
 urged, in a manner which would do honor to any 
 casuist." 
 
CHAPTEE lY. 
 
 Early Labors of Mr. Judson at Rangoon — Missionary Movements among Ameri- 
 can Baptists — Mr. Judson's Literary Progress — Death of the First Born. 
 
 For more than two years after his arrival at Kan- 
 goon, Mr. Judson toiled, without knowing definitely '^ 
 under whose patronage he was at work ; but his pe- 
 culiar and trying circumstances did not weaken his 
 faith, abate the ardor of his hopes, or quench his love 
 for the souls of the benighted millions, who were 
 sinking into a hopeless grave. Hence, during the 
 period above mentioned, he strove to lay the founda- 
 tion of a work, which he could continue to advantage, 
 were it the will of God that he should remain in 
 Burmah. He acquainted himself with the condition 
 of the country and its inhabitants, and made some 
 progress in the acquisition of their language.* We 
 say some progress, for it is exceedingly difficult to 
 
 * The method of learning the language was as follows : The 
 teacher, though an intelligent man, knew nothing of English, and 
 would point to various objects, and pronounce their names in Burman. 
 
ADONIKAM JUDSON. 49 
 
 learn, and more than twice two years were necessary 
 for one to acquire it perfectly. After studying it two 
 or three years, he -^n'ote to Rev. Lucius Bolles, 
 
 " I just now begin to see my way forward in this 
 language, and hope that two or three years more will 
 make it somewhat familiar; but I have met with 
 difficulties that 1 had no idea of before I entered on 
 the work. For a European or American to acquire 
 a living oriental language, root aiid branch, and 
 make it his own, is quite a different thing from his 
 acquiring a cognate language of the west, or any of 
 the dead languages, as they are studied in the schools. 
 One circumstance may serve to ' illustrate this. I 
 once had occasion to devote a few months to the 
 study of French. I have now been above two years 
 engaged in the Burman. If I were to choose be- 
 tween a Burman and a French book, to be examined 
 in, without previous study, I should, without the 
 least hesitation, choose the French. When we take 
 up a western language, the similarity in the charac- 
 ters, in very many terms, in many modes of expres- 
 sion, and in the general structure of the sentences, 
 its being in fair print — a circumstance we hardly 
 think of — and the assistance of grammars, diction- 
 aries, and instructors, render the work comparatively 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Jiidson would repeat tlicm after him, and thu.s they 
 slowly learned the vocabulary. Mr. Judsnn also studied the Pali, the 
 court language of the Burmans, without a knowledge of which one 
 could not be considered learned. Dr. Malcoru says it is wholly a 
 dead language. Mr. Judson subsequently ascertained that the time 
 he devoted to it, was needlessly expended. 
 4 
 
60 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 easy. But when we take up a language spoken by 
 a people on the other side of the earth, whose very 
 thoughts run in channels diverse from ours, and 
 whose modes of expression are consequently all new 
 and uncouth; when we find the letters and words 
 totally destitute of the least resemblance to any lan- 
 guage we had ever met, and these words not fairly 
 divided, and distinguished, as in western writing, by 
 breaks, and points, and capitals, but run together in 
 one continuous line, a sentence or paragraj^h seeming 
 to the eye but one long word ; when, instead of clear 
 characters on paper, we find only obscure scratches 
 on dried palm leaves, strung together, and called a 
 book; when we have no dictionary, and no inter- 
 preter to explain a single word, and must get some- 
 thing of the language, before we can avail ourselves 
 of the assistance of a native teacher, — 
 
 'Hoc opus, hie labor est.' " 
 
 Such was the state of things with Mr. Judson, 
 when, on the 5th of September, 1815, three years v 
 and five days after he had written to Dr. Bolles, 
 announcing his change of sentiments, he received 
 the cheering intelligence that a Baptist Missionary 
 Convention had been formed in the United States, 
 and that himself and wife, together with Mr. Rice,"^ 
 had been appointed missionaries. 
 
 * Mr. Rice was directed, however, to remain in the United States, 
 and travel, as he had been doing for nearly a year before his designa- 
 tion to the work, in order to awaken among the Baptists a deeper 
 interest on the subject of missions, and to aid in organizing associa- 
 tions promotive of tho sause. He never returned to the East 
 
OF ADONmAM JUDSON. 51 
 
 The letter addressed to Dr. Bolles, on the first of 
 September, 1812, with other communications from 
 Mr. Judson, reached Boston in February, 1813 ; and 
 the intelligence, that two of the pioneer missionaries 
 Bent out by the Board of Commissioners, had become 
 Baptists, and appealed to the churches of that denom- 
 ination for support, spread with astonishing rapidity, 
 and produced the most happy results. It was justly 
 regarded as a providential call to American Baptists, 
 to enlist in the great and glorious enterprise for car- 
 rying the gospel to benighted nations, and the spirit 
 of expanded benevolence took possession at once of 
 thousands of hearts. The first demonstration of in- 
 terest, in an associated capacity, was witnessed at the 
 house of Dr. Baldwin, of Boston, where several 
 clergymen convened immediately on the reception of 
 Mr. Judson's letters, and formed — February 8th, 
 1813 — "The Baptist Society for Propagating the 
 Gospel in India and other Foreign Parts." 
 
 Dr. Sharp was chosen secretary,* and instructed to 
 write to the directors of the English Baptist society, 
 communicating Mr. Judson's circumstances, and pro- 
 posing that he should be allowed to connect himself 
 with the Serampore mission, and at the same time be 
 supported by American churches. This proposal 
 was politely, and no doubt wisely, rejected. The 
 
 * The charge of tliis Society was committed to twelve men : Thos. 
 Baldwin, Daniel Sharp, Joseph Grafton, Heman Lincoln, E. Lincoln, 
 James Loring, William Collier, Thomas Kendall, Amos Smith, Prince 
 Snow, J. C. Ransford, and Charles Wheeler. Only two of this num- 
 ber, Dr. Sharp and Hon. Heman Lincoln, survive. 
 
62 THE MISSION ARr LABORS 
 
 advice of Dr. Fuller was, that American Baptists 
 should organize a society of their own. 
 
 Other local missionary societies were formed in 
 1813, and in the early part of 1814 ; and on the 18th 
 of May, in the latter year, a convention was held in 
 Philadelphia, when was formed " The General Mis- 
 sionary Convention of the Baptist denomination in 
 the United States of America for Foreign Missions." 
 
 Thus Mr. Judson was made a leading agent, in the^ 
 hand of God, in the formation of two national mis- 
 sionary societies. The document which he prepared 
 for the consideration of the meeting of Congrega- 
 tional ministers in 1810, led to the formation of the 
 Board of Commissioners, and his change of views on 
 baptism, and his appeal to Baptist brethren in the 
 United States, originated the Triennial Convention.* 
 
 At the meeting of the Board of Managers, ap- 
 pointed by this Convention, and held immediately 
 on the adjournment of that body, several resolutions 
 were passed, having reference to the aj)pointment of 
 missionaries, and among them the following, relative 
 to Mr. Judson : 
 
 " Resolved^ That Rev. Adoniram Judson, Jr., now 
 in India, be considered as a missionary, under the 
 care and direction of this Board, of which he shall 
 be informed without delay. That provision be made 
 for the support of him and his family accordingly ; 
 
 •This body retained most of its original features until 1846, when 
 it took the name of the American Baptist Missionary Union, which 
 now m«et» annually. 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 59 
 
 and that one thousand dollars be transmitted to him 
 by the first safe opportunity. That the secretary of 
 the Particular Baptist Society for Missions, in Eng- 
 land, be informed of this transaction ; and that this 
 Board has assumed the pledge given by the Boston 
 .Mission Society, to pay any bills which may be 
 di'awn on them, in consequence of advances they 
 may have made in favor of Mr. and Mrs. Judson. 
 
 " Resolded^ That our brother Judson be requested, 
 for the present, to pursue his pious labors in such 
 places as, in his judgment, may aj)pear most promis- 
 ing; and that he communicate his views of futm-e 
 permanent stations to this Board, as early as he 
 conveniently can. 
 
 " Resolved^ That the proceedings of the late Con 
 vention, and of this Board, be communicated to the 
 Baptist Missionary Society in England, and to their 
 missionaries at Serampore, assuring them that it is 
 the desire of this Board to hold an aflectionate inter- 
 course with tliem, in the work of the Lord : that they 
 will ever be grateful for any information which the 
 extensive experience of their brethren may enable 
 them to impart on the subject of fields for missionary 
 action, &c. &c., and will derive joy from the reflec- 
 tion that though, in these transactions, their respec- 
 tive seats of council be remote from each other, their 
 hearts and aims are harmonious." 
 
 The reception of the proceedings of the Triennial 
 Convention, and its Board of Managers, gave Mr. 
 Judson great encom-agement. He received them 
 
54 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 during the absence of his wife at Madras, whither 
 she had gone for the restoration of her health,^ and 
 at a time when he seemed most to need cheering 
 intelh'gence. Nor was he insensible of the blessing 
 which God had conferred, by illuminating the night 
 which had so long hung over him. He thus expresses 
 his joy and pious gratitude : 
 
 " These accounts from my dear native land were so 
 interesting as to banish from my mind all thoughts 
 of study. This general movement among the Bap- 
 tist churches in America is particularly encouraging, 
 as it affords an additional indication of God's merci- 
 ful designs in favor of the poor heathen. It unites 
 with all the Bible societies in Europe and America, 
 during the last twenty years, in furnishing abundant 
 reason to hope that the dreadful darkness which has 
 so long enveloped the earth is about to flee away 
 before the rising sun. Do not the successes which 
 have crowned some missionary exertions seem like 
 the dawn of morning on the east? O! that this 
 region of Egyptian darkness may ere long participate 
 in the vivifying beams of light. 
 
 " None but one who has had the experience, can 
 tell what feelings comfort the heart of a solitary mis- 
 sionary, when, though all the scenes around him 
 present no friend, he remembers, and has proof, that 
 there are spots on this wide earth, where christian 
 brethren feel that his cause is their own, and pray to 
 
 * She embarked for Madras in January, 1815, and returned the fol- 
 lowing April, with her health completely restored. 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 91 
 
 the same God and Saviour for Ills welfare and success. 
 Thanks be to God, not only for ' rivers of endless 
 joys above,' but for ' rills of comfort here below.' " 
 
 The following letter, written at this period, explains 
 
 itself: 
 
 Rangoon, Jan. 18, 1816. 
 
 Dear Brother Ward, — I have finished the Ubid- 
 han, to my great joy. But I know but little yet 
 about the grammar and internal structm-e of the Pali. 
 My object has been words simply, without much 
 regard to their terminations. My collection amounts 
 to four thousand three hundred and twenty. And 
 here I must let the matter rest for the present, being 
 grieved at having spent so much time already on a 
 work not directly Burman. I have heard of a new 
 Pali grammar, lately compiled at Ava, said to be 
 greatly superior to those now in use ; and have taken 
 measures to secure a copy. If I should succeed, I 
 shall probably give a little more attention to the 
 language. 
 
 I am now beginning to translate a little. I am 
 extremely anxious to get some parts of Scripture into 
 an intelligible state, fit to be read to Burmans that I 
 meet with. I have nothing yet that I can venture to 
 use. The Portuguese missionaries have left a version 
 of some extracts of Scripture, not very badly execut- 
 ed, in regard to language, but full of Komish errors. 
 Tliis, however, will afibrd me some assistance. 
 
 I remain^ &c., 
 
 A. JuDSON. 
 
56 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 On the 4tli of May, ISIG, Mr. Judson lost his first- 
 born, a boy about eight niontlis old. While it is 
 hard for parents to part with children, under any 
 circumstances, it was peculiarly trying for these pio- 
 neer missionaries to give up their only child. Re- 
 mote from all christian society, their "little Roger 
 Williams " w^as to them like a bright and newly-risen 
 star, the sole orb in their social sky, twinkling amid 
 the gloom of moral darkness that surrounded them, 
 and irradiating their solitary christian dwelling. 
 When the light was quenched, a brief night of sor- 
 row gathered over them. But amid the darkness, 
 however dun, they saw the hand of the Smiter, kissed 
 the rod, and without a murmur said, " Thy will be 
 done." Such is the power of faith, which 
 
 " lights us through the dark to Deity ; " 
 
 such the beauty of christian resignation. Thus blest, 
 these lone and smitten pilgrims could sing, in the 
 land of pagodas, and false and helpless gods, 
 
 Let us be patient ! these severe afflictions 
 
 Not from the ground arise, 
 But often times celestial benedictions 
 
 Assume this dark disguise. 
 
 We see but dimly through the mists and vapors ; 
 
 Amid these earthly damps, — 
 What seems to us but dim, funereal tapers. 
 
 May be heaven's distant lamps. 
 
 There is no Death 1 what seems so, is transition ; 
 
 This life of mortal breath 
 Is but a suburb of the life elysian. 
 
 Whose portal we call Death. 
 
OF ADONERAM JUDSON. 5T 
 
 And though at times, impetuous with emotion 
 
 And anguish long suppressed. 
 The swelling heart heaves, moaning like the ocean, 
 
 That cannot be at rest ; 
 
 "We wiU be patient, and assuage the feeling 
 
 "We cannot wholly stay ; 
 By silence sanctifying, not concealing. 
 
 The grief that must have way. — Longfellow 
 
CHAPTER Y. 
 
 Mr. Judson joined by Mr. Hough — Printing in the Burman Language — First 
 Inquirers after Truth — Mr. Judson sails for Chitiagong — Driven out of his 
 Course and Delayed — Mr. Hough goes to Bengal — Mr. Judson returns to 
 Rangoon — Heroic conduct of Mrs. Judson. 
 
 In the early part of 1816, though not fully master 
 of the Burman language, Mr. Judson could write it 
 with tolerable ease, and had ventured to prepare a / 
 tract, entitled "Summary of Christian Doctrines." ^ 
 About this time, his eyes became so much affected by 
 his unremitted mental labor, that he could not read, 
 though he was able to progress a little on a Burman 
 grammar, which he was preparing. In the midst of 
 his affliction and despondency, while greatly needing 
 additional help, his heart was gladdened by the tid- 
 ings, that Rev. George H. Hough, and wife, and Mrs. 
 Charlotte White,* who had been appointed by the 
 American Board of Managers, as missionaries to 
 Burmah, had reached Calcutta. The news came 
 while he was waiting for a vessel to sail, in which he 
 had engaged a passage to Bengal, for the improve- 
 ment of his health. This voyage he now abandoned, 
 
 • Mrs. White was married soon after, and remained at Calcutta, 
 
A.DONIRAM JUDSON-. 69 
 
 and soon began to amend. He had commenced nego- 
 tiations with the English brethren at Serampore, to 
 print his tract and some other works which were 
 being prepared, when he ascertained that Mr. Plough, 
 who had been bred a printer, was on the way. The 
 latter was considerably delayed at Calcutta; and 
 w^iile there, the Baptist missionaries presented the 
 Burman mission with a press, and font of Bur- 
 man types, together with the apparatus necessary for 
 printing. The press arrived at Eangoon about the 
 first of August. On the sixth of the same month, 
 Mr. Judson wrote to Dr. Baldwin, giving an account 
 of his labors the previous half year, his sickness, the 
 progress and prospects of the mission, and his wishes 
 and aspirations in regard to it. We subjoin a few 
 paragraphs : 
 
 "I expect it will not be long before I shall be 
 ordered up to Ava. The press, also, which has just 
 arrived from Bengal, w^ill not probably be allowed to 
 stop long in Rangoon. This will open a wide field, 
 and make it necessary to support two stations. I beg, 
 therefore, that the Board will endeavor to send out 
 one or two men Avith brother Rice, or as soon after as 
 possible. The sooner they are on the ground, learn- 
 ing the language, the sooner they will be fit for ser- 
 vice. I have never before thought it prudent to write 
 for more men, in addition to those I knew were des- 
 tined to the place ; but some favorable prospects 
 lately begin to open; and the more I become ac- 
 quainted with the state of things, the less reason I 
 
60 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 have to fear that the government of the country will, 
 at present, oppose the work. 
 
 " We know not the designs of God, in regard to 
 this country ; but I cannot but have raised expecta- 
 tions. It is true, we may have to labor and wait 
 many years before the blessing comes ; l>ut we see 
 what God is doing in ot/ier heatlien hinds, after 
 trying the faith and sincerity of his servants some 
 fifteen or twenty years. Look at Otaheite, Bengal, 
 and Africa. And is Burmah to remain a solitary 
 instance of the inefficacy of prayer, of the forgetful- 
 ness of a merciful and faithful God ? Is it nothing, 
 that an attempt is begun to be made ; that, in one 
 instance, the language is considerably acquired ; that 
 a tract is ready for publication, which is intelligible 
 and perspicuous, and will give the Burmans their 
 first ideas of a Saviour and the way of salvation ; 
 that a press and types have now amved, and a printer 
 is on the way; that a grammar is finished, to facili- 
 tate the studies of others, and a dictionary of the 
 language is in a very forward state; and that the 
 way is now prepared, as soon as health permits, to 
 proceed slowly in the translation of the New Testa- 
 ment? Is it nothing that, just at this time, tlie mon- 
 arch of the country has taken a violent hate to the 
 priests of his own religion, and is endeavoring with 
 all his power, to extirpate the whole order ; at the 
 same time professing to be an inquirer after the true 
 religion? Is all this to be set down a mere cypher ? 
 It is true that we may desire much more. But let 
 us use what we have, and God will give us more. 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 61 
 
 However, men and money must be forthcoming. 
 Work cannot be done without men ; and men cannot 
 •work without bread ; nor can we expect the ravens 
 to feed them in ordinary cases. 
 
 "I do not say, several hundred missionaries are 
 needed here. This, though true, would be idle talk. 
 My request, I think, is modest. Five men, allowing 
 two or three to each of the stations, is the smallest 
 number that will possibly answer." 
 
 In a joint communication, addressed to the corres- 
 ponding secretary, on the 17th of November, 1816, 
 Messrs. Judson and Hough say : 
 
 " We know not how long the press will be per- 
 mitted to remain in Rangoon ; we do not, however, 
 deprecate its removal to Ava. Such a measure 
 would, doubtless, tend to the fiirtherance of the 
 cause, and to the introduction of religion into the 
 very heart of the empire, where Satan's seat is. But 
 in this case, more men and more money would be 
 imperiously demanded ; and we trust that the pat- 
 ronage of the Board will not fail us in these necessa- 
 ry points. We desire humbly to repeat to the Board 
 what the first missionaries from the Baptist society 
 in England said to their friends, when on the point 
 of embarkation in the great work which seems 
 destined to illume western India with the light of 
 the gospel. 'We are,' said they, 'like men going 
 down into a deep well ; you stand at the top, and 
 hold the ropes. Do not let us faU.' Hold us up, 
 
63 THE ]VnSSIONAKT LAB0K3 
 
 brethren and fathers; and, if health and life be 
 spared ns, we hope, through the grace of God, to see 
 eastern India, also, beginning to participate in the 
 same glorious light. Many years may intervene, in 
 the latter, as well as the former case ; many difficul- 
 ties and disappointments may try your faith and 
 ours. But let patience have her perfect work ; let 
 us not be weary of well doing ; for in due season we 
 shall reap, if we faint not." 
 
 Mr. Hough reached Eangoon on the 15th of Oc- 
 tober, and, with unspeakable joy, Mr. Judson wel- 
 comed a fellow laborer. With mountains of labor 
 before them, he and his companion had stood alone 
 in the Burman empire more than three years , and, 
 unapplauded by mortal lips, had toiled on in their 
 painful isolation, with the musical whispers of an 
 approving conscience to cheer them, and the prom- 
 ises of God to encourage. 
 
 Soon after the arrival of the printer whom God 
 had sent to work the donated press, the tract al- ; 
 ready mentioned, together with a catechism which 
 Mr. Judson had also prepared, was printed; and 
 the Gospel of Matthew was shortly after put to press, ^^'n 
 Thus Mr. Judson was at length enabled to gratify 
 the cui-iosity of the cunning Burmans, who had 
 repeatedly inquired for the sacred books of the new 
 religion. Although, as yet, no additions had been 
 made to the chm-ch which the missionaries had 
 formed among themselves, the seed was being scat- 
 tered abroad, and there were promising indications 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUr^ON. Ifi^ 
 
 that it was taking root in the hearts on which it had 
 fallen. 
 
 In a letter addressed to the corresponding secre- 
 tary of the Board of Managers, March 7th, 1817, 
 Mr. Judson writies, " I have this day been visited 
 by the first inquirer after religion, that I have 
 Been in Burmah. For although in the course of the 
 last two years I have preached the gospel to many, 
 and though some have visited me several times, 
 and conversed on the subject of religion ; yet I have 
 never had much reason to believe that their visits 
 originated in a spirit of sincere inquiry. Conversa- 
 tions on religion have always been of my propos- 
 ing ; and though I have sometimes been encouraged 
 to hope that truth had made some impression, never, 
 imtil to-day, have I met with one who was fairly 
 entitled to the epithet of inquirer. 
 
 "As I was sitting with my teacher, as usual, a 
 Burman of respectable appearance, and followed by 
 a servant, came up the steps, and sat down by me. 
 I asked him the usual question, where he came from : 
 to which he gave me no explicit reply ; and I began 
 to suspect that he had come from the government 
 house, to enforce a trifling request, which in the 
 morning we had declined. He soon, however, un- 
 deceived and astonished me, by asking, ' How long 
 a time will it take me to learn the religion of Jesus ? ' 
 I replied that such a question could not be answered. 
 If God gave light and wisdom, the religion of Jesus 
 was soon learned; but without God, a man might 
 gtudy all his life long, and make no proficiency. But 
 
64 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 how, continued I, came you to know anj thing of 
 Jesus ? Have you been here before ? ' IN'o.' Have 
 you seen any writings concerning Jesus ? ' I have 
 seen two little books.' "Who is Jesus ? ' He is the 
 Son of Grod, who, pitying creatures, came into this 
 world, and suffered death in their stead.' Who is 
 God ? ' He is a Being without beginning or end, 
 who is not subject to old age or death, but always 
 is.' I can not tell how I felt at this moment. This 
 was the first acknowledgment of an eternal God, 
 that I had ever heard from the lips of a Burman. 
 I handed him a tract and catechism, both of which 
 he instantly recognized, and read here and there, 
 making occasional remarks to his follower, such as, 
 ' This is the true God — this is the right way,' &c. 
 I now tried to tell him some things about God and 
 Christ, and himself; but he did not listen with much 
 attention, and seemed anxious only to get another 
 book. I had already told him two or three times 
 that I had finished no other book ; but, that in two 
 or three months, I would give him a larger one, which 
 I was now daily employed in translating. ' But,' re- 
 plied he, ' have you not a little of that book done, 
 which you will graciously give me now ? ' And I, 
 beginning to think that God's time was better than 
 man's, folded and gave him the first two half sheets, 
 which contain the first five chapters of Matthew; on 
 which he instantly rose, as if his business was all 
 done; and having received an invitation to come 
 again, took leave. Throughout his short stay, he 
 appeared different from any Burman I have met 
 
OF ADONTRAM JIJDSOK. ^S 
 
 with. He asked no questions about customs and 
 manners, with which the Burmans tease us exceed- 
 ingly. He had no curiosity, and no desire for any- 
 thing, but ' more of this sort of writing.' " 
 
 Two or three weeks after this inquirer had depart- 
 ed, Mr. Judson learned, through an acquaintance, 
 that he was reading, with great avidity, the books 
 he had accepted, and showing them to all who waited 
 on him. This inquirer did not call at the mission- 
 house again until January, 1818, almost a year after 
 his first visit. Mr. Judson was then absent. The 
 long interval was occasioned by his being appointed 
 governor of a cluster of villages on the Syrian river, 
 in the province of Pegu. 
 
 During the summer of 1817, inquirers began to 
 multiply. It was not an uncommon thing to see one 
 or more at the mission-house ; but they usually came 
 separately, or in groups of two or three, who were 
 on terms of intimacy. They seemed to manifest an 
 miwillingness to be seen there by strangers, fearing, 
 perhaps, that they should be reported to the civil 
 authorities, and incm- their displeasure. 
 
 In December, 1817, Mr. Judson embarked foi 
 Chittagong, in Arracan, ten days' sail from Ran- 
 goon ; the objects of his visit being to improve his 
 health, and avail himself of the literary services of 
 some Arracanese converts. They spoke the Burman 
 language, and if one of them could be persuaded to 
 accompany him to Eangoon, and tarry there, he 
 thought he could acquire the language much more 
 
QQ THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 rapidly. He expected to return in three months; 
 but contrary winds made the vessel unmanageable, 
 changed her course toward Madras, which she was 
 unable to reach, and he was landed three hundred 
 miles from that city. Thither he was obliged to 
 travel by land, and was unable to sail for Eangoon 
 until the 20th of July. He was absent eight months. 
 Some of his hardships, perplexities, trials, and anx- 
 ieties, are indicated in a letter written at Madras, on 
 the 28th of May, 1818, and addressed to the corres- 
 ponding secretary : 
 
 * 4f * "Finally we did reach Masulipatam, 
 and, as there was no prospect, that season, of reach- 
 ing Madras by sea, the only port on the coast where 
 I could hope to find a vessel bound to Eangoon, 
 I was under the necessity of taking a journey by 
 land — distance about three hundred miles. I, ac- 
 cordingly, hired a palanquin and bearers, and arrived 
 here on the 8th of April. * * '^' Here I have 
 remained ever since, under very trying circumstances. 
 Have scarcely heard from Eangoon, since I left, or 
 been able to transmit any intelligence thither, by a 
 conveyance to be depended on. The wealoiess of 
 my eyes prevents my application to study, or attempt 
 at any exertion. I am making no progress in mis- 
 sionary work; I am distressed by the appalling 
 recollection of the various business which was press- 
 ing me at Eangoon, and made me reluctant to leave 
 home for the shortest time. Now, I have been de- 
 tained twice as long as I anticipated, and have, 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. fJY 
 
 witlial, wholly failed in my undertaking. Where, 
 my rebellious heart is ready to cry, where is the 
 wisdom of all this ? But it is wise, though blindness 
 cannot apprehend. It is best, though unbelief is 
 disposed to mui^mur. Be still, my soul, and know 
 that he is God." 
 
 On his return, he found the mission in a mournful 
 condition. About three months after he left for 
 Chittagong, Mr. Hough was summoned to appear at 
 the court-house, on an order which appeared to have 
 reference to some Portuguese priests, who had 
 been banished by the king. After giving assurance 
 that he was not one of them, he was meanly detained 
 by the officers, who vainly hoped, thereby, to extort 
 ransom money. He was finally released, through 
 the bold and strenuous exertions of Mrs. Judson, 
 who persuaded her teacher to draw up a petition, 
 which she presented to the viceroy. 
 
 Just before this arrest, news came from Chitta- 
 gong, that neither Mr. Judson nor the vessel in 
 which he sailed, had reached that port: and, soon 
 after the viceroy's order to have Mr. Hough released 
 was executed, intelligence was received that a war 
 was expected, immediately, between the English and 
 Burman goveniments. The cholera was raging at 
 Rangoon, which caused additional alarm, and there 
 seemed but little inducement, for foreigners at least, 
 to remain. The poor natives were rapidly thinning 
 before the awful malady ; English traders were clos- 
 ing business, and hurrying out of the country; and 
 
68 AbONIRAM JTJDSON. 
 
 all but one ship had, at length, left the river. That 
 one was about to sail ; and Mr. and Mrs. Hough 
 readily decided to flee in her to Bengal, with the 
 printing press. Thej also, after much entreaty, 
 persuaded Mrs. Judson to go on board. The ship 
 sailed on the 5th of July, but met with several days' 
 detention, before reaching the mouth of the river. 
 While delayed, Mrs. Judson, led by that " instinct 
 which seems to guide the noblest natures in great 
 emergencies," decided to return to Rangoon, and 
 remain alone in the mission-house, until she should 
 welcome her husband, or ascertain his doom. It 
 was a bold decision, difficult to be paralleled in 
 the annals of female courage ; nor was it less fortu- 
 nate than heroic. Her constancy was soon rewarded, 
 for it was but a few days before Mr. Judson returned. 
 
CHAPTER YI. 
 
 Appointment of Messrs. Colman and Wheelock — Erection of a Zayat — Early 
 Labors thereat — Conversion and Baptism of Moung Nau — Death of the 
 King — Revision of the First Tract — Death of Mr. Wheelock. 
 
 At the first triennial meeting of the Convention, 
 held in May, 1817, Messrs. James Colman and 
 Edward W. Wheelock, both residents of Boston, 
 offered themselves as missionaries. They were ac- 
 cepted by the Board; sailed in the following No- 
 vember; arrived at Calcutta in April, 1818; and, 
 after four months' delay, recmbarked, and reached 
 Rangoon on the 19th of September. Their arrival 
 was opportune, and gave occasion for much rejoicing 
 to Mr. Judson. He had toiled alone, since his return 
 fi'om Chittagong, with all the disadvantages attendant 
 on the removal of the printing press to Bengal. But, 
 however somber the night that had hung over the 
 mission, he was full of that hope, which "tints to- 
 morrow with prophetic ray," and hence had toiled 
 on, patiently and diligently, looking to God to 
 
70 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 bring, in his own good time, the effulgence of 
 returning day. 
 
 Messrs. Colman and Wheelock had hardly com- 
 menced their studies, before their health began to 
 fail ; which circumstance greatly retarded their pro- 
 gress. The former declined rapidly, and, as will be 
 Been, w^as never permitted to do much for the salva- 
 tion of those for whom he had made an offering of 
 his life. 
 
 Meanwhile, Mr. Judson had become such a Bur- 
 man linguist, as to be able to talk with considerable 
 ease and fluency; and he now began to prosecute 
 the work preliminary to public preaching. A zayat, 
 a building to answer the purpose of a chapel,* was 
 commenced. It was small, and divided into three 
 parts. The first division opened to the road, front- 
 ing which was no partition ; nor had it either win- 
 dows or doors. The second division was a large 
 room, containing four doors and four windows open- 
 ing in opposite directions. The third was merely 
 an entry, opening into the garden, and leading to 
 the mission-house. The first division was of bam- 
 boo and thatch; the second of boards. Mr. Jud- 
 son usually occupied the former ; Mrs. Judson the 
 latter. 
 
 * Zayats, or caravansaries, sometimes serve the triple purpose of 
 church, hotel, and town-house. They do not, however, meet the re- 
 quirements of the stranger or traveler, as a hotel, except for shelter. 
 Other wants are supplied at the bazaar, or by neighboring families. 
 These buildings are found in all Burman villages, and not unfre- 
 quantly between them. 
 
OF ADONIEAM JIJDSON. 71 
 
 This building, so important to the mission, and 
 the erection of which, on a street lined with pa- 
 godas, angels must have watched with interest, was 
 completed on the 24th of April, 1819. The next 
 morning, which was the Sabbath, Mr. Judson seated 
 himself in the open porch, under some solemn im- 
 pression, as he has informed the w^orld, " of the 
 great responsibility attached to my new mode of 
 life." 
 
 In the afternoon of the same day, the missionaries 
 collected at the zayat ; a number came in from the 
 road, sufficient to make an audience of about twenty- 
 five persons, and religious services were held. It is 
 interesting to contemplate this small beginning in 
 the "new mode" of prosecuting a great work. It 
 was the first Sabbath on which public services were 
 held, by American missionaries, in the Burman em- 
 pire ; and, although but few came to the solemn feast, 
 and none but the missionaries could participate in its 
 joys, or appreciate its weighty import, the little band 
 of disciples, no doubt, looked forward with the eye 
 of faith to the period when Burman voices would 
 join theirs in songs of praise, and Buriuan hearts 
 respond to their fervent prayers. 
 
 During the first week after the opening of the 
 zayat, several inquirers called, who seemed to be 
 earnest seekers after the truth; and one of them, 
 named Moung Xau, who came first on the 30th of 
 April, was afterward converted. He was the first 
 Burman who embraced the new religion. When he 
 first visited the zayat, he called daily for a short 
 
72 THE MISSIONAKY LABORS 
 
 time, and Lis convictions of sin seemed to deepen 
 rapidly. On tlie 5tli of May, Mr. Judson began, as 
 lie tliouglit, to discover signs of grace in his heart, 
 and wrote in his journal as follows : ''It seems al- 
 most too much to believe, that God has begun to 
 manifest his grace to the Bnnnans ; but this day I 
 conld not resist the delightful conviction, that this 
 is really the case. Praise and gloiy be to his name 
 forevermore. Amen." 
 
 The next day Mr. Judson made the following 
 record : " Moung ISTau was again with me a great 
 part of the day. He apj)ears to be slowly growing 
 in religious knowledge, and manifests a teachable, 
 humble spirit, ready to believe all that Christ has 
 said, and obey all that he has commanded. 
 
 " He is thirty-iive years old, no family, middling 
 abilities, quite poor, obliged to work for his living, 
 and therefore his coming day after day to hear the 
 truth, affords stronger evidence that it has taken 
 hold of his mind. May the Lord graciously lead 
 his dark mind into all the tiTith, and cause him to 
 cleave inviolably to the blessed Saviour." 
 
 For months, inquirers continued to multiply, and 
 Moung Nau, who was often with Mr. Judson, ren- 
 dered him important assistance in explaining things 
 to new comers. Meanwhile, he himself seemed rap- 
 idly advancing in cln-istian knowledge and divine 
 gi'ace. The following paper, w^ritten of his own 
 accord, was read by the missionaries, after partaking 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. Y3 
 
 of the Lord's supper, in the evening of the sixth 
 of June: 
 
 " I, Moung Xau, the constant recipient of your 
 excellent favor, approach your feet. Whereas, my 
 lords three have come to the country of Burmah, 
 not for the j)iirp^^^ ^^ trade, but to preach the reli- 
 gion of Jesus Christ, the Son of the eternal God, I, 
 having heard and understood, am with a joyftd mind 
 filled with love. 
 
 "I believe that the Divine Son, Jesus Christ, suf- 
 fered death in the place of men, to atone for their 
 sins. Like a heavy laden man, I feel my sins are 
 very many. The punishment of my sins I deserve 
 to suffer. Since it is so, do you, sirs, consider that 
 I, taking refuge in the merits of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and receiving baj)tism, in order to become 
 his disciple, shall dwell one with yourselves, a band 
 of brothers, in the happiness of heaven, and there- 
 fore grant me the ordinance of baptism. It is 
 chrough the grace of Jesus Christ, that you, sirs, 
 have come by ship from one country and continent 
 to another, and that we have met together. I pray 
 my lords three, that a suitable day may be ap- 
 pointed, and that I may receive the ordinance of 
 baptism. 
 
 " Moreover, as it is only since I have met with 
 you, sirs, that I have known about the eternal God, 
 I venture to pray that you will still unfold to me the 
 religion of God, that my old disposition may be 
 destroyed, and my new disposition improved." 
 
74 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 After reading this document, the missionaries 
 voted to receive its author into the church, and he 
 was baptized on the 27th of the same month. The 
 exercises on the occasion, and Mr. Judson's feelings, 
 are thus briefly and feelingly recorded by his own 
 pen: 
 
 " There were several strangers present at vforship. 
 After the usual course, I called Moung Nau before 
 me, read and commented on an appropriate por- 
 tion of Scripture, asked him several questions con- 
 cerning his faith, hope, and love, and made the 
 baptismal prayer, having concluded to have all the 
 preparatory exercises done in the zayat. We then 
 proceeded to a large pond in the vicinity, the bank 
 of which is graced with an enormous image of Gau- 
 dama, and there administered baptism to the first 
 Burman convert. O, may it prove the beginning of 
 a series of baptisms in the Burman empire, which 
 shall continue in uninterrupted succession to tlie end 
 of time ! " 
 
 It is said, that when Dr. Carey led the first Hin- 
 doo convert to Christianity into the Ganges, Mr. 
 Ward exclaimed, with transport, ''The chain of caste 
 is broken, and who shall be able to mend it ? " while 
 another missionary eloquently apostrophized as fol- 
 lows: "Ye gods of stone and clay, did ye not 
 treinble when, in the name of the Father, Son, and 
 Holy Ghost, one of your votaries shook you as dust 
 from his feet?" And, when Mr. Judson bui'ied 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. Y5 
 
 Moung ISTaii in baptism, scenes as sublime as the 
 crumbling of claj-built gods, doubtless passed be- 
 fore his eje. Glancing forward through the vista 
 of coming years, he beheld " a series of baptisms in 
 the Burman empire," wliich thickened and widened 
 as it progressed, to be interrupted only with the 
 interruption and cessation of time. 
 
 On the 4th of July, 1819, Mr. Judson and his 
 associates celebrated the Lord's sufferings and death, 
 and had the happiness of communing, for the first 
 time, with a converted Burman. On that memora- 
 ble occasion, Mr. Judson enjoyed a privilege he had 
 long desired and anxiously looked for, that of ad- 
 ministering the Lord's supper in two languages. 
 
 While there is joy in heaven over one repentant 
 sinner, so, in some instances, there is great joy on 
 earth, on account of a single conversion. Such was 
 the case when Krislmo embraced the truth — the 
 Hindoo for whose conversion Dr. Thomas labored, at 
 Bengal, seventeen years ; such was emphatically the 
 case, when Moung Xau made a profession of faith. 
 The joy over the latter's conversion, was not limited 
 to the few missionaries who witnessed his baptism, 
 and first communed with him at the Lord's table ; it 
 was not limited to the East; when the news of it 
 reached America, a thrill of joy ran through every 
 heart that had breathed its desires at a throne of 
 gi-ace for the success of missions. We once heard a 
 gentleman remark, that when the pastor of a Baptist 
 church in the eastern part of Xew H mpshire, read 
 to his congregation, in a conference meeting, the 
 
76 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 acconnt of this heatlien's conversion, an aged and very 
 pious deacon, wliose contributions had been liberally 
 made for missions, sprang upon his feet and ex- 
 claimed, " I 've a brother in Burmah ! I 've a brother 
 in Burmah ! " and, as he repeated these words, he 
 pressed his hands to his face, and the tears oozed 
 through his fingers. This anecdote beautifully illus- 
 trates the principle, that one's happiness, in the suc- 
 cess of an enterprise, depends upon the interest he 
 takes in it, and the freeness with which he con- 
 tributes to carry it forward. "The truly generous " 
 is not only the " truly wise," as Home asserts, but the 
 truly happy. 
 
 During the months of May and June, while the 
 missionaries had been cheered and encouraged by 
 the visits of inquirers, they were also visited, repeat- 
 edly, by a more annoying class, namely, tax-gatherers : 
 their demands it was not deemed proper to dispute, 
 though they were extremely vexatious. 
 
 In the latter month, the missionaries learned that 
 the king had "gone up to amuse himself in the 
 celestial regions;" or, in truer English, had gone 
 down to an idolater's hopeless grave. He was 
 succeeded by his grandson — mentioned in a pre- 
 vious chapter — who put one uncle to death, and 
 imprisoned another, in order to clear the way to the 
 throne. 
 
 Aside from attending to the inquiries of daily new 
 comers at the zayat, Mr. Judson revised his first 
 tract, in the month of July, and enlarged it by add- 
 ing several prayers and some other matter. The 
 
OF ADONIRAM JFDSOX. 77 
 
 new ecliiion was called, a " Yiew of the- Cliristian 
 Religion, in four j^arts — Historical, Practical, Pre- 
 cej^tive, and Devotional." It was sent to Serani- 
 pore, where Mr. Hough printed an edition of live 
 thousand copies, which was five times the number 
 of the original edition. 
 
 In August, 1819, the mission met with its first 
 loss of laborers. On the 7th of that month, Mr. 
 "Wheelock, whose health, as we have before stated, 
 began to decline soon after his arrival at Rangoon, 
 embarked for Bengal, in a very low state. On the 
 voyage he was deprived of reason by a violent fever ; 
 and in this state, on the 20th, plunged into the sea, 
 and disappeared, there to await its giving up of the 
 dead. He died at the early age of twenty-three. 
 One of the first to respond to the appeal of the 
 Burman apostle for assistant reapers, he was the 
 first to respond to the call of Providence, to lay his 
 sickle aside ; and his name is written at the head 
 of a martyr-roll, which embraces many of the tme 
 heroes of the age, whose memory will be sacred to 
 the family of Christ in all coming time. 
 
 Mrs. Wheelock, who was with her husband when 
 he perished, proceeded to Bengal, where she was 
 subsequently married to Mr. Jones, of Calcutta. 
 Thus the station at Rangoon was early deprived of 
 two of its missionaries. 
 
CHAPTEE YII 
 
 New Inquirers, with a Description of one of Them — More Baptisms — Signs of 
 Persecution — Mr. Judson decides to visit the King. 
 
 Among the persons who frequented the zayat in 
 the autumn of 1819, were Moung Thah-lah, Moung 
 Byaa, and Moung Shwa-Gnong. The last was a 
 teacher, a man of learning, and a skeptic. As he 
 will be frequently mentioned hereafter, we transcribe 
 some portions of Mr. Judson's journal, relating to 
 his visits, character, &c. He first came to the zayat 
 on the 26th of August : 
 
 "August 27. The teacher Moung Shwa-Gnong 
 came again, and stayed from noon till quite dark, 
 "We conversed incessantly the whole time ; but I fear 
 that no real impression is made on his proud, skepti- 
 cal heart. lie, however, promised to pray to the 
 eternal God, through Jesus Christ, and appeared at 
 times to be in deep thought. He is a man of very 
 superior argumentative powers. His conversation 
 would ])robably shake the faith of many." 
 
AUONIRAM JUDSON. 79 
 
 " September 3. A great crowd of company through 
 the whole day ; the teacher, Moung Shwa-Gnong, 
 from ten o'clock till quite dark, with several of his 
 adherents. He is a complete Proteus in religion, and 
 I never know where to find him. We went over a 
 vast deal of ground, and ended where we began, in 
 apparent incredulity. 
 
 '' After he was gone, Moung Ing, who has been 
 listening all day, followed me home to the house, 
 being invited to stay with Moung Nau through the 
 night. We conversed all the evening, and his expres- 
 sions have satisfied us all, that he is one of God's 
 chosen people. His exercises have been of a much 
 stronger character than those of the others, and he 
 expresses himself in the most decided manner. He 
 desires to become a disciple in profession, as well as 
 heart, and declares his readiness to suffer persecution 
 and death for the love of Christ. When I stated the 
 danger to which he w^as exposing himself, and asked 
 him whether he loved Christ better than his own life, 
 he replied, very deliberately and solemnly, ' When I 
 meditate on this religion, I Imow not what it is to 
 love my own life.' Thus the poor fisherman, Moung 
 Ing, is taken, while the learned teacher, Moung 
 Shwa-Gnong, is left." 
 
 "September 11. Moung Shwa-Gnong has been 
 with me all day. It appears that he accidentally 
 obtained the idea of an eternal Being, about eight 
 years ago ; and it has been floating about in his mind 
 and disturbing his Buddhist ideas ever since. When 
 
80 THE MISSIONARY LAEOES 
 
 he heard of iis, which was through one of his adher- 
 ents, to whom I had given a tract, this idea received 
 considerable confirmation ; and to-day he has fully 
 admitted the truth of this first grand principle. The 
 latter part of the day, we were chiefly employed in 
 discussing the possibility and necessity of a divine 
 revelation, and the evidence which proves that the 
 writings of the apostles of Jesus contain that revela- 
 tion ; and I think I may say, that he is half inclined 
 to admit all this. He is certainly a most interesting 
 case. The way seems to be prepared in his mind, for 
 the special oj^eration of divine grace. Come, Holy 
 Spirit, heavenly Dove ! 
 
 " His conversion seems peculiarly desirable, on ac- 
 count of his superior talents and extensive acquain- 
 tance with Burman and Pali literature. He is the 
 most powerful reasoner I have yet met with in thia 
 country, excepting my old teacher, Oo Oungmen, 
 (now dead,) and he is not at all inferior to him." 
 
 In the evening of October 23d, Moung Thah-lah 
 and Moung Byaa presented Mr. Judson a paper, con- 
 taining their profession of faith in Christ, and a 
 request to be privately baptized. The peculiarity of 
 this request was doubtless owing to fears of persecu- 
 tion and death, a renunciation of Buddhism forfeiting 
 life. 
 
 Moung Shwa-Gnong began about this time to be 
 troubled in the same way. After an absence of three 
 weeks, he called on Mr. Judson October 29th, but 
 appeared less eager to investigate religious truth, and 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 81 
 
 was quite anxious to curtail his visit. Some one, it 
 seems, had mentioned him to the viceroy as an aban- 
 doner of Buddhism, and the informant was ordered 
 to make further inquiries about him. Learning this 
 fact, Moung Shwa-Gnong became alarmed, and went 
 to the Mangen teacher, and doubtless made apologies 
 as well as ex2:)lanations. 
 
 On the 6th of November, Moung Thah-lah and 
 Moung Bvaa again petitioned for baptism. Their 
 first request had been deferred, not because the mis- 
 sionaries could gain no evidence that they possessed 
 divine grace, but because their love for Christ had 
 not become strong enough to overcome the fears of 
 martyrdom. They had been recommended to wait, 
 and prayerfully reconsider the matter. In their sec- 
 ond petition, they requested to be baptized at sunset, 
 in as secluded a place as was convenient. " We 
 spent some hours," writes Mr. Judson. "in again dis- 
 cussing the subject with them, and with one another. 
 We felt satisfied that they were humble disciples ot 
 Jesus, and were desirous of receiving this ordinance, 
 purely out of regard to his command, and their own 
 spiritual welfare; we felt, that we were all equally 
 exposed to danger, and needed a spirit of mutual 
 candor, and forbearance, and sympathy ; we were 
 convinced that they were influenced rather by desires 
 of avoiding unnecessary exposure, than by that sinful 
 fear, which would plunge them into apostasy in 
 the hour of trial ; and when they assured us, that, 
 if actually brought before government, they could 
 not think of denying their Savio;ir, we could not 
 
82 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 conscientiously refuse their request, and therefore 
 agreed to have them baptized to-morrow at sunset." 
 
 The scene which the twilight of the next day — 
 the Sabbath — witnessed, was one of uncommon 
 interest, and is briefly described by Mr. Judson, in a 
 strain of rare beauty. The little company of wor- 
 shipers at the zayat had dispersed, when, about half 
 an hour before sunset, the two candidates returned, 
 accompanied by three or four of their friends. A 
 short prayer was offered, and the little band resorted 
 to the spot consecrated by the baptism of Moung 
 ISTau. " Tlie sun was not allowed to look upon the 
 humble, timid profession. 'No wondering crowd 
 crowned the overshadowing hill. No hymn of praise 
 expressed the exultant feelings of joyous hearts. 
 Stillness and solemnity pervaded the scene. We 
 felt, on the banks of the water, as a little, feeble, soli- 
 tary band. But, perhaps, some hovering angels took 
 note of the event, with more interest than they wit- 
 nessed the late coronation; perhaps Jesus looked 
 down on us, pitied and forgave our weaknesses, and 
 marked us for his own ; perhaps, if we deny Him not, 
 He will acknowledge us another day, more publicly 
 than we venture, at present, to acknowledge Him." 
 
 In the evening of the same day, the missionaries 
 sat down at the table of the Lord with the newly 
 baptized converts, and enjoyed the gracious presence 
 of their Saviour. Three days after, in the evening, 
 when Mr. eTudson met, with the three converts, for 
 prayer, two of them took part in the exercises, making 
 " a little beginning, such as must be expected from the 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 83 
 
 first essay of converted heathens." In the evening 
 of the 14th, four days later, the three converts re- 
 paired to the zayat of their own accord, and held a 
 similar meeting among themselves ; a trifling circum- 
 stance, it may seem, in the eyes of some, but it was 
 recorded by Mr. Judson as a memorable incident, 
 and justly viewed as a happy omen. 
 
 On the 4th of December, Mr. Judson received an- 
 other visit from Moung Shwa-Gnong, and wrote the 
 following interesting account of it : 
 
 "After several hours sp^nt in metaphysical cavils, 
 he owned that he did not believe any thing that he 
 had said, and had only been trying me and the 
 religion, being determined to embrace nothing but 
 what he found unobjectionable and impregnable. 
 ' What,' said he, ' do you think that I would pay 
 you the least attention, if I found you could not 
 answer all my questions, and solve all my diflfi- 
 culties ? ' He then proceeded to say, that he really 
 believed in God, his Son Jesus Christ, the atone- 
 ment, &c. Said I, (knowing his delstical weakness,) 
 ' Do you believe all that is contained in the book 
 of Matthew, that I have given you? In particular, 
 do you believe that the Son of God died on a cross ? ' 
 ' Ah,' replied he, ' you have caught me now. I be- 
 lieve that he suffered death, but I can not admit 
 that he suffered the shameful death of the cross.' 
 ' Therefore,' said I, ' you are not a discij^le of Christ. 
 A true disciple inquires not whether a fact i? agree- 
 able to his own reason, but, whether it is in the book. 
 
84 THE MISSIONABY LABORS 
 
 His pride has yielded to divine testimony. Teacher, 
 your pride is still unbroken. Break down your 
 pride, and yield to the word of God.' He stopped 
 and thought. ' As you utter these words,' said he, 
 * I see my error ; 1 have been trusting in my own 
 reason, not in the word of God.' Some interruption 
 now occurred. When we were again alone, he said, 
 ' This day is different from all days on which I have 
 visited you. I see my error in trusting in my o%vn 
 reason ; and I now believe the crucifixion of Christ, 
 because it is contained in the Scripture.' Some time 
 after, speaking of the uncertainty of life, he said he 
 thought he should not be lost, though he died sud- 
 denly. Why? ' Because 1 love Jesus Christ.' Do 
 you really love him ? ' J^o one that really knows 
 him, can help loving him.' And so he departed." 
 
 During the month of November, the calls at the 
 zayat became daily less frequent, so that by the last 
 of the month it was not uncommon for Mr. Judson 
 to sit a whole day without being visited. His object 
 had become gradually known in Kangoon and the 
 neighboring country ; curiosity had abated, and fear 
 kept serious inquirers away. 
 
 The missionaries had received no serious disturb- 
 ance while living in retirement, but when the zayat 
 was opened on a road noted for the number of its 
 pagodas, and the natives commenced thronging it 
 for religious instruction, the government began to 
 be suspicious. Mr. Judson now became convinced 
 that banishment or death would, ere that date, have 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 85 
 
 been the fate of himself and his associates, had the 
 ecclesiastical leaders supposed the new religion would 
 meet with general favor among the people. He con- 
 cluded that it would be necessary, in order to his 
 success, to visit the emperor at Amarapura, at that 
 time the capital of the country, and frankly make 
 loiown the object of his mission to Burmah, and 
 ask for the toleration of the religion he had como 
 to teach. 
 
CHAPTER Ylll. 
 
 Messrs. Judson and Colman embark for the Capital —Voyage up the Irravvaddy— 
 Introduction to the King — Ilis Rejection of their Petition — They return to 
 Rangoon — Interview with the Native Converts — Mr. and Mrs. Colman go to 
 Chittagong — Death of Mr. Cohnan. 
 
 Having made arrangements necessary for the com- 
 fort of tlieir families, Messrs. Judson and Colman 
 embarked for the seat of Burman dynasty, on the 
 22d of December, 1819. The company consisted of 
 sixteen persons besides themselves; ten rowmen, a 
 steersman, a headsman, Moung Nau, who acted as 
 stcM^ard for the company, a cook for the missiona- 
 ries, a washerman, and an Englishman, who took 
 charge of the guns and blunderbusses. These wea- 
 pons were indisjDensable, the river being infested with 
 robbers. The missionaries took with them a Bible 
 in six volumes, elegantly bound, and each volume 
 enclosed in a richly ornamented wrapper, as a pres- 
 ent to the emperor ; also several pieces of fine cloth, 
 and some other articles, for the members of the 
 government.* 
 
 * The organs of the Burraan administration, and higher orders 
 of nobility, ai-e the woongyees, and the atwenwoons. The former 
 
ADONIRAM JUDSON. 87 
 
 On the iTth of January, 1820, tliey reached Pah- 
 gan, a celebrated city, between two and three hun- 
 dred miles from Rangoon. It was the seat of a for- 
 mer dynasty. The next day Mr. Judson strolled 
 among its extensive ruins, and surveyed its pagodas 
 and other monuments of idolatiy and decaying splen- 
 dor. He ascended, he says, "as far as possible, 
 some of the highest edifices, and at the height of one 
 hundred feet, perhaps, beheld all the country around, 
 covered with temples and monuments of every sort 
 and size — some in utter mm — some fast decaying, 
 — and some exhibiting marks of recent attention 
 and repair. The remains of the ancient wall of 
 the city stretched beneath us. The pillars of the 
 gates, and many a grotesque, decapitated relic ot 
 antiquity, checkered the motley scene. All con- 
 spired to suggest those elevated and mournfiil ideas, 
 w^hich are attendant on a view of the decaying remains 
 of ancient grandem- ; and though not comparable to 
 such ruins as those of Palmyra and Balbec, (as they 
 are represented,) still, deeply interesting to the anti- 
 quary, and more deeply interesting to the christian 
 missionary. Here, about eight hundred years ago, 
 the religion of Buddh w^as first publicly recognized 
 and established as the religion of the empire. 
 
 rank next to the royal family ; are the public ministers of state, and 
 constitute the supreme court. They issue the royal edicts in theit 
 own name. Their number is usually four, never more than six. The 
 atwenwoons are the cabinet officers or private counselors, and usually 
 the same in number as the woongyees. Their offices are not hered- 
 itary, and they often rise from obscuritj. Kingship is the onlj 
 inherited honor in the empire. 
 
88 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 " Here, then, Ah-rah-han, the first Buddhist apos- 
 tle of Burmah, under the patronage of King Anan- 
 ra-tha-men-zan, disseminated the doctrines of atheism, 
 and taught his disciples to pant after annihilation, as 
 the supreme good. Some of the ruins before our 
 eyes were probably the remains of pagodas designed 
 by himself. We looked back on the centuries of 
 darlmess that are past. We looked forward, and 
 christian hope would fain brighten the prospect. 
 Perhaps we stand on the dividing line of the empires 
 of darkness and light. O, shade of Shen Ah-rah- 
 han ! weep o'er thy fallen fanes ; retire from the 
 scenes of thy past greatness. But thou smilest at 
 my feeble voice. Linger, then, thy little remaining 
 day. A voice mightier than mine, a still, small voice, 
 will ere long sweep away every vestige of thy do- 
 minion. The churches of Jesus will soon supplant 
 these idolatrous monuments, and the chanting of the 
 devotees of Buddh will die away before the christian 
 hymn of praise." 
 
 On the 25th of the same month, they passed Ava, 
 the seat of the dynasty that immediately preceded 
 that at Amarapura ; and in the afternoon of the same 
 day, came in sight of the capital, distant nearly four 
 hundred miles from Rangoon. The next day they 
 gazed upon its glittering pagodas, and the dazzling 
 steeple of the palace, whither they were about to 
 " prostrate themselves at the golden feet," as their 
 visit to the emperor would be called by Orientals. 
 The introduction of the missionaries at the Bm-man 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 89 
 
 court is best described by the graj)liic pen of Mr. 
 Judson : 
 
 " January 27. We left the boat, and put ourselves 
 under the conduct of Moung Yo."^' He carried us first 
 to Mya-dav-men, as a matter of form ; and there we 
 learned that the emperor had been privately apprised 
 of our arrival, and said, ' Let them be introduced.' 
 We therefore proceeded to the palace. At the outer 
 gate we were detained a long time, until the various 
 ofiicers were satisfied that we had a right to enter, 
 after which we deposited a present for the private min- 
 ister of state, Moung Zah, and were ushered into his 
 apartments in the palace yard. He received us very 
 pleasantly, and ordered us to sit before several 
 governors and petty kings, who were waiting at his 
 levee. We here, for the first time, disclosed our 
 character and object; told him, that we were mis- 
 sionaries, or ' propagators of religion ;' that we wished 
 to appear before the emperor, and present our sacred 
 books, accompanied with a petition. He took the 
 petition into his hand, looked over about half of it, 
 and then familiarly asked several questions about our 
 God and our religion, to which we replied. Just at 
 this crisis, some one announced that the golden foot 
 was about to advance ; on which the minister hastily 
 rose up, and put on his robes of state, saying, that he 
 must seize the moment to present us to the emperor. 
 We now found, that we had unwittingly fallen on an 
 
 * Moung Yo was a favorite officer of Mya-day-men, who was a 
 ■woongyee, or minister of state, and formerly viceroy of Rangoon. 
 
90 THE MISSIONAET LABORS 
 
 Tinpropitious time, it being the day of the celebration 
 of the late victory over the Cassays, and the very 
 hour when his majesty was coming forth to witness 
 the display made on the occasion. When the minis- 
 ter was dressed, he just said, ' How can you propa- 
 gate religion in this empire? But, come along.' 
 Our hearts sunk at these inauspicious words. He 
 conducted us through various splendor and parade, 
 until we ascended a flight of stairs, and entered a 
 most magnificent hall. He directed us where to sit, 
 and took his place on one side ; the present w^as 
 placed on the other, and Moung Yo, and another 
 ofiicer of Mya-day-men, sat a little behind. The 
 scene to which we were now introduced really sur- 
 passed om- expectation. The spacious extent of the 
 hall, the number and magnitude of the pillars, the 
 height of the dome, the whole completely covered 
 with gold, presented a most grand and imposing spec- 
 tacle. Yery few were present, and those evidently 
 were great officers of state. Our situation prevented 
 us from seeing the further avenue of the hall ; but 
 the end where we sat opened into the parade which 
 the emperor was about to inspect. We remained 
 about five minutes, when every one put himself in 
 the most respectful attitude, and Moung Yo w^his- 
 pered, that his majesty had entered. We looked 
 through the hall, as far as the pillars would allow, 
 and presently caught sight of this modern Ahasuerus, 
 He came forward unattended — in solitary grandeur, 
 exhibiting the proud gait and majesty of an eastern 
 monarch. His dress was rich, but not distinctive, 
 
OF ADOXIEAM JUDSON. 91 
 
 and he carried m liis hand the gold-sheathed sword, 
 which seems to have taken the place of the scepter 
 of ancient times. But it was his high aspect and 
 commanding eye, that chiefly riveted our attention. 
 He strided on. Every head, excepting ours, was 
 now in the dust. AV"e remained kneeling, our hands 
 folded, our eyes fixed on the monarch. AVhen he 
 di*ew near, we caught his attention. He stopped, 
 partly turned toward us : ' AV ho are these 'i ' The 
 teachers, great king, I rei^lied. 'What, you speak 
 Burman — the jDriests that I heard of last night 'i ' 
 ' When did you arrive ? ' ' Are you teachers of relig- 
 ion ? ' ' Are you like the Portuguese priest ? ' ' Are 
 you married i ' ' Why do you dress so ? ' These, 
 and some other similar questions, we answered ; 
 when he appeared to be pleased with us, and sat 
 down on an elevated seat — his hand resting on the 
 hilt of his sword, and his eyes intently fixed on us. 
 Moung Zah now began to read the petition, and it 
 ran thus : 
 
 "'The American teachers present themselves to 
 receive the favor of the excellent king, the sovereign 
 of land and sea. Hearing, that, on account of the 
 greatness of the royal power, the royal country was 
 in a quiet and prosperous state, we arrived at the 
 town of Eangoon, within the royal dominions, and 
 having obtained leave of the governor of that town, 
 to come up and behold the golden face, we have 
 ascended and reached the bottom of the golden feet. 
 In the great country of America, we sustain the 
 character of teachers and explainers of the contents 
 
^2 THE MISSIONAET LABORS 
 
 of tlie sacred scriptures of our religion. And since 
 it is contained in those scriptures, that, if we j^ass 
 to other countries, and preach and propagate relig- 
 ion, great good will result, and both those who 
 teach and those who receive the religion, will be 
 freed from future punishment, and enjoy, without 
 decay or death, the eternal felicity of heaven, — that 
 royal permission be given, that we, taking refuge in 
 the royal power, may preach our religion in these 
 dominions, and that those who are pleased with our 
 })reaching, and wish to listen to and be guided by it, 
 whether foreigners or Burmans, may be exempt from 
 government molestation, they present themselves to 
 receive the favor of the excellent king, the sovereign 
 of land and sea.' 
 
 "The emperor heard this petition, and stretched 
 out his hand. Moung Zah crawled forward and pre- 
 sented it. His majesty began at the top, and delib- 
 erately read it through. In the meantime, I gave 
 Moung Zah an abridged copy of the tract, in which 
 every oiFensive sentence was corrected, and the whole 
 put into the handsomest style and dress possible. 
 After the emperor had perused the petition, he 
 handed it back, without saying a word, and took 
 the tract. Our hearts now rose to God, for a display 
 of his grace. ' O have mercy on Burmah ! Have 
 mercy on her king ! ' But, alas ! the time was not 
 yet come. He held the tract long enough to read the 
 first two sentences, which assert that there is one 
 eternal God, who is independent of the incidents of 
 mortality, and that, beside Him, there is no God; 
 
OF ADONIRAM JTJDSON. 93 
 
 and then, with an air of indifference, perhaps dis- 
 dain, he dashed it down to the ground ! Moung Zah 
 stooped forward, picked it np, and handed it to ns. 
 Moung Yo made a slight attempt to save us, by un- 
 folding one of the volumes which composed our pres- 
 ent, and displaying its beauty ; but his majesty took 
 no notice. Our fate was decided. After a few mo- 
 ments, Moung Zah interpreted his royal master's will, 
 in the following terms : ' Why do you ask for such 
 permission ? Have not the Portuguese, the English, 
 the Musselmans, and people of all other religions, full 
 liberty to practise and worship according to their own 
 customs ? In regard to the objects of yom- petition, 
 his majesty gives no order. In regard to your sacred 
 books, his majesty has no use for them, take them 
 away.' 
 
 "Something was now said about brother Col- 
 man's skill in medicine; upon which the emperor 
 once more opened his mouth, and said, ' Let them 
 proceed to the residence of my physician, the Por- 
 tuguese priest; let him examine whether they can 
 be useful to me in that line, and report accordingly.' 
 lie then rose from his seat, strided on to the end of 
 the hall, and there, after having dashed to the ground 
 the first intelligence that he had ever received of the 
 eternal God, his Maker, his Preserver, his Judge, he 
 threw himself down on a cushion, and lay listening 
 to the music, and gazing at the parade spread out 
 before him ! 
 
 " As for us and our present, we were huddled up 
 and hurried away, without much ceremony. "We 
 
94 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 passed out of the palace gates, with much more 
 facility than we entered, and were conducted first to 
 the house of Mya-day-men. There his officer re- 
 ported our reception, but in as favorable terms as 
 possible; and as his highness was not apprized of 
 our precise object, our repulse appeared, probably, to 
 him, not so decisive, as we knew it to be. We were 
 next conducted two miles through the sun and dust 
 of the streets of Ava, to the residence of the Portu- 
 guese priest. He very speedily ascertained, that we 
 were in possession of no wonderful secret, which 
 would secure the emperor from all disease, and make 
 him live for ever ; and we were accordingly allowed 
 to take leave of the reverend inquisitor, and retreat 
 to our boat. 
 
 " At this stage of the business, notwithstanding 
 the decided repulse we had received, we still cher- 
 ished some hope of ultimately gaining our point. 
 "We regretted that a sudden interruption had pre- 
 vented our explaining our objects to Moung Zah, in 
 that familiar and confidential manner which we had 
 intended; and we determined, therefore, to make 
 another attempt upon him in private. 
 
 "January 28. — Early in the morning, we had the 
 pleasure of seeing our friend Mr. Ganger coming to 
 our boat. It may not be amiss to mention, that he 
 is the collector, who was chiefly instrumental in 
 relieving us from the exorbitant demand, which, a 
 few months ago, was made upon us in Rangoon. 
 He now told us, that he had heard of our repulse, 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 95 
 
 but would not have us give up all hope ; that he was 
 particularly acquainted with Moung Zah, and would 
 accompany us to his house, a little before sunset, at 
 an hour when he was accessible. This precisely 
 accorded with our intentions. 
 
 "We went to the house of Moung Zah, some way 
 beyond the palace. He received us with great 
 coldness and reserve. Mr. Ganger urged every 
 argument that we suggested, and some others. He 
 finally stated that, if we obtained the royal favor, 
 other foreigners would come and settle in the empire, 
 and trade would be greatly benefited. This argu- 
 ment alone seemed to have efiect on the mind of the 
 minister, and, looking out from the cloud which 
 covered his face, he vouchsafed to say, that, if we 
 would wait some time, he would endeavor to speak to 
 his majesty about us. From this remark it was im- 
 possible to derive any encouragement, and having 
 nothing further to urge, we left Mr. Ganger, and, 
 bowing down to the ground, took leave of this great 
 minister of state, who, under the emperor, guides 
 the movements of the whole empire. 
 
 "It was now evening. "We had four miles to walk 
 by moonlight. Two of our disciples only followed 
 us. They had pressed as near as they ventured to 
 the door of the hall of audience, and listened to 
 words which sealed the extinction of their hopes and 
 ours. For some time we spoke not. 
 
 ' Some natural tears we dropt, but wiped them soon. 
 The -world was all before us, where to choose 
 Our place of rest, aud Providence our guide.' 
 
96 THE MISSIONARY LAEOKS 
 
 And, as our first parents took their solitary way 
 through Eden, hand in hand, so we took our way 
 through this great city, which, to our late imagina- 
 tion, seemed another Eden; but now, through the 
 magic touch of disappointment, seemed blasted and 
 withered, as if smitten by the fatal influence of the 
 cherubic sword. 
 
 " Arrived at the boat, we threw ourselves down, 
 completely exhausted in body and mind. For three 
 days, we had walked eight miles a day, the most of 
 the way in the heat of the sun, which, even at this 
 season, in the interior of these countries, is exceed- 
 ingly oppressive ; and the result of our travels and 
 toils has been — the wisest and best possible — a 
 result which, if we could see the end from the 
 beginning, would call forth our highest praise. O 
 slow of heart to believe and trust in the constant 
 presence and overruling agency of our almighty 
 Saviour! " 
 
 "With their plans thwarted, and their fond hopes 
 blighted, the missionaries set out on their return to 
 Rangoon, on the 29tli of January. Fourteen days 
 afterward, they stopped for the night at a town called 
 Pyee, where they met Moung Shwa-Gnong. He 
 had declined accompanying them to the capital, but 
 just after they pushed off from Rangoon, he ran up 
 to the wharf, raised his hand to his head, bade them 
 adieu, and continued to look after them, until the 
 boat was lost behind a projecting point. His mis- 
 sion to Pyee was professedly to visit a sick friend, 
 
OF ADONIRAM JCDSON. 97 
 
 tliougli it is likely he had a double object in view, 
 he having a secret desire, no donbt, to meet the 
 missionaries, and ascertain the result of their visit. 
 When told that then- petition and presents had been 
 trampled beneath the golden foot^ and of the danger 
 that must attend further efforts to propagate the new 
 religion, he manifested no serious alarm, l^ut re- 
 peated, with calmness, and in a firm voice, the most 
 prominent points of christian faith, and showed bv 
 all he said, that he had great interest in the success 
 of the mission. Mr. Judson hinted to him, that the 
 missionaries would probably leave Kangoon, w^lien 
 he replied : " Say not so ; there are some who will 
 investigate, notwithstanding ; and, rather than have 
 you quit Rangoon, I will go to the Mangen teachei 
 and have a dispute. I know I can silence him. ] 
 know the truth is on my side." Hearing this re- 
 mark, Mr. Judson told him to remember that the 
 Mangen teacher had a pair of fetters and an iron 
 mall as offsets to his tongue — and thus ended the 
 conversation. 
 
 Pleased with the appearance of Moung Shwa- 
 Gnong, but with spirits still dejected, and with no 
 hope of other than divine countenance of their 
 sacred work, the missionaries pushed on, and arrived 
 at Rangoon on the 18th of February. Convening 
 the three disciples without delay, they narrated their 
 adventures at Amarapura, and stated that they con- 
 templated leaving Rangoon and establishing a mis- 
 sion, Providence aiding them, in a district between 
 Bengal and Arracan. 
 
 7 
 
98 THE MISSIONARY LAEOES 
 
 Far from being intimidated at tlie conduct of the 
 emperor, the disciples began, with much composure 
 and earnestness, to explain away difficulties, and to 
 persuade the teachers not to look upon their cause in 
 those parts as hopeless. They all entreated them not 
 to think of abandoning the mission; but, in case 
 they should do it, two of them, Moung ]^au and 
 Moung Thah-lah, said they should accompany them, 
 being determined, as one of them remarked, to "go 
 where preaching is to be had." Moung Byee said 
 that, being a married man, he could not follow his 
 teachers ; but, if left alone, he should continue to 
 perform the duties of "Jesus Christ's religion." 
 
 Bringing with him a brother-in-law, named Moung 
 Myat-yah, the last mentioned convert soon had 
 another interview with the missionaries, which Mr. 
 Judson thus describes : 
 
 "'Teacher,' said he, 'my mind is distressed; I 
 can neither eat nor sleep, since I find you are going 
 away. I have been around among those who live 
 near us, and I find some who are even now examin- 
 ing the new religion. Brother Myat-yah is one of 
 them, and he unites with me in my petitions. (Here 
 Myat-yah assented that it was so.) Do stay with us 
 a few months. Do stay till there are eight or ten 
 disciples. Then appoint one to be the teacher of the 
 rest; I shall not be concerned about the event; 
 though you should leave the country, the religion 
 will spread of itself The emperor himself cannot stop 
 it. But if you go now, and take the two disciples 
 
OF ADONLRAM JUDSON. 99 
 
 that can follow, I shall be left alone. I cannot 
 baptize those who may wish to embrace this religion. 
 "What can I do?' Monng Nan came in, and ex- 
 pressed himself in a similar way. He thought that 
 several w^ould yet become disciples, notwithstanding 
 all opposition, and that it was best for ns to stay 
 awhile. We conld not restrain om^ tears at hearing 
 all this ; and we told them, that, as we lived only for 
 the promotion of the cause of Christ among the 
 Bm'mans, if there was any prospect of success in 
 Kangoon, we had no desire to go to any other place, 
 and would, therefore, reconsider the matter.'* 
 
 The result of the reconsideration was, that Mr. 
 and Mrs. Judson concluded to remain, and Mr. 
 and Mrs. Colman to proceed to Chittagong, and 
 there form a station, as a refuge for the missionaries 
 and converts, should it be found necessary for them 
 to flee from Rangoon. Accordingly, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Colman embarked for Bengal, in March, 1820, and 
 arrived at Chittagong in June. They commenced 
 their labors at Cox's Bazaar, an unhealthy town of 
 about two thousand inhabitants. There Mr. Colman 
 died of the jungle fever, on the 4th of July, 1822. 
 His wife returned to Bengal, and was subsequently 
 married to Rev. Amos Sutton, an English mission- 
 ary, who has labored many years at Orissa, in 
 Hindostan. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 More Conversions — Progress of the Work of Tran:?lating the New Testament — 
 Sickness of Mrs. Judson — Mr. Judson repairs with her to Bengal — Their 
 Return — The Native Converts —Tlie new Viceroy — Moung Ing— Mrs. Jud- 
 son's III Healtli, and Departure for America — Clouds — Tlieir Dispersion — 
 Arrival of Dr. Price — Return of Mr. Hough. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Judson were once more alone at 
 the Rangoon station, with, dim prospects of being 
 permitted long to remain there. Defeated in his 
 attempts to secure the favor of the emperor, Mr. 
 Judson would not now be surprised, at any moment, 
 to receive orders to leave the country. Still, strong 
 inducements presented themselves for him to re- 
 main ; and, trusting in Providence for protection, he 
 resolved to toil on, until peremptorily commanded 
 to leave. 
 
 The converts were now giving evidence of healthy 
 spiritual growth; the number of inquirers was grad- 
 ually increasing ; and a few of the latter class seemed 
 to be entering the vestibule of mercy. Among these 
 were Oo Yan and Moung Shwa-ba. The former 
 
ADONIRAM JUDSON. 101 
 
 was a learned casuist, and a subtle and zealous 
 disputer. His peculiar tenets are thus described 
 by Mr. Judson : 
 
 " He was ready to admit, that the atheistic system 
 of the Buddhists was not tenable ; but endeavored 
 to fortify himself on a middle system, between that 
 and the christian ; the very system in which Moung 
 Shwa-Gnong formerly rested, and which, for distinc- 
 tion's sake, may be fitly termed the semi-atheistic. 
 Its fundamental doctrine is, that divine wisdom, not 
 concentrated in any existing spirit, or embodied 
 in any form, but diffused throughout the universe, 
 and partaken in different degrees by various intelli- 
 gences, and in a very high degree by the Buddhs, 
 is the true and only God. This poor system, which 
 is evidently guilty of suicide, Oo Yan made every 
 possible effort to keep alive ; but I really think, that 
 in his own mind, he felt the case to be ho]3eless. 
 His mode of reasoning, however, is soft, insinuating, 
 and acute ; and so adroitly did he act his part, that 
 Moung Shwa-Gnong, with his strong arm, and I, 
 with the strength of truth, were scarcely able to 
 keep him down." 
 
 Moung Shwa-ba was introduced to Mr. Judson by 
 Moung Thah-lah on the 21st of March, 1820, and 
 three days after gave clear evidence of conversion. 
 He was baptized on the 20th of the following month. 
 
 About this time, a woman, named Mali Men-la, 
 who had renounced the reli"fion of Gaudama s<y'yf> 
 
102 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 years before, a^d become semi-atheistic, was fre- 
 quently at the za^^at. She had met with Mr. Jud- 
 Bon's tract two years before, and derived therefrom 
 the idea of an eternal God. The following brief ex- 
 tract from Mr. Judson's journal, in reference to her, 
 is very interesting : 
 
 "April 20. Mah Men-la and her fi'iends have 
 i>een with Mrs. Judson all day. She gives increas- 
 ing evidence of being a real discij:)^; but is ex- 
 tremely timid, through fear of persecution. One of 
 her remarks deserves notice as a natural expression 
 of true christian feeling. ' I am surprised,' said she, 
 ' to find thio religion has such an effect on my mind, 
 as to make me love the disciples of Christ more than 
 my dearest natural relations.' She is a woman of 
 very superior discernment and mental energy. One 
 of the women who have frequently accompanied her 
 in her visits, mot with a tract at old Pegu, about six 
 weeks ago, and came all the way to Rangoon, chiefly, 
 she says, on that account." 
 
 On the day that he penned the above remarks, 
 Mr. Judson finislied the translation of Ephesians, 
 which he had commenced before going to Amara- 
 pura, but had been obliged to relinquish, on account 
 of weakness of the eyes. At the same date, he had 
 the book of Acts under way, and declared his inten- 
 tion to give it to the young puj)ils in the school of 
 Christ as fast as he possibly could. Heretofore, he 
 could give them only the gospel of Matthew ; now, 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUD^OX. 103 
 
 lie had the hapj)iness of pL^ciiig a second "book of 
 the aSqw Testament in their hands, with the prosj^ect 
 of soon being able to feed them still more bounti- 
 fully on tlie manna of divdne truth ; and the good 
 man makes a record of his joy and gratitude to God 
 for manifold mercies. He then speaks of the pro- 
 gress of religious incpiiry, and of other matters of 
 sufficient importance to be transcribed : 
 
 " Apkil 30. — Lord's-day. One of the busiest days 
 I have ever spent. Not a multitude of visitants, as 
 formerly. That we can not expect in present circum- 
 stances. ' But, beside the usual evening assembly, 
 there were eight or ten present at worship, some of 
 whom were with me from nine in the morning till 
 ten at night. Mali Men-la and her company were 
 with Mrs. Judson, who has had a serious attack of 
 the liver complaint, for a fortnight past, and is now 
 in a course of salivation. 
 
 " Oo Yan, after having searched out all the dif- 
 ficult points of religion, came to-day to the ne plus 
 ultra — How are sin and eternal misery reconcilable 
 with the character of an infinitely holy, wise, and 
 powerful God? He at length obtained such satis- 
 faction, that he could not restrain laughing, from 
 pure mental delight, and kept recurring to the sub- 
 ject, and repeating my remarks to those around him. 
 He was accompanied, as usual, by his two friends, 
 Moung Thah-a and Moung Myat-lah, husband of 
 Mah Men-la. With these came also one Moung Yo, 
 a disciple of Moung Shwa-Gnong, a poor man, but 
 
10-i THE MISSIONARY LAB0E8 
 
 a sharp reasoner. He was, or pretended to be, on 
 the semi-atheistic plan. After ascertaining his pre- 
 cise groimd, I used an argument, which, in a late 
 combat with Oo Yan, I found qnite invincible. It 
 is simply this : ' N^o mind, no wisdom — temporary 
 mind, temporary wisdom — eternal mind, eternal wis- 
 dom.' Now, as all the semi-atheists firmly believe in 
 eternal wisdom, this concise statement sweeps with 
 irresistible sway, through the very joints and mar- 
 row of their system. And though it may seem 
 rather simple and inconclusive, to one acquainted 
 with Burman reasoning, its effect is uniformly deci- 
 sive. 'No sooner is this short sentence uttered, than 
 one significantly nods his head, as if to say. There 
 you have it. Another cries out to the opjDonent, 
 You are undone, destroyed. Another says, Talk 
 about wisdom; where else will you find it? The 
 disputant himself, who was, perhaps, preparing a 
 learned speech about the excellence and efiicacy 
 and eternity of wisdom, quite disconcerted by this 
 unexpected onset, sits looking at the w^reek of his 
 system, and wondering at the simple means which 
 have spread such ruin around him ; presently he 
 looks up, (for the Burmans are frequently candid,) 
 and says, Your words are very appropriate. And 
 jDerhaps his next question is, How can I become a 
 disciple of the God you worship ? 
 
 " All the visitors to-day, and indeed all the semi- 
 atheists are despisei-s of Gaudama, and the estab- 
 lished religion of the land. Moung Shwa-Gnong 
 has disseminated this heresy in Rans-oou for several 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 105 
 
 years ; but since he lias become acquainted with ns, 
 he frequently tells his adherents, ' I know nothing ; 
 if you want true wisdom, go to the foreign teacher, 
 and there you will find it.' I have reason to believe 
 that this heresy is not confined to Rangoon, but is 
 taking root in various parts of the country, and pre- 
 paring the way for the christian religion. O, for 
 toleration — a little toleration. We will be content 
 to baptize in the night, and hold worship in private ; 
 but we do pray that we may not be utterly banished 
 from the land ; that we may not be cut up, root and 
 branch. O, that these poor souls who are groping 
 in the dark, feeling after the truth, may have time 
 and opportunities to find the precious treasure, which 
 will enrich them forevermore. We are all looking 
 with anxiety tow^ard the golden feet. Our viceroy, 
 Moung Shwa-thah, has gone thither on a visit ; and 
 it is doubtful whether he will return, or his rival 
 Mya-day-men. If the latter, there is some reason 
 to hope that we shall keep footing in Rangoon, at 
 least, during his administration.'* 
 
 Among the visitors at the zayat, in May and June, 
 were ^Momig Myat-yah, Moung Thah-yah, Moung 
 Gway, and Moung Nyo-dwa. The first two were 
 baptized on the 4:th of the latter month, and the last 
 two on the 16th of July. Two days afterward, 
 Moung Shwa-Gnong and Mah Men-la followed in 
 the same delis^htful ordinance. The latter was the 
 first Burman female baptized, and the tenth convert. 
 While these encom-aging events were transpiring, 
 6* 
 
106 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 the health of Mrs. Judson was gradually on the de- 
 cline ; and in the early part of July she began to 
 make preparations to sail for Bengal for relief. Her 
 extreme weakness rendered it necessary that Mr. 
 Judson should accompany her, and, amid the tears 
 and pious benedictions of the new-born saints, they 
 embarked on the 19th of the month. Just before 
 going aboard the ship, Mr. Judson addressed a line 
 to Dr. Baldwin, in which he says : " Never did I 
 feel more unwillingness to leave Rangoon, nor was 
 the mission ever in more interesting circumstances 
 than at the present time. Since our return from Ava, 
 I have not ventured to make the least public move- 
 ment, but confined myself at home, holding private 
 worship, translating the Scriptures, and conversing 
 with those who visited me. Tlie spirit of God has, 
 «LOwever, continued operating and carrying on the 
 work, which began before we went up to Ava, at 
 vvhich time we had baptized three. 
 
 "All the ten baptized disciples give satisfactory 
 igvidence of being true converts. Those of the longest 
 •gtanding are evidently growing christians. Some of 
 'jhem take the lead in prayer meetings, with great 
 propriety ; and nearly all of them have made some 
 attempt at this exercise before the church. A good 
 legree of christian affection prevails among them all ; 
 ihe appearance of which, Moung Shwa-Gnong says, 
 convinced him, more than anything else, of the 
 divine origin and efficacy of the christian religion." 
 
 The missionaries arrived at Calcutta on the 8th of 
 August. The climate being more salubrious, and the 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDS02T. 107 
 
 society more congenial at Seranipore, Mrs. Juclson 
 was soon removed thither. Though under the care 
 of skillful physicians, she gained but little for several 
 months ; and Mr. Judson deemed it so important for 
 him to be at Rangoon, that he was about to leave her 
 in the care of their English friends, and return ; but 
 about this time she rapidly improved, and concluded 
 to accompany her husband. They arrived at their 
 adopted home on the 5th of January, 1821. 
 
 The divine Shepherd had watched over the little 
 flock, in the absence of the missionaries. Four or 
 ^ve met their under shepherd at the wharf, and 
 greeted him and his companion with the warmest 
 salutations ; the others, in town, hurried to the mis- 
 sion-house, as soon as the good news of the teacher's 
 return reached them ; and that night they there met 
 for prayer. It was a season of great rejoicing, and 
 the prayers then oiFered must have been freighted 
 with the incense of gratitude and praise. 
 
 In about a week after their retm^n, the missionaries 
 were permitted to welcome the only baptized Bur- 
 man whom they had not previously seen. This was 
 Moung Gway, who hastened in from the jungle ah 
 soon as he heard of their arrival. 
 
 Although the lives of all the converts had been 
 jDreserved, one of them, Moung Shwa-Gnong, had 
 narrowly escaped the cruel rigors of heathen law. 
 Soon after Mya-day-men became the iniler of the 
 district where he was living, the priests and officers 
 of the village conspired against him, and seemed to 
 be bent on his destruction. One of them, who was 
 
108 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 a member of the highest court, stated one day, in 
 the presence of the governor, that Monng Shwa- 
 Gnong was trying "to turn the priests' rice pot 
 bottom side np." To this comphxint his excellency 
 answered, "What consequence? Let the priest 
 turn it back again." This remark sliowed the tol- 
 erant disposition of its author, and this trait in his 
 character doubtless saved the life of Moung Shwa- 
 Gnong. 
 
 The following extracts of a letter from the pen of 
 Mr. Judson, at this period, indicate his studious 
 habits, his progress in translating, and the prospects 
 of the mission : 
 
 Rangoon, April 8, 1821. 
 
 My dear Brother Hough : — I fully intended to 
 send the translation of Acts by the Elizabeth, which 
 carries this letter ; but it is not within the compass 
 of possibility. I have sat with the teacher from 
 half past eight in the morning, except dinner time, 
 till five at night, for some time past. The revision 
 w^as completed yesterday; but I cannot possibly 
 ti'anscribe it in time for the present opportunity. It 
 shall positively be sent by the next, and will, most 
 probably, be accompanied by Ephesians; upon the 
 revision of which, we shall enter immediately. 
 
 •Tr 7^ -if vr Vi- -;^ 
 
 Ko further news of war; but nothing to be ex- 
 pected till after the raiuR. May-Zoo's son called in 
 just now, and told me that Moung Shwa-thah had 
 made a great effort to supplant the present viceroy, 
 and had been w^holly repulsed ; the emperor saying 
 
OP ADONIEAM JUDSON. 109 
 
 that his grandfather, the late emperor, had given the 
 13lace to Mja-daj-men for life. If half of this is 
 true, it is most propitious to the mission, I think 
 we are in no fear of persecution during the adminis- 
 tration of the present viceroy. But all things are 
 fluctuating in this countrv. 
 
 On the 20th of May, 1S21, Mr. Judson was visited 
 by a new and striking character, a disciple of the 
 great semi-atheistic teacher of the country. His 
 name was Moung Long. Like the rest of the sect, 
 he was, "in reality, a complete skeptic, scarcely be- 
 lieving his own existence." His metaphysics were 
 not wholly nnlike those of some living men, and 
 professed scholars, even in christian lands. His 
 wife could not invite him to j^artake of a dish of 
 rice, without his offering queries touching its na- 
 ture — whether it was matter or sj^irit, an idea, or 
 a nonentity. But he who could puzzle his wife with 
 his disgusting gibberish, could not confound Mr. 
 Judson. 
 
 ''When he first came in, I thought him an ordi- 
 nary man. He has only one good eye ; but I soon 
 discovered that that one eye has as ' great a quantity 
 of being' as half a dozen common eyes. ^ ^ ^ 
 He professed to be an inquirer after the truth ; and I 
 accordingly opened to him some parts of the gospel. 
 He listened with great seriousness; and, when I 
 ceased speaking, remained so thoughtful, and appa- 
 rently impressed with the truth, that I began to hope 
 
110 THE MISSION AEY LABOES 
 
 he would come to some good, and, therefore, invited 
 him to ask some question relative to what he had 
 heard. 'Your servant,' said he, 'has not much 
 to inquire of your lordship. In your lordship's sa- 
 cred speech, however, there are one or two words 
 which your servant does not understand. Your 
 lordship says, that in the beginning, God created one 
 man and one woman. I do not understand (I beg 
 your lordship's pardon,) what a man is, and why he 
 is called a man.' My eyes were now oj)ened, in an 
 instant, to his real character ; and I had the happi- 
 ness to be enabled, for about twenty minutes, to lay 
 blow after blow upon his skeptic head, with such 
 effect that he kept falling and falling ; and, though 
 he made several desperate efforts to get up, he found 
 himself, at last, prostrate on the ground, unable to 
 stir. Moung Shwa-Gnong, who had been an attentive 
 listener, was extremely delighted to see his enemy so 
 well punished ; for this Moung Long has sorely har- 
 assed him, in time past. The poor fellow, was not, 
 however, in the least angry at his discomfiture ; but, 
 in the true spirit of his school, said that, though he 
 had heard much of me, the reality far exceeded the 
 report. Afterward, he joined us in worship, and 
 listened with great attention, as did also his wife." 
 
 For several months the holy enterprise was highly 
 favored. Mya-day-men continued tolerant, and in- 
 quirers came to the zayat without the terrors of a 
 governmental frown hanging over them. Moung 
 Ing, the second convert, who had been absent from 
 
OF ADONLRAM JTDSON. Ill 
 
 Rangoon, with one or two others, had now been 
 added to the church ;* and Mr. Judson was receiv- 
 ing valuable assistance from Moung Shwa-Gnong 
 and Moung Shwa-ba, in translating the Scriptures. 
 
 Having sent the Epistle to the Ephesians and the 
 first part of Acts to Mr. Hough, Mr. Judson next 
 translated the Gospel and Epistles of John, "those 
 exquisitely sweet and precious portions of the "New 
 Testament." These he finished in the summer of 
 1821; and, at the same time, made considerable 
 advancement on the latter part of Acts. 
 
 "While things were thus prospering, the health of 
 Mrs. Judson was again declining ; and the character 
 of her disease had now become so alarming, that it 
 was deemed expedient for her to return to her native 
 land, or seek some other salubrious climate. De- 
 ciding to visit Anierica, with a bleeding heart she 
 bade farewell to her husband and the little band of 
 
 * February 25. — Moung Ing presented his petition for baptism and 
 admission into the church ; and we unhesitatingly agreed to grant 
 his request, next Lord's day. * * * The manner of his first 
 acquaintance with the truth, is somewhat noticeable ; I had con- 
 versed with two men, who visited the zayat the preceding evening, 
 and given them a tract. On their way home, they called at the 
 house of the Tsahlen teacher, where Moung Ing resided : said a few 
 things about the eternal God and the new religion, by way of disap- 
 proval, and concluded that the tract was good for nothing but to tear 
 up and make segars of. But the truth, which they despised, fell like 
 a flash of lightning on the benighted soul of Moung Ing. The 
 next morning, before sunrise, he was in the porch of the zayat, and, 
 on opening the doors, we found the poor man standing without. He 
 will not, I trust, meet with any such detention at the doors of 
 heaven. — Me. Judson's Journal, 1821. 
 
112 THE MISSIONAKY LABORS 
 
 endeared disciples, the objects of lier tenderest care 
 and her most earnest prayers, and sailed for Bengal 
 on the 21st of August, 1821. There she was detained 
 three or four months, and at last took a free berth in 
 a vessel bound to England, where she remained until 
 August, 1822 ; she then took passage for Xew York, 
 where she arrived on the 25th of the following month. 
 In visiting her kindred in her native state, and in 
 traversing the land, responding to the calls of duty 
 and the wants of the cause in which all her interests 
 were enlisted for life, let us leave her for a season, 
 and return to the sole missionary in the Burman 
 empire, the lone yet cheerful, energetic and intrepid 
 reaper in a desolate and ap^^arently unpromising 
 field. We say unpromising^ for such it had suddenly 
 become, as will be seen by the tone of a letter w^hich 
 Mr. Judson wrote to Dr. Sharp, dated at Rangoon, 
 September 17th, 1821. The following is an extract: 
 
 " If I had sufficient property, I should think of 
 another visit to Ava ; but a thousand rupees of mis- 
 sion money is too much to be thrown away on an 
 improbability. I have some idea, that in a year's 
 residence at court, I should find some influential per- 
 son, who would procure me favorable access to the 
 presence of the emperor. Unless some word or look 
 can be obtained from his majesty, it seems morally 
 impossible that anything can be done in this country. 
 It is true that, by the operation of the Spirit of God, 
 multitudes can be converted, where the means are 
 used ; but, at present, no one dares come near me ; 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 113 
 
 and for me to go out into the streets, and zayats, 
 and pagodas, and proclaim a proscribed religion, 
 would be the height of madness. 
 
 " I suj)pose I feel more disheartened just at pres- 
 ent, in consequence of being entirely alone, as I have 
 been since Mrs. Judson's dejDarture, with not a single 
 person in the whole place who can give me a word 
 of advice or encouragement. But I sometimes derive 
 comfort from a higher source, and feel happy in com- 
 mitting the forlorn hope into the hands of the great 
 Captain of our salvation, who is able to keep those 
 who are persecuted from being forsaken, and those 
 who are cast down from being destroyed." 
 
 During the month in which this letter was written, 
 aiiother complaint against Moung Shwa-Gnong was 
 brought before the \aceroy ; and as proof of the cor- 
 rectness of these charges might be presented, and 
 thereby expose his life, he thought it prudent for him 
 to absent himself for a time from those quarters. He 
 came to the mission-house and told Mr. Judson he 
 was about to take his family up the country among 
 the heretical sect who had been his former associates, 
 and that he had come to receive the parting benedic- 
 tion of the teacher, and to obtain some tracts, por- 
 tions of Scripture, &c., to scatter among the needy. 
 With these he was cheerfully furnished, and the 
 Burman col^^orteur took his departure. 
 
 At the same time, the other converts began to re- 
 ceive the scrutiny of the priests and civil authorities ; 
 and, as intimated in the letter to Dr. Sharp, they 
 
114 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 avoided the zayat entirely. They continued to visit 
 the mission-house, however, and there received in- 
 struction which tended to their growth in grace. 
 This circumstance was the only source of encourage- 
 ment and consolation now left to Mr. Judson, for no 
 inquirers, whatever their anxieties might be, dared 
 come near him. 
 
 Such was the state of tlimgs the latter part of the 
 year 1821. It was an unpromising period in the 
 history of the mission ; and to any other person than 
 Mr. Judson, the darkness might have been impene- 
 trable. He^ 
 
 " Eager to hope, but not less firm to bear. 
 Acquainted with all feelings save despair," 
 
 struggled on, with a fixedness of purpose that no 
 adverse circumstances could bend ; laying broader 
 the foundation for his usefulness, when the morn, 
 whose saffron tints his eye of faith seemed ever to 
 descry, should break upon his efforts. By applying 
 himself almost exclusively, and most intensely, to 
 translating, he had, at the close of the year, finished 
 more than one-third of the E"ew Testament, and 
 nearly completed a second translation of Matthew : 
 
 On the 13th of December, 1821, he was cheered 
 by the arrival of Rev. Jonathan D. Price and wife, 
 who had been appointed by the Board in the preced- 
 ing May. The latter died at Rangoon the 2d of 
 May following. She was not allowed to enter fairly 
 upon the great work on which her heart was set ; 
 yet she had no murmmings to make. Her illness 
 
OF ADONTKAM JUDSOX. 115 
 
 was exceed ii\ii'].v painful; but patient, resigned, and 
 rejoicing in Ci!i-'>t, she went to the rest reserved for 
 the people of Go A. 
 
 Mr. Price had received a medical, as well as the- 
 ological education; and was appointed to act in the 
 double capacity of physician and missionary. Shortly 
 after his amval, Mr. and Mrs. Hough returned with 
 the printing press from Serampore. 
 
 During the first half of the year 1822, the pros- 
 pects of the mission constantly brightened. Oppo- 
 sition gradually abated, nntil it seemed to have 
 entirely ceased ; the zayat was again open ; inquirers 
 were calling daily, and before the close of sum- 
 mer, five more persons were baptized. Their names 
 were Mah Doke, Moung Thah-a, May Mee, May 
 Zoo, and Mee Men-oo. The last had been blind, but 
 was now restored through the skill of Dr. Price. 
 She was quite young, mee^ denoting a girl. 
 
 Previous to this addition, the church lost one of 
 its older members, Moung Thah-lah. He died sud- 
 denly, of the cholera-morbus, in IN'ovember, 1821. 
 
 Part of the time during the spring and summer 
 of 1822, Mr. Judson was laid by with illness. Writ- 
 ing in his journal on the last day of June, he says : 
 " Am just recovering from severe illness. A few 
 weeks ago, was taken with a fever, slight at first, but 
 daily increasing in violence, until the event became 
 very dubious. On recovering from the efiects of the 
 fever, and just resuming the translation, I was sud- 
 denly seized with the cholera-morbus, though that 
 disease is not now prevalent in the place ; and 
 
116 MISSIONARY LABORS. 
 
 several hours of suffering elapsed, before medicine 
 took effect. This, with the quantity of laudanum 
 administered, deprived me of the little remaining 
 strength which the fever left me, and I am now 
 scarcely able to hold my pen. It is singular, that 
 last rainy season I was subject to the same diseases, 
 though in a different order ; and I ascribe it to the 
 ascendency which the climate of Eangoon is obtain- 
 ing over my constitution. If it be the will of God, 
 I feel desirous of living to finish the I^ew Testament 
 in Burman, — a work which must otherwise be sus- 
 pended for some time." 
 
CHAPTEK X 
 
 Mr. Judson and Dr. Price visit Ava — Favorable Reception of the Former — Mr 
 Judson's Interviews with Moung Zah, with the King, and Prince M. — Mr. 
 Judson's Negotiations for a Building Lot — Sufficiently gains the End for 
 which he had visited the Capital, and returns to Rangoon — State of the 
 Mission there. 
 
 The king having heard of the arrival of Dr. Price, 
 and being desirous to test his medical skill, sum- 
 moned him to Ava. As the doctor was ignorant 
 of court customs, and unversed in the language, it 
 seemed necessary that Mr. Judson should accom- 
 pany him. Having decided so to do, a day or two 
 before their embarkation, Mr. Judson addressed a 
 communication to Dr. Baldwin, in which, after men- 
 tioning, with other matters, that he had proceeded 
 to the end of the Second of Corinthians, including 
 Ephesians, Hebrews, and the Epistles of John, in 
 translating, when the summons came for Dr. Price 
 to repair to the capital, he says : " For several weeks 
 past, there has been a considerable excitement in the 
 minds of our Burman friends. The assembly on 
 Lord's day has risen to thirty or forty. Five have 
 lately been baptized, and there remain several hope- 
 ful inquirers. These cii'cumstances make me very 
 
118 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 reluctant to leave Eangoon; yet the path of duty- 
 seems to lead to Ava. May the Lord dn-ect and 
 pros23er this our second attempt to gain some footing 
 in the capital and the palace." 
 
 Leaving the station at Rangoon in charge of Mr. 
 Hough, Messrs. Judson and Price set out on the 
 28th of August, 1822, and arrived at Ava on the 
 27th of September. They were promptly introduced 
 to his golden majest}^, who received Dr. Price with 
 much graciousness, and inquired very particularly 
 about his medical acquirements, but took no notice 
 of Mr. Judson for three or four days, except as inter- 
 preter. Moung Zah, whose acquaintance Mr. Jud- 
 son had made at Amarapura, recognized him at once, 
 and after conversing a short time on tlie subject of 
 religion, privately encouraged him to remain at the 
 seat of government. 
 
 Four days after his arriva,!, Mr. Judson writes : 
 "To-day, the king noticed me for the first time, 
 though I have appeared before him nearly every day 
 since oiu* arrival. After making some inquiries, as 
 usual, about brother Price, he added, ' And you, in 
 black, what are you ? a medical man, too ? ' ' JS'ot a 
 medical man, but a teacher of religion, your majesty.' 
 He proceeded to make a few inquiries about my 
 religion, and then put the alarming question, whether 
 any had embraced it. I evaded, by saying, '!Not 
 here.' He persisted. ' Are there any in Rangoon ? ' 
 ' There are a few.' ' Are they foreignei*s ? ' I trem- 
 bled for the consequence of an answer, which might 
 involve the little church in ruin ; but the truth must 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 119 
 
 be sacrificed, or the consequences hazarded ; and I 
 therefore replied, 'There are some foreigners and 
 some Em-mans.' He remained silent a few moments, 
 bnt presently showed that he was not displeased, by 
 asking a great variety of questions on religion, and 
 geogi-aphy, and astronomy, some of which were 
 answered in such a satisfactory manner, as to occasion 
 a general expression of approbation in all the court 
 present. After his majesty retired, a Than-dau-tsen 
 (a royal secretary) entered into conversation, and 
 allowed me to expatiate on several topics of the chris- 
 tian religion, in my usual way. And all this took 
 place in the hearing of the very man, now an atwen- 
 woon, who, many years ago, caused his uncle to be 
 tortured almost to death, under the iron mall, for 
 renouncing Buddhism and embracing the Roman 
 Catholic religion ! But I knew it not at the time, 
 though, from his age, a slight suspicion of the truth 
 passed across my mind. Thanks to God, for the 
 encouragement of this day! The monarch of the 
 empire has distinctly understood, tliat some of his 
 subjects have embraced the christian religion, and 
 his wrath has been restrained. Let us then hope, 
 that, as he becomes more acquainted with the excel- 
 lence of the religion, he will be more and more wil- 
 ling that his subjects should embrace it." 
 
 On the 3d of October, the missionaries moved into 
 the house — or, more properly, shed — which had been 
 erected for them by the emperor's orders. It was a 
 temporary structm-e, and a poor defense against rain 
 and the rapacious curiosity of idle idolaters. 
 
120 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 The day following, on the return of the mission- 
 aries from the palace, whither they were accustomed 
 to repair immediately after breakfast, Mr. Judson 
 was sent for by Prince M., the emperor's half-brother, 
 who wished to convei^e with him on science and 
 religion. He had previously called on Dr. Price for 
 medical advice. Being paralytically affected in all 
 his limbs, and thus " cut off from the usual sources 
 of amusement, and having associated a little w^ith the 
 Portuguese padres who have lived at Ava, he has 
 acquired a strong taste for foreign science. My com- 
 munications," continues Mr. Judson, '' interested him 
 very much, and I found it difficult to get away, until 
 brother Price sent expressly for me to go again to 
 the palace." 
 
 Soon after this interview, Mr. Judson was taken 
 sick with the fever and ague, with w^hich he was 
 afflicted about ten days. He had a similar attack 
 the early part of the next month. We subjoin 
 portions of his journal written l)etween the two 
 seasons of illness, which will be found particularly 
 interesting : 
 
 " October 22. — Brother Price went to Amara- 
 pura, to meet a gentleman just arrived fix)m Ran- 
 goon, who, we hope, may have letters for us. At 
 night, brother Price returned, w^ith a large parcel 
 of letters, and magazines, and newspapers, from our 
 beloved, far-distant, native land — and what was still 
 more interesting to me, eight sheets from Mrs. Jud- 
 son on her passage toward England, the first direct 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 121 
 
 intellio;ence I have received from her since she left 
 Madras roads. 
 
 "October 23. — Had some pleasant conversation 
 with Moung Z., in the j^^^ace, partly in the hearing 
 of the king. At length his majesty came forward, 
 and honored me with some personal notice for the 
 second time, inquired much about my country, and 
 authorized me to invite American ships to his do- 
 minions, assuring them of protection, and offering 
 every facility for the pm-poses of trade. 
 
 "October 28. — Spent the forenoon with Prince M 
 He obtained for the first time, (though I have ex- 
 plained it to him many times,) some view of the 
 nature of the atonement, and cried out, ' Good, good.' 
 He then proposed a number of objections, which I 
 removed to his apparent satisfaction. Our subse- 
 quent conversation turned, as usual, on points of 
 geography and astronomy. He candidly acknowl- 
 edged, that he could not resist my arguments in 
 favor of the Copernican system ; and that, if he ad- 
 mitted them, he must also admit that the Buddhist 
 system was overthrown. 
 
 " October 30. — Spent part of the forenoon with 
 Prince M. and his wife, the Princess of S., own sister 
 of the king. Gave her a copy of Mrs. Judson's 
 Burman Catechism, with which she was much 
 pleased. They both appear to be somewhat attached 
 to me, and say, do not return to Rangoon ; but, when 
 your wife arrives, call her to Ava. 
 
 "N'ovember 12. — -Spent the whole forenoon with 
 Prince M. and his wife. Made a fuller disclosure 
 6 
 
122 THE MISSION AKT LABOKS 
 
 than ever before of the nature of the christian 
 religion, the object of christians in sending me to 
 this country, my former repulse at court, and the 
 reason of it, our exposure to persecution in Eangoon, 
 the affair of Moung Shwa-Gnong, &c. &c. They 
 entered into my views and feelings with considerable 
 interest; but both said decidedly, that, though the 
 king would not himself persecute any one on ac- 
 count of religion, he would not give any order 
 exempting from persecution ; but would leave his 
 subjects, throughout the empire, to the regular 
 administration of the local authorities. 
 
 " After giving the prince a succinct account of my 
 religious experience, I ventured to warn him of his 
 danger, and urged him to make the christian religion 
 his immediate personal concern. He appeared, for 
 a moment, to feel the force of what I said : but soon 
 replied, ' I am yet young, only twenty-eight, I am 
 desirous of studying all the foreign arts and sciences. 
 My mind will then be enlarged, and I shall be capa- 
 ble of judging whether the christian religion be true 
 or not.' ' But suppose your highness changes worlds 
 in the meantime V His countenance again fell. ' It 
 is true,' said he, 'I know not when I shall die.' I 
 suggested that it would be well to pray to God for 
 light, which, if obtained, would enable him at once 
 to distinguish between truth and falsehood ; and so 
 we parted. O, Fomitain of liglit ; shed down one 
 ray into the mind of this amiable prince, that he 
 may become a patron of thine infant cause, and 
 inherit an eternal crown." 
 
OF ADOXIEAM JIJD30N. 123 
 
 In accompanying Dr. Price to Ava, Mr. Judson 
 hoped to be able to introduce the christian religion 
 to the consideration of the kino; and his surronndiii2: 
 magnates ; and things now looked favorable for ac- 
 complishing this desirable object. Hoping to locate 
 himself there permanently, he was anxious to build 
 a house suitable alike for j)resent and future accom- 
 modations ; and signifying as niucli to the king, his 
 golden majesty gave him a lot, but afterward re- 
 voked the m-ant. AYhile neo-otiatino: on this matter, 
 Mr. Judson had an interview with him, on the 25th 
 of December, of which we have the following 
 account : 
 
 " The king appeared to be attracted by our num- 
 ber, and came toward ns ; but his conversation was 
 directed chiefly to me. He again inquired about 
 the Burmans who had embraced my religion. 'Are 
 they real Bm-mans? Do they dress like other Bur- 
 mans?' &c. I had occasion to remark, that I 
 preached every Sunday. 'What, in Burman?' 
 Yes. ' Let us hear how you preach.' I hesitated. 
 An atwenwoon repeated the order. I began with a 
 form of worship, which first ascribes glory to God, 
 and then declares the commands of the law and the 
 Gospel; after which, I stopped. 'Go on,' said 
 another atwenwoon. The whole court w^as pro- 
 foundly silent. I proceeded with a few sentences 
 declarative of the perfections of God, when his 
 majesty's curiosity was satisfied, and he inteiTupted 
 me. In the course of subsequent conversation, he 
 
124 THE MISSION AET LABOES 
 
 asked v/liat I liad to say of Gaudama. I replied, 
 that we all knew he was son of king Thog-dau-dah- 
 nah; that we regarded him as a wise man and a 
 great teacher, but did not call him God. ' That is 
 right,' said Moung K. N., an atwenwoon who had 
 not hitherto aj)peared very friendly to me. And he 
 proceeded to relate the substance of a long com- 
 munication, which I had lately made to him in the 
 ])rivy council room, about God, and Christ, &c. 
 And this he did, in a very clear and satisfactory 
 manner, so that I had scarcely a single correction to 
 make in his statement- Moung Z., encouraged by 
 all this, really began to take the side of God, before 
 his majesty, and said, 'Nearly all the world, your 
 majesty, believe in an eternal God ; except Burmah 
 and Siam, these little spots ! ' His majesty remained 
 silent; and after some other desultory inquiries, he 
 abruptly rose and retired." 
 
 Having, at length, secured a lot, which was about 
 a mile from the palace, Mr. Judson went to a woon- 
 gyee to pay for it, and making knowm his errand, 
 was thus addressed : " Understand, teacher, that we 
 do not give you the entire owning of this ground. 
 We take no recomj)ense, lest it become American 
 territory ! We give it to you for your present resi- 
 dence only ; and when you go away, shall take it 
 again." Mr. Judson gave him to understand that, 
 when he himself went away, the persons who fur- 
 nished funds for building the house, would wish to 
 place another teacher in it ; to which intimation, the 
 
OF ADONIRAM JtJDSON. 125 
 
 woongyee replied : " Yeiy well ; let him also oc- 
 cupy the place ; but when he dies, or when there is 
 no teacher, we will take it." To these terms assent 
 was given, and the bargain closed. Mr. Judson 
 thinks the precaution of the woongyee, was owing 
 to the recollection of some manoeuvres of the early 
 English settlers in Bengal. 
 
 On the 18th of January, 1823, Mr. Judson re- 
 moved to Sagaing, opposite Ava, into a house built 
 by Dr. Price, on the precincts of Prince M. He 
 was, at this date, again suffering with the fever and 
 ague, and had hoped that a change of air attend- 
 ing the change of location, would benefit his health, 
 which proved to be the case. 
 
 Four days later, having sufficiently gained the end 
 for which he had visited Ava, and being about to 
 return to Rangoon, he called on Prince M. to take 
 leave of him ; and was urged to make his absence 
 from Ava as short as possible, and to bring back the 
 whole scriptures, and translate them, adding that he 
 wished to read all of them. 
 
 Two or three days afterward, Mr. Judson went to 
 take leave of the king. He was accompanied by 
 the collector at Rangoon, who had arrived in town 
 the previous evening. " We sat," writes Mr. Judson, 
 a few moments conversing together. ' What are you 
 talking about?' said his majesty. 'He is speaking 
 of his return to Rangoon, replied Mr. L. ' What 
 does he return for ? Let them not return. Let them 
 both, (that is brother Price and myself,) stay to- 
 gether. If one goes away, the other must remain 
 
126 THE MISSIONARY LAB0K3 
 
 alone, and will be nnliappy.' ' He wishes to go for 
 a short time only,' replied Mr. L. ' to bring bis wife, 
 the female teacher, and his goods, not having brought 
 any thing with him this time ; and he w^ill retm*n 
 soon.' His majesty looked at me, ' Will you then 
 come again ? ' I replied in the affirmative. ' When 
 you come again, is it your intention to remain 
 permanently, or will you go back and forth, as 
 foreigners commonly do?' 'When I come again, 
 it is my intention to remain permanently.' ' Yery 
 well,' said his majesty, and withdrew into his inner 
 apartment." 
 
 Leaving Dr. Price in high favor at the Burman 
 court, Mr. Judson embarked for Eangoon on the 
 25th of January, and amved there on the 2d of 
 February. On the 11th of the latter month, he 
 wrote to Dr. Baldwin, stating that his reception at 
 Ava, as a teacher of Christianity, had been very 
 different from the previous one, and that he was 
 greatly encouraged by the liberal spirit that seemed 
 to prevail in the royal family. "It is distinctly 
 understood," he says, " by the king and by all who 
 have any knowledge of me at all, that I am a thah- 
 thah-nah-pyos-tsayah, that is, a religion-propagating 
 teacher ; and yet I have been smiled upon and lis- 
 tened to, and, by order of the king himself, have 
 received from the chief public minister of state, the 
 grant of a small j^iece of ground for the exj)res3 
 purpose of building a kyoung — a house appropri- 
 ated to sacred characters. It is my intention, there- 
 fore, to return thither as soon as Mrs. J. arrives, who, 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 127 
 
 I hear, has gone on to America. And, in the mean 
 time, I shall occupy myself in finishing the transla- 
 tion of the Kew Testament, a work which I left un- 
 finished with great reluctance, and which I rejoice to 
 have leisure to reasume." 
 
 While the state of things was so promising under 
 the shadow of the throne, clouds were gathering over 
 the station at Kangoon. During Mr. Judson's ab- 
 sence, an mtolerant viceroy had succeeded My a- day- 
 men, and harassing extortions and cruel persecutions 
 had scattered the precious flock of disciples. A por- 
 tion of them, however, soon collected at the mission- 
 house, and Mr. Judson resumed his labors. Yet 
 these were necessarily very private ; and being thus 
 restricted in his public efforts, he devoted much of 
 his time to translating the New Testament. This im- 
 portant work he completed the following June. As 
 an introduction, he j)i'epared an epitome of the Old 
 Testament in twelve sections ; containing a compend 
 of Scripture history from the creation of man to the 
 advent of the Saviour, and an abstract of ]3rophecies 
 relating to the latter and his kingdom. The disci- 
 ples received this work with the eagerness of hungry 
 souls ; while to its author it served as a text-book by 
 which he could communicate systematically " much 
 valuable information on the history, types, and proj^h- 
 ecies of the Old Testament." 
 
 Touching other topics of interest connected with 
 the mission, Mr. Judson wrote as follows to Dr. 
 Sharp, under date of August 5th, 1823 : 
 
128 MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 " I have lieard but little from Ava since I left. 
 Prince M. sometimes inquires for me, and wishes 
 to hear more about the christian religion. Brother 
 Price is building a small brick house on the opposite 
 side of the river, the king having given him bricks. 
 I expect to remove as soon as Mrs. Judson returns, 
 from whom I have not, however, received a word of 
 intelligence for nearly ten months. Brother Hough 
 has not yet been able to get types from Bengal ; no 
 printing, therefore, has been done since his return. 
 
 " I hope it will not be long before the Gospel and 
 Epistles of John are printed. They have been ready 
 for the press above a year, and have been so thor- 
 oughly and repeatedly revised, that I flatter myself 
 that subsequent translators will not find it necessary 
 to make many alterations. Indeed, all the Gospels 
 and the Acts are in a tolerable state ; the Epistles 
 are still deficient. But I never read a chapter with- 
 out a pencil in hand, and Griesbach and Parkhurst 
 at my elbow ; and it will be an object with me 
 through life, to bring the translation into such a 
 state, that it may be a standard work." 
 
CHAPTEK XI. 
 
 Mrs. Judson returns to Burmah — Mr. and Mrs. Wade accompany Ker — Mr. 
 and Mrs. Judson go to Ava — Coldness of their Reception — Formal Removal 
 of the Seat of Government from Amarapura — War with the Bengal Govern- 
 ment — Bombardment of Rangoon, and Persecution of the Missionaries there- 
 Messrs. Hough and Wade go to Calcutta. 
 
 On the 5tli of December, 1823, Mr. Judson greeted 
 his heroic companion once more on the shores of their 
 adopted land. She had been absent more than two 
 years and a quarter; but she had not been idle. 
 Although her visit to the land of her birth was made 
 in a feeble state, and her health was not fully re- 
 stored till just before her reembarkation for the east, 
 yet during the nine months passed in America, she 
 performed a vast amount of labor, and exerted an 
 incalculable degree of influence for the cause so near 
 her heart. She prepared a hist-^ry of the Burman 
 mission, which was widely read, and highly com- 
 mended by journalists of the most critical acumen, 
 in England as well as in this country ; attended the 
 fourth meeting of the Triennial Convention, held at 
 
130 THE MISSION ART LABORS 
 
 Washington in May, 1823 ; visited many of the 
 large cities, north and south ; and wherever she went, 
 in whatever circle mingled, she told the sad story 
 of Burman idolatry and degradation, and excited 
 fresh interest among christians of almost every 
 denomination, in behalf of the perishing millions 
 of India. 
 
 Returning to Rangoon with spirits thoroughly re- 
 invigorated, she reentered the field with a hopeful 
 heart and inspiring enthusiasm, and seemed like an 
 angel of light amid the cimmerian darkness of pagan- 
 ism. Anxious to do good and fearless of danger, she 
 pressed forward in her high vocation, happily uncon- 
 scious of the hardships before her, and of the wine- 
 press of sorrow she was soon to tread. 
 
 At the meeting of the convention held at Wash- 
 ington, and before referred to, Messrs. Jonathan 
 Wade and George D. Boardman presented them- 
 selves as candidates for missionary appointment, 
 and the former was soon designated by the Board. 
 He and his wife sailed with Mrs. Judson on the 
 22d of June, 1823, and the three arrived at Rangoon 
 together. 
 
 With the mission thus reinforced, it was decided 
 that there should be a division of labor ; that Messrs. 
 Hough and Wade should remain at Rangoon, and 
 Mr. and Mrs. Judson would go to Ava, and attempt 
 to establish a mission beneath the golden eye. The 
 latter were encouraged to make this movement, 
 from the favor with which Mr. Judson had been re- 
 ceived by the king and his courtiers, on his previous 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 131 
 
 visit, and from the promising auspices attendant 
 on the professional success of Dr. Price. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Judson were six weeks in passing up 
 the river. They frequently left the boat, on arriving 
 at a village, and walked through the streets, on which 
 occasions hundreds flocked aroimd them, to behold 
 the first foreign female that ever ascended the Irra- 
 waddy. Some of the least civil and most inquisitive 
 would nm some distance ahead, then halt and wheel 
 round, in order to have a " long look " at the strange 
 woman in her novel dress. 
 
 Arriving at Ava, the missionaries found themselves 
 without a home or comfortable shelter. Dr. Price, 
 who met them on the way, proffered them a home,^ 
 but his house was in an unfinished state, and th(j 
 newly-built brick walls were so damp that Mrs. Jud- 
 son was thrown into a fever in three hours after 
 entering it. This circumstance forced Mr. and Mrs. 
 Judson to betake themselves to the boat, where they 
 concluded to remain until a building could be erected 
 on the lot procured by Mr. Judson the preceding year. 
 In two weeks, the contemplated house was finished, 
 and ready for use. It contained three small rooms 
 and a veranda, and was pleasantly situated on the 
 margin of the river. There Mr. Judson immediately 
 began to talk of the great and only true God, holding 
 meetings every evening, and preaching regularly on 
 the Sabbath. At the same time, his wife, in order to 
 make herself useful, opened a school for such Bur- 
 man girls as could be persuaded to receive instruc- 
 tion. It was commenced with only three pupils; 
 
132 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 these she tanglit not only to read, but to sew, and to 
 do other kinds of domestic labor. Two of them were 
 sisters, and she named them Mary and Abby Hassel- 
 tine. They were given to her by their father, the 
 mother being deranged, and consequently imable to 
 take care of them. 
 
 This plan of establishing schools for the discipline 
 of heathen children, has been almost universally 
 adopted by Mrs. Judson's successors in the field of 
 missions, and "the little one " which she originated, 
 has " become a thousand." "We shall have occasion 
 to show that these schools are potent agencies for 
 enlarging and strengthening native churches. 
 
 The reception of Mr. and Mrs. Judson at Ava was 
 not so promising as they had had reason to anticipate. 
 True, an old friend, the widowed wife of a former 
 viceroy of Rangoon, met Mrs. Judson at the boat, 
 on her arrival, and seemed much pleased to see her ; 
 and two or three other persons exhibited toward both 
 herself and husband, decided expressions of friend- 
 ship ; but, as a whole, the appearance of things at 
 the very beginning wore an unfavorable aspect. All 
 the atwenwoons with whom Mr. Judson had been 
 formerly acquainted, were now turned out of office, 
 and with the newly appointed ones he had neither 
 acquaintance nor interest. Yarious causes, he says, 
 in a letter addressed to Dr. Baldwin, and dated at 
 Ava, February 19th, 1824, "have conspired to ren- 
 der the king somewhat disaffected toward foreigners. 
 Brother Price has made but little advance in royal 
 favor. On my appearing at the palace, I found that 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 133 
 
 a year had made great changes. My old friends 
 and advocates before the king, were missing ; very 
 few recognized me. At length his majesty came 
 forward, just spoke to me, and accepted a small 
 present. But I have seen him twice since, without 
 obtaining a word or look. The only persons who 
 have received me with real cordiality are Prince 
 M. and his wife ; but even they are not much dis- 
 posed to converse on religion.'^ 
 
 In the same communication, Mr. Judson refers to 
 the fact, that rumors of war with the English govern- 
 ment were in circulation ; and to this circumstance, 
 it is most likely, was owing the wonderful frigidity 
 of the monarch. After speaking of the dangers and 
 vicissitudes to which the missionaries would be ex- 
 posed, should the rumors have a good foundation, 
 and the English extend their invasion to the capital, 
 he adds : " But, in all cases, we trust we have a few 
 friends at home, who bear us in their hearts at a 
 throne of grace ; and a still dearer and greater Friend 
 at the right hand of the divine Presence, in heaven, 
 who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, 
 and will graciously succor us in the time of trial, and 
 make us come off conquerors at last. But, my dear 
 and venerable friend and brother, you are, from 
 long exj)erience, more able than I am, to taste the 
 sweetness of this precious truth ; and your advanced 
 age, and the grace of Christ enable you to hope that 
 you will ere long be able to adopt the triumphant 
 language of the apostle Paul. Pray for me, that I 
 may be counted worthy to hold out to the end, and 
 
134 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 finally meet with yon before the throne, and handle 
 a harj^ of gold in the dear Redeemer's praise." 
 
 How humble the spirit that here finds utterance; 
 and how appropriate the request, just at this period, 
 for remembrance in the closet! The devoted mis- 
 sionary seems to have a premonition of the sufferings 
 that await him, and, like the Saviour in the garden 
 of Gethsemane, is, on that account, exceedingly 
 sorrowful. 
 
 But press on, O man of God! Let thy gar- 
 ments be dyed at Ava, and dye thou the sand-path 
 to Amarapura, and the prison doors that yawn 
 beyond ! Thou shalt live through all, and God, by 
 his superabounding grace, shall establish for thee a 
 name above every contemporary's in the catalogue 
 of christian heroes. 
 
 A short time after the missionaries had established 
 themselves at Ava, the government was formally re- 
 moved thitlier from Amarapura. " In order to make 
 the transfer of the golden presence from one city to 
 the other as striking and impressive as possible," the 
 king, who had been at Ava for two years, super- 
 intending the new palace, went up to Amarapura, 
 accompanied by his family, and all else at his com- 
 mand that contributed to the exhibition of royal 
 opulence, majesty, and hauteur. " The ceremony 
 was one of unusual splendor and magnificence, and 
 presented a scene well calculated to fill the imagina- 
 tion wdth the sublimest conceptions of oriental gran- 
 deur and wealth. There were the great ofiicers of 
 state, the woongyees and atwenwoons, in their robes 
 
OF ADONIRAM JTJDSON. 135 
 
 of office, the saupwars of conquered provinces, witli 
 tlieir troops of attendants, lieroes who had been dis- 
 tinguished in the wars of the empire, and people of 
 every degree, to the number of hundreds of thou- 
 sands, who had assembled to do homage to the stern 
 monarch of the land and sea, the master of life and 
 death, and lord of the celestial elephant. Shouts 
 and acclamations rent the air, as the imperial retinue 
 approached the gates of the golden citj. At the 
 head of the procession, and the most conspicuous 
 and beautiful object which it presented, came the 
 white elephant, with his numerous suite, an object ot 
 Burman adoration, covered with jewels and orna- 
 ments of gold ; next were seen the king and queen 
 in plain attire, the only persons in all the throng who 
 appeared unadorned ; following these were the great 
 counselors, both public and ^^rivate, and the viceroys 
 of provinces and cities, who had come with their 
 retinues from the remotest confines of the empire, to 
 offer fealty to the monarch, and to swell the grandeur 
 of the festival. 
 
 " Amidst this splendid array of all the insignia of 
 power and majesty, the king took ]DOssession of the 
 new palace, and reestablished the imperial govern- 
 ment in its ancient seat at Ava. The missionaries, 
 with a few Em-opean residents at the capital, gazed 
 with wonder upon this unwonted display of grotesque 
 magnificence, made to gratify the pride of the Bur- 
 man monarch. They were not noticed by the royal 
 pair, and, although Mr. Judson occasionally visited 
 the palace, yet no inquiry was ever made for the 
 
136 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 female teacher whom the queen had formerly ex- 
 pressed her desh'e to see in her foreign dress. It 
 was not long before an order was issued that no 
 European should enter the palace, and in a few days 
 afterward, the tidings of the approaching war, which 
 had hitherto been brought only in uncertain rumors, 
 were fully confirmed by intelligence that an English 
 fleet had arrived in the river, and that Rangoon had 
 already fallen into their hands." — Gammell's His- 
 tory OF American Baptist Missions. 
 
 This war originated in old and festering feuds on 
 the frontier of Chittagong. The Burman govern- 
 ment was jealous of the expansion of English do- 
 minion, and ambitious to extend its own into Bengal. 
 Such was the condition of things between the two 
 powers, when the king heard it alleged that some of 
 his obnoxious subjects, who had escaped to Chitta- 
 gong, had been protected by the English crown; 
 and he was so enraged that he forthwith raised 
 thirty thousand men, and put them under the com- 
 mand of a famous warrior named Bandula. With 
 this army, it was confidently, though foolishlj^, ex- 
 pected the English could be brought to terms. 
 
 Learning the intentions of the Burman monarch, 
 and anticipating the invasion by his great general, 
 the British authorities commenced hostilities by the 
 bombardment of Rangoon. The irruption was made 
 by Sir Archibald Campbell, whose forces numbered 
 about six thousand, and were composed of European 
 troops and sepoys. 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 137 
 
 As might be expected, these movements suspended 
 the operations of the missionaries at Rangoon ; and 
 not only so, but their lives were jeoparded. As 
 soon as the English transj^orts appeared in the river, 
 (May 10th,) Messrs. Hough and Wade, and every 
 other person " who wore a hat," were hurried to 
 prison; and the two missionaries were bound to- 
 gether by the legs with ropes, and strongly guarded. 
 "An hour or two afterward," ^Tites Mr. Wade, " the 
 blacksmith came, bringing a rough, heavy chain. It 
 consisted of three links, each about four inches in 
 length, and pounded together so close as to com- 
 pletely prevent it from bending any more than a 
 straight bar of iron. This was designed for Mr. H. 
 and myself. He was first seated, his leg laid upon 
 a block, the ring placed upon the ankle, and then 
 pounded down close with heavy blows. The other 
 ring was put upon my ankle in the same manner. 
 Our situation afforded no convenience for lying down, 
 and, of course, allowed us no sleep, or even rest. 
 
 " The next day the guard of the prison was con- 
 siderably strengthened, and enjoined strictly to keep 
 us close ; all communication with our servants, and 
 things without, was cut off. Shortly after, orders 
 from the ray-woon were communicated to our 
 guard through the grates of the prison, viz. that the 
 instant the shipping should open a fire upon the 
 town, they were to massacre all the prisoners with- 
 out hesitation. This blasted all om- hopes. The 
 guards immediately began sharj)ening their instru- 
 ments of death with bricks, and brandishing them 
 
138 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 about oni' heads, to show with how much dexterity 
 and pleasure they would execute their fatal orders. 
 Upon the place which they intended for the scene 
 of butchery, a large quantity of sand was spread to 
 receive the blood. Among the prisoners reigned 
 the gloom and silence of death — the vast ocean of 
 eternity seemed but a step before us. Mr. H. and 
 myself threw ourselves down upon a matrass, ex- 
 pecting never to rise again, and calmly waited to 
 hear the first gun that should be fired upon the 
 town, as the signal for our certain death. 
 
 ii 
 
 In the meantime, an account of our real situa- 
 tion, which we had used various means to conceal, 
 reached the ears of our afflicted wives. Their feel- 
 ings can be better conceived than expressed. "Who 
 can tell with what agony of soul they listened to 
 hear the first gun, the messenger which would relate 
 a tale, more sad and awful than death itself could 
 relate. 
 
 " At length the fleet arrived, and the attack com- 
 menced. The first ball thrown into the town came 
 with a tremendous noise directly over our heads. 
 Our guards, filled with consternation and amaze- 
 ment, seemingly unable to execute their murderous 
 orders, slunk away into one corner of the prison, 
 where they remained perfectly quiet, until a broad- 
 side from the Lifiey, which made the prison shake 
 and tremble to its very foundations, so effectually 
 frightened them, that, like children, they cried out 
 through fear; and openly declared their intention 
 of breaking open the door. They soon found means 
 
OF ADOXIEAM 'UDSON. 139 
 
 to break open the door : which being clone, they 
 all went out, but took the precaution to secure the 
 door again, bj fastening it wdth rattans upon the 
 outside." 
 
 About an hour hiter, during the cessation of firing, 
 forty or fifty armed and furious natives rushed into 
 the prison. " We were instantly seized," continues 
 Mr. Wade, " dragged out of the prison, our clothes 
 torn from our bodies, and our arms drawn behind 
 us with a cord, so tight that it was impossible to 
 move them. I thought mine would have been cut 
 entirely to the bone : indeed, we were treated just 
 as they would treat criminals, whom they were about 
 to lead to the place of execution. We were now put 
 in front of several armed men, whose duty it was to 
 goad us along with the points of their spears. After 
 making an exhibition of us through almost every 
 street in the town, we were at length brought to the 
 Yongdau, or place w^here all causes are tried, and 
 sentences are passed. Here sat the dispenser of life 
 and death, surrounded by other ofiicers of the town. 
 He ordered us to be placed before him in a kneeling 
 posture, with our faces to the ground ; to which we 
 submitted in the most respectful manner. On one 
 side of us was a noisy rabble, crying out all to- 
 gether : ' Let them be put to death ! ' The cries 
 of the multitude prevailed. The executioner, who 
 stood on one side with the knife in his hand, waiting 
 the decision, was ordered to proceed." 
 
 At this moment, Mr. Hough begged to be allowed 
 to go on board the frigate which bore the English flag, 
 
14:0 THE MISSIONAEY LABOES 
 
 that lie might jDersuacle the invaders not to resume 
 the discharge of arms. Just at that moment, the 
 roar of cannon was heard, and the officers, pale with 
 affright, fled a short distance and hid themselves 
 under the banks of a tank. The missionaries thus 
 unceremoniously left on their knees, with their necks 
 bared, ready for the executioner's stroke, w^ere per- 
 mitted to rise. In the midst of the firing, they 
 were soon hun-ied to the outskirts of the city, 
 ^vhere Mr. Hough's proposal was renewed and 
 acce23ted. 
 
 As soon as he had started on his errand, Mr. Wade 
 and the other prisoners were consigned to a wretched 
 dungeon, and ordered to be put to death, in case Mr. 
 Hough failed to succeed. The English landed the 
 next morning ; when a party of Burmans, who had 
 early collected around the dungeon, seeing the "red 
 coats " approaching, fled for life ; and the prisoners, 
 after two days' and three nights' suffering in chains, 
 were set at liberty. 
 
 During this time, Mrs. Hough and Mrs. Wade, 
 though not formally arrested, were greatly perse- 
 cuted, and suffered extremely from anxiety ; and the 
 converts were obliged to scatter and conceal them- 
 selves, all fleeing to the jungle, except Moung Shwa- 
 ba. He remained at the mission-house, with the 
 female missionaries, till all three were obliged, in the 
 disguise of Burmans, to seek a hiding-place from 
 the blood-thirsty rabble. But for the protection 
 of a bamboo shed, they would probably have been 
 slain. 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 141 
 
 It was a providential deliverance, on all sides, and 
 happy was the meeting of husbands and wives. " I 
 need not attempt to describe the feelings produced 
 by meeting again, after we had passed through so 
 many and so great dangers ; but, at length, we found 
 ourselves again all together, well, and beyond the 
 power of barbarous and unmerciful Burmans. For 
 my own part, I was rendered almost delirious by so 
 sudden a transition from the deepest distress to the 
 highest pitch of joy. In reflecting upon those scenes 
 of danger through which we all passed, and the nar- 
 row escapes which were afforded, when hope seemed 
 entirely gone, I cannot help thinking, that our deliv- 
 erance was almost miraculous. More than once, the 
 danger which threatened us was so near, that I could 
 only say : ' Lord, save now^ or we perish.' God was 
 my only hope ; and this hope did not fail me, even 
 in the greatest extremity. O how invaluable is the 
 hope of the gospel ! which, like an anchor to the 
 soul, sure and steadfast, enters into that which is 
 within the vail ! And, standing upon the very border 
 of eternity, as we viewed ourselves, how insignificant 
 appeared all the objects which so much attract us in 
 this world ; how vast the concerns of a never-ending 
 duration ; and how invaluable a well-grounded hope 
 in the merits of Him, whose name is the only one 
 given under heaven, and among men, whereby we 
 must be saved ! " 
 
 Eangoon was now deserted by the natives ; the 
 means of subsistence were almost entirely cut off; 
 the rainy season was setting in, and a raging and 
 
142 MISSIONARY LABORS. 
 
 extremely fatal fever was spreading among the Eu- 
 ropean troops. Under these circumstances, Messrs. 
 Houo^h and Wade decided to remove to Calcutta, and 
 there remain until the close of the war. While 
 there, they made considerable progi-ess in the Bur- 
 man language, and published a dictionary in that 
 dialect, compiled principally from the labors of 
 Messrs. Judson, Colman, Carey, and the associates 
 of the latter. 
 
CHAPTEK XII. 
 
 Movementa at Ava, on the Fall of Rangoon — Arrest, Examination, and Discharge 
 of Mr. Judson and Dr. Price — Their confinement and sufferings in the Death 
 Prison — Persecution, Trials, and Heroic Conduct of Mrs. Judson. 
 
 The intelligence that Rangoon had fallen, was 
 received at Ava on the 23d of May, eleven days 
 after it had taken place: and, the next morning, 
 writes Dr. Price, "twenty-five gold boats, each 
 mounting a small piece of artillery, and well pro- 
 vided with muskets, started with orders to raise the 
 whole country, if necessary, to drive out the insid- 
 ious banditti, who had come thus unawares upon an 
 unoffending town. The current of feeling was now 
 so strong against the English residents, that Mr. 
 Gouger* sent over to me to inquire, if it would not 
 be more safe for him to remove to Sagaing, and put 
 up with me out of the way of the popular fury. I 
 informed him I should be very happy to entertain 
 him at any other time ; but, at present, I thought 
 
 *A young English gentleman, then engaged in mercantile business, 
 at Ava, 
 
144 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 our herding together would only excite suspicion, 
 and hasten the ruin of us both." 
 
 A few days later, Messrs. Judson and Price were 
 summoned to the secret council chamber, where they 
 were questioned separately in regard to their coun- 
 try, avocation, acquaintance with certain English- 
 men, &c. When the examination had closed, they 
 were allowed to return to their houses ; but with the 
 understanding that they should stand ready for a 
 fresh summons, should such a step be deemed expe- 
 dient. Three or four Englishmen, an Armenian, and 
 a Greek, who had been previously examined, being 
 supposed to be in the league with the army at Ran- 
 goon, were remanded to confinement, and were kept 
 in separate guard-rooms adjoining the chamber 
 where they were examined. 
 
 It appears that the Burmans were so ignorant of 
 the relations in which the Americans and English 
 stood to each other, as to suppose the former were 
 subjects of the latter. Indeed, they thought all 
 white men, but the French, stood in the same position 
 to the British crown ; and that France, even, after 
 the overthrow of E"apoleon, lost her national sove- 
 reignty. As Americans and Englishmen speak the 
 same language, and are most naturally confounded, 
 it is not surprising that the ignorant and prejudiced 
 Burmans were somewhat severe in their treatment of 
 the missionaries. 
 
 " On the 8th of June," writes Dr. Price, " an 
 order was given ' to keep safe all the foreigners.' On 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 145 
 
 tlm very morning I had unwittingly resolved to 
 visit, once more, our friend. Prince M. On my way 
 I heard a friendly voice calling out to me ; when 
 turning aside, I found it to be no other than my first 
 and oldest friend, Moung Yay, the keeper of the 
 king's wardrobe. He just gave me a hint of my 
 danger, and then hurried away. Darkly lowering 
 seemed my prospect, yet I pushed on to the house of 
 Prince M.; but all his kind soothing could not dissi- 
 pate the cloud which hung like night upon me. 
 Wliile I was sitting here, the five white men were 
 taken from the king's guard-room, stripped of all 
 their articles of clothing, except the shirt and panta- 
 loons, dragged out to the loots, or house of lords, 
 thence hurried forward to the court house in the 
 greatest imaginable suspense, and delivered over to 
 the keeper of the king's prison, called, by w^ay of 
 distinction, 'Stick at nothing,' or 'Dread nought.' 
 Here they were each honored with three pairs of 
 chains, and strung on a pole together. Mr. J. was 
 just about preparing for dinner when a number of 
 peo]3le entered his ground. On asking two or three 
 women, (who were hastily mounting his veranda,) 
 what they wanted, they replied that they had come 
 to look on ; in a moment the veranda was thronged, 
 and a rough voice called out for the teacher. Mr. J. 
 came forward, and, without any warning, was imme 
 diately siezed, thrown on the ground, and his arms 
 tied with all the force the barbarian was capable of 
 Mrs. J. came forward, in agony better to be con 
 ceived than described, and ofiered to give money to 
 
 10 
 
146 THE MISSIONARY LAEOES 
 
 have tlie rope eased off her husband. But the 
 wretch, instead of listening to the grief-impassioned 
 request, cried out, ' She is also a white foreigner : tie 
 her too.' For a moment, Mr. J.'s own exquisite 
 torment was forgotten in the heart-rending apprehen- 
 sion, that Mrs. J. was about to undergo the same 
 cruel indignity. The assurance, however, that this 
 was not the case, softened the pain occasioned by 
 the violence offered in dragging him roughly away 
 toward the town, so tightly bound that he could not 
 half draw his breath. At a quarter of a mile's dis- 
 tance, he was again thrown down in the street, the 
 cords drawn more tightly, with repeated strokes of 
 the-knee on his back, so as almost to induce faint- 
 ing, and money demanded in order to their being 
 loosened. 
 
 "A christian native who had followed at a dis- 
 tance, now came forward and offered to go back for 
 the money ; but, before his return, the anguish en- 
 dured was so great, that Mr. J. was obliged to 
 appeal to the numerous bystanders. 'Is there no 
 one who knows me ; is there no one who will be my 
 security for the money, no one who pities me? I 
 am a priest, and, though a foreign one, deserve not 
 such indignity, such torture.' But none stepped 
 forward, and the cruel monster persisted in tighten- 
 ing the cords until the arrival of Moung Ing with 
 ten ticals of pure silver, when his anus were some- 
 what relieved, so as to allow a more free respiration, 
 and he was again hurried forward a distance of 
 nearly two miles to the prison-house, and there, after 
 
OP ABOMRAM JtJDSON. 147 
 
 being fettered, strung on the same bamboo with the 
 preceding five unha^Dpy men. 
 
 " In the meantime, I had left the house of Prince 
 M., at three o'clock in the afternoon, having just 
 missed the horrid sight of Mr. J.'s agony, and had 
 reached the river side with a heavy heart, which was 
 not at all lightened by a black look I there received 
 fi-om the cliief man of the golden navy, who had, on 
 all previous occasions, met me with a smile. I 
 passed over to Sagaing, fully impressed with the idea 
 that something dreadful was approaching, though I 
 knew not what. Ilavino; arrived at home, the si2:ht 
 of my dear wife and child was painful in the ex- 
 treme. I dared communicate nothing of my appre- 
 hensions ; but, after a slight attempt to dine, hurried 
 to the top of my house and endeavored alone to 
 compose myself; but all in vain. At dusk I was 
 joined by Mrs. P. and child; we had taken only a 
 few turns, when a dreadful noise was heard below. 
 Knowing too well the cause of the uproar, I hastened 
 down, and was informed that more than fifty men 
 were preparing to surround and take possession of 
 my house. My scattered senses seemed to collect of 
 themselves ; I saw the long di'eaded hour had ar- 
 rived, and I w^as myself again — yea, more ; I was, 
 or seemed to myself to be, supernaturally assisted ; I 
 looked down on the treacherous breach of all for- 
 merly plighted royal faith ; I felt a martyr, and deter- 
 mined to shrink from nothing which was before me. 
 In answer to loud demands from without, I opened 
 the door, was ordered immediately to sit down on 
 
14:8 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 the floor, to give an inventory of my effects, to shut 
 and bar the doors and windows, and follow them. 
 Having committed all to the care of my wife, who, 
 by this time, had found her way to me, I commended 
 her to our common Protector, and took my leave of 
 my newly built mansion, never expecting to enter it 
 more. My conductors attempted, at first, to extort 
 money, by threatening to tie my arms ; but finding 
 me ready to submit to any thing, they betrayed their 
 want of any warrant to use me roughly ; and chang- 
 ing their line of conduct, immediately began to treat 
 me uncommonly well, and actually carried an um- 
 brella over me to guard me from the rain, all the 
 way to the government house. Arrived here, the 
 great man said I was called for to be asked some 
 questions, he supposed ; the real cause he knew not ; 
 but we must repair to the court house. 
 
 " Hand in hand we proceeded to the young dau, 
 or court house, where I was delivered over to the 
 Ava town clerk, and heard the laconic order, ' P. and 
 J. catch, and put in prison.' My heart sunk at the 
 appalling words ; still they seemed repeated ; again 
 and again I repeated them to myself, till the town 
 clerk roused me from my reverie, by diving into my 
 pockets, and securing every thing movable about 
 me. The head executioner now received a wink, 
 which authorized him to seize me rather rudely by 
 the shoulder, and caused me to descend without the 
 trouble of seeking the stairs. I was now led at a 
 quick pace across the street, ushered into a small 
 compound or yard, and ordered to sit. I made 
 
OP ADONIRAM JUDSON. 149 
 
 toward a bench; but was pushed ofi' it. I then 
 seated myself on a small stone slab, which I soon 
 found was meant for another purpose. For, while 
 undergoing an examination as to my name, place of 
 abode, occupation, &c., a man with his hands full of 
 irons, came forward, and rudely shoving me oil* the 
 stone, seized one of my legs, and began knocking on 
 one pair of fetters after another, until I thought he 
 was never going to stop. 
 
 " My heart now died within me. I looked around ; 
 all was gloomy, and dark, and silent, except the dull 
 clankino^ of chains. Four or five vouns^ women in 
 a like predicament manifested some pity ; but all 
 else was savage, unfeeling complacency. My three 
 chains were no sooner well fastened on, than I was 
 ordered roughly to go in. A little bamboo door 
 opened, and I rose to go tow^ard it. But O, who 
 can describe my sensations ! shackled like a common 
 felon, in the care of hangmen, the offscouring of the 
 country, turned like a dog into his kennel, my wife, 
 my dear family, left to suffer alone all the rudeness 
 such wretches are capable of. The worst, however, 
 was yet to come ; for, making the best of my way 
 up the high step, I was ushered into the grand 
 apartment ; horror of horrors, what a sight ! nevei 
 to my dying day shall I forget the scene; — a dim 
 lamp in the midst, just making darkness visible, and 
 discovering to my horrified gaze, sixty or sev^enty 
 wretched objects, some in long rows made fast in 
 the stocks, some strung on poles, some simply fet- 
 tered ; but all sensible of a new accession of misery, 
 
loO THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 in the approach of a new prisoner. Stupefied, I 
 stopped to gaze till goaded on ; I proceeded toward 
 the further end, when I again halted. A new and 
 unexpected sight met my eyes. Till now I had 
 been kept m ignorance of the fate of my compan- 
 ions ; a long row of white objects, stretched on the 
 floor, in a most crowded situation, revealed to me, 
 however, but too well, their sad case, and I was 
 again urged forward. Poor old 11. wishing to retain 
 the end of the bamboo, made way for me to be 
 placed along side of Mr. J. ' We all hoped you 
 would have escaped, you were so long coming,' was 
 the first friendly salutation I had yet received ; but 
 alas ! it was made by friends whose sympathy was 
 now unavailing. 
 
 " Here, side by side, we were allowed the only 
 gratification left, of condoling, in the Burman lan- 
 guage, with each other. ' Now you have arrived 
 and our number is complete, I suppose they will 
 proceed to murder us,' was the first thing suggested ; 
 and no one could say it was improbable. To prepare 
 for a violent death, for immediate execution, was 
 our consequent resolution. And now we began to 
 feel our Strength, our Stronghold, our Deliverer, in 
 this dark abode of misery and despair. He who has 
 said, I will never leave you nor Ibrsake you, mani- 
 fested his gracious presence ; a calm sweet peace 
 succeeded our hurried minds, and alternate prayer 
 and repeating of hymns, soon brought our minds 
 to a state of comparative gladness and joy. "We 
 
OF APONIKAM JTJDSON. 151 
 
 became lifted above our persecutors ; and the bymn 
 containing the words — 
 
 'Let men of spite against me join. 
 They are the sword, the hand is thine ; ' 
 
 was peculiarly applicable and refreshing. ISTow, ye 
 scoffers, say what you will, here is a triumph you 
 can not attain. Religion ! O, the sweets of reli- 
 gious communion with God ! ' Let them now, even 
 now come,' we said ; ' we are prepared for the worst 
 you can do ; you can not deprive us of our hope in 
 God, our sweet peace of mind.' Thus we whiled 
 away the hours of the night. ITature shuddered, 
 but the soul was unshaken : our confidence w^as in 
 the Hock of Ages. AYe were not left, however, 
 without many a pang ; for ever and anon the situa- 
 tion of our dear families presented itself to us, and 
 the thought of what they might even now be suffer- 
 ing on our account, and in their own persons, was 
 like racks and tortures to our hearts. Still we re- 
 flected, they too are in the hands of a merciful God ; 
 they too may be now enjoying a portion of that sup- 
 port which we ourselves feel, and we concluded to 
 commit them to his Almighty keeping, and our 
 minds were much relieved. The night was rainy, 
 and we were much incommoded by the circum- 
 stance ; the stench of the place was almost intoler- 
 able ; we had no bed but the greasy, filthy floor of 
 our prison ; and, unable to move our bodies for the 
 bamboo, which passed between our legs, our situa- 
 tion became exceedingly distressing, when at length 
 
152 THE MISSION AEY LABOps 
 
 the morning dawned upon oiu* sleepless eyes. For 
 a long time we were doubtful of the daylight. The 
 rain continued to descend in torrents, and no win- 
 dow or door was there to the room. At length the 
 bamboo wicket was opened, and a figm-e approached 
 us, of a most terrific appearance and a horrid coun- 
 tenance. He jocularly saluted us, hoped we had 
 slept well, and in reply to our repeated requests, 
 said he w^ould order us to be let out for five minutes. 
 He was as good as his word. And now commences 
 the history of our luxuries. First and foremost, to 
 find ourselves again on our feet, to be able to move 
 our limbs, shackled as they were. Ye who ride for 
 pleasure, believe me when I assert, you never en- 
 joyed an hour worthy to be compared with these 
 few minutes ; and then to get out into the fresh air ! 
 the rain, the mud, we heeded not, our enjoyment 
 was pm^e ; but alas ! like all things here below, soon 
 to cease. Again we were turned in, and notwith- 
 standing our remonstrances, again obliged to take 
 our station as before. The arrival of our breakfast 
 afforded another short interval of relief; but we 
 w^ere not allowed to communicate with our people 
 who brought it, and hence still kept ignorant of the 
 situation of our dear families. Our appetites being 
 not very keen, were soon satisfied and, our dishes 
 sent away, Vv^e relapsed into our former reflection, 
 What is to be done with us ? The night was incon- 
 venient to have us executed ; no doubt the day will 
 be fixed on for the purpose. Every thing around 
 ns was alarming — we were in the worst prison, in 
 
OF ADONTEAM JUDSON. 153 
 
 the worst 2^art of it, and most rigorously treated. 
 Our crime, too, admitted of no advocate, the popu- 
 lace even seemed to join in cursing us. Among 
 our fellow-prisoners, few sympathized with us ; and 
 it was the invariable custom of the country, that 
 such as we should not be permitted to live. Many 
 groans were uttered, and many tears shed, before 
 
 this weary day passed off. Poor old thought it 
 
 a very hard case he should have served the king of 
 Burmah forty years, and be rewarded thus at last. 
 
 " Mr. J., Mr. G., and myself spent the day in as 
 composed a frame as could be expected, considering 
 our noisy company, want of rest, and uneasy sit- 
 uation. The night passed off tolerably well ; ' tired 
 nature's sweet restorer ' cast in over us the mantle of 
 a temporary oblivion. 
 
 " The next morning, Mr. J. was called out early, 
 by some man of consequence, who wanted to know 
 if he meant to stay inside forever ; asked why he 
 had not applied with a proper present, to procure 
 the liberty of the yard — which would have saved 
 him the trouble of calling at this time to offer him 
 the choice of paying three hundred ticals, (four hun- 
 dred S. R.) or of being still more rigorously treated. 
 Mr. J. told him it was an exorbitant demand ; that 
 he was a priest, and ought not to be compelled to 
 pay money at all. On which the man, who proved 
 to be the town clerk, assumed an air of high author- 
 ity; said he would go down to his house and see for 
 himself whether he had the ability of paying or not ; 
 ordered him immediately to give in a true account 
 
154: THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 of all his efiects, and bj no means to leave out an 
 article; at the same time nsing very abusive and 
 threatening language. This unauthorized conduct 
 excited the indignation of a woman present, (Ma 
 Cathai,) who sharply interposed, and the examina- 
 tion was stopped. I was then called out, and the 
 same demand was repeated, to which I made the 
 same reply. Highly exasperated, he called for the 
 old jailor, and ordered me back to be more tightly 
 kept (kyat kyat 'tah.) Mr. J. was also ordered in, 
 and a hint given, that if one hundred pieces were 
 given, we should be let out of the close room. Mr. 
 G. and Mr. R. were let out this morning, on the 
 payment of about four hundred. 
 
 " Just after breakfast, a meeting took place be- 
 tween Mr. and Mrs. J., of such a nature as to affect 
 even to sobbing our hardened keeper, who was also 
 a fellow prisoner. We were now informed, for the 
 first time, that immediately after Mr. J.'s departure, 
 the house was surrounded with guards, everything in 
 the yard broken or destroyed, or carried away, and 
 at length she was obliged to suspect them of intend- 
 ing the same thing in the house. She accordingly 
 retired within, and having fastened all the doors, 
 remained quietly to wait the event. Soon the de- 
 mons appeared at the door, and ordered it to be 
 opened, threatening to break it down. But not ob- 
 taining their purpose, they seized on the cook and 
 consumer, tied them by the feet, and hoisted them 
 toward the ceiling. The cries of these poor wretches 
 effected what the threats of the others could not ; 
 
OF ADONIHAM JTJDSON. 155 
 
 and to relieve lier people, Mrs. J. opened a wicket 
 and threw out to them six or seven handkerchiefs, 
 on which they desisted from fm*ther violence, keep- 
 ing up, nevertheless, a most deafening noise the 
 whole night. In the morning, the head of the dis- 
 trict came to see her, to whom she complained of the 
 conduct of his people. On which he reprimanded 
 them severely, ordered them to give back the hand- 
 kerchiefs, and in a day or two removed them entirely 
 from the house : when Mrs. J. was left quite at liberty 
 to go where she chose ; of which liberty we often, ■ 
 very often reaped the benefit; for, although her 
 house was full two miles off, she almost daily walked 
 this distance, to alleviate our miseries, and complain 
 to the proper authority when the understrappers 
 used us ill." 
 
 During the fii'st six or seven months of their im- 
 prisonment, the missionaries, together with the other 
 white prisoners, were subject to frequent and most 
 outrageous extortions, as well as most cruel oppres- 
 sion. "Sometimes sums of money were demanded, 
 sometimes pieces of cloth, and handkerchiefs; at 
 other times, an order would be issued, that the 
 white foreigners should not speak to each other, or 
 have any communication with their friends without. 
 Then, again, the servants were forbidden to carry in 
 their food without an extra fee." 
 
 The sufferings of the prisoners, and her own trials 
 and sorrows, are touchingly described by Mrs. Jud- 
 son, in a letter addressed to her brother-in-law : 
 
156 THE MISSIONAEY LABORS 
 
 "The war," she says, " was now prosecuted with 
 all the energy the Burmese government possessed. 
 New troops were continually raised and sent down 
 the river, and as frequently reports returned of their 
 being all cut off. But that part of the Bunnese 
 army stationed in Arracan, under the command of 
 Bandula, had been more successful. Three hundred 
 prisoners, at one time, were sent to the capital, as an 
 evidence of the victory that had been gained. The 
 king began to think that none but Bandula under- 
 stood the art of fio^htino; with foreio^ners ; conse- 
 quently his majesty recalled him, with the design of 
 his taking command of the army that had been sent 
 to Eangoon. On his arrival at Ava, he was received 
 at court in the most flattering manner, and w^as the 
 recij^ient of every favor in the j)Ower of the king 
 and queen to bestow. He was, in fact, wdiile at 
 Ava, the acting king. I was resolved to apply to 
 him for the release of missionaries, though some 
 members of government advised me not, lest he, 
 being reminded of their existence, should issue an 
 immediate order for their execution. But it was my 
 last hope, and, as it proved, my last application. 
 
 " Your brother wrote a petition privately, stating 
 every circumstance that would have a tendency to 
 interest him in our behalf With fear and trembling, 
 I approached him, while surrounded by a crowd of 
 flatterers ; and one of his secretaries took the peti- 
 tion, and read it aloud. After hearing it, he spake 
 to me in an obliging manner — asked several ques- 
 tions relative to the teachers — said he would think 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSOX. 157 
 
 of the subject — and bade me come again. I ran to 
 the prison to communicate the favorable reception to 
 Mr. Judson ; and we both had sanguine hopes that 
 his release was at liand. But the governor of the 
 city expressed his amazement at my temerity, and 
 said he doubted not it would be the means of 
 destroying all the prisoners. In a day or two, 
 however, I went again, and took a present of con- 
 siderable value. Bandula was not at home ; but his 
 lady, after ordering the present to be taken into 
 another room, modestly informed me that she was 
 ordered by her husband to make the following com- 
 munication — that he was now very busily employed 
 in making preparations for Rangoon ; but that when 
 he had retaken that place, and expelled the English, 
 he would return and release all the prisoners. 
 
 " Thus again were all our hopes dashed ; and we 
 felt that we could do nothing more, but sit down and 
 submit to our lot. From this time we gave up all 
 idea of being released from prison, till the termina- 
 tion of the w^ar ; but 1 was still obliged to visit con- 
 stantly some of the members of government, with 
 little presents, particularly the governor of the city, 
 for the purpose of making the situation of the pris- 
 oners tolerable. I generally spent the greater part 
 of every other day at the governor's house, giving 
 him all the information relative to American man- 
 ners, customs, government, &c. He used to be so 
 much gratified w4th my communications, as to feel 
 greatly disappointed, if any occurrence prevented 
 my spending the usual hours at his house. 
 
158 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 " Some months after yom^ brother's imprisonment, 
 I was permitted to make a little bamboo room in the 
 prison enclosures, where he could be much by him- 
 self, and where I was sometimes allowed to spend 
 two or three hours. It so haj)pened that the two 
 months he occupied this place, was the coldest part 
 of the year, when he would have suffered much in 
 the open shed he had previously occupied. After 
 the birth of your little niece, I was unable to visit 
 the jDrison and the governor as before, and found I 
 had lost considerable influence, previously gained ; 
 for he was not so forward to hear my petitions when 
 any difficulty occurred, as he formerly had been. 
 When Maria was nearly two months old, her father 
 one morning sent me word that he and all the white 
 prisoners were put into the inner prison, in five pairs 
 of fetters each, that his little room had been torn 
 down, and his mat, pillow, &c., been taken by the 
 jailers. This was to me a dreadful shock, as I 
 thought at once it was only a prelude to greater 
 evils. 
 
 " I should have mentioned before this, the defeat 
 of Bandula, his escape to Danooyboo, the complete 
 destruction of his army, and the loss of ammunition, 
 and the consternation this intelligence produced at 
 court. The English army had left Eangoon, and 
 were advancing toward Prome, when these severe 
 measures were taken with the prisoners. 
 
 " I went immediately to the governor's house. He 
 was not at home ; but had ordered his wife to tell 
 me, when I came, not to ask to have the additional 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 159 
 
 fetters taken off, or the prisoners released; for it 
 could not be done. I went to the prison-gate ; but 
 was forbid to enter. All was as still as death — not 
 a -sviiite face to be seen, or a vestige of Mr. J.'s little 
 room remaining. I was determined to see the gov- 
 ernor, and know the cause of this additional oppres- 
 sion ; and for this purpose, returned to town the same 
 evening, at an hour I knew he would be at home. 
 He was in his audience room, and, as I entered, 
 looked up without speaking, but exhibited a mixture 
 of shame and affected answer in his countenance. I 
 began by saying, your lordship has hitherto treated 
 us with the kindness of a father. Our obligations to 
 you are very great. We have looked to you for pro- 
 tection fi-om oppression and cruelty. You have, in 
 many instances, mitigated the sufferings of those 
 unfortunate, though innocent beings, committed to 
 your charge. You have promised me, particularly, 
 that you would stand by me to the last, and though 
 you should receive an order from the king, you 
 would not put Mr. J. to death. What crime has he 
 committed to deserve such additional punishment ? 
 The old man's hard heart was melted ; for he wept 
 like a child. ' I pity you, Tsa-yar-ga-dau, (a name by 
 which he always called me,) I knew you would make 
 me feel ; I therefore forbade your application. But 
 you must believe me when I say, I do not wish to 
 increase the sufferings of the prisoners. When I am 
 ordered to execute them, the least that I can do, is to 
 put them out of sight. I will now tell you,' con- 
 tinued he, 'what I have never told you before, that 
 
160 THE MISSIONAET LABORS 
 
 three times I have received intimations from the 
 queen's brother, to assassinate all the white prisoners 
 privately ; but I would not do it. And I now repeat 
 it, though 1 execute all the others, I will never exe- 
 cute your husband. But I cannot release him from 
 his present confinement, and you must not ask it.' 
 I had never seen him manifest so much feeling, or so 
 resolute in denying me a favor, which circumstance 
 was an additional reason for thinking dreadful scenes 
 were before us. 
 
 " Tlie situation of the prisoners was now distress- 
 ing beyond description. It w^as at the commence- 
 ment of the hot season. There w^ere above a hun- 
 dred prisoners shut up in one room, without a breath 
 of air excepting from the cracks in the boards. I 
 sometimes obtained permission to go to the door for 
 five minutes, when my heart sickened at the wretch- 
 ed exhibition. The white prisoners, from incessant 
 perspiration and loss of appetite, looked more like 
 the dead than the living. I made daily applications 
 to the governor, offering him money, which he 
 refused ; but all that I gained, was permission for 
 the foreigners to eat their food outside, and this 
 continued but a short time. 
 
 " It was at this period, that the death of Bandula 
 was announced in the palace. The king heard it 
 with silent amazement, and the queen, in eastern 
 style, smote upon her breast, and cried, ama ! ama ! 
 (alas, alas.) 
 
 "After continuing in the inner prison for more 
 than a month, your brother was taken with a fever ; 
 
OF ADONIEAM JIJDSON. 161 
 
 I felt assui'ed he would not live long, unless removed 
 from that noisome place. To effect this, and in order 
 to be near the prison, I removed from our house, and 
 put up a small bamboo room in the governor's en- 
 closure, which was nearly opj)Osite the prison-gate. 
 Here I incessantly begged the governor to give me 
 an order to take Mr. J. out of the large prison, and 
 place him in a more comfortable situation ; and the 
 old man, being worn out with my entreaties, at 
 length gave me the order in an official form ; and 
 also gave orders to the head jailer, to allow me to go 
 in and out, all times of the day, to administer medi- 
 cines, &c. I now felt happy indeed, and had Mr. J. 
 instantly removed into a little bamboo hovel, so low, 
 that neither of us could stand upright — but a pal- 
 ace, in comparison with the place he had left. 
 
 "Notwithstanding the order the governor had 
 given for my admittance into prison, it was with the 
 greatest difficulty that I could persuade the under- 
 jailer to open the gate. I used to carry Mr. J.'s food 
 myself, for the sake of getting in, and would then 
 remain an hour or two, unless driven out. "We had 
 been in this comfortable situation but two or three 
 days, when one morning, having carried in Mr. Jud- 
 son's breakfast, which, in consequence of fever, he 
 was unable to take, I remained longer than usual, 
 when the governor, in great haste, sent for me. I 
 promised him to return as soon as I had ascertained 
 the governor's will, he being much alarmed at this 
 unusual message. I was very agreeably disappoint- 
 ed, when the governor informed me, that he only 
 
 n 
 
162 MISSIONARY LABORS. 
 
 wished to consult me about his watch, and seemed 
 unusually pleasant and conversable. I found after- 
 ward, that his only object was, to detain me until 
 the dreadful scene, about to take place in the prison, 
 was over. For when I left him to go to my room, 
 one of the servants came running, and with a ghastly 
 countenance informed me, that all the white prison- 
 ers were carried away." ^ 
 
 * Letter to Elnathan Judson, M. D. See Memoir of Ann H. Jud- 
 Bon, chapters sixteen and seventeen. "We are mainly guided by the 
 same communication, in our account of the missionaries* imprison-^ 
 ment at Oung pen-la. 
 
CHAPTER XIII, 
 
 Mr. Judson and the other Prisoners taken to Oung-pen-la — Cause of their Re- 
 moval — Mrs. Judson follows her Husband— Sufferings of the Judson Family — 
 Progress of the English Army up the Irrawaddy — Messrs. Judf.-)n and Price 
 taken from Prison to assist in Negotiations for Peace — Sickness of Mrs. 
 Judson — War Closes — Dr. Price remains at Ava— -His Death — Mr. and 
 Mrs. Judson go to Rangoon. 
 
 In 1825, after eleven months incarceration and suf- 
 fering at Ava, Mr. Judson was seized by a jailor, 
 roughly dragged from the prison, stripped almost 
 naked, unchained, and, without hat or shoes, with a 
 rope round his waist, was driven to the court house, 
 where he met the other prisoners. Tied in pairs, and 
 committed to the custody of an officer entitled the 
 lamine woon, who rode on horseback in front, while 
 a gang of slaves held the ropes attached to the bodies 
 of the prisoners, and brought up the rear, the com- 
 pany started for Oung-pen-la, via Amarapura. It 
 was nearly noon, in the month of May, a sultry and 
 oppressive season of the year in the climate of south- 
 ern India, and Mr. Judson had not proceeded a mile 
 before his feet were blistered, and he was in excru- 
 ciating pain. The skin was soon worn from the feet 
 of all the prisoners, and the hot sand was now eating 
 
164: THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 into the naked iiesli. But they were in charge of an 
 inhuman officer, whose orders to the drivers were, to 
 hurry the culprits along. 
 
 Mr. Judson had a fever that morning, and partook 
 of no refreshment ; hence, when he had gone about 
 four miles, or a little more than half-way to Amara- 
 pura, he became so faint that he would have fallen 
 had he not received support by taking hold of the 
 shoulder of Captain Laird, who was his yoke-fellow 
 in ignominy and suffering. Though a much more 
 robust man than Mr. Judson, he was able to ren- 
 der assistance in this way only a short time. Fortu- 
 nately, however, a servant of Mr. Gouger, an athletic 
 Bengalee, now overtook the company, and, observ- 
 ing Mr. Judson's weakness and distress, tore his head 
 dress in two, and gave him half of it to envelope his 
 feet ; Mr. Gouger received the other half The ser- 
 vant then gave Mr. Judson his shoulder, and bore 
 nearly half his weight the last mile or two of the 
 first day's journey. 
 
 Before reaching Amarapura, one of the prisoners, 
 a corpulent Greek, who was perfectly healthy when 
 they started, fell down dead. This circumstance led 
 the lamine woon, who had intended to drive the 
 prisoners to Omig-pen-la that night, to halt on the 
 way. They were taken under an old shed, at Ama- 
 rapura, where, without a pillow or a shred of cover- 
 ing, they rested theii* weary and bleeding limbs on 
 the naked earth. But for the kindness of the lamine 
 woon's wife, who was not wholly destitute of the 
 traits of the true woman, and whose curiosity had 
 
OF ADONIEAJkl JUDSO:^'. 165 
 
 led her to visit the prisoners, they would probably 
 have had nothing to eat that night. She kindly 
 ordered some tamarinds and other refreshments, and 
 they lay down to rest, no doubt, with the one con- 
 soling reflection, that God had not wholly forsaken 
 them, but had sent a friend to their succor, in a 
 time of great need. Some rice, poorly prepared, 
 was given them the next morning, and as every one 
 of them was unable to walk, they were conveyed the 
 rest of the way, four miles, in carts. 
 
 The circumstance which led to their removal to 
 Oung-pen-la, as they subsequently learned, was this : 
 the pakah-woon was about to take command of a new 
 army of fifty thousand men, raised to carry on the 
 war with the English, and the prisoners were to be 
 offered as a sacrifice in his presence, to honor the 
 occasion. Just before the time for executing this 
 diabolical plan, he fell into disgrace at the court of 
 Ava, was accused of high treason, and executed im- 
 mediately, without trial or the slightest examination. 
 He had been suddenly raised from obscurity to the 
 rank of woongj^ee, and being proud, ambitious, and 
 sanguinary, it is likely the accusation brought against 
 him was well founded, and that his doom was just. 
 His execution was timely for the missionaries and 
 their fellow^ prisoners, and it was no doubt regarded 
 by the former as a providential escape from death, 
 and an especial occasion for gratitude and thanks- 
 giving to God. 
 
 The morning after the prisoners left Ava, Mrs. 
 Judson obtained a government pass, and with her 
 
166 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 daughter three months old, the two adopted Burman 
 girls before mentioned, and a Bengalee servant, she 
 passed up the Irrawaddy in quest of her husband. 
 She had accidentally heard, the night previous, that 
 the prisoners had been taken before the lamine woon 
 at Amarapura, and were to be driven to some place 
 farther off. Anxious to reach the government house 
 before the prisoners should leave Amarapura, when 
 within two miles of that place, she left the boat and 
 hurried on in a cart. Arriving at the court house, 
 she learned that the prisoners had departed two 
 hours previous, and, with a disappointed heart, she 
 was obliged to charter another cart, and pursue her 
 solitary way four miles farther over burning sand 
 and beneath a scorching sun. 
 
 Arriving at Oung-pen-la, she soon found her way 
 to the prison yard, where she met Mr. Judson, who 
 was " almost dead with suffering and fatigue," but 
 so conscious of the wretchedness of the place, as to 
 salute her with the assurance that she could not live 
 there. 
 
 The prison at Oung-pen-la was in a dilapidated 
 and miserable condition; but some slight repairs 
 were immediately made, a large shed was put up 
 in front, and a new fence built ; still the place was 
 sadly deficient in the features of comfort, and soon 
 became the scene of sufferings and trials, at the 
 contemplation of which humanity weeps. 
 
 The fever, which Mr. Judson had when he left 
 Ava, did not leave him for some time; and so 
 mangled were his feet that he could not stand, and 
 
OF ADONERAM JUDSON. 167 
 
 could scarcely move for several days. Under these 
 circumstances he needed the utmost care and almost 
 incessant attention, which was more than Mrs. Jud- 
 son was able to bestow. The day after her arrival, 
 one of the Bm-man children, Mary Hasseltine, took 
 the small pox, and she being the only person just 
 then on whom Mrs. Judson could rely in taking 
 care of the infant Maria, the poor woman had an 
 amount of labor to perform that would seem suffi- 
 cient to break down the strongest constitution. "I 
 knew not what to do," she afterward wrote, " for I 
 could procure no assistance from the neighborhood, 
 or medicine for the sufferers, but was all day long 
 going backward and forward from the house to the 
 prison with little Maria in my arms. Sometimes I 
 was greatly relieved by leaving her, for an hour, 
 when asleep, by the side of her father, while I re- 
 turned to the house to look after Mary, whose fever 
 ran so high as to produce delirium. She was so com- 
 pletely covered with the small pox, that there was no 
 distinction in the pustules. As she was in the same 
 little room with myself, I knew Maria would take 
 it; I therefore inoculated her from another child, 
 before Mary's had arrived at such a state as to be 
 infectious. At the same time I inoculated Abby, 
 and the jailer's children, who all had it so lightly 
 as hardly to interrupt their play. But the inocu- 
 lation in the arm of my poor little Maria did not 
 take — she caught it of Mary, and had it the natural 
 way. She was then only three months and a half 
 
168 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 old, and Lad been a most liealthy child ; but it was 
 above three months before she perfectly recovered 
 ii'om the effects of this dreadful disorder." 
 
 Though vaccinated before leaving America, yet, 
 from long and constant exposure, and without the 
 preliminary symptom of fever, Mrs. Judson had 
 something like a hundred pustules. But she sank 
 not beneath, these accumulated burdens ; as soon 
 as the children had recovered, greatly debilitated, 
 and with one of the alarming diseases of the coun- 
 try, to which foreigners are peculiarly subject, drag- 
 ging her down, she repaired to Ava, alone, to obtain 
 the medicine chest — an article indispensable to mis- 
 sionaries in a strange and particularly a tropical 
 climate. She started on her return to Oung-pen-la 
 in so weak a condition as to be unable to stand; 
 and, when she reached lier miserable home, was 
 unable to get into the ch airless hovel without the 
 help of the attentive Bengalee cook, who bm-st into 
 tears when he beheld her cadaverous face and ema- 
 ciated form. Crawling upon the only mat in her 
 little room, which had been a hospital since her 
 first arrival in the place, she there lay between two 
 and three months, unable, most of the time, to do 
 aught for herself, much less for her husband. The 
 latter, though now restored to comfortable health, 
 depended on tlie kindness of friends to properly 
 prepare his food, and for other attentions to lubri- 
 cate the harsher asperities of prison life. A single 
 day's neglect subjected him to suffering not easily 
 to be borne. 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 169 
 
 But "man's extremity is God's opportunity;" and 
 He who dii-ected the birds of heaven to the prophet's 
 retreat, did not leave tiie Burman apostle to perish, 
 though he was in a land of human vultm*es. It is 
 said that a common Bengalee cook will do nothing 
 but the simple drudgery of his profession, but the 
 one whom Providence flung into the bosom of the 
 Judson family, forgetting self, surrendering com- 
 forts, and laying aside caste, gave his heart and 
 unrestricted services to the afflicted and helpless 
 missionaries, without the prospect that he would 
 ever receive due recompense for his indispensable 
 labors. Beneath an unpromising exterior beat a 
 true heart; and the case of this Bengalee servant 
 seems to beautifully verify the words of Gay : 
 
 Friendship is like the sun's eternal rays ; 
 
 Not daily benefits exhaust the flame, 
 
 It still is giving, and still bums the same. 
 
 Through the smiles of a gracious Providence, 
 when, at length, the fortune of the missionaries was 
 reversed, they were enabled to suitably reward this 
 kind-hearted servant for his invaluable services. 
 
 While Mrs. Judson was lying on a bamboo floor, 
 during the nine or ten longest weeks of her life, 
 her forlorn infant, it is probable, endured more suf- 
 fering than any of the family. Unable herself to 
 supply it with its proper nourishment, Mrs. Jud- 
 son made the utmost efforts to obtain a nurse, but 
 failed: and, what was still more perplexing, she 
 could not, for some time, procure any milk in the 
 
170 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 village. But what will not a mother do, in great 
 emergencies ? what can exhaust her schemes, when 
 the life of a child is at stake ? Mrs. Judson did not 
 give up. Though her "flesh" had failed, her 
 " heart " had lost none of its strength. She could 
 say, with the Psalmist, " God is the strength of my 
 heart, and my portion forever." Looking to Him for 
 support and counsel, as she lay, night after night, 
 listening to the dismal, dirge-like cries of her fam- 
 ishing babe, without the ability to afford it relief, 
 she at length resorted to the potency of presents, 
 which, coupled with the power of eloquent looks, 
 and the persuasive pleadings of faitit words, so 
 wrought upon the obdurate hearts of the jailers, that, 
 at her request, Mr. Judson was permitted to leave 
 the prison for a short time, from day to day, and 
 carry the little starveling around the village to such 
 mothers as had infant children, and were merciful 
 enough to give it nourishment. 
 
 Fiction must exhaust its resources in drawing a 
 picture of trials and sufferings more painful than the 
 life of the Judson family at Oung-pen-la. However 
 deficient in fullness the limnings in the preceding 
 pages of this chapter may be, the picture is, we 
 believe, correct in outline; and let the thought- 
 less worldling, who calls the missionary's a life of 
 ease, and whose blurred imagination gives it the 
 coloring of delightful romance, not turn too hastily 
 from its contemplation. Scrutinize it in every part, 
 and then point out the sunbeams that twinkle on the 
 canvas : or, if you fail to do this, turn away in mute 
 
OF ADONERAM JUDSON. 171 
 
 admiration of the christian fortitude, meek submis- 
 sion, and heroic endurance of these tried disciples of 
 Christ, and speak no more in depreciating terms 
 of the motives and toils of the heaven-appointed 
 heralds of Christianity. 
 
 "While Mr. Judson was lying more than half a 
 year in the wretched cells of Oung-pen-la, the Eng- 
 lish army was gradually, but very slowly, ascending 
 the Irrawaddy,* defeating the proud and boastful, yet 
 cowardly legions of the king, at several towns along 
 the route, and as often offering overtures of peace, 
 which were as often disdainfully rejected. But at 
 length, in the early part of 1826, the near approach 
 of the foreign forces to the golden city, caused the 
 golden legs to tremble, and induced his imperial and 
 heretofore imperious majesty to take into consider- 
 ation the proposals for peace, which were becoming 
 more and more grasping in their demands. In order 
 to carry on the negotiations, he sent for Mr. Judson, 
 to act as interpreter. The latter had no objections 
 to leaving Oung-pen-la, though he shared but little 
 better at Maloun, where the Burman camp was, and 
 whither he was immediately sent, to translate for the 
 
 * After the capture of Rangoon, the English armv was delayed 
 nearly a year at that place, owing to the sickness of the soldiers, the 
 scarcity of provisions, and other causes. In June, 1825, the army 
 retired into barracks at Prorae, and there remained during the hot 
 and rainy season, which usually lasts from May to November. Hence 
 the long period that elapsed between the fall of Rangoon and the 
 Btorming of Maloun, which latter event occurred on the 19th of Jan- 
 uary, 1826, and was the circumstance which led the king to weigh 
 the question of a treaty. 
 
172 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 king. He there passed seven or eight weeks, a pris- 
 oner at large, and was then sent to Ava. 
 
 While he was at the former place, his wife, who 
 had followed him from Oung-pen-la to Ava, was pros- 
 trated by the spotted fever, deprived of her reason, 
 and brought to the verge of the grave. Dr. Price, 
 who also rendered assistance in the negotiations, at- 
 tended her, and had, for days, no hopes of her recov- 
 ery. On one occasion, she was so low that the natives 
 came in to see her die ; and on beholding her, they 
 exclaimed, " She is dead ! and if the King of angels 
 should come in, he could not recover her." But the 
 poor idolaters knew nothing of the power of the 
 " King of angels," for he did restore her. Meantime, 
 He also provided for the helpless and hapless little 
 Maria, a Burman nurse offering to become its tem- 
 porary foster-mother, the very day that Mrs. Judson 
 was taken with the fever. 
 
 The treaty of peace was concluded at Yandabo, 
 forty miles below Ava, on the 24th of February, 
 1826. By its terms, the emperor agreed to j)ay the 
 English 5,000,000 rupees, or nearly $2,500,000, and 
 ceded Arracan, Tavoy, Maulmain, and Mergui, and 
 also a part of Martaban. 
 
 In compliance with the treaty, all the prisoners at 
 Oung-pen-la were set free, some to be sent to their 
 homes, others to the English camp. Messrs. Judson 
 and Price were strongly urged to remain at the 
 capital, and the latter, after some consideration, 
 complied with the wishes of the king. He there 
 continued the practice of medicine ; established and 
 
OP ADONIRAM JTJDSON. 173 
 
 faithfully attended to the duties of a school for the 
 children of noblemen ; lectured occasionally on as- 
 ti'onomy, and such other sciences as show the fal- 
 lacy of the system of Buddhism, and preached to 
 his retainers, and such as felt disposed to visit his 
 house on Sunday. Early in the winter of 1828, he 
 obtained permission to take several of his pupils to 
 Serampore, to finish their studies ; but he was then 
 sinking under pulmonary consumption. On the 
 morning he was to sail, February 14th, he arose, 
 dressed himself, and soon afterward sat down in his 
 chair, and died. His attendants, who had been ab- 
 sent from his room a few moments, returning, found 
 him lifeless, in a sitting posture. The school was 
 broken up, and the station unoccupied for years. 
 
 Mr. Judson repaired, with his family, by invita- 
 tion, to the headquarters of Sir Archibald Campbell, 
 who was then at Yandabo. They were received by 
 the general with extreme cordiality, and shared his 
 hospitalities about two weeks. He then gave them 
 a passage to Eangoon, for which place they em- 
 barked on the 8th of March, and where they arrived 
 the latter part of the same month. 
 
 Mr. Judson had been absent two years and a quar- 
 ter, and, considering the turbulent state of affairs in 
 the country during this time, it is not surprising that 
 he found great changes had taken place. The fol- 
 lowing extracts from a letter written on the 25th of 
 March, just after reaching Rangoon, contain, among 
 other things, some interesting facts in regard to the 
 Burman converts, and conclude with the expression 
 
174 THE MI8SI0NAET LABOES 
 
 of sentiments which highly exalt his character. It 
 was addressed to Dr. Bolles : * 
 
 " Through the kind interposition of onr heavenly 
 Father, our lives have been preserved, in the most 
 imminent danger, from the hand of the executioner, 
 and in repeated instances of most alarming illness, 
 during my protracted imprisonment of one year and 
 seven months — nine months in three pair of fetters, 
 two months in five, six months in one, and two months 
 a prisoner at large. Subsequent to the latter period, 
 I spent about six weeks in the house of the north 
 governor of the palace, who petitioned for my re- 
 lease, and took me under his charge ; and finally, 
 on the joyful 21st of February last, took leave, with 
 Mrs. Judson and family, of the scene of our sufier- 
 ings — sufierings which, it would seem, have been 
 unavailing to answer any valuable missionary pur- 
 pose, unless so far as they may have been silently 
 blessed to our spiritual improvement and capacity 
 for future usefulness. Let me beg your prayers that 
 it may not be in vain, that we have been afflicted. 
 
 " The disciples and inquirers have been dispersed 
 
 * At the triennial meeting of the Convention, in 1826, Dr. Bolles 
 was appointed Corresponding Secretary, in place of Dr. Staughton, 
 who had served in that capacity since the formation of the Society, 
 and who now resigned the office. Two years previous, for the sake 
 of convenience, the seat of management of the mission had been re- 
 moved from Washington to Boston ; and prior to that date, it had 
 been removed from Philadelphia to the capital, to accommodate Dr. 
 Staughton, who was appointed President of Columbian College on 
 its establishment 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 175 
 
 in all directions. Several are dead ; several I found 
 on my passage down the river, and gave them notice 
 of my plans, in case they might wish to follow ; and 
 several are in this place waiting for some movement. 
 Moung Shwa-ba has been in the mission-house during 
 the whole, and Moung Ing with Mrs. Judson at Ava. 
 Moung Shwa-Gnong I have been unable to find, but 
 understood he was alive somewhere in the interior. 
 We had a pleasant meeting with Mah Men-la and 
 her sister, Mah Doke, who were living in boats at 
 Prome, and instantly resolved to accompany us. I 
 long for the time when we shall be able to reerect 
 the standard of the gospel, and enjoy once more the 
 stated worship and ordinances of the Lord's house. 
 I feel a strong desire henceforth to know nothing 
 among this people, but Jesus Christ and him cruci- 
 fied ; and under an abiding sense of the comparative 
 worthlessness of all worldly things, to avoid every 
 secular occupation, and all literary and scientific 
 pursuits, and devote the remainder of my days to the 
 simple declaration of the all-precious truth of the 
 gospel of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ." 
 
CHAPTEK XIY. 
 
 Retrospect of the Mission — Mr. and Mrs. Judson remove to Amherst — Mr. 
 Judson goes to Ava, in connection with the English Embassy — Defeat of hia 
 Object in joining the Embassy — Returns to Amherst — Death of Mrs. Judson — 
 Return of Mr. and Mrs. Wade, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Boardman — 
 Death of Mr. Judson's Daughter. 
 
 ■With the close of the Burman war, the Burman 
 mission ended the first portion of its history. Tlie 
 mission had to he reestablished, and, excepting the 
 acquisition of the language, as Mrs. Judson remarked 
 at the time, the whole work had to be begun 
 anew. During the twelve years embraced in this 
 period, inexperience on the part of the missionaries, 
 and profitless projects and undertakings as a conse- 
 quence; meagerness of means, resulting from the 
 ignorance of American christians in regard to their 
 duty to the heathen; intolerance, war, and many 
 other adverse influences, had retarded, and, at times, 
 wholly delayed the work. 
 
 But, notwithstanding all this, the founding of the 
 mission had been attended with much good. 'Not to 
 mention other happy results, it had developed and 
 strengthened the christian virtues of the great man 
 
ADONIRAl^I JIJDSON. 177 
 
 whom God had honored in making him its founder, 
 and had thoroughly schooled him for the herculean 
 labors and the stupendous trials that were yet in re- 
 serve for him ; and it had been the means, as the 
 first fruits of patient toil and unfaltering faith, of 
 gathering eighteen precious souls into the garner of 
 the christian church. 
 
 Prior to 1826, twelve missionaries had entered on 
 the work in Burmah. Three of these, Messrs. Whee- 
 lock and Colman, and Mrs. Price, had died, and two, 
 the wido W o d wive s of the men just mentioned, had 
 been removed by bereavement. Of the seven others, 
 four were still in exile at Calcutta, leaving but three 
 on the ground to commence the labors embraced in 
 the second portion of the history of this mission. 
 This period will extend over the next twenty-four 
 years, and bring us down to the close of Mr. Judson's 
 life. 
 
 On leaving Ava, it was Mr. Jud son's intention to 
 proceed to the peninsula south-east of Pangoon, and 
 establish a mission, either at Tavoy or Mergui, these 
 parts being now accessible to the peace-publisher. 
 But soon after his arrival at Rangoon, he altered 
 his plans, and accepted an invitation from Mr. Craw- 
 fiird, the commissioner of Lord Amherst, who was 
 then governor-general of India, to accompany him 
 on a tour through some of the newly ceded dis- 
 tricts. It was to be made with reference to select- 
 ing a site for a new town, designed thenceforward 
 to be the capital of the British territory in those 
 parts. ^2 
 
178 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 Mr. Judson left Rangoon in company with Mr. 
 Crawfui'd, on the first of April, 1826. They pro- 
 ceeded up the Salwen or Martaban, and, at length, 
 a short distance from its mouth, fixed upon a spot 
 for the contemplated town, which they appropriately 
 named Amherst. It is on the east side of the river, 
 and on the dividing line of Burmah Proper and 
 British Burmah. 
 
 The setting apart of this spot for the purpose 
 before specified, was formal, and ceremonies of a 
 very solemn and interesting character were perform- 
 ed on the occasion. After the firing of guns, and 
 other appropriate acts, with the British flag wav- 
 ing over his head, Mr. Judson read the sixtieth chap- 
 ter of Isaiah and ofi'ered a prayer, dedicating the 
 place to the rule of civilized authority and christian 
 toleration. It was then a wild spot in the jungle, 
 and the language of inspiration and the voice of 
 prayer must have broken strangely upon the soli- 
 tude of the wilderness. Nature herself, it would 
 seem, must have held her breath in awful suspense 
 as she caught the mysterious words, " Yiolence shall 
 no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruc- 
 tion within thy borders," * * * " A little one 
 shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong 
 nation." And how eloquent must have been the sup- 
 plication of the good man, whose soul was inspired 
 by the promises of God ; whose eye must have seen 
 the whole Gentile world coming to Christ, and whose 
 heart must have rejoiced, while the dromedaries of 
 Midian and Ephah, the gold of Sheba, the flocks of 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 179 
 
 Kedar, the ships of Tarshish, in short, tl ^ <^ealth 
 of the whole earth, was being poured into the trea- 
 sury of the Lord, and the glory of the church was 
 being consummated. 
 
 Kejoicing that a place had been found where he 
 could be protected in preaching the gospel, Mr. Jud- 
 son was impatient to locate his family at Amherst, 
 and resume the work so congenial to his feelings. 
 He accordingly returned to Rangoon on the 9th of 
 April, and prepared for the removal, which was 
 effected in June. 
 
 Several of the native converts, among whom were 
 Moung Ing and Moung Shwa-ba, also sought an 
 asylum at Amherst. Some of them, advised of 
 Mr. Judson's plans, preceded him in the removal 
 thither. Mentioning this fact to a friend in Eng- 
 land, to whom he wrote on the 12th of July, he 
 added, that they "built the first native houses that 
 encroached on the jungle, and disturbed the deer 
 and wild fowl which had been the undisputed oc- 
 cupants of the peninsula." 
 
 Just after the settlement of the missionaries at 
 Amherst, Mrs. Judson received three hundred ru- 
 pees from a friend in England, with which present 
 she was enabled to erect a temporary mission-house, 
 in which she opened a small school. 
 
 Mr. Judson had not fairly entered on his labors, 
 before he received a pressing invitation to accompany 
 Mr. Crawfiird on an embassy to the Burman court, 
 having for its object the negotiating of a commercial 
 treaty. He was to act in the capacity of translator ; 
 
180 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 but SO comfortable was his situation at Amherst, and 
 so favorable the prospect for his immediate use- 
 fulness there, that he had, at first, no desire to leave. 
 He therefore declined ; but Mr. Crawfurd renewed 
 his proposal, and, as an inducement for Mr. Judson 
 to accept it, agreed, if the thing were possible, to 
 have an article embodied in the treaty, securing reli- 
 gious toleration. Mr. Judson could desire no con- 
 summation more earnestly than this ; for the field 
 now accessible to christian eflfort in those parts was 
 small, and looking to the exigences of the future, he 
 wished to have removed, at once and forever, all 
 obstacles that would interfere with tlie prosecution 
 of missionary labor in any part of the empire. From 
 this consideration, after deliberation and prayer, he 
 accepted the ofter; and leaving his wife quietly 
 and comfortably situated in the house of the civil 
 superintendent of the town, Captain Fen wick — who 
 was so kind and obliging as to vacate it for their ac- 
 commodation — he returned to Rangoon in the early 
 part of July, to await final orders from Bengal. 
 The embassy did not leave until the first of Septem- 
 ber. On the 28th of that month, Mr. Judson once 
 more gazed on the golden city, the scene of his incal- 
 culable sufierings, and the awakener of many pain- 
 ful recollections. But he doubtless regarded it as 
 one of the fiery furnaces in which he had been tried ; 
 nor would he have shrank from reentering its death- 
 prison, if, by that means, and that only, he could 
 ^efiect the object of his present mission. But in this 
 he was sadly, sorrowfully disappointed. In a letter 
 
OF ADONIRAM JIJDSON. 181 
 
 addressed to the corresponding secretary, and dated, 
 Ava, December Ttli, 1826, lie says : 
 
 "In the very commencement of negotiations, I 
 ascertained that it wonld be impossible to effect any 
 thing in favor of religions toleration, in consequence 
 of the extraordinary ground assumed by the Burmese 
 commissioners. Eeluctant, as the government has 
 ever been, to enter iiito any stipulations with a foreign 
 power, they resolved to do nothing more than they 
 were obliged to by the treaty of Yandabo. And as 
 that required them to make a ' commercial treaty,' 
 they .resolved to conline the discussions to points 
 strictly commercial ; so that, instead of a treaty of 
 twenty-two articles, calculated to place the relations 
 of the two countries on the most liberal and friendly 
 footing, the treaty just concluded is confined to four ; 
 and those utterly insignificant. So far, therefore, as 
 I had a view to the attainment of religious toleration, 
 in accompanying the embassy, I have entirely failed." 
 
 "When he started for Ava, he expected to return in 
 four or five months ; but the delay of the embassy 
 at Rangoon, also at the capital, in obtaining an audi- 
 ence with the king, and in bringing the negotiations to 
 a close, prolonged his absence from his newly-adopted 
 home two or three months longer than he had antici- 
 pated. When, at length, he returned to Amherst, 
 which was on the 24th of January, 1827, it was to 
 behold his home made desolate, and to seek the 
 grave of his fallen companion ! 
 
182 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 Early in the month of October, Mrs. Judson was 
 seized with a violent remittent fever ; her constitu- 
 tion, rendered feeble by previous disease and long 
 and extreme hardship, rapidly gave way, and after 
 eighteen days illness she went to her heavenly rest. 
 The tidings of her departure reached Mr. Judson 
 just before he left Ava, and, notwithstanding his dis- 
 cipline in the school of affliction, he was almost over- 
 whelmed with grief. Some months after his return, 
 and subsequent to another bereavement, he says, in 
 reference to Mrs. Judson, " The only pleasant reflec- 
 tion — the only one that assuages the anguish of retro- 
 spection — is, that she now rests far away, where no 
 spotted-faced executioner can fill her heart with ter- 
 ror; where no unfeeling magistrate can extort the 
 scanty pittance which she had preserved through 
 every risk, to sustain her fettered husband and fam- 
 ishing babe; no more exposed to lie on a bed of 
 languishment, and stung with the uncertainty, what 
 would become of her poor husband and child when 
 she was gone. No, she has her little ones around 
 her, I trust, and has taught them to praise the source 
 whence their deliverance flowed. Yes, her little son, 
 his soul enlarged to angel's size, was perhaps the first 
 to meet her at heaven's portals, and welcome his 
 mother to his own abode." 
 
 And then, how like a christian philosopher he 
 writes elsewhere : 
 
 " Much she saw and sufiTered of the evil of this 
 evil world ; and eminently was she qualified to relish 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 183 
 
 and enjoy the pure and holy rest into wliich she has 
 entered. True, she has been taken from a sphere in 
 which she was singularly qualified, by her natural 
 disposition, her winning manners, her devoted zeal, 
 and her perfect acquaintance with the language, to 
 be extensively serviceable to the cause of Christ; 
 true, she has been torn from her husband's bleeding 
 heart, and from her darling babe ; but infinite wis- 
 dom and love have presided, as ever, in this most 
 afflicting dispensation. Faith decides that it is all 
 right, and the decision of faith eternity will soon 
 confirm." 
 
 Mrs. Judson was bm-ied but a few rods from the 
 house in which she died, and two small marble 
 stones, standing on a rise of ground that looks out 
 upon the ocean, indicate the resting place of one to 
 whose memory no monument of marble, however 
 costly, nor aught that is subject to "decay's effac- 
 ing fingers," can do justice. To perseverance that 
 matches the untiring exertions of the worthiest ma- 
 trons of our Eevolution ; to conjugal affection equal 
 to that of Lady Fanshaw, or the Duchess of Bavaria ; 
 to self-devotion like that of the French domestic. La 
 Blonde, whose humble but heroic exertions to serve 
 the family of her deceased master most beautifullj 
 exemplified the truth of the maxim, 
 
 " The height of virtue is to serve mankind ; " V 
 
 to the enthusiasm of Madam Roland, exhibited in a 
 superior cause, and in a more appropriate manner, 
 together with her fortitude displayed in a more 
 
184 THE MISSIONAET LABORS 
 
 Christ-like spirit ; to courage that obscures that of 
 queen Carcas, because equally as fearless, and shown 
 in a way more in keeping with the nature of woman's 
 duties ; to talents and wisdom superior to those of 
 Artemisia, the queen of Caria, without her martial 
 spirit, and with a more exalted ambition; — to all 
 these were added, in her character, strength of benev- 
 olent feeling, firmness of faith, and love and fidelity 
 to Christ, unsurpassed in the records of pious exam- 
 ple and moral heroism. All the greatness of unsel- 
 fishness, all the charms of unswerving rectitude, all 
 the beauty, strength, and loyalty of social love, all 
 the sublimity of sanctified and soaring thought, here 
 seem comj^ressed and crowded into one woman's 
 spirit ; and that spirit, temporarily linked to earth, 
 yet uniformly heavenward in its aspirations and ten- 
 dencies, surrounded her path with a halo of glory 
 from the moment she stepped upon the deck of the 
 Caravan, to encounter the perils of the deep and the 
 greater ones of an unknown, heathen land, an intol- 
 erant people, and a pernicious climate, until, amid 
 the cries of the native converts, the universal grief of 
 the little group of English friends, and the wail of 
 Christianity itself, her eyes were closed in peaceful 
 sleep, and, with three oceans, which she had thrice 
 traversed on her mission of mercy, separating her 
 from her native land, she was laid to rest 
 
 " 'Neath the cool branches of the Hopia tree.** 
 
 A few days after the burial of Mrs. Judson, Mr. 
 and Mrs. "Wade returned from Calcutta, accompa- 
 nied by George D. Boardman and wife, who had 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 185 
 
 sailed from Philadelphia, under appointment of the 
 Board of Managers, nearly two years before, but, 
 owing to the tm'bnlence in the Burman empire, 
 had proceeded no farther than Calcutta. There they 
 had been about a year and a half, studying with 
 assiduity, and otherwise fitting themselves to aid 
 the lone and sorrowing widower, whom they had 
 now joined in the noble enterprise for evangelizing 
 the heathen. 
 
 Other changes, beside the death of his wife and 
 the arrival of the missionaries, had taken place, at 
 Amherst, while Mr. Judson was at Ava. On his 
 return, only four of the baptized converts were re- 
 maining ; the rest had gone into different parts 
 of the country. The four still tarrying there were 
 Moung Ing, Moung Shwa-ba, Mah Men-la, and Mah 
 Doke. These, he said, welcomed him with the voice 
 of lamentation, for his presence "reminded them of 
 the great loss they had sustained in the death of 
 Mrs. Judson." 
 
 A still greater change had been wi'ought by Sir 
 Archibald Campbell's removal of his trooj)s to Maul- 
 main, twenty-five miles up the Salwen from Am- 
 herst. Most of the Burman emigrants had accom- 
 panied or followed him, and settled in the vicinity 
 of his new headquarters. These changes made Am- 
 herst exhibit signs of decay. ^Nevertheless, as the 
 river was navigable for vessels of a large size, Mr. 
 Judson had, at that time, no faith in the importance 
 or growth of Maulmain. This will be seen by a sin- 
 gle extract from his journal : 
 
186 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 " February 10. — A few days ago went up to 
 Maulmain to pay my respects to Sir Arcliibald 
 Campbell, and also to obtain an interview with Dr. 
 R. who attended Mrs. Jndson in her last illness. 
 Sir Archibald encourages our removing to his fa- 
 vorite station ; but, as we are already settled here, 
 we feel disposed to wait a little, until we see what 
 the supreme government intend to do for the place." 
 
 On the 2oth of the same month, just four weeks 
 after Mr. Judson had recommenced his labors at 
 Amherst in the acquired language, he had the hap- 
 piness of assisting to set apart Moung Ing to the 
 work of the ministry — though he was not empow- 
 ered to administer the gospel ordinances. This was 
 the first native assistant preacher ordained by Amer- 
 ican Baptists. They have now one hundred and 
 twenty-eight at the Asiatic stations, and one hundred 
 and ninety-two in all. 
 
 Moung Ing immediately repaired to Mergui, where 
 he remained several months, and by his efficient la- 
 bors cheered the hearts of those who had seen fit to 
 ordain him. 
 
 Since she had become motherless, Maria Elizabeth 
 Butterworth Judson had been in the charge of Mrs. 
 Wade, whose kindest care, coupled with the best 
 medical attention and the prayers of her father and 
 christian friends, could not save her from gradually 
 sinking under a complaint which had afflicted her 
 for months. And on the 24th of April, 182Y, Mr. 
 Judson closed the eyes of his " sweet little Maria," 
 
OF ADONIEAM jnOSON. 187 
 
 the last member of his family, and prepared to lay 
 her to rest beside her mother. Together, he wrote 
 to his mother-in-law ten days afterward, " togetlier, 
 I trust their spirits are now rejoicing, after a short 
 separation of precisely six months. Thus I am left 
 alone in the wide world. ^ ^ '- What remains 
 for me, but to hold myself in readiness to follow 
 the dear departed to that blessed world, 
 
 ' Where my best friends, my kindred dwell, 
 "Where God, my Saviour reigns ? ' " 
 
 "Writing in regard to this bereavement, to the sis- 
 ters of Mrs. Judson, a few months later, he says : 
 " The last enemy that shall be destroyed, is death. 
 Yes, awful power, thou shalt devour thyself and die. 
 And then my angelic Ann, and my meek, blue-eyed 
 Roger, and my tender-hearted, affectionate, darling 
 Maria, — my venerable father, you, my dear sisters, 
 that still remain, our still surviving parents, and, I 
 hope, myself, though all unworthy, shall be rescued 
 from the power of death and the grave ; and when 
 the crown of life is set on our heads, and we know 
 assuredly, that we shall die no more, we shall make 
 heaven's arches ring with songs of praise to Him, 
 who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in 
 his own blood." 
 
CHAPTEE XY. 
 
 Establishment of the Maulmain Mission, by Mr. Boardman — Messrs. Judson and 
 Wade remove thiiher — Mr. Boardman removes to Tavoy— His Death — Mr. 
 Judson renounces the title of D. D.— Arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett — Mes.srs. 
 Jndson and Wade visit Rangoon — Mr. Judson proceeds to Prome — His return 
 to Rangoon. 
 
 The rapid growth and increasing importance of 
 Maulmain soon seemed to render it necessary that 
 one of the missionaries should be stationed there ; 
 and it was decided among themselves that Mr. 
 Boardman should go, which he accordingly did, in 
 the month of May. Meantime, Mr. Wade was 
 to remain at Amherst, and Mr. Judson to la- 
 bor alternately at the two stations, a^^portioning 
 his time between them as their exigences might 
 require. 
 
 Before the middle of summer, Mrs. Wade col- 
 lected twenty girls into a school, which she had 
 opened in the spring; and the mission at Amherst 
 was otherwise prospering. But in October, the pop- 
 ulation became so reduced, that it was deemed ad- 
 visable to prepare for removing the school to Maul- 
 main, and to abandon, for the present, the station at 
 
ADONIRAM JUDSON. 189 
 
 Amlierst. After a month's busy preparation, at tlie 
 former place, Mr. Judson went down to the latter, 
 on the 10th of November, and, fom* days after, him- 
 self, Mr. and Mrs. AYade, Moung Shwa-ba, and 
 Moimg Ing, who had returned from Mergui nearly a 
 month previous, removed to Maulmain. Eleven of 
 the females connected with Mrs. Wade's school, and 
 some boys left in charge of the missionaries by Mah 
 Men-la, accompanied them. Mr. Boardman had 
 already established a school for boys, and Mrs. 
 Boardman another for girls : the girls whom Mrs. 
 Wade had in charge, were put into the latter school, 
 and the two women labored conjointly, and with 
 gratifying tokens of the Divine approbation. Two 
 zayats, for Messrs. Judson and Wade, were forth- 
 with erected, and all the missionaries were soon 
 prosperously at work together in the new capital, 
 whose population now numbered from fifteen to 
 twenty thousand. 
 
 The following record, made by Mr. Judson, shows 
 the promising aspect of things immediately after the 
 union of the missionary band : 
 
 " November 25. Lord's day. — We have aiTanged 
 a large room in front of the house, in the manner of 
 the zayat, and to-day set up worship in the old Ran- 
 goon fashion ; and a busy day it has been. About 
 seventy persons, great and small, attended worship 
 in the afternoon; after which, twenty or thirty 
 women followed Mrs. Wade into another room, and 
 listened to her instruction.'^ 
 
190 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 Early in the Avinter of 182T, Mr. Judson resolved 
 to erect a reading zayat, for the benefit of such per- 
 sons as could not peruse the Burman Scriptures, yet 
 were disposed to hear them read. Moung Shwa-ba 
 and Moung Ing were appointed to perform alter- 
 nately the exercises at this place; and the former 
 made the commencement on the third Sunday in 
 December. He was, at this period, employed half 
 of the time on account of the mission, and the other 
 half in connection with the female school. Moung 
 Ing was devoting all his time to the interests of the 
 mission, his office being that of an itinerant, having 
 the whole city for his field. 
 
 All the missionaries and the two assistants were 
 assiduously engaged in their delightful work at the 
 close of the year, and their several distinct depart- 
 ments of labor were meeting with the favor of 
 Heaven. Attentive listeners were seen at the reading 
 zayat; inquirers were visiting the male missionaries 
 at their several places of instruction ; children in 
 the female school were inquiring the way to Jesus ; 
 and two or three adults, who were indulging the hope 
 that their sins had been forgiven, were contemplating 
 bm-ial with Christ in baptism. 
 
 The first disciples of the new religion, who went 
 down into the waters at Maulmain, were Moung 
 Dwah, the husband of Mah Doke, and a female 
 named Mali Lah. They were baptized on the 17th 
 of January, 1828. Another followed in the same 
 ordinance on the 20th of March. 
 
 The collection of the missionaries at Maulmain, 
 
OF ADONIRAM JTJDSON. 191 
 
 did not favorably impress the Board : neither did 
 they themselves consider it desirable that they should 
 permanently remain there. The corresponding secre- 
 tary addressed them on the subject ; they cheerfully 
 complied with his instructions, and it was decided 
 that Mr. Boardman should remove to the province 
 of Tavoy, and establish a mission at its principal 
 town, which takes the name of the district. Thither 
 he went, on the 29th of March, and there he labored 
 with remarkable success, particularly among the 
 Karens. Though his career as a missionary was 
 brief, he lived long enough to merit, for self-sacrific- 
 ing toils and lofty generosity of spirit, the title of 
 christian hero. He died on the 11th of February, 
 1831, and was buried in what was once a Buddhist 
 grove, and beside a forsaken and dilapidated pagoda. 
 His tomb is covered by a marble slab, which was 
 placed there by three ofiicers of the provincial gov- 
 ernment. Mr. Judson's feelings on hearing of his 
 demise, are thus expressed in his journal of February 
 28th : " One of the brightest luminaries of Burmah 
 is extinguished — dear brother Boardman has gone 
 to his eternal rest. He fell gloriously at the head of 
 his troops, in the arms of victory — thirty-eight wild 
 Karens having been brought into the camp of King 
 Jesus, since the beginning of the year, besides the- 
 thirty-two that were brought in during the two pre- 
 ceding years. Disabled by mortal wounds, he was 
 obliged, through the whole of his last expedition, to 
 be carried on a litter ; but his presence was a host, 
 and the Holy Spirit accompanied his dying whispers 
 
192 THE MISSIONAET LABORS 
 
 with almighty influence. Such a death, next to 
 that of martji'dom, must be glorious in the eyes of 
 Heaven." 
 
 The blessing of Heaven continued to attend the 
 efforts of the missionaries who remained at Maul 
 main. The day after Mr. Eoardman's depart- 
 ure, three converts were baptized, and three oth- 
 er persons were giving evidence of having been 
 born of the Spirit. During the months of April 
 and May, Mr. Judson was absent from the zayat 
 scarcely a day, and he rarely failed to meet ear- 
 nest inquirers, and not unfrequently half a dozen 
 at a time. He was thus busily employed dur- 
 ing the year, nor did the interest diminish in the 
 least. 
 
 The number of additions made to the little church 
 by baptism, in 1828, was thirty, and these were all 
 natives. Eight were connected with Mrs. Wade's 
 school, and one was Mah-ree or Mary Hasseltine, 
 the only surviving member of Mrs. Jndson's school 
 at Ava. 
 
 The following card, having reference to the honor- 
 ary title of Doctor of Divinity, was dated at Maul- 
 main, May 9th, 1828 : 
 
 " I beg leave to be allowed the privilege of re- 
 questing my correspondents and friends, through the 
 medium of the American Baptist Magazine, and the 
 Columbian Star, no longer to apply to my name the 
 title which was conferred on me in the year 1823, by 
 the corporation of Brown University, and which, 
 
OF ADONLRAM JTIDSON. 193 
 
 with all deference and respect for that honorable 
 body, I hereby resign. 
 
 " !N'early three yeare elapsed before I was informed 
 of the honor done me, and two years more have 
 been suflered to pass, partly from the gromidless idea 
 that it was too late to decline the honor, and partly 
 through fear of doing what might seem to reflect on 
 those who have taken a different com'se, or be liable 
 to the charge of affected singularity, or superstitious 
 preciseness. But I am now convinced that the com- 
 mands of Christ, and the general spirit of the gos- 
 pel, are paramount to all i:>rudential considerations ; 
 and I only regret, that I have so long delayed to 
 make this communication. 
 
 A. Jtjdson." 
 
 On the 4:th of January, 1829, Messrs. Judson and 
 Wade had the happiness of ordaining Ko Thah-a as 
 pastor of the church at Rangoon, where he had been 
 laboring with a few followers of the Saviour, since 
 the close of the war. In Mr. Judson's opinion, he 
 had most excellent qualifications for the office to 
 which he was called ; and he was commissioned to 
 administer all the ordinances. He took his depar- 
 ture for Rangoon one w^eek after his ordination ; and 
 his subsequent success showed that Mr. Judson's es- 
 timate of his ministerial qualifications was correct. 
 Moung Ing became his associate in a short time, and 
 through their united efforts, twenty were added to 
 the Rangoon church, by baptism, before the close of 
 the year. Furthermore, several native christians, 
 
194: THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 wlio had been scattered tlirougli the jungles, hearing 
 of their labors, and of the resuscitation and enlarge- 
 ment of the church, came into the city, renewed their 
 covenant vows, and worked as part of the organized 
 body. 
 
 Among the promising inquirers and applicants for 
 baptism, who visited Mr. Judson during the first 
 half of the year 1829, was a woman, whose case was 
 peculiar, and is thus mentioned in his journal for 
 June 7th : 
 
 " Several applications for baptism have lately been 
 refused, the applicants being relatives of professors 
 of religion, and influenced, we fear, by the example 
 and persuasion of others, rather than by the impulse 
 of grace. To-day, however, a clear case occurred — 
 an old lady, eighty years of age, mother-in-law of a 
 petty chief, who is one of our bitterest opposers. 
 She commenced her inquiries, several months ago, 
 with a great deal of timidity. And though she has 
 acquired a little courage, and is a person of consid- 
 erable presence, she almost trembles under a sense 
 of the great responsibility of changing her religion. 
 Such being her character, the promptness with which 
 she answered our questions before the church, affected 
 us even to tears. 'How old are you, mother?' 
 ' Eighty years.' ' Can you, at such an age, renounce 
 the religion that you have followed all your life long ? ' 
 ' I see that it is false, and I renounce it all.' ' Why 
 do you wish to be baptized into the religion of Jesus 
 Christ V 'I have very, very many sins ; and I love 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 195 
 
 the Lord who saves from sin.' ' Perhaps your son- 
 in-law, on hearing that you have been baptized, will 
 abuse you, and turn you out of doors.' ' I have 
 another son-in-law, to whom I will ilee.' ' But he 
 also is an opposer : suppose you should meet with 
 the same treatment there.' ' You will, I think, let 
 me come and live near you.' We made no reply, 
 willing that she should prove her sincerity by bear 
 ing the brunt alone. Her name is Mah Hlah. Be- 
 hold this venerable woman, severing, at her time of 
 life, all the ties which bind her to a large circle of 
 connections and friends, hazarding the loss of a com 
 fortable, respectable situation, the loss of character, 
 the loss of a shelter for her gray head, throwing her 
 self on the charity of certain foreigners ; and all foi 
 the sake of 'the Lord who saves from sin!' O 
 blessed efficacy of the love of Christ ! " 
 
 The number baptized into the Maulmain church, 
 in the year 1829, was twenty-eight. Ten of these 
 were English soldiers, who were shortly formed into 
 a church by themselves. 
 
 While Mr. Judson was carrying on his labors at 
 the zayat, there and elsewhere pointing the perishing 
 heathen to the Lamb of God, there were hours, or 
 fragments of hours, almost every day, wluch an 
 economist of time like him could rescue from the 
 oblivion of idleness, and these he was accustomed 
 to devote to literary toil. In this department of 
 labor he was now receiving valuable aid from Mr. 
 Wade* At the close of the autumn of 1829, after 
 
196 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 twelve or fifteen months' close study, tliey had thor- 
 oughly revised the New Testament and the Epitome 
 of the Old, and had ready for j)ress no less than 
 twelve other smaller works. These Mr. Judson 
 enumerates as follows, in his journal for JS'ovember 
 29th. 
 
 1st. The Catechism of Eeligion. This has already 
 passed through two editions, in Burmese. It has 
 also been translated and printed in Siamese, and 
 translated in Taling or Peguese. 
 
 2d. The Yiew of the Christian Eeligion; thor- 
 oughly revised for the fourth edition, in Burmese. 
 It has also been translated in Taling and Siamese. 
 
 3d. The Order of Worship of the Burman Church. 
 
 4:th. The Baptismal Service. 
 
 5th. The Marriage Service. 
 
 6th. The Funeral Service : the three last consist- 
 ing chiefly of extracts from Scripture. 
 
 7th. The Teacher's Guide ; or a digest of those 
 parts of the New Testament which relate to the duty 
 of teachers of religion; designed particularly for 
 native pastors. 
 
 8th. A Catechism of Astronomy. 
 
 9th. A Catechism of Geography. 
 
 10th. A Table of Chronological History; or a 
 Eegister of principal events, from the creation to the 
 present time. 
 
 11th. The Memoir of Mee Shwa-ee.* 
 
 'A little Burman girl, rescued from slavery at Amherst. 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSOIf. 197 
 
 12tli. The Golden Balance ; or the Christian and 
 Buddhist Systems Contrasted. Tliis has been trans- 
 lated in the Taling. 
 
 At the time the above was written, the Gospel of 
 Matthew, which had been translated in the Siamese, 
 by Mrs. Jndson, was being translated in Taling by 
 an assistant in that department, named Ko Man-poke. 
 
 It will be seen that there was printing enough to 
 do ; but as yet there was no press at Maulmain. All 
 work of this kind had to be sent to Serampore, which 
 seriously impeded the progress of the mission. The 
 wants of those who were anxious to read, could not 
 be supplied. These wants, and Mr. Judson's feel- 
 ino;s under the circumstances, are indicated in a letter 
 addressed to a friend, in May, 1829. "O, it is affect- 
 ing," he says, " to see with what eagerness the poor 
 people, men, women, and children, listen to the 
 sound of the gospel in their own native tongue ; how 
 they sometimes gather close around the reader, and 
 listen with their eyes as well as ears. We keep a 
 Taling copyist at work all the time ; but it is impos- 
 sible to do anything toward supplying the demand 
 for Taling tracts. Indeed, the expense is so great, 
 that we do not think of giving copies, except in the 
 most pressing and important cases. The same is to 
 be said of the Golden Balance in Burmese. O, we 
 we want a thousand copies of this work to be sent 
 instantly into all parts of the country — to Tavoy and 
 Mergui, on the south; to Rangoon, Prome, and 
 Ava, on the north ; in all of which places we have 
 
198 THE MTSSIONART LABOES 
 
 correspondents, or some means of commnni cation. 
 But we are like men with their hands cut off." 
 
 Advertised of the wants of the mission, the Board 
 sent out Mr. Cephas Bennett, a practical printer, who 
 arrived at Maulmain, with a press and types, on the 
 14:th of January, 1830. His wife and two children 
 accompanied him. He forthwith commenced opera- 
 tions, and the works most needed were soon put to 
 press. 
 
 In February, 1830, Mr. and Mrs. Wade went to 
 Rangoon on a visit, with the expectation of returning 
 in a short time ; but their help was so much needed 
 that they concluded to remain awhile. About the 
 middle of April, the intense heat of the place so af- 
 fected Mr. Wade, who had an attack of the liver 
 complaint, that he took a trip to Maulmain, for his 
 improvement. When he returned, which was the 
 first week in May, Mr. Judson accompanied him, 
 being encouraged to make an effort to reenter the 
 heart of Burmah proper. He found the spirit of in- 
 quiry, in Rangoon, ''more prevalent and more boldly 
 indulged than formerly," and had reason " to thank 
 God for all the past, and take courage for the time to 
 come." 
 
 On the 25th of May he writes : " Every day 
 deepens the conviction in my mind, that I am not in 
 the i^lace where God would have me be. It was to 
 the interior, and not to Rangoon, that my mind was 
 turned long before I left Maulmain ; and while I feel 
 that brother and sister Wade are in the right place, 
 I feel that I am called elsewhere." 
 
OF ADOIHRAM JUDSON. 199 
 
 The place lie had in view at this time, was the 
 city of Prome, about half way up the Irrawaddy to 
 Ava. Thither he started on the 29th of the month, 
 accompanied by Moung Ing, and three or four other 
 native converts. The boat was about two weeks in 
 reaching Prome, Mr. Judson being in no haste, and 
 wishing to sow beside the waters on the route. He 
 halted at most of the settlements along the shores, 
 and distributed books and tracts, and sometimes 
 " held forth " to the throngs that gathered round 
 him. They were so eager to obtain books that, in 
 some instances, they not only pursued him to the 
 boat, at night, but when he had j)ushed out into the 
 stream to avoid them and obtain rest, they would 
 stand on the shore and call, in the dead of night, to 
 know if the teacher were asleep, stating that they 
 wanted " a writing to get by heart." At one or two 
 villages, he met early converts, whom he had not 
 seen for years, and at others, heard, in one or two 
 instances, of the conversion of persons whom he had 
 ' never seen, but in whose hearts the seeds of truth 
 had been lodged, through his instrumentality, long 
 before. 
 
 ^"The people of Prome, influenced by suspicion, or 
 more probably afraid of goverment, refused to rent 
 Mr. Judson a house; and he found it diflScult to 
 obtain a home. As the only alternative, he sought 
 an English gentleman, the sole European living 
 there, and under his shattered roof he was freely 
 admitted. The first Sabbath in the place, July 
 13th, he passed at home, worshiping with his little 
 
200 THE JkHSSIONAEY LABORS 
 
 company of disciples, and studying " patience and 
 / Thomas a' Kempis," " with the rain beating in on 
 ' every side." 
 
 The day previous to this, he had found an aged 
 and dismantled zayat, with a patch of ground around 
 it, in the center of the city, and had received some 
 encouragement from the deputy governor, that it 
 should be repaired for his use. On Monday, he 
 went to the court house, where his excellency agreed 
 the matter should be decided. He " found the ma- 
 gistrates assembled, each sitting at his post in Bur- 
 man style, and the deputy governor in the center. 
 He pretended," continues Mr. Judson, " not to see 
 or know me. I waited some time, and in an inter- 
 val of business, addressed some of the inferior ma- 
 gistrates. An inquiry arose who I was, and what I 
 wanted. The deputy governor began slyly to assist 
 me, and after some considerable conversation, it was 
 unanimously agreed that I should be permitted to 
 take possession of the old zayat, and repair it for 
 my present residence. From the court house I went 
 to survey my new estate. I find it to be forty-five 
 feet long and twenty wide. The posts and the main 
 parts of the roof and floor, being of teak, are still 
 extant ; but it is all overgrown with wild creepers, 
 and makes, on the whole, a pretty venerable ruin. 
 It stands on holy ground, occupying one corner of 
 the enclosure of a pagoda." 
 
 The repairing of this " venerable ruin " was com- 
 menced on the 15th of June, and Mr. Judson soon 
 had an opportunity to lift uj) his voice publicly and 
 
OF ADONIRAM JTIDSOIC. 201 
 
 cry, " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the 
 waters," in a city that had stood twenty-five centu- 
 ries and had never before been invited to drink of / 
 the river of life. One or two other zayats were 
 soon erected for the use of Moung Ing and his 
 associates. 
 
 For awhile the votaries of Gandama crowded to 
 the zayats, from day to day, and listened to the 
 pressing and precious invitation ; many seemed will- 
 ing to comply with its terms, and a few, a very few, 
 did do it. At length, while things were in this 
 state, the enemy, writes Mr. Jndson, (August 23d, 
 1830,) "assumed a threatening aspect; the poor peo- 
 ple became frightened; many sent b"ack the tracts 
 they had received ; and there was a general falling 
 off at the zayats. I was summoned to undergo a 
 long examination at the court house, not, however, 
 on the subject of religion, but concerning all my past 
 life, since I have been in Burmah. The result was 
 forwarded to Ava. The magistrates still preserve a 
 perfect neutrality, in consequence of the absence of 
 the governor. At Ava, I have been regarded as a 
 suspicious character ever since I deserted them at 
 the close of the war and went over to the British. 
 I know not what impression the governor of this 
 place will there receive, or how he will feel toward 
 me, when he is informed of the noise I am making 
 in Prome." 
 
 Mr. Judson continued to labor at this place until 
 autumn, though there was but little to encourage 
 him at the zayats, or indeed elsewhere. Yet he 
 
202 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 managed, as usual, to employ himself in some useful 
 manner. On the 8th of September, he writes to the 
 missionaries at Maulmain : * " The rise of the river 
 has, for several days, prevented my going to the zay- 
 ats, they being situated in a distant part of the town. 
 I have employed myself in revising brother Wade's 
 Investigator: and send herewith a clean copy. In 
 return, I hope to be favored with a few hundred 
 printed copies." 
 
 At this date, the last inquirer had fled from the 
 zayat and, probably, from the place ; and the way 
 seemed nearly clear for Mr. Judson's return to Ran- 
 goon. Ten days afterward, being afloat on his little 
 boat just below the city, he writes: "I take leave 
 of Prome and her towering god, Shwa Lan-dau, at 
 whose base, I have been laboring with the kindest 
 intentions, for the last three months and a half. Too 
 firmly founded art thou, to be overthrown at pres- 
 ent ; but the children of those who now plaster thee 
 with gold, will yet pull thee down, nor leave one 
 brick upon another." 
 
 Though somewhat disappointed at being forsaken 
 by the inquirers at the zayat, and obliged to leave 
 Prome so soon, Mr. Judson was not wholly dissatis- 
 fied with his brief sojourn there. He had communi- 
 cated many a " momentous message " to its inquiring 
 citizens ; he had also scattered hundreds of tracts ; 
 and having thus cast the bread upon the waters, he 
 
 * Mr. Boardman -was at Maulmain part of the time during Mr. 
 Judson's absence on this occasion. Mr. Wade returned there in July, 
 1830. 
 
OF ADONmAM JDDSON. 2^3 
 
 departed with a buoyant and hopeful spirit, expecting 
 to " find it after many days." 
 
 "Farewell to thee, Prome! "Willingly would I 
 have spent my last breath in thee and for thee. But 
 thy sons ask me not to stay ; and I must preach the 
 gospel to other cities, also ; for therefore am I sent. 
 Read the five hundred tracts that I have left with 
 thee. Pray to the God and Saviour that I have told 
 thee of. And if, hereafter, thou call me, though in 
 the lowest w^hisper, and it reach me in the very ex- 
 tremities of the empire, I will joyfully listen, and 
 come back to thee." 
 
 Mr. Judson landed in Rangoon on the 25th of 
 September ; and, on the 8th of the following month, 
 ascertained the cause of the sudden and somewhat 
 mysterious cessation of visits at the zayats, in Prome. 
 The king had become annoyed, because he was in 
 the heart of his empire, distributing tracts and pro- 
 mulgating the doctrines of a religion at war with 
 Buddhism, and had issued an order for his removal 
 from Prome. The people, hearing of this royal step, 
 became alarmed, and shunned the strange teacher. 
 The order thus issued, the woongyees were reluctant 
 to execute, and applied to Major Burney, the British 
 Resident at the capital, to use his authority, and com- 
 pel Mr. Judson to depart. But he assured them he 
 had not a right to interfere, as the missionary had no 
 connection with the British government: he further- 
 more begged them not to proceed in the prosecution 
 of a measure which good men in all countries would 
 condemn for its intolerance. They replied, that the 
 
 / 
 
204: MISSIONARY LABORS. 
 
 king's orders were peremptoiy; that he must leave 
 the interior, and limit his labors to the boundaries of 
 Rangoon. Seeing how the case stood, Major Burney 
 agreed to notify Mr. Judson of the king's order ; but 
 Providence had ordained that the messenger of peace 
 should, of his own accord, shake from his feet the 
 dust of the old idolatrous city of Prome, and depart 
 in peace. 
 
CHAPTEK XYI. 
 
 Labors of Mr. Judson at Rangoon — Removal to Maulmain — Arrival of Messrs. 
 Mason, KincaiJ, and Jones — Mr. Judson travels in the Jungle, and estab- 
 lishes the Christian Communilies of Wadesville, Newville, and Chummerah — • 
 Another Tour among the Karens. 
 
 On his return to Rangoon, Mr. Judson found the 
 mass of the people so fearful of being apprehended by 
 government, that they avoided the public place of 
 christian worship ; and, such being the case, although 
 there were many secret inquirers, he deemed it a 
 suitable time to hasten forward the translation of the 
 Scriptures ; for he now felt more than ever the im- 
 portance of having the task completed. Retiring to 
 the garret of the house which himself and some of 
 the disciples occupied, he resumed his labors on the 
 Psalms, which he had begun to translate three years 
 previous, and which had been laid aside to attend to 
 more pressing work. But his seclusion was not such 
 as to free liim from interruption ; nor was the inter- 
 est in spiritual matters at such a low ebb as to make 
 it desirable that he should wholly withdraw from 
 personal contact with the people. While the disci- 
 ples who occupied the front part of the house below, 
 
206 THE MISSIONARY LABOE8 
 
 were accustomed to receive calls from inquirers, and 
 present them with tracts and portions of the divine 
 word, the more hopeful ones were admitted to Mr. 
 Judson's apartment ; and they were so numerous as 
 to absorb more than half of his time. " People," he 
 says, " find their way to me from all parts of the 
 country, and some, I trust, return with that light in 
 their heads, and that love in their hearts, and that 
 truth in their hands, which will operate as a little 
 leaven, until the whole mass is leavened." 
 
 The spirit of inquiry, so prevalent in the autumn 
 of 1830, continued through the following winter and 
 spring, and seemed to be spreading through the 
 whole region ; and Mr. Judson sometimes felt alarm- 
 ed, as he beautifully expresses himself, " like a per- 
 son who sees a mighty engine beginning to move, 
 over which he knows he has no control." 
 
 During the several months that he occupied the 
 garret, he perambulated the streets about sunrise, 
 from day to day, partially, we suppose, for his 
 health, but more particularly, as he himself states, 
 to distribute tracts. He made it a rule, to give to 
 none but those who asked for them ; and, when he 
 first commenced, usually disposed of less than twen- 
 ty. In a few months, they averaged more than three 
 times that number, and he had reason to think that 
 they were generally read and preserved. 
 
 The anxiety of the disciples of Gaudama to know 
 something about the true God, was strikingly man- 
 ifested at a festival in honor of the false god, 
 held near the dose of the winter of 1830-31, and 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSOIT. 207 
 
 witnessed by Mr. Judson. He speaks of it, and other 
 matters of interest, in a letter written on the 4th of 
 March, 1831, and addressed to a friend in Connecti- 
 cut, who had sent him a donation of fifty dollars. 
 After thanking this gentleman for his contribution, 
 and expressing a wish that such presents might be- 
 come more frequent, and be made directly to the 
 Board, he continues : 
 
 " I can spare time to write a few lines only, having 
 a constant press of missionary work on hand ; add 
 to which, that the weather is di^eadfully oppressive at 
 this season. Poor Boardman has just died under it^ 
 and Mrs. "Wade is nearly dead. Brother Wade and 
 myself are now the only men in the mission that 
 can speak and write the language ; and we have a 
 population of above ten millions of perishing souls 
 before us. I am persuaded that the only reason why 
 all the dear friends of Jesus in America do not come 
 forward in the support of missions, is mere want of 
 information, (such information as they w^ould obtain 
 by taking any of the periodical publications.) If 
 they could only see and know half what I do, they 
 would give all their property, and their persons too. 
 
 "The great annual festival is just past, during 
 which multitudes came from the remotest parts of 
 the country, to worship at the great Shway Dagong 
 pagoda, in this place, where it is believed that sev- 
 eral real hairs of Gaudama are enshrined. During 
 the festival, I have given away nearly ten thousand 
 tracts, giving to none but those who ask. I presume 
 
208 THE MISSION AKY LAEOPwS 
 
 there liave been six thousand aj)plications at the 
 house. Some come two or three months' journey, 
 from the borders of Siam and China, — ' Sir, we hear 
 that there is an eternal hell. We are afraid of it. 
 Do give us a waiting that will tell us how to escape 
 it.' Others come from the frontiers of Cassay, a 
 hundred miles north of Ava, — ' Sir, we have seen a 
 writing that tells about an eternal God. Are you the 
 man that gives aw^ay such writings? If so, pray 
 give us one, for we want to know the truth before w^e 
 die.' Others come from the interior of the country, 
 where the name of Jesus Christ is a little known, — 
 ' Are you Jesus Christ's man ? Give us a writing 
 that tells about Jesus Christ.' Brother Bennett works 
 day and night at press ; but he is unable to supply 
 us ; for the call is great at Maulmain and Tavoy, as 
 well as here, and his types are very poor, and he has 
 no efficient help. The fact is, that we are very weak, 
 and have to complain that hitherto we have not 
 been well supported from home. It is most distress- 
 ing to find, when we are almost worn out, and are 
 sinking, one after another, into the grave, that many 
 of our brethren in Christ at home, are just as hard 
 and immovable as rocks ; just as cold and repulsive 
 as the mountains of ice in the polar seas. But what- 
 ever they do, we cannot sit still, and see the dear 
 Burmans, flesh and blood like ourselves, and like 
 ourselves possessed of immortal souls, that will shine 
 forever in heaven, or bum forever in hell, — we can 
 not see them go down to perdition, without doing 
 our very utmost to save them. And thanks be to 
 
OP ADONIEAM JUDSOX. 209 
 
 God, our labors are not in vain. We have three 
 lovely churches, and about two hundred baj^tized 
 converts, and some are in glory. A spirit of reli- 
 gious inquiry is extensively spreading throughout 
 the country, and the signs of the times indicate that 
 the great renovation of Bm-mah is drawing near. 
 O, if we had about twenty more versed in the lan- 
 guage, and means to spread schools, and tracts, and 
 Bibles, to any extent, how happy I should be ! " 
 
 In the summer of 1831, Mr. Judson went to Maul- 
 main to take the place of Mr. Wade, who was obliged 
 to leave on account of the ill health of his wife. 
 They contemplated visiting the United States, and 
 embarked for Calcutta W' ith that intention ; but the 
 ship in which they sailed was driven out of her 
 course by violent gales, and put into Kyouk Phyoo, 
 an Arracanese port, where Mrs. Wade's health so 
 rapidly improved, that the visit to this country was 
 abandoned. They returned to Maulmain in Septem- 
 ber, and proceeded to Mergui,'^ in the province of the 
 same name, and there labored six months, and then 
 went to Eangoon. 
 
 Previous to Mr. Judson's removal to Maulmain, 
 the mission had been reinforced by the arrival of six 
 missionaries, — Eev. Messrs. Francis Mason, Eugenio 
 
 * Mergui is the capital of the province, and is about one hundred 
 and fifty miles south of Tavoy. A native assistant had visited the 
 place four years previous, by direction of the roissionaries ; and while 
 Mr. Wade was there, a smaH church was organized, and this assistap* 
 appointed pastor. 
 
210 THE MISSIONARY LABOItS 
 
 Kincaid, and J. T. Jones, and their wives. Mr 
 Mason arrived just before the death of Mr. Board- 
 man, and took his place at Tavoy, where lie is still 
 laboring. Mr. Jones went to Eangoon, to take the 
 place of Mr. Jndson ; returned to Maulmain in the 
 early part of 1832, and ere long went to Siam, where 
 he is now living with his third wife. His removal 
 from Kangoon occasioned the transfer of Mr. Wade 
 from Merscui thither. Mr. Kincaid was stationed 
 awhile at Maulmain, and labored in connection with 
 Messrs. Judson and Bennett. He had charge of the 
 European chm-ch. His wife died on the 19th of 
 December, 1831, only a few months after her arrival 
 on foreign shores. Mr. Judson preached the funeral 
 sermon, taking for his subject, the resurrection of the 
 dead ; and many a veteran soldier, writes the smitten 
 one, " wept over the awful solemnities of the grave." 
 Mr. Kincaid removed to Kangoon in February, 1832. 
 
 Soon after Mr. Judson's removal to Maulmain, a 
 school was opened for the purpose of teaching adults 
 to read. It commenced with five pupils, two of 
 whom were members of the church ; and by the first 
 of November, ten weeks after its commencement, it 
 numbered twenty. It prospered until its suspension, 
 which was at the close of the year, its members 
 generally having become fluent readers. 
 
 On the 5th of September, Mr, Judson started for 
 Wadesville, three or fom' day's journey from Maul- 
 main. Mr. Wade had previously baptized some 
 Karens there, and organized a church, which was 
 now under the charge of an assistant named Moung 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUD80N. 211 
 
 Doot. Eight more were added on the 11th of the 
 month. The next day Mr. Judson removed a short 
 distance, to accommodate some converts who could 
 not come to him, and he had the happiness of bap- 
 tizing five more. He journeyed two or three days 
 longer, caught the jungle fever, left the scene on the 
 17th, and, returning to Maulmain, was laid up eight 
 or ten days. 
 
 On the 23d of October, baptism was administered 
 to Moung Zah, " a pure Burman from that favored 
 district below Ava, which is blest with the genuine 
 impression, in stone, of the foot of Gaudama ! " Two 
 weeks afterward, the hundredth member united with 
 the European church, all of whose communicants, 
 except the first fifteen, were baptized by Mr. Kincaid. 
 Other departments of the mission there were being 
 blessed. No less than one hundred and thirty-six 
 were baptized at Maulmain in the year 1831 . During 
 the same period, five were added to the church in 
 Rangoon, and seventy-six in Tavoy. Of the whole 
 number, eighty-nine were foreigners, and one hun- 
 dred and nine Karens. The remaining nineteen 
 were Talings and Burmans.* 
 
 During most of this time, Mr. Bennett was indus- 
 triously engaged in the printing ofiice ; and at least 
 two hundred thousand copies of books and tracts 
 
 * At the close of the year, Mr. Judson made out a table, exhibiting 
 the number baptized in Burraah from the beginning of the mission, 
 eighteen years before. The total was three hundred and seventy- 
 three, of ■whom two hundred and sixty were natives. Eleven had 
 been excluded, and the same number had died. 
 
212 THE MISSIONARY LAB0E8 
 
 had now been scattered tlirongh the realms of Buddh- 
 ism, and were silently performing their mighty w^ork. 
 At the commencement of the year 1832, we find 
 Mr. Judson journeying in the jungle, north and 
 north-east of Maulmain. He spent the first two 
 months almost entirely in following the Salwen, the 
 Da£:ain£:, and their several tributaries, in their sinuos- 
 ities through the wilderness : halting, here and there, 
 at little villages or clusters of houses ; collecting na- 
 tive converts, and feeding them with the bread of 
 eternal life ; baptizing such persons as requested the 
 ordinance, and were thought to be proper subjects ; 
 and pointing to the Lamb of God such as expressed 
 a desire to behold him and live. Some of the disci- 
 ples accompanied him, and were accustomed to pre- 
 cede him in arriving at a village, and herald his 
 approach to such as were interested in his mission. 
 Sometimes he found the inhabitants of a place, 
 almost as a body, ready to w^elcome him, and glad to 
 receive his message ; at other villages, he met with 
 inveterate opposition, every face being turned from 
 him with frigid indifference. During the early part of 
 these journeyings, he selected the site of a christian 
 village, on the Dagaing, a few miles below Wades- 
 ville, and laid its foundation by establishing a church. 
 The name given to the place was Newville. About 
 four weeks afterward, on the 4th of February, he 
 selected the site for a similar community, on the 
 banks of the Salwen, about sixty miles north of 
 Maulmain; gave it the name of Chummerah, and 
 appointed a native disciple to officiate there. This 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 213 
 
 station was Tinhealtliy, and was abolished in 1836, on 
 account of the inhabitants abandoning the place. 
 
 Mr. Judson returned to Maulmain on the 11th 
 of February, having been absent six weeks. Du 
 ring this time, he had baptized twenty-five, and 
 "registered about the same number of hopeful 
 inquirers." 
 
 The journal of Mr. Judson during these travels in 
 the jungle, abounds with interesting incidents and 
 facts, strikingly illustrative of the power of truth. 
 We will repeat a single anecdote, which he recorded 
 soon after establishing the village of Kewville, and 
 which shows the happy results of making tract-dis- 
 tributors of the natives. A man and his wife, who 
 resided in the jungle, and had never seen a foreign 
 missionary, nor had an opportunity to be baptized, 
 had obtained the blessed " writing " and died in the 
 faith. The husband, a short time before his death, 
 requested his surviving friends to lay the " Yiew of 
 the Christian Religion" on his quieted breast, and 
 bury it with him. 
 
 About the first of March, Mr. Judson resolved to 
 make another tour among the Karens on the Salwen , 
 and we conclude this chapter with some extract?, 
 from his joui'nal, kept on the occasion. They prsr 
 Bent a vivid picture of missionary life in the jungk 
 
 March 10. — Went on to the mouth of the Yer. 
 being, and as far as the great log, which prevents a 
 boat from proceeding further. Providentially, met 
 with Wah-hai, of whom I have heard a good report 
 
214 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 for some time. He was happy to see us, and we 
 were liappy to examine and baptize liim. We then 
 visited the village, whence they formerly sent a re- 
 spectful message desiring ns to go about our busi- 
 ness, and found some attentive listeners. 
 
 11th. Lord's day. — Again took the main river, 
 and soon fell in with a boat, containing several of the 
 listeners of yesterday, among whom was one man, 
 who declared his resolution to enter the new religion. 
 We had scarcely parted with this boat, when we met 
 another, full of men, coming down the stream ; and, 
 on hailing to know whether they wished to hear the 
 gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, an elderly man, the 
 chief of the party, replied, that he had already heard 
 much of the gospel, and there was nothing he de- 
 sired more, than to have a meeting with the teacher. 
 Our boats were soon side by side; where, after a 
 short engagement, the old man struck his colors, and 
 begged us to take him into port, where he could 
 make a proper surrender of himself to Christ. We 
 accordingly went to the shore, and spent several 
 hours very delightfully, under the shade of the over- 
 hanging trees, and the banner of the love of Jesus. 
 The old man's experience was so clear, and his desire 
 for baptism so strong, that, though circumstances 
 prevented our gaining so much testimony of his good 
 conduct, since believing, as we usually require, we 
 felt that it would be wrong to refuse his request. A 
 lad in his company, the person mentioned January 
 30th, desired also to be baptized. But, though he 
 had been a preacher to the old man, his experience 
 
OF ADONIEAM JTJDSON. 215 
 
 was not so decided and satisfactory ; so that we re- 
 jected him for the present. The old man went on 
 his way, rejoicing aloud, and declaring his resolution 
 to make known the eternal God, and the dying love 
 of Jesus, on all the banks of the Yoon-za-len, his 
 native stream. 
 
 The dying words of an aged man of God, when 
 he waved his withered, death-stinick arm, and ex- 
 claimed, " The hest of all is, God is vjitJi us,^^ I feel / 
 in my very soul. Yes, the Great Invisible is in these ' 
 Karen wilds. That mighty Being, who heaped up 
 these craggy rocks, and reared these stupendous 
 mountains, and poured out these streams in all direc- 
 tions, and scattered immortal beings throughout 
 these deserts — He is present, by the influence of his 
 Holy Spirit, and accompanies the sound of the gos- 
 pel, with converting, sanctifying power. " TTie hest 
 of all is, God is with iisP 
 
 " In these deserts let me labor. 
 On these mountains let me tell, 
 Ho^ he died — the blessed Saviour, 
 To redeem a world from HelL" 
 
 12. — Alas, how soon is our joy turned into mourn- 
 ing. Mah E'yah-ban, of whom we all had such a ^ 
 high opinion, joined her husband, not many days 
 after their baptism, in making an offering to the 
 demon of diseases, on account of the sudden, alarm- 
 ing illness of their youngest child ; and they have 
 remained ever since in an impenitent, prayerless 
 state ! They now refuse to listen to our exhortation, 
 
216 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 and appear to be given over to hardness of heart and 
 blindness of mind. I was, therefore, obliged, this 
 morning, to pronounce the sentence of suspension, 
 and leave them to the mercy and judgment of God. 
 Their case is greatly to be deplored. They are quite 
 alone in this quarter; have seen no disciples since 
 we left them, and are surrounded with enemies, 
 some from Maulmain, who have told them all man- 
 ner of lies, and used every method to procure and 
 perpetuate their apostacy. When I consider the evi- 
 dence of grace which they formerly gave, together 
 with all the palliating circumstances of the case, I 
 have much remaining hope, that they will yet be 
 brought to repentance. I commend them to the 
 prayers of the faithful, and the notice of any mis- 
 sionary who may travel this way. In consequence 
 of the advantage which Satan has gained in this vil- 
 lage, the six hopeful inquirers whom we left here 
 have all fallen off ; so that we are obliged to retire 
 with the dispirited feelings of beaten troops. 
 
 Returned down the river, — reentered the Yen- 
 being, — had another interview with the listeners of 
 yesterday, — met with a Taling doctor from Kan- 
 hlah, near Maulmain, who listened all the evening 
 with evident delight. 
 
 13th. — Spent the day and night at Zatzan's, See- 
 hais, and the village of Laidan, where we failed of 
 finding Mah Kee-kah ; but found her parents, who 
 listened well. In these parts, I leave a considerable 
 number of hopeful inquirers. May the Lord bless 
 
OF ADONIRAM JTJDSON. 217 
 
 the seed sown, and give ns the pleasure of reaping a 
 plentiful harvest at no very distant period. 
 
 17th. — Returned up the river to Chummerah. In 
 the evening, had a considerable assembly of disci- 
 ples, preparatory to the administration of the Lord's 
 supper. 
 
 18th. Lord's day. — Administered the Laird's sup- 
 per to thirty-six communicants, chieflv from villages 
 on the Salwen. 
 
CHAPTEK XYII. 
 
 Arrival of Mr. Cutter — Messrs. Kincaid and Cutter visit Ava — Mr. and Mrs. 
 Wade sail for the United States — Arrival of Messrs. Brown and Webb, and 
 Miss Harrington — Mr. Judson completes ihe Translation of the Bible — Mar- 
 ries Mrs. Boardman — Return of Mr. and Mrs. Wade with Messrs. Howard, 
 Comstock, Dean, and Osgood, and Miss Gardner — Mr. Judson's Labors — 
 Mr. Malcom's Visit — Growth of the Churches. 
 
 For a year and a half after Mr. Judson's return 
 from Chummerah, there were but few if any inci- 
 dents connected with his life, sufficiently important 
 to be inserted in the condensed outline we present. 
 The mission continued to prosper, and some import- 
 ant changes took place at the several stations, which 
 it is proper to note. 
 
 In the spring of 1832, Mr. Bennett was joined by 
 Mr. Oliver T. Cutter, a printer, who took with him a 
 power press. In April of the same year, Mr. Ben- 
 nett began the publication of the jN'ew Testament, and 
 the last sheet of an edition of three thousand cop- 
 ies was printed on the 19th of December following. 
 Before the power press could be set in operation,* 
 or Mr. Cutter had learned the language, he lost his 
 
 * This press was never of service to the mission. 
 
ADONIRAM JTDSOX. 219 
 
 instructor; and about tliis time Mr. Bennett was 
 obliged to remove temporarily to Kangoon to supply 
 a vacancy occasioned by tlie departure of Mr. Kin- 
 caid to Ava."^ The latter gentleman was joined at 
 the capital in January, 1834, by Mr. Cutter, who 
 took with him a printing press. 
 
 Immediately after a very profitable journey among 
 the Karens in the Tenasserim provinces, made in the 
 months of January and Febmary, 1832, Mr. Wade 
 repaired to Maulmain for his physical benefit. He 
 there performed some important literary labor, mak- 
 ing an alphabet and prej)aring a sj)elling book in 
 the Karen tongue, and also translating Mrs. Judson's 
 Burman Catechism and the precepts comprised in 
 the " View of the Christian Eeligion." Having done 
 
 * He left Rangoon on the 6th of April, 1833, accompanied by 
 Mrs. Kincaid and her sister, and three native assistants, carrying with 
 him seventeen thousand tracts and a large number of copies of the 
 Gospels of Luke and John, of the Acts of the Apostles, and the 
 Epistles. Their passage up the Irrawaddy was beset "with dangers, 
 yet marked by many occurrences of great interest, illustrative of the 
 singular spirit of inquiry which, in spite of dread either of the gov- 
 ernment or the priesthood, seemed every where to pervade the minds 
 of the people. They landed at nearly three hundred towns and vil- 
 lages along the banks of the stream, and, in nearly every place which 
 they visited, they found some traces of the influence which had been 
 exerted by the native christians, by tracts and books, or other agen- 
 cies connected with the mission. — Gammell's History of Amekican 
 Baptist Missions. t 
 
 Mr. Kincaid and the missionaries who had joined him at Ava, 
 were driven out of the empire in 1837, by civil war, occasioned by 
 the usurpation of the throne by a cruel and despotic prince named 
 Tharawaddy, 
 
220 THE MISSIONAET LABOBS 
 
 thus much for the Karens, he was attacked very se- 
 verely with the liver complaint, which had contin- 
 ued to trouble him at times; and as medicine had 
 proved ineffectual, he resolved to try the experiment 
 of a change of climate. Accordingly, he set sail for 
 the United States the last of August, and arrived in 
 this country the following May. His wife and two 
 native converts accompanied him. 
 
 On the 29th of June, 1832, the ship Fenelon sailed 
 from Boston freighted with four bearers of light to 
 the benighted ; Eev. Thomas Simons, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Royal B. Hancock, and Miss Sarah Cummings. 
 They arrived at Maulmain on the first day of Jan- 
 uary, 1833. Mr. Simons was stationed there as a 
 preacher, and, through the mercy of God, is still 
 permitted, like Messrs. Wade and Kincaid, and some 
 other early missionaries, to invite the destitute and 
 perishing to " buy wine and milk without money, 
 and without price." Mr. Hancock, who was a printer 
 and stereotyper, took with him two presses, a large 
 quantity of type, and the materials for a type foun- 
 dry. A spacious and substantial printing establish- 
 ment was soon erected at Maulmain, where it still 
 stands, and, by the thunderings of its presses, is 
 shaking the pagodas of south-eastern Asia. 
 
 Miss Cummings was an experienced teacher, and 
 taking with her a Burman who was to assist her in 
 acquiring the language, she hastened to the new, se- 
 cluded, and unhealthy station at Chummerah, where 
 she spent a year and a half in her studies, and in 
 superintending a school; she then caught the jungle 
 
OF ADOIHRAM JUDSON. ^1 
 
 fever, and, returning to Maulmain, closed lier eyes in 
 death, on the 2d of August, 1834. 
 ^In the early part of the summer of 1833, the 
 mission was again reinforced, by the arrival of 
 Eev. Messrs. Nathan Brown and Abner Webb, their 
 wives, and Miss C. J. Harrington. Tlie last was 
 afterward married to Mr. Simons. Messrs. Brown 
 and Webb studied the language at Maulmain, until 
 the following January, when they removed to Ran- 
 goon. Mr. Bennett then returned to Maulmain. 
 About two years afterward, Mr. Brown, in company 
 with Mr. Cutter, went to Assam, where both are now 
 toiling. 
 
 During the interval between the spring of 1832 
 and the beginning of the year 1834, Mr. Judson re- 
 mained almost constantly at Maulmain, and devoted 
 the major portion of his time to translating the Old 
 Testament. And at length the great work was com- 
 pleted ; the Burmans had the w^hole Bible in their 
 own language. Tlie last page was written on the 
 last day of January, 1834. Mr. Judson had prose- 
 cuted this gigantic labor amid "the changes of 
 many years, often in solitude, in sickness, and in sor- 
 row ; and now that it was completed, he dedicated it 
 with pious gratitude, and an humble sense of its 
 imperfections, to the service and the glory of God. 
 The scene, as incidentally mentioned in his journal, 
 is one of affecting interest and grandeur. Poets, 
 historians, and moralists, have all recorded the feel- 
 ings of exultation with which they have completed 
 some work which they imagined ' the world would 
 
2^2 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 not willingly let die.' But the missionary retires 
 alone, and with the last leaf of his imperishable 
 work in his hand, he prays for the forgiveness of 
 Heaven on all the sins that have mingled with his 
 labors, and devoutly commends it to the mercy and 
 grace of God, to be used as an instrument in con- 
 verting the heathen to Himself. Thus was the 
 greatest of blessings conferred on the people of Bur- 
 |mah, and in its uncultivated soil was planted the 
 tree of life, whose perennial leaves shall be for the 
 •healing: of the nation. The translation received the 
 I'iemendations and corrections of its author, and has 
 been pronounced by scholars and philologists ac- 
 quainted with the Burman tongue, to be unusually 
 accurate and perfect, — well fitted to transmit to suc- 
 cessive generations the unadulterated word of God. 
 The entire Bible was put immediately to press, and 
 handsome appropriations were made by the Ameri- 
 can Bible Society, to aid its publication." — Gam- 
 mell's History of American Baptist Missions. 
 
 In an eloquent discourse on the life and character 
 
 of Mr. Judson, delivered in Boston, at the annual 
 
 meeting of the American Baptist Missionary Union, 
 
 in May, 1851, Rev. William Hague expresses the 
 
 opinion that, "if, in a coming age, some Allston 
 
 should wish to employ his pencil in picturing forth 
 
 a single action that should express at once the great 
 
 h aim, the chosen means, and the true spirit of the 
 
 /] modem missionary enterprise, he could scarcely se- 
 
 / ' lect a more fitting scene than that which Heaven 
 
 witnessed with a smile, when Adoniram Judson was 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 228 
 
 seen kneeling by the side of that table over which 
 he had long bent his frame in studious application, 
 holding in his hand the last leaf of the Burman 
 Bible, with his eyes uplifted, and with a countenance 
 radiant wdth joy, thanking God that his life had 
 been spared to achieve this work, and imploring the 
 Divine Spirit to make the silent page a messenger 
 of life to many." 
 
 Before finishing the translation of the Scriptures, 
 Mr. Judson again visited the church at Chummerah, 
 where he spent a few months, instructing its mem- 
 bers and counseling inquirers ; and in March, 1834, 
 we find him at Newville, on a similar errand : 
 
 "March 12. — I have spent a few days in this 
 place, where, on my arrival, I found the church con- 
 sisting of twenty-five members only ; several having 
 removed to the vicinity of the Chummerah church ; 
 which, though of later origin, is now five or six times 
 larger than the Newville. Day before yesterday, 
 and to-day, nine new members have been received 
 at this place, and there are five or six others, with 
 whom I feel satisfied ; but, for various reasons, their 
 baptism has been deferred. In the number received, 
 the most noticeable case is that of Lausau and wife. 
 He is a petty chief, and possesses more personal in- 
 fluence than any Karen yet baptized in these parts. 
 He has been considerino^ the christian religion, with 
 approbation, for three years, but has had great difii- 
 culties to encounter, resulting from his family con- 
 nections, and from his inveterate habit of temperate 
 
224: THE MISSIONAET LABOES 
 
 drinking. Until the present time, lie could never 
 resolve on adopting the principle of entire ab- 
 stinence; but I trust that conviction of truth, and 
 love of the Saviour, have enabled him to gain the 
 victory. 
 
 16. — On leaving Newville, it was my intention 
 to go up the Fatah river ; but, not finding sufiicient 
 water this season, I turned into the Houng-tarau ; 
 and, having visited a village, where there are several 
 inquirers, returned to Maulmain." 
 
 Soon after this date, he went to Tavoy, and was 
 there married to Mrs. Boardman, on the 10th of 
 April. 
 
 The maiden name of Mr. Judson's second wife 
 was Hall. She was born in Alstead, New Hamp- 
 shire, ISTovember 4th, 1803. While she was quite 
 young, her parents removed to Danvers, Massachu- 
 setts, and ere long to Salem, in the same state. In 
 this place she received her education, and gave her 
 hand to Mr. Boardman. This event occurred on the 
 4th of July, 1825, in which month they sailed for 
 Bm-mah. 
 
 After the death of Mr. Boardman, she continued 
 to conduct a school at Tavoy, and was remarkably 
 successful in this sphere. Not unfrequently she 
 made tours in remote rural sections of the province, 
 taking with her an infant son, who was carried by 
 her followers. Cheered by his musical prattle, she 
 forded small streams, traversed broad marshes, urged 
 her way through "wild mountain passes " and among 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 225 
 
 '* CI 'dggj rocks and tangled slirnbs of the jungle ; " 
 and, in innumerable ways, exhibited a degree of per- 
 severance, energy, and boldness, second only to her's 
 who stood many long months at the door of the 
 death-prison in Ava, and followed her husband on 
 his " blood-tracked march " to the gloomy cells of 
 Oung-pen-la. 
 
 The school which Mrs. Judson had conducted at 
 Tavoy, and which was suspended on her removal to 
 Maulmain, was reorganized by Mrs. Wade on her 
 return from America. 
 
 Mr. Wade and his industrious, self-sacrificing com- 
 panion, reentered the field in December, 1834, bring- 
 ing with them eleven co-workers — Rev. Messrs. 
 Hosea Howard, Grover S. Comstock, William Dean, 
 Justus H. Yinton, and Mr. Sewall M. Osgood, with 
 their wives, and Miss Ann P. Gardner. The last was 
 a member of Mr. Wade's family, and was connected 
 with the Tavoy mission. In 1837, she was united 
 in marriage with Eev. E. L. Abbott, who had been 
 appointed a missionary two years previous, and who 
 has been toiling for years among the Sgau Karens, 
 l^'i station being at Sandoway. Mr. Osgood was a 
 pri Titer, and took up his abode at Maulmain. Mr. 
 Vinton spent a brief season at Clmmmerah, just be- 
 fore its desertion ; and in 1836 we find him stationed 
 at Balu Island, with I^ewville, Chetthingsville, and 
 Bootah, for out-stations. Mr. Dean went, at first, to 
 Siam ; and at Hongkong, China, is now, with some 
 of his coadjutors, showing that, intellectually, there 
 are "giants" in these days. Mr. Comstock settled at 
 
226 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 Kjouk Plijoo, and died at Akyab in 1844. Mr. 
 Howard went to Rangoon. 
 
 With the mission tlms strengthened, well might 
 Mr. Judson rejoice ! " My heart," he writes, " leaps 
 for joy, and swells with gratitude and praise to God, 
 when I think of brother Jones at Bankok, in the 
 southern extremity of the continent, and brother 
 Brown at Sudiya, in Assam, on the frontiers of 
 China — immensely distant points — and of all the 
 intervening stations, Ava, Rangoon, Kyouk Phyoo, 
 Maulmain, and Tavoy, and the churches and schools 
 which are springing up in every station and through- 
 out the Karen wilderness. Happy lot, to live in 
 these days ! O happy lot, to be allowed to bear a 
 part in the glorious work of bringing an apostate 
 world to the feet of Jesus ! Glory, glory be to 
 God!" 
 
 After translating the Bible, Mr. Judson devoted a 
 large portion of his time, for four or five years, to its 
 revision, giving to this division of the labor more 
 days than to translating. The last page of the first 
 edition of the Old Testament was printed on the 29th 
 of December, 1835. 
 
 Aside from the task of revising, Mr. Judson was 
 accustomed to read the proof sheets of the Scriptures, 
 tracts, and other works, as they went to press ; to 
 spend some hours each forenoon at the zayat ; to hold 
 morning prayer meetings, with native assistants, 
 whom he privately instructed from day to day, and 
 then sent out to itinerate in the city, and in adjacent 
 villages ; and to perform many other duties, which 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 227 
 
 absorbed no inconsiderable part of his time, but 
 which it might be deemed needless to detail. 
 
 In the early part of 1836, the missionaries were 
 visited by Rev. Howard Malcom, now president 
 of Lewisburg University. He had been sent out 
 by direction of the Board of Managers, to survey 
 the mission field in Asia ; learn the condition and 
 vrants of the several stations, and to consult with the 
 missionaries in regard to the general interests of the 
 cause in those parts. Fourteen missionaries accom- 
 panied him. They were Eev. Messrs. Lovell Ingalls, 
 James M. Haswell, Alanson Reed, John L. Shuck, 
 Robert D. Davenport, (printer,) Samuel S. Day, and 
 their wives. Rev. Elisha L. Abbott, and Miss Eleanor 
 Macomber. They were designated to the several 
 missions in Asia. 
 
 A ministerial conference was held at Maulmain, 
 commencing on the 30th of March, five or six weeks 
 after Mr. Malcom's arrival. The missionaries pres- 
 ent were Messrs. Judson, Wade, Bennett, Kincaid, 
 Hancock, Mason, Yinton, Osgood, Howard, Haswell, 
 Webb, and Abbott. '' Every day, except the Sab- 
 bath," writes Mr. Malcom, " was diligently spent in 
 the business, and, beside many important topics, 
 which, though fully discussed, did not come to a 
 formal vote, the following subjects were acted upon, 
 besides minor ones : The establishment of a seminary 
 for native assistants ; its location, temporary precep- 
 tor, and course of studies, and by-laws ; new fields 
 of labor proposed and described ; native schools ; 
 polygamy among natives, and the management of 
 
228 THE MISSIOXAllY LABORS 
 
 such case8 in regard to applicants for ba23tism ; re- 
 ducing the size of the Bunnan character ; the plan 
 of giving English names to native children; board- 
 ing schools, and the best mode of their endowment. 
 Considerable time was taken up in designating the 
 new missionaries to their fields of labor. They 
 seem to be as jewels, which each was anxious to 
 seize. Every man felt keenly the claims of his 
 station or neighborhood, and longed to see more la- 
 borers in what he deemed so promising a field. It 
 was a noble strife of disinterested love, and, so small 
 was the reinforcement, compared w^th the admitted 
 wants, on all sides, that it was difficult to decide 
 where aid should first be sent. 
 
 "The next Sabbath, being the first in April, I 
 preached to the brethren and sisters, by vote of the 
 convocation. We met in the new and unfinished 
 chapel, built for the native church. The building, 
 though large for Burmah, is scarcely larger than 
 many dining-rooms in India ; yet, as our little band 
 arranojed themselves in one corner, we seemed lost 
 in the space. There was, however, moral power in 
 the meeting ; and, when I reflected on the recent 
 origin of the mission, its small beginnings, and its 
 various dangers and hindrances, the company before , 
 me was a most refreshing sight. Here were twelve // 
 missionaries, besides Misses Gardner and Macomber, 
 and the missionaries' wives. Elsewhere in the mis- 
 sion were four evangelists and a printer, not comput- 
 ing those in Siam. The text was, ' Glorify ye the 
 Lord in the fires ;' and every heart seemed to say 
 
OP ADONIEAM JUDSON. 229 
 
 Amen, as sentence after sentence came forth. It is 
 delightful, preaching to greedy listeners ; and long 
 had most of these been deprived of the refreshment 
 of sitting under a gospel sermon. Mr. Judson had 
 not heard a sermon in English for fourteen years. 
 
 "As my eye rested on this loved little company, it 
 was sweet to contemplate the venerable founder of the 
 mission, sitting there to rejoice in the growth of the 
 cause he had so assiduously and painfully sustained. 
 His labors and suiferings for years ; his mastery of 
 the language ; his translation of the whole Word of 
 God ; and his being permitted now to be the pastor 
 of a church containing over a hundred natives,- 
 make him the most interesting missionary now 
 alive. What a mercy that he yet lives to devote 
 to this people his enlarged powers of doing good ! 
 And we may hope he will very long be spared. His 
 age is but forty-seven ; his eye is not dim ; not a 
 gray hair shows itself among his full auburn locks ; 
 his moderate-sized person seems full of vigor; he 
 walks almost every evening a mile or two at a quick 
 pace, lives with entire temperance and regularity, 
 and enjoys, in general, steadfast health. May a 
 gracious God continue to make him a blessing more 
 and more." 
 
 About this period, the missionaries in British Bur- 
 mah and Burmah Proper, were organized into four 
 separate communities, designated the Maulmain, 
 Rangoon, Tavoy, and Ava missions, each mission 
 having one or more stations and out-stations con- 
 nected with it. This step was taken for the more 
 
230 MISSIONAKY LABORS. 
 
 convenient associate action of the increasing band of 
 missionaries. 
 
 The progress of truth in Burmah at this time, may 
 be seen at a glance, by reference to the reported bap- 
 tisms ! The whole number thus added to the several 
 churches, in 1836, was three hundred and fifty-eight ; 
 two hundred and six at the Rangoon mission, ninety- 
 one at the Tavoy, fifty-four at the Maulmain, and 
 seven at the Ava. The increase of the Maulmain 
 churches the following year was nearly twice as 
 great. 
 
 Associated with Mr. Judson at Maulmain, in the 
 beginning of 1838, were Messrs. Hancock and 
 Osgood, five native preachers, and about thirty 
 assistants, including twenty-five in the printing 
 department. 
 
 Mr. Bennett had removed to Tavoy, where he is 
 still laboring, his department being among the Sgau 
 Karens. He and Mr. Osgood, and some of the other 
 printers, were early empowered to preach, often 
 using their gifts profitably to the cause of Christ. 
 
CHAPTEK XYIII. 
 
 Retrospect of Mr. Judson's Career — Review of the Progress of Baptist Mia 
 sions — Illness of Mr. Judson, Voyage to Calcutta and Return — Maulmaii 
 Theological Seminary, and other Schools — Revised Edition of the Burman 
 Bible — Rangoon abandoned by the Missionaries — The Judson Family visiv 
 Calcutta and Serampore — Loss of a Member — The Survivors proceed to the 
 Isle of France — Return to Maulmaiu. 
 
 A quarter of a century had now elapsed since Mr. 
 Judson first landed at Eangoon, and looked upon 
 its multitudinous pagodas and other painM indices 
 of the superstition of Burmah ; and, without the 
 ability to utter a sentence in the language of the 
 people, began, single handed and unequipped, to 
 prepare, and then to apply the agencies by which 
 he hoped, eventually, to see the foundation of 
 those monuments of idolatry loosened and under- 
 mined. With the eye of faith steadily fixed on the 
 divine commission, he commenced the work ; and, 
 although nearly six years passed before he saw the 
 clouds of paganism dispelled from_ a single mind, he 
 neither fainted nor faltered.'^ Feeling that he had an 
 injunction from Heaven to toil for the good of the 
 heathen, nothing could quench his love for their 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 
232 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 souls, nothing could drive from him the high purpose 
 to win them to Christ. He had been expelled from 
 one country by the intolerance of a jurisdiction 
 nominally christian ; had been imprisoned in another 
 by the same spirit, coupled with ignorance of the 
 governmental relations of western nations ; had been 
 exposed to perils, by sea and by land ; had passed a 
 year and a half in chains, and part of this time in 
 one of the gloomiest and most filthy death-prisons on 
 the globe ; and had laid in the grave the last member 
 of the little family that had participated with him 
 in sufiering and sorrow, at Oung-pen-la. But, how- 
 ever deep his afflictions ; however great his dan- 
 gers ; however hard the gripe of intolerance and 
 persecution ; his great spirit bore all, with a pa- 
 tience and fortitude that drew exhaustless nour- 
 ishment from the stores of sovereign grace. From 
 out the ocean of grief, he rose with his heart 
 subdued and his soul more sanctified; he escaped 
 from death with increased confidence in God, 
 and better prepared to face other dangers ; and 
 when divine Providence saw fit to shake off his 
 chains, he renewedly dedicated his unshackled limbs 
 to the service of missions, and resumed his labors 
 with redoubled industry and almost superhuman 
 zeal. 
 
 Amid these disheartening circumstances, and a 
 multitude of retarding influences, the glorious en- 
 terprise on which he entered Burmah unbefriended 
 and alone, though fluctuating at times, had made 
 inspiring progress. He, who stood on the shores of 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSOM". 233 
 
 the empire twenty-five years before, speechless in the 
 Burman tongue, and without a grammar or diction- 
 ary to aid him, had become an eloquent preacher in 
 the language of ten millions of heathen ; had given 
 the votaries of Gaudama a faithful transcript of the 
 word of the true God in their peculiar dialect ; had 
 plunged into the jungle, reached the heart of the 
 Bui-man dynasty, and scattered the seeds of truth 
 around the golden foot; had personally organized 
 little churches here and there, beneath the shadow 
 of some towering pagoda; was rejoicing with the 
 sweet assm-ance that the arches of heaven had i-ung 
 more than a thousand times over the convei'sion of 
 a soul to God, at some one of the stations or out- 
 stations which he had seen established ; was associ- 
 ated with nearly fifty missionaries from his native 
 land, together with a multitude of native assistants ; 
 and was now beholding scattered annually through 
 the realms of Buddhism more than ten million pages 
 of that Book, " whose leaves are for the healing of 
 the nations." 
 
 Nor were the changes that had taken place in hea- 
 then lands, or among the heathen tribes and errorists 
 of christian lands, through the exertions of American 
 Baptists, confined to Asia. He, who wrote from In- 
 dia to his unknown " Baptist friends in the United 
 States," asking them for support before they had 
 organized a society for promoting foreign missions, 
 could now look over the globe and behold stations 
 under the control and sustained by the contributions 
 of his denomination, not only among the Burmese, 
 
234 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 the Siamese, the Chinese, the Karens, the Assamese, 
 the Teloogoos, and other people of Asia — but at Li- 
 beria, in Africa ; in Germany, Greece, and France, 
 in Europe ; at Hayti, in the West India Islands, and 
 among twelve Indian tribes in the United States. 
 'Kve missionary society, which was organized in 
 18\i, to recognize him and his companion as mis- 
 sioB^ries to Burmah, was now supporting twenty- 
 threvi missions, embracing thirty-seven stations and 
 thirt 7-two out-stations. Connected with these mis- 
 sioiiy* were ninety-eight American missionaries, in- 
 cludivig printers and female teachers ; thirty-eight 
 nativo preachers, and nearly as many native assist- 
 ants, exclusive of those in the printing department; 
 tliirt\ -eight churches; between fifteen and sixteen 
 hundred communicants, and from fifteen to twenty 
 presses, which were printing the word of God in 
 fifteen different languages. 
 
 Early in 1838, Mr. Judson was afflicted with an 
 inflammation of the throat and lungs, wdiich troubled 
 him several months; and laboring under indisposi- 
 tion from the same cause, in the spring of 1839, he 
 took a sea voyage, hoping thereby to receive benefit. 
 He sailed for Calcutta, and was so much relieved 
 before arriving there, that he made a very brief so- 
 journ. He was doubtless too impatient to be about 
 ]iis Master's business at Maulmain; for, when he 
 returned, in April, his friends could see but little 
 improvement in his' health. On hearing of his ill- 
 ness, the Board invited him, as they had done once 
 f r tw'^^ before, to visit the United States, The 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSOX. 235 
 
 invitation readied liim in August, 1839, at which 
 time his complaint was in a relapse, and he was 
 suffering very much. Under this circumstance, one 
 'would suppose he could have been induced to leave 
 the field long enough to visit the land of his birth ; 
 but he declined the invitation, saying to the Board, 
 " I cannot persuade myself that it is my duty to 
 leave my work at present, but to wait and see 
 whether I shall well sustain the next rainy season. 
 If, notwithstanding continued care, I should experi- 
 ence a severe relapse, and my brethren should con- 
 cur in the measure, I would avail myself of the 
 invitation of the Board, as a last resort, and turn 
 my face, with a clear conscience and many delight- 
 ful anticipations toward my native land." 
 
 In 1838, a seminary was established at Maulmain, 
 for educating native converts of promising talents 
 and suitable character, for the ministry, and Rev. 
 Edward A. Stevens, who had been appointed a mis- 
 sionary two years previous, took charge of it. He 
 had been educated with direct reference to the duties 
 of a theological teacher. Among his first pupils 
 were a few Burman students, who had been con- 
 nected with a similar institution established by Mr. 
 Wade at Tavoy, soon after the session of the minis- 
 terial convention at Maulmain, in 1836. The school 
 at Tavoy, which was suspended in 1837, on account 
 of Mr. Wade's illness, contained Burmans, Karens, 
 Peguans, and one Hindoo, in all about eighteen or 
 twenty pupils. The one at Maulmain was designed 
 especially for the first-mentioned class, though others 
 
236 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 were at first admitted. A distinct Karen theologi- 
 cal seminary was subsequently established there. It 
 was necessary to have separate schools as soon as 
 facilities could be obtained, on account of the differ- 
 ence of the races above mentioned. Hence, at this 
 period, we find, at the dififerent and most important 
 Burman stations, schools of various names and grades, 
 not only for Burmans, Talings, and Karens, but also 
 for the Eurasians or half-cast, having European 
 fathers. In 1840, there were no less than eleven 
 schools in operation, in connection with the Maul- 
 main mission, which embraced six stations and three 
 out-stations. During the early part of this year, the 
 theological school contained ten pupils, which was 
 about an average attendance for the first two or three 
 years. Some idea of the kind of studies, and the 
 method of teaching, may be gathered from a brief 
 extract from the report of the school for the term 
 ending in November, 1840 : 
 
 '' The studies pursued have been chiefly the l^ew 
 Testament, and a brief outline of ecclesiastical his- 
 tory, given in the form of lectures. In the 'New 
 Testament, the class has completed the Life of Christ, 
 having gone through the thirty-five last sections of 
 the work, together with the Epistles of Hebrews, 
 James, first and second of Peter, first, second, and 
 third of John, and the Epistle of Jude. The method 
 of study has been the same as that heretofore 
 pursued — explanatory remarks being made, and 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 237 
 
 passages of Scripture given for reference, all which 
 are required to be coniuiitted to writing. 
 
 "The lectures on ecclesiastical history embraced a 
 brief outline of the history of the church from the 
 birth of Christ to the present time. The class were 
 required to note them down as delivered, and, since 
 the course was completed, have been occupied a part 
 of each day in studying what they had thus written. 
 The subject being one of novelty to them, and much 
 time being necessarily occupied in securing a fair 
 and correct copy of the lectures, they have studied 
 the history only as far as the account of Mahomet. 
 They seemed interested in the study, and I trust the 
 time devoted to it has not been misapplied.'* 
 
 Owing to the want of funds, and other causes, this 
 institution did not prosper so well as the missionaries 
 had hoped it would, and was suspended from the 
 close of the next year until 1844. 
 
 Mr. Judson completed the revision of the Burman 
 Bible in the autumn of 1840, and the last sheet was 
 put to press on the 24th of October. The first edi- 
 tion had been printed in three large octavo volumes ; 
 the second appeared in one volume quarto. In order 
 to make the latter as correct as possible, he had con- 
 sulted the latest and most reliable works of biblical 
 critics, and selected and incorporated the richest 
 fruits of philological minds, in Europe and America. 
 He says, in regard to this edition ; 
 
 " In the first edition of the Old Testament, I paid 
 too much regard to the critical emendations of Lowiih, 
 
238 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 Horslej, and others. In the present edition, I have 
 adhered more strictly to the Hebrew text. In my 
 •first attempts at translating portions of the ISTew 
 Testament, above twenty years ago, I followed Gries- 
 bach, as all the world then did ; and thongh, from 
 year to year, I have fonnd reason to distrust his 
 authority, still, not wishing to be ever changing, I 
 deviated but little from his text, in subsequent edi- 
 tions, until the last ; in preparing which I have fol- 
 lowed the text of Knapp, (though not implicitly,) as 
 upon the whole the safest and best extant ; in con- 
 sequence of which, the present Burmese version of 
 the Kew Testament accords more nearly with the 
 received English. 
 
 " As to the merits of the translation, I must leave 
 others to judge. I can only say, that though I have 
 seldom done anything to my own satisfaction, I am 
 better satisfied with the translation of the 'New Tes- 
 tament than I ever expected to be. The language 
 is, I believe, simple, plain, intelligible ; and I have 
 endeavored, I hope successfully, to make every sen- 
 tence a iiiithful representation of the original. As 
 to the Old Testament, I am not so well satisfied. 
 The historical books are, perhaps, done pretty well ; 
 but the poetical and prophetical books are, doubtless, 
 susceptible of much improvement, not merely in 
 point of style, but in the rendering of difficult pas- 
 sages, about which the most eminent scholars are not 
 yet agreed. 
 
 " I commend the work, such as it is, to God, to 
 the church in Burmah, and to my successors in this 
 
OF ADONIR.^J JUDSOX. 239 
 
 department of labor, begging them not to spare my 
 errors, and yet not prematurely to correct a supposed 
 error, without consulting the various authors which 
 I have consulted, and ascertaining the reasons of my 
 position ; and especially not to adopt a plausible cor- 
 rection, in one instance, without inquiring whether 
 it is admissible and advisable in all parallel and 
 similar passages. 
 
 " In prosecuting the work, I have derived valuable 
 aid from several of my missionary brethren, espe- 
 cially from brother Wade formerly, and brother 
 Jones, now of Bangkok, — latterly from the brethren 
 Mason, Comstock, and Stevens. Of several hundred 
 suggestions that have been sent me from different 
 quarters, I have sooner or later adopted by far the 
 greater part, though in many cases with some modi- 
 fication. 'Nor ought I to forget my native brother, 
 Moung En, my faithful fellow-laborer for many years, 
 even before the present revision was begun, — one of 
 our most judicious and devoted assistants." 
 
 In the early part of 1840, an important change 
 took place at the Eangoon mission. For two or three 
 years previous, the spirit of intolerance had strongly 
 prevailed at times, and the churches in all parts of 
 Burmah Proper stood in a precarious condition. In 
 1838, affairs between the British and Burman govern- 
 ments assumed a w^arlike aspect ; and Messrs. Abbott 
 and Simons, who were temporarily at Rangoon, left 
 the place in November, and went to Maulmain. 
 About a year after, the former returned in company 
 with Mr. Kincaid, who had known the viceroy at 
 
540 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 Ava. Ho was a tolerant ruler, and had invited 
 these missionaries to Rangoon, and now urged them 
 to remain. His virtues caused hi-s overthrow, for he 
 lost his office by his kind treatment of these men of 
 God. The new viceroy was despotic, cruel, and in- 
 tolerant, and soon after his arrival, Messrs. Kincaid 
 and Abbott retired to Maulmain, leaving Burmali 
 Proper without an American missionary. In a short 
 time, they both went to Arracan. 
 
 The native church at Rangoon remained under 
 the pastoral charge of Ko Thah-a, but languished on 
 account of the absence of the missionaries. Mr. 
 Yinton visited the station in 1842, and again in 1844. 
 The last time, he was accompanied by Messrs. Ste- 
 vens and Ingalls, the last of whom had been stationed 
 at Mergui. They went to see what encouragement 
 there was for missionary effort at this old original 
 station, round which the affections of Mr. Judson and 
 his earlier, living associates were strongly entwined. 
 With much reluctance, they were forced to decide 
 that it was inexpedient, just then, to attempt to 
 reestablish the mission. 
 
 On the 26th of June, 1841, Mr. Judson started, in 
 ill health, on another sea voyage, taking his family 
 with him. He first landed at Calcutta ; and, pro- 
 ceeding to Serampore, communicated the following 
 intelligence to the Board, from the latter place, the 
 last of July : 
 
 "I have had a very severe trial in the sickness of 
 my family, all of whom, with the exception of one 
 
OF ADONIEAM JtTDSON-. 241 
 
 of the children, have been prostrated for several 
 months, and several of them repeatedly at the point 
 of death. AVe came here at the urgent importunity 
 of the doctors, and my missionary associates. The 
 voyage had a beneficial effect on all the invalids, 
 especially Mrs. Judson; but, since our arrival here, 
 we have been subject to relapses, so that vre despair 
 of recovery, without some further change. In these 
 circumstances, we regard it as a very j^rovidential 
 mercy, that the pious captain of a vessel proceeding 
 to the Isle of France, and thence to Maulmain, in- 
 vited us to go with him in such a very kind manner 
 as assures us that the circuitous voyage will not cost 
 the mission more than the voyage direct. "VVe ex- 
 pect to leave this in a few days, and hope to be in 
 Maulmain by the end of October. And may God 
 bless the double voyage before us, and the interven- 
 ing residence of a few weeks at the Isle of France, 
 to our recovery to health, that we may resume our 
 work with renewed vigor, and devote the remnant 
 of our spared lives to the service of Christ among 
 Burmans. My own health is pretty good, except 
 that my lungs have never recovered their natural 
 soundness and strength, and I am obliged to use 
 them with great care in public speaking. In com- 
 mon conversation, I have not the smallest incon- 
 venience. And this is a great mercy, considering 
 the state to which I was once reduced. I never 
 realized what a great privilege it is to be able to use 
 the voice for Christ, until I was deprived of it. And 
 
 now, when I would fain break out as usual, the 
 16 
 
242 THE MTSSIONAET LABORS 
 
 weakness of the flesh does not second the willingness 
 of the spirit. I can still say, Well, it is a mercy 
 undeserved, to be able to go thus far. And one is 
 more willing also to be disabled when there are 
 others ready to carry on the work. I esteem it the 
 crowning mercy of my life, that not only the chief 
 ends I contemplated on becoming a missionary are 
 attained ; but I am allowed to see competent, faith- 
 ful, anci affectionate successors actively engaged in 
 the work. In their hands I am happy to leave it, or 
 rather in the hands of Christ, who carried it on be- 
 fore we were bom, and while we were in arms 
 against him, and will carry it on more gloriously, 
 when we repose in the grave, and in paradise. Glory 
 be to Him alone. 
 
 "We are obliged to leave our darling youngest 
 child, aged one year and seven months, in the mis- 
 sion burial ground of Serampore. His old com- 
 plaint, which had never been effectually removed, 
 came on with fearful violence, and he died in con- 
 vulsions, on the 30th ultimo. The agony of witness- 
 ing the dying struggles of a beloved child, and 
 beholding the last imploring looks, unable to afford 
 the smallest relief, none can know but a bereaved 
 parent. Mrs. J. and myself have frequently endured 
 this fiery trial, and now, with bleeding hearts, we 
 must turn away from the grave of dear Henry, and 
 pursue our melancholy way, in hope that the life 
 of the mother and the remaining children may yet 
 be spared." 
 
OF ADOWIRAM JIJDSON. 243 
 
 Mr. Judson proceeded with the surviving members 
 of his family to the Isle of France, where he re- 
 mained until the 18th of October. Writing to the 
 Board, two or three weeks before leaving, at which 
 time all his family but the oldest son w^ere in com- 
 fortable health, he says : "I hope that, whatever 
 may be the fate of some of the children, we shall be 
 able, ere long, to return to our station, and resume 
 our labors with renewed strength during the period 
 that may yet be allowed us to labor on earth." 
 
 He arrived at Maulmain on the 10th of December, 
 with his son in a convalescent state, and the rest of 
 the family in good health. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 Mr. Judson commences a Bui*man Dictionary — Labors of his Associates — Con- 
 dition of the Mauhnain Mission Churches — Printing — Maulmain Mission- 
 ary Society — Arrival of Messrs, Binney and Bullard — Baptismal Scene, &c. 
 Ilhiess of Mrs. Judson — Mr. Judson decides to visit America. 
 
 In May, 1842, Mr. Judson commenced another 
 great literary undertaking, the preparation of a com- 
 plete dictionary of the Burman language. Prior to 
 this, besides attending to the publication of the 
 revised edition of the Bible, and the pastoral duties 
 of the Burman church, he had translated the Pil- 
 grim's Progress, and performed other and scarcely 
 lighter literary tasks. He began the dictionary with 
 much reluctance, and after repeated invitations from 
 the Board. The compilation which had been used 
 since 1826, was very imperfect, and no one had felt 
 more sensibly than he, the need of a fuller and more 
 correct work ; yet it was his wish, when he left Bur- 
 mah Proper, in 1826, to avoid literary and scientific 
 pursuits as much as possible, and devote himself 
 directly to the preaching of the gospel. Hence, after 
 revising the Bible, he had " resolved and re-resolved " 
 
ADONIRAM JUDSON. 245 
 
 never to touch the dictionary ; but " it is not in man / 
 that walketh to direct his steps." Providence had 
 decreed that he should commence it ; and seeing the 
 gates of Burmah Proper barred against him and his 
 coadjutors, and the Maulmain mission well supplied 
 with laborers, the way at length seemed clear to 
 make a beginning. With reference to this work, he 
 thus writes, under date of July 13th, 1843 : 
 
 " We are apt to magnify the importance of any 
 undertaking in which we are warmly engaged. Per- 
 haps it is from the influence of that principle, that, 
 notwithstanding my long cherished aversion to the 
 work, I have come to think it very important ; and 
 that, having seen the accomplishment of two objects, 
 on which I set my heart when I first came to the 
 East, — the establishment of a church of converted 
 natives, and the translation of the Bible into their 
 language, — I now beguile my daily toil with the pros- 
 pect of compassing a third, which may be compared 
 to a causeway, designed to facilitate the transmission 
 of all knowledge, religious and scientific, from one - 
 people to the other. 
 
 " It was my first intention to make a single work, 
 Burmese and English ; but, as I proceeded, I dis- 
 covered many reasons for constructing a double work, 
 in two parts, the first Burmese and English, the sec- 
 ond English and Burmese. I hope, by daily unin- 
 terrupted labor, to have the whole ready for the 
 press by the end of 1845. Not, indeed, that I count 
 on living so long. Above thirty years spent in a 
 
246 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 tropical climate, (to-daj is tlie twenty-ninth anniver- 
 sary of my arrival in Burmah,"^ leaves but little 
 ground to build future plans ujDon. But I feel it my 
 duty to plod on while daylight shall last, looking out 
 for the night, and ready to bequeath both the plod- 
 ding and the profit to any brother who shall be wil- 
 ling to carry on and complete the work, when I shall 
 have obtained my discharge." 
 
 In the same letter, Mr. Judson apologizes to the 
 Board for the rareness and brevity of his communi- 
 cations, during the years he was engaged in trans- 
 lating and revising the Burman Bible, and the first 
 year of his engagement on the dictionary. The ab- 
 sorbing and mentally fatiguing nature of these tasks 
 and their unfruitfulness in epistolary topics, seemed 
 to justify his silence. He says : " I never think, 
 without some uneasiness, of the unfrequency of my 
 communications to the Board; and if I had not an 
 apology at hand, I should feel self-condemned. A 
 person employed in direct missionary work among 
 the natives, especially if his employ is somewhat 
 itinerant, can easily make long and interesting jour- 
 nals. The first epithet, at least, may be applied to 
 Bome of my early communications. But it has been 
 my lot, for many years past, to spend most of my 
 time over the study table, and my itinerating has 
 
 * Professor Gammell states, that the ship which took Mr. and Mrs. 
 Judson to Burmah, came to anchor in the harbor of Rangoon, on the 
 14th of the month, which day is more properly the anniversary of 
 their arrival 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 24:7 
 
 scarcely extended beyond the limits of my morning 
 walks, and the precincts of the mission enclosure." 
 
 While Mr. Judson was engaged on the dictionary, 
 and attending to his pastoral duties, his associates in 
 the same mission, male and female, were, perhaps, 
 equally as industrious in their several positions. Mr. 
 Stevens had the charge of the English church at 
 Maulmain, and also of the Pwo Karen chm-ch at 
 Dong Yan. In his connection with the former body, 
 he was assisted by Mr. Simons, who was conducting 
 the Eurasian boarding school. Mr. Yinton was la- 
 boring alternately in the Sgau Karen department at 
 Maulmain, and at the Karen stations. Mr. J. H. 
 Chandler, a machinist, who was appointed in 1840, 
 had charge of the printing and binding department, 
 but was transferred to the Siam mission in 1843. 
 Mr. Osgood managed the secular concerns of the 
 mission, and, after the departm-e of Mr. Chandler, 
 superintended the printing and binding establish- 
 ment. Mr. Howard managed the Burman boarding 
 school. Mr. Haswell was at Amherst, where he 
 had been stationed several years, and was devoting 
 himself principally to the Peguan people, in whose 
 language he was ti^anslating the Scriptures. The 
 church, of which he was pastor, contained, in 1843, 
 between thirty and forty members. The number 
 baptized into the seven churches connected with the 
 Maulmain mission dm-ing the year ending July 1st, 
 1843, was seventy-eight. Forty-one died the same 
 year of the cholera, which raged in several places 
 in the empire. It was still more fatal among the 
 
248 THE MISSIONAET LABOES 
 
 Eangoon and other Karens of Burmah Proper, of 
 whom it is estimated that the loss amounted to five 
 hundred. Several of these were native assistants. 
 The number added to the Maulmain churches the 
 following year, on a profession of faith, was one hun- 
 dred and fifty-niiie. During the same period, twelve 
 were added to the Karen church at Rangoon, being 
 baptized by Mr. Yinton while on a visit, of which 
 we have previously spoken. 
 
 For a few years after the withdrawal of the mis- 
 sionaries from Burmah Proper, the urgency for print- 
 ing at Maulmain was not so great as it had been, 
 and the number of books and tracts distributed 
 was comparatively small. The printing, in 1843, 
 amounted to only forty-two thousand copies, and one 
 hundred and forty-six thousand pages, though the 
 issues were comparatively larger.''' The number of 
 books and other tracts printed the following year 
 was five thousand; tlie number issued was about 
 twenty- seven thousand. Two thousand of the copies 
 printed in 1844 were school books; the rest were of 
 a religious character. The whole number of pages 
 printed at the Maulmain station prior to July, of 
 this year was 60,890,900. 
 
 Several years previous to this time, a missionary 
 society had been formed at Maulmain, the members 
 being mostly connected with the English church. 
 
 * " About one lialf the issues from the depository were to Maul- 
 main, and the remainder to Amlierst and the three stations in Arra- 
 can "— Ramree, Akyab, and Sandoway. 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 249 
 
 Its contributions, in 1844, amounted to between 
 three and four thousand rupees ; and its seventh 
 annual report, being for that year, shows that twen- 
 ty-five native assistants w^ere then in its employ. 
 They were at different stations and out-stations, 
 among the Peguans, Burmans, Pwo Karens, and 
 Sgau Karens. The English church was at that 
 time in a highly prosperous condition, which is no 
 doubt to be attributed, in part, to the liberality 
 of its members, as exhibited above. Nothing is 
 truer than the remark of Horace Smith, that, " by 
 bestowing blessings on others, we entail them on 
 ourselves." 
 
 In the spring of 1844, the Maulmain mission was 
 reinforced by the arrival of Messrs. Joseph G. Bin- 
 ney and Edwin B. Bullard, and their wives.* Their 
 designation was to the Karen department. Both 
 gentlemen were preachers, and the former was also 
 a teacher. The latter died at Maulmain on the 5th 
 of April, 1847, one day less than two years after his 
 arrival. Mrs. Bullard became the second wife of 
 Mr. Mason, with whom she is now toiling at Tavoy. 
 
 Mr. Mason visited Maulmain in February, 1844; 
 and his journal at that period is rich in tlie fruits of 
 observation and reflection. The following extract is 
 not wholly irrelevant to om- subject: 
 
 " On Sabbath forenoon, I preached in Burman for 
 
 * Mr. Thomas S. Ranney and wife, who are now stationed at 
 Maulmain, entered the work of missions the same spring, at Tavoy, 
 He is a printer. 
 
 11* 
 
250 THE MISSIONAEY LABOKS 
 
 Mr. Judson, and lie baptized two very respectable 
 Burman men at the close of worship. One of them 
 has occasioned more noise in town than any other 
 individual, I am told, that has ever forsaken idolatry. 
 He is a respectable merchant ; but his wife has left 
 him and taken his property, and his friends have 
 used every possible means in their power to prevent 
 his being baptized. There was a great multitude at 
 his baptism, and Mr. Judson anticipated some dis- 
 turbance ; but all passed off quietly. Mr. Judson 
 rose up at the close of the sermon, as the people 
 crowded into the chapel, and addi-essed them with 
 such tact, that, whatever their intentions might have 
 been, they were left without any pretence for making 
 trouble. At the immersion of the first candidate, a 
 laugh was raised by the multitude, but Mr. Judson 
 shook his finger at them, and when the second was 
 baptized all were as silent as the grave. 
 
 " At English worship in the evening, I saw several 
 English ofiicers among the despised Anabaptists, as 
 the English call us, a sight not often seen in English 
 congregations. Three of them, at least, appeared 
 like brother missionaries, in everything but their red 
 coats. One of them, the paymaster of the regiment, 
 was baptized in the West Indies, and has turned 
 missionary literally. He has obtained a Burman 
 assistant that speaks a little English, and he goes out 
 daily preaching, and reading, and distributing books 
 and tracts. He stood talking with me for half an 
 hour about his excursions, and evidently feels as 
 much interest in his work as any missionary I ever 
 
OF ADONIRAM JFDSON. 251 
 
 saw. If he be a specimen of tlie West India mis- 
 sionaries' converts, the wisest thing they can do is to 
 leave their enemies, as David did Shimei, ' to curse 
 on ; ' and imitate their divine Master, who, when he 
 was reviled, ' opened not his month.' " 
 
 In December, 1844, Mrs. Jiidson gave birth to her 
 eighth child by her second husband. About this 
 time, she was attacked w^ith chronic diarrhoea, a dis- 
 ease to which she had been subject since her arrival 
 in Burmali. She had been a great sufferer from this 
 source, but the present seemed to be the severest 
 attack of all. It continued to progress, in spite of 
 medical skill and a short voyage along the Tenasserim 
 coast; and it at lens^th became evident that she must 
 leave the tropics, or go directly to the grave. Such 
 being Mr. Judson's opinion, and thinking that a long 
 voyage might possibly be the means of her restora- 
 tion, he decided to embark for his native land. His 
 intentions were made known to the Board by the 
 following communication, which is dated, Maulmain 
 April 13, 1845 : 
 
 "The hand of God is heavy upon me. The com- 
 plaint to which Mrs. Judson is subject has become 
 so violent, that it is the unanimous opinion of all the 
 medical men, and, indeed, of all our friends, that 
 nothing but a voyage beyond the tropics can possibly 
 protract her life beyond the period of a few weeks, 
 but that such a voyage will, in all probability, ensure 
 her recovery. All medical skill has been exhausted. 
 She has spent six weeks with our commissioner and 
 
252 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 Ills laclj, in a trip down the coast, touching at Tavoy 
 and Mergui, and returned weaker and nearer the 
 grave than when she set out. She is willing to die, 
 and I hope I am willing to see her die, if it be the 
 divine will; but though nij wife, it is no more than 
 truth to say, that there is scarcely an individual 
 foreigner now alive, wdio speaks and writes the Bur- 
 mese tongue so acceptably as she does ; and I feel 
 that an effort ought to be made to save her life. I 
 Iiave long fought against the necessity of accompany- 
 ing her ; but she is now so desperately w^eak and 
 almost helpless, that all say it would be nothing but 
 savage inhumanity to send her off alone. The three 
 younger children, the youngest but three months and 
 % half old, we must leave behind us, casting them, 
 as it were, on the waters, in the hope of finding them 
 again after many days. The three elder, Abby Ann, 
 Adoniram, and Elnathan, we take with us, to leave 
 in their parents' native land. These rendings of 
 parental ties are more severe, and wring out bitterer 
 tears from the heart's core, than any can possibly 
 conceive, who have never felt the wrench. But I 
 hope I can say with truth, that I love Christ above 
 all ; and am striving in the strength of my weak 
 faith, to gird up my mind to face and welcome all 
 his appointments. And I am much helped to bear 
 these trials, by the advice and encouragement of all 
 my dear brethren and sisters of the mission. 
 
 " It is another great trial to leave my dear church 
 and people. I never knew, till now, how much I 
 loved them, and how much they loved me. 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 253 
 
 'And 'tis to love, our farewells owe 
 All their enipliasis of woe.' 
 
 But I leave tlieni in the hands of my dear brethren, 
 and there arc no persons in tlie world to whom I 
 should be so willinsf to commit so dear a charo:e. 
 
 " Another great trial, not so much as it regards feel- 
 ing, as it regards the anticipated result of long pro- 
 tracted labor, is the interruption which the heavy 
 work of the Burmese dictionary, in which I have 
 been engaged for two or three years, must sustain ; 
 and such is the state of my manuscripts, that if I 
 should die before the work is completed, or at least 
 carried forward to a much more advanced stage, all 
 my previous labor would be nearly or quite lost. 
 But I am endeavoring to obviate this difficulty in 
 some degree, by taking with me my two assistants in 
 that department, whose hearts God has graciously 
 inclined to leave their families and accomj^any me. 
 They are both christians, — the one a settled charac- 
 ter, a convert of long standing, formerly a govern- 
 ment writer in Hangoon ; the other a nephew of the 
 late premier of the court of Ava, a j^erson of noble 
 extraction, and though not a tried christian, I hope 
 a sincere one. And it is my purpose to devote some 
 hours every day, whether on the sea or land, to the 
 work mentioned. I shall be induced to persevere in 
 this purpose while in America, from the fact, that I 
 am unable to travel about the country as an agent, 
 and preach in the English language. The course 
 that I have uniformly pursued, ever since I became 
 
\l' 
 
 254 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 a missionary, has been rather peculiar. In order to 
 become an acceptable and elocpient preacher in a 
 foreign language, I deliberately abjured my own. 
 'When I crossed the river, I burnt my ships. For 
 thirty-two years, I have scarcely entered an English 
 pul]>it, or made a speech in that language. Whether 
 I have pursued the w^isest course, I will not contend ; 
 and how far I have attained the object aimed at, I 
 must leave for others to say. But whether right or 
 wrons:, the course I have taken cannot be retraced. 
 The burnt ships cannot now be reconstructed. From 
 long desuetude, I can scarcely put three sentences 
 together in the English language. I must, therefore, 
 beg the Board to allow me a quiet corner, w^here I 
 can pursue my work with my assistants, undisturbed 
 and unknown. 
 
 " This request I am induced to urge, from the fur- 
 ther consideration, that my voice, though greatly re- 
 covered from the affection of the lungs, which laid me 
 aside from preaching nearly a year, is still so weak 
 that it can only fill a small room ; and whenever I 
 attempt to raise it above the conversational tone, the 
 weak place gives way, and I am quite broken down 
 again for several weeks. I hoj)e, therefore, that no 
 one will try to persuade me to be guilty of such 
 imprudence while in America ; but since there are 
 thousands of preachers in English, and only five 
 or six Burmese preachers in the whole world, I 
 may be allowed to hoard up the remnant of my 
 breath and lungs, for the country where they are 
 most needed. 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 255 
 
 " I have engaged a passage in the Paragon to 
 London, for myself, wife, three children, and two 
 assistants, for sixteen hundred rupees. I should have 
 preferred a passage direct, but circumstances have 
 rendered it impossible." 
 
CHAPTEK XX 
 
 Embarkalion of the Judson Family for the United States — Hopes, and Feara, 
 and Clianges of Plans at the Isle of France — Voyage continued — Mrs. Jud- 
 son's last Hours — Her Death, and Burial at St. Helena — Mr. Judson arrives 
 in Boston — His Reception there — Dr. Sharp's Address — An Incident. 
 
 \Tliirtj-tliree years had passed since the Caravan 
 eighed anchor in the harbor of Salem, and Mr. 
 Judson bent his conrse to India, when, on the 26th 
 of April, 1845, he turned his face toward the land 
 of his birth, which he had often thought he should 
 see no more. 
 
 The bracing air of the Indian ocean had a happy 
 influence on Mrs. Judson ; and, on arriving at the 
 Isle of France, she had so much improved that the 
 two native assistants were sent back to Maulmain, 
 Mr. Judson intending soon to follow them. His 
 wife and the three children were to proceed, and, 
 anticipating a separation from her husband on that 
 " green islet," she penned those familiar and beau- 
 tiful lines entitled " The Parting," concluding with 
 the following stirring and highly poetic injunction 
 to the hero of a thirty years' campaign, and a thou- 
 sand victorious conflicts with Error, in the jungle : 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 267 
 
 " Then gird thine armor on, love, 
 Nor faint thou by the way. 
 Till Buddh sliall fall, and Biirmah's sons 
 Shall own Messiah's sway." 
 
 The vessel remained at tlie Isle of France three 
 weeks, and, before the day arrived for sailing, her 
 disease relapsed, and Mr. Judson deemed it advis- 
 able to continue with her. While don])ling the 
 Cape, she became weaker and weaker, and, before 
 reaching St. Helena, disease had made such inroads 
 on her constitution, that she became convinced that 
 her end was near, and that the shores of heaven 
 would heave in sight before she could reach her 
 native land. And, with her hand fastened on the 
 skies, the rolling earth* could present no scene so 
 tempting as to cause her heart and hopes to linger 
 below, if it were the will of God that she should 
 noio ascend. " She had been in the habit," says 
 Mr. Judson, " of contemplating death as neither dis- 
 tant nor undesirable. As it drew near, she remained 
 perfectly tranquil. No shade of doubt, or fear, or 
 anxiety, ever passed over her mind. She had a 
 prevailing preference to depart and be with Christ. 
 ' I am longing to depart,' and ' what can I want 
 besides ? ' quoting the language of a familiar hymn, 
 were the expressions which revealed the spiritual 
 peace and joy of her mind; yet, at times, the 
 thought of her native land, to which she was now 
 
 * His hand the good man fastens on the skies. 
 And bids earth roll, nor feels her idle -whirl. — Youno. 
 17 
 
258 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 approaching, after an absence of twenty years, and 
 a longing desire to see once more lier son George, 
 her parents, and the friends of her youth, drew 
 down her ascending sonl, and constrained her to 
 say, ' I am in a strait betwixt two, — let the will of 
 God be done.' 
 
 " In regard to her children, she ever manifested 
 the most surprising composure and resignation, so 
 much so, that I was once induced to say, ' You seem 
 to have forgotten the dear little ones we have left 
 
 behind.' ' Can a mother forget ? ' she replied, 
 
 and w^as unable to proceed. During her last days 
 she spent much time in j)raying for the early con- 
 version of her children. May her living and her 
 dying prayers draw down the blessing of God on 
 their bereaved heads." 
 
 In the latter part of August, a few days before 
 her death, Mr. Judson called the children to her 
 bedside, and remarked to her, in his humble, self- 
 abasing way, that he wished to ask pardon for all his 
 unkind words and deeds, saying that he had failed 
 to treat her with the kindness and affection which 
 she had merited. To this remark, she replied, in 
 that grateful and Christ-like spirit, which j^eculiarly 
 marked her character, " O, you will kill m.e, if you 
 talk so. It is I that should ask pardon of you ; and 
 I only want to get well that I may have an oppor- 
 tunity of making some return for all your kindness, 
 and of showing you how much I love you." 
 
 Mr. Judson was now expecting to be under the 
 painful necessity of consigning his beloved partner 
 
OF ADOXIRAM JUDSON. 259 
 
 to the deep; ''but it was so ordered in divine Prov- 
 idence," he writes, '• that when tlie indications of 
 approaching death had become strongly marked, the 
 ship came to anchor in the port of St. Helena. For 
 three days she continued to sink rapidly, though her 
 bodily sufferings were not very severe. Her mind 
 became liable to wander; but a single word w^as 
 sufficient to recall and steady her recollections. On 
 the evening of the 31st of August, she appeared to 
 be drawing near to the end of her pilgrimage. The 
 children took leave of her, and retired to rest. I sat 
 alone by the side of her bed during the hours of the 
 night, endeavoring to administer relief to the dis- 
 tressed body, and consolation to the departing soul 
 At two o'clock in the morning, wishing to obtain one 
 more token of recognition, I roused her attention, 
 and said, ' Do you still love the Saviour? ' ' O yes,' 
 she replied, ' I ever love the Lord Jesus Christ.' I 
 said again, ' Do you still love me ? ' She replied in 
 the affirmative, by a peculiar expression of her own. 
 ' Then give me one more kiss ; " and we exchanged 
 that token of love for the last time. Another hour 
 passed, — life continued to recede, — and she ceased to 
 breathe. For a moment, I traced her upward flight, 
 and thought of the wonders which were opening to 
 her view. I then closed her sightless eyes, dressed 
 her, for the last time, in the drapery of death; and, 
 being quite exhausted with many sleepless nights, 1 
 threw myself down and slept. On awaking in the 
 morning, I saw the children standing and weeping 
 
260 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 around the body of their dear mother, then, for the 
 first time, inattentive to their cries." 
 
 Her interment took place in the afternoon of the 
 day on which she died, and the following exceed- 
 ingly interesting account of it, was communicated, 
 in the autumn of 1850, to a religious publication 
 of Boston, by Rev. J. McGregor Bertram, a Baptist 
 clergyman, at St. Helena. We take the liberty 
 to slightly abridge the portion of the article trans- 
 cribed, and to correct one or two errors, probably 
 typographical : 
 
 "Early in the morning of the 1st of September, I 
 received a note from Mr. Carrol, the American con- 
 sul of that island, informing me that a ship named 
 the Sophia Walker, had dropped anchor in our bay, 
 the previous night, and that she had on board two 
 distinguished passengers, Mr. Judson and lady, with 
 their three children ; but, sad to state, since that 
 brief period, Mrs. Judson had departed this life. 
 He further stated, that Mr. Judson sent his christian 
 regards to me, requesting that I would come on 
 board, as he was very desirous to see me. I had 
 heard of Mr. Judson long before, and had learned to 
 think of him as one of the most noble heroes of the 
 ' cross of Christ.' With a heart full of painful sym- 
 pathy, I hastened to the vessel. As the boat in 
 which I was, neared the floating house of death, I 
 perceived several of the crew approaching the gang- 
 way. Deep sorrow was depicted on their counte- 
 nances. The captain received me with a welcome^ 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 261 
 
 and after a few touching hints, conducted me to the 
 cabin, where I was, for the first time, introduced to 
 Mr. Judson. He held out his hand ; but, for a mo- 
 ment, his heart was too full for articulation. He 
 looked pale and careworn. The bitter tears flowed 
 down his cheeks in rapid succession, moistening his 
 lips, as if seeking to find their way back again into 
 that heart of sorrow, whence they flowed. Such a 
 touching scene I never witnessed before. With him 
 stood his three small children, weeping, and refusing 
 to be comforted, because she, whom they so dearly 
 loved, was not. Mr. Judson soon regained his self- 
 possession. He spoke to his afliicted children in the 
 sweetest manner, and in the most consoling language 
 a christian father's lips could utter, and then turning 
 to me, said, 
 
 "'O sir, she died in the Lord — so peacefully. I 
 asked her, but a little before she died, if she loved 
 the Saviour, and could trust her soul into his hands. 
 She answered, ' Yes, O yes.' Come, Mr. Bertram, 
 will you look at my love? She is just like herself, 
 lovely, even in death.' 
 
 " He led the way into the state-room, where lay 
 the cold remains in which once dwelt the soul of 
 her who had given and devoted to the Saviour's 
 cause, her life, her all. Pleasant she was, indeed, 
 even in death. A sweet smile of love seemed to rest 
 on her countenance, as if heavenly grace had stamped 
 it there. Mr. Judson stood at her head, and the 
 children around her, weeping and sobbing. He 
 kissed her cold forehead, again and again, bedewing 
 
262 THE MISSIONARY LABOItS 
 
 it with tears. After a few moments, he said, 'My 
 love suffered much, before she died ; but never mur- 
 mured. Her sufferings are over. Yes, she is now 
 in heaven. I did all for her myself ; dressed, and 
 laid her out myself. This was her own request. To 
 me it was a painful duty ; but God sustained me.' 
 
 " He then informed me that arrangements had 
 been made for the funeral, which w^as to take place 
 at four in the afternoon, and begged I would attend 
 and conduct the religious services on board the ves- 
 sel. I then left the ship and hastened on shore, to 
 summon all my christian brethren to be in waiting 
 on the wharf, at half past three o'clock. Keturning 
 to the vessel, I remained with Mr. Judson until after- 
 noon. When the time for the religious service 
 arrived, the captain called together all the friends 
 who were on board, and all hands who could be 
 spared from the ship. I then read a suitable portion 
 of the divine word, and gave a brief address, I trust 
 fi-om the Lord a w^ord in season, and then we all 
 knelt in prayer to the wise Disposer of every event. 
 When the service w^as ended, we again visited the 
 solemn state-room, to take a last look of the departed 
 wife and missionary. The bereaved husband and 
 weeping children fastened their eyes upon the loved 
 remains, as if they could have looked forever. 
 Weeping, kiss after kiss was imprinted on the cold 
 forehead. The last look was taken, the last kiss 
 imparted, and then all was hid from mortal vision, 
 until the morning of the resurrection. The coffin 
 was removed to the boat, which was to convey it on 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 263 
 
 shore. Other boats were connected with this, so 
 arranged as to form a funeral procession — three 
 going ahead, towing the one which contained the 
 corpse, and moving forward with the heavy beatings 
 of their oars, and another followed, in which were 
 Mr. Judson and the three children, with the captain 
 of the ship and myself as chief mourners. Our 
 christian brethren and sisters were in a goodly num- 
 ber, with Mr. Carrol, the American consul, and his 
 family and some other of his friends, already waiting 
 on the shore, to join the funeral j)rocession. The 
 body was then transferred from the boat to the bier, 
 which was carried by a number of seamen. The 
 pall bearers we selected from among our christian sis- 
 ters. They were four in number and chief women, 
 viz., Mrs. Captain O'Connor, of the East India Com- 
 pany ; Mrs. Janisch, wddow of the late Dutch con- 
 sul ; Mrs. Torbett, of JN'apoleon's tomb ; Mrs. Carrol, 
 American consul's lady. Mr. Judson and myself 
 walked first, leading one of the children ; the cap- 
 tain next came, leading the other two ; the American 
 consul followed, with his Mends ; then our christian 
 brethren and sisters, two and two ; the whole num- 
 bering about one hundred persons. It is nearly half 
 a mile from the landing to the burying ground, 
 the way to which lies through the town. The in- 
 habitants paid their respects by closing their shops. 
 The street was considerably lined on either side 
 with spectators, who all appeared to manifest a 
 mournful sympathy with Mr. Judson and the dear 
 children. 
 
26^ THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 "On arriving at tlie gi-ave, the Episcopal clergyman 
 read the burial service of the Church of England. 
 The body was then committed to its mother dust. 
 Our christian brethren stood around the grave and 
 sung a solemn hymn, selected for the occasion. 
 During this service, as Mr. Judson stood supported 
 by my arm, I felt his animal frame frequently ready 
 to give way, particularly toward the last, when the 
 coffin was about to be lowered into the grave. I 
 could see him heaving his heart to God, for power 
 from on high, to strengthen him. God heard his 
 prayer, and held him up. All being now over, the 
 christian friends began to withdraw ; but Mr. Judson 
 and the children appeared to linger, as if reluctant 
 to leave the sacred spot. "We left the remains of 
 Mrs. Judson, in one of the choicest spots of the bur- 
 ying ground — a banian tree spreading its branches 
 over it, as if to guard the precious treasure which lay 
 interred beneath its shade. 
 
 " We then conducted Mr. Judson and the children 
 to the house of Mr. Thomas Alesworth, which stood 
 adjacent to the burying ground. His large parlor 
 was filled with christian friends. A prayer meeting 
 was held. A goodly number engaged, each and all 
 praying God for comfort and support to his dear 
 servant and his children, in this, their time of need. 
 "We all took tea together, and spent the remainder of 
 the time in religious convei*sation, speaking much of 
 Jesus and the resuirection. And now the time of 
 Mr. Judson's departure drew nigh. Tlie captain 
 called, informing him that there was little time to 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUD80N. 265 
 
 spare, as the ship was to put out to sea again that 
 evening. Mr. Judson then arose and addressed us. 
 He spoke with feelings of the highest gratitude of 
 the Lord's goodness unto him, in sparing him the 
 painful task of burying the remains of his beloved 
 wife in the restless deep ; in bringing her to our 
 island, and in giving her a christian burial, and sur- 
 rounding him with so many kind friends, who had 
 joined with him in paying the last tribiite of respect to 
 her, who to him, had proved one of the best of wives, 
 and the most devoted mother. He said he never 
 could have thought God had so many who loved him 
 on the island, and that he expected, when Mrs. Jud- 
 son died, to have buried her with the assistance of a 
 few seamen and a small number of sympathizing 
 fi-iends. He thanked us all from his very heart, in 
 the name of the Lord, for our christian sympathy 
 and kindness to him and his children, praying God 
 to reward us a thousand fold, to bless us as a chris- 
 tian church, and requested that we would follow him 
 with our prayers, when on the mighty deep. He 
 then gave Mr. Carrol and myself charge of the 
 grave, and instructions concerning the headstone. 
 He desired me often to give the hallowed spot, where 
 lay the remains of his beloved wife, a friendly look, 
 instead of himself, who would soon be far away from 
 it ; but should continue to visit it in the mournftd 
 remembrance of his spirit. We accompanied him 
 to the ship, sorrowing with double sorrow, that we 
 should see his face no more in the flesh. Bidding 
 him God speed, we said the last farewell." 
 12 
 
266 THE MISSIONARY LABOKS 
 
 Mr. Jiidson's friends at St. Helena united with 
 Capt. Codman, commander of the vessel, in defraying 
 tlie expenses of the funeral, and pledged themselves 
 to su]3erintend the erection of the grave stones, which 
 were soon afterward forwarded. 
 
 Mrs. Judson died in the forty-second year of her 
 age, and the twenty-first of her missionary life. Few 
 women live on the field so long, and rarely does one 
 accomplish so much. Her talents were of a supei'ior 
 order, and were all given to the service of her Master. 
 Though precocious in her mental developments, her 
 mind gathered strength as her years advanced and 
 her responsibilities increased; and her first great 
 sorrow, the loss of her oldest child, in 1829, thor- 
 oughly subdued her heart, and gave a more uniform- 
 ly heavenward bias to her moral affections ; so that, 
 to intellectual brilliancy was now added that sweet 
 humility which gives one the dignity, almost, of an 
 angel, and is the finishing stroke to human excel- 
 lence. "When, at the age of thirty-one, she became 
 the wife of Mr. Judson, she stood in the front rank of 
 living women. Possessing every qualification for a 
 missionary, she was a fit companion for him who had 
 learned to appreciate the strong powers of mind, the 
 majestic sweetness of character, and the matchless, 
 self-sacrificing fidelity of her, who, after a life of 
 trials heroically borne, and of labors sublimely per- 
 formed, went to sleep on the shore of the Indian sea. 
 
 A short time before midnight of the day on which 
 Mrs. Judson was buried, the ship weighed anchor, 
 spread her sails, and the man of sorrows, once more 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 267 
 
 a lone widower, was on his way to the " setting sun." 
 On the following morning, he writes, " no vestige of 
 the island was discernable in the dim horizon. For 
 a few days, in the solitude of my cabin, with my 
 poor children crying around me, I could not help 
 abandonino^ mvself to heart-breakino- sorrow. But 
 the promises of the gospel came to my aid, and faith 
 stretched her view to the bright world of eternal 
 life, and anticipated a happy meeting with those 
 beloved beings, whose bodies are mouldering at 
 Amherst and St. Helena." 
 
 After a voyage of about six weeks from St. Hel- 
 ena, Mr. Judson landed in Boston, on the 15th of 
 October; and no servant of God, it is probable, ever 
 set his feet on these shores, whose coming caused so 
 many bosoms to heave with high and holy emotions. / 
 His presence was like the genius of Christianity in- 
 carnate, and the tide of veneration and love rose 
 like an ocean, heaving its sympathetic waves toward 
 him, and experiencing no ebb while he sojourned, all 
 too briefly, in the land. The homage that was paid, 
 wherever he went, was of that elevated and rational 
 character, which springs not from idolatrous admira- 
 tion of the man, but from exuberant gratitude to God 
 for the wonders He had wrought through the instru- 
 mentality of a single missionary. 
 
 In the evening of the third day after his arrival, 
 a meeting of the friends of missions was held in the 
 Bowdoin Square Baptist chm-ch, and the gatherng 
 on the occasion was immense, and the scene ti :ly 
 thrilling. True, BoUes, and Baldwin, and Staughl »n, 
 
268 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 and some others, with whom Mr. Jiidson had corres- 
 ponded from tlie opposite side of the globe, but, 
 with whom he coidd claim no personal acquaint- 
 ance, had gone to heaven to welcome him there. 
 Yet one venerable man was present to whom he 
 had addressed many a communication, and who was 
 among the foremost to welcome the pioneer mission- 
 ary to the arms of the Baptists, and to pledge him 
 their support ; and that one being the President of 
 the Board, was designated, with double propriety, 
 to introduce the scarred veteran of a jungle warfare 
 with darkness, to the thousands who were impatient 
 to draw near and gaze upon his face and catch even 
 the faintest whisper of his voice. — After appropri- 
 ate preliminary services, Kev. Daniel Sharp rose, 
 and, in behalf of the friends of christian missions, 
 addressed Mr. Judson as follows : 
 
 " There are some feelings which are too sacred 
 for public utterance. There are sentiments of re- 
 spect and regard, which, when whispered to the ear, 
 or spoken in the privacy of confidential intercourse, 
 are pleasant and refreshing as the breath of spring, 
 but which lose their fragrance in the atmosphere of 
 a public assembly. Were I to express my own feel- 
 ings toward yourself, my admiration, my confidence, 
 my gratitude, my regard, I should say many things 
 that in this assembly would seem out of place. I 
 may, liowever, without violating christian propriety, 
 speak in behalf of the public, in the presence of the 
 public. 
 
OF ADONIRATtf JIJDSON. 269 
 
 " I may say, without the seml)lance of flattery or 
 adulation, the denomination have cherished a deep, 
 and affectionate, and grateful interest in your labors ; 
 they have wondered at your steady and unfaltering 
 perseverance ; they have admired your disinterested 
 and self-denying course ; and they have tenderly 
 sympathized with you, and prayed for you, when 
 they heard of your personal sufferings, your impris- 
 onment, and loss of personal liberty ; and when they 
 have heard of those greater losses to which, in the 
 death of loved and cherished ones, you have been 
 subjected. And they have rejoiced with you, not 
 indeed that all your work was done, but that a 
 glorious work was done, when, in humble prostra- 
 tion before the beneficent Author of revelation, you 
 devoutly thanked Him that you had completed the 
 translation of the holy Scriptures in the Burman lan- 
 guage. That was a memorable day, not only in the 
 history of yom' own life, but in the history of missions. 
 
 " We can only pray, dear brother, that after a 
 still more extended and critical knowledge of the 
 Burman language, the result of patient and labori- 
 ous study and research, your life may be prolonged 
 to revise and amend your translation of those soul- 
 sanctifying and soul-comforting truths, which tell 
 wdth wondrous power in any language in which an 
 accurate version of them is given. Your prosecu- 
 tion of that other great work, to which your mind, 
 and pen, and days are given — a Burman diction- 
 ary — at the completion of which you may well rest 
 from your labors, will aid you greatly in giving your 
 
270 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 last correcting toiicli to the Bnrman Scriptures. Our 
 prayer will be, in submission to God's will, that you 
 may live until you have sent out to the world the 
 volumes, which will not only shed their radiant light 
 on the Scriptures, but will quicken and elevate the 
 common mind of India. 
 
 " And now, dear brother, withdrawn as you have 
 been, by afflictive dispensation of Providence, from 
 your chosen and loved labors, allow me to say, in 
 behalf of your ministerial brethren and other breth- 
 ren and friends — We welcome you to your native 
 land ; we welcome you to the scenes of your early 
 and manly youth ; we w^elcome you to our worship- 
 ing assemblies ; we welcome you to our hearts. 
 As the representative of the ministers and private 
 christians present, I give to you this hand of cordial 
 welcome, of sympathy, of approbation, and of love. 
 And I believe, could all our denomination be col- 
 lected in one vast assembly, they would require and 
 empower some one to perform this service for them, 
 or rather each one would prefer to give this signifi- 
 cant token of love, and respect, and good wishes, for 
 himself. Were it jDOSsible, and could your strength 
 hold out, and your hand bear the grasp and the cor- 
 dial shake of so many, I could wish that every one 
 who loves the Bible and missions, might be his own 
 representative, and give to you, as I do, the hand of 
 an honest, unchanging, and cordial good will." 
 
 The reader will recollect, that when Mr. Judson 
 became a Baptist, Rev. Samuel ]S"ott, who could not 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 27l 
 
 sympatliize with Lim in his change of sentiment, 
 paid a beautiful tribute to his sincerity in leaving 
 the Congregationalists, and to his piety manifested 
 in taking this painful step. The two j)arted in India, 
 more than thirty years before this date. Mr. Xott 
 toiled a few years as a missionary at Bombay, and 
 was then obliged, on account of ill health, to return 
 home. He was holding the pastoral office over the 
 Congregational church in Wareham, Massachusetts, 
 when Mr. Judson returned ; and hearing of his arri- 
 val, hastened to Boston, reaching the city just in 
 season to be present at this meeting. After Dr. 
 Sharp had concluded his address, while a hymn was 
 being sung, and before Mr. Judson had left the pul- 
 pit, Mr. ]N'ott hurried up the aisle, made himself 
 known to Mr. Judson, and the two embraced with a 
 fervor of feeling rarely witnessed on the meeting 
 of christian friends. But, with all their joys, how 
 faintly such greetings typify the meetings of the 
 ransomed and the recognizing, in the upper world ! ' 
 After the dismissal of the meeting, many in the 
 assembly crowded up the aisle, and pressed the hand 
 of him for whose success they had often prayed, and 
 toward whose support most of them had, doubtless, 
 nobly contributed. 
 
 " Welcome to thee ! long lapse of time 
 
 Hath come, and glanced, and gone between. 
 Since thou for yonder idol clime 
 
 A wanderer from our coasts wast seen 
 
272 MISSIONARY LABORS. 
 
 On these, thy native shores, to men 
 Who bask in beams of living light. 
 
 Thou 'It tell of those beyond its ken — 
 Of Burmah 's millions wrapt in night. 
 
 "Welcome to thee ! thou wilt not leave 
 The god-like embassy undone ; 
 
 There yet are fadeless wreaths to weave. 
 And lofty conquests to be won." 
 
CHAPTEE XXI. 
 
 Mr. Judson at the Meeting of the Convention in 1845 — Dr. Wayland's Address 
 to him — Interesting Scene in the Convention — Mr. Judson's Reception at 
 Richmond — Address of Rev. J. B. Jeter — Mr. Judson's Private Character — 
 He marries Miss Chubbuck — Farewell Services in Boston — Mr. Judson*a 
 Address. 
 
 A special meeting of the Convention was held in 
 November, 1845, in the Baptist Tabernacle, New 
 York. Mr. Judson was present,* and the following 
 resolutions, offered by Rev. Spencer II. Cone, were 
 adopted with the utmost cordiality and unanimity : 
 
 " Resolved, That this convention regard, as a spe- 
 cial occasion of gratitude to the God of all grace, that 
 he has so long preserved the life of oiu' senior mission- 
 ary, Rev. Adoniram Judson, and has strengthened 
 him to perform services of inestimable value for the 
 perishing heathen. 
 
 " Resolved, That the President be requested to 
 express to our brother Judson assurances of the 
 
 * Messrs. Kincaid and Abbott -^i^ere also m this country, and par- 
 ticipated in the discussions in this meeting of the Convention. 
 18 
 
274 THE MISSIONARY LABOIiS 
 
 pleasure with whicli we welcome liim to his native 
 land, and our heartfelt sympathy with him in the 
 painful circumstances which have withdrawn him, 
 as we hope only for a season, from the field of his 
 missionary labors." 
 
 After their adoption. Dr. Cone took Mr. Judson by 
 the hand, and introduced him to the President, Dr. 
 Wayland, in these words: "I present you '-Jesus 
 Christ '5 mtrn:'' " The President then addressed Mr. 
 Judson as follows : 
 
 "It is with no ordinary feelings, my beloved 
 brother, that I rise to discharge the duty imposed 
 upon me, by the resolution which you have this 
 moment heard. My own heart assures me that lan- 
 guage is inadequate to express the sentiments of your 
 brethren on the present occasion. 
 
 "Thirty-three years since, you, and a few other 
 servants of the Most High God, relying simply upon 
 his promises, left your native land, to carry the mes- 
 sage of Christ to the heathen. You were the first 
 offering of the American churches to the Gentiles. 
 You went forth amid the sneers of the thoughtless, 
 and with only the cold and reluctant consent of your 
 brethren. The general voice declared your under- 
 taking to be fanatical, and those who cowered under 
 its rebuke, drew back from you in alarm. On 
 the voyage, your views respecting christian ordi- 
 nances became changed, and this change gave rise 
 to the formation of the convention now in session 
 before you. 
 
OF ADONIPwAM JUDSON. 275 
 
 " When at length jou arrived in India, more for- 
 midable obstacles than those arising from paganism, 
 were thrown in your path. The miglitiest empire 
 that the world has ever seen, forbade every attempt 
 to preach Christ to the countless millions subjected 
 to her sway, and ordered you peremptorily from her 
 shores. Escaping from her power, you took refuge 
 in the Isle of France, and at last, after many perils, 
 arrived at Rangoon, where, out of the reach of chris- 
 tian power, you were permitted to enter upon your 
 labors of love. 
 
 ''After years of toil, you were able to preach 
 Christ to the Burmans, and men began to inquire 
 after the eternal God. The intolerance of the gov- 
 ernment then became apparent, and you proceeded 
 to Ava, to plead tlie cause of toleration before the 
 emperor. Your second attempt was successful, and 
 permission was granted to preach the gospel in the 
 capital itself But how inscrutable are the ways of 
 Providence. Your labors had but just commenced, 
 when a British army took possession of Hangoon, and 
 you and your fellow-laborer, the late Dr. Price, were 
 cast into a loathsome dungeon and loaded with 
 chains. For nearly two years, you suifered all that 
 barbarian cruelty could inflict, and to the special 
 interposition of God alone, it is to be ascribed, that 
 your imprisonment was not terminated by a violent 
 death. On you, more than any other missionary of 
 modern times, has been conferred the distinction of 
 suffering for Christ. Your limbs have been galled 
 with fetters, and you have tracked with bleeding feet 
 
276 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 the burning sands between Ava and Amarapnra. 
 With the apostle of the Gentiles you may say, 
 ' Henceforth let no man trouble me — I bear in my 
 body the marks of the Lord Jesus.' Yet even here 
 God did not leave you comfortless. He had pro- 
 vided an angel to minister to your wants, and when 
 her errand was accomjDlished, took her to himself, 
 and the Hopia tree marks the spot whence her spirit 
 ascended. From prison and from chains, God in his 
 own time delivered you, and made your assistance of 
 special importance in negotiating a treaty of peace 
 between those two nations, one of whom had driven 
 you from her shores, and the other had inflicted upon 
 you every cruelty but death. 
 
 " Since this period, the prime of your life has been 
 spent in laboring to bless the people who had so bar- 
 barously persecuted you. Almost all the christian 
 literature in their language has proceeded from your 
 pen ; your own hand has given to a nation the ora- 
 cles of God, and opened to the millions now living, 
 and to those who shall come after them to the end of 
 time, the door of everlasting life. That mysterious 
 Providence which shut you out from Burmah Pro- 
 per, has introduced you to the Karens, a people who 
 seem to have preserved, from remote antiquity, the 
 ]^owledge of the true God, and who were waiting 
 to receive the message of his Son. To them you, 
 and those who have followed in your footsteps, have 
 made known the Saviour of the world, and they, 
 by thousands, have flocked to the standard of the 
 cross. 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 277 
 
 " After years of unremitted toil, the Providence of 
 God has brought you to be present with us at this 
 important crisis. We sympathize with you in all 
 the sorrows of your painful voyage. May God sus- 
 tain you in your sore bereavement, and cause even 
 this mysterious dispensation to work out for you a 
 far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 
 
 " How changed is the moral aspect of the world 
 since you first entered upon your labors. Then, no 
 pagan nation had heard the name of Christ from 
 American lips ; at present, churches of Christ planted 
 by American benevolence, are springing up in almost 
 every heathen nation. The shores of the Mediter- 
 ranean, the islands of the sea, the thronged cities, 
 and the wild jungles of India, are resounding with 
 the high praises of God, in strains first taught by 
 American missionaries. The nation that drove you 
 from her shores, has learned to foster the messenger 
 of the cross with parental solicitude. You return to 
 your native land, w^hence you were suffered to de- 
 part almost without her blessing, and you find that 
 the missionary enterprise has kindled a flame that 
 can never be quenched in the heart of the universal 
 chm-ch, and that every christian and every philanthro- 
 pist comes forward to tender to you the homage due 
 to the man through w^hose sufferings, labors, and ex- 
 ample these changes have, to so great a degree, been 
 effected. In behalf of our brethren, in behalf of the 
 whole church of Christ, we w^elcome you back to the 
 land of your fathers. God grant that your life may 
 long be preserved, and that what you have seen may 
 
278 THE MISSIONAKY LABORS 
 
 prove to be but the beginning of blessing to our 
 churches at home, and to the heathen abroad." 
 
 Mr. Judson had been forbidden by his medical 
 advisers, to speak in j^^^blic, and, in reply to Dr. 
 Wayland, merely expressed his thanks for the uni- 
 form and marked expressions of respect and kindness 
 with which he had been received since his arrival 
 in his native land, and hoped that these things would 
 tend to humble him and make him more assiduous 
 in the discharge of his duties to the benighted. 
 
 On the twenty-first, the third day of the Conven- 
 tion, a report was presented, suggesting that possibly 
 Arracan would have to be abandoned, when Mr. 
 Judson rose, and, in a voice audible in all parts of 
 the house, said, in substance : " Though forbidden by 
 physicians to speak, I must say a few words. I 
 must ]3rotest against the abandonment of the Arra- 
 can mission." He then presented his reasons for the 
 mission's continuance ; but in so low a voice, that Dr. 
 Cone was obliged to repeat his words to the assem- 
 bly. He concluded by saying, " If the Convention 
 think my services can be dispensed with, in finishing 
 the dictionary, I will go immediately to Arracan ; or, 
 if God should spare my life to finish my dictionary, 
 I will go there afterward, and labor there, and die 
 there, and he hiiried there I " 
 
 The thrilling remarks of Mr. Judson, together 
 with others in a similar spirit made by Messi-s. Ab- 
 bott, Kincaid, and two or three other gentlemen, 
 drew out the following resolution, which was offered 
 
OF ADONIEA^I JUDSON. 2T9 
 
 by Eev. William K. Williams, and rnianimously 
 adopted : 
 
 " Eesolved, That, in the indications of divine Prov- 
 idence, as presented by the remarkable harmony and 
 the reviving hopes of the brethren here met, and the 
 flowing together of all hearts in the baptism of one 
 sjDirit, this Convention find themselves compelled to' 
 abandon, for the present at least, all thought of aban- 
 doning or abridging their missionary stations ; and 
 that our Heavenly Father is summoning us to rein- 
 force, and even to enlarge om- operations, in fuller 
 accordance with the greatness of his promises and 
 of the world's necessities." 
 
 Receptions similar to those in Boston and I^ew 
 York, were given Mr. Judson in Philadelphia, Bal- 
 timore, Washington, Bichmond, and several other 
 places ; but the plan of this work would not admit 
 of their details. The one at the last mentioned 
 place, however, was of so important a character, and 
 the sentiment of so many minds was expressed, that 
 we can not pass over it. The gathering at Rich- 
 mond, February 8th, 1846, was a mass missionary 
 meeting of members of "He Southern Missionary 
 Convention," which came into existence in 1845, 
 and owed its origin to a disagreement of sentiment 
 between Baptists of the !North and South, on the 
 question of slavery. The Acting Board, after some 
 correspondence with the Alabama State Convention, 
 and in reply to a question of that body, declared 
 
280 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 that " if any one should offer himself as a mission- 
 ary, having slaves, and should insist on retaining 
 them as his property, they could not appoint him." 
 This declaration caused the separate organization at 
 the South, and that step occasioned the special meet- 
 ing at the Baptist Tabernacle, and the change of the 
 name of the General Convention to that of the 
 "American Baptist Missionary Union." Each organ- 
 ization, it is proper to add, has since been engaged 
 in prosecuting the work of missions in its chosen 
 field, in the most peaceful manner, so far as home 
 relations are concerned, and with gratifying success. 
 Rev. J. B. Jeter, being president of the Southern 
 Board, welcomed Mr. Judson as follows : 
 
 "Mr. Judson — I address you on behalf of the For- 
 eign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Conven- 
 tion in Richmond, and, I may add, of the whole 
 Baj^tist denomination in the South. The service is 
 at once pleasing and painful ; pleasing, because we 
 had scarcely expected to enjoy the privilege of see- 
 ing your face and grasping your hand — painful, 
 because your want of voice prevents you from 
 imparting to us the instruction and encouragement 
 which you are well qualified to communicate ; and 
 the brevity of your visit will make the pain of sep- 
 aration almost equal to the pleasure of meeting. 
 
 " I seize the present opportunity to present a few 
 remarks ; and I do it the more readily, as the state 
 of your health does not permit us to expect many 
 from yourself. 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 281 
 
 " It is interesting to stand at the head-spring of a 
 great river, which, traversing a continent, spreads 
 through kingdoms fertility, and all the blessings of 
 commerce. The position awakens emotions of sub- 
 limity. It can not be less interesting and insjjiring 
 to contemplate events which, in themselves seeming- 
 ly unimportant, have produced momentous results. 
 To such an event, our attention is drawn by your 
 presence. 
 
 "When you and your honored associates, IS'ott, 
 Mills, and E'ewell, presented to the General Asso- 
 ciation of Congregationalists in Massachusetts, as- 
 sembled at Bradford in 1810, a paper expressing 
 yom' desire to engage in the work of foreign mis- 
 sions, and asking their advice and aid, who could 
 have anticipated the result of the a]3plication ? At 
 that time the churches were slumbering profoundly 
 on the subject of missions ; there were no mission- 
 ary societies, no plans matured for conducting mis- 
 sions, and no funds collected for the support of 
 missionaries. 
 
 "The application originated the American Board 
 of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. A noble in- 
 stitution it is — superior to any in our own land, and 
 vying in the wisdom of its measures and the success 
 of its efforts, with the best- ordered and most re- 
 nowned missionary organizations of the old world. 
 Its annual expenditure is not far, if at all, short of 
 one-third of a million of dollars ; and its mission 
 stations have dotted almost the whole extent of 
 heathendom. 
 
282 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 " Under the patronage of this Board, after consid- 
 erable hesitation and delay on their part, you em- 
 barked, with your companion, and revered associates, 
 in 1812, for the East. On your arrival there, an 
 event occurred deeply affecting your own course, and 
 the cause of missions. You, Mrs. Judson, and the 
 lamented Rice, became Baptists. Whatever may be 
 said or thought of the change, your sincerity in mak- 
 ing it cannot be reasonably called in question. You 
 abandoned a christian denomination, wealthy — with 
 whose members you were intimately acquainted — to 
 whom you were tenderly attached, and from whom 
 you expected a liberal support, and connected your- 
 self with one comparatively poor — to whose mem- 
 bers you were a stranger, and from whom you had 
 no prospect of receiving assistance. The hand of 
 God was in it. The change was the means of arous- 
 ing, among the Baptists of the United States, the 
 missionary spirit, and forming the Baptist Triennial 
 Convention, under whose patronage you have so long 
 labored. 
 
 " By a remarkable train of events, among which 
 was the breaking out of the war between this country 
 and Great Britain — you were led, or rather driven 
 into Burmah. God had selected that field for you, 
 and designed that you should accomplish a great 
 work there. 
 
 I pass over the story of your toils and sufferings, 
 your chains and imprisonment, and the almost super- 
 human fortitude of your now sainted companion. It 
 is familiar to every American, and, indeed, every 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 283 
 
 christian reader. It forms an essential and thrilling 
 chapter in the history of missions. 
 
 "And now, my brother, to say nothing of what has 
 been effected by the missionaries of the Baptist Tri- 
 ennial Convention, among the aborigines of Amer- 
 ica, in France, in Germany, in Denmark, in Greece, 
 in Africa, in China, in Siam, in Hindostan, in Assam, 
 behold, what a change God hath wrought in Bur- 
 mah, and in the contiguous provinces ! The Bible 
 has been translated in the Burman language, care- 
 fully revised, printed, put into circulation, and read 
 by thousands ! We watched with intense interest the 
 progress of the translation. We prayed that your life 
 might be spared to complete it We saw you when, 
 having finished the last leaf of the precious volume, 
 you took it in yom^ hand, and bowing beside your 
 desk, gave thanks to God that he had enabled you to 
 accomplish the work. To that thanksgiving we sub- 
 joined our hearty amen ! In that land, so recently 
 enveloped in the darkness of heathenism, chm-ches 
 have been founded, to worship the name, and keep 
 the ordinances of Jesus. Native preachers have 
 been raised up to proclaim in their own tongue, and 
 among their own countrymen, ' the unsearchable 
 riches of Christ.' The Karens, a simple-hearted and 
 singular people, are turning by hundreds and thou- 
 sands to the Lord. Among them, the gospel has had 
 a success rarely equaled since the days of the apos- 
 tles. On Burmah, ' the morning light is breaking.' 
 The time to favor her has fully come. 
 
 " We cannot penetrate futurity. I pretend not to 
 
284 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 be skilled in prophetic interpretation. But in the 
 next half century, we may anticipate great accessions 
 to Christianity. "We found our hope on past success. 
 Wherever the gospel has been preached, plainly and 
 faithfully, from the equator to the poles, among civil- 
 ized or savage men, it has been the "power of God 
 unto salvation." The success of the missionary en- 
 terprise, has everywhere corresponded, in a remark- 
 able manner, with the measures of abilityj zeal, and 
 diligence employed in its prosecution. We base our 
 expectation on the increasing prevalence of the mis- 
 sionary spirit. When, more than half a century 
 ago, the work of foreign missions commenced among 
 the Anglo-Saxon christians, led on by the immortal 
 Carey, it was predicted that its advocates would soon 
 grow weary, and relax their efforts. The prediction 
 has not been fulfilled. At no previous period has it 
 been so much the settled policy and purpose of the 
 churches, to make efforts and sacrifices in the work 
 of evangelizing the world, as it is now. And, above 
 all, we found our hope on the divine promises. Un- 
 less we have misconceived their import, they point 
 to a time of greater light, purity, and triumph in the 
 church, than the world has yet seen. This sin-dark- 
 ened earth is to be filled with the knowledge of the 
 glory of God. From the rising of the sun, even 
 unto the going down of the same, the name of Christ 
 shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place 
 incense shall be offered unto His name, and a pure 
 offering. 
 
 " Henceforth, my brother, you and we shall labor 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 285 
 
 in connection with different Boards. Events which 
 neither you nor we could control, produced the sepa- 
 ration ; and God, we trust, will overrule it for good. 
 One thing is certain : the southern Baptists have no 
 thought of abandoning the missionary field. We 
 are buckling on our armor, and marshaling our hosts 
 for a fiercer onset on the powers of darkness than we 
 have yet made. We have selected China as oui 
 battle-field — a vast, interesting, and inviting field i1 
 is. It contains one -half, if not two-thirds of the 
 heathen population of the globe. The wall, which, 
 for centuries, presented an insuperable barrier to 
 the introduction of Christianity, has recently been 
 leveled with the dust, and the banner of the cross 
 now floats in triumph in Canton. 
 
 '' But I must close my remarks. Brother Judson, 
 we are acquainted with your history. We have 
 marked your labors — have sympathized in your 
 various sufferings — have shed many a tear at the 
 foot of the ' Hopia-tree," — have gone, in fancy, on 
 mournful pilgrimage to the rocky island of St. Hel- 
 ena — have rejoiced in your successes, and the suc- 
 cesses of your devoted associates — and have long 
 and fervently wished to see your face in the flesh. 
 This privilege we now enjoy. Welcome, thrice 
 welcome, are you, my brother, to our city — our 
 churches — our bosoms. I speak as the representa- 
 tive of southern Baptists. We love you for the 
 truth's sake, and for your labors in the cause of 
 Christ. We honor you as the father of American 
 missions. 
 
286 THE ^aSSIONAEY LABORS 
 
 " One thought pains iis. To-morrow morning jou 
 leave us. We shall see yom' face no more. You 
 will soon return to Bnrmah, the land of your adop- 
 tion. There 3^ou will continue jour toils, and there, 
 probal)ly, be buried. But this separation is not 
 without its solace. Thank God ! it is as near from 
 Eurmah to heaven, as from Kichmond, or any other 
 point on the globe. Angels, oft commissioned to 
 convey to heaven the departing spirits of pious Bur- 
 mans and Karens, have learned the way to that dark 
 land. When dismissed from your toils and suffer- 
 ings, they will be in readiness to perform the same 
 service for you. God grant that we may all meet 
 in that bright world. There sin shall no more an- 
 noy us, separations no more pain us, and every 
 power find full and sweet employ in the service of 
 Christ! 
 
 "And now, my brother, I give my hand in token 
 of affection to you, and of your cordial reception 
 among us." 
 
 The visit of Mr. Judson to this country brought 
 him in contact with his warmest friends, and re- 
 vealed to them beautiful traits of his character, for 
 which they would, otherwise, probably never have 
 given him full credit. He had heretofore been seen 
 at a distance, and only in his public capacity ; now 
 he was viewed with all the microscopic advantages 
 / of domestic intercourse ; and the graces of child- 
 like simplicity, confidence, sympathy, and affection, 
 "bound him still closer to the hearts of those who had 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 287 
 
 long been accustomed to contemplate and admire the / 
 mountain majesty and sternness of his missionary / 
 life. " His heart," writes Dr. Hague, whose inter- 
 course with him was intimate, " was a well-spring of 
 tender affections, his eye took within its scope the 
 whole wide range of human relationships, and he 
 was sensitively alive to the happiness of all around 
 him. In this respect, he resembled his divine 
 Master, who, while on earth, although he was em- 
 ployed in a mission that involved the eternal destinies 
 of a fallen race, could find congenial joys in the 
 friendship of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and who, 
 amidst the agonies of the cross, could commend the 
 temporal w^eltare of his mother to 'that disciple 
 whom he loved.' 
 
 " The soul," the same writer adds, " reveals itself 
 not only in words, but in the tones of the voice, in 
 the animated countenance, in the kindling eye, in 
 every feature, in every movement. Although it 
 may not be safe to judge of men by the outward 
 appearanco merely, yet there are signs of character 
 which are seldom mistaken, which no art can coun- 
 terfeit, and which make impressions that we can 
 neither resist nor erase. And no one, probably, has 
 been permitted to enjoy Mr. Judson's society, and 
 especially to kneel with him while conducting the 
 worship of a family, who has not left his presence 
 with some new conviction of the depth of his piety, 
 of the breadth of his philanthropy, of his child-like 
 humility as a christian, and of his real greatness as 
 
288 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 AYhile in this country, Mr. Judson was desirous 
 of securing the services of some one to write the 
 memoirs of his second wife, and was directed to 
 Miss Emily Chubbuck, of Utica, New York. She 
 had written three or four valuable Sabbath-school 
 books, and gained a high reputation in th-e field of 
 periodical literature. The acquaintance which Mr. 
 Judson formed with her, resulted in their union, 
 which took place on the 2d of June, 18-i6. 
 
 On the last day of the same month, the farewell 
 services, preparatory to their departure for Burmah, 
 were performed in the Baldwin Place Baptist church, 
 of Boston. The exercises preliminary to Mr. Judson's 
 address were conducted by Rev. Messrs. R. H. Neale, 
 H. J. Ripley, and Baron Stow. After the last men- 
 tioned gentleman had delivered an eloquent address 
 to the Judsons, and other missionaries, who were to 
 accompany them, Mr. Judson spoke as follows : 
 
 " My friends are aware, that it is quite impossible 
 for me, without serious injury to myself, to sustain 
 my voice at such a height as to reach this large 
 assembly, except for a few sentences. I have there- 
 fore taken the liberty of putting some thoughts on 
 paper, which Rev. Mr. Hague will do me the honor 
 of reading to you. 
 
 " I wish, however, in my own voice, to praise God 
 for the deep interest, in the cause of missions, man- 
 ifested by the friends of the Redeemer in this city 
 and tnc vicinity, and to thank them for all their 
 expressions and acts of kindness toward me, during 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 289 
 
 my brief sojourn among tliem. I regret that cir- 
 cumstances have prevented mj spending more time 
 in this city, and of forming a more intimate ac- 
 quaintance with those, whom a slight acquaintance 
 has taught me so much to love. 
 
 " It is as certain as any future event can be, that 
 I shall never again revisit the shores of my native 
 land; that, after a few days, your beautiful city, 
 this great and glorious country, will be forever shut 
 from my view. No more shall I enter your places 
 of worship ; no more shall I behold your faces, and 
 exchange the affectionate salutations of christian love. 
 
 " The greatest favor we can bestow on our absent 
 friends, is to bear them on our hearts at the throne 
 of grace. I pray you, dear friends, remember me 
 there, — and my missionary associates, and our in- 
 fant churches, and the poor heathen among whom 
 we go to live. And though we do meet no more on 
 earth, I trust that our next meeting will be in that 
 blessed world, where ' the loved and the parted here 
 below, meet ne'er to part again.' " 
 
 These words, which were uttered with deep e no- 
 tion, were distinctly heard by all the assembly. The 
 modestly termed " thoughts," to which he referred, 
 and which were read by the gentleman designated, 
 are as follows : 
 
 " There are periods in the lives of men, who expe- 
 rience much change of scene and variety of adven- 
 ture, when they seem to themselves to be subject to 
 19 
 
290 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 some supernatural illusion, or wild, magical dream ; 
 when tliey are ready, amid the whirl of conflicting 
 recollections, to doubt their own personal identity, — 
 and, like steersmen in a storm, feel that they must 
 keep a steady eye to the compass, and a strong 
 arm at the wheel. The scene spread out before 
 me, seems, on retros2:>ection, to be identified with 
 the past, and, at the same time, to be reaching 
 forward and foreshadowing the future. At one mo- 
 ment, the lapse of thirty-four years is annihilated ; 
 the scenes of 1812 are again present; and this as- 
 sembly — how like that which commended me to 
 God, on first leaving my native shores for the dis- 
 tant East. But, as I look around, where are the 
 well-known faces of Spring, and Worcester, and 
 Dwight ? Where are Lyman, and Huntington, and 
 Grifiin ? And where are those leaders of the bap- 
 tized ranks, who stretched out their arms across 
 the water, and received me into their communion ? 
 Where are Baldwin and Bolles? where Holcombe, 
 and Rogers, and Staughton? I see them lot. I have 
 been to their temples of worship, but their voices 
 have passed away. And where are mv early mis- 
 si ."^nary associates — JSTewell, and Hall, and Hice, and 
 llichards, and Mills? But why inquire for those so 
 ancient? Where are the succeeding laborers in the 
 missionary field for many years ; and the intervening 
 generation, v^^ho sustained the missions ? And where 
 are those who moved amid the dark scenes of Ran- 
 goon, and Ava, and Tavoy? Where those gentle, 
 yet firm spirits, which tenanted forms, — delicate in 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDsOl^. 291 
 
 strnctm-e, but careless of the storm — now broken, 
 and scattered, and strewn, like the leaves of au- 
 tumn, under the shadow of overhanging trees, and 
 on remote islands of the sea. 
 
 "E'o; these are not the scenes of 1S12, nor is 
 this the assembly that convened in the Tabernacle 
 of a neighboring city. Many years Tiave elapsed; 
 many venerated, many beloved ones have passed 
 away to be seen no more. 'They rest from their 
 labors, and their works do follow them.' And with 
 what words shall I address those who have taken 
 their places, the successors of the venerated and the 
 beloved — the generation of 1812? 
 
 " In that year, American christians pledged tliem- 
 selves to the work of evangelizing the world. They 
 had but little to rest on except the command and 
 promise of God. The attemj)ts then made by Brit- 
 ish christians had not been attended w^th so much 
 success, as to establish the practicability, or vindi- 
 cate the wisdom of the missionary enterprise. For 
 many years, the work advanced but slowly. One 
 denomination after another embarked in the under- 
 taking ; and now American missionaries are seen 
 in almost every land and every clime. Many lan- 
 guages have been acquired ; many translations of 
 the Bible have been made ; the gospel has been ex- 
 tensively preached; and churches have been estab- 
 lished containing thousands of sincere, intelligent 
 converts. The obligation, therefore, on the present 
 generation, to redeem the pledge given by their 
 fathers is greatly enhanced. And it is an animating 
 
THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 consideration, that with the enhancement of the 
 obligation, the encouragement to persevere in the 
 work, and to make still greater efforts, are increas- 
 ing from year to year. Judging from the past, what 
 may we rationally expect, during the lapse of an- 
 other thirty or forty years ? Look forward with the 
 eye of faith. See the missionary spirit universally 
 diffused, and in active operation throughout this 
 country, — every church sustaining, not only its own 
 minister, but, through some general organization, its 
 own missionary in a foreign land. See the Bible 
 faithfully translated into all languages, — the rays of 
 the lamp of heaven transmitted through every me- 
 dium, and illuminating all lands. See the Sabbath 
 spreading its holy calm over the face of the earth, — 
 the churches of Zion assembling, and the praises of 
 Jesus resounding from shore to shore ; and, though 
 the great majority may still remain, as now in this 
 christian country, without hope and without God in 
 this world, yet the barriers in the way of the descent 
 and operation of the Holy Spirit removed, so that 
 revivals of religion become more constant and more 
 powerful. 
 
 " The world is yet in its* infancy ; the gracious 
 designs of God are yet hardly developed. Glorious 
 things are spoken of Zion, the city of our God. She 
 is yet to triumph, and become the joy and glory of 
 the whole earth. Blessed be God, that we live in 
 these latter times — the latter times of the reign of 
 darkness and imposture. Great is our privilege, pre- 
 cious our opportunity, to cooperate with the Saviour 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 293 
 
 in the blessed work of enlarging and establishing 
 his kingdom throughout the world. Most precious 
 the opportunity of becoming wise, in turning many to 
 righteousness, and of shining, at last, as the bright- 
 ness of the firmament, and as the stars, forever and 
 ever. 
 
 " Let us not, then, regret the loss of those who 
 have gone before us, and are waiting to welcome us 
 home, nor shrink from the summons that must call 
 us thither. Let us only resolve to follow them who 
 through faith and patience inherit the promises. 
 Let us so em23loy the remnant of life, and so pass 
 away, as that our successors will say of us, as we 
 of our predecessors, ' Blessed are the dead that die 
 in the Lord. They rest from their labors, and their 
 works do follow them.' " 
 
CHAPTEK XXII. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs, Judson embark for Burmah — Messrs. Beecher and Harris, and 
 Miss Lillybridge accompany ihem — Changes at Maulmain — Growth of tho 
 Churches there — Mr. and Mrs. Judson repair to Rangoon — State of Civil and 
 Religious Matter.=i in Burmah Proper — Return lo Maulmain — Arrival of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Moore — Newton and Maulmain Stations. 
 
 The time had now arrived for Mr. Judson-s de- 
 parture. He had visited his natal home, and expe- 
 rienced the resurrection of buried memories ; he had 
 stood and wept within the old Tabernacle, at Salem, 
 where, thirty-four years before, he had been ordained 
 to a work which has no rival in moral grandeur, and 
 in which God had, through him, honored the chris- 
 tian name ; and he had traversed his native land, 
 and been received, in many places, with an enthusi- 
 asm truly inspiring, and far more noble than that 
 ever excited by the return of any victorious warrior 
 that ever rallied his hosts around the eagles of Kome : 
 but nothing could tempt him to tarry on these shores. 
 The faintest whisper of duty was sweeter than the 
 thunders of human applause, — and, heard over all, 
 beckoned him away. 
 
 On the 11th of July, 1846, he who went down to 
 the Caravan, in 1812, silently and almost alone, 
 
ADONIEAM JUDSON. 295 
 
 keeping time to the solemn beat of his own un- 
 cheered heart, was accompanied to the ship Fan- 
 ueil Hall, which lay at anchor in the harbor of 
 Boston, by a band of sympathizing fi-iends, and was 
 greeted at the dock by hundreds, some of whom had 
 stood there for hours, in the burning sun, to catch 
 another and the last look of the eloquent apostle, 
 whose inspired rhetoric, winging the arrows of truth, 
 and, resounding through the jungle, had, by the help 
 of the Spirit, lain many a champion of Gaudama pros- 
 trate at the feet of Jesus. A prayer is offered ; a hymn 
 is sung ; the ship weighs anchor, and a fresh breeze, 
 the favoring breath of heaven, bears the venerated sol- 
 dier of the cross from the sight of his weeping friends. 
 
 In company with Mr. and Mrs. Judson, were Rev. 
 Messrs. John S. Beecher and Gorman Harris, their 
 wives, and Miss Lydia Lillybridge, they having been 
 previously set apart to the work of missions. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Beecher were bound to Arracan; the rest 
 to Maulmain. Miss Lillybridge was to labor with 
 Mr. and Mrs. Judson in the Burman department ; 
 Mr. and Mrs. Harris in the Karen. They all arrived 
 at Maulmain on the 5th of December. 
 
 During Mr. Judson's absence an infant son had 
 died, and some other changes had taken place. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Osgood had withdrawn from the 
 mission on account of ill health f Mr. Simons 
 
 * The latter, who was the second wife of Mr. Osgood, died at Wy- 
 oming, New York, July 13th, 1849. When married to Mr. Osgood, 
 she was the widow of Rev. Jacob Thomas, who was killed by the 
 fall of a tree, on his way up the Brahmaputra, to Assam. 
 
296 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 had temporarily left, on a visit to this country ; and 
 Mr, Stilson had removed to Maulmain from Akyab 
 to take Mr. Osgood's place as mission treasurer. 
 The last gentleman was assisting Mr. Stevens in the 
 Burman theological school, and also in the pastoral 
 care of the Burman church, which had devolved on 
 Mr. Stevens, in the absence of Mr. Judson. Mr. Ran- 
 ney was there, acting as depositary, as well as printer. 
 
 The churches connected with the Maulmain mis- 
 sion — twenty -six in number, including those of 
 Rangoon and Bassein — had been, as a whole, highly 
 favored during Mr. Judson's absence. The thirty- 
 third annual report of the Missionary Union, being 
 for May, 1847, records fourteen hundred baptisms as 
 the fruit of the previous year's efforts.* The num- 
 ber of communicants in these churches had swelled 
 to four thousand and eight hundred, and embraced 
 about half of the whole number, connected with the 
 one hundred and eight or ten churches belonging to 
 the sixteen missions then supported by the Union. 
 
 While Mr. Judson was in this country, the am- 
 bitious and sanguinary emperor, Tharawaddy, who 
 had usurped the throne nine or ten years before, 
 was driven therefrom by his own ministers ; and Mr. 
 Judson repaired to Rangoon shortly after reaching 
 Maulmain, in order to ascertain tlie feelings of the 
 new government toward the christian religion. He 
 discovered that the king was far from being indifferent 
 
 * Most of these were Karens. During the last half of the year 1846, 
 something like one thousand were added to the Karen churches, in the 
 Rangoon region. 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 297 
 
 to the influence of foreigners; but, thinking that 
 possibly a footing might once more be obtained in 
 the empire, he returned to Maulmain for Mrs. Jud- 
 son, whom he removed to his original home in the 
 empire, in February. 
 
 Eangoon was now the only city in Burmah 
 Proper, in which foreigners were permitted to re- 
 side; and the state of things there, religious and 
 political, is presented in the following communica- 
 tion, dated March 28, 1847: 
 
 " I have just returned from baptizing a Burman 
 convert, in the same tank of water where I baptized 
 the first Bm-man convert, Moung Nau, twenty-eight 
 years ago. It is now twenty-five years since I ad- 
 ministered baptism in Eangoon, the few converts 
 that have been made during that period being gen- 
 erally baptized by the native pastor. My time has 
 been mostly spent in Maulmain, where, having been 
 instrumental, with others, of raising up a few Bur- 
 mese and Karen churches, I have left them, since 
 my return from America, in the care of my dear and 
 excellent missionary brethren, and am now making a 
 small attempt once more in Burmah Proper. 
 
 " The attempt, however, is made under very dis- 
 couraging circumstances. The present administra- 
 tion of government, though rather more friendly to 
 foreigners, is more rigidly intolerant than that of the 
 late king Tharawaddy. Any known attempt at 
 proselyting would be instantly amenable at the 
 criminal tribunal, and would probably be punished 
 
298 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 by the imprisonment or death of the proselyte, and 
 the banishment of the missionary. The governor of 
 this place has received me favorably, not as a mis- 
 sionary, (though he well knows, from old acquaint- 
 ance, that that is my character,) but as a minister of 
 a foreign religion, ministering to foreigners resident 
 in the place, and a dictionary maker, ' laboring to 
 promote the welfare of both countries.' Our mis- 
 sionary efforts, therefore, being conducted in private, 
 must necessarily be very limited. It is, however, a 
 precious privilege to be allowed to welcome into a 
 private room a small company, j)erhaps two or three 
 individuals only, and pour the light of truth into 
 their immortal souls — souls, that, but for the effi- 
 cacy of that light, would be covered with the gloom 
 of darkness — darkness to be felt to all eternity. 
 
 "Another discouraging circumstance is the very 
 low state of the Burman church in this place. There 
 are about twenty nominal members still surviving ; 
 but they are much scattered, and not half of them 
 appear to be living members. I have, therefore, 
 been making an attempt to reorganize the church, 
 and have found four individuals who have united 
 with myself and wife in renewing our church cove- 
 nant, and establishing a new church. We have, this 
 day, received one new member, and we hope to find 
 a few more of the old members, who will come up 
 to our standard." 
 
 Further extracts from his communications while 
 at Eangoon, will show the disposition of "the 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 299 
 
 heathen " to " rage," and the infeasibility of effecting, 
 just then, the reestablishment of the missions at 
 Rangoon and Ava*. 
 
 "May 20, 1847.— This is the first Lord's day on 
 which I have had no regular worship. A private 
 order of government was issued day before yester- 
 day, to have the house I occupy watched by police 
 officers, in order to apprehend any who might be 
 liable to the charge of favoring "Jesus Christ's re- 
 ligion." Seasonable information was communicated 
 to me and the disciples, by friends at court, so that 
 they have all escaped for the present. ]N^one came 
 near me, except two from the country; and with 
 them, I had a very interesting and affecting time, 
 in a private room ; and they got off undiscovered. 
 I'our Karen lads, who had been waiting for a pas- 
 sage to Maulmain, decamped before light this morn- 
 ing, for their native jungle. 
 
 " The vice-governor of the place, who, indeed, is 
 the acting governor at present, is the most ferocious, 
 blood-thirsty monster, I have ever known in Bm'- 
 mah. It is said that his house and court-yard re- 
 sound, day and night, with the screams of people 
 under torture. Even foreigners are not beyond his 
 grasp. He lately wreaked his rage on some Arme- 
 nians and Mussulmen ; and one of the latter class 
 died in the hands of a subordinate officer. His crime 
 was quite a venial one ; but, in order to extort money, 
 he was tortured so barbarously that the blood streamed 
 from his mouth, and he was dead in an hour. 
 
300 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 " I am afraid, that, while the present monster is in 
 power, I shall not be able to convene the disciples 
 for worship, as hitherto. He is, however, only acting 
 on the orders which are understood to be in force all 
 over the country, proscriptive of the christian reli- 
 gion. I feel the blow most deeply, for I had just 
 succeeded in reorganizing a little church, out of old 
 materials and some lately baptized, amounting in 
 number to eleven, nearly all purely Burmese ; and 
 last Sunday I had an assembly of above twenty. 
 Several new ones were expected to-day ; and two 
 would probably have been baptized. I had become 
 so attached to the little church and assembly, and so 
 glad, on every returning Lord's day, to lay aside 
 my tedious dictionary labors, and spend all the day 
 in obtaining and communicating spiritual refresh- 
 ment, that the present interruption seems almost too 
 hard to bear. However, I hope to do something 
 yet, in private, to aid a few perishing souls, who are 
 struggling through darkness and terror, to find a 
 way of escape from the more dread darkness and 
 terror of eternal death. But everything must be 
 done in private. Not even a tract can be given 
 publicly. That point I ascertained a few years ago, 
 on a visit to the place, which, I believe, I never 
 mentioned in writing home. In order to test the 
 real extent and efficacy of the king's order, prohibit- 
 ing the distribution of books at Ava, I opened a box 
 of tracts in the front part of the house where I was 
 a guest for a few days. The people took them greed- 
 ily ; bat in less than an hour, my assistant, Ko En, 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 301 
 
 was arrested and* placed in confinement. It cost me 
 a great deal to get him free ; and when he was re- 
 leased, it was on condition that he would give no 
 more tracts. This time, therefore, I brought no tracts 
 for distribution, and have confined myself to private 
 conversation, except convening an assembly for wor- 
 ship, — and that in an 'upper room,' — every Lord's 
 day. 
 
 "June 6. Lord's day. — j^o formal worship ; but a 
 fine young man, whom we had concluded to receive 
 into the church, son of one of the oldest converts, 
 spent the day with me, in company with two or three 
 others ; and just at night we repaired to the remote 
 side of the old baptizing place, and, under cover of 
 the bushes, perpetrated a deed, which, I trust, our 
 enemies will not be able to gainsay or invalidate, to 
 all eternity. 
 
 "8. — Yesterday morning, the young man, on re- 
 turning to his residence, a few miles distant, met 
 his father under arrest, in the hands of the myrmi- 
 dons of government, on thei'^ way to the court of the 
 governor — not, I w^as glad to learn, the ferocious 
 vice-governor above mentione^I. One of the con- 
 verts ran to give me notice ; ai?d for two or three 
 hours I sat expecting the worst. JBut the blow was 
 averted, as suddenly as it was aimed. * What have 
 you brought the man before me for ? ' said the oflicer. 
 ' To be examined on a charge of heresy and frequent- 
 ing the house of Jesus Christ's teacher,' -«%aid the 
 leading accuser. * On what authority ? ' ' Here is 
 your written order.' 'What — who — I have given 
 
302 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 no order. It must be one of my p^tty clerks. It is 
 all a mistake. Go about your business.' ' I thought 
 it strange,' rallied the arrested, 'that you should 
 summon me on a charge of heresy, as it is well 
 known that I worship the true God.' ' God,' said 
 the officer, rather nettled, ' worship any God you 
 like ' — ' or the devil,' promptly added a virago, sit- 
 ting on an official cushion, at his side, — 'if you 
 villagers just pay your taxes, what more do we want 
 of you ? ' 
 
 "As near as we can ascertain the truth of this 
 strange affiiir, the officer, after sending off the order 
 early in the morning, not entertaining the least doubt 
 that the measure w^ould be approved, as the religion 
 of Jesus Christ is understood to be universally pro- 
 scribed, stepped, however, into the government 
 house and reported what he had done ; and the 
 governor, remembering his pledge to me on my 
 first arrival, quashed the proceedings. Thanks be 
 to God. 
 
 "And this is not the first favor he has done me, as 
 I have just learned by a very private confidential 
 communication from a sworn employee of govern- 
 ment, a friend of mine, though not of the cause. A 
 few days since, one of the highest members of gov- 
 ernment, represented to his excellency, that two or 
 three years ago, under the administration of his pre- 
 decessors, three of these heretical teachers, (he meant 
 brethren Ingalls, Stevens, and Yinton,) came from 
 Maulmain, with the intention of effecting a settle- 
 ment in the empire ; that he mentioned their arrival 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 303 
 
 to the tlien governor, who left their disposal entirely 
 in his hands, on which he ordered them out of the 
 country ; and that the said teachers then pretended 
 they had not come to stay, and immediately took 
 their departure. On hearing this, the governor kept 
 his head bent over his breakfast, and made no reply. 
 And the officer, feeling that he had not sufficient 
 encouragement to bring forward my case, withdrew 
 to wait for a more convenient season. But the term 
 of this governor's rule is drawing to a close ; and it 
 is expected- by many, that he will be succeeded by 
 the ferocious vice-governor. 
 
 "13. Lord's day. — Not an individual ventures to 
 come near me. I am advised to make friends with 
 the vice-governor, by w^hose orders the house is 
 watched, and whose authority is now paramount to 
 that of the governor, a weak old man, who suffers 
 himself to be set at defiance ; but I think that an 
 attempt of that sort would but expose the cause to 
 greater danger. 
 
 "I am persuaded, as I have been for years past, 
 that the only way to keep footing in Rangoon, is to 
 obtain some countenance at Ava. My principal 
 object in coming hither was to ascertain the practica- 
 bility and probable advantage of proceeding to the 
 capital. The present governor has given his permis- 
 sion, and the season favorable for going up the river 
 is not far distant. But at the approaching crisis, I 
 find myself destitute of the requisite means. The 
 Board have approved the measure, but have not 
 been able to accompany their approval with the 
 
304 THE MISSIOA^ARY LABOPwS 
 
 needful remittance. On the contrary, I learn from 
 my last letters from Maulmain, that the annual 
 appropriation for the Burman mission, is ten thou- 
 sand rupees less than the current expenses require ! 
 The brethren have been obliged to retrench in every 
 department, instead of being able to make an appro- 
 priation for a new enterprise. My extra expense in 
 Rangoon, for assistants and house rent, is eighty six 
 rupees a month, and they have been able to allow 
 me seventeen and a half only ! The mission secre- 
 tary writes me, that for anything beyond that sum, I 
 must look, not to their treasury, but to the Board. 
 Instead, therefore, of entering on a new and expen- 
 sive undertaking, 1 find myself unable to remain in 
 Rangoon. But no; I might hope that an appeal 
 home would provide means for remaining here ; but 
 in present circumstances, unable to remain, to any 
 advantage, without making friends at Ava, and hav- 
 ing no hope that the Board will be able to commence 
 a new station, or even sustain the old ones much 
 longer, there remains nothing for me but to fall back 
 upon Maulmain." 
 
 "With some of his most cherished hopes witnering, 
 Mr. Judson returned to Maulmain, in September, 
 and resumed his labors on the dictionary. Writing 
 on the 19th of the same month, he says : 
 
 ^' I remained in Rangoon long enough to witness 
 the removal of my friend, the governor, and the 
 downfall of the ferocious vice-governor, who had 
 
OF ADONTRAM JUDSON. 305 
 
 become the terror of all classes, and particularly dis- 
 tinguished himself by carrying out the proscription 
 of the christian religion. 
 
 " I prolonged my stay a little, in order to ascertain 
 the disposition of the new governor ; but in that I 
 found nothing but discouragement. He very soon 
 gave several proofs of strict adherence to the estab- 
 lished religion ; his reception of me was extremely 
 cold and reserved ; and when I mentioned my desire 
 of proceeding to Ava, at some future tim.e, he did 
 not even reply. I think, however, he w^ould not 
 oppose that measure ; but, in present circumstances, 
 for reasons mentioned in my last, it is impracticable. 
 I therefore concluded to return to Maulmain, and 
 arrived here on the 5th instant. 
 
 "Brother Stevens, having had his own house 
 burned down, had taken up his residence in mine, 
 contiguous to the native chapel. I have, therefore, 
 taken shelter in the house lately occupied by brother 
 Simons, though rather remote from missionary opera- 
 tions, where I intend to make an effort to finish the 
 dictionary. But I hope, also, to preach occasionally 
 in the native chapel, one sermon, at least, every 
 Lord's day, and attend to such other missionary work 
 as may be given me to do." 
 
 In April, 184:8, Rev. William Moore and wife, 
 joined the Maulmain mission, connecting themselves 
 with the Karen department, and living at ^N^ewton. 
 This is the name given, about that time, to the north- 
 erly part of Maulmain, and was now regarded as a 
 
 20 
 
306 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 distinct station. The missionaries to the Karens, 
 associated with Mr. and Mrs. Moore at this date, 
 were Rev. Messrs. Binney, Harris, and Mason, and 
 Miss Yinton — Rev. J. II. Yinton and wife, being 
 on a visit to this country. The schools, theological 
 and normal, for the Karens, were very prosperous. 
 Four graduates of the former were ordained in Feb- 
 ruary, 1847, a circumstance which was looked upon 
 as " one of the most gratifying and auspicious inci- 
 dents in the history of the Maulmain and Karen 
 mission," that year. 
 
 After Mr. Judson's return from Rangoon, aside 
 from his duties as a lexicographer, he preached once 
 a day on the Sabbath, in the Burman chapel ; and 
 ere long assumed the pastoral relation to the Bur- 
 man church, in place of Mr. Stevens, who removed, 
 for a short time, to Amherst to supply a vacancy 
 occasioned by Mr. HaswelPs illness and departure, 
 with his wife, for this country. 
 
 The last mentioned gentleman, prior to his em- 
 barkation, had resided several months at Maulmain 
 preaching both in the Peguan and Burman lan- 
 guages. He completed the Peguan Kew Testament 
 in the summer of 1847. 
 
 While the American laborers in the Burman de- 
 partment of the Maulmain mission were diligent 
 in their several callings, the native assistants were 
 probably no less industrious. The thirty-fourth an- 
 nual report of the Board, slightly condensed, speaks 
 as foUows in regard to their efforts : 
 
OF ADONIRAM JFDSON. 307 
 
 " Much preaching is performed by the native 
 preachers in Mauhnain. The city is an oblong of 
 several miles extent, with a native population of 
 some thirty or forty thousand. To secure the more 
 general dispensation of the gospel, the following 
 arrangements have long been in existence. Near 
 the Burmese chapel stands a brick zayat, which is 
 daily occupied, Sundays excepted, by one or more 
 native preachers, declaring the gospel daily, some- 
 times indeed to few, and at other times to scores 
 in one day. Another zayat is in the north part 
 of the town, near the great bazaar, not so old a 
 preaching stand as the former, but, in some respects, 
 much superior to it. The fam3 of these two zayats 
 in particular has spread far into Burmah Proper. 
 In the south part of the town, in Moung Kgau's 
 district, is another house fitted up to hold evening 
 meetings in, and occupied by a preacher and his 
 family. One of his sons lives near him, also a 
 preacher. For many years a lamp has been burn- 
 ing in that house. Many have heard the gospel 
 there ; and the neighborhood well knows, by precept 
 and example, what Jesus Christ's religion is. Still 
 further south, on the same road, stands another sim- 
 ilar house, but less recently occupied by preaching. 
 x\nother christian house, occupied by two native 
 preachers and their families, is situated near the 
 north-east end of the town, not very far from the 
 location of the Karen mission, and in the midst of 
 a population twice as large, perhaps, as that of Am- 
 herst. That part of the town is specially assigned 
 
308 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 to them ; and is it their daily practice to go from 
 house to house, to the bazaars, funerals, and other 
 places and occasions of concourse, making known 
 the grace of the gospel. Besides the preachers as- 
 signed to these five stations, two others understand 
 it to be their particular duty to itinerate through 
 the town, and preach wherever they can obtain a 
 hearing. 
 
 " The assistants are doing a great work, and from 
 Maulmain the truth is sounded out to the remotest 
 parts of Burmah Proper, as well as throughout the 
 provinces of Tenasserim. They daily meet with 
 traders and others from all parts of the country, 
 and make known to them the leading doctrines of 
 the gospel, answer their objections, and give them 
 tracts and portions of Scripture, which are thus 
 scattered abroad as upon the wings of the wind. 
 And though some seed falls by the wayside, some 
 among thorns, and some among stony places, some 
 also must fall upon good ground and bring forth 
 fruit to the glory of God. The truth is working 
 its way into the hearts of the people in town and 
 country." 
 
CHAPTEK XXIII. 
 
 Christian Reciprocity — Mr. Judson proposes to visit Ava — Temporary Abandon- 
 ment of the Project — Failure of Mr. Abbott to reenter Burmah Proper — 
 Messrs. Kincaid and Uawson appointed to the Ava Mission — Latest Intelli- 
 gence from them— The Burman Dictionary. 
 
 Sweet is christian reciprocity, and beautiful are 
 its manifestations. The people, for whom our pray- 
 ers have been so frequently offered, and to whom 
 the gospel has been sent, are beginning, in part, to 
 reciprocate the favor. A few months since, we saw 
 a member of the Nowgong Orphan School, in As- 
 sam, worshiping with the members of the church in- 
 Buffalo, to which the female teacher in that school 
 belongs — rejoicing, that the light of truth has been 
 sent to benighted Assam ; pleading for the benedic- 
 tion of Heaven to rest upon those who had been 
 instrumental in teaching him the true religion ; and 
 beseeching sinners in christian America to be recon- 
 ciled to Christ. 
 
 Another instance of christian reciprocity — one 
 which strikingly illustrates its beauty, and the power 
 
310 THE MISSION AKY" LABORS 
 
 and worth of the religion that prompts it — is record- 
 ed by Mr. Jndson. Writing on the 21st of May, 1848, 
 he says: "I have just returned from the Burmese 
 chapel, where I have been endeavoring to do some- 
 thing analogous to what I suppose many ministers 
 are doing before their respective churches, on this, 
 the first Sabbath subsequent to the annual meeting 
 of the Union. I improved the occasion to impress on 
 my hearers their obligations to christians in Amer- 
 ica, for having sustained this mission through the 
 long period of thirty-five years — and not this mission 
 only, but missions throughout the world ; that there 
 are, at present, above a thousand American mission- 
 aries, of diiferent denominations, scattered over the 
 habitable globe. It is true, that the relative positions 
 of the parties would not allow them to manifest their 
 gratitude in such a manner as the christians of Ma- 
 cedonia and Achaia manifested their gratitude to the 
 poor brethren in Jerusalem, (Rom. iv: 26, 27;) but 
 they could be convinced of their obligations ; they 
 could ponder on them and converse about them, 
 until their hearts burned with gratitude and love 
 to their American brethren, and to the Saviour, the 
 Lord of missions. They could, though separated by 
 wide oceans, meet at the same throne of grace ; and 
 though they could not extend their own hands in 
 kindness, they could open that Hand which is re- 
 plete with every good and perfect gift, and cause 
 a shower of blessings to descend on their distant 
 benefactors. They could gladden their hearts and 
 the heart of their Saviour, by living according to 
 
OF ADONIRAM JTJDSON. 311 
 
 the precepts of the holy religion which had been 
 sent them : and is there any thing sweeter and no- 
 bler in this world, than to gladden the hearts of 
 our benefactors, especially of our great Benefactor, 
 who laid down his life for us ? And, lastly, they could 
 second the intentions of their American brethren, 
 by making every eftbrt to spread the gospel around 
 them. 'Freely ye have received, freely give.' I 
 never had a more attentive audience. May God 
 bless the feeble effort, and the efforts of my brethren 
 during the past week, in drawing into closer union 
 the far-separated members of Christ's body, imtil 
 we become one in him forevermore." — Thus the 
 churches of Asia salute their sisters in America. 
 
 While Mr. Judson was at Eangoon, in 1847, the 
 government interpreter of that city often urged him 
 to proceed to Ava, and reap the superior advantages 
 there afforded for the prosecution of his great liter- 
 ary task; but it will be recollected that a serious 
 obstacle lay in his way, in the low state of the 
 mission fands. Early in the autumn of 1848, the 
 prospect for visiting the capital seemed to assume 
 a feasible aspect, and Mr. Judson wrote on the 23d 
 of September, revealing his plan to the Board : 
 
 " The preparation of the English and Burmese 
 part of my dictionary is so far advanced, that I hope 
 to commence printing a small edition next month, 
 preparatory to a larger and uniform edition of both 
 parts, when the Burmese and English part is com- 
 pleted. But, as I advance in the latter part, I feel 
 
812 THE MISSIONARY LABOES 
 
 more deeply the desirableness and importance of 
 making a visit to Ava, and availing myself of tlie 
 learned men and the literary works that are to be 
 found at the capital alone. The government inter- 
 preter of Rangoon, who greatly befriended me during 
 my visit to the place last year, lately wrote me, that 
 he hoped I would bear in mind the necessity of 
 going to Ava before I printed the work, and that if 
 I did not, it would be impossible for me to make it 
 what it ought to be. I presume that no person, ac- 
 quainted with the circumstances of the case, would 
 dissent from that opinion. But the difficulty of pen- 
 etrating into the country, and staying long enough 
 to improve the dictionary, is very great ; w^hile the 
 importance of the undertaking will appear still great- 
 er, if some view be had to the welfare of the scat- 
 tered church, and the necessity of conciliating the 
 government, and obtaining, if possible, some religious 
 toleration. 
 
 " When last in Eangoon, I lost a favorable oppor- 
 tunity, such as may not occur once in a hundred 
 years. The governor of Eangoon was the very last 
 of all my old court acquaintances ; and he was ready 
 to clear my way to Ava, and, by a letter of introduc- 
 tion, into the very presence of the king. But I had 
 no money to buy a boat, pay the boatmen, and de- 
 fray the other inevitable expenses of the undertak- 
 ing, nor even to pay my house-rent in Rangoon ; so 
 I was obliged to return to this place. The commit- 
 tee have since kindly defrayed the debt contracted 
 on the latter account; but this is all. I suppose 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSON. 313 
 
 they thought, with me, that siicli a good opportunity 
 would never occur again, and that no benefit would 
 result from lamenting over the past, or providing for 
 the future, a future so utterly improbable. There is, 
 however, at the present moment, a small prospect in 
 the horizon, which may, in a few months, diclose an 
 open path to Ava. If such should be the case, the 
 committee, as well as myself, would regret that my 
 hands were still left tied, and another opportunity 
 be irretrievably lost. I request, therefore, that they 
 will take into immediate consideration the question 
 of appropriating a sum, say one thousand rupees, to 
 defray the expenses of such an undertaking as I 
 speak of; and they may depend, that I shall render, 
 as in former times, a minute and, I hope, satisfactory 
 account of the way in which the money shall be 
 expended. 
 
 " I should endeavor to make it a point, before 
 leaving this, not only to see one part of the diction- 
 ary out of the press, but the other part brought to 
 such a state, that it may be transcribed and a copy 
 left with the mission, in case of ulterior accident." 
 
 Rejoiced that Mr. Judson was again entertaining 
 the project of taking up his abode at the capital, 
 the executive committee cheerfully and promptly 
 responded to his request, placing at his disposal 
 pecuniary facilities for the contemplated removal. 
 The appropriation reached him in February, 1849, 
 and, writing from Maulmain, on the 20th of August 
 following, he says : 
 
314 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 " As you see from the date, I am still at Maulmain. 
 Before receiving yom-s of the 20th of Febniary last, 
 with the appropriation for the expenses of a journey 
 to Ava, the ' small prospect in the horizon,' men- 
 tioned in mine of the September preceding, had 
 passed away; and since that, nothing encom'aging 
 has occurred. "Were it not, however, for the follow- 
 ing reason, I should prosecute my first intention; 
 for, so far as a mere journey to Ava is concerned, I 
 know of no obstacle in the way of any foreigner 
 who wishes to proceed thither. 
 
 " Just as I had finished the English and Burmese 
 part of the dictionary, at the close of last year, and 
 was about commencing the Burmese and English 
 part. Providence sent me without my seeking, an 
 excellent Burmese scholar, once a priest at Ava, and 
 recommended by a gentleman quite competent to 
 appreciate his qualifications, (since deceased,) as ' the 
 most profound scholar he had ever met with.' I 
 took him at once into my employ, and his aid, 
 united with that of my other assistants, proves to be 
 invaluable, and, in my opinion, obviates much of 
 the necessity of going to Ava, so far as the dictionary 
 is concerned. 
 
 " Considering, therefore, the uncertainty of life, and 
 the state of my manuscript, so efiaced by time or so 
 erased or interlined as to be illegible to any other 
 person but myself, I have thought it was my duty 
 to forego, for the present, what I can not but regard 
 as an interesting expedition, in order to drive for- 
 ward the heavy work of the dictionary in the most 
 
OF ADONIEAM JUDSOX. 315 
 
 satisfactory manner, and without incurring the haz- 
 ard of any serious interruption; — provided always, 
 that in the mean time nothing particuhirly encour- 
 aging, in the direction of Ava, shoukl occur. 
 
 " I hope, however, that the appropriation of the 
 executive committee will not be withdrawn, but that 
 I may be allowed to consider it available at the very 
 earliest opportunity." 
 
 It may be needless to mention, that Mr. Judson 
 had a double purpose in view, in case he should be 
 permitted to visit the capital of the empire. He 
 wished not only to avail himself of the literary ad- 
 vantages of the place, but to make known the gospel 
 to the new monarch and his idolatrous subjects. 
 Yet " nothing particularly encouraging in the direc- 
 tion of Ava," was seen that year, — and he was to 
 stand in the golden presence no more ! 
 
 Mr. Abbott, the hero of Sandoway, attempted to 
 reenter Burmah Proper, in 18i9, and failed ; but he 
 hoped, some day, to make another and a successful 
 attempt. He writes, " Could I only get there, and 
 live with those Karen churches a few months, the 
 fearful excitement which my first going into the 
 country induces, would die away, and the govern- 
 ment, I think, would not disturb the people on my 
 account. But I must await the indications of Prov- 
 idence, holding myself in readiness to enter the 
 country, at a moment's w^arning." 
 
 How long the golden frown is to rest on the meek 
 harbingers of the richest tidings, is known only to 
 
316 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 Him who sees the end of the heathen's wrath, and 
 has appointed the time for their redemption. Possi- 
 bly, even now, faint gleams of the slowly-breaking 
 millennial morn, may be tipping the spires of the 
 golden palace. The Board, seeing a " small pros- 
 j)ect in the horizon," last year appointed Mr. Kin- 
 caid and J. Dawson, M. D., to recommence, if prac- 
 ticable, the mission at Ava. Whether they have 
 proceeded all the way thither, it is not known. The 
 latest intelligence received from them is contained 
 in tlie following communication from Mr. Kincaid, 
 dated at Kangoon, March 10, 1851 : 
 
 "After remaining eleven days in Maulmain, Dr. 
 Dawson and I took passage in a schooner of thirty- 
 one tons, manned by Mussulmans, and the morning 
 of the 5th, reached Rangoon, now little more than 
 one wide ruin. The fire, last December, destroyed 
 about three-fourths of the old city. Not only so, but 
 a great number of boats and several ships were 
 burned. Many hundreds of families barely esca]3ed 
 from their houses with their lives. Building is rap- 
 idly going on, and hence all sorts of material and all 
 kinds of workmen are in demand. 
 
 "It being exceedingly doubtful about our being 
 able to procure a house, we left our families in brother 
 Simon's house, and came on to see what arrange- 
 ments could be made. One street, called Ko la don, 
 that is Foreigner's street, was saved entirely from 
 the fire. The buildings are owned and occupied by 
 Armenians, Mussulmans, and Hindoos. We called 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 31^/ 
 
 at once at tlie house in which I had lived nineteen 
 years ago, owned by a Hindoo. The old man is 
 dead ; but his son received me with great cordiality, 
 and gave us a room to occupy while in the city. 
 When we first landed, we showed ourselves at the 
 custom house, and got our baggage passed. A few 
 hours after, we were sent for and questioned relative 
 to our business ; where we came from ; the name of 
 the ship ; the name of the captain ; what places we 
 stopped at, if any ; how many days we were in 
 reaching Africa ; how many days we remained there ; 
 how long in reaching Maulmain ; how many days we 
 remained there ; how many languages we understood ; 
 and many other questions of a similar character : and 
 all was written down with great minuteness. The next 
 day we were sent for again, and questioned relative 
 to our object in coming into Burmah, and if we 
 were ' Jesus Christ's men ; ' all of which was written 
 down, and then read to us, and the inquiry put, if it 
 was written correctly. On Saturday, we were sent 
 for again, and questioned relative to Dr. Dawson's 
 knowledge of medicine, and how many kinds of dis- 
 eases he could cure. Upon this Dr. D. brought a vol- 
 ume on surgery, full of illustrative plates ; this the 
 officers examined with care, and another record made. 
 " On Sabbath morning the viceroy sent for me. I 
 told the secretary to inform his excellency that this 
 was a sacred day, and I could not attend to any 
 w^orldly business. This, it seems, was satisfactory ; 
 but Lord's day evening, betweeen nine and ten 
 o'clock, the secretary came, and said I would be 
 
318 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 called early in the morning, and was to be ques- 
 tioned in reference to my former residence in Ava. 
 He manifested no small degree of anxiety, thinking 
 they were contriving a plan to get me into difficulty. 
 He is a fine young man, and appears to be a true 
 friend ; but he is very timid. IN'ot long since, how- 
 ever, an English merchant was imprisoned and his 
 feet put in the stocks, because his father had, as they 
 alleged, written a letter against the government in 
 one of the Calcutta papers. It cost him between 
 five and six hundred rupees to get out of prison. 
 Several foreigners have been imprisoned during the 
 last six months on the most frivolous pretences, and 
 money extorted from them. 
 
 ^* Early this morning, I was called to the custom 
 house, and questioned in reference to the year I first 
 came to Burmah, how long I lived in Rangoon, and 
 how long in Ava, and other points of a similar char- 
 acter ; and my answers were all written down. One 
 could almost fancy himself before a set of inquisi- 
 tors. One of the officers afterward came and apolo- 
 gized ; he said it was the order of the viceroy, or 
 governor, and his authority was supreme. I replied, 
 that we had no objection to answer any questions 
 the government was disposed to ask. All the officers 
 whom I had formerly known, treated us with civility. 
 The viceroy is a new man, as are also all the high 
 officers of the empire. The temper and policy of the 
 government have changed amazingly since the revo- 
 lution in 1837. When I have had more experience, 
 I will write more definitely. 
 
OF ADONIRAM JTJDSON. 319 
 
 " Ko Thah-a, the venerable old pastor, has called 
 on us two or three times ; also, two other members 
 of the church. The news of our arrival spread rap- 
 idly over the city and into the neighboring villages, 
 and many with whom I had formerly been acquaint- 
 ed, called, — among them two young men who had 
 been educated in Mrs. Kincaid's school at Ava. 
 Armenians, Mohammedans, and Hindoos have vis- 
 ited us. A Jew from Bagdad has spent two even- 
 ings with us, listening to our account of the Messiah. 
 Dr. Dawson conversed with him in Hindostani, as 
 he does not understand Burman very well. He 
 inquired if it was possible to get the life of Christ in 
 Hebrew or Arabic. I promised to try, as he under- 
 stands those languages perfectly. We must, if pos- 
 sible, get the Scriptm-es in seven or eight different 
 languages. 
 
 '^ Dr. Dawson's professional character has spread 
 reports abroad that all sorts ol diseases can be cured, 
 and persons are floclii ug in to tost his skill. Among 
 them are several interesting cases. We have suc- 
 ceeded in procuring a house, and shall bring our 
 families to Rangoon as soon as possible. 
 
 " I have as yet obtained no information about the 
 church in Ava. Tliere can not be many members 
 there ; some have died, and I lind eight of the Ava 
 disciples now members of the churches in Amherst 
 and ]Maulmain ; one is in Arracan." 
 
 The publication of the first part of the dictionary, 
 was commenced in 1849, and the first two signatures 
 
320 » MISSIONARY LABORS. 
 
 were forwarded, as specimens of the work, to the 
 mission rooms, accompanied by a note from Mr. 
 Judson in which he says : " The work will make a 
 quarto volume of about six hundred pages. We are 
 printing a small edition of three hundred copies 
 only. When the Burmese and English part is com- 
 pleted, and the first part revised, we shall probably 
 issue a much larger edition of both parts, in two 
 volumes quarto." 
 
 Alas ! Mr. Judson was never to see the whole of 
 the first part printed, nor the Burmese and English 
 part completed.* When the latter was about half 
 finished, failing health forced him to relinquish it ; 
 and Mr. Stevens is now reexamining and verifying 
 the materials, and recasting a part of the work, 
 which was written in cipher by the hand that has 
 now forgotten its cunning, and is at rest, where 
 
 " the sands are bright as the stars that glow 
 
 In the motionless fields of upper air.' 
 
 * The printing of the English and Burmese dictionary was com- 
 pleted in January, 1851. 
 
/* 
 
 CHAPTER XXIY. 
 
 Mr. Judson's last Illness— Fruitless Efforts for his Restoration — Beautiful 1)*: 
 cliiie of a Life of Faith — Mr. Judsoa embarks for the Isle of Bourbon — Mr. 
 Raimey accompanies him — Last Moments of Mr. Judson — His Death and 
 Burial. 
 
 In the latter part of September, 1849, Mr. Judson 
 caught a severe cold while attending one of his 
 children, who was taken suddenly ill, in a damp and 
 chilly night ; and from that time health was a stran- 
 ger to him. He did not, however, entirely relin- 
 quish his studies until the month of November. In 
 January following, he took a trip to Mergui, accom- 
 panied by his wife, and returned without having 
 realized material benefit. His physician then ad- 
 vised him to again try the effects of sea breezes, and 
 also of sea-bathing; accordingly, again accompanied 
 by his feeble yet faithful companion, he repaired 
 to Amherst, where he remained nearly a month, 
 but without sensible improvement. On the 21st of 
 February, he penned the following note, which, it 
 may be needless to say, was received at the mission 
 rooms, in Boston, with extremely painful feelings, 
 and spread alarm through the land; 
 
 21 
 
322 THE MISSIONARY LABOKS 
 
 " I can not manage a pen, so please excuse pencil. 
 I have been prostrated with fever ever since the 
 latter part of last November, and have suffered so 
 much that I have frequently remarked, that I was 
 never ill in India before. Through the mercy of 
 God, I think I am convalescent for the last ten days ; 
 but the doctor and all my friends are very urgent 
 that I should take a sea- voyage of a month or two, 
 and be absent from the place a long time. May God 
 direct in the path of duty. My hand is failing, so I 
 will beg to remain, &c." 
 
 His sufferings, hopes, and peace of mind in this, 
 his last illness, are touchingly described by the gifted 
 pen of Mrs. Judson, in a communication addressed 
 to Miss Abigail B. Judson, his only surviving sister. 
 The extracts which follow, and which are abridged to 
 serve our purpose, and not because any parts are 
 deficient in interest, present, in brightest colors, some 
 of the loveliest traits of his character, and additional 
 proof of the triumphs of the soul that is steadfast in 
 Christ : 
 
 "There was something exceedingly beautiful in 
 the decline of your brother's life — more beautiful 
 than I can describe, though the impression will re- 
 main with me as a sacred legacy, until I go to meet 
 him where suns shall never set and life shall never 
 end. He had been, from my first acquaintance with 
 him, an uncommonly spiritual christian, exhibiting 
 his richest graces in the unguarded intercourse of 
 
OF ADONIRAM JTJDSON. 323 
 
 private life ; but, during his last year, it seemed as 
 thouf]ch the lidit of the world on which he was enter- 
 ing, had been sent to brighten his upward pathway. 
 Every subject on which we conversed, every book 
 we read, every incident that occurred, whether trivial 
 or important, had a tendency to suggest some pe- 
 culiarly spiritual train of thought, till it seemed to 
 me, more than ever before, ' that Christ was all his 
 theme.' Something of the same nature was also 
 noted in his preaching, to which I then had not the 
 privilege of listening. He was in the habit, how- 
 ever, of studying his subject for the Sabbath, audi- 
 bly, and in my presence, at which time he was 
 frequently so much affected as to weep, and some- 
 times so overwhelmed with the vastness of his con- 
 ceptions, as to be obliged to abandon his theme, and 
 choose another. My own illness, at the commence- 
 ment of the year, had brought eternity very near to 
 us, and rendered death, the grave, and the bright 
 heaven beyond it, fomiliar subjects of conversation. 
 Gladly would I give you some idea of the share 
 borne by him in those memorable conversations ; but 
 it would be impossible to convey, even to those who 
 know him best, the most distant conception. I be- 
 lieve he has sometimes been thought eloquent, both 
 in conversation and in the sacred desk ; but the fer- 
 vid, burning eloquence, the deep pathos, the touching 
 tenderness, the elevation of thought, and intense 
 beauty of expression, which characterized those pri- 
 vate teachings, were not only beyond what I had 
 
324 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 ever heard before, but sucb as I felt sure arrested bis 
 own attentioD, and sm-prised even himself. 
 
 "As his health declined, his mental exercises at 
 first seemed deepened ; and he gave still large por- 
 tions of his time to prayer, conversing with the 
 utmost freedom on his daily progress, and the extent 
 of his self-conquest. Just before our trip to Mergui, 
 he looked up from his pillow one day, with sudden 
 animation, and said to me earnestly, ' I have gained 
 the victory at last. I love every one of Christ's 
 redeemed, as I believe he would have me love them, 
 in the same manner, though not probably to the same 
 degree, as we shall love one another in heaven ; and 
 gladly would I prefer the meanest of his creatures, 
 who bears his name, before myself This he said 
 in allusion to the text, 'In honor preferring one 
 another,' on which he had frequently dwelt with 
 great emphasis. After further similar conversation 
 he concluded, ' And now here I lie at peace with all 
 the world, and, what is better still, at peace with my 
 own conscience. I know that I am a miserable sin- 
 ner in the sight of God, with no hope but in the 
 blessed Saviour's merits ; but I can not think of any 
 particular fault, any peculiarly besetting sin, which it 
 is now my duty to correct. Can you tell me of any? ' 
 
 "And truly, from this time, no other word would so 
 wdl express his state of feeling, as that one of his own 
 choosing — peace. He had no particular exercises 
 afterward, but remained calm and serene, speaking 
 of himself daily as a great sinner, who had been 
 overwhelmed with benefits, and declaring that he 
 
OF ADONIRAM JUDSON. 325 
 
 had never, in all his life before, had such delightful 
 views of the unfathomable love, and infinite conde- 
 scension of the Saviour, as were now daily opening 
 before him. ' O, the love of Christ ! the love of 
 Christ ! ' he would suddenly exclaim, w^hile his eye 
 kindled, and the tears chased each other down his 
 cheeks, 'we can not understand it now — but what 
 a beautiful study for eternity ! ' 
 
 " At Amherst we remained nearly a month. This 
 to me was the darkest period of his illness — no 
 medical adviser, no friend at hand, and he daily 
 growing weaker and weaker. He began to totter in 
 "walking, clinging to the furniture and walls when, 
 he thought he was unobserved, (for he was not wil- 
 ling to acknowledge his debility,) and his wan face 
 was of a ghastly paleness. His sufferings, too, were 
 sometimes fearfully intense, so that in spite of his 
 habitual self-control, his groans would fill the house. 
 At other times, a kind of lethargy seemed to steal 
 over him, and he w^ould sleep almost incessantly 
 for twenty-four hours, seeming annoyed if he were 
 aroused or disturbed. Yet there were portions of 
 the time when he was comparatively comfortable, 
 and conversed intelligently ; but his mind seemed to 
 revert to former scenes, and he tried to amuse me 
 with stories of his boyhood — his college days — his 
 imprisonment in France, and his early missionary 
 life. He had a great deal also to say on his favorita 
 theme, ' The love of Christ ; ' but his strength was 
 too much impaired for any continuous mental effort. 
 Even a short prayer, made audibly, exhausted him 
 
326 THE MISSIONAET LABORS 
 
 to such a degree, that he was obliged to discontinue 
 the practice. 
 
 "At length I wrote to Manlmain, giving some 
 expression of my anxieties and misgivings, and our 
 kind missionary friends, who had, from the first, 
 evinced all the tender interest and watchful sympa- 
 thy of the nearest kindred, immediately sent for us, 
 the doctor advising a sea- voyage. But as there was 
 no vessel in the harbor bound for a port sufficiently 
 distant, we thought it best, in the meantime, to re- 
 move from our old dwelling which had long been con- 
 demned as unhealthy, to another mission-house, for- 
 tunately empty. This change was, at iirst, attended 
 with the most beneficial results, and our hopes revived 
 so much, that we looked forward to the approachiiig 
 rainy season for entire restoration. But it lasted 
 only a little while, and then both of us became con- 
 vinced, that, though a voyage at sea involved much 
 that was exceedingly painful, it yet presented the 
 only prospect of recovery, and could not, therefore, 
 without a breach of duty, be neglected. 
 
 " ' O, if it were only the will of God to take me 
 now — to let me die here!' he repeated, over and 
 over again, in a tone of anguish, while we were con- 
 sidering the subject. 'I can not, can not go! — this is 
 almost more than I can bear ! was there ever suffer- 
 ing like our suffering ! ' and the like broken expres- 
 sions, were continnally falling from his lips. But he 
 soon gathered more strength of purpose, and, after the 
 decision was fairly made, he never hesitated for a mo- 
 ment, rather regarding the prospect with pleasure. 
 
OF ADONIEAM JIJDSON. 327 
 
 I think the struggle which this resohition cost, in- 
 jured him very materially; though probably it had 
 no share in bringing about the final result. God, 
 who saw the end from the beginning, had counted 
 out his days, and they were hastening to a close. 
 Until this time, he had been able to stand, and to 
 walk slowly from room to room ; but as he one even- 
 ing attempted to rise from his chair, he was suddenly 
 deprived of his small remnant of muscular strength, 
 and would have fallen to the floor, but for timely 
 support. 
 
 '' From that moment his decline was rapid. As he 
 lay helplessly on his couch, and watched the swelling 
 of his feet, and other alarming symptoms, he became 
 very anxious to commence his voyage, and I felt 
 equally anxious to have his wishes gratified. I still 
 hoped he might recover — the doctor said the chances 
 of life and death were, in his opinion, equally bal- 
 anced — and then he always loved the sea so dearly ! 
 There was somethins^ exhilaratino- to him in the mo- 
 tion of a vessel, and he spoke with animation of get- 
 ting free from the almost suffocating atmosphere 
 incident to the hot season, and drinking in the fresh 
 sea breezes. He talked but little more, however, 
 than was necessary to indicate his wants, his bodily 
 sufferings being too great to allow of conversation ; 
 but several times he looked up to me with a bright 
 smile, and exclaimed, as heretofore, ' O the love of 
 Christ ! the love of Christ ! ' 
 
 " I found it difficult to ascertain, from expressions 
 casually dropped, from time to time, his real opinion 
 
828 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 with regard to his recovery ; but I thought there was 
 some reason to doubt whether he was fully aware of 
 his critical situation. I did not suppose he had any 
 preparation to make at this late hour, and I felt sure 
 that if he should be called ever so unexpectedly, he 
 would not enter the presence of his Maker with a 
 ruffled spirit ; but I could not bear to have him go 
 away, without knowing how doubtful it was whether 
 our next meeting would not be in eternity ; and per- 
 perhaps too, in my own distress, 1 might still have 
 looked for words of encouragement and sympathy, 
 to a source which had never before failed. 
 
 " It was late in the night, and I had been perform- 
 ing some little sick-room offices, when suddenly he 
 looked up to me, and exclaimed, ' This will never do ! 
 You are killing yourself for me, and I will not per- 
 mit it. You must have some one to relieve you. If 
 I had not been made selfish by suffering, I should 
 have insisted upon it long ago.' 
 
 "He spoke so like himself — with the earnestness 
 of health, and in a tone to which my ear had of late 
 been a stranger, that, for a moment, I felt almost 
 bewildered with sudden hope. He received my 
 reply to what he had said, with a half-pitying, half- 
 gratified smile ; but in the meantime his expression 
 had changed — the marks of excessive debility were 
 again apparent, and I could not forbear adding, ' It 
 is only a little while, you know.' 
 
 "'Only a little while,' he repeated mournfully; 
 'this separation is a bitter thing, but it does not dis- 
 tress me now as it did — I am too weak.' 'You 
 
OF ADONTRAil JTDSON. 329 
 
 have no reason to be distressed,' I answered, ' with 
 such glorious prospects before you. You have often 
 told me it is the one left alone who suffers, not the 
 one who goes to be with Christ.' He gave me a 
 rapid, questioning glance, then assumed, for several 
 moments, an attitude of deep thought. Finally, he 
 slowly unclosed his eyes, and, fixing them on me, 
 said, in a calm, earnest tone, ' I do not believe I am 
 going to die. I think I know why this illness has 
 been sent upon me — I needed it — I feel that it has 
 done me good — and it is my impression, that I shall 
 now recover, and be a better and more useful man.' 
 
 ' Then it is your wish to recover ? ' I inquired. ' If 
 it should be the will of God, yes. I should like to 
 complete the dictionary, on which I have bestowed 
 80 much labor, now that it is so nearly done ; for, 
 though it has not been a work that pleased my taste, 
 or quite satisfied my feelings, I have never under- 
 rated its importance. Then, after that, come all the 
 plans that we have formed. O, I feel as though 
 only just beginning to be prepared for usefulness.' 
 
 " ' It is the opinion of most of the mission,' I re- 
 marked, ' that you will not recover.' ' I know it is,' 
 he replied ; ' and I suppose they think me an old 
 man, and imagine it is nothing for one like me to 
 resign a life so full of trials. But I am not old — at 
 least in that sense — you know I am not. Oh! no 
 man ever left this world, with more inviting pros- 
 pects, with brighter hopes or warmer feelings — 
 warmer feelings,' — he repeated, and burst into tears. 
 His face was perfectly placid even while the tears 
 
330 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 broke away from the closed lids, and rolled, one after 
 another, down to the pillow. There was no trace of 
 agitation or pain in his manner of weeping ; but it 
 was evidently the result of acute sensibilities, com- 
 bined with great physical weakness. To some sug- 
 gestions which I ventured to make, he replied, ' It is 
 not that — I know all that, and I feel it in my inmost 
 heart. Lying here, on my bed, when I could not 
 talk, I have had such views of the loving condescen- 
 sion of Christ, and the glories of heaven, as I believe 
 are seldom granted to mortal man. It is not because 
 I shrink from death, that I wish to live ; neither is it 
 because the ties that bind me here, though some of 
 them are very sweet, bear any comparison with the 
 drawings I at times feel toward Heaven ; but a few 
 years would not be missed from my eternity of bliss, 
 and I can well afford to spare them, both for your 
 sake and for the sake of the poor Burmans ; — I am not 
 tired of my work, neithei" am I tired of the world ; 
 yet, when Christ calls me Lome, I shall go with the 
 gladness of a boy bounding away from his school. 
 Perhaps I feel something like the young bride, when 
 she contemplates resigning the pleasant associations 
 of her childhood, for a yet dearer home — though 
 only a very little like her — for tliere is no doubt 
 resting on my fuUire^ 'Then death would not take 
 you by surprise,' I remarked, ' if it should come even 
 before you could get on board ship ? ' 'Oh, no,' he 
 said, 'death will never take me by surprise — do not 
 be afraid of that — I feel so strong in Christ. He 
 has not led me so tenderly thus far, to forsake me 
 
OF ADONIKAM JUDSON. 331 
 
 at the very gate of heaven. I^o, no ; I am willing 
 to live a few years longer, if it should be so ordered, 
 and if otherwise, I am willing and glad to die now. 
 I leave myself entirely in the hands of God, to be 
 disjDOsed of according to his holy will.' 
 
 " The next day, some one mentioned in his pres- 
 ence, that the native christians were greatly opposed 
 to the voyage, and that many other persons had a 
 similar feeling with regard to it. I thought he 
 seemed troubled, and, after the visitor had with- 
 drawn, I inquired if he still felt as when he con- 
 versed with me the night previous. He replied, 'O 
 yes ; that was no evanescent feeling. It has been 
 with me, to a greater or less extent, for years, and 
 will be with me, I trust, to the end. I am ready to 
 go to-day — if it should be the will of God, this very 
 hour ; but I am not anxious to die — at least, when 
 I am not beside myself with pain.' 
 
 " 'Then why are you so desirous to go to sea; I 
 should think it would be a matter of indifference to 
 you?' '1^0,' he answered quietly, 'my judgment 
 tells me it would be wrong not to go — the doctor 
 says criTifiinal. I shall certainly die here — if I go 
 away, I may possibly recover. There is no question 
 with regard to duty in such a case ; and I do not 
 like to see any hesitation, even though it springs 
 from affection.' " 
 
 These remarks were made with reference to a 
 second voyage, which had now been decided on. He 
 vras to visit the Isle of Boui'bon, and for that purpose, 
 
332 THE MISSIONAUY LABORS 
 
 being unable to walk or stand, a palanquin and 
 bearers took him on board the French barque Aris- 
 tide Marie, on the 3d of April. Arrangements had 
 been made for the steamer Proserpine, then employed 
 as a military transport, and bound southward that 
 morning with troops, to tow the barque out of the 
 river ; but owing to some misunderstanding between 
 the commissioner of the provinces and the com- 
 mander of the steamer, the latter craft was not 
 allowed to perform the stipulated service. The result 
 was, that the barque was five days in reaching Am- 
 herst, and another day passed before the pilot left 
 her. It is probable this delay in getting to sea was 
 deleterious in its influence on Mr. Judson. 
 
 Mrs. Judson, as well as two or three other mis- 
 sionaries, was with him more or less while passing 
 down the river ; and it was during those visits that 
 a part of the conversation, which her pen has trea- 
 sured, and which is recorded in the preceding pages, 
 occurred. She was very anxious to accompany her 
 husband — though it would have jeoparded her own 
 life — but in compliance with his urgent request, she 
 finally, on the fifth day after he went on board the., 
 vessel, took leave of him, to see his face no more on 
 earth.* 
 
 * Mrs. Judson has been an invalid for years ; and, being unfitted 
 for the hardships of missionary life, it was Mr. Judson's particular 
 request, that in case he should die first, she should return with me 
 children to this country. She sailed from Maulraain, for Calcutta, 
 January 22d ; and at this date, August 1st 1851, her arrival is looked 
 for daily. 
 
OF ADONERAM JITDSON. 333 
 
 However alarming the apprehensions of his friends, 
 it was Mr. Jiidson's opinion that he should return 
 from the voyage ; and when the native assistants, 
 two of whom, with a member of the Amherst church, 
 remained on board as long as the pilot, became 
 alarmed on account of the swelling of his feet, and 
 begged that he might be taken back to Maulmain, he 
 observed to Mr. Ranney, who accompanied him to 
 sea, that they were frightened when they saw the 
 condition of his limbs. " They regard it," said he, 
 "as a sure sign of approaching death; but I do not. 
 I have talked with the doctor about this, and have 
 remarked, at different times, the swelling and sub- 
 siding. I still feel that there is so much of life in 
 me that I shall recover." When the pilot and native 
 disciples left the ship, Mr. Eanney wrote to Mrs. 
 Judson, at Mr. Judson's request, saying, as his opin- 
 ion of himself, that, " he went out to sea with a strong 
 feeling that he should recover." 
 
 During the first two or three days of the voyage, 
 he endured great pain at times, and was troubled 
 very much with vomiting and a hiccough, the last of 
 which ailments, he said, was killing him. About 
 the third day, the captain administered medichie 
 several times, without effect, which drew from Mr. 
 Judson the remark : " It is of but little consequence. 
 I do not wish any one to think that I die because all 
 was not done that could be for me. The disease will 
 take its course." 
 
 Immediately preceding his spells of vomiting, he 
 was seized with pain, which was bo severe that it 
 
334 THE MISSIONARY LABORS 
 
 seemed almost insupportable ; and while thus suffer- 
 ing, on one occasion, he said : " Oh, that I could die 
 at once, and go directly to paradise, where there is 
 no j)ain ! " 
 
 At another time, while conversing with Mr. Han- 
 ney , on expressing his gratitude to God that he had a 
 christian friend on board, Mr. R. remarked that he 
 hoped Christ was near, to sustain him ; to which he 
 replied, " O yes ! it is all right there ! I believe he 
 gives me just so much pain and suffering as is neces- 
 sary to fit me to die, — to make me submissive to 
 his will." 
 
 On the morning of the 11th, the day before his 
 death, his eyes became dull and glassy, and remained 
 half open while sleeping. Before noon, he took two 
 doses of ether, which seemed to partially relieve 
 him. About this time, after vomiting, which had 
 been heralded by the acutest pain, he said, " Oh, how 
 few there are who suffer such great torment — who 
 die so hard ! " 
 
 For a day and a half immediately preceding his 
 death, his agonies were almost incessant, and terri- 
 ble. About noon, on the 12th, Mr. Ranney discovered 
 a transient aberration of mind. " At three o'clock, 
 he said, in Burmese, to Pinapah, a native servant, ' It 
 % done, I am going.' Shortly after he made a sign 
 with his hand downward, which was not understood. 
 Drawing Mr. Eanney's ear close to his mouth, ho 
 said, convulsively, 'Brother Ranney, w-ill you bury 
 me! bury me! — quick! quick!' These w^ords 
 were prompted, perhaps, by the thought of burial in 
 
OF ADOXIEAM JUDSOX. 335 
 
 the sea crossing his mind. Mr. Rannej here being 
 called out for a moment, Mr. Judson spoke to the 
 Bervant in English and also in Burmese, of Mrs. 
 Judson, bidding him ' take care of poor mistress,' 
 and at fifteen minutes past four o'clock he breathed 
 his last." 
 
 During the last few moments of his life, his mus- 
 cles denoted no pain, and the placidity of the sunny 
 land to which his soul was fleeing, rested on his 
 face. " The moment of the going out of life," writes 
 Mr. Rannej, " was indicated only by his ceasing to 
 breathe. A gentle pressure of the hand, growing 
 more and more feeble as life waned, showed the 
 peacefulness of the spirit about to take its homeward 
 flight." 
 
 Such was the end of this great ana good man, who 
 lived the life of faith. His transition to the clear sky 
 above, was as glorious as his career on the clouded 
 earth was sublime — 
 
 " He sets. 
 As sets the morning star, which goes not down 
 Behind the darkened west, nor hides obscured 
 Among the tempests of the sky — but melts away 
 Into the hght of heaven." 
 
 At first, it was thought that the burial might be 
 deferred until the next day, but necessity required 
 that it should take place that night. Accordingly, 
 the body was placed in a strong plank cofiin, con- 
 taining sufiicient sand to make it sink, and in three 
 hours and a half after Mr. Eanney had closed his 
 sightless eyes, in latitude thirteen degi'ees north, and 
 
336 MISSIONARY LABORS. 
 
 longitude ninety-three degrees east, all that remained 
 of the father of American Baptist Missions, glided 
 in silence from the larboard port, and found its rest 
 beneath those billows, whose solemn anthem is a 
 fitting requiem for the Christian warrior. 
 
 The captain of the American band, who are storm- 
 ing the battlements of Burman idolatry, has fallen ; 
 but let not his name be stricken from the lists. As 
 the comrades of " the warrior of Breton birth, La Tour 
 d'Auvergne, the first grenadier of France, as he was 
 called," ^' insisted that, though dead, his name should 
 not be erased, and one of the survivors regularly an- 
 swered for the departed hero, " Dead on the field ; " 
 so should it be with the name of Adoniram Jud- 
 son. He lies in the sepulchre of his choice, only 
 three days' sail from sight of the mountains of his 
 adopted country ; and as his field was emphatically 
 the world, and his monument, as it has been called, 
 is the great deep, whose " drifting currents " wash 
 the shores of every land ; so, in every stronghold of 
 paganism, where the soldiers of the cross rally, let 
 his name stand on the roll-call of the departed, and 
 thus, though dead, he will yet speak, and " Judson " 
 serve, until the redemption of our fallen race, as a 
 "watchword for decision of character, singleness and 
 sublimity of purpose, perseverance amid Alpine ob- 
 structions, implicit trust in God, and courageous 
 firmness in the Thermopylses of Truth. 
 
 • Williams' Religious Progresev page 48. 
 
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