the life of william carey-第19节

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　the　conversion　of　the　heathen　was　very　strong；　but；　among　so　many　obstacles；　it　would　entirely　die　away　unless　upheld　by　God。　Nothing　to　exercise　it；　but　plenty　to　obstruct　it；　for　now　a　year　and　nineteen　days；　which　is　the　space　since　I　left　my　dear　charge　at　Leicester。　　Since　that　I　have　had　hurrying　up　and　down；　a　five　months'　imprisonment　with　carnal　men　on　board　the　ship；　five　more　learning　the　language；　my　moonshi　not　understanding　English　sufficiently　to　interpret　my　preaching；　my　colleague　separated　from　me；　long　delays　and　few　opportunities　for　social　worship；　no　woods　to　retire　to；　like　Brainerd；　for　fear　of　tigers　（no　less　than　twenty　men　in　the　department　of　Deharta；　where　I　am；　have　been　carried　away　by　them　this　season　from　the　salt…works）；　no　earthly　thing　to　depend　upon；　or　earthly　comfort；　except　food　and　raiment。　　Well；　I　have　God；　and　His　Word　is　sure；　and　though　the　superstitions　of　the　heathen　were　a　million　times　worse　than　they　are；　if　I　were　deserted　by　all；　and　persecuted　by　all；　yet　my　hope；　fixed　on　that　sure　Word；　will　rise　superior　to　all　obstructions；　and　triumph　over　all　trials。　　God's　cause　will　triumph；　and　I　shall　come　out　of　all　trials　as　gold　purified　by　fire。　　I　was　much　humbled　to…day　by　reading　Brainerd。　　O　what　a　disparity　betwixt　me　and　him；　he　always　constant；　I　as　inconstant　as　the　wind！

〃22nd　April。Bless　God　for　a　continuance　of　the　happy　frame　of　yesterday。　　I　think　the　hope　of　soon　acquiring　the　language　puts　fresh　life　into　my　soul；　for　a　long　time　my　mouth　has　been　shut；　and　my　days　have　been　beclouded　with　heaviness；　but　now　I　begin　to　be　something　like　a　traveller　who　has　been　almost　beaten　out　in　a　violent　storm；　and　who；　with　all　his　clothes　about　him　dripping　wet；　sees　the　sky　begin　to　clear：　so　I；　with　only　the　prospect　of　a　more　pleasant　season　at　hand；　scarcely　feel　the　sorrows　of　the　present。

〃23rd。With　all　the　cares　of　life；　and　all　its　sorrows；　yet　I　find　that　a　life　of　communion　with　God　is　sufficient　to　yield　consolation　in　the　midst　of　all；　and　even　to　produce　a　holy　joy　in　the　soul；　which　shall　make　it　to　triumph　over　all　affliction。　　I　have　never　yet　repented　of　any　sacrifice　that　I　have　made　for　the　Gospel；　but　find　that　consolation　of　mind　which　can　come　from　God　alone。

〃26th　May。This　day　kept　Sabbath　at　Chandureea；　had　a　pleasant　day。　In　the　morning　and　afternoon　addressed　my　family；　and　in　the　evening　began　my　work　of　publishing　the　Word　of　God　to　the　heathen。　Though　imperfect　in　the　knowledge　of　the　language；　yet；　with　the　help　of　moonshi；　I　conversed　with　two　Brahmans　in　the　presence　of　about　two　hundred　people；　about　the　things　of　God。　I　had　been　to　see　a　temple；　in　which　were　the　images　of　Dukkinroy；　the　god　of　the　woods；　riding　on　a　tiger；　Sheetulla；　goddess　of　the　smallpox；　without　a　head；　riding　on　a　horse　without　a　head；　Punchanon；　with　large　ears；　and　Colloroy；　riding　on　a　horse。　　In　another　apartment　was　Seeb；　which　was　only　a　smooth　post　of　wood；　with　two　or　three　mouldings　in　it；　like　the　base　of　a　Tuscan　pillar。　　I　therefore　discoursed　with　them　upon　the　vanity　of　idols；　the　folly　and　wickedness　of　idolatry；　the　nature　and　attributes　of　God；　and　the　way　of　salvation　by　Christ。　　One　Brahman　was　quite　confounded；　and　a　number　of　people　were　all　at　once　crying　out　to　him；　'Why　do　you　not　answer　him？　　Why　do　you　not　answer　him？'　　He　replied；　'I　have　no　words。'　　Just　at　this　time　a　very　learned　Brahman　came　up；　who　was　desired　to　talk　with　me；　which　he　did；　and　so　acceded　to　what　I　said；　that　he　at　last　said　images　had　been　used　of　late　years；　but　not　from　the　beginning。　　I　inquired　what　I　must　do　to　be　saved；　he　said　I　must　repeat　the　name　of　God　a　great　many　times。　　I　replied；　would　you；　if　your　son　had　offended　you；　be　so　pleased　with　him　as　to　forgive　him　if　he　were　to　repeat　the　word　'father'　a　thousand　times？　　This　might　please　children　or　fools；　but　God　is　wise。　　He　told　me　that　I　must　get　faith；　I　asked　what　faith　was；　to　which　he　gave　me　no　intelligible　reply；　but　said　I　must　obey　God。　I　answered；　what　are　His　commands？　what　is　His　will？　　They　said　God　was　a　great　light；　and　as　no　one　could　see　him；　he　became　incarnate；　under　the　threefold　character　of　Brhumma；　Bishno；　and　Seeb；　and　that　either　of　them　must　be　worshipped　in　order　to　life。　　I　told　them　of　the　sure　Word　of　the　Gospel；　and　the　way　of　life　by　Christ；　and；　night　coming　on；　left　them。　　I　cannot　tell　what　effect　it　may　have；　as　I　may　never　see　them　again。〃

At　the　beginning　of　the　great　rains　in　the　middle　of　June　Carey　joined　Mr。　Udny　and　his　mother　at　the　chief　factory。　　On　each　of　the　next　two　Sabbaths　he　preached　twice　in　the　hall　of　the　Residency　of　the　Company；　which　excluded　all　Christian　missionaries　by　Act　of　Parliament。　　As　an　indigo　planter　he　received　the　Company's　licence　to　reside　for　at　least　five　years。　　So　on　26th　June　he　began　his　secular　duties　by　completing　for　the　season　of　indigo　manufacture　the　buildings　at　Mudnabati；　and　making　the　acquaintance　of　the　ninety　natives　under　his　charge。　　Both　Mr。　Udny　and　he　knew　well　that　he　was　above　all　things　a　Christian　missionary。　〃These　will　furnish　a　congregation　immediately；　and；　added　to　the　extensive　engagements　which　I　must　necessarily　have　with　the　natives；　will　open　a　very　wide　door　for　activity。　　God　grant　that　it　may　not　only　be　large　but　effectual。〃

These　were　the　days；　which　continued　till　the　next　charter；　when　the　East　India　Company　was　still　not　only　a　body　of　merchants　but　of　manufacturers。　　Of　all　the　old　monopolies　only　the　most　evil　one　is　left；　that　of　the　growth；　manufacture；　and　sale　of　opium。　　The　civil　servants；　who　were　termed　Residents；　had　not　political　duties　with　tributary　sovereigns　as　now；　but　from　great　factory…like　palaces；　and　on　large　salaries；　made　advances　of　money　to　contractors；　native　and　European；　who　induced　the　ryots　to　weave　cloth；　to　breed　and　feed　the　silkworm；　and　to　grow　and　make　the　blue　dye　to　which　India　had　long　given　the　name　of　〃indigo。〃　　Mr。　Carey　was　already　familiar　with　the　system　of　advances　for　salt；　and　the　opium　monopoly　was　then　in　its　infancy。　　The　European　contractors　were　〃interlopers；〃　who　introduced　the　most　valuable　cultivation　and　processes　into　India；　and　yet　with　whom　the　〃covenanted〃　Residents　were　often　at　war。　　The　Residents　had　themselves　liberty　of　private　trade；　and　unscrupulous　men　abused　it。　　Clive　had　been　hurried　out　thirty　years　before　to　check　the　abuse；　which　was　ruining　not　only　the　Company's　investments　but　the　people。　　It　had　so　spread　on　his　departure　that　even　judges　and　chaplains　shared　in　the　spoils　till　Cornwallis　interfered。　　In　the　case　of　Mr。　G。　Udny　and　purely　commercial　agents　the　evil　was　reduced　to　a　minimum；　and　the　practice　had　been　deliberately　sanctioned　by　Sir　John　Shore　on　the　ground　that　it　was　desirable　to　make　the　interests　of　the　Company　and　of　individuals　go　hand　in　hand。

The　days　when　Europe　got　its　cotton　cloth　from　India；　calling　it　〃calico；〃　from　Calicut；　and　its　rich　yellow　silks；　have　long　since　passed；　although　the　latter　are　still　supplied　in　an　inferior　form；　and　the　former　is　once　more　raising　its　head；　from　the　combination　of　machinery　and　cheap　labour。　　For　the　old　abuses　of　the　Company　the　Government　by　Parliament　has　to　some　extent　atoned　by　fostering　the　new　cultures　of　tea；　coffee；　and　cinchona；　jute　and　wheat。　　The　system　of　inducing　the　ryots　to　cultivate　by　advances；　protected　by　a　stringent　contract　law；　still　exists　in　the　case　of　opium。　　The　indigo　culture　system　of　Carey's　time　broke　down　in　1860　in　the　lower　districts；　where；　following　the　Company　itself；　the　planter　made　cash　advances　to　the　peasant；　who　was　required　to　sow　indigo　on　land　which　he　held　as　a　tenant　but　often　as　a　proprietor；　to　deliver　it　at　a　fixed　rate；　and　to　bear　the　risk　of　the　crop　as　well　as　the　exactions　of　the　factory　servants。　　It　still　exists　in　the　upper　districts　of　Bihar；　especially　in　Tirhoot；　on　a　system　comparatively　free　from　economic　objections。

The　plant　known　as　〃Indigofera　Tinctoria〃　is　sown　in　March　in　soil　carefully　prepared；　grows　to　about　5　feet；　is　cut　down　early　in　July；　is　fermented　in　vats；　and　the　liquor　is　beaten　till　it　precipitates　the　precious　blue　dye；　which　is　boiled；　drained；　cut　in　small　cakes；　and　dried。　　From　first　to　last　the　growth　and　the　manufacture　are　even　more　precarious　than　most　tropical　crops。　　An　even　rainfall；　rigorous　weeding；　the　most　careful　superintendence　of　the　chemical　processes；　and　conscientious　packing；　are　necessary。　One　good　crop　in　three　years　will　pay　where　the　factory　is　not　burdened　by　severe　interest　on　capital；　one　every　other　year　will　pay　very　well。　　Personally　Carey　had　more　than　the　usual　qualifications　of　a　successful　planter；　scientific　knowledge；　scrupulous　conscientiousness　and　industry；　and　familiarity　with　the　native　character；　so　soon　as　he　acquired　the　special　experience　necessary　for　superintending　the　manufacture。　　That　experience　he　spared　no　effort　to　gain　at　once。

〃1st；　2nd；　and　3rd　July。Much　engaged　in　the　necessary　business　of　preparing　our　works　for　the　approaching　season　of　indigo…making；　which　will　commence　in　about　a　fortnight。　　I　had　on　the　evening　of　each　of　these　days　very　precious　seasons　of　fervent　prayer　to　God。　I