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is　　very　probable　that　he　forgot　to　fulfil　his　promise；　for　the　result　　never　came　to　my　ears。

Thus　circumstanced；　and　being　very　uneasy　in　my　mind；　I　determined　　to　take　a　bold　step；　and　directly　and　without　further　feeling　my　　way　to　petition　the　Government　in　my　own　name　for　permission　to　　print　the　Mandchou　Scriptures。　　Having　communicated　this　　determination　to　our　beloved；　sincere；　and　most　truly　Christian　　friend　Mr。　Swan　（who　has　lately　departed　to　his　station　in　Siberia；　　shielded　I　trust　by　the　arm　of　his　Master）；　it　met　with　his　perfect　　approbation　and　cordial　encouragement。　　I　therefore　drew　up　a　　petition；　and　presented　it　with　my　own　hand　to　his　Excellence　Mr。　　Bludoff；　Minister　of　the　Interior。　　He　having　perused　it；　briefly　　answered；　that　he　believed　the　matter　did　not　lie　with　him；　but　　that　he　would　consider。　　I　now　began　greatly　to　fear　that　the　　affair　would　not　come　to　a　favourable　issue；　but　nevertheless　　prayed　fervently　to　God；　and　confiding　principally　in　Him；　resolved　　to　leave　no　human　means　untried　which　were　within　my　reach。

Since　residing　here　I　have　assiduously　cultivated　the　friendship　of　　the　Honourable　Mr。　Bligh；　His　Britannic　Majesty's　plenipotentiary　　at　the　Court　of　Russia；　who　has　shown　me　many　condescending　marks　　of　kindness；　and　who　is　a　person　of　superb　talents；　kind　　disposition；　and　of　much　piety。　　I　therefore；　on　the　evening　of　the　　day　of　my　presenting　the　petition；　called　upon　him；　and　being　　informed　that　he　was　out　of　town；　and　was　not　expected　till　late　at　　night；　I　left　a　letter　for　him；　in　which　I　entreated　him　to　make　　use　of　whatever　influence　his　high　official　situation　was　　calculated　to　give　him　with　the　Minister；　towards　procuring　a　　favourable　reply；　assuring　him　that　the　Mandchou　version　was　not　　intended　for　circulation　nor　calculated　for　circulation　in　any　part　　of　the　Russian　Empire；　but　in　China　and　Chinese　Tartary　solely。　　I　　stated　that　I　would　call　for　an　answer　the　next　morning。　　I　did　so；　　and　upon　seeing　Mr。　Bligh；　he　was　kind　enough　to　say　that　if　I　　desired　it　he　would　apply　officially　to　the　Minister；　and　exert　all　　his　influence　in　his　official　character　in　order　to　obtain　the　　accomplishment　of　my　views；　but　at　the　same　time　suggested　that　it　　would；　perhaps；　be　as　well　at　a　private　interview　to　beg　it　as　a　　personal　favour；　and　to　this　I　instantly　assented。　　He　spoke　twice　　to　Mr。　Bludoff　upon　the　subject；　and　I　shortly　afterwards　received　　a　summons　to　appear　at　the　Asiatic　Department；　whither　I　went；　and　　found　that　Mr。　Bludoff　had　been　enquiring　whether　any　person　was　to　　be　found　capable　of　being　employed　as　Censor　over　the　work；　and　　that　it　had　been　resolved　that　Mr。　Lipoftsoff；　who　is　one　of　the　　clerks　of　the　Asiatic　Department；　should　be　appointed　Censor；　and　　that　I　should　be　the　Editor　of　the　work；　provided　permission　were　　granted　to　print　it。　　I　went　away；　and　having　received　no　　intelligence　during　the　space　of　a　fortnight；　I　waited　upon　Mr。　　Bligh　and　begged　that；　provided　it　were　not　disagreeable　to　him；　he　　would　make　a　fresh　application　to　the　Minister。　　And；　singularly　　enough；　Mr。　Bludoff　was　to　dine　at　Mr。　Bligh's　that　evening；　and　　the　latter　amiable　gentleman　assured　me　that　he　would　not　let　so　　excellent　an　opportunity　slip　of　saying　what　was　calculated　to　　bring　the　matter　to　a　conclusion。　　That　same　night　I　received　a　　message；　whereby　I　was　requested　to　wait　on　Mr。　Bludoff　the　next　　day；　at　one。　　I　did　so；　and　he　received　me　in　the　most　polite　　manner　and　said　that　the　matter　did　not　entirely　depend　upon　him；　　but　that　it　would　be　necessary　to　obtain　the　permission　also　of　the　　Director　of　Worship；　that　however　he　would　give　me　a　letter　to　that　　Dignitary；　which　he　doubted　not　would　have　some　effect。　　I　received　　the　letter；　and　without　losing　any　time　repaired　to　the　Director's　　Office　and　having　delivered　my　letter；　after　waiting　some　time；　was　　told　to　call　at　the　Asiatic　Department　on　the　first　day　of　the　next　　week　（the　very　day　your　letter　arrived）。　　On　calling　there　I　FOUND　　THAT　PERMISSION　HAD　BEEN　GRANTED　TO　PRINT　THE　MANDCHOU　SCRIPTURE。

I　hope　that　the　honourable　Committee　and　yourself　will　feel　no　　displeasure　at　my　presuming　here　to　make　a　slight　suggestion。　　We　　are　under　great　obligations　to　Mr。　Bligh；　and　I　have　certainly　　taken　great　liberties　with　the　friendship　with　which　he　has　thought　　proper　to　favour　me；　liberties　which　I　should　certainly　not　have　　felt　myself　authorised　to　have　taken　in　any　affair；　the　end　of　　which　was　not　the　glorifying　of　God；　as　the　aim　of　this　certainly　　is。　　I　therefore　should　wish　to　hint　the　expediency　of　a　letter　in　　which　the　thanks　of　the　Committee　be　presented　to　Mr。　Bligh　for　the　　interest　which　he　has　been　pleased　to　take　in　this　business；　and　　for　the　trouble　he　has　given　himself。　　You　are　well　aware　that　a　　handsome　acknowledgement　of　a　kindness　received　is　never　taken　　amiss；　and　as　it　is　not　impossible　that　Mr。　Bligh；　at　another　time　　and　even　at　another　place；　may　have　an　opportunity　of　promoting　the　　excellent　views　of　the　Society；　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　such　an　　acknowledgement　would　be　unwise　neither　in　respect　to　what　has　　occurred　or　may　occur　hereafter。

In　reply　to　your　inquiries　respecting　my　progress　in　the　Mandchou　　language；　I　have　to　observe　that　for　some　time　past　I　have　taken　　lessons　from　a　person　who　was　twelve　years　in　Pekin；　and　who　speaks　　Mandchou　and　Chinese　with　fluency。　　I　pay　him　about　six　shillings　　English　for　each　lesson；　which　I　grudge　not；　for　the　perfect　　acquirement　of　Mandchou　is　one　of　my　most　ardent　wishes；　as　I　am　　convinced　that　it　is　destined　by　providence　to　be　the　medium　for　　the　spiritual　illumination　of　countless　millions　of　Chinese　and　　Tartars。　　At　present　I　can　transcribe　the　Manchou　character　with　　much　greater　facility　and　speed　than　I　can　the　English。　　I　can　　translate　from　it　with　tolerable　facility；　and　have　translated　into　　it；　for　an　exercise；　the　second　homily　of　the　Church　of　England　〃On　　the　Misery　of　Man。〃　　I　have　likewise　occasionally　composed　a　few　　hymns　in　this　language；　the　difficulty　of　which　I　am　at　present　　more　fully　aware　of　than　when　I　left　England。　　It　is　one　of　those　　deceitful　tongues；　the　seeming　simplicity　of　whose　structure　　induces　you　to　suppose；　after　applying　to　them　for　a　month　or　two；　　that　little　more　remains　to　be　learned；　but　which；　should　you　　continue　to　study　a　year；　as　I　have　studied　this；　show　themselves　　to　you　in　their　veritable　colours；　amazing　you　with　their　　copiousness；　puzzling　with　their　idioms。　　In　a　word　Mandchou　is　　equally　as　difficult　as　Sanscrit　or　Persian；　neither　of　which　　languages　has　ever　been　thoroughly　acquired　by　any　European；　though　　at　first　acquaintance　they　flatter　the　student　with　their　deceitful　　simplicity。　　I　take　the　liberty　of　sending　you　a　short　original　　epigram　in　rhymed　Mandchou；　which　if　it　answers　no　other　purpose　　will　afford　you　some　idea　of　my　running　Mandchou　hand；　which；　as　I　　now　write　perpendicularly；　is　very　different　from　that　hand　which　I　　wrote　previously　to　my　coming　hither。　　The　epigram　is　upon　the　　exploits　of　the　Tartars。

＇Here　follow　four　upright　lines　in　Manchu　characters。＇

Milites　qui　e　Manjurico　deserto　exierunt；　bellando　silvas；　campos　　et　oppida　Sinensis　imperii　captarunt。

Want　of　room　obliges　me　to　defer　making　a　report　upon　Mr。　　Lipoftsoff's　translation　until　my　next　letter；　which　will　follow　in　　a　week　or　two；　for　I　am　unwilling　in　a　matter　of　such　immense　　importance　to　deliver　a　brief　and　hurried　opinion。　　I　have　much　to　　communicate　also　respecting　the　proper　means　to　be　pursued　for　the　　introduction　and　circulation　of　the　volume；　when　printed；　in　China　　and　Tartary。　　This　information　I　have　derived　from　the　most　　authentic　sources；　namely　from　individuals　who　have　spent　many　　years　in　these　countries；　and　whose　acquaintance　I　have　eagerly　　sought。

From　England　I　have　lately　received　a　letter　in　which　is　an　extract　　from　an　epistle　of　my　brother　in　Mexico；　amounting　to　this　…　that　　there　is　no　native　language　in　that　country　entitled　to　the　　appellation　of　THE　Mexican　language；　that　it　is　as　incorrect　to　　make　use　of　such　an　expression；　as　it　would　be　to　say　definitely　　THE　European　language；　that　setting　aside　the　Spanish　there　are　　upwards　of　twenty　languages　and　dialects　spoken　in　Mexico；　none　of　　which　are　read　（except　perhaps　here　and　there　by　a　few　individuals）　　but　communicated　by　the　mouth　and　only　acquired　by　the　ear；　that　my　　brother　has　shown　the　sheet　of　St。　Luke's　Gospel；　which　I　　transmitted　to　him；　to　various　Spaniards　and　Indians；　but　it　was　　unintelligible　to　them；　the　latter　not　recognising　the　words　when　　read　to　them。　　I　should　therefore　advise　that　the　copies　of　this　　version　be　sent；　if　possible；　to　the　place　where　the　version　was　　purchased；　as　it　was　probably　made　in　the　language　or　dialect　of　　that　place　or　neighbourhood；　and　where　there　is　a　chance　of　its　　being　of　some　utility。　　Should　my　brother　have　survived　the　late　　dreadful　commotions　in　Mexico；　I　have　no　doubt　that　he　will　be　　exceedingly　happy　to　assist　in　flinging　the　rays　of　Scriptural　　light　over　that　most　benighted　and　miserable　region；　but　having　　lately　read　in　the　Russian　newspapers　that　the　town　of　Guanajuato；