s
be made without delay.

At the Sarepta House is a chest containing Mandchou characters, belonging
to the Bible Society, which I shall cause to be examined for the purpose
of ascertaining whether they have sustained any injury from rust during
the long time they have been lying neglected; if any of them have, my
learned friend Baron Schilling, who is in possession of a small fount of
Mandchou types for the convenience of printing trifles in that tongue,
has kindly promised to assist us with the use of as many of his own as
may be necessary. There is one printing office here, where they are in
the habit of printing with the Mongolian character, which differs but
little from the Mandchou; consequently the Mongolian compositors will be
competent to the task of composing in Mandchou. There are no Mandchou
types in St. Petersburg, with the exception of our own and Baron
Schilling's.

I suppose that it will be thought requisite to print the town for a year
or so, it is my humble opinion, and the opinion of much wiser people,
that if he were active, zealous and likewise courageous, the blessings
resulting from his labours would be incalculable. It would be by no
means a difficult thing to make excursions into Tartary and to form
friendships amongst the Tartar hordes, and I am far from certain that
with a little management and dexterity he would be unable to penetrate
even to Pekin, and to return in safety, after having examined the state
of the land. I can only say that if it were my fortune to have the
opportunity, I would make the attempt, and should consider myself only to
blame if I did not succeed.

In my last letter I informed you that I had procured myself an instructor
in Mandchou, and that I was making tolerable progress in the language. I
should now wish to ask whether this person could not be turned to some
further account; for example, to assist me in making a translation into
Mandchou of the Psalms and Isaiah, which have not yet been rendered. A
few shillings a week, besides what I give him for my own benefit, would
secure his co-operation, for he is a person in very low circumstances.
He is not competent to undertake any thing of the kind by himself, being
in many respects very simple and ignorant; but as an assistant I think he
might be of considerable utility, and that between us we could produce a
version which, although it might not be particularly elegant, would be
clear, grammatical and faithful t