en recovered, but Mr. R. Udny and his
young wife perished. His aged mother had been one of the godly circle
in the Residency at Malda to whom Thomas had ministered; and Mr. G.
Udny, her other son, was still the Company's commercial Resident there.
A letter of sympathy which Thomas sent to them restored the old
relations, and resulted in Mr. G. Udny inviting first the writer and
then Carey to become his assistants in charge of new indigo factories
which he was building on his own account. Each received a salary
equivalent to L250 a year, with the prospect of a commission on the
out-turn, and even a proprietary share. Carey's remark in his journal
on the day he received the offer was:--"This appearing to be a
remarkable opening in divine providence for our comfortable support, I
accepted it...I shall likewise be joined with my colleague again, and
we shall unitedly engage in our work." Again:--"The conversion of the
heathen is the object which above all others I wish to pursue. If my
situation at Malda should be tolerable, I most certainly will publish
the Bible in numbers." On receiving the rejoinder to his acceptance of
the offer he set this down:--"I am resolved to write to the Society
that my circumstances are such that I do not need future help from
them, and to devote a sum monthly for the printing of the Bengali
Bible." This he did, adding that it would be his glory and joy to stand
in the same relation to the Society as if he needed support from them.
He hoped they would be the sooner able to send another mission
somewhere--to Sumatra or some of the Indian Islands. From the first he
lived with such simplicity that he gave from one-fourth to one-third of
his little income to his own mission at Mudnabati.

Carey thus sums up his first year's experience before leaving his
jungle home on a three weeks' voyage up the Ganges, and records his
first deliberate and regular attempt to preach in Bengali on the way.

"8th April 1794.--All my hope is in, and all my comfort arises from,
God; without His power no European could possibly be converted, and His
power can convert any Indian; and when I reflect that He has stirred me
up to the work, and wrought wonders to prepare the way, I can hope in
His promises, and am encouraged and strengthened...

"19th April.--O how glorious are the ways of God! 'My soul longeth and
fainteth for God, for the living God, to see His glory and beauty as I
have seen them in the sanctuary