CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC, SOCIETY. 125 



Mr. Conyn. The next year the Rev. Mr. Wetzelius wrote 

 a compendium of religious truths in Cinghalese, and sub- 

 mitted it to the consistory for revision and authorization. 

 A version of the 15th and 23rd Psalms was also given for 

 the use of certain native congregations, but its date does 

 not appear. 



This imperfect state of things continued until 1734 when 

 a printing press with Cinghalese types was contemplated. 

 The Government of Java offered to procure it, and in 1736 

 it was reported to be in active operation under Government. 

 In the same year they printed the series of Catechisms men- 

 tioned above, and the Creed. The Gospels of Mark, Luke 

 and John were ready for the press. Instructions were given 

 in 1739 to print the Scriptures in Portuguese also. This 

 year the press was, by the favour of Government, brought 

 to some sort of perfection. Already the Tamul Catechisms 

 used in schools, and by candidates for Church membership, 

 were in the press. The four Gospels in Cinghalese were 

 also printed. The stimulus, it was remarked, would lead to 

 the translation of other parts of Scripture, for hitherto the 

 four Gospels only had been translated. They saw more 

 likelihood of getting the whole Bible in Tamul, as they had 

 but to avail themselves of the Tranquebar Version by the 

 Danish Missionaries, which by a special committee of com- 

 petent persons appointed by the consistory could be revised 

 in those places where the Lutheran version differs from the 

 Netherland State Bible. In 1740 it was reported that the 

 work of Cinghalese translation did not progress so steadily 

 as was anticipated : the cause of delay being the death of 

 some, and the infirmity of other competent hands, while the 

 present Clergymen were not yet sufficiently versed in the 

 language. The classis of Middleburgh acknowledged in a 

 letter dated 1740, the receipt of a copy of part of the New 

 Testament printed in Ceylon, which to them was of course 

 a sealed book, but they admired the clear and neat type, and 

 hoped it would prove a mighty means of extending the light 

 of Christianity among the heathens. It was hinted to them 

 that the Governor intended printing the Bible in three 

 columns, Tamul, Cinghalese and Portuguese, this, they 

 thought was a valuable suggestion ; and concluded with 

 hoping that their want of Roman characters would soon be 

 supplied, either from Holland or Batavia. Whether His Ex- 

 cellency's Trip] a were carried out or not does not appear, 

 any where. In 1745 the press was placed under the superin- 

 tendence of the Rev. Mr. Wetzelius, Rector of the Seminary, 



Two or three of the young men of the Seminary who 



