lingered in the waning light at his desk settling an account with a
few servants. His two rooms formed the north end of the long
printing-office. The south rooms were filled with paper and printed
materials. Close beyond was the paper-mill. The Bible-publishing
enterprise was at its height. Fourteen founts of Oriental types,
new supplies of Hebrew, Greek, and English types, a vast stock of
paper from the Bible Society, presses, priceless manuscripts of
dictionaries, grammars, and translations, and, above all, the steel
punches of the Eastern letters--all were there, with the deeds and
account-books of the property, and the iron safe containing notes
and rupees. Suffocating smoke burst from the long type-room into
the office. Rushing through it to observe the source of the fire,
he was arrested at the southern rooms by the paper store. Returning
with difficulty and joined by Marshman and the natives, he had every
door and window closed, and then mounting the south roof, he had
water poured through it upon the burning mass for four hours, with
the most hopeful prospect of arresting the ruin. While he was busy
with Marshman in removing the papers in the north end some one
opened a window, when the air set the entire building on flame. By
midnight the roof fell in along its whole length, and the column of
fire leapt up towards heaven. With "solemn serenity" the members of
the mission family remained seated in front of the desolation.

The ruins were still smoking when next evening Dr. Carey arrived
from Calcutta, which was ringing with the sad news. The venerable
scholar had suffered most, for his were the manuscripts; the steel
punches were found uninjured. The Sikh and Telugoo grammars and ten
Bible versions in the press were gone. Second editions of
Confucius. A Dissertation on the Chinese Language, and of Ward on
the Hindoos, and smaller works were destroyed. The translation of