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