THAT PERMISSION HAD BEEN GRANTED TO PRINT THE MANDCHOU SCRIPTURE.

I hope that the honourable Committee and yourself will feel no
displeasure at my presuming here to make a slight suggestion. We
are under great obligations to Mr. Bligh; and I have certainly
taken great liberties with the friendship with which he has thought
proper to favour me, liberties which I should certainly not have
felt myself authorised to have taken in any affair, the end of
which was not the glorifying of God, as the aim of this certainly
is. I therefore should wish to hint the expediency of a letter in
which the thanks of the Committee be presented to Mr. Bligh for the
interest which he has been pleased to take in this business, and
for the trouble he has given himself. You are well aware that a
handsome acknowledgement of a kindness received is never taken
amiss; and as it is not impossible that Mr. Bligh, at another time
and even at another place, may have an opportunity of promoting the
excellent views of the Society, I cannot help thinking that such an
acknowledgement would be unwise neither in respect to what has
occurred or may occur hereafter.

In reply to your inquiries respecting my progress in the Mandchou
language, I have to observe that for some time past I have taken
lessons from a person who was twelve years in Pekin, and who speaks
Mandchou and Chinese with fluency. I pay him about six shillings
English for each lesson, which I grudge not, for the perfect
acquirement of Mandchou is one of my most ardent wishes; as I am
convinced that it is destined by providence to be the medium for
the spiritual illumination of countless millions of Chinese and
Tartars. At present I can transcribe the Manchou character with
much greater facility and speed than I can the English. I can