The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1868-05-26

father said. What's the matter, Dan.
ielr "My scsthe don't hang right.
SIR, he answered His father fKed ID
ana Dan went IL work again, bat With
no better success Something was the
matter with bis sythe and then Il was
again tinkered--but Il was not long be-
fore il wanted hxlng again. aud the
father said in 3 pot We'll, hang ii to
suit yourself" Daniel WITH great COM
posure hung ID GA the next tree and
putting on a grave couutenanee said,
IL hangs very we'll now I am perfect
ly satisfied"
Fi1or's IxnAS BrmE The sale of a
copy Of this very rare and curious book
ct auction. il New York, Tor $3.50, de-
serves more than the brief notice os it
which has appeared in our columns, $50
The work is remarkable one, first, in
being translation Of the whole Bible
and the New Testament into the Ian
guage spoken by the Massachusetts In
dians, and all accomplished 10y one man
known as the Apostle John Eliot who
labored as missionary among the ln-
diaus for long period. He was many
years engaged III the labor of transla-
ton. 1t is at all times task Of great
difficulty to render the Bible into for
eign language, even if the language is a
written one bat in such language
rs that OF the Indians, which was never
before written, the labor was gigantic
None but religious enthusiast, such
as Eliot would ever have attempted 1T,
This Bible has also value as d typo
graphical curiosity. III the year 1868
New England was still wilderness
toeming with the great Indian popula-
ton, and the struggle for existance Was
by no means an easy one, To print a
pamphlet WAS an event of Importance,
vet ia the infancy Of the commonwealth
the whole Bible was printed at Cam
bridge ia this strange language, q mon
ument Of aboriginal philology which
has never been eQdalled, notwithstund-
ing all the efforts of our missionary So
cioties to Christianize and ciylize the
Indians Cor the last two hundred years.
Ihe printing of this Bible was begun
in 1000, and finished in September,
1868, thus occupying tAFoe years, The
edition was one thousand copies, OF
which not more than fifteen are known
to be preserved in the United States.
Twenty copies were sent to England,
IN winch there was a dedication to
Charles the Second
But this ii not all that is remarkable
about this Bible A second edition was
called for, and the whole work was re-
printed at Cambridge by Samuel
Greene, the printer Of the first edition,
in 1886 The art Of printing was still
ia its infancy The proposition fog
printing this edition Iwas submitted 10
the commissioners of the united colo.
mes Of New England for their conside-
ration in 1678-79 by Mr.. Eliot, who
among his several appeals, SAID that
King Philip had sent to him for books
to read The work, which was com
menced the following year, proceeded
bat slowly, as there was but one man.
the Indian printer, who was able tc
compose the sheets and correct the
proof In 1854, Mr. Eliot, writing tC
Hon Robert Boyle, says ave have
but few hands, one Englishman aud O
boy, and one Indian" 1t was com
pletod the following year, and 1000 cop
/ les printed.
The Indian title reads as follows
"Mamusse wunnetupanatamwe up-Bib
lum God naneewe Nukkone Testament
kak wonk wasku Testament, etc. The
4 following is the full English title .'ePht
Holy Bible containing The old Testa
ment and the New Translated into
the Indian language and ordered to bC
printed by the United Colonies in New
England At the charge and with tht
consent Of the Corporation in England
for the propagation Of the Gospe
among the Indians in New England
/ Cambridge Printed by Samuel Greens
and Marmaduke johnson, MDCLKII
4 (lGG3j, 4to. 42i leaves. The nev
Testament contains l29 leaves,
4 1t is we'll known that there is no In
dian living who can read this Bible d
even speak the language ia which it !
written. The Hon ]. Hammond
Trunbull Of Hartford, late secretary O
the State Of Connecticut, is, we belley
the only person living who understand
the language and is able to read thI
/ Bible. He has made it study 70
several years, aud has composed a die
tionary from IT, We arc glad to lear
that fine and perfect copies Of both ed
tons Of EIi0t's Bible and new Tosta
meut are IN a private library in Provi
dence, iii which is also q little yolum
in tho sane Indian language, calle
"1he Pnaetbf If Ptefg, and a Gran
mar of ne hadian Language" printed .
Cambridge in 1866, both the work {
the indeiatigable Eliot The Gramma
is far more rare than the Bible, as nc
more than three copies are known !
the United States. -- Precedence JourJa
-4---------.--.-4-----4-----
TnrN' En-. We often hear Of r.
; markable cases Of absence of min'
Here is one equal 10 any We have SEQ
lately The man was doubtless vel
interesting head d tho family.
i say, cap'n, said keeu-eyed lit
man, as be landed from the steamt
Potomac, at Matches. this here ain
ALT
That's all the baggage yoa brougl
on board. sir, replied the captain.
Well. sec now, / grant It's al O. Il