Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-29
THE FIRST AMERICAN BIBLE.
Printed bv John Eliot, of Roxbury,
i'm a Tongue Now Extinct.

Printed bv John Eliot, of Roxbury,
IN n Tongue Now Extinct.
From the New York SUM-
"Wuppetesittukqussunnooweht n k
quoh" is the longest word printed in the
first Bible ever published in America.
1t is found at Mark l., 40, and signifies
kneeling down to Him" It is In the
language of the Natick Indians, an ex-
tinct New England tribe, and only one
person living can read their Bible. He
is Mr.. j. II. Trumbull, OF Hartford.
The Indian title is s'Wusku Wuttesta-
mentum Nul-Lordumum Jesus Christ
Nuppoquohwus suaeneumun, but it is
better known as Eliot's Indian Bible.
It was printed in Cambridge in 1861, by
the Commissioners of the United Colo
MES in New England, at the charge and
with the consent of the corporation in
England for the propagation of the Cos
pei among the Indians in New England. {"
The translation was the work of John
Eliot, missionary and pastor at Rox-
bury, Mass, who began the study of the
Natick Indian dialect when he was AZ
years old. Having in 1910 attained
some proficiency, he began to translate
the Bible, with the aid of an Indian,
into the Natick tongue, and after labor
OF eight years he completed the trans
lation Of both the Old and New Testa-
ments. The names of the books were
retained as in the English version, and
such words as were unknown to the
Indians were kept with an Indian termi-
nation, such as "cherubim-so6 The
New Testament was printed first, and it
required three years to finish the Old
Testament. Eliot had one Indian
printer who alone could compose" the
work, and who did the proof-reading as
well. There were 1858 reams of paper
used in printing the Bible, the cost OF it
ranging from 60 to 70 shillings sheet.
The sight of the work made old Cotton
Mather e1claim, Behold, ye Ameri-
cans, the greatest honor that ever you
were partakers of This is the only
Bible that ever was printed in all Amerii-
ca, from the very foundation of the
world" Marmaduke johnson was sent
out by the English corporation to super
intend the printing OF the Old Tesla
ment. Upon the subject of printing the
work the corporation wrote May 7, 1859:
"We conceive it will not onely be &C
ceptable unto God, but very profitable
to the poor heather, and will much tend
to the promotion of the sperituan part
Of this worke amongst them"
Twenty copies of the Bible were
printed with a dedication to King
Charles II. Very few of them are in
existence. d
The whole of Eliot's translation. was
written with one pen, (which pen,"
says Cotton Mather, chad it not been
ost, would have certainly deserved I
richer case than was bestowed upon the
pen with which Holland writ the trans
alton of Plutarch." When this Bible
vas printed New England was wilder
hess, and was teeming with a great
indian population. Eliot was religious
and he was urged on to the
translation of the Bible by appeals from
King Philip for books to read. When
le began the work the printing of a
pamphlet was work Of great impor-
ance, and as monument Of aboriginal
this Bible has, it is conceded,
lever been equaled, notwithstanding the
forts of the Missionary Societies for
he last 220 years to Christianize the
n0ians.