Before leaving England, Dr. Morrison obtained an imperfect and incomplete manuscript copy of the New Testament in the Chinese language. After he arrived in China, he was very diligent, night and day, studying the language, continually reading, writing, and speaking it; and, in about three years, began to print the New Testament in Chinese. Soon after, he published a little tract, called, "_The Divine Doctrine, concerning the Redemption of the World_." He also published a catechism. And in 1813, six years after his arrival, he completed the whole New Testament.
It was just at this time, when he had been in the field alone six years, that another missionary arrived to assist him. I hope to tell you more of Dr. Milne, in another letter. Before this time, Dr. Morrison had prepared two books about the Chinese language, written in English, in order to assist other missionaries in learning the language. He had also instructed, for about two years, four orphan boys. I have not time, in a single letter, to tell you all I could wish, about what he has done. He has published many books, and accomplished much in other ways.
In the Chinese language, he has prepared and published the New Testament, and two tracts above mentioned; the largest half of the Old Testament, the other half was done by Dr. Milne; an outline of the Old Testament history; daily Morning and Evening Prayers, being a translation of the Common Prayer Book; also, a Hymn Book; and, recently, a book in three or four volumes, called the _Family Instructor:_ making in all, about 20 vols. Besides, he has written other books, but had not money to publish them. The translation of the _whole Bible_ was completed in the autumn of 1819, and published soon after.
In English, he has written and published two volumes of sermons and lectures; a little book about China, for Sabbath school children; he has also written a great many papers about China, which have been printed in the Canton newspapers, "The Canton Register," published by an English gentleman, and in the "Anglo Chinese Gleaner," published at Malacca; and others, printed in other places.
In Chinese and English, that is, a part of each page Chinese, and a part English, he has written and published six quarto volumes, about the size of Scott's Bible, constituting a most excellent Dictionary; also six octavo vols. in the same style. These twelve volumes have been prepared for the purpose of assisting those who wish to learn the Chinese language.