Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/890

 Halhed’s Grammar. Punches by Wilkins. 848 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. ployed in printing a Bengali grammar by Mr. Na- thenial Prassy Halhed who was a Civilian and oriental scholar and “ was so well acquainted with the language as sometimes to pass in disguise as a Native.’* The grammar was printed in 1778 A.D. in a press at Hugli. The punches of the fount were prepared by Mr. Wilkins who rose to great distinction as an oriental scholar, and pub- lished a translation of the Gita which was the first Sanskrit work made accessible to the scholars of Europe by translation. Mr. Wilkins, who was afterwards decorated with knighthood, belonged to the Service of the East India Company, and in his researches in the field of Sanskrit lore was a re- cepient of the distinguished patronage of Warren Hastings. Wilkins made it the mission of his life to improve the condition of the masses of Bengal by giving them a general education for which printing was essentially necessary. In his zeal to do so, he acquired the art of punch-cutting and prepared a set of Bengali punches with his own hands, after he had been seven years in this coun- try, and in this stage he also trained another hand to do the same work. Panchanana Karmakara and his relation and assistant Manohara Karmakara belong- ing to the caste of blacksmiths, were instructed in the art of punch-cutting by Mr. Wilkins ; and the worry and trouble attending the enterprise for years would have been considered not worth un- dergoing, had not Mr. Wilkins proceeded with a true Christian spirit of patient philanthrophy. In fact the amelioration of the condition of
 * A descriptive catalogue of Bengali works by J. Lang, p. 20.