Page:History of Bengali Literature in the Nineteenth Century.djvu/19

PREFACE XVI and it was necessary to examine many that proved to be unworthy of mention—I have to.thank the authorities of many libraries in or near Caleutta. I had expected to find a good collection of Bengali publications preserved in the Serampore College Library, but besides a few relics of the venerable old Carey, various missionary tracts, a nice collection of books pertaining to the history of the missionary movements in India, and a few old files of the Friend of India and other Christian papers, I could dis- cover nothing else of any interest. Through the kind interest of a friend, who was residing in England at the time when this book was in hand and who at my request transcribed books and details for him, I had access, though not to the extent I had desired, to the benefit of the collection in the Library of the British Museum and of the India Office, with regard to both of which I had also invaluable help from Blumhardt’s descriptive Cata- logues. But my chief indebtedness is to the Library of the Board of Examiners, late Fort William College, from whieh all the Bengali publications of that College had been procured for me by the authorities of the Imperial Library of Caleutta. My thanks are also due in this connexion to the late Mr. W. E. Madge, formerly Super- intendent of the Reading Room in this Library and to Mr. Surendranath Kumar, his successor to the same office, for their interest in my work and for uniform courtesy and kindness shown to me during the time I studied there. I must also thank the authorities of the Bangiya Sahitya Parisat for permitting me to make ample use of its fine collection of Bengali books and manuscripts. My special thanks in this respect are due to Babu Basantaranjan Ray, keeper of these manuscripts, for kindly giving me all facilities for using them and also for placing at my dis- posal his expert knowledge in this matter. He never