১১১ BENGALI LITERATURE This useful paper, however, lasted only for three years (1818-182])! ; but it became very popular and successful for a new venture, and its success emboldened the missionaries to launch upon the more perilous task of starting a newspaper in Bengali. A quarter or more of a century’s intolerance on the part of Samachar darpan or the Mirror of News. the government had made _ the oo. May, Saturday, missionaries diffident; but their eagerness to open a new avenue to the thoughts of the nation made them overcome all scrupules, more specially because the Benga/ Gazette (1816-1818)? the only paper in Bengali hitherto published, was now dead, and its place required to be filled up. Nothing could keep back 1427 of its publi- the indefatigable missionaries but they took every precaution against imperilling the safety of their mission. Consequently, before the actual publication of the paper, they issued pros- pectus and advertisements in the local papers about the proposed journal so that objections, if any, from official and other quarters would be taken beforehand. Then on the critical night before the publication, the first proof of the first number was laid before the assembled brother- hood at their weekly meeting on Friday evening. Dr. Carey, whom long experience had. taught to be more cautions mentioned his fears about the Mission, but he
1 | have been able to trace the following numbers (in the Sahitya Parigsat Library) ; April 1818 to March 1919, Nos. i-xii; January 1820 to April 1820, Nos. xiii-xvi; May 1820 to February 1821, Nos. xvii to xxvi. It seems only 26 numbers were published. The Catalogue of E. I. Company’s Library (1845) (p. 267) enters Digdarsan only for April 1818 to February 1821.
- Long says (Return of Names and Writings, etc.) that the Bengal
Gazette was published for a year. But unfortunately file of this paper is not available any where.
