Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/52

4 o BIRTH OF PRINTING the work. As to its being printed at Bethelsdorp, if ever it was written, an examination of the Society's reports shows that no press was set up at the settlement until the year 1816. In the year 1805 the London Missionary Society sent out a press to Dr. Van der Kemp, but the vessel foundered between Cape Town and Algoa Bay, the press going to the bottom of the sea. ' We lay our hands upon our mouth and say " the Lord hath given, and the Lord has taken away," ' was the comment of the Do6lor. Lastly, in the year 1808, he sent to Holland to be printed a work on the Epistle to the Romans and a treatise on midwifery for the use of Bethelsdorp. If a press had been in his possession, it is extremely unlikely that Dr. Van der Kemp would have sent this treatise so far away to be printed. The next town to start printing was Griqua Town, which, according to the Directors of the London Missionary Society, had a press in 1821. Here Mr. Helm printed some copies of a spelling book in the c Bootchuana ' language. This statement again presents some doubts and difficulties to the mind, in spite of its definite character. It must be said at once that no copy of this spelling book is at present known. In 1826 Robert Moffat was stationed at Lattakoo or Kuruman, at no great distance from Griqua Town. In that year he sent home to London a Sechuana Spelling Book which he had compiled, and of which the London Missionary Society caused two thousand copies to be printed and sent out. If there was already a press at Griqua Town which had previously issued