BURMESE LANGUAGE

[s. 142] : The Burmese, which spoken throughout the Burmese Empire and Arakan, belongs to the Tibeto-Burman group of the non-Aryan languages of Asia. It is used by about six million people, and, being one of the is aggre ive languages, it is constantly increasing the area of its use. It is written with its own peculiar Burmese character. BURNS, William C. Born in the Parish of Dun, Scotland, April 1, 1815. Graduated at Aberdeen in 1834; studied theology at Glasgow, and: after a period of succe ful labor in Ireland and among the French in Canada, was sent out by the E. P. Synod, in 1847, as its first mi ionary to China. On the voyage he began the study of Chinese with the only book found in London, Williams’ English and Chinese vocabulary, and a volume of Matthew’s Gospel. After spending a year or two at Hong kong and Canton, in 1851 he removed to Amoy, where and at Swatow he did a great work. Later he spent three years in Peking, and in 1867 he went to Newchwang to prepare the way for a mi ion in Manchuria. In a small room at an inn at that city, destitute of every comfort, he died on the 4th of April, 1868. While Mr. Burns never interrupted his work of preaching, he accomplished important literary work. Of this we may mention a translation of the Pilgrim’s Progre , and a collection of hymns in the Amoy dialect. With the aid of native preachers he put some of the hymns used at BURNS HILL: A town northwest of King William’s Town, Cape Colony, S. Africa. Station of the UFS, with 1 mi ionary and his wife, 2 mi ionary women, 29 native workers, 16 outstations, 1 chapel, 16 village schools and 1,420’ church members. 142