JUDSON, ADON1RAM, founder of the American Baptist Mission in Birma, was born August 9, 1788, at Malden, Massachusetts, where his father was a Congregationalist minister. Having passed through the classes of Brown University, where ho took honours, he entered the Andover Theological Seminary ; and whilst there, a sermon by Dr. Claudius Buchauan, which he chanced to meet with, turned his thoughts towards the missionary service in India. Some fellow students, to whom he communicated his views, became aimiliarly impressed, and they eventually formally stated to the college authori ties their desire to devote themselves to the missionary office. There was then no missionary society in America, but the council referred the matter to a general committee, who resolved that it was advisable to institute a " Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions." Whilst this board was in process of organisation, young Judson pro ceeded, iu 1811, to England, to consult with the directors of the London Missionary Society. On his way the vessel in which he had embarked was captured by a French privateer and carried into Bayonne, hut Judson was released, after a short detention, at the intercession of some of his countrymen. In London he received only qualified pro mises of aid, but the American board, though as yet without funds, resolved to found a mission in Birma, to which they appointed Judson and three other young students as missionaries.
Having on the 5th of February 1812 married Miss A. Hasseltine, lie,
twelve days after, embarked with his young wife for India. Four months later they landed at Calcutta, where they met with a warm welcome from Dr. Carey and the Scram pore missionaries, but the Bengal government peremptorily ordered Judson and his companions to return to America by the same ship in which they had arrived. Judson how 1 ever was not disposed to give up hie purpose so easily. Ho accordingly took a passage to the Isle of France, proceeded thence to Madras, and from there to Rangoon, in Birma, where he arrived July 14, 1813.
I Before leaving Calcutta, Mr. Judson, whose views on the subject of baptism had undergone a change, was, with his wife, re-baptised by immersion by Dr. Carey. Ho in consequence resigned his connection k with the Board of Missions; and when he landed at Rangoon to corn , mence his missionary work he was unconnected with any society, and without any means of future support. He addressed himself how , ever without delay to the task of acquiring the Birmese language, unaided by dictionary or grammar, whilst the native he engaged as a teacher know not a word of English. By persevering labour, ho in I some two or throe years was able to speak the lauguage with some . degree of readiness. Tho Baptists of America, on hearing of his • devotion, had promptly formed a missionary society to support him, i and sent him out some assistants, one of whom was a printer. The