EARLIEST BENGALI JOURNALISM — 237 so much engages their activity and affords so many opportunities for benefiting the country. Although conducted chiefly by the missionaries, it was never wholly a missionary paper. Correspondence from various parts of the country—for it had a very large circulation over 360 stations in the country— useful articles on scientific, political, Nature of its articles. historical and geographical topics, ! adorned its eagerly read pages. It recorded all the interesting contemporary incidents, political and administrative, and we have short articles on the fight with the Pindaris, on the conflict with Holkar, Sindhia and other Indian powers, on the last stage in the war between England and France (including many refer- ences to Napoleon Bonaparte), an account of the Mogul Emperor and of Raja Ranjit Sing and essays on other interesting topics. Besides these, there were descriptions, reviews and advertisements of new publications, educational news (like the proceedings of the School Book Society and the School Society and the establishment of a college at Srirampur), various social topies (like the description of Sraddha ceremony of Gopimohan Thakur), market reports, reports on stocks and shares and on exports and imports, civil appointments, programmes of the Governor-General’s tour, commercial and _ shipping intelligence, sensational ouews (burning fatalities, theft, dacoity, murder, earthquake, storm, rath- jatra ceremony at Mahes) and references to the filthy condition of Caleutta roads and other local complaints. Although chiefly a newspaper, it published from time to
' For a short list of these articles, See Sahitya Parighat Patrika,
already cited, vol. v, p. 257. Also my paper in vol. xxiii of the same.
Fora note on Early Christian Periodicals, see Appendix 1V at the
end of this volume.
