পাতা:সংবাদপত্রে সেকালের কথা দ্বিতীয় খণ্ড.djvu/৭৭৭

ज***ांछकौञ्च ꬃo@ፋ হাতে ছেনি কাটা, ঢালাই ও ছাপা প্রভৃতি সকল কাজ করেন । এই ভাবেই প্রথম বাংলা ছাপার হরফের প্রবর্তন হয় । উইলকিন্সের এই কৃতিত্ব সম্বন্ধে হলহেড তাহার ব্যাকরণের ভূমিকায় ষাঙ্গা লিথিয়াছেন, নিম্নে তাহ উদ্ধত করা হইল — 嶽 That the Bengal letter is very difficult to be imitated in steel will readily be allowed by every person who shall examine the intricacies of the strokes, the unequal length and size of the characters, and the variety of their positions and combinations. It was no easy task to procure a writer accurate enough to prepare an alphabet of a similar and proportionate body throughout, and with that symmetrical exactness which is necessary to the regularity and neatness of a fount. Mr. Bolts (who is supposed to be well versed in this language) attempted to fabricate a set of types for it, with the assistance of the ablest artists in London. But as he has egregiously failed in executing even the easiest part, or primary alphabet, of which he has published a specimen, there is no reason to suppose that his project, when compleated, would have advanced beyond the usual state of imperfection to which new inventions are constantly exposed. The advice and even solicitation of the Governor General prevailed upon Mr. Wilkins, a gentleman who has been some years in the India Company's civil service in Bengal, to undertake a set of Bengali types. He did, and his success has exceeded every expectation. In a country so remote from all connexion with European artists, he has been obliged to charge himself with all the various occupations of the Metallurgist, the Engraver, the Founder and the Printer. To the merit of invention he was compelled to add the application of personal labour. With a rapidity unknown in Europe, he surmounted all the obstacles which necessarily clog the first rudiments of a difficult art, as well as the disadvantages of solitary experiment ; and has thus singly on the first effort exhibited his work in a state of persection which in every part of the world has appeared to require the united improvements of different projectors, and the gradual polish of successive ages.”—N. B. Halhed : A Grammar of the Вengal Language, Preface, pp. xxii-iv. হলহেডের বাংলা ব্যাকরণ হুগলীতে এনড্রসের ছাপাখানায় মুদ্রিত হয়। সুতরাং হুগলীকে বাংলা ছাপার জন্মস্থান বলা উচিত। ইহার পর বাংলা ছাপ ** শ্রীরামপুরে স্থানাস্তরিত হয়। ১৮• • সনে স্ত্রীরামপুরে কেরী, ওয়ার্ড, মার্শম্যান প্রভৃতি মিশনীর ব্যাপটিষ্ট মিশন প্রতিষ্ঠিত করিয়া নানা উপায়ে এদেশে খ্ৰীষ্টধৰ্ম্ম প্রচারের চেষ্টা করিতেছিলেন। সুতরাং বাংলা পুস্তক ছাপা সম্বন্ধে স্বভাবতই సె \$