Sranan Bible History (3)

**List: Sranan Ministry the Bible ( da [Bible] ) Sranan... SURINAM NEGRO-ENGLISH. "NEGRO-ENGLISH, or, as it might be designated with equal propriety, Negro-Dutch, is the lan- guage of the Dutch colony of Surinam, in Guiana, and is current among a population of at least 100,000, of whom 80,000 are slaves, 10,000 free negroes, and 10,000 are Dutch and other Europeans. A mission of the United Brethren has existed in Surinam since 1738: there are now more than 13,000 negroes in connexion with the Moravian Church, and 10,000 unconverted negroes are under Christian instruction; for the prejudices of the colonists against the education of the negroes are wearing away, and the mies. are permitted access to more than 150 plantations.    The language of these negroes is a compound of English and Dutch, with a sprinkling of Spanish, Portuguese, French, and African or Indian words.   It is doubtful whether the English or the Dutch element predominates: the former was introduced when the English were possessors of the colony; but the Dutch, with few interruptions, have held possession since the year 1669, and many of their words and phrases have, in consequence, become incorporated with the language.   The country was discovered by the Spanish, and, at some remote period, was subjugated by the Portuguese, and subsequently by the French; and this accounts for the presence of Spanish, Portuguese, and French words in the language.   The structure of Negro-English is simple and inartificial in the extreme, and it is nearly devoid of grammatical forms.   Almost every word terminates with a vowel; and, according to Captain Stedman's account, it is "sweet, sonorous, and soft" in enunciation, and, moreover, "wonderfully expressive and sentimental."   The vocabulary is by no means copious, but this deficiency is supplied by the ease with which the words are compounded.   This language will probably, in process of time, sink into disuse; yet the prospect is but small that either the present or the ensuing generation will be able to dispense with it.    A translation of the Harmony of the Gospels, as used in the Moravian Church, was early made in this language, and a version of the Acts, Epistles and part of the book of Revelation, was executed by Mr. Schuman prior to the year 1813.   In 1828 a version of the entire New Testament had been completed by the Moravian mies., and had been repeatedly and carefully corrected.   The MS. was sent to Germany, and was revised by Hans Wied, who for upwards of twenty years had resided in Surinam, and was intimately acquainted with the language: the opinion he passed on the translation was, "that it is as perfect as possible."   The Brethren's Society for Propagating the Gospel, therefore, applied for aid to the British and Foreign Bible Society, and an edition of 1000 copies was accordingly printed in London, under the supervision of Mr. Latrobe, assisted by C. A. Austen, Esq., of Queen's College, Cambridge, a native of Surinam.   The copies were all forwarded to Surinam, and were received with much gratitude; but the edition was soon exhausted, and after the last copy had been disposed of, more than 12,000 converts were added to the Church.   Another edition of the New Testament and Psalms was therefore prepared by Mr. Treu, a Moravian my.; and at length, in 1845, its publication was resolved on by the My. Society of the United Brethren in Holland. Aid was granted by the Netherlands Bible Society, but the chief expenses of printing were defrayed by the British and Foreign Bible Society.   The edition, which consisted of 2000 copies, left the press in 1846.    The intelligence received within recent years from Dutch Guiana furnishes most gratifying and hopeful accounts of the progress of my. labour in that region.   The Surinam Mission supports at the present time above fifty mies., stationed in different parts of the colony, and upwards of 20,000 negroes and coloured people are converts to the Gospel.   School-houses, as well as churches, have been numerously erected, and, notwithstanding impediments, due to various causes (and most especially to the existence of slavery), the cause of Christian truth is making steady advance amongst its long benighted population.   "On every estate (writes one of the labourers in this vineyard) there are some, perhaps only a few, yet some who are decided Christians-- children indeed as regards know- ledge and practice, yet evidently believers in Jesus."   The benefits of the mission are not confined to the negro portion of the population:--"During my visit to the Para plantation, we met with a married couple belonging to the Arawack tribe.   After some conversation with them, I read to them St. Paul's sermon at Athens, from Acts, chap. 17, as I fortunately happened to have a copy of that portion of Scripture in the Arawack language.   The impression which this produced was very striking.   The woman, who was advanced in years, burst into tears, and her husband appeared to be much affected also. They both came afterwards to the meeting, as they understood the Negro- English dialect.""--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only] SURINAM NEGRO-ENGLISH.--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only: n.d. John 1:1-14 unknown.]

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