"KNOWLEDGE SHALL BE INCREASED."
ONE of the best evidences of the increase of knowledge in the earth is the ever-increasing circulation of the Scriptures. The Christian Worker, of Auckland, New Zealand, is responsible for the statement that during the year ending March, 1906, 5,977,453 copies of the Scriptures were distributed, 33,000 more than the highest previous record. The Word of God is printed in four hundred different languages, eleven having been added during the last year. It is safe to say that not one person in ten can tell where more than two or three of these languages are spoken. Here is the list: Ladakhi, Singpho, Kuliviu, Mech (or Kachari), Zigula, Laotian, Saa, Bemba, Colloquial Arabic, East Santo, and Bri-Bri. It is interesting to note how widely distributed they are. Ladakhi is spoken on the Tibet frontier. Singpho is a language spoken by a people residing among the hills in the far east of Assam. Kuliviu is a language spoken on one of the Islands in the New Hebrides; the people will pay for these books in Arrowroot. Mech is a dialect spoken by about a quarter of a million people living on the plains of North Assam. Zigula is spoken by the Wa-Zigulas, who cover a large area in German East Africa. Laotian is spoken by the Laos tribes who live in the interior of Annam, French Indo-China; and in order to print this, special type will have to be cast, from designs that have been supplied by native scribes. Saa is spoken on the island of Mwala, one of the British Solomon Islands, which have become Christianized. Bemba is spoken by the tribes living in Central Africa to the north of Lake Bangweolo. Colloquial Arabic is being prepared for the unlearned in Egypt who do not understand classical11Arabic. East Santo is another of the many languages spoken in the New Hebrides. Bri-Bri is the language of Indians near Panama. The Bible Society has supported 900 colporteurs, who sold during the year nearly 2¼ million volumes. It also supported 670 native Christian Bible-women employed in connection with about forty different missionary organizations in the East, and it helped to maintain 100 European Bible-women, most of whom are working in London back-streets. An excellent example of the scale on which the society conducts its business was evidenced at the last monthly meeting of the committee, when orders to be placed with various printing firms were sanctioned, amounting to no less than 653,000 volumes.