After this gloomy episode the prospects of the mission began to brighten. Mr. Hough, indeed, had gone to Calcutta, taking the printing-press with him, so that for some time all the presswork of the mission had to be done there. But on September 19, 1818, Messrs. Colman and Wheelock, with their wives, arrived in Rangoon and joined the mission. Mr. Judson writes:
“We had, I can truly say, a most joyful meeting. You have never seen them, or it would be unnecessary to add that they are four _lovely_ persons, in every sense of the word, and appear to have much of an humble, prayerful spirit. Such being their interesting appearance, we regret more deeply to find that the health of the brethren is so feeble. They have both had a slight return of bleeding at the lungs, an old complaint, to which they were subject in America. May the Lord graciously restore and preserve them.
“A few days after their arrival, I introduced them into the presence of the viceroy. He received us with marked attention, which, however, must be ascribed to the influence of a handsome present, which went before us. Though surrounded with many officers, he suspended all business for a time, examined the present, and condescended to make several inquiries. On being told that the new teachers desired to take refuge in his glory, and remain in Rangoon, he replied, ‘Let them stay, let them stay; and let your wife bring their wives that I may see them all.’ We then made our obeisance, and retired.”
The time had now come when Mr. Judson’s long-cherished desire to hold public worship among the Burmans in their own tongue was to be gratified. The little chapel, or _zayat_, had been built. It is thus described by Mrs. Judson:
“The _zayat_ is situated thirty or forty rods from the mission-house, and in dimensions is twenty-seven by eighteen feet. It is raised four feet from the ground, and is divided into three parts. The first division is laid entirely open to the road, without doors, windows, or a partition in the front side, and takes up a third part of the whole building. It is made of bamboo and thatch, and is the place where Mr. Judson sits all the day long, and says to the passers-by, ‘Ho! every one that thirsteth,’ etc. The next and middle division is a large, airy room, with four doors and four windows, opening in opposite directions; made entirely of boards, and is whitewashed, to distinguish it from the other _zayats_ around us.
“In this room we have public worship in Burman on the Sabbath; and in the middle of it I am now situated at my writing-table, while six of the male scholars are at one end, each with his torch and blackboard, over which he is industriously bending, and emitting the curious sounds of the language. The third and last division is only an entry-way, which opens into the garden leading to the mission-house. In this apartment all the women are seated, with their lights and blackboards, much in the same position and employment as the men.”
It will be seen from this that the _zayat_ was not simply a church, but a religious school-house as well. It also afforded a convenient place of rendezvous where Mr. Judson could sit all the day long, attracting the attention of the passers-by, and often engaging them in religious conversation.[24]
The following letter from Mr. Judson to the Corresponding Secretary relates to this, the first house of worship erected by American Baptists in Burmah:
“RANGOON, _February_ 20, 1819.
“The prospect of the speedy departure of a vessel for Bengal reminds us of our unanswered letters. Brother Colman has nearly recovered his health, which suffered much on his first arrival. But brother Wheelock still remains in a low, and, I fear, declining state.
“My time, for the last few months, has been divided between reading Burman, writing some portions of Scripture, and other things preparatory to public worship, holding conversations on religion, and superintending the erection of a _zayat_ (as the Burmans call it), or place of public resort, where we intend to spend much of our time, and where we hope to have stated worship, or, at least, to try the practicability of such an attempt under this Government.