IN 1659, the entire Harvard printing plant moved in with the English students. Harvard apparently justified the transfer of the press on the grounds that they were about to publish John Eliot's translation of the Bible into Algonquin. (The Eliot translation of the Bible--Mamusse Wunneetupana-tamwe Up-Biblum God--came out in 1663. Scholars are not sure there were any Indians who could have understood it.)

When the College building began to show signs of decay, the English students moved out. Eventually--no repairs were made--the presses also had to be removed. The Corporation finally offered 5 pounds to anyone who would pull the building down, but there were no takers.

In 1698 Harvard did the job of razing the Indian College itself. The Indians were not forgotten, though: in return for the use of the Indian College bricks to build Stoughton Hall, Harvard promised a study-room and living quarters in Stoughton to any Indians who might show up.

Only one more did--Benjamin Larnel, class of 1716. According to President Leverett, Harvard's last Indian student was "An Acute Grammarian." On top of that he was "An Extraordinary Latin Poet, and a good Greek one." But he did not survive the Cambridge winter of his freshman year.

Benighted Parts

After Larnel's death the sponsoring Society in London had no more busi- ness with Harvard. It remained active, however--until, with the outbreak of the Revolution, Englishmen began to feel uneasy about saving the souls of native Americans. Consequently the foundation was dissolved.

The Americans were at the time more interested in mobilizing Indians than in converting them, but when peace was restored they began to feel pangs of Protestant responsibility brought on by the recent abdication of the Londoners. A group of Bostonians in 1787 established the present foundation to take up the work dropped by the London Society. A typical contributor to the new Society for Propagating the Gospel was one Colonel Alford, who, according to the executor of his will, "was desireous the Aborigines should be both civilized and christianized; that the Gospel should be sent into the dark, benighted parts of the land."

In the course of nearly two centuries, the Boston Society has reduced its scope as its beneficiaries have dwindled. It still actively propagates the gospel--but recently it has been running into financial difficulties. Even with half the balance of Dr. Williams' annuity, the Society's income (from contributions and from the interest on $100,000 in assets) amounts to barely enough to pay half the salary of a Protestant field representative and to pay for repairs and insurance of the church at Mashpee