File 1: Hassall family, correspondence, volume 2, pp. 1-297, 1794-ca. 1823

ReadAboutContentsHelp

Pages

FL14425347
Incomplete

FL14425347

[ms 246]

but a faint sketch of your object & intentions of going thither. You just observed that in compliance with the earnest wish or desire of your friends you were going to England to spend a few years at College, but did not say what College, or with what intent; however I conjectured that you had in view that most important object the Gospel Ministry, and I soon after learned that I was right. Had times and opportunity allowed I should have taken the liberty of offering you my advice on the subject however it might have been regarded; but now it is too late; your plans & mode of procedure are formed, and you are probably ? now, or will belong before this reaches you, acting accordingly. I have lately learned that it was intended you should be placed under the care & tuition of the Pious & Excellent Simeon of Kings College Cambridge. That is just what I would have strenuously recommended to you did I know that you were determi -ned at all events to go to one of the Universities but otherwise from sundry considerations particularly that of the many snares and temptations you would be exposed to at the university, and the danger of your suffering much injury in a spiritual point of view in losing your simplicity & spirituality etc. I would certainly have recommended your going to the College of Homerton, or Hoxton in preference and if you were determined to take orders in the church in preference to Dissenting Ordination

[MS 247]

your being educated there I presume would be no material indrance to your so doing. Were there any objections made on that score you would have interest enough to obviate them: but I shall dismiss this subject by earnestly requesting you to be much in Prayer, & to take heed that you do not suffer other studies to divert you from the study of your Bible; and also that you seriosusly & solemnly consider & constantly keep in mind the importance of the office you intend taking upon you, and the awful responsibillity attached to it, with the sincerity, uprightness, & purity of the motives that should actuate you in that affair so momentous. Our Brig Hawses [Haweis] sailed from these Islands for the Colony for the first time on the 1st of December last. Saml who sails in her, & has the highest esteem for you is surprisingly improved in the knowledge of Navigation & seamanship; and will it is expected be sufficiently qualified for the Office of Second Mate at least by the time they reach the Colony. The Brig is very neat & a good sailor, ? properly sails well, and will I trust be of great benifit to the Missions As you who had been the Medium of my correspondence with your family for years were removed, I wrote by the Haweas to your dear Father with a view to renew our long suspended correspon dence. Being then most straitened for time I omited writing to you until the return of the Ship King George to the Colony from the Marquesas Islands, and which is now at Taheite and we are daily expecting to touch here, which causes me to hasten with this & a few more letters not being certain whither she will come to anchor here.

This page is incompleteEdit this page
Last edit 10 months ago by ghassall
FL14425348
Incomplete

FL14425348

[MS 248]

and when I inform you that I am alone in this station at present, and have the School to attend -three times in the week to perform divine service and preach in Taheitan, & once in english, with all the other duties of the station to perform myself, you will readily believe I have little time to write and excuse me if I am brief in this. Mr Platt who is stationed with me here, resides for the present where the Sugar Wrks are a putting up, and, with Mr. Darling from Taheiti & Mr G Bicknell is assisting in ereting them. You are doubtless acquaint with the cercumstance of a Mr Gyle? & family being sent out by our Directors with a Sugar Apparatus. It is about two or three miles from this station in the District of Cape toai (which is the only station upon the Island) at the hed of a very find Harbour where there is good Land, & plenty of water to drive the Mill etc. You will have heard long before this reaches you of the Society formed here among the natives called the Taheitan Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel, of which the King is both Patron & President. I am happy to say that it prospers, and that the Members are collecting their subscrip tions of cocoa nut oil etc. with Spirit, to be ready agsinst the general meeting in May. They will be a great quantity of that article which, if there can be a market got for it, may contribute considerably towards defraying the expenses of the Mission. The general meeting in May is to be held in a very great building the King is erecting for a place of worship in the District of Pare in Taheite, which is nearly finished and will be one of the wonders of these Islands. I imagine that that Huge Church, which is then consecrated to the worship of God, would contain double the number of people of that of St Pauls in London.

This page is incompleteEdit this page
Last edit 10 months ago by ghassall
FL14425349
Incomplete

FL14425349

[MS 249]

It is to be ornamented in the highest degree according to the manner of these Islands, which ornamentary will consist chiefly of matting of different colours. From what I hve said about this Building you will be apt to form too exalted an idea of it. you must not picture to yourself a Building of Regular Magnitude, If I my so speak, & real elegance; for its Breadth & Height bear no proper proportion to its Length, for it is more like a Barrack, when viewed at a distance, than a Church. Its Roof is of the same kind of Thatch that the houses are covered with in general, which is made of the Leaves of a kind of Palm-tree, and looks very neat particularly in the inside; and its walls are of thick plan, closely jointed. Its pillars, and Rafters are the parts of it that are most ornamented: but I cannot give you a particular description of it as I have not seen it since its Frame was put up; this however, I may do at a future time. These people as a Nation having "Changed their gods," and being professedly Christian & worshipers of the True God for nearly two years, and not one of them as yet baptised, is a state of things not paralelled in the History of the Christian church. That none have been yet baptised is owing to some Peculiar Circumstances. I cannot now stand to specify.

This page is incompleteEdit this page
Last edit 10 months ago by ghassall
FL14425350
Incomplete

FL14425350

[MS 250]

It is expected however that the King and a good number more will be Baptised at the general meeting in May. Some of us think that that will not be a good time to adminster the Ordinance of Baptise to any of them, as there will be much business to transact, and probably their minds confused & in an unfit state to receive that ordinance; but I think very probably we shall have to give sway & submit to the King's and the Public wish. May the Lord Prside at this meeting, and causes it to promote his own Glory, the interest of his cause, and edification of his people here! The King being at Taheiti for several months past I cannot say from my own personal knowledge how he is acting; but the letters I have lately read from him are very encouraging. By them it would appear that he is very Zealous in the cause of his Fatu, Lord or Master, as he calls the Saviour. He is now upon a tour round Taheiti professedly seeing into the state of Religion among the People, and setting things in order when it is necessary. In a letter I lately read from Mr Tessier, who is now with Mr Bicknell at Papara in Taheiti, when the King spent some considerable time on his tour, he states that he (the king) regularly attended the worship of God & means of grace while with them, and kept stricktly the Sabbath, not so much as alowing his Horse to be taken out to grass or the water on that day; but having grass & water provided for him on Saturday & laid up in the Stable.

[MS 251]

It is true that in doing this he may be "straining at a gnat while he is swallowing a Camel," and that his Zeal may only be like Jehu's; but we should believe & hope the best concerning him, and when he stumbles & falls make great allowance for him. I must now hasten to give you some account of the manner in which we are distributed among these Islands, and come to a conclusion. Long before this reaches you you will have heard of the death of Mrs Wilson. Mrs Crook has taken her eldest Daughter which is very kind of her considering her own large family, and poor Mr Wilson with his other three children lives alone at Matavai, Mr Darling who was stationed there with him having come over here to assist in putting up the Sugar Mill - Messrs Crook and Bourne are stationed in the district of Pare, and Messrs Bicknall & Tessier at Papara; you will know by their names that the above three stations are in Taheiti. Mr Platt and myself as before observed are stationed here at Eimeo. Messrs Nott, Davies, Ellis, Barff & Orsmond with the printing press wre on the Islands of Huaheine; but the latter with Mrs O. who was far advanced in pregnancy went in the Haweas to the Island of Reiatea or Ulitea [?], where Messrs Threlkeld & WIlliams have taken their station, with a view to be near the latter & have his assistance at the time of her lying in. Thus you see how we are scattered, and yet there are many more wanting to supply these islands but imperfectly Borabora, Otaiha, & Maurea are still destitute. Mrs H has been ltely very ill, but is His mercy some -thing better. She is frequently ailing. I fear the climate does not agree with her, & is destroying her constitution by degrees. Should she be taken off she would be a sore loss both to her fmily, & to the mission, having obtained the best knowledge of the Language of any female ever engaged in it, & a disposition of mind & ability to ..it [?]

This page is incompleteEdit this page
Last edit 10 months ago by ghassall
FL14425351
Incomplete

FL14425351

[MS 252] for the benefit of the Natives particularly the females. Being apprised of my writing to you She & Ellen unite in affectionate regards to you, with, my dear Friend, yours very affectionately and sincerely H Henry Don't fail to write & let me have all the interesting information you can, and among other things about Mr & Mrs Cover; concerning whom I have had some information from Mr & Mrs Gyles. If you should be acquaint with them remember me affectionately to them, and tell them I should be very glad to hear from them, & will write to them if they write to me. Excuse this hasty Scrawl. Mr Hayward is gone to the Colony in the Haweis, but intends to return. one object he has in view is, I believe, to get a Partner. It is is very doubtful whether he will get one there that will suit him.

Mr T Hassall

Mr W H Henry 13/12/19 answd by Mr Hayward Jany 20

411 Oxford Street

This page is incompleteEdit this page
Last edit 10 months ago by ghassall
Displaying pages 211 - 215 of 248 in total