very promifing children. The inha "bitants are vaftly pleased, that two of our lads * are come to be with them to "learn their language; and have, of their own accord, offered three of their's, "whom they would fend to New-Eng " land to learn our language; but I told "them, I must wait the pleasure of the "commiffioners, before I could give any encouragement to take them with me."T He

*Thefe lads are about 12 years of age, and as promifing as any among us. They are, with their own free confent, devoted to the Indian-fervice for life, if God, in his providence, fhall pleafe to make way for their being useful. 'Tis defigned they fhould continue with the Indians, till they have learned their language. Care is taken that they may be under proper tuition in the Indian country; and when they can converfe in their tongue with the fame freedom as in their own, they will be brought from thence, and put under the best means of education we have, in order to their being qualified for miffionary preachers, or school-mafters, or whatever elfe they may be moft turned for. I may add, befides these lads we have a young man under education at our College in Cambridge; who will, we truft, be fit for fervice, as a school-mafter, if not as a miffionary-preacher, as foon as there will be occafion for him.

We have not encouraged the fending thefe boys; and, as we imagine, for very good reafons. The charge of bringing them from their own homes, and educating them among us, would be very great. We have felt the truth of this, as we lately found ourselves obliged to pay nearly 601. fterling in lefs than one year for three boys only on which account we thought ourselves

bound,

He adds, "We have got all our matters "ripe to make propofals to the Indians, "and wait only the return of Adam,their "-chief, who is now expected. The In❝dians are of a very obliging difpofition, "and well-difposed toward religion. “Thomas King made a fpeech in the name of two or three, (who had not "been prefent at any of their former "councils) in which he expreffed a very

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grateful fenfe of the care the commif"fioners have taken of the most impor"tant intereft among them, and, for "his own part, he greatly rejoiced that "they

F 2

bound, in faithfulness to thofe who have entrusted their money with us, not to spend any more of it in this way, which appears to us enormoufly expenfive. There are other inconveniences in taking lads from the Indiancountry ---We can have no fecurity, whatever expence is laid out upon them, that they fhall be afterwards employed in fuch fervice as we judge proper: Neither can we know, previously to their coming to us, whether their capacities, temper, and inclination to learn, are fuch as we should choose in the children we would be at the charge to educate; and, after all the pains and expence in educating them, they may be viciously turned, or their character otherwife fuch as would unfit them to be employed by us in the fervice for which they might be efpecially intended and wanted. Whereas, by educating Indian-children in their own towns, thefe inconveniences will all be avoided. The charge will be reduced to a small thing comparatively;---we may felect out of a whole fchool the moft promifing youth for natural powers, good temper, and a pious difpofition ;-and we might get fecurity from their parents, that they

fhall

"they were once more likely to enjoy "the gofpel. He was ready to promife "all that lay in his power, that the glo"rious defign fhould meet with fuccefs."He wanted fome more effectual mea"fures might be taken to prevent the fin "of drunkenefs; and hoped, till fome way was found out, we would pity and pray for them; for they were fo "addicted to that fin, that they could not refrain when Rum was brought among them. All the Chiefs are defirous, that fome effectual way may be *taken that no Rum be brought among "them; for they fay, they plainly fee, "that Rum is deftructive both to foul "and body.

LET

1

fhall be employed in the fervice their education is defigned to fit them for.---Befides all this, English lads will be far the likelieft, when their education is finish'd, to ferve as interpreters, fchool-mafters, or miffionary-preachers. Indians, though fitted, in a good measure, for thefe employments, will not have that honor in their own country, and among their own people, which is highly expedient in order to their being useful; nor can they with defirable confidence be relied on. Perhaps, two or three Indians at moft, and these fuch as have been found, upon tryal, to be fteady, prudent, fober and virtuous, will fuffice for all the purposes to which we shall have occafion to employ them. A fchool therefore for the education. of Indian children in any of our English towns may reafonally be looked upon as a needlefs burthen; and, if encouraged, will run into an expence, which may foon cool that charity which would be the fupport, not only of that, but of all attempts to promote the fpiritual good of thofe, whofe lot is caft in heathen darknefs.

LET me digress here a moment to la ment the exceffive love and immoderate ufe of strong drink, fo univerfal among the Indians. And is it not to be lamented also, and more bitterly, that RUM, which is fo bewitching to them, fhould be put into their hands, in fuch quantities, by Chriftians, fo called, while they know, at the fame time,the mifchief it does among them. Shall men, profeffing christianity, for the fake of a little fordid gain, be instrumental in deftroying both the bodies and fouls of thofe, who, in common with themselves, are the off fpring of God? How great is their guilt! They may justly expect being doomed to the forest punishment, when Chrift, the judge, shall

come in the glory of his father, and of the holy angels, to render to every man according to his deeds." If neither love to God nor their neighbour will restrain thefe Traders with the Indians from this great wickedness, 'tis pity but it should be put out of their power to go on any longer in the practice of it. It may be, no effectual restraints can be laid upon them but from HOME; and it would not be below the dignity of the BRITISH MONARCH to devife fome expedient, and carry it into effect, that would powerfully tend to fave this unhappy people from

this

4

this "fnare of the Devil." We might then hope for fuccefs in our endeavours to fettle the gospel among them: Otherwife, there may be reafon to fear, that the good end proposed by our miffions to them will be, in a great measure, defeated. But to return.

He further writes," it will be beft "Mr. Bowman (the miffionary here prefent) fhould come as foon as he can, and that he be ordained that he may "adminifter the ordinances here.

We

IN compliance with this defire, and in confequence of the encouraging prof pect there is of doing good among the Indians, we judged we were called of God to fend Mr. Bowman to them. alfo tho't it proper he should first be ordained, that he might be qualified to act, in all refpects, as a gofpel-minifter among them. And it is to feparate him to the fervice of Chrift, more efpecially among these Indians, that we are now in the houfe of the Lord.

WE rejoice, Sir, that, you find within your felf a willingness to engage in this felf-denying work; and would hope it has been excited in you by the God of all

grace