Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to the Chiefs at Kanawalohale, 1767 July 27
Date27 July, 1767
Call Number767427.1
abstractWheelock writes to the Chiefs at Kanawalohale exhorting them to attend to their missionary and schoolmaster.
handwritingThe letter is written in two hands; the majority is written by Wheelock, but the last paragraph of one verso is in an unknown hand. Both hands are informal, yet mostly clear and legible. The trailer on one recto is in a third, unknown hand.
paperLarge single sheet is in good condition, with light-to-moderate staining, creasing and wear.
inkBrown-black.
noteworthyThis document is possibly a draft.
signatureThe document is not signed.
To the Cheifs and all the
Indian at Kanawarohare
My Brethren & Children.
The Indians, I had no other motive but to Save them from
that Ruin and Eternal Miſery Which I Saw them Exposed
to, and to bring them to the Knowledge of the only true God
and Saviour that they might be happy — I have hitherto
Laboured hard in the Affair and done the beſt for you that
I could, I have provided you a Miniſter —
who
had tarried with us might have
or any other Buſineſs he deſired among the Engliſh. but
he has willingly given up all the comforts & profits of this Life
and has Submitted himſelf to Hunger and Labour & many
Hardſhips with no other view but to do you good — I have alſo
Sent you David Fowler, who is the beſt accompliſhed of any
Indian I know, & Others to teach your Children — I have alſo
taken Some of your Children to my School where they have
been treated as my Children have lived at a full Table and
wanted for nothing — or if they did want might came to
me at any Time and be Supplied with anything within
my power. And where I intended to bring them up as my Children—
So as diſcourage me very much —
not attended on m.r Kirtland miniſtry as you ſhould have
done — many of you have not been caref
your Children to School as you ſhould have been and ſo
you have diſcouraged your School Maſter — and makes
him a mind to leave you — your Children who come here to
School — you intice away before they have
to read Gods Word half so well as they Should — and before
they have half learnt to till the Land ſo as to get a good
living by it — and Some of the Children who have been kindly used
here have told lies about their Living here, and inſtead of thank
‐ing me for my Kindneſs have abuſed me very much – and I hear
that Some of you have harkened to their Lies — these things are
diſcouraging to me when those whom I have taken into my arms
and into my Boſom —Set themſelves to hinder and diſcourage the
Great deſign in view inſtead of improving all the Learning [gap: blotted_out][guess: the]y
get here to help it forward —
Now only conſider what wo.d be the Conſequence to you if I ſhould
be diſcouraged and reſolve to try for your Good no more —
where can you find another man in all this Country who would
try to help and Save you from Ruin as I have done.—
only think a little what you will do when all ye wild Game is gone
from your Country (and that will Soon be wide & large as ye Country
is) if you hant learnt to 'till the Land you muſt periſh for want
of food — and think what you will do if you dont know
the true God and Saviour, when you are wafted off from
this Land you muſt be miſerable forever — you will
then know when it is too late y.t I have been a great Friend
& true friend to you — tho' you wod not be Friends to your
‐ſelves —
things which are good & make me Glad — viz that ſome
have learnt to ſing the Praiſes of God — and that you have
agreed to leave of your Drunkeneſs — and that Some among
you love to go to the House of God to hear his will—
and that Some of you are ready to aſsiſt & comfort mr Kirtland
— I long to have you become the people of God — and to have
occaſion to rejoyce in you as Such —
your Children — and if you Send me any more dont ſend
me Such as will leave the School before they have half got their
Learning — for So the Expence & Labour will be all loſt—
If you would have me Send those
me I will Send them — but do you let no more come unleſs
to Stay 'till they have got their Learning and are fit to be
imployd in Buſineſs among yourſelves —
do you all the Good he can — and you muſt try as fast as you can to
get into the way of Huſbandry and be able to Support one of
your own Nation yourſelves
to do & then you will be in the way of his Bleſsing —
Potatoes. I am glad to hear by David that you have done it
of late — you are able alſo to get his Wood, & to fetch up his
Proviſions from a Diſtance, & other Things that he wants. And
if you are agreed in it, it w
to do it. And this is but a little Return for what he does
for you, and tis what God no doubt expects from you and if
you don't do ſuch Things as you can for his help
you do well, I am encouraged to do for you all that is in
my Power. I long for you, & pray God to make you his People
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