I take this Opportunity to Enform you
that by the
^kind and^ Indulge
^n^t providence of God I am well and would
hope that by the ſame
goodneſs you ſtill Enjoy your Valuble
Health. — I have, not as yet heard any News from
Onondage about what they have determined in Embracing the Goſpel
but the Other day Couple of young Women came from there and
Enformed us that no man-kind was at home, not So much as the
great man; but were all
gone a hunting. it looks very diſcourage‐
‐ing at preſent
amongſt the Back‐nations I fear that they are
too much overcome by french
principles:(
[illegible][guess: or]
reather fast in the divils
cluches) yet I wonder not, that they dont Embrace the Goſpel — they
have ſuch good Examples from the
Germans or
Dutch and Chuſe
to go to heaven in that way in which they can gratify their vicious
and deviliſh Inclinations. They hear that they muſt not get drunk
if they Embrace the Goſple which
your ſon offered to them; which
gos goes hard againſt their deep Rooted Appetites but if they continue
as they are, they can get
drunk and practiſe all manner of Evil
and at laſt Expe
^c^t to Enter the long houſe which the call
heaven
Some where towards the ſouth, where the will be free f
[illegible]rom all pain
and have
nothing to Exerciſe their minds — this is the
Heaven which the
french friers have promiſed them. the Indians in
general ſay that it is vain and talk very discourageing and ſay
that you need not look for them no more; their be haviour
Shews Enough
that they have Refuſed.
I have Begun my ſchool the laſt week, and the
Onidasſ
[illegible: [guess: ſeem]] Seem very much to have their minds ſhuttered and in a
Ruffel. the great men who are ho
unoured with the care over the
Indians
I fear have greatly Erred in ſome things and let too much of their
Cloven foot appear.
I had propoſed coming down next week (but
nNathan comes in
my Room) and bring down
Hannah
&
Catarine to your ſchool
and are Obliged to come before
[illegible]the
time
your ſon
appointd
and for theſe
Reaſons. 1.
t that they are quite Uneaſy to come
down to
your ſchool
aſ
ſoon as poſsible and could by no
means wait till
Thomas and the reſt of the
Indians came down
2.
d is that they have ſuſpected
ſome Danger that they cant wait
and that is, they are affraid of being Bewitched if the
ſtay —
and they ſay if they dont come down to
your ſchool they
muſt go ſome where Elſe.
hannah,
brother and ſeveral others are
thretned, like w
[illegible]iſe
the queen, and I was adviſed to go of with them
S
[illegible]oon as could be, but the
state of things at preſent I thought
I —
Would not
^Suffer^
for which Reaſon
Nathan comes down. and other reaſons
his defect &
Uncapableneſs of carriing on the buſsineſs which he
is intruſted with. and many other which he can better acquaint than
I can.
We Expect one of the French Miniſters here this ſeaſon —
for which Reaſon I dont love to leave the Indians — —
I have nothing ſtrange to Acquaint you at preſent I ſhall
go with the Indians next week to their
[illegible][guess: hunt] (as all My ſcholars
will go) I have only five Scholars at priſent and the Oldeſt is 10
years of age hardly worth ſtaying for. but according to
your Sons
orders I Stay with them; I dont know when I ſhall come down
to make a ſhort
vizit; I Seem to be Intirely Content to be —
diſpoſed of as Seems beſt in your ſight. & to be wholly at your —
diſpoſal. I fare very well at preſent plenty of pideons in our woods.
I want to hear from you My Kind Benefactor (I
have^have^ been
much troubled in dreams
concerning you of late. I fear you are
not well. but this is too much of my Indian
principles.) I feel
Sorry about ſomethings that I did neglect when I was down
and have laid with great wait upon my mind Ever ſince;
I fear I did not do my duty in not hearing your kind advice
of
binding my ſelf to be the
LLords however by Gods Grace
Aſsisting me I Endeavour to keep my ſelf
Uproted from the
world and make his word my Rule of Life. ——
no
more at preſent, but I would deſire humbly to recommend
my ſelf to your day ly prayers that he would never ſuffer me to
Act or do any thing that will at all diſgrace the Cauſe or the
Religion of Chriſt. & to keep me humble, keep me from pride
and all high thoughts of my ſelf.
PS. pleaſe
ſir to over look my haſt,
and the many Blunders which I Soppoſe
are in this paper. I have no time to write
it over or correct it.
dont Expoſe it. ſo
I remain your Humble ſervant
Joſeph
Johnſon.
^[below]To —^
^[below]Mr
Eleazar Wheelock
D.D.^