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.
Modernized Version Deletions removed; additions added in; modern spelling and capitalization added; unfamiliar abbreviations expanded.
To the Chiefs and all the
Indians at Kanawalohale
My Brethren and 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 is a young Gentleman well esteemed among us, and if he
had tarried with us might have been employed as a minister
or any other business he desired among the English. but
he has willingly given up all the comforts and profits of this Life
and has Submitted himself to Hunger and Labour and 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, and 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 — Some of you have
not attended on Mr. Kirtland ministry as you should have
done — many of you have not been careful to send
your Children to School as you should have been and so
you have discouraged your schoolmaster — and makes
him a mind to leave you — your Children who come here to
School — you entice away before they have learnt
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 hearkened 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 —
Kanawalohale – from
Boston July 27. 1767.
Now only consider what would 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 the wild Game is gone
from your Country (and that will Soon be wide and large as the Country
is) if you haven't learnt to 'til 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 that I have been a great Friend
and true friend to you — though you would not be Friends to your
‐selves —
things which are good and make me Glad — viz that some
to keep your Children at School — that you
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 and comfort Mr. Kirtland
— I long to have you become the people of God — and to have
occasion to rejoice 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 and Labour will be all lost—
If you would have me Send those Home which I have with
me I will Send them — but do you let no more come unless
to Stay 'til they have got their Learning and are fit to be
employed 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 God has appointed his people
to do and 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, and to fetch up his
provisions from a distance, and other Things that he wants. And
if you are agreed in it, it will not be a great Thing for you
to do it. And this is but a little Return for what he does
for you, and it is what God no doubt expects from you and if
you don't do such Things as you can for his help you will displease God. So Long as I hear
you do well, I am encouraged to do for you all that is in
my Power. I long for you, and pray God to make you his People
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