Lebanon
16. Sep.r 1762.
My very dear and Hond
^Sir^
Friend
David, my Indian Schollar returned
^July^ 18
from the
Mohawk Country, where I informed you in my
laſt, I
had Sent him, and bro.
t with him
^4 Indian Boys^ three
Mohawks
Boys
^and one of the Farmington
Tribe^ the Boys and Girls which I expected from
Onoyada
^wre detained by their Parents^ on acco.
t of a Rumour, &
Suſpicion, of a war just com̅encing
between them and the Nations back of them
occaſioned
as they Said by the Attachment of the Onoyadas to the Engliſh,
in which
^and in ſuch a^
caſe they s
d they did not
^chuſe^
conſent to have their
Children
^at ſuch a Diſtance^ from them, but perhaps they were
Suſpicious
y
t they ſhould be obliged to Joyn those Nations againſt the
Engliſh. The engliſh youth of which I informed you,
who has been a Captive with
the Senecas
till he is Maſter
of their Language, and which I ſent for with a view to
fit him for Interpreter to that Nation, was under ſuch
ingagements to a Trader at
Black Fort as that he
could
not get releaſed for the Preſent, I have again wrote to
Genl
Johnſon who was not at Home when
David was there
till the Night before
David came away
when he returned
from a long Journey which he had taken in order for a
Treaty with Several Diſtant Tribes of Indians, and then
was So full of Buſineſs
y.t he could scarſely attend to any
thing but his own Affairs. I have again
^and^
deſired him to
be
inſtrumental to procure, and ſend
y
e youth
to me if he eſteem
^[illegible]^ him likely
for
^to anſwer^ the Deſign.
M.r Occom writes me a very meloncholly Letter. viz
that by an untimely Froſt
laſt fall their Indian Corn was all
cut off – y.
t
the Onoyadas are almoſt Starved hav
g nothing
to live upon but what they get by Hunting — that they
had
then just come in from their Pigeon Hunt — and were going a
fiſhing — as Soon as they return
d from that they will go
after
Deer. that he followed them, but found it very Difficult
to get a Number of them
together to preach to them — that
by hard living (tho.’ they were as kind as they could be) and
^eſpecially^ lying upon the wet ground his old Diſorders (viz Rhumatic)
returnd, and he was apprehenſive he muſt return befor the
Time appointed
[illegible]— that he
lived in fear,
^of being killd^
tho’ the Indians had
promiſed him
if
^in caſe^ a war ſhould break out, they would ſend him
under a Sufficient Guard, down as far as the Engliſh Settlemen
^ts^
But there was Something good in his Letter viz that theree
were ſome
viſible good Effects of his Labours among them laſt year, &
eſpecially a Reformation ^among them^ as to their Drinking.
My School is in a flouriſhing State thro’ the great Mercy
of God, I have 19. in Number
^viz^
15 males and 4 females.
^and ye
moſt of ym
appr quite likely^
& hope
I Shall have Several well fitted for Interpreters
^and Miſsionaries^ in due Time
I have been favoured with the beſt of Maſters
ſucceſsively for
Some years.
I have received the Bell which you Sent and and it is
decenlly
decently hung on the House which I have
devoted to
the Service. and we now feal the Benefit of it. we
can now keep hours with but little Trouble. I
hope
in Gods Time it will be used to call together a little
black Aſsembly to hear you preach Chriſt. —
A Small Council of Miniſters has been lalely
calld
to examine
Saml
Aſhpo. an Indian of whom I once
wrote you, and they were So far Satiſfied
&
pleaſed with
him as that they adviſed to his being fitted as fast as
may be for a Miſsion. and accordingly I expect him
^to ye
School^ this
week
at this School. Several others I expect here ſoon.
and my Hope for their Support is only in him whoſe
the Earth is and the fullneſs thereof, and who has the
hearts of all in his Hands.
and who known to what a heighlh this may ariſe from low and deſpicable Begin[illegible][guess: in]gs, and
what Glory may redown to the great Redeemer thereby. to God alone be all the
Glory.
M.r Smith
inform’d me that there was Some talk
^in England^ of collect‐
-ing a Library for y.
e use of
^this ſchool^ may God incline the Hearts of
his people to promote
that Deſign. Is there not a Society in
England lately formed with a Special view to
the Printing and
diſperſing useful Books? I wiſh I could be informed
^perticularly^ of it. and
if you think fit introduced to a Corriſpondance with ſome mem‐
-ber of it.
Miſs. Williams before She left
Wethersfield Sent me
a Number of valuable and useful Books to be diſperſed as I
judged beſt among Children
^&c^, which I now suppoſe might likely
come to her from that Society.
I have two Engliſh youth in my School, Charity Schollars, fitting
for a Miſsion as fast as poſsible and I yesterday concluded
to take a Lad, Eleazar Swetland of a
neighbouring Pariſh
who was hopefully converted laſt Spring by the Bleſsing of
God on the preaching of M.r Huntington
y.e School Maſter
laſt
year, his experiences are clear his affections appear genuine
and he ſeems to be Truly filled with the Holy Ghost ^his Heart is much ſet upon being fitted for Miſsny
amng
[illegible]^ I hope his
warmth and Zeal may by the Bleſsing of God be of Special
Service to the School.
I have lately been ſick and bro.t low with a Dyſsentary but through the pure mercy of God am now able to do ſome
Buſineſs. pray for your unworthy B.r
&c