Rev A Brandram - Private
Spanish Town, Jamaica, 14th February 1837
My Dear Friend,
I have just finished the second reading of your last Report, and find it on an additional perusal additionally interesting. Blessed be the Lord our God who has given you such cheering things to relate in regard to the circulation of the Book of Life, whose leaves, we humbly trust, will be the healing of the nations, kindreds, tongues, and tribes to which it has been sent. I am sure you feel from year to year the work of circulating the Scriptures in which you are engaged is less and less a mechanical concern, and that is more and more in it of spirit and life. May the Lord stir up all nations and peoples to receive his word, and may the Bible Societies furnish them with it with all speed.
My present object is to give you some notices respecting the office bearers in our Bible Societies here, to be used in printing your next Report. They are as follows [see below].
In looking over your list of West India societies to the Eastward of this, I beg leave to give you the following notices: –
In Antigua, you may leave out "Falmouth & English Harbour", for there is no Branch Society there now, but two Bible Associations similar to many others in the island. Sir Patrick Ross is not there now, nor has been since 1833. In Barbados leave out the Rev. J Taylor, deceased. In St. Lucia a leave out Gov. Farquharson, deceased. In Montserrat, put in the Rev. John Collins, Sec. In Grenada, the out Dr. Callender, deceased.
In page lxxii of your Report there is a parenthesis, saying, ("among whom I found a large proportion of apprentices"). It ought to have been ("consisting almost entirely of apprentices"). I mention this in case of the same subject passing through your pen in the next Report.
I am sorry to see you have again printed Wilkinson instead of Tomlinson notwithstanding the correction of I sent you.
Be so good as make some inquiry about the Danish Bible you publish. Is it the most approved edition or version in Denmark? I noticed this as Mr. Bronsted of St. Thomas said something to me, as if it were not, and I do not know whether I stated to you before, or not.
What shall I say to you about that frightful and outlandish word – Colporteur – which you are labouring so zealously to introduce into the English language. You have printed it sixteen times in your last report!! Would not the English word Hawker meet the case sufficiently? Very few Englishmen, I am sure, will or can pronounce it right, as the last syllable is one of the hardest French sounds for us to attain. Most will call it Coalporter, and think of it accordingly; and they will wonder how you wise folks should employ men of such unclean occupation to carry about and sell your so beautiful books. I should be glad this Frenchman were never seen in England again.
I observe that you state Mexico and parts of it, and languages of it, as in South America. Now you will perceive by the map that it should be North instead of South; but perhaps the word Northern would be the more appropriate. You will find the expression Northern and Southern Asiatic versions in a note at page 25, but the cases are not exactly parallel. Should you have occasion to speak of Guatemala, please say "Guatemala or Central America." – By the way, is the word "completion" in the second note at page 25 exactly the proper word for the case?
I am a little confused in reading every successive report about the Persian Scriptures. They seem always to be in course of translation by many, and at the same time is still yet to be translated.
Please ascertain why the Arawack is not put to the press. Several inquiries were made about it in Demerara when I was there. I forget what I said this to you before. The Indians are now coming into view more than formerly, and if the version you have is good it should be printed.
Be so good as say what is the case which made it necessary to suppress Mr. Palmer's name.
I now come to a close you see this letter is what geologists might call a conglomerate, consisting of many little nodules of all sorts of things. I know you always put up with, and overlook, my freedoms. I have marked private to save you the necessity of reading it publicly. – Believe me Ever, and as I truly am, Affectionately Yours,
James Thomson.
P.S. The Castle Lachlan has arrived with the Bibles for Montego Bay and Falmouth. They will be most acceptable, for the Negroes were beginning to despair and flag in the good work. I have received Mr. Jackson's two letters of 12th October and Mr. Tarn's of the 14th of the same month. JT.
