Rev A Brandram No.41
Kingston, Jamaica, 14th March 1835
My Dear Friend
On the 22nd of January I left this city to visit some of the out parishes of this Island. Today I returned again to this place, and now proceed to give you some account of my operations in those parts I visited. My first day's journey was to Yallas in the Parish of St David's near to which place is the parish church and the Rectory. I called on the Rector, and talked with him on the objects of the Bible Society, and about your Gift-Book to the apprentices. The Bishop's note, of which I gave you a copy in my last, very considerably smoothed my way in regard to the latter object. Good Friday next is the day fixed on for the giving of the Prayer Books voted to the apprentices by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, and that coincides with the day fixed on for the Second delivery of your gift book. The two objects will therefore be combined with each other, and the efforts made in St David's and in the other parishes, to obtain lists for the one purpose, will subserve the other also.
Morant Bay in the Parish of St. Thomas in the East was my next stage. St. David's is but a small parish, but St. Thomas in the East is a large and populous one, containing about 30,000 inhabitants. From the importance of this parish in many respects, I was very anxious to see a Bible Society formed in it. I spoke with the Rector upon the subject, and found him friendly, which I considered as a great encouragement. I then proceeded to Amity Hall Estate in the district of Plantain Garden River. Mr. Bond the proprietor of this Estate, and who is at present the resident there, had some weeks before kindly invited me to make his house my home, whilst I was occupied in that quarter. At his house therefore I stopped some days, from whence I made visits to some other parts, and informed myself as to the probability of being able to establish a Bible Society in the parish under favourable circumstances. I was disappointed in the unexpected absence of the clergyman serving in that quarter, the Rev. Mr. Panton, a warm and zealous friend of the Bible Society. The absence of some other individuals whose cooperation I had intended to solicit for our purpose formed another disappointment. I therefore gave up for the time the plan of forming a Bible society in that parish, conceiving that on a future occasion I should be able to combine more friends in the object, and so it established the Society under better prospects of success.
At Amity Hall a favourable opportunity occurred of making the distribution of your gift to the Apprentices on that, and that neighboring estates, and as no distribution had been made in this quarter at Christmas, I thought it best to seize this occasion to supply those who might come forward, and through them advertise all others to whom these presents should come. Mr. Bond kindly offered every facility. He offered the use of his own premises, and sent some of his people to the neighboring estates to give notice of our purpose. All those who could read on the Estates were invited to attend to receive Books, and as many others as might choose where desire to come and hear all that should be said on the occasion, and see what should be done. Sunday, the 1st of February was the day fixed on for this meeting, and as there was no service that date in the church near that place owing to the absence of the clergyman above named, we resolved to make our meeting combined the double purpose of Divine worship and the distribution of the book in question. Having made these arrangements I returned to Morant Bay, and got one of your large cases sent round to the port nearest the intended spot of distribution, to which port Mr. Bond sent a cart and brought it to his Estate where it arrived on the day preceding our meeting.
On the Sunday our congregation amounted to about 700. I addressed them on the words of the 19th Psalm contained in the 7th and four following verses. I explained also your kind memorial to the Apprentices in the book to be given, and said, as I am sure I was authorized in doing, that the gift would be accompanied by many prayers for the best, and for all the interests, of the persons into whose hands the book should come. I hope there was a respondent feeling towards you all in the minds of those who were present: and I hope I may here say of the several meetings that have been held for notifying your gift, and for receiving it, that the prayers you have, if I may so say, expended on us here, have also been expended for your own weal, on account of the prayers that have been put up for you, often and fervently, in return. True many pray none at all either for you or for themselves, but all the children of the Kingdom do of course pray, and they remember you. There is no respect of persons with God, and the Black Man's Prayer is as successful for you, as yours for him.
At the close of the Service our books were distributed. Many were highly gratified as you may well suppose, and not a few on the other hand were sadly disappointed. Their reading powers were put to the test, and though we were not over severe particularly where we knew that was a fair chance of the individual examined persevering in their studies, nevertheless many learned what they did not seem to know before, that the naming of the letters and the eking out some syllables and short words by dint of spelling and guessing, was not exactly what we called the reading. All those who were thus disappointed we endeavoured to console by telling them that there would be another distribution on Good Friday, and that if they would persevere in their efforts to learn they would be so far advanced as to merit a book at the time specified.
My next movement onwards brought me around the Eastern end of our Island, through the district of Manchimeal, to Port Antonio in the Parish of Portland. On my way I called on some gentlemen whom I found favourable to our objects. In the Port Antonio I was kindly received by the Rector, the Rev. G. Griffiths, and agreeable to a former invitation took up my home at his house. Mr. Griffiths enters warmly into Bible Society work, and into all kinds of work in the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. He told me he thought he had some good materials in his Parish for a Bible Society, and that if such were established, it would in all probability be permanent, although its funds and operations might not be very extensive owing to the smallness of the Parish, and the scantiness of its produce in exportable articles. Portland is one of the smaller parishes in the Island, is mountainous and wet, and raises comparatively little sugar and less coffee: its population may be about 10,000. About one tenth of the Negroes in this Parish can read according to Mr. Griffiths' estimation, and he is well qualified to judge, for it is chiefly through his exertions that so many have been taught; and not a few also have been taught something better, even that knowledge which has annexed to it the promise of eternal life. How extensive are the means which the Rector of the Parish possesses generally speaking of doing great good temporal and eternal to his parishioners. How noble the prospects of a true man of God in this situation. And on the other hand, how fearful the prospects of such an incumbent when his duties, himself, and his Parish are neglected, whilst he walks by sight and not by faith.
In Port Antonio which is the town or capital of Portland Mr. Griffiths accompanied me in visiting several persons whom he considered friendly to our Bible Society objects, and we found them to be what we expected. Arrangements where accordingly made to have a Bible Society formed, and the day was appointed to hold a small meeting, and to embody our new society. In the meantime we turned our attention to another part of the parish, and set out for the same, in order to form there a Bible Association in connexion with our Parish Society.
The place to which we went is called Moore Town, and is the chief settlement of the Maroons in this Island, of which people you have no doubt heard, and their evil deeds I suppose only. We hoped our visit would lead to statements concerning them of a different nature, and to their honour. I said something to you above about this being a wet parish. This we thoroughly proved in the visit in question. We had traveled only some three miles when the rain came on, and from 8 till 3 we were obliged to remain under cover. At the last mentioned hour we set out again, and though the rivers had considerably fallen, for they rise and fall quickly, yet we found them no more than passable. At one of the worst we were fortunate enough to meet with a man who greatly and kindly facilitated our fording. He was one of the Apprentices, and had received one of your books, being able to read; and after we were got over Mr Griffiths mentioned to him that I had come from the Society that had sent these books, when he expressed himself very glad of having thus an opportunity of doing us a service in return for your kind memorial gift.
As it grew dark we reached the Maroon settlement, and dried and took up our lodging with Capt. Wright the Government Superintendent who had previously given us a kindly invitation to do so. Next morning was the time appointed for our meeting, and at Capt. Wright's house. Accordingly about seven o'clock a general invitation was given to all to assemble there, and it was given in the form of a proclamation as I may call it, in the following manner. A man went up to the top of a little hill over the town, and at the height and length of his voice spoke thus: ―"Hear ye, ―O―O―O―O." If you want rightly to understand the meaning of the four O's I have put down, you can ascertain by sounding continuously the letter O at the height of your voice and not shutting your mouth till all the breath is run out of it. Well, after our herald had made a pause, which I think he required, he added the main purpose of his proclamation as follows, literatim:―"Captain Wright say, all man must come up na him house, ―O―O―O―O." These two sentences were repeated thrice according to custom, and IK believe there was not an ear in all the village that did not catch the whole, for this is the usual mode of making communication, and from the strength of voice, ear and habit, all is heard and understood. The word na above will from its position explain itself to you, and must mean to.
Soon after this heraldric operation, the people began to assemble although it still rained as it had done all the morning. The place where we met was a large hall in Capt. Wright's house, appropriate for the Maroons to meet in when he has any instructions to communicate to them from the Government, or about minor arrangements. This place was filled, for on a previous day when the subject was mentioned to the people they expressed much readiness to enter into a Bible Association. Mr Griffiths began by prayer, after which I explained at length the nature of Bible operations, the special object of the meeting, and the great importance of listening to the word of God ourselves, and of using our best endeavours to circulate it among all mankind. Mr Griffiths then addressed the people on the same subjects, and reminded them of how much the Bible had done for them, referring to the state in which he found them a few years ago, and to their present improved condition. Capt. Wright them spoke recommending the object that had been set before them, which he told them had his full approbation. After this we read our Rules, appointed our office bearers, and committee, and proceeded to take down subscribers' names. We forthwith obtained sixty six, and were led to expect a considerable number more. You would be surprised to learn how many colonels, majors, and captains we have among the subscribers, but you would understand this by recollecting that this is entirely a military body. I wish all military bodies could make such an appearance in Bible Society ranks as the Maroons.
I have already hinted to you what happy changes have taken place among these Maroons in morals and religion within these few years past, and this has been chiefly effected as a means through the worthy Rector mentioned, for this is a part of Portland Parish which is under his charge. Perhaps the sterling religious people among them may not be many, but of this class some are well known. Of one of these now aged and a leading man among them, the Rector said to me, that he would at any time give up his own expectations in the day of the Lord to take the lot there and then of Colonel Osborn the aged disciple mentioned. This is a fine testimony. One of this man's sons (for he has several) put down his own name as a subscriber, then his wife's, then one of his children, and then another. Three of the old man's sons are members of our Committee. ―The Church Missionary Society has a fine school here numerously attended. It is conducted by the Rev Mr Forbes, who has lately been ordained by our Bishop, and has service in the village regularly every Sunday in a neat chapel which is well frequented. Mr Forbes is very active in doing good among these people, and he speaks very encouragingly of them all things considered. He says he is sure our Bible Association there will prosper: he himself is our Secretary, and he will I think keep the people to the object they have now entered on.
Having finished our main business Mr Griffiths and I hoped to return to Port Antonio on the same day our Association was formed. But the rain continued and increased, and the rivers rose so that we could not move out all day. Next day was ushered in under precisely the same circumstances, and seemed resolved to continue so all through. Nevertheless it ceased or nearly so, and our quick rising and falling rivers became passable. We set out, but we had not gone far before it began to rain heavily, and we soon became thoroughly drenched. In this plight we encouraged ourselves that by and by we should be at home to repair from our inconveniences, but in this we were disappointed, for when we were got to within one and a half miles of Port Antonio a river that lay in our course had got so high as to be quite impassable. We therefore turned back, and took refuge in the house of a friend of Mr Griffiths, where although we found the owner from home, we yet got our clothes changed and a comfortable bed.
The next morning we reached home, and on the evening of the same day we held our Bible Society meeting at the Rectory. Our Society was forthwith formed, and under very encouraging circumstances. One of our Committee gave us Ten pounds for his contribution, another gave us Five, and a third Two, whilst a number pout down their names for the usual subscription of one pound. Two days after we had a meeting of the Committee, and among other things agreed to, one was, to order Fifty pounds worth of Bibles from Kingston for the use of this new Society. I was much pleased with the spirit manifested in Port Antonio in hits good work of circulating the Holy Scriptures. I trust the matter will not flag. Mr Griffiths is the President of the Society, and I doubt not but he will use his endeavours to keep it alive and make it prosper.
My course now should have been onwards, that is Westwards, but the weather had been so wet and for so long a time, that the roads in that direction had been much injured, and in some places next to impassable. Almost everybody who knew the roads advised me not to proceed, and this advice I thought best to follow, the more especially as I had again to visit St Thomas in the East, and also because I could visit the two or three places that lay before me by riding right across the Island from Kingston the distance not being great. I therefore returned to Amity Hall, and thence to the residence of the Rev Mr Panton who had now returned home. Mr Panton entered warmly into your work, as I told you before he would. We went from his home to Morant Bay to make a canvass for our object, and left the place in good hoped of succeeding in our purpose, having fixed a day for a meeting there, and invited those friendly to attend. The senior magistrate of the Parish, Thomas Thomson, Esq. resides in Morant Bay. Some months ago I had had the pleasure of being introduced to this gentleman in Kingston when he kindly invited me to his home when I should be in that quarter. I fully counted on his being friendly to our object and giving us his aid to the formation of the Bible Society, and my expectations were not disappointed. He gave us his own name and support, and pointed out to us those persons who might be most likely to serve us not in name only but in reality. It is but justice to say farther of this gentleman that he has all along befriended the religious instruction and education of the Negroes, and that he has stood by the missionaries and given them encouragement, not only in generalities, but also in those times when their friends where few or none. May the Lord bless him with the righteousness of Christ unto eternal life. So, I dare say, many have prayed for him, and may all these prayers be heard.
On Monday the 2nd instant we held our previously arranged meeting, Mr. Thomson being in the chair, and we held it in the Court House my permission of the magistrate here named. All went on encouragingly, and our Society was accordingly formed, Mr. Bond of Amity Hall being made our President and Mr. Thomson our Treasurer. A good list of subscribers followed, and many more are expected. ― Our Rector after all did not join us, and forsooth because it was not an affair exclusively of his own church!
Having thus formed our Parish Bible Society for St. Thomas in the East, we next wished to form some Bible Associations in connexion with it. On the evening of Wednesday the 4th. a meeting was held at Amity Hall with this in view, and then and then we formed our first Bible Association in St. Thomas in the East. This Association will include not only the people on the Estate who choose to join it, but will also embrace the people on the neighbouring estates, many of which are large. We were led to indulge good prospects of success for this Association, and chiefly because Mr. Panton on whose ministry a considerable number of the people there attend, will give his attention to it, and will urge the people on in this good work of getting the Scriptures for themselves, and of giving them to others all the world over.
I next went to Manchimeal Bay, and there also succeeded in forming another Association.― A third was expected to be formed at Bath about 7 miles west of Amity Hall, but previous arrangements for meeting the Committee of the Society at Morant Bay prevented me from attending it. It will nevertheless be formed and soon, as Mr. Panton and the Wesleyan missionary there have agreed to get it up.
On Tuesday the 10th the Committee of the St. Thomas in the East Bible Society met in the Court House Morant Bay, and was well attended. At this meeting orders were given for Bibles and Testaments from the Depository; arrangements were made for forming a Ladies' subcommittee to aid the general committee in making known the Society and increasing its funds and useful operations; arrangements were also made for forming a fourth Bible Association in the town of Morant Bay; 300 copies of the Rules were ordered to be printed, &c.
The two following days were days of public business in that place. On the 13th we had a large meeting of ladies who assembled in our Treasurer's house, to whom I explained the nature of our Bible Society operations. Mr. Thomson, who is well acquainted with all the people of the place, thinks we may expect much good from this department of our Society. ― On finishing this we entered on our purpose of forming a Morant Bay Bible Association, and succeeded.
I intend to remain in Kingston for a few days to attend some committee meetings of our Societies, and for other general business connected with these objects. I then purpose to go on to the Parishes of Manchester and St. Elizabeth's where I am led to expect our objects will be well entertained.
It may not perhaps be very far out of the way to say a few words here about the state of this Island in reference to the great civil change lately effected among us. You will naturally feel, in common with all the friends of humanity, a lively interest in the result of this new thing in the earth, as I suppose we may consider it. Towards the end of August I gave you some account of the happy state of things on the great transition day, and for the fortnight following. All up to that time had turned out wonderfully, and beyond expectation. During the three following months however there was a considerable change for the worse. True there was little or nothing among us of the nature of rebellion or commotion, but there was a great deal of unwillingness manifested to work in a proper way; the people went into the field but the quantity of work they performed did not much exceed a good half; and this state of things prevailed over about one third of all the Estates of the Island. In consequence of this unfavourable appearance of things the approach of the Christmas holidays filled with some apprehension even those who were disposed to take the most favourable view of things. But, blessed be God, our fears were not realised. On the contrary, the Christmas holidays passed off with even unusual order and quietness; and from and after that time things took quite a new turn, the people generally began to do a proper measure of work, and cheerfully, and also entered pretty generally into arrangements for extra work for wages during the crop season. This happy state of things has continued ever since, and still goes on. We may now therefore on surer grounds than at any period before pronounce the experiment to have fairly succeeded; and now humanly there is every probability of things going on well and satisfactorily during the period of the apprenticeship.
We understand that at our critical period referred to at the close of the year, there were many and many prayers and supplications being offered up on our special behalf throughout the British Islands. Let the unexpected and scarcely hoped for favourable change at that period and the happy results since and now among us explain how your prayers have been answered. The Lord indeed has been merciful unto us and gracious. May you be rewarded for your kind attention to us, and may we all here have grace to pray for you in return.
Two things however are still wanting for the final successful result of this measure for the good of the parties concerned, and for the inhabitants of the Island generally. We want a instruction, religious and educational, and we want something being done in the form of legislation or otherwise to make the transition easy and profitable at the close of the Apprenticeship. As the law now stands, emancipation will come upon us a literally in one day, and the people I fear not quite prepared for it, for the present system of apprenticeship does not seem much a preparation for an easy passage from one state of things to another so diverse to it in many respects. The good will do well pretty generally perhaps after any change, but the indifferent and the bad may do harm both to themselves and to others. Some laws and regulations are required to keep things in order, and it would be well to have these, and not blindly to adventure too much on sanguine expectations and wishes. Let us ever pray for a happy result, but at the same time let us exercise all knowledge and judgment.
I have lately had two letters from Foreign parts, one is from Granada of Nicaragua in Guatemala, acknowledging the receipt of a case of Spanish Bibles and Testaments which I forwarded to that place some time ago from this Island. The other is from Jacmel in Hayti, from the Catholic Priest in that place whose name I formerly mentioned to you. You will recollect that I made an agreement with him to send a case containing one hundred French Testaments to his hands for distribution by sale in that place. This arrangement I communicated to you in due course, and supposed that before this time the books would have been in his possession. But it seems this was not the case on the 12th of January last at the date of his letter. He is anxious for them, and under this feeling he writes. I shall reply to his letter by the first packet telling him that the books in all probability will be very soon in his hands, if he has not already received them. Be so good as to look over your shipments, to see when this case was sent off. I am glad of the delay in one sense, inasmuch as it has afforded an opportunity for him to show his desire for obtaining and circulating the Holy Scriptures. You will recollect that he wished the Testaments to be of the Protestant rather than the Catholic version, and should more be required by him you will please keep his preference in mind.
Be so good as to order for our depository here, the following the following supply:― 10 Quarto Bibles, 10 Pica and 10 small pica 8vo all with marginal references; also 5 of each of your other sizes with references; 20 French Bibles, 10 octavo and 10 duod. ―10 German Bibles and 10 German Testaments. ― In your last report there is mention made of 48 French Bibles having been sent to Jamaica, but from all my inquiries I can learn nothing of them. To whom were they sent, and took what part of the Island? Have the goodness to put in with those books above ordered a few copies of Wilkes's excellent pamphlet on the Bible Society: these last it would be better to address to me.
As this is probably the last letter you will receive from me before you put your Report to the press, allow me to say that should you print anything about the city of Santo Domingo, please print the word Santo in full, and not St. ― Be so good also as charge your Printer or Reader to be careful to have proper names correct, for otherwise they fail in one special end of their being printed, besides being errors otherwise. One or other of these gentlemen, or both, generally contrive to have at least one name in each report transformed into some other of their own choosing, as for example Brown for Bourne in the 29th and Watson for Hutson in the 30th besides Buddon for Briddon, and Petro for Pitre, and I was going to say et cetera, but I must not be fastidious, but recollect my own errings, and overlook those of others.
I may here mention before I close, the dates of your letters come to hand within these two or three months, lest I may have omitted before to notice them. They are, 6th Sep., 16th Oct., 5th Nov., 1st Dec., 16th Dec., 30th Dec., 13th Jan. ― The packets have now taken new courses, facilitating our objects on the one hand, but proving against us on the other. I shall probably notice this subject more particularly soon, pointing out the bearings referred to.
I should have added to my order for supplies above given, the following, and which I beg you to include, namely 10 Pearl Bibles gilt, without Bible Society mark, for general sale at full prices,― 2 Hebrew Bibles, and 2 ditto Testaments, ― 25 Latin Bibles, 2 Cuba &c, and 5 for this place. Let the Pearl Bibles be of the same edition you formerly had, if you still have it, or can get it.
You sent us here not long ago among other books a number of small New Testaments bound in canvas, or as we would call it here osnaburgs. Now it would be better in future not to have the books bound in this way for the West Indies, but in some other kind and colour of cloth if not leather. Our osnaburg days we trust are now in a good measure over, and wishing to forget them we do not much like this remembrance of bygone times.
I now at length conclude, and beg you believe me ever sincerely yours,
James Thomson.