Rev A. Brandram No.9
Caracas 19th June 1832
My Dear Friend,
In the gracious Providence of God I am once more on this great Continent. I now repose my traveling feet for a little in this city, and look around me, and reflect on the past. My return to this portion of the world brings crowding before me the many scenes that occurred during my seven years that I wandered over it. And again this brings under my reflection the seven years (for the periods are just equal) that have elapsed since I left this quarter. It is, I believe, profitable for us often to review our past lives, and to inquire of ourselves and very seriously what we have been doing, and with what motives. You see that I have this object as it were forced upon me by the periods and circumstances I have noticed. Never can we poor, weak and ignorant creatures have any doings to boast of, and I suppose that in viewing ourselves aright, all of the retrospections will tend to humble us, that we have done so little of what we ought to have done, and even that little so imperfectly.
But, the great thing to be aimed at by us, is, – the testimony of our consciences that we have earnestly desired in all things and in all places to yield ourselves up to the directions and will of Jesus Christ as being not our own but bought with his blood, and of our having honestly endeavoured to glorify him in our bodies and spirits which are his, in all those situations and circumstances in which we had been placed. In all my requests for your prayers, and for those of our Associates, the aiding of me in regard to this testimony is the first object which I wish to attain. The second object I wish for will I know follow this, namely, that I may be diligent and faithful in the sacred work with which I am entrusted of circulating God's holy word in all these places I am sent to. In the same order I pray for you, and for all our friends with whom we are associated in this blessed work. And let us all pray together, and more earnestly than ever, that the word of life which passes through our instrumentality into the hands of so many may come to them with power and energy, and may prove to them the savour of life unto life.
As I intimated in my last, I left Barbados on the ninth of this month. On the 14th I arrived safely at La Guayra, bringing with me the three cases of Spanish Scriptures which you sent out to me. I should mention before I go further that Messrs. Gill & Louis to whom you consigned these three cases and in whose store they had lain for some time made no charge whatever for anything they had done. I wish here also to mention the kind attention of Mr. Haly the contractor for the mail boats which pass among the islands. This gentleman, besides other friendly attention has give me a letter directed to the Captains of all these boats requesting them to take for me cases of Bibles and Testaments from place to place as I may require. This is a more particular favour as these boats are strictly forbidden by him to carry goods and merchandise, but to attend exclusively to their post office concerns.
In the custom house in the La Guayra I was reminded of Guadaloupe, but in the way of contrast. You already know the difficulty I met with there and also in Martinique, but in La Guayra the Custom house officer acted in a very friendly manner and most readily allowed the books to pass, and free of all duties. Never in the same manner have the Scriptures been received into all the different nations formerly composing the Spanish American colonies. And though some hindrance occurred in Mexico in regard to their circulation, yet even there the Scriptures are freely allowed to enter all their ports, and they are even sold publicly to before the eyes of the very men who have issued edicts against them. All these circumstances I rejoice in in regard to these countries, and I trust it is an indication of God that he has many people among them to whom he is thus sending his word to make them wise unto salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Forgive my thus dwelling and doting as it were on these countries. In truth I feel a great interest in them, and greater than you can be supposed to feel, as the field of your operations is the whole world, whilst mine is more limited.
On the 16th I passed up through the clouds and over the great mountain which intervenes between the La Guayra and this city. I speak without a figure when I say I passed through the clouds, for in reality I left them behind me sleeping on the mountain sides whilst I traveled on towards the summit. Here I felt it cold enough especially after the six months broil in the West Indies. In the city of Caracas the temperature is pleasantly cool and refreshing. But I say this rather from the impressions made on others than from my own, for in truth I feel it as yet unpleasantly cool, but I expect a little usage will make all agreeable.
This is the rainy season in this country as well as over the West Indies generally. My plan of operations during the time I may stay here I have not yet settled on, but probably I may be able to inform you of this in my next. It is my intention to return to the West India Islands in October or November, and to make my way over land towards Trinidad. I was in doubts whether I should be able to make this overland tour until I came here. But just on the mountaintop as I passed from La Guayra to this city I met with a gentleman from the Island of Margarita who removed all my doubts, and even gave me an itinerary of the route by which I have to go. In the view of my visiting Trinidad at the time mentioned, it will be desirable that I should find there on my arrival a proper supply of the Scriptures in the Spanish and French languages, for both these I understand I are a good deal spoken on the Island and even more than English. I think if you would send one case of French Scriptures and one case of Spanish assorted of the different kinds it would be a suitable quantity. You can consign them to the Wesleyan missionary in Port of Spain.
Whilst thus writing for fresh supplies of Scriptures I am reminded that there are no French Bibles in St. Lucy. Be so good therefore as send one case there made up of the different kinds you have, and consign them to Robert C. Gordon Esq., Castries, as this gentleman is very friendly to us, and it is in his store there that our sale there is held. It may be that you will hear soon from this gentleman as we made arrangements for forming a little Bible Society in Castries on his return to St. Lucy, for we were fellow passengers from St. Lucy to Barbados, and on our voyage and also in Barbados we planned the arrangements for a St. Lucy Bible Society. I was glad of this opportunity of getting something done in that place as it was the only English island I visited in which a Bible Society was not formed.
My present intentions respecting the West Indies are these. To visit first Trinidad, and the three contiguous islands namely, Tobago, Grenada, and St. Vincent. Then to return to Barbados and to go from there to Demerara and Berbice. Should I be able to accomplish what I have now stated, I purpose to revisit those islands I already been in, and to pass on through Tortola, and the Danish islands, to Porto Rico and thence to St. Domingo.
These are my purposes, but though a man deviseth his way, it is the Lord who directeth his steps. I pray the Lord may indeed direct my steps, and enable me to glorify his holy name in this mission.
Through the kindness of Sir Robert Ker Porter, our consul here, I am enabled to send you this letter free through the Foreign Office.
Truly Yours, James Thomson.