Rev A. Brandram No. 10
Caracas 28th July 1832
My Dear Friend,
Your letter of the 19th June reached the city on the 24th current, just five weeks after you wrote it. This is the second letter I have received from you since I left England. The former was dated 9th March. I should think you have written me a letter between these two, but which has not come to hand. You have mentioned in your former communications the arrival of my letters No. 1 and 2, and in your letter just received you notice the receipt of my letter from Dominica which is No.6. Those numbered 3, 4 and 5 are not mentioned as received, nor as missing. As I number up in order all my letters to you, you will always be able to judge whether they are all come to hand.
In this city I have placed Bibles and Testaments in a bookseller's shop for sale, and have advertised them both by hand bill, and by the newspapers. Not many copies have been sold as yet. This is partly owing to there having been a considerable distribution of the Scriptures made here some time ago by Mr. Lemon and his partner Mr. Forsyth. I have seen one copy of the Bibles thus distributed lying on the table of the Governor's office in the city. I have seen another lying on the table in the general post office; and that is a copy in the inn where I am stopping. Mr. Lemon and his partner distributed some copies of the New Testament in the schools, but these have not been used as school books, owing chiefly I believe to ecclesiastical interference. Some copies were sent to the Nunneries, and were well received by the inmates, but report says that these copies have lately been burned by the order of the Archbishop of this place, whose character for illiberality as far as I can learn stands high and marked. Notwithstanding these discouragements I have thought it my duty to make a formal attempt to get the Scriptures introduced into the public schools. I have made a representation to the Governor of this province upon the subject offering the books at a reduced price for this purpose.
In each of the provinces of this State or Nation there is what is called a Provincial Deputation which, among other things assigned to it, has charge of the elementary schools. My representation to the Governor will be laid before this Deputation. I shall however not know the result till towards the end of the year, as the Deputation does not meet till the beginning of November. I intend before I leave this country to make a similar representation through the governors to all the Provincial Deputations in Venezuela, of which there are thirteen. I have not failed to notice in my representation the application made to Prof. Kieffer by the Minister of Instruction of the French government. By the way it might be of use to me in my peregrinations to have a copy of the correspondence which took place on that occasion, and a note of the copies taken by the government consequent on that correspondence. Will you be so kind then us to favour me with what I now referred to unless it be too much trouble of expense.
I shall now notice my intended travels in this country, the mode and time of my returning to the West India Islands, and the course I intend to pursue in visiting these islands.
I purpose leaving the city in a few days, and to go down to La Guayra, where I may probably remain for a week endeavouring to effectuate the sale of some copies of the Scriptures in that place which contains perhaps 8000 inhabitants. From La Guayra I intend to go to Puerto Cabello by sea. I will probably stay there a week also for the purposes already mentioned. From that I go to the city of Valencia, and may remain there and in the neighbourhood three or four weeks. After leaving Valencia I purpose to travel on towards Barinas passing through some towns containing a considerable population. Barinas is situated on a small river called St. Domingo running into the Apure. After expending the necessary time in that city I intend to go down the River Apure to San Fernando, and then down the Orinoco to Angostura, and from that by the same river to Trinidad. In passing through the places here mentioned I shall make endeavours to circulate the Bibles and Testaments I carry with me, and shall make my representation to the Provincial Deputations through the governors in respect to the schools as above noticed.
It is probable I may reach the island of Trinidad in the beginning of November, and may leave it for Barbados at the close of the same month, taking Tobago in my way if I can manage it. Barbados is a place of considerable importance in regard to our objects as already hinted in a former communication. There is a very large white population in the island of the poorer sort, and among this class I should like to have some Bible associations formed. Our friends there see the desirableness of this in the same light in which I do, and will cheerfully lend their cooperation. After accomplishing this we shall try what we can do in forming a few associations among the slaves similar to what was done in Antigua. We may meet with some difficulties and hindrances in this, but still I hope something may be done, though it may not be a great deal. These operations in Barbados will require me to be there at least one month.
From Barbados I purpose to go to Demerara, and to visit also Berbice and Esequibo. I will return again to Barbados for that is a kind of centre island from which the mail boats go and return. Leaving Barbados once more and finally I intend to visit Grenada and St. Vincent, then to pass on to St. Lucy, and friends through all the islands formerly visited. From St. Kitts my former limit I should like to visit the small islands in its neighbourhood to the northward and westward as far as Tortola. Then the Danish islands of St. Thomas and Santa Cruz. After that my course would be to Puerto Rico and Hayti.
In all these purposes and intentions I would say, and do, if the Lord will, according to the recommendation of the Apostle. I trust the Lord will lead me safely through these places, and make me a sweet savor of Christ in all of them, and the means of salvation to many.
I have thus laid fully before you my intended plans and journeyings. The time required for his visiting the places mentioned will be several months, and I should think I could not reach Puerto Rico or Hayti sooner than the beginning of July. I beg you will be kind enough to intimate to me whether this plan of operations meets with the approbation of the Committee. Whatever directions you convey to me as to lengthening or shortening my visits in the places above named, or as to altering the projected course, will I trust be implicitly and cheerfully attended to, by your wandering co-labourer,
James Thomson.