On board the ship Henry Wellesley
in the Downs 29th October 1831
My Dear Friend
I am sorry to say that we have been fast anchored here ever since Friday week with the wind right ahead and at times blowing very hard. There at about sixty sail here all under the same circumstances with ourselves. However that is now a prospect of our getting onwards. The wind is at this moment fair and our whole Fleet is under sail. May the Lord protect us all, and bring each of us in due time to our respective ports.
Most of my fellow passengers are West Indians or connected with those islands. I have got much information from them respecting the intercourse and means of conveyance from island to island, and find I shall have no difficulty in moving about among them.
I think it will be desirable that you should send me about Christmas direct to Barbadoes three cases of Scriptures in Spanish that I might be able to take them with me in the mail boat to La Guayra. Let to one of these cases contain Luke and Acts and the Four Books in equal proportions. In the other two cases put ten small Spanish Bibles, and 30 large ones, and the remainder fill up with foolscap Spanish Testaments.
The ship Jamaica will sail for Antigua I understand in a few days. I shall be glad to hear from you by her. Until you hear from me from the West Indies please to send all my letters to Mr. Garling.
As we are now moving on pretty quickly and the boat waiting I must conclude. May the Lord ever be with you.
Truly Yours
James Thomson.