Rev A Brandram No.30
Santo Domingo, Island of Hayti, 30th April, 1834.
My Dear Friend,
A postscript in my last letter advised you that I was about to sail for this city, from which I now write you. On the 28th of March we sailed; and, after a fine passage of fifty hours, arrived here safely. You are well aware that the eastern end of the island of Hayti was, till very lately. a colony of Spain, like Porto Rico. Considering, then, the reception met with in the island last named, on the one hand, and on the other the peculiar circumstances of this island in its class of inhabitants, the confusion and evil work in it some years ago, and other things that might be mentioned, I felt what I may call a novel kind of interest and anxiety as to the reception your agent would meet with in this place. In my last letter but one, when telling you of our debarrment from Porto Rico, I said, "From Hayti I hope soon to have better accounts to give you." This, in truth, was said half against hope; but I like always to hope for the best. In this case my hopes have not been disappointed; and, I think I may add, they have been exceeded. In the first place, instead of being troubled here, and ultimately forbidden to pass our books through the custom-house, as at Porto Rico, I had the pleasure of seeing them obtain in this place a free entrance and without any scruple: the only books prohibited from entering this island are those of an immoral tendency; and surely your books, on this score, secure themselves from all interruption. In the second place, in the way of encouragement, there were no duties charged on our books. But the third instance of encouragement on our commencement in this island is better still. Your books have been sought after, bought up, and read. When I had got our books brought to my lodgings, I sent them out to parade the streets in the hands of hawkers. The return of these, from time to time, for more and more books, was a refreshment to our souls that you will be able to enter into; and we (two) bowed our knees, again and again, and prayed to our Heavenly Father that His Word, which he had brought here through our weak hands, and which was thus so readily received, might be carefully read, rightly understood and obeyed, in His Son Jesus Christ, for the salvation of all whom he had stirred up to get it into their hands. Through means of these hawkers, and by sales made in my own lodgings, I have disposed of nearly all the stock I brought for this place; and I have received in return somewhat more than £46 sterling. The Spanish Scriptures which I had with me formed the stock for this place; the French Scriptures are for the other end of the island. All the Spanish Bibles and Testaments I have sold; and about one of the two cases containing the two small volumes of Spanish Bibles, particularly of the larger size, I could have sold many more if I had had them. Of the French Bibles and Testaments I have sold several; and in truth, find myself with a more scanty supply than I could wish for the other portion of this island.
One of our encouragements here, and not the least, is the free introduction of the Scriptures into the schools of this city. I spoke to General Carrie, who is the Governor of this quarter, respecting the use of the New Testament in the National School here; and the pleasing result followed that seventy-two New Testaments were bought for this school, and for these I received payment direct from the public treasury of the district. French is chiefly taught in the National School, and the French Scriptures are taken for it. The other schools in the city are Spanish schools. I visited these, and recommended to the masters and pupils[1] our two little volumes, as also the New Testament. In all these schools these books have been readily received, and in considerable numbers. You may now, therefore, enjoy the pleasing contemplation, when you turn your thoughts this way, that the Holy Scriptures furnished by you are in daily use in all the public schools of this city.
I have taken my passage in a French vessel for Jacquemel, and we expect to sail tomorrow. From that port I intend to go overland to Port au Prince, the capital of the island. When I have finished my business there, I will have to return again to Jacquemel, to get a passage in our Mexican Packet, which touches there, and then goes on to Kingston.
Believe me, Truly Yours,
James Thomson.
[1] One containing four books of the Old Testament, and the other the Gospel of St. Luke and the Acts.