Rev A Brandram No. 27
St. Thomas, February 5,1834.
My Dear Friend
Since writing you last, I have been brought near to the gates of death; but the Lord has delivered me, and I am now far advanced to a recovery of my usual health and strength. Whilst I was waiting for a vessel for Porto Rico I was seized with a fever, on the 27th December, which lasted for eight days, and in that short space of time I was brought to a very low and weak state. This fever has prevailed here during most of the time since my arrival, and not a few have been carried off by it, among whom is one of our dear friends the Moravian missionaries. I have indeed great cause to be full of grateful thanksgiving to the Father of mercies for all his gracious dealings with me under this sickness; and my earnest desire and my prayer is, that it may truly produce in me "the peaceable fruit of righteousness," and zeal for the glory of God and for the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. The period of this illness I have passed at the Moravian settlement of New Herrnhut, where I have received every kind attention and treatment.
Your letter informs me of the death of our dear friend Mr. Hughes, a man truly honoured of God in being the deviser, through the Holy Ghost we may well say, of the simple and glorious scheme of circulating the word of God, through means of a Society, among all nations and in all languages. In his death we have a monitor, and may the Lord give grace unto us all duly to attend to it! I pray that the Spirit of God may guide you in the choice of a successor to fill the important office of our departed friend.
In the letter you forwarded to me, from Lima, I perceive, as you will have seen, that my correspondent there never received the parcel addressed to him containing the translation of the New Testament into the ancient Peruvian tongue. I fear therefore that it is lost; but in a letter which I have just written, I have desired my friend in Lima to make some search for this parcel. In the meantime however it might perhaps be well to employ Mr. Pazos to translate the Gospel by Luke into that language. Be so good as informed me what translations Mr. Pazos has made for you, or is making into that, or the Aimará tongue. I may here notice, that in page 100 of your report for 1832, the Tarasco and Misteca languages are called South American. They are North American as being in Mexico; but perhaps it would be best to say, "of Mexico." I may also notice, that in some former report, I forget which, Central America, and Mexico are confounded; I think the latter is said to be in the former. Central America means Guatemala, and that State or Republic alone, whereas Mexico is totally distinct nation. In regard to the sending out of the Monthly Extracts to these islands, I see you fear difficulties. I hope they will be overcome. But should they not on the plan proposed, another may be adopted; and that is, to forward the parcels to the Secretary of the Falmouth Society, or any other particular friend you may have there, desiring him to see these forwarded by the Steward of the packet, giving him some little remuneration for his trouble. The Steward has liberty to do such things, and in this way the object may be accomplished. I hope you will do every thing in your power in this matter, and as early as you can, for much will depend on the doing of it, and your friends in these islands are anxiously expecting these communications from you. – Tortola, St. Thomas, and St. Croix wish for their share of the Extracts. Mr. Hutson, the Rev. Mr. Labagh, and Mr. Luckock are the persons to whom they should be sent, and please to direct these two latter parcels to the care of Messrs. Hjardemaal and Anderson, St. Thomas.
My next letters please direct to Jamaica, and if you know any secure person there address them to his care, a merchant if you can. In regard to our prospective operations in the Jamaica, I wish for your advice and direction. If that island opens to our work as Antigua and some of the other islands have done, my stay there will be required for several months. Shall I so stay? – Or shall I proceed onwards in my tour, after a moderate detention?
Please to consider what stock of Bibles you suppose to be in Jamaica, and if there are not a few hundreds, be so good as to send us out some early, that our operations may not be hindered.
Believe me, My Dear Friend, Very Truly Yours,
James Thomson.
P.S.—20th Feb. I sail to-day for Porto Rico, being now, by the mercy of our Heavenly Father, restored to my usual strength.