Rev A. Brandram. Private.
New York, 23rd Sep 1830
My Dear Friend
I wrote you at some length on the 31st ultimo giving you an account of my travels since leaving Mexico. I then mentioned that I intended to sail on 1st October, but since that I have altered my mind a little and have deferred my sailing till the 16th. The Sovereign, Capt. Champlin will sail on that day, and in this vessel we intend to go. Capt. Champlin is a religious man and to persons engaged in any missionary enterprise he reduces the passage money 40 dollars. This then will be so far an advantage to the Society, and to myself as an individual (there being as you know two of us) the saving of an equal sum is a strong inducement as we are sufficiently poor. This will lengthen my stay a fortnight, but this will occasion no inconvenience in my pecuniary arrangements with the Committee, as I consider the time occupied by this furlough in the United States as not to be charged to the Society.
Your letter of 18th May came into my hands six days ago, having been sent to me from Mexico. I am a good deal relieved by it, from an anxiety which your private communication preceding it gave me. I have touched upon the cause of that anxiety in my private letter to you from Veracruz and need not now return to it. I hope when we meet we shall most fully understand each other upon that subject.
I enclose you a Bill for £120 which I have received from Mexico, and beg you to put it into Mr. Tarn's hands to go through the regular course and be placed to my private account. I shall draw upon my private account about the time of my sailing for £100 or thereby. Please notify this to Mr. Tarn that this notice may serve for a letter of advice in the matter. The bill will be drawn in favour of Maitland & Kennedy of this place.
Mr. Henderson and family have just arrived here from Bogotá. I have seen Mrs. Henderson (Mr. H. having gone to Washington) and on inquiry about Mr. Matthews she says he left Bogota for the coast, was heard of last at Honda but never at Carthagena. He is understood to have purchased a canoe in Honda to come down the river with, and it is supposed the men he hired to row him down made away with him to obtain the canoe. This I have no doubt is the real state of this unfortunate matter, and our brother and fellow labourer must have perished by the hands of these wicked men. Alas! How little are the salutary influences of the word of God known in that country! But this forms an additional motive for your doing everything you can to put the holy book into their hands, and into the hands of those whose similarly circumstanced.
I remain My Dear Friend
Very Truly Yours
James Thomson.