Hassall family papers, 1793-2000

[Page 13]

Nov 3 1811

My Respected friend

you would no doubt think me ungrateful should I not give you a few lines but the stay is so short, I can only give you a short note to [indecipherable] you and for I [indecipherable] I have not forgotten  you. We arrived home on friday Night after a very trying  voyage of almost 16 weeks We are on an allowance of a quart of water each for More than a week our Bread and Meat all expended but we are all 

well and it  in a house of B Nott s community of one 

have plenty of visitors there is a great scarcity of food on the table. 

but letters to [indecipherable] ]indecipherble] have been [indecipherable] and we are commanded to take no thought for tomorrow there ?  ?  and Canton is to do every kind intention from Mr & Mrs Scott.  Pray My Dear friends that I may be enabled to commit all my ? into the hands of God trust this will your family all in health and enjoying ? of the Divine ? the Like bessings.  I trust we abundantly participated by my respected of kindness Crook to whom Please to present my Christian Love also to all the Dear Christians and behove sure your a fortunate the man they friend I Christ. If there are any Paths please to find them by the first conveyance for a ? Pray Pray for Mr & Mrs Punnt ccc Love & respect to Mr Crispin & Hosking.

[Page 46]

I will give you some account of myself and Husband as for myself I have enjoyed my health and since I came here but was much bitten by the mosquitoes just as tho I had had the small pox & did not like the food at first but I can eat it now and do very well and desire to thank God for good health and apetite [appetite] but my husband had both a severe attack of a billous [bilious] complaint and is  now just recovering from the last the first time he took emetic wherein he brought up  2 quarts of bile and was in violent pain to the pit of his stomach to the bottom of his [indecipherable] and many thing such as [indecipherable] hot water and Bathed the [indecipherable] part and of hot water and [page creased] him ease but Castor Oil this last time [indecipherable] proved most useful and I desire to then by [indecipherable] restoring food – be so good as to send word what is the best medicine to be used in such a case. I felt much at a loss not having

to help me because the natives are so troublesome and wont do any thing when they found we .... should be glad if i could get a girl out of the school or some man that could cook as i cant ...very well - i have sent you a matt and a countepane   for Mrs Marsden  enclosed and with .. you ... definitely to her i am very sincerely 

... be able to send Mr any ... the present of our Bill owing to Captn

refusing to take it - i suppose  the ? of .. to  ... if you will be so good to send a few grains i will try weather it will come up and .. the common .. and if it dont come up - give .... love to all the family and let me know from you - of the many good sincerely 

Mrs Hassall

Parramatta

fav by POrt Jackson

Mr Hurney

From Mr Nott

[envelope]

Morea Feb 25th 1813

Dear Brother H. 

        May God bless you and yours with grace mercy and peace health of body and mind. Holyness in heart and life love to his name and zeal for his glory. We have been exercised in various ways yet all in loving kindness and all needfull, you might have heard of our voyage here. It is hit or miss with many people that go to sea, it was our lot to miss the Island as many miss heaven when they die though they expect to find it while they live, and then it is to late to run, East, West, North, or South, as we did and made it at length, Mr Kable is shure to miss heaven if he goes on in a course of sin till death; tell him that I say so.

I am glad we are here. I think it is the path of duty and at length comfort. Mr K can inform you of the state of the Island, and how very little is don by the hole towards the instruction of the natives very often not more than one discourse and one catechiseing the boys about us is don by seven Missionaries in one week and the school attended to. Yet in general when there are people near us we preach to them on the sabbath and then they hear 7 or 8 times I find them very attentive in general when I was at Tahiti the other day I found them I think more attentive than usual. I should like to see you take a voyage this way but I do not expect it. I hope we shall not have occation to visit the Colony again things are now in place in this Island. If it should come in your way to dispose of [indecipherable]

Morea Feb 25th 1819

Dear Brother H. 

May God bless you and yours with grace money and peace health of body and mind. Holyness in heart and life love to his name and zeal for his glory. We have been exercised in various ways yet all in loving kindness and all mindfull, you might have heard of our voyage here. It is hit or miss with many people that go to sea, it was our lot to miss the Island as many miss heaven when they die though they expect to find it while they live, and then it is to late to run, East, West, North, or South, as we did and made it at length, Mr Kable is shure to miss heaven if he goes on in a course of sin till death; tell him that I say so.

I am glad we are here. I think it is the path of duty and at length comfort. Mr K can inform you of the state of the Island, and how very little is don by the hole towards the instruction of the natives very often not more that one discourse and one [indecipherable] the boys about us is don by seven Missionaries in one week and the school [indecipherable] to yet in general when there are people near us we preach to them on the sabbath and then they hear 7 or 8 times I find them very attentive in general when I was at Tahiti the other day I found them I think more attentive than usual. I should like to see you take a voyage this way but I do not expect it. I hope we shall not have occation to visit the Colony again things are now in place in this Island

. If it should come in your way to dispose of [indecipherable] I can send you a tun at 1s per lb and you may pay the frait and we..... have some others planted and intend to plant more. But O that you there and we here may be instrumental in planting the gospel. I hope and expect that this mission will yet out of weakness be made strong by God.

If I could by this conveyance send you my pox I would but C.W. will not take it now I have taken the liberty of getting my letters directed to you. I will esteem it a favour if you will take charge of them and send them to me and If you do not approve of it let me know.

I and George have made preperations for a vessel and got wood &c. collected and it would have been far on if we had not waited for the societys to go on first. But if the societys vessel is delayed much longer or we are to have nothing to do with it or to it, we intend to go on as we can with the other. It is not in the least out of opposition to the Society and if you or your son Thomas like to join and have one third of her we would make it a mutual benefit and in that case we shall want you or your son to send us Iron for bolts and some other Iron work and a pit saw .

If you will not have any thing to do with the vessel yet have the goodness to send us the pit saw and we will send you returns as soon as we can get a conveyance.

Let this letter be in confidence. If we do the societys first we shall send to you again before we shall want the iron work except the saw . I have plenty of spikenails and some iron besides. peace be with you

Mrs B joins in love to you and Mrs Hassall and family

Yours affect &c. H. Bicknell

[Ms 45]

Eimeo Feb 27 1813

Very dear Friend

It was my intention to have written to you by the return of the vessel we came in; but Mrs Wilson was exceedingly ill and the vessel came in the afternoon and sailed next morning which prevented me.

When we arrived the King was on this island and remained three month after our arrival too. Tahitian chiefs came then and fetched him away he and the Leeward Islands chief and men went over to Otaheiti, but the state of the Island is as much unsettled as ever for though he still lives peaceably among them he is not restored to his former authority 

  We also live peaceably here, but without any very pleasing prospect respecting the Missions. This is our comfort that the Lord reigneth over the Kingdoms of the Heathen and though clouds & sickness be round about them, justice and judgement is the habitation of this Island. One thing which encourages us to hope that the time to favor these Heathens as not far distant is that Pomare has openly declared the vanity and folly of

of this past abominable superstition and  idolatry and sacrifice the true truth of God Jeremiah 16.19 his view of the way of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ is very clear and consistent that he who has been a monster in inequity and very chief among the children of disobedience should not overcome every abominable, deep rooted custom and prejudice all at once is not considered it at all, but it is certain if  the Lord began a  good work in him or any other he would carry on and perfect it.

        When we arrived here [indecipherable] late Mrs Heyward and Mrs Henry were both very ill and are now no more and suddenly Mrs D and infant were removed from time into Eden. The most of us now alive here enjoy but a very imperfect state of health Mrs Wilson has not enjoyed 6 days of health together since we have been on the Island, but our boy is very hearty and runs about finely and I hope will soon talk it is needless for one to inform you these things Mr Henry will give every information.

When Mr Crook wrote to me by the [vessel name]] he asked me how much money I had paid towards C? as you had forgot to which I answered £24

£8.5sh moving him to look among some papers for your bill of  6 pieces of Boft... at 10/6

    6 p ___ calico at 7/- 

This mistake I recollected a day or two after.

This sheep which you was so kind as to give to Mr Wilson lived so much she had it out exceeding well, but she eat too much grain provision at N Zealand about a week after we left that, but we are indebted and equally thankful for that as for various other instances of your unsolicited liberality towards us while in the Colony.

We condole with you upon the melancholy accident which befel your dear little daughter we must say the Lord gives and the Lord both takes away blessed be the name of the Lord. Mrs Wilson joins me in our sincere respects to Mrs Hassall and all the family wishing that grace Mercy and Peace may be multiplied unto you through Jesus Christ our Lord

I am Dear Sir yours Sincerely

Capt. Wilson

To Mr Rowland Hassall

Parramatta