Hassall family papers, 1793-2000

Tahiti Matavai 17th of

February 1813

My dear friends

May Jehovah and Jesus Christ bless you and me also, this evil man whose crimes are accumulated.

I perfectly agree to your request in your letter you lately wrote to me, my Dear Friends, in which you desire my permission to cut down the Tamance & Amac. Cut them down without regarding consequences for a keel for our Vessels what will be the consequence? shall we be destroyed by the evil spirits? We cannot be destroyed by them. We have a great Saviour Jesus Christ. where you lead regardless of consequences, I this evil man will follow.

The three One can (or will) make me good. I venture with my guilt / or evil deeds to Jesus Christ; tho' I am not equaled in wickedness, not equaled in guilt, not equaled in obstinate disobedience & rejection of the truth, thus this very wicked man may be saved by Jehovah and Jesus Christ.

I have a daughter born, Saturday the 3rd of the present February is the day she was born: I did not know of her birth being at Hetea'a; by the time we came here to Matavai she was born.

Tahiti Matavai 17th of

February 1813

My dear friends

May Jehovah and Jesus Christ bless you and me also, this evil man whose crimes are accumulated.

I perfectly agree to your request in your letter you lately wrote to me, my permission to cut down the Tamance & Amae. Cut them down without regarding consequences for a keel for our Vessels what will be the consequence? shall we be destroyed by the evil spirits? we cannot be destroyed by them. We have a great Saviour Jesus Christ. where you lead regardless of consequences, I this evil man will follow.

The three One can (or will) make me good. I venture with my guilt / or evil deeds to Jesus Christ; tho' I am not equaled in wickedness, not equaled in guilt, not equaled in obstinate disobedience & rejection of the truth, thus this very wicked man may be saved by Jehovah and Jesus Christ.

I have a daughter born, Saturday the 3rd of the present February is the day she was born: I did not know of her birth being at Hetea'a; by the time we came here to Matavai she was born.

Send me some sugar for to sweeten peas for her, two small cups, and also two small spoons to feed her with the sugar and pea. Matavai has been delivered up to me: when I am perfected assured of the sincerity of this surrender I will write another letter, my dear friends. It is reported here among the peoples that there is a Ship at Emeo, perhaps it is Captain Campbell. There is a great many

for Pomare

Copy of the translation of a letter from King Pomare to

the Missionaries

Maviea (Eimeo)

Otiheita Letters

Eamio Feby. 21st 1813

My Dear Mrs Hassall,

I hope you and family continue in health as when I left you you thought it strange no doubt that I did not write to you when we where going off it being so sudden at last which made me forget it until we were sailing which was too late but I dont intend to forget you now I have come to my journey end which was very speedy only 28 days wind and weather favourable all the way, but I was exceeding sick all the way and did not have my health until I beheld Tahiti, which was on the 4 of Oct. The pleasing thought of going on shore caused me to forget my sickness, but my pleasure was soon damptd for we had not been in sight of Tahiti long before a canoe came off and the man informed us of the Death of poor Mrs Henry

and on Monday morning when we were sailing into harbour young Mr Bicknall came off and informed us of the Death of 3 more for Mrs Davis after being safely delivered of daughter 12 or 14 hours and her infant 3 weeks after and Mrs Hayward 7 months after her marriage being confined nearly the whole of the time, from what I can hear they ?d very much but Mr Hayward was to be blamed for many  her as she know what she was before him and what was most cruel he read that notorious pamphlet to her when in dying circumstances, written by Fox against her. I should have thought penitence let alone affection would have taught him to have concealed in eternal night rather than presented to her such  a malignant dose at such a period that when passing from time to Eternity her worst enemy could do no more than try to give her a deadly stab at that time. But she rose triumphant over herself, enemys and Devil to her Dear Lord who dyed for her the [indecipherable] choice of

I will give you some account of myself and husband as for myself I have enjoyed my health since I came here but was much bitten by the musquitoes 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 goodsome health and apetite but my husband had   both a severe attack of a billous complaint and is  now just recovering from the last the first time he took   [?] wherein he brought up  ...2 quarts of bile and was in violent  pain the pit of his stomach to the bottom of his [?] and many thing such as [] gave him ease but Castor Oil this last time proved most easeful and I [indecipherable] was restoring food - be so good as to send word what is the best medicine to be used such a case. I felt much at a 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