Hassall family papers, 1793-2000

injoyed and think you should never be without caster oil as it seems the best medicine in his case and which may be easily made in Taheita - but further let me remind you my dear friend that no medicine will well do him any real good unless the Lord shall bless the same therefore pray for a blessing upon every mains - and let me, my dear creature intreat you so to love your Husband, serve the Lord Jesus, fill up your station in the which you are placed and addorn the Gospel in all things so that your praying be not indized and all must be for the best - with kind love to friend Nott as well as to yourself and praying that the goodwill of our God may rest upon you & yours and wish to hear from you soon 

I remain - 

Dr Mrs Nott yours

sincerely

Elizabeth Hassall

To Mrs Nott

Otoheita

[ms 57]

My dear Brother in Christ

     An opportunity now presenting itself of sending to N. South Wales. I embrace it and shall communicate some short account of the state of Religion among us, sensible that it will afford pleasure to you and your Brethren who are so far removed from us.

    India has the Gospel now preached to it in a good number of places. There are twenty regular stations belonging to our Missions which extend from the most northerly point at Hindasthan near [H..dwan] to the Isles of Java and Ceylon and from the Burman Empire in the east to Surat in the west.

The number of persons who have been received into Christ communion is about five hundred; and through the abundant blessing of God this work is still going forward. I expect seventy persons to be received into the Church at Calcutta at the close of the present month, and many others are enquiring the way to Jesus with their faces thitherwards. 

The cause of truth in India has lately suffered a heavy loss in the death of Mr Martyn, a very amiable and pious Clergyman of the Church of England who in a journey from Shiranz in Persia to Constantinople died at  [indecipherable] He had finished the translation of the N. Testament

the Persian Language at Shiraz. The copy has not been received yet, having been left there in the hands of a  learned Persian. - We have, however two other very useful ministers of the Church of England at this Residency, viz. Mr. Coorse, and Mr. Thomason and aone e at Madras, - Mr. Thompson and of the London Missionary Society there are in Bengal Mr. May and Mr. Forsyth, and on the Coast Mr. [Loveless Messrs  Lee, Gordon, Prichart, and Hands. I understand that one or two of those who were at Ceylon are about to leave it for Europe.

     There are two other departments of the Mission here which we have found of great importance, viz. Schools, and the translation of the Word of God into the Eastern languages. I believe the number of Children in all our schools is not less than a thousand, who are all taught to read the Bible. I trust there will be found to be a nursery for the Church of God in time to come. At any rate we may expect that the introduction of the light of Gods Word by means of Schools, will contribute to the expulsion of that gross darkness which has hitherto been spread over these countries, and which has been attended with a proportional quantity of vice and cruelty.

[ms 59]

The translation of the Scriptures has occupied my thoughts and labours beyond everything also: and, to the glory of God I mention it, has been carried to a far greater extent than I, at first thought possible. The whole number fo translations now going forward among us [indecipherable] one of which only is wholly printed, another will be wholly printed in another year, and I hope two or three more [   ] . The number of these versions now in the press is thirteen. The printing of the other four will probably be begun within the present year.

     The soulless hand of our great loss last year by [indecipherable] whole was not less than 70.000 Rupees. This vast sum was subscribed by the Public in England in the months from the arrival of the news, and has since been exceeded, so that we are now better furnished for carrying on those works than we were before the fix. In about the Lord has far exceeded our expectations in this work. - We are besides our own translations printing editions of the Malay, Singapore, Sinhalese, and Tamall Bibles for the Calcutta ]. The last has been finished some time. I trust these movements are the [indecipherable] of that [indecipherable] which will spread itself far and wide [indecipherable] the whole

Give my [indecipherable] Love to [indecipherable] to Rev? Mr. Marsden and [indecipherable] am intending of myself to their notice. I have heard of these with pleasure, and honestly [indecipherable]

[indecipherable]

I shall always feel [indecipherable] by a letter. If you [indecipherable] to send me a copy of the [indecipherable] productions of [indecipherable] trees, minerals, or plants [indecipherable] confer a great obligation on me.

12 Aug 1813

I am very [indecipherable]

complaint with which she is but slightly affected at present. I mean the Fafe or Elephantiasis on the legs, a disease you no doubt remember to have seen when here, and which is not only common to these islands but to most warm tropical countries.

My Dear Brother, allow me to solicit your hand counsel & advice and kind offices for her which she will surely need. Where she will board or how she will be accomodated I must leave to Mr. Marsden & yourself &c. Her leaving us is no small trial to myself & partner who is most kind & affectionate to her and the other children, but we trust the Lord will overrule] it for her good.

    As I am much pushed for time I shall not start to give you a particular account of the state of the Islands & the 

mission &c. Mr. S. & Sally can give you every information relative to these matters: I shall only observe that the Lord is beginning to do wonders by our poor unworthy instrumentality! We expect shortly to baptise a number of these poor heathen in whose heart we trust the Lord has begun a work of saving grace. The King has been drawn aside a good deal, but poor man he has been exposed to powerful temptations. We are in daily expectation of his arrival here.                  I hope this will find you, Mrs. Hassall & family will and partaking of every needful blessing.

      With kind love to all (in which I am joined by my dear wife)

  I remain my Dear Friend & Brother, sincerely & affectionately yours

in the Best Bonds

W. Henry

Mr Hassall

Parramatta

Br Henry

[MS 65]

Eimeo Jany 9th 1814

Dear Sir,

Per favour Mr Shelley I have sent sent you these few lines which contains I am sorry to say nothing very animating.

    By our friend Shelley Mr. Henry has sent down to the Colony Sarah his eldest Daughter and you will say with me I have no doubt for her sake that it's a thousand pities he ever brought her back to these Islands and especially when you Sir as I understand had made him such favourable offers. I hope the Lord will give a disposition and resolution to conduct herself in the Colony so as she might not be totally lost to society. It is a lamentable thing that her late conduct here should have been such as to have sent her

her send to the notice of --- which in all probability it will. She is but young and may reform. I hope she will be cautious and more considerate in the Colony with other peoples characters than she has been here and have a deeper sense of duty on her mind than to injure her connections thereby.

We are sorry that our friends in the Colony have conceived such a character of Pomare as they seem to have by their letters to him. His sensuring paganism is a good thing and had he been a convert to the Lord Jesus would certainly have been a matter of great joy but this we never thought him to be. His knowledge is far superior to any of his country men and may be subservient to them but I must fear it will enhance his own condemnation. We have better hopes of several than of him that a work work of Grace is begun in their hearts.