Bay of Islands N. Zealand
July 23rd, 1817
Revd and Dear Sir/
	The ship Harriet offers me an oppertunity [sic] to let you know of our safety in this place. I hope these Lines will find you in good health as they leaves us, thanks be to God for this & all others [sic] Favours— after surmounting in the strength of Christ many heavy Trials— and passed through good & evil report— I have been enabled to begin instructing four Boys in Spinning fishing-Lines and turning the Wheels— they are active & quick in learning here— two Boys that have spun some Lines & laid them up with my assistance— I have sent them to Mr Marsden & expect he will forward them to you Sir- - - the most labour I have with them in regard to learning is to prevail upon them to stay constantly & persevere— to bring them off their wild Habbits [sic] & customs to stay their Minds upon their Work &c. - - - I have nine natives in general to maintain & pay some times more - - their words & actions are often obscene, at times it is needful to reprove or scold them for it, this they can hardly bear, while they can find a place of more liberty & less controle [sic]- - - I have need of much patience to bring them on by degrees as the[y] can bear - - I have had a great deal of work to do before I could begin to teach them twine spinning but now my time will be spent in leading them on in this principal branch of my duty— I may say I have just made a beginning - - and I belive [sic] that good will be [f] done amongst these natives in proportion to the Piety Zeal Activity & unity of those that labour among them— May the Lord be pleased to raise up & send Labourers among this people to open their eyes to turn them from Satan to God through Jesus Chris [sic] - - I have fences two acres of ground in, three parts of it, I have put in Wheat at this time, the ground is not good a light crop must be expected, but it is a beginning, the natives are growing plenty of Potatoes & Indian corn but Wheat they cannot manage at present- - -
	Sir, I wrote to you a long time ago for two Hemp Hackles & one course [sic] Flax Hackles likewise to Mr Marsden but have not received them as yet— The Hackles I brought from England with me are too weak for the natives to learn on, they would break them to pices [sic] & the spining [sic] would be totaly stoped [sic] therefore at present I am confined in my work for want of them, & can go on only in a narrow way— If you will be so kind as to send them as soon as convenant [sic] I shall be much oblidged [sic] to you for them— When I receive them I shall be enabled to employ more natives & shall need more trade to feed & pay them, in proportion as I am suported [sic] or suplied [sic] the H[onorable] Society may confidently be asured [sic] i shall do my utmost to forward their designs - - -
	Untill [sic] Decr 1816 I was kept under & back from doing my Duty, but at that time Mr Marsden was pleased to send us down a quantity of axes & Hoes &c— they was (after the fourth part was taken out for the school) divided according to our Families, Which Trade enabled me [f] to get a Fence up round the rope walk & in March to begin Spinning— and I have the satisfaction to say here is two Boys that can Spin & if they persevere, I have no doubt bujt they will soon lay the Lines up & finish them themselves— for the present we stand in need of every suport [sic] & encurridgment [sic] but I shall endevour [sic] to make the best of every thing I can and get the natives on to work & off[er] as much a[s] possable [sic] our support, but we cannot controle [sic] nor drive them, it is not likely in my opinion that I shall be able to do any thing to lessen the expence I have or may incur not for four or five years to come, if my life is preserved untill then— I don’t know what good may be done, we are only a beginning - - May the blessing of God rest upon you & Family, upon all your labor and work of the Lord is the sincere prayer of
Revd Sir
Your most unworthy
And obedient Servant
John King
P.S. I have sent six Lines and a small parcel of Flax directed to Mr Wilson, a small parcel of Flax directed to you, and a Letter and a small parcel of Flax directed to my Father to the care of Rev. D. Wilson, these are all put in Mr Kendall[‘s] Box directed to the Church Missionary House. I expect Mr Marsden to send some Lines, that I sent to him a little time since by the active