London, March 22/1813 (Copy) Dear Friends, It is a long time since we heard from you, or concerning you. Your last letter which has reached us was dated Novr 2/11. This Letter of yours was read at a Meeting of the Committee, Augt 7 1812. The Committee were much pleased to find your zeal for the work in which you are engaged continue [sic] unabated. But you express considerable uneasyness [sic] that your time was wholly taken up in maintaining yourselves; and think that you were not passing it to good purpose, because you were not engaged more directly in the great work to which you had devoted yourselves. But, my dear friends, your own statement has shewn to the Committee, that you do not fully enter into those views with which you left England. It was impossible for us here to tell how you could be circumstanced when you arived [sic] in N.S. Wales, and what would be the openings or the difficulties with respect to an attempt of settling in New Zealand. You went out as we confidently trusted; and, certainly, we sent you; to follow the leadings of our Heavenly Master. If circumstances would allow of your going to N. Zealand, you were to go in the name of the Lord; if not, you were to stay in N.S. Wales: and till an opening did present itself for your settling in N. Zealand, you were to follow your respective occupations in N. S. Wales for your own benefit, and to support yourselves by your labour, Mr Marsden, on behalf of the Society, rendering to you any aid which was absolutely requisite. If in England you must have laboured for your support, and having transferred yourselves to N. S. Wales under the protection of the Society, you were to labour there with the [f] same view till Divine Providence should call you to the place of your ultimate destination. If it should please God to keep you for one, or two, or three, or four years, waiting for such a call, it would be a trial no doubt, of your faith, and patience, but we looked up to God for grace to grant you such support as you might need. In the mean time, we trusted that you would eagerly and diligently embrace every oppertunity [sic] of cultivating familiarity with such New Zelanders [sic] as might fall in your way: and would take all possible advantages which conversing with them might afford of acquiring some knowledge of the language. I have thought it best to recapulate [sic] thus the views with which the Society sent you from your native country, because you seem to have felt a little impatience in your Situation. I am charged by the Committee to assure you of their kindness and regards; and at the same time, to tell you, that, in the judgment of the Committee, you could not have been better occupied than you have been, under all the circumstances in which you it pleased God to place you. We could not foresee the obstacles which arose to your proceeding to N. Zealand. We could not remove those obstacles: and till they should be removed, it was your duty to wait, and ours to acquiesce in this dispensation. Now, my good friends, I do not say all this to cast blame on you; or to discourage you with an idea that the Committee do not feel for your situation, but to remind you of the real views which we entertained in sending you, and which we wished you to entertain in going. We know, and are sorry to learn from yourselves, and by other quarters, that you have felt some disatisfaction [sic] that Mr. Marsden has kept you at constant work: but, you see that in so doing, he fulfilled the wishes and intentions of the Society for we certainly thought, that, by saying that seizing [f] every oppertunity which might occur of conversing with the New Zealanders and making a vocabulary of their words, you might be doing much to prepare yourselves for settling among them when the way should be opened. What may be your circumstances when this Letter reaches you we cannot tell: but if you should be still in Paramatta [sic], we shall request Mr Marsden by this conveyance, to grant you what you wish, that is some freedom from your manual labour that you may have leisure to prepare for your settling in New Zealand, provided there is any prospect of your doing this in a reasonable time. Mr. Kendall will convey this letter to you. He and his family are to remain, as settlers, in N.S. Wales for 3 years, and then they will all join you, we suppose, in New Zealand. We send out a library by him, which is to be for the common use of the Settlers: You will, of course, avail yourselves of them in such a manner as may be most accomodating [sic] to each other. Mr. Kendall is to be considered as having the more immediate charge of them. We shall add to them from time to time; as we wish to maintain a useful library, for the perpetual advantage of the Settlement which we hope, if not yet begun will be before this year expires. We wish you much to write frequently and fully to us. Tell us all that you wish and feel, respecting your situation and the objects before you. Be assured that we feel a sincere and affectionate interest in your comfort and welfare, and in the ultimate success of your endeavours to promote the glory of God and the good of man. Remember us very kindly to Mrs. Hall and believe me, Dear Friends, Very truly yours Josiah Pratt To Mr. W. Hall and Mr John King