Earl Spencer Lat 4o 11n Long 14.54W
25th July 1810 [sic  for 1813]
Revd & Dear Sir
	In my letter to you from Madiera bearing date the 26th June I gave you a brief account of a Prisoner whose name was Jno Hogg and who apparently died a sincere penitent and I also inclosed a Note for his Wife in that Letter.
	On Tuesday the 29th of the same month, I revisited Funchal, being desirous to find out if possible a Clergyman of the Protestant Church, or a Protestant Schoolmaster.
	The Revd Mr Courtney, the Chaplain belonging to the 2nd Royal Veteran Battalion was absent, & was then in London and I could not hear of any other Clergyman of the Church of England, or of any other Dissenting congregation in Funchal. The time of this second visit happened on one of the Roman Catholic Saint Days, and as I passed by the Cathedral I overheard the Choristers which circumstance induced me to go in. I had never witnessed their manner of worship before. The interior of this Church was beautifully ornamented with highly finished paintings. As an Altar piece, and several feet higher than the floor stood up in an Aperture the Statue of the Blessed Virgin with a Child in her arms, and a silver Crucifix was placed upon the Altar Table below them. Altho’ it was now about Midday several lighted Candles were burning on each side of these objects of their Adoration. In a stall on the right of the Altar Table appeared one of their Dignitaries at Worship in scarlet Robes, and four of his Attendants dressed in scarlet robes in front. During the time the service was chaunted the above personage occasionally raised his voice. When he uncovered his head, so did his four Attendants, and when he came and bowed in front of the Statue & the Crucifix his attendants likewise advanced & bowed [f] too on each side of him. Next came the Silver cup in which the incense was burning, and both dignitary, attendants and choristers received the benefit of the smoke, after this water was sprinkled in the faces of the above assembly each man in his turn & the service was concluded. I did not see two persons whom I could distinguish as ex officio members of the congregation: if you excepted the Priests and Officers, the Church might be said to be empty. I am told that one of their Friars has lately absconded being dissatisfied with his Religion, and great pains have been taken to find him out, in order to bring him to punishment.
	From this place, I proceeded to the College where the Regimental School belonging to the 2nd Royal Veteran Battalion is conducted by Sergeant Gibson. In this School are taught about 60 Children, boys and girls, and the sight was very gratifying: but, my dear Sir, you will be distress’d to learn that these fine children had scarce any books to read in: and Mrs Matthews who keeps a School of about 40 children in the same place was equally destitute of books. There are also two other English Schools at the Tracy [sic] Barracks containing about 40 little children each, and conducted by Mrs Roper & Mrs Stokes, in which I only found one Bible, two or three Testaments bearing the mark of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and three or four worn out Spelling Books. Sergt Gibson informed me that he expected a Supply of Testaments when Mr Courtney returned from England. I however thought it my duty to furnish him with some for present use, as I had a few at hand on board the Earl Spencer. I accordingly presented to him  [f] Six Bibles bearing the Mark of the Naval & Military Bible Society Eight Testaments Do   Do  Do and Four Test[ament]s bearing Do  Do British & Foreign Bible Society Five Spell[in]g Books, 2 Days of Adversity, 6 Introduction to the church Catechism, 2 Cards of Prayer for Sunday Schools & Summary View of Church Missionary Society 7 Doz[en] Religious Tracts, Three  Summary View B[ritish] & F[oreign] Bible Society 6 childs first Book, a few Catechisms & 1  Bowyer Smith for his Child. I also presented to Major White who treated me very politely the Eighth Report of the British & Foreign Bible Society. He offered to pay for the Books which I left with Sergt Gibson. I  had presented the above to Sergt Gibson before I heard of there being any other Schools. I am sorry therefore that I had it not in my power to leave with the poor Women, Mrs Matthews, Mrs Roper & Mrs Stokes more than 1 Bible from the Nav[al] & Mil[itary] Society 1 Do British & For[eig]n & I Testament, 2 Spelling Books, 2 Day of Adversity, & a few Tracts each, with a promise that I would write home to my friends in their favor. It would have given you much pleasure to have witnessed the effect of this interview with these people for after this I could not pass through a Street, but I was accosted by some one for a Book; the poor children flocked around me with the same kindness as if I had been their parent, telling me they were fond of reading but books were so dear in the island that their Parents could not afford to purchase them. The price of Spelling books when they can be procured is half a dollar each: They pay each 3d per week for their instruction.
	A present of about a dozen Spelling Books, some catechisms, and plans of religious Instruction sent in separate parcels for each of the above Schools, and the whole directed to Major White the commanding officer would I am sensible, be received with gratitude by them all. [f] With the conversation of Mrs Ross I was particularly interested. She is advanced in years. Her Bible was carefully preserved as her best friend, and she told me that she derived great comfort from it, especially as she was in a great measure necessarily deprived of the benefit of Public Ordinances. In a Spelling Book which was absolutely worn out by frequent use I found a Morning & Evening Prayer by which she instructed her little Children.
	 By the tender mercy of God this leaves me and my family in good health. We have hitherto experienced no inconvenience from excessive heat & have had no stormy weather. The Thermometer is as low as 780. We are not certain whether we shall proceed from hence to Rio Janeiro or not. The wind is quite against us.
	Pray present our kind & grateful acknowledgements to our dear Paster [sic] the Revd Basil Woodd [&] to our other Friends & accept the same yourself [and] am Revd & Dear Sir
Yours & ca Tho Kendall
We still entreat your kind remembrance when you approach the Throne of Grace.
	The Guernsey Brigg— named Swift— takes this to So[uth] Salvador.