Parramatta March 4th 1817
Revd & Dear Sir
	I have deemed it advisable to send two young men (Tooi & Teeterree) Sons of Chiefs to England for a short time, as I think this will greatly tend to enlarge their Ideas, and prepare them for great usefulness to their Countrymen— Tooi has been with me almost three years, and Teeterree about 18 months— They come in his Majesty’s brig Kangaroo— Lieut. Jeffreys has been kind enough to give them a passage— The Society will see from these two young men, what the Natives of N. Zealand are. These are comparatively very small men to many— I still entertain the same Idea of them that I have for years past, viz that they are prepared for receiving any Instruction we can give them— no men could behave with more Propriety while they have been with me than these two have done— If you could get any Person to form a Vocabulary of the N. Zealand Language while they remain in London it would be a great advantage to the Mission— Tooi is very quick, and can speak the English Language pretty well, so that I think this may be done [f] better in London than Mr Kendall can do it in New Zealand— However this I must leave to the Judgment of the Society— I wish on no Account that they should be idle— If they cannot be employed in assisting to form a Vocabulary, let them be put into a Rope walk and kept close to Labor while they remain in England— A Rope walk will be of more advantage to them than any other work, as theyt can then find employment when they return to their own Country in working up their own Flax. I have no doubt of their good Conduct; they will do any thing they are desired— and few have better Capacities for learning any thing, than the N. Zealanders in general have. Their object in coming to England is to gain more Information they have been very urgent with me to allow them to come— Tooi has left his wife a very fine young woman— She was with me some time, but is now returned to her friends— they were so anxious about her, she left her Husband with me and went to her own Country, tho’ with many tears— Their parting was very affecting— [f] There may be no necessity for their remaining long in England— only while they do stay, let them not lose their time— but let them have some useful Employment— I have no doubt but any of the South Sea whalers will accommodate them with a Passage, as they can do any thing on Board a Vessel— They may either come to me at Port Jackson or return in a whaler to their own Country; but perhaps it would be as well if they touched at Port Jackson, as the Captains of these vessels are many of them dishonest men; and would take any thing from them which they might have— Should any Person make them a little present, whatever they may have, it would be very well to send it out as the property of the Society till it arrived at Port Jackson— as it would be much safer— These young men were rather too old to learn to read the English Language— Tooi has learned a little, but not much— but they will learn the simple Arts very soon— Tooi can now spin Flax pretty well, and has assisted in making Rope for the Active— Teeterree’s uncle has the [f] Command where the missionaries reside— I wish it was possible to get a pious married man to come out with them, who understood Rope-making— in order that they might form an establishment at the islands for Rope. Two Sets of strong Hemp Hackles should also be sent out with a Rope Jack or two— A pious good Blacksmith would be an invaluable Acquisition to the natives if one could be found—
The New Zealanders have been considered the most ferosious Cannibals, and the most warlike Savages in the known world— Cannibals they are, and readily admit this— they are warlike also— but they are very noble, and naturally kind and affectionate— and in many moral Qualities they would put nominal Christians to the Blush— From all that have lived with me, their national Character may be learned in a measure from Tooi & Teeterree—
I am Dear Sir, Yours truly S. Marsden
Revd J. Pratt