Bay of Islands Decr 14. 1818 Revd Josiah Pratt Revd and Dear Sir, I send by the Ship Catherine Captn Graham, a Preparatory Catechism written in the New Zealand and English Tongues, a few copies of which, if approved of by the Honorable Committee you will be pleased to get printed. You can, if there is time, send me a part of them by the return of the Catherine, or any other ship bound direct from England to this country; and the other part you can send to me by way of port Jackson. I also send for the Society’s Museum a perfect model of a war canoe, and have directed the native Mayree who sails in the Catherine, to explain to you the particulars respecting it. There are also several garments and Curiosities contained in a Case directed to you. Such as are loose, and the parcel of Matts manufactured by the [f] female Scholars are for the Society. These are the last Matts made by the female Scholars which I intend to send without you desire me to send more. The Copy Books are written by Native Boys. I request you to forward without delay the parcels directed to my friends in the Country in order that answers may be returned in time, and convey them to me. The Memorandum Book which contains a list of my wants you will be pleased to look over. Such articles as are already sent you can strike out with with your pen, and will favor me with as many of the rest, as is agreeable to the Committee to grant me. It is now twenty months since I received the last letter from you Dated Sepr 5. 1816 [f] you directed me therein to make regular statements to a Corresponding Committee then appointed, as you supposed, at New South Wales to transact the affairs of the Society. There has been no such Commee formed; and Mr Marsden has had of course the whole weight of the Society’s Concerns, as well as his other cares, upon his own hands. There is no man perhaps who had equal zeal or is so well able as Mr Marsden to manage your affairs, and I am confident there is no man upon earth who has more at heart the welfare of the New Zealanders than himself. Yet a man who is so oppressed with his public and private duties for want of time, and who is on that account generally in a hurry mujst leave many things undone. In all Mr Marsden’s Letters to me, he has promised to assist me in every possible way, and I do not doubt his willingness to do it, yet it so [f] happens, and it is a subject of too great importance to conceal it, That no settled plan has hitherto been adopted for the support of the School. The consequence has been that almost all the succours have fallen into the hands of an individual settler. Private trade has completely over balanced the Society’s trade, and the latter is so much reduced in value that the settlers in general can scarce procure a good Hog, or provide for the wants of their families: much less can they procure a sufficient supply as to enable them to carry on their respective callings, and the School of course has been almost reduced to nothing, merely for want of a handful of potatoes to give each Scholar to eat. Some order of a positive nature must be given by the Society and Mrf Marsden too, or else I am certain the Settlement will be in a [f] short time deserted by many. Mr Gordon and Mr Carlisle are both of them very quiet men, and would suffer before they would complain; but a meek and quiet christian has, in a heathen land, trials sufficient without being abridged in the necessaries of life, when they can be obtained by others with whom he is by appointment called to share in the same duties and dangers. Neither Mr Gordon nor Mr Carlisle have had it in his power to purchase a good hog from the natives since their arrival, and I have been told they have been without pork at all, at a time when many casks of pork have been in the settlement but to which they could have no access because it was purchased with private property. If nothing is determined in the above respects. If each settler cannot procure for his family a proportionate share of the necessaries of Life, such as pork, potatoes &c to [f] which he is justly entitled in a Missionary Settlement, there will be no such thing as peace amongst us for any length of time, and the situation will be peculiarly painful for a Schoolmaster or a Clergyman. I know there is a plea of aiming at independence urged in favor of private commerce, but I am certain there can be no such thing as independance [sic] at New Zealand for an Englishman without an English Force for the protection of property, and if private commerce can not be carried on without oppressing Missionary Settlers and defeating the spirit of a Missionary Society it ought to be relinquished. It is easy to point out a remedy for the evil just represented. I wish it to be put in practice, not only as a check upon others but as one upon myself. We perfectly agree in rationing out all supplies which we receive from Mr Marsden; We only want to agree in the [f] particulars. “1st To purchase all we want from the Natives with the Society’s “trade, and should it be agreed upon to add any other trade to it, for each settler “to bear his proportion of the expence. 2ndly. To divide the prok, potatoes, Matts “&c in fair proportion to each family. 3rdly. To allow a certain quantity of pork and “potatoes per day to such natives as live with the Settlers. 4thly. To lay the “remainder of the Potatoes aside for the School. Timber, flax and such articles as “are wanted for the Active and not of particular use to the settlement might be “excluded from the above regulations.” I have consulted my colleagues in general upon the subject, and they are of opinion with me that to follow the above plan would give general satisfaction. There ought to be no provisions of any kind sent to ships without the affairs of the settlement would admit. [f] As the Society’s concerns ought not to suffer for the sake of private interest, so they ought not for the temporary gratification of a body. The School whoever teaches it will, as long as it is encouraged and duly attended to by the Teacher, press itself continually upon the consideration of the Settlers and the Society. Every attempt to improve the condition of the New Zealanders, so as to induce them to relinquish their horrid customs, will in my opinion fall short of success, until the most pernicious article of their faith is shaken at the root, and they are taught to believe that the Lord, Jehovah, is a Being of Love and Mercy, and that “the Son “of Man came not into the world to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” In my Letter to the Revd Basil Woodd I have stated the feelings of my own mind on the subject of the School. I have nothing further to add, than that as I proposed before the [f] Hon[oura]ble Committee when I was the first recommended to its notice, so, as far as my own conduct is concerned I wish to act . I wish to make concessions to my Colleagues for any thing which I may at any time have done improperly towards them. In my present difficulties I wish to yield, rather than to strive. I have told them long since I sincerely lamented that my name had ever been noticed, as having any share in the divisions which have afflicted this settlement. I acquainted Mr Marsden by Letter sent to him a week ago in the Active, and I now acquaint you, with the obstacles which lay in the way of my usefulness being sensible, that you are the best able and willing to remove them. I cannot be happy long here and sit still. I trust God will give me more grace, and more firmness than to desire to continue with my large family an useless [f] burthen upon the Society. I am now attempting to copy the Taheitian Catechism into the New Zealand Language I trust I shall have it ready to send in the Foxhound Captn Watson which I expect will sail from hence to England in a few months. I shall do it as well as I can, and have no doubt but it will equally gratify the Church Missionary Society and the London Missionary Society to observe the very little difference which there really is in the Dialect of the two islands whose Language is radically the same. The New Zealanders’ Spelling Book part 1st and 2nd was sent to Mr Marsden for his inspection in March last. I pray that the Lord of his infinite mercy may so direct and bless his sinful and unworthy servant, that much good may be done by these faint attempts to promote the knowledge of the Redeemer’s Name. [f] By the blessing of Divine Providence, this Settlement (except as has been above mentioned) is in a promising state. Several natives around us have been employed in Farming, twine spinning, sawing Timber, & ca. Our Buildings are completed and we are getting forward with our fences. We want a building for a Chapel, you would do right to encourage the Settlers to begin this work. Our families are generally in good health. My Colleague Mr King has lost one of his children by death, the rest are all well. There are nine unbaptized children in the Settlement. My Eldest Daughter is now in her fifteenth year. My next is in her fourteenth year. I have now two Daughters and five sons living. The natives do not molest our children at all. Their walks are of course limited, but the whole of the Settlers children are chearful and happy. [f] Mrs Kendall desires to unite with me in dutiful acknowledgments to the Honorable Committee and to say, that as we do not wish to part with our children again, and may probably before many years more are past think it needful to remove with them into civilized and christian society. We shall feel ourselves highly obliged to the Committee “by favoring us with its opinion on this subject.” We hope to be understood that we wish to continue at New Zealand, except our removal should appear to us indispensible [sic], in which case, we should be ready to apply ourselves to such a way of life as might be calculated to afford us a maintenance without trespassing greatly upon the funds of the Society. And we mention this we trust in submission to the will of our heavenly master, whose service we have no desire to fly from before our work is done, or our place is better filled. We have [f] indeed been graciously preserved as a family by land and by water. We have been blessed amongst the heathen where we sojourn, and possessing their confidence, and being delivered from many troubles our cup runneth over. In all things may we trust in him who is acquainted with our wants, and is ever ready to do his needy creatures good. We have now resided four years at New Zealand. Amongst a people where thousands of our countrymen would think it impossible to live in safety for any length of time. We sleep in peace, and have all the priviledges [sic] and comforts we could expect to have in a foreign land. My Sincere christian regards to Mrs Pratt, yourself, and all inquiring friends. And am Revd & Dear Sir Your faithful Servt Thos Kendall Revd Josiah Pratt &c &c