Parramatta February 10th 1820
Revd and Dear Sir
	It now becomes my painful duty to state to you the Situation I found the European Settlers in, on my arrival at the Bay of islands – They were all like Sheep without a Shepherd – they had all departed from the path of duty, and every one more or less was seeking his Gain from his quarter. The Enemy had made dreadful work amongst them – he had sown tares amongst the wheat, and destroyed all Christian Love and confidence, so that there was little to be heard but mutual accusations – When I beheld these things, I was grieved in my Spirit – my heart was pained within me. I felt the greatest indignation at their Conduct, and could not help expressing my sentiments with much warmth; at the same time I felt very thankful that God had opened my way to visit them, as this might be attended with much good to the Mission; my first step was, to call a public Committee of all the Settlers, and to examine into their individual Conduct, in order that some effectual measures might be adopted to remedy the great public evils if possible. On examination I found Messrs Kendall and Carlisle had greatly neglected their School – William Hall had separated himself in a great measure from them – John King was too great a Man to make or even mend a Childs Shoe – Gordon had greatly neglected Agriculture – and they were all living unhappy; because they had all departed from the Path of Duty – Mr Kendall was very much concerned for what had happened, and I hope his past experience will stimulate his future exertions, for the good of the Mission. He had paid [f] much attention to the Language, and is as much esteemed amongst the Native Inhabitants as any Man can be, but like the rest had got into the Nefarious traffic with the Shipping, which excited a Spirit of covetousness and mutual Jealousy, and gave Satan an advantage over him.
	This Mission has had much to contend with both at New Zealand and Port Jackson and if it were not of God it would long since have come to nought. But nothing can be more promising than the general appearance of the Mission; as far as respects the Natives. They are all ready for instruction, and there is no difficulty or obstruction on this account _ Mr Kendall was resolved to do all he could in future, and I believe his Heart is in the work and he greatly laments what has taken place –
	Mr William Hall candidly acknowledged they were all wrong, but as for his part he was ready to obey any instructions that might be given him, and to give up all future traffic with the Shipping. He is a most industrious Man, a Mechanic of great ability, and has done much for the improvement of the Settlement but had from the Love of money got greatly out of the path of duty. It is hardly possible to conceive that Men of piety can act so inconsistently with their duty, as the Settlers have done at New Zealand; yet the fact is undeniable. As William Hall was so ready to acknowledge his Errors, and to return to the path of duty, I could do no more than pass over his misconduct with some suitable admonitions – during my stay at New Zealand no Man could exert himself more for the good of the Settlement than he did, and I have no doubt but Mr Butler will find an able assistant in Mr Hall in establishing the new Settlement –
	John King when I [f] called upon him to explain his conduct, was very high. The Settlers complained, that he would not make nor mend them a Shoe, when they or their Children had none to wear – that they were at all times compelled to send to Port Jackson for Shoes. I asked him before the Committee, what he intended to do. He replied that he would beither mend nor make Shoes for the Settlers, in whole or in part. I replied as this was his determination, his business should be very soon settled, as I should from that time take upon myself to suspend him as a Missionary Settler till I heard from the Society, and I should neither allow him a Ration, nor would I gave him any Salary, and he might provide for his Family in any way he liked. He then asked for a passage to Port Jackson; this I assured him he should have when I returned, for as he would not work neither should he eat, at the expense of the Society. I told him his conduct all along had been very unbecoming that of a Missionary: and that I was much ashamed of him, that when I was in New Zealand before, he had solemnly promised to make the Shoes for his Colleagues, and to instruct the Natives, which promise he had never performed, and as he now refused to do his duty, I would have no more to do with him. He left the Committee with an haughty air, and I had no further communication with him for six weeks, when he applied to me to be reinstated; to his application I replied, I was resolved never to restore him, till I received instructions from the Society. He then applied to the rest of the Settlers, and when they spoke to me, I gave them the same answer. They called a Committee, and after consultation, the Committee recommended that Mr King on his promising to do his duty, should be received again – at the recommendation of the Committee he was admitted till your Society [f] in London determine upon his case – If left to myself I never could have received him again, but would have made an example of him to others. They have had every comfort and support that Men would have in their Situations, and it was their duty to act honestly, and to labour for the general good. Pride, Covetousness, and Idleness were the evils into which he had fallen; and nothing but want, and poverty were likely to have any effect upon him, and these would soon bring him to a sense of his duty – he never thought of making any Acknowledgment for his Errors, till he and his Family wanted something to eat – He would walk about like a Gentleman and see myself and the Revd J Butler labouring at landing the Stores and various other things which was necessary to be done, and pass us unnoticed for six weeks – John King must be kept poor if he ever does his duty as he ought – Should the Society continue him in his Situation I shall leave to their wisdom what Salary he ought to have in future. He has £70 per annum now as he has 3 children according to the present plan– but as the Settlement will now be improving every day I should think his Salary may be reduced to £40 or £50 per annum as a punishment for his misconduct; and to stimulate him to do his duty, but this I beg respectfully to submit to the consideration of the Committee – It is my duty to report what is amiss, and leave to the Committee to determine what may be proper to be done – The XCommittee will see the necessity of expressing their marked disapprobation of Mr Kings conduct some way or other. I believe he is a pious Man, but had lost sight of his duty, by being too high minded. With respect to Carlisle he has greatly deceived me, Mr Cartwright, and Kendall. On examining into his conduct I found it abominable; he immediately wrote to me to say he wished to resign – I accepted his resignation, and gave him and his [f] Family a passage to Port Jackson. Mr Gordon had been extremely idle, and seemed disposed to justify his improper conduct when he was informed that the Revd M Butler was appointed Superintendent of the Settlement he said he would not obey any order he might give – I told him under such a resolution as that he must retire from the Service of the Society, and he also and his Family returned to Port Jackson in the Active. All these unpleasant circumstances were very painful to bear, and gave me much distress – when I looked round and saw what progress had been made in the Civilization of the Natives, this afforded me some relief, I saw that the Axes, Hoes, Spades &c had done much to better the circumstances of the Natives; that these were the Missionaries and had turned their minds from the pursuit of War to the cultivation of their Lands – The Natives made many pointed remarks upon the conduct of the Settlers: nothing passes without their notice. They are very partial to the Europeans, and are sensible of the great advantages they derive from the Settlers and do not wish to offend them.
	I have sent you a copy of the regulations, which I prepared as a guide to their future conduct, and to which they all agreed in the full Committee – I hope now they will conduct themselves becoming their situation –
	The Revd J Butler is an active Man, his heart is in the work, and I hope he is now put in the right way. He told me he should have returned, had I not accompanied him, when he saw the state the Settlement was in, he should not have had the resolution to have struck at the root of the evils, traffic had been the bane, I always forbade it – I foresaw its evils, but there was no head upon the spot, to carry my instructions into execution, and therefore it could not be remedied. I found Mr Butler very ready to second my views as well as his Colleagues who came from England [f] with him and now I hope all will do well. Satan has excited all his enmity to overturn this Mission, Friends and Foes have one way or other conspired against it. The Settlers themselves by their misconduct did all they could to overthrow it, tho not intentionally. Those in New South Wales whose public situations called them to support the laws, were afraid to be seen countenancing the work, and others in high Stations exerted every Nerve to crush it altogether. I am astonished when I take a view of all that is past, and have so long beheld, the Fire in the Bush, that the Bush has not been consumed, I therefore conclude, and I trust upon solid ground, that the work is of God, and therefore cannot be overthrown. You will excuse this long letter I feel it my duty to state the good and the bad to you. It is not necessary that all the World should know that a Missionary does not do his duty; but I think the Directors of the Mission should know – we know what human Nature is, and how few good Men ever will do what is right if left without a guide – few can govern themselves; much less can they govern other Men, and no Mission should be left without a Head – The Missionaries at Otaheite have often done very wrong, yet God has blessed their labours. I cannot omit mentioning another instance of unpardonable neglect in all the Settlers. I took over with me at the first, two Mares, and onme very fine entire Horse three years old; with the hope of supplyinmg the island with a good breed of Horses. The Horse was worth £100 in New South Wales; the Settlers took no care of them, but suffered them for more than three years, to trespass upon the Natives Tabooed grounds; notwithstanding all their remonstrances, till at length the Natives were so exasperated that they shot them and their increase. Mr Kendall [f] told me the Natives continually reasoned with them on the injury the Horses did them but they paid no attention to their complaints – The Settlers might have taken care of the horses with little trouble, as they were very gentle, having been broke in before I took them over. Had men destroyed their tabooed sweet Potatoe grounds, the Natives would have put them to death, I wonder therefore they had patience so long with the Horses. This is a very serious loss, as they would now have been at work with the Plough. The loss is wholly owing to Idleness, and want of common attention. This circumstance grieved me much as it was such a public calamity. I had also sent over six young Heifers about two years ago – after they had arrived the Settlers informed me they could not get the Bulls to put to them, as they were wild. When I received this information I sent over two tame Bulls to run with the Heifers, when I arrived in New Zealand, I found the Bulls I had sent had never been put to the Heifers, but turned to the wild Cattle – this was also a vexatious circumstance, as it prevented their increase. I could not account for such total indifference to an object in which their own Comfort, and the future welfare of the whole Country was so materially interested. It appeared as if every thing Man could do, or leave undone, conspired together to defeat my intentions for the general good. I had ordered ten more Heifers and one Bull of the best Breed to be sent in the Active when she came for me, when she arrived she landed nine, two died on their passage I have got about 20 Head of Cattle there at present, and I think Mr Butler will take care of them. The Settlers are not aware of the advantages Cattle are of to a Country, nor of the trouble and heavy expense attending their conveyance or they never could have acted in so thoughtless a manner I was very angry with them tho it was of no avail; the Horses would then have been as well as the Cattle of infinite [f] value. Such have been the unnecessary mortifications, to repair the loss will be attended with much expense and trouble.
	Men of common sound sense and comprehensive minds are not easily to be met with for Missionarfies to the uncivilized Heathen Nations. Hence many of them are voiud of reflecting they are not Men of observation; their ideas do not extend beyond the little circle in which they have formerly moved and perhaps I expected too much from them, when I thought they would have taken care of the Cattle and Horses for their own sakes. But what knowledge Men do not possess, we should not expect them to exercise.
	I intend to take in the Dromedary one entire Horse, and two Mares, and near 20 Head of Horned Cattle, as such an opportunity may not offer again for a long time; and as I go myself I hope I shall be able to take one of them – A Country can never get forward without Horses and Cattle; and no expense should be spared in getting them into a New Colony as soon as possible. Had the british government given £100 per head for Cows when the Colony was first established this would have been a great saving to the Nation – As a proof of the truth of this obsevation, I beg leave to say that I got one Cow soon after my arrival in the Colony and in 13 years I had 60 head.
	I have thought good to state the above, you will make what use of this Letter you may think proper. As I have already said I wish you to know all both good and bad, and then you can form your own Judgment upon the whole. Mr Carlisle applied yesterday to return to New Zealand, but I will never allow him, Mr Gordon was with him. I have no doubt but they both repent their improper conduct.
I am
Revd and Dear Sir
Your most obedient
humble Servant