Parramatta July 16th 1821
Revd & dear Sir
	The Revd Mr Kendall with Shunghee and Whykoto arrived in the Colony late in May. Shunghee had recovered very much, but was still weak and poorly— He was very much reduced from what he was in his own Country— He was much rejoiced to learn that all his Friends were well. His visit to England will be attended with good to all— Mr Kendall I hope will not be so very determined at all times to go his own way— I have had much difficulty to convince him of the Criminality of bartering Muskets and Powder with the Natives— We had a warm altercation upon the Subject, when he told me he would neither be guided by me, nor the Society in this matter— I then told him he & I must finally part, for I would have no Connection with any individual or individuals who would be concerned in such a nefarious Barter— I then wrote to him, a Copy of my Letter I enclose— I afterwards stated to him what I had heard and seen in my different Travels amongst the natives of N. Zealand from the Effects of Muskets, by arming one Tribe with Fire-arms against a Tribe who has none— The Chiefs of the Bay of Islands when I arrived in the Dromedary were gone to war against Mercury Bay— and returned the very morning Mr Kendall sailed for England— I saw the Prisoners of war landed and the Heads of the Chiefs, whom they had killed— I visited Mercury Bay afterwards with the Chief of the Expedition— and on my arrival I was informed between 3 & 400 of the Inhabitants [f] of this Settlement had be[en] slain by the Chiefs of the Bay of Islands, and 265 Prisoners of war taken away, while only one Chief had been wounded on the opposite side, and none killed— One Party had muskets and the other had none. I wanted to know how Mr Kendall as a Christian Minister could reconcile these things to his mind— Mr Kendall contended muskets were civilized weapons— I readily admit the Force of his Argument, provided he could arm all the population of N. Zealand with muskets, and give all an equal Chance of Protection. The unarmed natives complained everywhere to me of the Injustice of the Missionaries in putting muskets into the Hands of their Enemies to slay them. I laboured to convince the natives, that this was not the object of the Missionaries in coming to N. Zealand, and assured the unarmed Tribes that the Missionaries should do so no more— The more they barter away, and the more offense they will give to the Inhabitants in general, who cannot obtain them. It is not one hundred nor one Thousand muskets that would satisfy a warlike nation as they are. Every man must have a musket before all would be satisfied. It is their warlike Spirit that wants to be checked, and softened by the simple Arts, and Agriculture. I hope Mr Kendall after all that has past will yield this Point, and act differently— He has promised that he will— I did most solemnly assure him I would have no Communication with him if he did not lay aside this Barter— Mr Kendall is well qualified for an useful Missionary amongst these People in their present State— and I cannot doubt his Sincerity and pious wish to do them go[od] – and he will do [f] much good— I have sometimes been very angry with him for his persevering obstinacy in a wrong Path. You must have perceived this Temper in him, if you had any Call to oppose his Opinions or Inclinations— He will not reason, from a Confidence that he is right— I think however he will now begin fair— Past Experience will have taught him a little wisdom— I was very anxious to forward him to N. Zealand as soon as possible; not only with a view to save Expenses, but to prevent his mind from being from being unhinged by the Corruptions of this abominable Society— Some Circumstances have occurred in the Society Islands which induced me to take up the Westmoreland, and to send her there— I put Mr Kendall and his Companions on Board of her, and they sailed on the 4th Instant. The Westmoreland is bound by her Charter Party to land them and their Baggage, with other Stores belonging to the Society at the Bay of Islands— The Active is at present in the River Derwent, and I do not expect her here for two or three months— I am happy they are gone— I made them Shunghee & Wyekoto a few Presents and they seemed very much rejoiced to return in so large a Ship as the Westmoreland. Shunghee's mind I found was a little hurt from being refused some things he wanted— He told me the Circumstances— I blamed Mr Kendall more than the New Zealanders for this— If they made any unreasonable Request it was Mr Kendalls duty to have explained to them that their Requests were unreasonable— but he left the Person to do that, to whom they applied; which was not fair— He acted so with me. The natives asked me for what I could not give them— Mr Kendall did not tell them I could not [f] comply with their Requests, but still told them to ask me. I have never had any trouble with Applications from the New Zealanders— If I told them I could not give them what they wanted, they were satisfied with my answer— But when Mr Kendall told them to ask me for what they wanted, they conceived he would not desire them to do so, unless it was in my Power to grant their Requests— From this alone they were dissatisfied— However we parted very warm friends— and I hope all will go on well, and that they will in a few days be happy in the midst of their Families—
Mr Cowell is still here. I have provided a Passage twice for him, but he is not gone yet— He has been lately married again— I felt much for his Affliction when he lost his first wife, and felt unwilling to press upon him his duty— I fear he has not warmth and Activity necessary for a Missionary— However as he is now married again his wound for his former Loss may be supposed to be healed, and he must soon determine what he will do— I have my doubts whether he will or not engage heart[i]ly in the work.— a little time will try his Intentions— I have no objections to his marriage, but I think he should have mentioned to me his Intention to do so, before he was married— I am afraid he has been too hasty— I think he had his Reasons for saying nothing to me upon the Subject— His Conduct has been moral and decent— He has not shewn much Inclination to do any thing since he has been in the Colony, but perhaps now he may be more active—
Missionaries are very difficult to manage— and those who have the Superintendence of them, will have much trouble, and much blame whether they deserve it or not —
I remain
Revd & Dr Sir
Yours affectionately
Samuel Marsden
Revd J. Pratt