Parramatta August 1st 1821
Revd & Dear Sir
	Tho' I wrote to you lately by the Coromandel yet I embrace this opportunity to drop you a Line – Since my last I have received Letters from N. Zealand by a whaler which was there in April – The Missionaries and their Families were all well – Mr Kendall will have joined them before this time – I can assure you Sir it is a very difficult Task to manage a Body of Missionaries under any Circumstances – They all might do well at New Zealand if their contending Passions did not prevent them – I enclose you a private Letter which I received from a Mr Wilson, who had been many years a Missionary at the Society Islands, and came to N. S. Wales a few months for the Benefit of his Health and touched at the Bay of Islands on his return – You will see what is the opinion of an experienced Missionary who has been about 20 years in the work.– I also send you the following Extract out of a Letter I have received from Mr William Hall – "You have done well to send John Lee over to work the Bullocks; but Mr Butler lays great obstacles in the way against drawing Timber, or yet ploughing the Ground – He opposed me very violently last Monday at the Committee – I shall call a special Committee if I can be heard, in order to take into Consideration the Case of John Lee, to certify whether he is to be kept piddling about no Body knows what, or whether he is to be employed in working the Bullocks the work you sent him to do" – I sent John Lee as a Farming man, and who drove the Team of Bullocks at New Zealand when I was there in the Dromedary – and ladened that Ship with Timber, in [f] order that he might plought [sic] the Land, and push forward the Concerns of Agriculture, which would soon render the Missionaries independent of the Natives for Food – I was afraid Mr Butler would interfere, and create difficulties, and therefore I directed that Mr Francis Hall should have the direction of John Lee – I had taken all the secular Concerns out of the Hands of Mr Butler when I was with them at his own Request, and wished him only to attend to his Clerical duty and the Instruction of the Natives, but in no way whatever to interfere with the Europeans. Mr Butler is a man of very strong Passions, and very obstinate – has no regular method of managing any public Concerns – nor will any Persons be comfortable under him from his unhappy Temper – His Habits are not newly acquired, and they are now too deep rooted ever to be altered – I am sure those acquainted with him in England, must know what I state to be correct – I have told him verbally my opinion of his disposition, and I have stated the same to him in writing, and have intreated him to act with more propriety, but my opinion is he never will. If he would attend entirely to his own duty he might be useful – but as a Superintendent he never will answer – The Stores and all the secular Affairs ought to be taken out of his Hands entirely – I do not know that he has got Possession of the Stores, as I left them under the Charge of Mr Francis Hall, and a more proper man can never be found for such a Charge; nor a more amiable man for a Missionary – He is too far advanced in Life to learn much of the Language, but he, from his Piety, Prudence, and mildness of manners will be a great Stay to the Mission – It is difficult to find proper men for the work, nor can they be known until they are tried. [f] William Hall is, and has been a very industrious useful man very few superior to him for beginning a Mission – He is a man of more natural Ability than any who are there – Mr Shepherd is the first in Point of learning the Native Language and will prove a valuable Missionary – The Spirit of a Missionary has grown up with him from a Boy, and he is a young man of good Ability and sound Piety – In worldly matters he would have done well in this Colony – but he could not rest. He visited the Society Islands and N. Zealand for some time before he engaged in the Mission – I have no doubt but he will do well for his motive is pure, and he understood the nature of his work before he engaged in it – It would be well if you could meet with a pious man, who understands Agriculture – I wish also to submit to the Consideration of the Society the Propriety of allowing the Missionaries & Settlers a regular Salary equal to provide them with all the necessaries of Life –  I think this Regulation would reduce the Expenses of the Society, and prevent many unpleasant differences about their Provisions – Some want a Hog to be all Legs, another all Hands, when they come to draw their Ration – Some want Green & others black Tea – I never saw any thing to equal the Impropriety of the Conduct of some of them in this Respect, when I was there – I arranged matters with Mr Kendall respecting his Salary, should what I have done meet with the Approbation of the Society – Mr Kendall is to have the Sum of £200 per annum from the 1st of October 1821. With this Sum he is to furnish his Family with all they want – He is to have no Claim upon the Society's Stores for any Provisions or any thing whatsoever – Whatever Stores of Tea Sugar Soap &c &c he draws from the Society's Stores, the amount is to be charged against his Salary – He is to supply his Family with animal Food, Flour and every Article they may want –[f] If the Society should not approve of this arrangement, it is to be null and void – I have written to all the other Missionaries to send their Proposals to the Society, and a Copy to me. When they do this I will forward their Statements to you – and the Committee will consider what would be best to be done – If this Plan can be done, it will prevent much Altercation amongst them, and they will then find it their Interest to take Care of what Stores they may have. It is very difficult to get persons to take Care of public Property. Under such a System the Society would then know what their annual Expenses would be – If the Society had a farming Man to grow Grain for the Settlement, the Missionaries would then have to purchase it from the Society's Stores – as well as all their other Supplies – Whether the Revd Mr Butler would approve of this measure or not I cannot say – Mr Kendall has 8 Children his wife and himself – I am of Opinion the Society cannot furnish this Family with Provisions, Tea Sugar &c &c for £80 per annum – Mr Kendall will be better satisfied with £200 per annum, and support his Family – However the Committee will consider this Subject –
Should a young woman named Elizth Pritchard, No. 9 Sevan Street, Church Street Bethnell Green call upon you I will thank you to pay her ten Pounds and charge the Same to my Account informing me you have done so – Her Husband lives at Parramatta – and wishes her to come to him– This Sum is to assist her, and to be paid to no other Person – I requested the Revd R. Hill & Captain Irvine to assist  as a corresponding Committee, but some difficulties have arisen which I did not foresee, which I shall state at a future Period should it be necessary. These wholly relate to the temporal Concerns of the Society – I see some danger of increasing the Expenses if their views are indulged – but no Change will be made, without the Approbation of your Committee –
I am Revd Sir
Yours affectionately
Saml Marsden