Parramatta April 18th 1823 Dear Sir/ I have sent for your Information one years Journal of James Shepherd who is employed in the New Zealand mission— You will see what the views and feelings of this young man are with respect to the Natives— He is a young man who has not had the advantages of Education having learned to read in one of our small district Schools— I know him to be a man of sound Piety; and of great natural Abilities for acquiring the Language of New Zealand, in which he has made great Progress— In due time he may render great Assistance in translating the Sacred Scriptures into the Language of these poor Heathens— I beg to refer you to Mr Francis Hall for his Conduct and Character— By this Conveyance you will receive a Letter from Captain Irvine a Copy of which he has sent me— It is not necessary I should make any Remarks upon it— By the next Conveyance I shall write [f] to you fully upon all the important objects of the mission— Mrs Clark is expecting to be confined every day; when she recovers and is able to go to Sea, I shall prepare for New Zealand— It is my Intention to bring back with me some of the Children of the Chiefs to Parramatta for Education— The Conduct of some of the missionaries have been so improper, that I think the Lives of the missionaries, and the existence of the mission has depended under God upon the Residence of the natives at Parramatta, and the Knowledge they have acquired of civil Life while they remained here. The natives have always been coming and going to and from New Zealand to Parramatta, and a greater or lesser number have always lived with me— I am under no apprehension myself for the Safety of the Missionaries, nor for the final Success of the mission— As I had suspended the Revd T. Kendall from his Situation as a missionary until the pleasure of the Society was know[n]— I thought it would be [f] more prudent to retain the Society’s Letter to him until I went myself— I am Revd & Dear Sir Yours affectionately Samuel Marsden Revd J. Pratt— P.S. I shall now associate with me my Colleagues the Revds Cartwright and Hill— they are men of worth and Piety, and feel a lively interest in the Cause and also the Revd T. Hassall— Mr Hassall has got no public appointment yet— I have applied to Sir Th[oma]s Brisbane, as there are several populous districts without a Clergyman, but nothing has yet been done— I have thought if we should be successful in establishing a Seminary at Parramatta Mr Hassall would be a very proper Person for that Situation, from his Piety and Zeal for the cause of the poor Heathen—