inform me candidly, from all they had heard,
whether they thought I might, with safety,
venture across the country; but I could get
nothing from them but vague and mysterious
answers: one thing, however, they made me
very clearly understand; which was, that they
neither cared for me nor for my drawings;
that their own safety engrossed all their
thoughts; and that a worldly-minded, misguided
creature like me was but as dust in
the balance, compared to such godly people
as themselves, who were now placed in jeopardy.
They, without scruple, applied quotations
from the Scriptures to themselves;
such as “ Why do the heathen so furiously
rage,” &c. &c.
My necessities compelled me to request a
favour from them; which was, that they
would allow one of their boys, who could
speak English, to accompany me, as our loads
were heavy; and his being known to belong
to their establishment I thought might be
some protection ; but the short answer of the
monosyllable “ No ” soon made me repent
having asked it. I spread my bed in one
| p
of their empty rooms ; and started at daybreak
next morning, with my two native
slaves. I could not banish from my remembrance
the inhospitable conduct of these missionaries
: they never even enquired whether
I had any provision for a journey they themselves
would not have dared to undertake ;
which was evident by their giving a native a
warm piece for merely taking a letter for
them. As my shoes were nearly worn out,
and I had a long distance to go, over execrable
roads, I had intended asking them for
a new pair, as they had abundance of every
thing of the kind sent to them from England,
to distribute to the needy (and I fully came
under that description of character); but finding
them so selfish and cold-hearted, and
meeting with one refusal, I refrained, and set
off, literally almost bare-footed.
We journeyed on all day by a road I had
never been before; my attendants evidently
taking by-paths to avoid meeting stragglers
or runaways. I was well laden, having to
carry my musket and my basket of provisions;
and each of my men, in addition to
Q fi