: C H A P T E R ,' .II.
■ E m b a r k a tio n .—D e p a r tu r e .fr om th e R i v e r .— S ta y a t P o r tfm tiu tE i^
T h e preparations bein^ cpmpleted. and t|ie jpi^ipnaries ready for
embarkation, the h f tike fociety were very apxiaus fo r : the
p u f f s fartipg With the Eaft India conyoy, which, at this time, lay
at, Spitl^pad,. waiting for a fair wind. They embarked ifffight o f
many fpehfetors, and accompanied by relations, acquaintances, .and
feveral of the-diredtors, to whom, as refrding in London, had :been
comniitted the care o f the outfit of the million. Auguft the 10th,
1796, at fix in, the morning, we weighed -anchor," „and hoilled our
mifiionary flag at the mizen toprgallant-maft head :
genh °§A fllfrpje field, bearing'oliye-brajncbes. in fl^ ir bifls.r .T h e
mormngjpiS, ftmpe, and a ggnde jipreeke blew from A eA V L ^ W..-
few, vgflefs w^re flirring on tfie river ; /M wps ftifl imd quiet s and
it fcemed a favourable feafion. for pleafing copljemplatipn to thole
wljipfe. hmrts, ^fanned with beneyojeijce tOyflufif felkpy 11?^* and-ardour
for tfip extppfion of. the Redeemer’s kingdom, had long, earncflly,
deified, tp fee. a pxafpeft fo pronfifing as this their firft attempt now
afforded. With fatisfaftion they beheld thofe, who at a future period
were, tp, a ft alone in the caufe, not dilpirfied, a t leaving their
native country, and friends, nor with the thought o f what fity before
them, hut,, on, tfie,. contrary, refigning themfelves into the, hands
o f Ifim whpm they firmly believed able to.cariyall his purpofes into
The hymn» “ Jfifas, a trthy commands—we launch iptp. the
“ deep,” &c. was lung by upwards of an hundred, voices,, producing
a pleafing and folemn fenfation. The laiiors in the lhips we paffed
heard with filent aftonilhment, and our friends, who lined the banks
o f the river, wavedtheir hands, and bid us a laft adiett,
Aeons?.]
. • The fpirit which animated -the brethren for this undertaking will
be beft felt by a fhort extraft or two from their journals, all wbjich
fpeak the fame language.
fi-One J&y5', “ When taking1 ar^proipeftiVe -view of the great jy^rk
$felefore us, my - w a s 3 Wlipd^ fcArciept
*•{ fbr-J^efe thipgs,? Rut -Tjcvas enabled; jmvd^rj;YPaW:nf or*: an^ eI^~
-e^^gement fj-0f|lflhn{P95^dence,
"ifi 'htsgfift,' ande<#hp ’wants in the,hpflow of fii&.fipnd, tgg^, pre-
Ifetferye from every- ey-if. > T o |^ proyitlpUtBd pgre I enabled to
plylur render mylfeTfy determined, ybfi^gh.'his Phdjac ,t°
“ be devoted-..to the.lWP¥k0 f pr^Mil§/thegp§)_dipf g hrifttpthe
“ ,poor benighted iqhalfitaQ^ *of the manc^-Gf -pur fleflination. ” , ,
' Another write s,» -I. fgltjdeeply jwhun.}mYmgmW-na$ive country
— and dearffriejida,, whom ^Ipyefl^agj my, fife; fiut Joving the Giver
lifd,' I truft, more than all, T w e n £ W k h j g y . ”
•> A t Woolwich a vail cpjpptjrfe o f j^epple^ha’d coflefted pm the fhore
to ■ faljfate» JSj|asA we paflefl,,£J .The breegg' freshening, VjL amvcil at
Gravefcnd b^Tore.,fiopn, anfl , employed the remainder o f the day in
l^paring the decksfiwhight>Were in a veryiyiphe£e4"cfJnd[ilion, from
.thefipagempfs., o f /a..mufikud^ o f kind,individuals frpm^|h| riejgh-
bourmg ,towns,,who, wnlhing to ^cpn tribute Jo thgjgomfort o f the
miflionaries,- came^on boand, bringing, vafi§u£;ar$£le§,5rf jyfrelhment,
and entreating'they might i fief received, v tfiLjg&ery part ®£ thefbip was
crowded ter a ‘ v.ery .greagj^ggl'ee. The'iimfl]pnaries> cheats and ham-
S p p k s were alfo to J>e arranged antd:flung? fl-9Jps§E?iS?if0S I ,a®Ii1S
fe ll.n ig h t o f their-jfiOMlj'|StMation b^w-P^Vjthe deo^s tyith as little
inconvenience as poflible.. T h e Rev. D r. Jfawejs. thsRpv. i^lr.Wilks,
and the Rev. M r. Brookfbank, flireftprs p f .the fpcigty,, had come oh
bpard, at .©ackw^iirfhig^wiai^ftfir
pel with iheir brethren j tp
with; tfiem till • tj^y [flapidd ’ ieaye iE fl^ aad« . iGaptam Mitf?1!*-<M£*
HaydcaHle, apd Mr, Eepn, came on
tlefiwith t^e; crew for !th4uriyer pay.and.th^bihiP^tys ^Thei^rji^fes
, ;C